Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ JUNE 11, 2019

“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.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “June NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

2019 Museum Mile Festival
Fifth Avenue, from 82nd St. to 105th St./ 6-9PM FREE
“Celebrate the Museum Mile Festival, the one evening a year when the world-class museums of Fifth Avenue open to the public for free and the street is closed to traffic. Some of New York City’s finest institutions, such as the Museum of the City of New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, museum lining Fifth Avenue from 82nd Street to 105th Street, will be hosting special Museum Mile events. You can see the full list of participating locations here!” (UntappedCities)
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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND
>> Paul Taylor Dance Company
>> Stacey Kent
>> ROY HAYNES
>> American Ballet Theatre
>> ‘THE WOMEN WRITERS OF “LATE NIGHT”
>> Taste of Grand Central Market

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Art

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND (June 11-16)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $40
“Rather than harking back to the classic swing era or the progressive large-ensemble composers of the late 20th century, this 17-piece group picks up on a lesser-touted aspect of the jazz tradition: the bebop big bands led by Jimmy Heath and Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s and ’50s. A lot of activity often happens at once in McBride’s ensemble: spitfire soloing from the saxophones and brass; calisthenic bowed-bass workouts from the bandleader; sprightly, charging momentum from the rhythm section. But McBride makes sure everything coheres, thanks to hip-huggingly tight swing rhythms and generous coats of grease on the harmonies.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Paul Taylor Dance Company (June 11-12, thru June 23)
Neidorff-Karpati Hall, Manhattan School of Music, 120 Claremont Ave. / 7PM, $40+
“Last year was a major time of change for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. In May, Taylor selected the company’s next artistic director: Michael Novak, a member of the troupe. Then, in August, Taylor died, at the age of eighty-eight. Now the company has embarked on a new venture, a collaboration with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, which will illuminate Taylor’s complex relationship with the music of Bach, one that spanned four decades. In three programs at the Manhattan School of Music, June 7-23, the company will perform all six of Taylor’s works set to Bach, plus new ones created by Pam Tanowitz and Margie Gillis. In the earliest and thorniest work, “Junction” (1961), Taylor, then still an experimentalist, prods the limits of the ineffable quality known as musicality—as Taylor once wrote, he felt that steps and music “have the right to ignore each other.” In contrast, the epic “Promethean Fire” (2002) and the joyous “Esplanade” (1975) seem to tap into the music’s very essence—and show how Taylor mellowed with age.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

Stacey Kent (June 11-15)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 8:30PM, $40-$50
“The vocalist Stacey Kent, wearing her taste and her smarts on her sleeve, blends American Songbook standards, Brazilian classics, and French chansons with original compositions by the saxophonist Jim Tomlinson and such collaborators as the author Kazuo Ishiguro. Here, Kent leaves behind the orchestra that accompanied her on her latest album, “I Know I Dream”—luckily, she can also weave magic at the helm of a more compact ensemble.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ROY HAYNES (June 10-12)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $30-$45
“Few living drummers know the plush interior of a solid swing feel better — or are more adept at the wheel of a bebop combo — than the 94-year-old Haynes, a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and an unimpeachable authority on classic jazz drumming. His energetic, dashing style has showed up on hundreds of albums, including many from Sarah Vaughan and Sonny Rollins. In recent decades he has led his own group, the Fountain of Youth Band, and from the looks of things, they have been living up to their name.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

American Ballet Theatre (through July 6)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $22+
“Performances of Cathy Marston’s recent retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” continue through Monday. Beginning Tuesday, they give way to the swashbuckling classic “Le Corsaire,” which had its premiere in the mid-19th century, making it a contemporary of Brontë’s tale. Instead of a demure Victorian romance, though, “Le Corsaire,” based on a Lord Byron poem, is a flashy, virtuosic fantasy about pirates, slaves and abducted maidens, complete with dated gender and cultural stereotypes that range from questionable to objectionable. But those leaps and spins! And that famous pas de deux! Audiences can be forgiving when the dancing is this fun.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)
Tonight: Le Corsaire (June 11-15)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

‘THE WOMEN WRITERS OF “LATE NIGHT”
at the Paley Center for Media / 8:30 p.m.; $32-$40
“Seth Meyers moderates this panel with five of his show’s writers: Karen Chee, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord and Amber Ruffin. Viewers will recognize Hagel and Ruffin from their recurring segment with Meyers, “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.” Here they’ll talk about what goes into changing the nightly conversation in a medium often dominated by men both in front of and behind the camera.” (NYT-Sean L. McCarthy)

Taste of Grand Central Market
Grand Central Terminal, Main Concourse / 2-3PM, $2+
“New Yorkers will gladly cough up change for great food, but when there’s a chance to snag excellent grub for the price of nada, we pounce! Make sure to hit Grand Central’s “Taste of Grand Central Market.” The foodie heaven (located between Graybar Building and the 4/5/6 subway lines) serves a ton of cheap bites from merchants such as Ceriello Fine Foods, Eli Zabar’s Bread & Pastry, Eli Zabar’s Farm to Table, Oren’s Daily Roast, Pescatore Seafood Co., Sushi by Pescatore, Murray’s Cheese and more.The tastings last for an hour (2pm to 3pm) every Tuesday in June. The price will run you $2. So, if you’re in dire need of a snack during your commute, this is the spot to hit! While we have you, make sure to check our list of 10 fascinating secrets about Grand Central.” (TONY)

