Today’s Super 6 > MONDAY / SEPT. 07, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.
(click on links for complete event info.)
Music, Dance, Performing Arts
>Linda Lavin: Starting Over (Sept 07-10-11-12)
54 Below, 254 W54th St / 7PM, $51-$61
(may need to aim for shows on Sept 10-11-12)
“Actor-singer extraordinaire Lavin, a stage powerhouse best known to general audiences as the title character of the sitcom Alice, gets back to her musical-theater roots with a collection of show tunes and standards.” (TONY)
> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
OR
> The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30Pm +10:30PM, $30
world class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.
Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Inaugural Exhibition: AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE (through Sept 27)
Whitney Museum, 99 Gansevoort St. / 10:30AM-6PM, $22.
“It’s finally here! The new improved Whitney home in MePa that’s supposed to finally put to rest the museum’s rep as the also-ran of New York’s major art institutions. The Whitney inaugurates its new home with this massive permanent-collection survey spanning eight decades. Covering four floors in roughly chronological order, the show relays overlapping histories about the Whitney itself, the development of modernism in America and the country’s transition from cultural backwater to overweening superpower.” (TONY)
Summer HD Festival (LAST DAY)
Lincoln Center Plaza, Columbus Ave and W63rd St / 8:00PM, FREE
tonight: “AIDA“
“Verdi’s epic of ancient Egypt shows the composer at his most sweeping, especially in the Met’s grand-scale staging. Liudmyla Monastyrska stars as the title character, an Ethiopian slave who is secretly a princess.”
“For 11 nights the Metropolitan Opera will take over Lincoln Center Plaza to bring some of the company’s most memorable recent performances to the masses. The series features 10 screenings of previously recorded operas. Seating is first come first served. At various times, 212-721-6500, metopera.org” (NYT-SpareTimes)
>Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (Sept 05-06-07-12-13)
“In 1931, New York artists Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning propped up a few of their paintings on the sidewalk near Washington Square Park and called it a show. A lot has changed since then: Now, more than 100 artists and artisans—including painters, sculptors, jewelers and glassblowers—exhibit their wares at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit.”
Our show is a sidewalk show, not a street fair, and has its venue on University Place, starting at East 13th Street and continuing south along the east side of Washington Square Park to West 3rd Street.” 12-6 PM / FREE
TODAY’S TOP EVENT
Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:
U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 8)
September 5, 2015 – Roger Federer in action in a men’s singles third-round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber during the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. (USTA/Pete Staples)
The U.S. Open continues play today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens and runs through Sept. 13. This is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. Everyone is looking for the Serena slam this year.
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to #7 to Willets Point. (about 45 min. from Times Square)
Matches to watch today: (predictions per Matt Cronin – USOpen.org)
ASHE/NIGHT – ROGER FEDERER (2) VS. JOHN ISNER (12)
Isner has improved this year, by being aggressive and accurate with his return, coming to net at the right time and going for his massive forehand when he can. Clearly, Isner has been struggling for years trying to grab more breaks against opponents, and as Federer said, the tall man has become frustrated when he is constantly having to go to tiebreaks to snare the sets
Believe it or not, since 2012, the last time Federer has won a major, he has added a few more tricks in his bag. He comes to the net more and puts it away from every angle. The righty likes to move to left and bang his forehand inside out. Even though he is slightly slower than he used to be, he can move forward like the wind.
Without a doubt, Federer is better than Isner all around, except Isner’s serve. But the American can catch fire, and he will be pumped up in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Isner will play about as well as he can, but in the end, Federer will take a very deep breath in five terrific sets.
ASHE/3RD – SAM STOSUR (22) VS. FLAVIA PENNETTA (26)
This one is a real toss-up between the 2012 US Open champion Stosur and the former semifinalist Pennetta, as both of them are longtime veterans and know how to change up tactics. Pennetta is 6-0 versus the Aussie, but Stosur has been overdue to top the Italian. Stosur’s big first serve and forehand kicker is on the ball, and that will wear down the Italian in three sets.
ARMSTRONG/2ND – SIMONA HALEP (2) VS. SABINE LISICKI (24)
The German Lisicki has a gigantic first serve, and she is always ready to hit as hard as she can inside the baseline. But Halep is steadier and faster, plus her forehand and backhand go deeper and at sharper angles. Halep will win in straight sets.
ASHE/2ND – STAN WAWRINKA (5) VS. DONALD YOUNG
All credit to Young, who won two five-setters to advance, whaling away with his wicked lefty serve. But since last year, the reigning French Open champion Wawrinka became more composed and he is very comfortable on the baseline or rushing forward. Young stunned Wawrinka, 7-6 in the fifth set, in the second round at the 2011 US Open, and a month or so later, he pushed him again in Shanghai, falling in three interesting sets. The Swiss is smarter these days and his forehand and first serve have improved by miles. Wawrinka will win in four difficult sets.
ARMSTRONG/3RD – ANDY MURRAY (3) VS. KEVIN ANDERSON (15)
The former US Open champion Murray danced around in overwhelming Thomaz Bellucci in the third round, and now he is ready to pull Anderson back and forth. Anderson is a big server and he is fairly smart, but he can’t trip up Murray, who has a serious shot to win the title. Murray will win in three sets.
ARMSTRONG/4TH – TOMAS BERDYCH (6) VS. RICHARD GASQUET (12)
Berdych struggled mightily this summer, but he appears to have woken up in the first three rounds here. However, the Frenchman has had a pretty decent season year and will trip up Berdych in a fascinating five sets.
Lot’s of great doubles matches today, too.
Today’s tips: Arrive early. Security screening has resulted in long delays to enter. The best, most comprehensive review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes/Sports
Once inside check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open’s Grandstand court, or even Louis Armstrong stadium. Courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.
Unfortunately, this is the last year for the Grandstand court, which is being replaced by a larger, less intimate court. It will be sorely missed. Make sure to find your way over there to see some matches while you can.
Bonus – Jazz Picks:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. jazz.org/dizzys, 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave), birdlandjazz.com, 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. smokejazz.com, 212-864-6662
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
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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, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Tribeca
B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))
There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.
It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.
There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.
Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.
It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.
This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music iot may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.
Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 