NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/21) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 12/21/2018 by GregD

“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: “NYC Events-December”
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.

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

FREDDY COLE QUARTET FEATURING JOEL FRAHM (thru Dec.25)
at Birdland / 8:30 and 11 p.m.; $50
“Cole will never fully escape the shadow of his brother, Nat King Cole, who died in 1965 at age 45. But the younger Cole — also a pianist and singer with a low, lambent voice and a repertoire that centers on romantic balladry — has become a popular performer in his own right, particularly over the past few decades. He plays here in a quartet featuring Frahm, a luminous tenor saxophonist. On Dec. 24 and 25, the young vocalist Veronica Swift will join as a second special guest.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

This may be heresy, but I like Freddy’s voice just as much as his brothers, and that’s why I made this show today’s go to performance.

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> COUNTDOWN 2019: JOHN COLTRANE FESTIVAL
>> ROY HARGROVE TRIBUTE CONCERT
>> GILAD HEKSELMAN
>> MARKY RAMONE’S HOLIDAY BLITZKRIEG
>> ‘OTELLO’
>> Kenny Barron Trio
>> Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

COUNTDOWN 2019: JOHN COLTRANE FESTIVAL
(Dec. 21-30 and Jan. 1-6; will be 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.;
Dec. 31, 6:30 and 9:45 p.m.).
at Smoke / $45
“Smoke is uptown Manhattan’s trustiest home for world-class, straight-ahead jazz; the venue also runs its own in-house record label. For the next two and a half weeks, it will present a festival featuring all-star groups made up of some famed performers who typically grace its stage, and its albums. This Friday through Sunday, a quintet featuring the trumpeter Eddie Henderson and the pianist George Cables will play. From Monday through Wednesday, it’s another heavy-hitting five-piece, this time guided by the bassist Buster Williams and the drummer Louis Hayes. From Thursday through Jan. 2, the pianist Harold Mabern will lead his quartet. Throughout the festival, there will be separate performances at 11:45 p.m. and 12:45 a.m. each night, New Year’s Eve being the only exception. From Friday through Thursday, the pianist and vocalist Johnny O’Neal will play these midnight sets; for the rest of the festival, they will feature the pianist Marc Cary and his Harlem Sessions ensemble.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

ROY HARGROVE TRIBUTE CONCERT (Dec. 21-22)
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $50
“The unexpected death of the pre-eminent trumpeter this fall shocked the jazz community — particularly in New York City, and especially at the Gallery, a club he co-founded over 20 years ago. Hargrove typically played every holiday season at the Gallery, and this weekend, an all-star squad of musicians pays homage to him: the alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, the pianists Orrin Evans (on Friday) and David Virelles (on Saturday), the bassist Eric Revis and the drummer Nasheet Waits. The group will be joined by various special guests over the course of the two evenings.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

GILAD HEKSELMAN (Dec. 21-22)
at Cornelia Street Café / 8:30 and 10 p.m.; $
“Hekselman, a fiercely melodic guitarist and an increasingly shrewd composer, released a strong album this year, “Ask for Chaos.” He appears at Cornelia Street with the rising-star vibraphonist Joel Ross and the drummer Kush Abadey on Friday, then alongside the tenor saxophonist J. D. Allen and the drummer Colin Stranahan on Saturday. The shows are worth catching on their own merits, but it also bears noting that this storied performance space will close on Jan. 2, after 41 years in Greenwich Village.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

MARKY RAMONE’S HOLIDAY BLITZKRIEG
at the Gramercy Theater / 7 p.m.; $
“The Ramones’ fourth album, “Road to Ruin,” turned 40 this year, and Marky Ramone, born Marc Steven Bell, is the only member alive to honor this milestone. So he’s doing just that at this show alongside his band Blitzkrieg, which features Greg Hetson, who has played guitar for bands such as Circle Jerks and Bad Religion. The show promises “40 Ramones classics” (“I Wanna Be Sedated,” the biggest hit on “Road to Ruin,” will almost certainly be among them) and a screening of the 1979 film “Rock ’n’ Roll High School.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

