Today’s “TOP 3″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 2014
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”
American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (also Sunday)
“On Broadway, dance is now more like a shot of espresso or a vintage Instagram filter and less of a storytelling tool, like it used to be. American Dance for the 21st Century, a reincarnation of an earlier effort in the 1970s and ’80s, is committed to preserving the type of musical theater dance that is truly part of a show’s DNA. For its Joyce debut, the company presents classic dance numbers from shows like “Contact,” “A Chorus Line” and “42nd Street.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Nov. 15 at 8 p.m., Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.,
additional performances Nov. 15 and 16 at 2 p.m.,
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
212-242-0800 / joyce.org
$10 to $75.
Patti LuPone
“The Broadway grande dame has a simmering intensity onstage whether she’s starring in a musical or bringing additional grit to David Mamet’s words. She’s performing the second part of “Far Away Places,” the program she presented at the opening of this high-class cabaret joint, two years ago. Touching on her abiding taste for travel, the evening is full of songs by such far-flung composers as Johnny Mercer, Billy Joel, Irving Caesar, and Kris Kristofferson.” (NewYorker)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St.
at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. / $85 to $160 cover, with a $25 minimum.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com
ProtoHack New York
“Computer science is no longer just for computer scientists; increasingly we hear about the importance of knowing how to code if we want to stay relevant in the future. But coding isn’t the only techy skill set around, and this hackathon, which is billed as code-free and is organized by a group from San Francisco, turns the spotlight on another, perhaps equally important, activity: prototyping. During the twelve-hour event, attendees—essentially, anyone with an idea, initiative, and free time—will have nine hours of access to the tools they need to complete prototypes that communicate their ideas visually, and will then present them before judges; the top three entrants receive resources to make their ideas a reality.
There will also be presentations by several industry veterans.” (NewYorker)
Wix Lounge New York, 235 W. 23rd St.
646-862-0833. protohack.org.
starting at 9:30 A.M.
editor’s note: a 2nd hard drive failure in 7 months (what’s going on here Apple!) requires a reduction in daily event info on this site until the hardware issues have been resolved. while we use borrowed equipment and until further notice, the daily “Fab 5” is now the “Top 3”. we look forward to restoring full service next week.
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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Midtown West.
Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)
Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.
From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys”, just down the block.
Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.
Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.
But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.
Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.
It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music some nights includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man.
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 