Continuing Events

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC IN THE PARKS (June 11-14, 8 p.m.).
“The Philharmonic’s music director, Jaap van Zweden, conducts his first concerts in the parks, now in their 54th year. Whether at Van Cortlandt Park (Tuesday), Central Park (Wednesday), Cunningham Park (June 13) or Prospect Park (June 14), the music is the same: Rossini’s overture to “La Gazza Ladra,” the Hoe-Down from Copland’s “Rodeo,” Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 and, continuing an initiative started last year, two works from very young composers: Nilomi Weerakkody and Mack Scocca-Ho. Staten Island, alas, will have to make do with a free indoor concert at the St. George Theater (June 16, 4 p.m.).” (David Allen – NYT)
212-875-5656, nyphil.org

Underground Railroad Game (thru June 15)
A comedy, actually.
“Created by Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard with the Philly-based company Lightning Rod Special, the incendiary Underground Railroad Game returns to New York for 18 performances. Welcome to Hanover Middle School, where a pair of teachers tackle American history, race, sex, and power in a ferocious, sensational, very R-rated lesson.” (S.H.- NY Magazine)
Ars Nova at Greenwich House, 27 Barrow Street, May 30 to June 15.

‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’
at the Delacorte Theater (in previews; opens on June 11, thru June 23).
“Sigh no more, Shakespeare fans. Shakespeare in the Park — its tickets distributed free by line and lottery — returns with this sparkling comedy of sparring lovers. In postwar Messina, Beatrice (Danielle Brooks) and Benedick (Grantham Coleman) are a couple who despise each other. Until they don’t. Kenny Leon directs. ” (NYT-Alexis Soloski)
212-967-7555, publictheater.org
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COMING SOON (WFUV)

6/11 Justin Townes Earle, City Winery
6/12 The National with Courtney Barnett, Celebrate Brooklyn – live broadcast on 90.7 FM
6/12 Happy Together Tour w/ The Turtles & more, St. George Theater

♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’

“After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

“The Tale of Genji” (Through June 16)

“To detail the rich history of a Japanese literary epic, this stunning exhibition assembles artifacts and art works spanning nearly a millennium. Written in the early eleventh century by the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, the fifty-four-chapter tale—a mix of entertainment, social commentary, and Buddhist philosophy—recounts the misadventures of an emperor’s son, who, excluded from the line of succession, seeks restitution through romantic liaisons. Colorful episodes describe the opulence of the Heian period and introduce iconic female characters. The fascinating objects on view include paired calligraphic texts and paintings drawn from the oldest-known complete “Genji” album, from 1510; an ornate, portable lacquered-wood cabinet, from the Edo period, made to house the tale’s many volumes; and a wedding palanquin (or covered litter), from the same era, whose exquisitely painted interior features motifs from the story. The visual literary tradition instigated by Murasaki’s classic was not just for the élite: modern translations, as well as books and popular prints, disseminated it to a wide audience. The show concludes with original drawings by the contemporary manga artist Yamato Waki, from his updated adaptation “Asaki Yume Mishi” (thirteen years in the making)—a testament to the saga’s enduring legacy.” (Johanna Fateman, NewYorker)

‘THE WORLD BETWEEN EMPIRES: ART AND IDENTITY IN THE ANCIENT MIDDLE EAST’ (through June 23).

“The Met excels at epic-scale archaeological exhibitions, and this is a prime example. It brings together work made between 100 B.C. and A.D. 250 in what we now know as Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. In the ancient world, all were in the sphere of two competing superpowers — Rome to the west and Parthia to the east — and though imperial influence was strong, it was far from all-determining. Each of the subject territories selectively grafted it onto local traditions to create distinctive new grass-roots cultural blends. Equally important, the show addresses the fate of art from the past in a politically fraught present.” (NYT-Cotter)

“In Praise of Painting” (thru Oct.4, 2020)

“How great are the Met’s holdings in the Dutch golden age? Very. This long-term installation rings the lower level of the Lehman Wing with scores of lesser-known gems from the mid-seventeenth century, many of them rarely on view before, amid masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Ruisdael. The period, vivified here, began in 1648, when the end of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain brought a boom in wealth and morale, expressed by genre paintings that exalt the national ideal of gezelligheid—social warmth, comfort, belonging. A key figure was Gerard ter Borch, who had travelled widely and worked at the court of Philip IV, in company with Velázquez. Ter Borch’s lustrous, ineffably witty domestic scenes inspired a generation of masters, notably Vermeer, whose genius rather eclipsed his elder’s. The pictures often star ter Borch’s younger sister Gesina, preening in satins or enigmatically musing. Herself a painter, she is cutely funny-looking—pointy nose, weak chin—and desperately lovable. There’s much to be said for a world with such a family in it.” (Peter Schjeldahl, NewYorker)

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Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 06/09 and 06/07.
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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.