‘OTELLO’ (next Dec.28, 7:30PM)
at the Metropolitan Opera / 8PM, $20+
“Bartlett Sher’s production is back for the first time since its debut in 2015, but the headline here is the Met debut of Gustavo Dudamel, the superstar conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sonya Yoncheva returns as Desdemona, with Stuart Skelton in the title role and Zeljko Lucic as Iago.” (NYT-David Allen)

Kenny Barron Trio (Dec.18-23)
Village Vanguard / 8:30, +10:30PM, $35 (may need to try late set)
“In 2001, the pianist Kenny Barron and the violinist Regina Carter released “Freefall,” a duet recording that found these two unleashed virtuosos romping through a program of standards and open improvisation. Carter, in a less intimate but equally stimulating setting, joins Barron’s immaculately crafted trio, featuring the bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and the drummer Johnathan Blake.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool (thru Dec.22)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $75+
“Who says nice guys finish last? Broadway leading man Norm Lewis exudes amiability, but that hasn’t stoppped him from a long career that has included stints in Porgy and Bess, Les Misérables, Side Show and Chicago; in 2014, he became the first African-American to play the Phantom on Broadway. In his annual Christmas set at Feinstein’s/54 Below, he welcomes audiences to enjoy holiday favorites, warmed by the hearth of his voice.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown Manhattan’s winter wonderland.
Bryant Park (btw 5th/6th Ave. @42nd St.) / shops to 8PM, rink to 10PM
Enjoy the Holiday Shops, The Lodge by Urbanspace, and The Rink, the centerpiece of Winter Village and New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink.
The Holiday Shops are open through January 2, 2019.

The Rink
This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, and free skating shows, special events, and activities.
October 27, 2018 – March 3, 2019
Daily, 8am-10pm (Rink hours are weather permitting and Rink may be closed for events – check here)
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New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

“New York City Ballet continues performances of its acclaimed 1954 production that would melt the Scroogiest of hearts. The elaborate staging includes a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from a 12 feet to 41 feet and an 85-pound, nine-feet wide Mother Ginger. The ballet highlights dozens of talented and adorable children from the School of American Ballet, but the star of the show isn’t just one dancer but a bevy of Snowflakes. Their waltz — full of beauty and daring — will take your breath away. ” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes (Nov.09- Jan.01)
Radio City Music Hall / various times, $46+
“There’s more great precision dancing than ever in the show’s current edition, which was revamped in 2007 and tweaked again this year. Glamorously outfitted in a series of eye-popping costumes, the Rockettes perform on a double-decker bus, a sparkly staircase and a snowy forest and enact a lightning-fast version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Not to worry: They’re still doing the classic “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” number, too. Each scene is enhanced by video backdrops displayed on one of the world’s largest LED screens.”

“Along with the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the Rockettes’s “Christmas Spectacular” is one of New York’s most colorful and popular holiday traditions. An army of beaming beauties in candy-cane colors participate in eight dance numbers that range from tap dancing to that famous razor-sharp kick line and other merry scenes of highly synchronized prancing. In a new ending this year, the dancers get aerial reinforcement from a unit of blinking drones.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)

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♦ 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 63 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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Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

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

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 discovery and enjoyment.

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.
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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

Jocelyn Hobbie (thru Dec.22)

Fredericks & Freiser, 536 W. 24th St.

This figurative painter’s dreamy style might be described as Photoshop realism. Burnished cheekbones and glossy pouts accessorize models—young, mostly white women—whose moods range from melancholy to detached. Their bright outfits and patterned backdrops illustrate the fashion do’s of mixing prints. Oil paint applied with invisible brushstrokes exaggerates the touched-up perfection of dewy complexions and luxury textiles. A related series of works on paper, installed salon style in the back room, are less polished but just as seductive. But do the distant expressions on these lovely faces signal a critique of the Madison Avenue ideals they embody, or are they—as seems more likely—simply part of the look? ( Johanna Fateman)

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 12/19 and 12/17.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘Otello’, COUNTDOWN 2019: JOHN COLTRANE FESTIVAL, FREDDY COLE QUARTET FEATURING JOEL FRAHM, GILAD HEKSELMAN, MARKY RAMONE’S HOLIDAY BLITZKRIEG, ROY HARGROVE TRIBUTE CONCERT | Leave a comment

NYC Events, “Only the Best” (12/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 12/20/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> ¡VAYA! 63: Miss YaYa
>> Cynthia Erivo
>> ANDY MILNE & DAPP THEORY PLUS
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> Winter Rhythms 2018
>> Pentatonix
>> Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

¡VAYA! 63: Miss YaYa
Opening set by DJ TRU TITAN
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“With her strong, resonant voice and electrifying stage presence, Grammy-nominated salsera Miss YaYa brings her high-energy mix of urban salsa, merengue, and bachata to the Atrium. The native New Yorker with Dominican and Puerto Rican roots started out on television singing competitions before being named the frontwoman of the DLG (Dark Latin Groove) salsa crew. While she still works with DLG, she has also broken out as a formidable solo artist and bandleader on the salsa scene. Join her for a perfect December night on the dance floor.”

Cynthia Erivo
Live From Lincoln Center presents Stars in Concert
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall / 7:30,9:30, $55+
“Bursting onto the scene with her star-making performance in The Color Purple, Cynthia Erivo is swiftly approaching the haloed EGOT status. The classically trained actor—she graduated from the famed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art—with a powerhouse voice already has a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award under her belt, and is now seamlessly making the transition from Broadway to the big screen. During this momentous time in her career, Erivo brings her rich vocals and radical talent to The Appel Room for a soulful evening of song.”

ANDY MILNE & DAPP THEORY PLUS
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $20
“To create a rigorous, engaging suite of music singing the praises of homeopathic healing and improvisation, you need chutzpah and imagination in equal doses. A resourceful pianist with a crisp touch and a constantly shifting harmonic approach, Milne possesses plenty of both. Here he will celebrate the release of “Seasons of Being” — the latest album from his band, Dapp Theory — an ambitious and rewarding disc that was long in the making. The group will appear in an augmented, eight-piece iteration, with two vocalists adding poetry and narration.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 7:30PM, $30+
“This troupe continues its run at City Center with its “Three Visionaries” program, opening on Friday. It spotlights dances created by the artistic directors who have presided over the company since its formation in 1958: Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison and Robert Battle. From Jamison, the artistic director emerita, are excerpts from “Divining” and “Forgotten Time.” Battle, its current artistic director, offers “Mass” and “Ella,” and from Ailey, its founder, there are the classics “Cry” and “Revelations.” Another program pick is “Timeless Ailey” (on Saturday), a presentation of rarely seen Ailey dances, including “Pas de Duke” and “The Lark Ascending.” Both are gems.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Winter Rhythms 2018 (thru Dec.22)
Urban Stages / 7PM, +9PM, $30
“The tenth annual edition of Urban Stages’s cabaret festival comprises 22 shows, including sets devoted to Johnny Mercer, Madeline Kahn, Bea Lillie, Czechoslovak soprano Jarmila Novotná and the concept of hope. The starry December 17 performance, a celebration of Britwit Noël Coward, features Jim Dale, Jim Naughton, Jeff Harnar, Edward Hibbert, Simon Jones, Sidney Myer, Marissa Mulder, KT Sullivan, Eric Comstock and Coward lionizer Barry Day.” (TONY)

Pentatonix (Dec.18-20; Dec. 22)
Beacon Theatre, Broadway at 74th St./ 8PM, $65+
“The a-cappella group Pentatonix knows all about holiday cheer. Their first Christmas project, released in 2014, remains their highest-selling album, with their festive 2016 collection not far behind. In keeping with the tradition, this year’s “Christmas Is Here” runs the gamut of classics and pop-culture favorites, including a gorgeous cover of “When You Believe,” featuring Maren Morris, and an altogether jolly (and orchestral) version of “Jingle Bells.” The Grammy-winning quintet is nothing if not keenly aware of the unique and reliable power of a cappella to channel the energy of the season.” (Briana Younger, NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

=======================================================

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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♦ 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 63 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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Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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 it 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

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, ANDY MILNE & DAPP THEORY PLUS, ¡VAYA! 63: Miss YaYa, Cynthia Erivo, Kenny Barron Trio | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/19) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 12/19/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

Megan Hilty
Live From Lincoln Center presents Stars in Concert
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall / 7:30,9:30, $55+
“With an operatic voice range and sunny charm, Tony-nominated songstress Megan Hilty is the epitome of musical stardom. After making her Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked opposite Idina Menzel to critical acclaim, Hilty went on to star in Noises Off, 9 to 5, and NBC’s musical drama Smash. For one night only, the multifaceted artist brings her immense talents and infectious charisma to the twinkling Appel Room with a versatile set of songs celebrating favorite musical-theater composers and classic standards.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Winter Rhythms 2018
>> The Magic Flute
>> Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
>> Pentatonix
>> Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool
>> Earthrise, Apollo 8
>> (Semi) Immersive Listening to EVERYTHING from this Year
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Magic Flute (next Dec.22, 8PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM
“Now a holiday tradition, Julie Taymor’s beloved production of Mozart’s enchanting fairy tale returns in its abridged, English-language version for families. Soprano Erin Morley, last seen at the Met as a brilliant Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, is the empowered Pamina, and tenor Ben Bliss is the valiant Tamino. Baritone Nathan Gunn is the comic birdcatcher Papageno, and soprano Kathryn Lewek reprises her hair-raising rendition of the malevolent Queen of the Night. Harry Bicket conducts.”

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM, $45+
“The all-male Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, which will be at the Joyce through Dec. 30, is cherished, mostly, for its drag jokes: the beefy thighs under the tulle skirts, the chest hair peeping out over the bodices. But the company’s erudition should also be noticed. In its version of the underwater scene from the 1864 piece “Little Humpbacked Horse,” you can see all manner of sea life—corals, squid, starfish—in dainty configurations: rosettes of emboîtés (the box step), lines of pas de cheval (the prancing step). Underneath the guys in tutus, it’s that kind of thing that makes for the comedy and, not seldom, the serious art of the Trocks.” (Joan Acocella, NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Hayden Special Event: Earthrise, Apollo 8
American Museum of Natural History ,Central Park West at 79th St./ 4PM, FREE
“Fifty years ago our conception of the planet changed radically with the first visuals of earthrise above the Moon’s horizon. The American Museum of Natural History screens NASA’s short documentary about Apollo 8’s journey, augmented by the planetarium’s OpenSpace visualization software.” (ThoughtGallery)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

The Roast of 2018: (Semi) Immersive Listening to EVERYTHING from this Year
Nowadays, 56-06 Cooper Ave, Ridgewood / 7:30PM, $15
“Composer and conductor Whitney George leads a Think Olio session looking back at the year in pop music. An immersive listening session will also examine trends, narrative elements of music videos, and the criteria we use to separate quality from disposability.” (ThoughtGallery)

“What better way to celebrate the end of the year than with a review of the best (and the worst) of what’s happened musically in 2018. Composer/conductor Whitney George will put together a playlist that embodies the rollercoaster that was 2018 and we’ll ask that age-old question: what will withstand the test of time? Are there any potential classics that were introduced this year? What are some trends for 2019?” (ThoughtGallery)

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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Bonus NYC events– 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:
(5 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)
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319 (6pm)

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)

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

Special Mention:
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 surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s 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.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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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)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Hilma af Klint : Paintings for the Future (thru 02/03/19)

“Convinced that the world was not ready for her artistry in 1906, particularly as an underrepresented female in her field, af Klint of Sweden kept her work private. Her paintings anticipated by years “breakthroughs” by Kandinsky, Mondrian and others and were unseen before 1986. The Guggenheim rediscovers her.”

“Recognized as one of the art world’s earliest abstract painters, Hilma af Klint was a steadfast believer that her work was inspired by the spiritual. The new Guggenheim exhibition, “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future,” showcases the work of this groundbreaking Swedish artist (1862-1944), whose work was rarely seen until the 1980s.” (Newsday)

See our art critic’s top pick of the year.
“Luckily, the number-one pick in Jerry Saltz’s best art shows of 2018 is still running. Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Future at the Guggenheim Museum examines the work of the unacknowledged Swedish visionary and makes a case for her being the first modernist abstract painter. Saltz is especially enamored with the first gallery, so make sure you spend some time there.” (NYMagazine)

Jewish Museum

‘CHAGALL, LISSITZKY, MALEVICH: THE RUSSIAN AVANT-GARDE IN VITEBSK, 1918-1922’ (through Jan. 6). This crisp and enlightening exhibition, slimmed but not diminished from its initial outing at Paris’s Centre Pompidou, restages the instruction, debates and utopian dreaming at the most progressive art school in revolutionary Russia. Marc Chagall encouraged stylistic diversity at the short-lived People’s Art School in his native Vitebsk (today in the republic of Belarus), and while his dreamlike paintings of smiling workers and flying goats had their defenders, the students came to favor the abstract dynamism of two other professors: Kazimir Malevich and El Lissitzky, whose black and red squares offered a radical new vision for a new society. Both the romantics and the iconoclasts would eventually fall out of favor in the Soviet Union, and the People’s Art School would close in just a few years — but this exhibition captures the glorious conviction, too rare today, that art must serve the people. (NYT-Farago)

‘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)

‘ARMENIA!’ (through Jan. 13). The first major museum exhibition ever devoted to the art of Armenia — officially its “medieval” era, but in fact spanning nearly 1,500 years — bulges with weighty stone crosses, intricate altar frontals and flamboyantly illuminated Bibles and Gospel books unlike any manuscripts you’ve seen from that time. Armenia, in the Caucasus Mountains, was the first country to convert to Christianity, in the fourth century, and the richly painted religious texts here, lettered in the unique Armenian alphabet, are a testament to the centrality of the church in a nation that would soon be plunged into the world of Islam. By the end of the Middle Ages, Armenian artists were working as far afield as Rome, where an Armenian bishop painted this show’s most astounding manuscript: a tale of Alexander the Great that features the Macedonian king’s ship swallowed by an enormous brown crab, hooking the sails with its pincers as its mouth gapes. (NYT-Jason Farago)

Delacroix (Now-1/6/19)
“This is the first comprehensive U.S. retrospective of the work of French artist Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863). The Met has teamed up with The Louvre, showcasing in chronological order some 150 pieces, including paintings, drawings, manuscripts, and prints.” (cityguideny)

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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 12/17 and 12/15.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged (Semi) Immersive Listening to EVERYTHING from this Year, Earthrise Apollo 8, MEGAN HILTY, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Pentatonix, The Magic Flute, Winter Rhythms 2018 | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 12/18/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> La Traviata
>> Pentatonix
>> CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
>> Annaleigh Ashford
>> Kenny Barron Trio
>> Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool
>> Steve Ross: Here’s to Us–– Festive Songs of Love and Friendship
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

La Traviata (next Dec.22, 1PM)
The Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+
“Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time in five seasons to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo’s father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruciński, and Plácido Domingo.”

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
at Alice Tully Hall / 7:30PM, $75+
“The society’s annual performances of Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concerts are a particularly beloved festive favorite. Notable instrumentalists this year include the flutist Adam Walker, a principal at the London Symphony, and the oboist James Austin Smith, of the International Contemporary Ensemble.” (NYT- David Allen)

Annaleigh Ashford
Live From Lincoln Center presents Stars in Concert
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall / 7:30,+9:30PM, $55+
“Described as “luminous” and “a sly comic genius” (New York Times), Broadway favorite Annaleigh Ashford has thrilled audiences in Sunday in the Park with George, Kinky Boots, and You Can’t Take It With You, for which she won a Tony Award. She also earned television fame with critically acclaimed turns on Masters of Sex and American Crime Story. For this special one-night engagement, Ashford lends her stunning vocals and comic verve to the gorgeous Appel Room, bringing ebullience and warmth to a New York winter evening.”

Kenny Barron Trio (Dec.18-23)
Village Vanguard /
“In 2001, the pianist Kenny Barron and the violinist Regina Carter released “Freefall,” a duet recording that found these two unleashed virtuosos romping through a program of standards and open improvisation. Carter, in a less intimate but equally stimulating setting, joins Barron’s immaculately crafted trio, featuring the bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and the drummer Johnathan Blake.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Steve Ross: Here’s to Us–– Festive Songs of Love and Friendship
Birdland / 7PM, $40
“Ross uses his polish and comic timing to conjure a vanished world of cultivated manners and deftly witty lyrics, but with a wistfulness that gives his work a moving third dimension. In his latest return to Birdland, he shares songs that celebrate human connection, including selections from his latest album, It’s Almost Christmas Eve.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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♦ 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 63 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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Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Hit the Hot Link and check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St. (btw 6/7), thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Sony Hall – 235 W 46th St. (btw 7/8), sonyhall.com, 212-997-5123
and one more, not exactly WestSide:
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

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

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.

See Below.
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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

Each night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines, but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, JUNE 23 WAS THE FINAL NIGHT. VERY SAD.
I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL.
As reported in the “Gothamist”:
“Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.

Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
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NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available SPRING 2019).
◊ Order before MAY 31, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Annaleigh Ashford, Kenny Barron Trio, Pentatonix | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/17) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 12/17/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

‘OTELLO’ (next Dec.21, 8PM)
at the Metropolitan Opera / 7:30 p.m.; $20+
“Bartlett Sher’s production is back for the first time since its debut in 2015, but the headline here is the Met debut of Gustavo Dudamel, the superstar conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sonya Yoncheva returns as Desdemona, with Stuart Skelton in the title role and Zeljko Lucic as Iago.” (NYT-David Allen)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool
>> Cynthia Erivo and Shoshana Bean: Night Divine
>> ‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON BROADWAY’
>> Steve Ross: Here’s to Us–– Festive Songs of Love and Friendship
>> New York City During the American Revolution
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Cynthia Erivo and Shoshana Bean: Night Divine
Apollo Theater / 7:30PM, $54+
“Two vocal powerhouse—Erivo, who won a Tony for her shattering performance in The Color Purple, and Bean, best known to theater audiences for replacing Idina Menzel as Elpheba in the Broadway cast of Wicked—team up at the Apollo for a night of holiday tunes, backed by a 15-piece big band.” (TONY)

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON BROADWAY’
at the Marquis Theater / 8 p.m.; $79+
“The long-running Off Broadway show completes a limited run on the Great White Way on Monday, with actors and comedians reading from the hilarious-but-true memoirs of other celebrities. The lineup for Celebrity Autobiography’s holiday finale includes Mario Cantone, Rachel Dratch, Jonathan Van Ness, Susan Lucci and Michael Urie.” (NYT-Sean L. McCarthy)

Steve Ross: Here’s to Us–– Festive Songs of Love and Friendship (also Dec.18)
Birdland / 8:30PM, $40
“Ross uses his polish and comic timing to conjure a vanished world of cultivated manners and deftly witty lyrics, but with a wistfulness that gives his work a moving third dimension. In his latest return to Birdland, he shares songs that celebrate human connection, including selections from his latest album, It’s Almost Christmas Eve.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

New York City During the American Revolution
Prospect Heights Brainery (190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, BK) / 8:30PM, $10
“Boston, Philadelphia, Yorktown…these are the places that usually star in the American Revolution, but New York City has a story to tell as well! NYC was burned, abandoned, repopulated, and put under martial law; it became home to pirates, runaway slaves, and smugglers; its churches were turned into hospitals, its warehouses into jails, and its cemeteries into pleasure gardens. Even our rivers played a part, allowing us to be surrounded with fireships, floating pens for prisoners of war, and, briefly, the French navy. The British occupied NYC for seven years, longer than any other part of what would soon become the United States. It was also the last place they left, not until over two years after their ‘final’ defeat.

New York City during the American Revolution is the story of people like William Franklin, Ben’s illegitimate and disgraced son; Colonel Tye, a black raider who led a feared guerrilla force; and Haym Salomon, a Jewish Polish immigrant who used his language skills to spy for George Washington.

You think you know the American Revolution? Think again! Not all history happens on the battlefield – though we have one of those, too. The Battle of Brooklyn was the largest military engagement of the entire war. Come learn about the archaeology and history of New York City in the American Revolution. Whether you’ve already seen Hamilton or couldn’t afford tickets, this is the class for you.” (ThoughtGallery)

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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==========================================================================

♦ 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 63 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.

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of exhibitions)

Whitney Museum of American Art

‘ANDY WARHOL — FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN’ (through March 31) and ‘SHADOWS’ at Calvin Klein Headquarters, 205 W. 39th Street (through Dec. 15). “Although this is the artist’s first full American retrospective in 31 years, he’s been so much with us — in museums, galleries, auctions — as to make him, like wallpaper, like the atmosphere, only half-noticed. The Whitney show restores him to a full, commanding view, but does so in a carefully shaped and edited way, with an emphasis on very early and late work. Despite the show’s monumentalizing size, supplemented by an off-site display of the enormous multipanel painting called “Shadows,” it’s a human-scale Warhol we see. Largely absent is the artist-entrepreneur who is taken as a prophet of our market-addled present. What we have instead is Warhol for whom art, whatever else it was, was an expression of personal hopes and fears.” (Cotter)

Museum of Modern Art:

A special pat on the back to MOMA, who is now displaying art from the seven countries affected by Trump’s travel ban.

“Trump’s ban against refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations has sparked acts of defiance in NYC, from demonstrations across town, to striking taxicab drivers at JFK to Middle Eastern bodega owners closing their shops in protest. Recently, the Museum Of Modern added its two cents by bringing out artworks it owns from the affected countries, and hanging them prominently within the galleries usually reserved for 19th- and 20th-century artworks from Europe and the United States. Paintings by Picasso and Matisse, for example, were removed to make way for pieces by Tala Madani (from Iran), Ibrahim El-Salahi (from Sudan) and architect Zaha Hadid (from Iraq). The rehanging, which was unannounced, aims to create a symbolic welcome that repudiates Trump by creating a visual dialog between the newly added works and the more familiar objects from MoMA’s permanent collection.” (TONY)

‘BRUCE NAUMAN: DISAPPEARING ACTS’ (through Feb. 18)
“If art isn’t basically about life and death, and the emotions and ethics they inspire, what is it about? Style? Taste? Auction results? The most interesting artists go right for the big, uncool existential stuff, which is what Bruce Nauman does in a transfixing half-century retrospective that fills the entire sixth floor of the MoMA and much of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. The MoMA installation is tightly paced and high decibel; the one at PS1, which includes a trove of works on paper, is comparatively mellow and mournful. Each location offers a rough chronological overview of his career, but catching both parts of the show is imperative. Nauman has changed the way we define what art is and what is art, and made work prescient of the morally wrenching American moment we’re in. He deserves to be seen in full.” (Cotter)

‘CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI SCULPTURE: THE FILMS’ (through Feb. 18).
“This show is built around works by the Romanian modernist (1876-1957) that have been longtime highlights of the museum’s own collection. But in 2018, can Brancusi still release our inner poet? The answer may lie in paying less attention to the sculptures themselves and more to Brancusi’s little-known and quite amazing films, projected at the entrance to the gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition. MoMA borrowed the series of video clips from the Pompidou Center in Paris. They give the feeling that Brancusi was less interested in making fancy museum objects than in putting new kinds of almost-living things into the world, and convey the vital energy his sculptures were meant to capture.”(Blake Gopnik)

‘BODYS ISEK KINGELEZ: CITY DREAMS’ (through Jan. 1). “The first comprehensive survey of the Congolese artist is a euphoric exhibition as utopian wonderland featuring his fantasy architectural models and cities — works strong in color, eccentric in shape, loaded with enthralling details and futuristic aura. Mr. Kingelez (1948-2015) was convinced that the world had never seen a vision like his, and this beautifully designed show bears him out.” (NYT-Smith)
212-708-9400, moma.org

Rubin Museum of Art

Chitra Ganesh: The Scorpion Gesture (Through Jan. 7)
“The Brooklyn artist’s new animations ingeniously combine her own drawings and watercolors with historical imagery, peppering the journeys of bodhisattvas with contemporary pop-culture references. Five of these pieces are installed on the museum’s second and third floors amid its collection of Himalayan art, elements of which appear in her psychedelic sequences of spinning mandalas and falling lotus flowers. (Ganesh’s works are activated, as if by magic, when viewers approach.) In “Rainbow Body,” a cave, which also appears in a nearby painting of Mandarava, is filled with people in 3-D glasses, watching as the guru-deity attains enlightenment. “Silhouette in the Graveyard” is projected behind a glass case containing a small sculpture of Maitreya, from late-eighteenth-century Mongolia, for a cleverly dioramalike effect. Prophesied to arrive during an apocalyptic crisis, the bodhisattva is seen here against Ganesh’s montage, which includes footage of global catastrophes and political protests, from the Women’s March to Black Lives Matter.” (The New Yorker)

‘THE FUTURE’ (through Jan. 7).
“It flies and flows and creeps. You measure it, spend it, waste it. It’s on your side, or it’s not. We’re talking about time, and so is the Rubin. It is devoting its entire 2018 season and all its spaces to time as a theme, with an accent on the future. There’s a fine historical show devoted to the Second Buddha, Padmasambhava (“lotus born”), subtitled “Master of Time.” Judging by the images and models of him, Padmasambhava was a genial, if mercurial, teacher, alternately baby-faced and beaming or stern in a nice-dad way. Before he moved on from the mortal realm to a mystical mountain palace, he left karmic extensions of himself called “treasure revealers” — also represented here in painting and sculpture — who reach from the past into the present to change the future. This era-leaping dynamic is operative in all parts of the Rubin’s multifloor thematic installation.” (Cotter)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 12/15 and 12/13.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON BROADWAY’, ‘Otello’, Cynthia Erivo and Shoshana Bean: Night Divine, New York City During the American Revolution, Norm Lewis: Nutcracker Cool, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Steve Ross: Here's to Us–– Festive Songs of Love and Friendship | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 12/16/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

Sonnambula
Hear medieval Spanish holiday music at the Met Cloisters (a perfect setting)
“The Renaissance ensemble Sonnambula is putting on a pair of performances imbued with holiday spirit at the Met’s dedicated space for the culture and art of medieval Europe. All the music comes from the Cancionero Musical de Palacio manuscript, Spanish music written prior to the 16th century.”
WHEN | WHERE 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23; 99 Margaret Corbin Dr., Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
INFO $65 (includes museum admission); 212-923-3700, metmuseum.org (Newsday)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Noel Nights: Rufus & Martha Wainwright and Family and Friends
>> Handel’s “Messiah”
>> Joe Farnsworth Quartet
>> CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
>> Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
>> Cyrus Chestnut Trio
>> Luciana Souza
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Noel Nights: Rufus & Martha Wainwright and Family and Friends
“The Wainwright family’s holiday Noel Nights tradition returns after a four-year hiatus. This year’s concert includes Rufus and Martha Wainwright with family members including Loudon Wainwright III and Lucy Wainwright Roche. This year’s non-Wainwright guests include Emmylou Harris and Teddy Thompson, with proceeds from the benefit going to Stand Up to Cancer.” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., Manhattan
INFO $50 to $250; 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com

Handel’s “Messiah”
St. Paul’s Chapel / 3PM, all performances sold out, waitlist (note this one for next year)
Today’s performance will be live streamed on our website and available on Facebook live. Visit trinitywallstreet.org or the live Facebook event at 3pm ET to watch.

“If you grew up thinking of Handel’s “Messiah” as a sweet, staid pageant, a holiday ritual involving a little nap and a stand-and-deliver “Hallelujah” chorus, the forces of Trinity Wall Street offer the gritty, fearless cure, from Dec. 13-17, with what stands apart as New York’s best.” (NYT)

Joe Farnsworth Quartet (Dec.14-16)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $25-$40
With pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Gerald Cannon, drummer Joe Farnsworth, and tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton.

“Joe Farnsworth is regarded as one of the top jazz drummers in the world, but as far as he is concerned, he is just getting started. Farnsworth is dedicated to the great tradition of jazz drumming as conceived by artists like Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins, and Arthur Taylor, with whom he studied. A true jazz mainstay, Farnsworth has left his indelible mark on more than 70 albums with such diverse musicians as Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Horace Silver, Diana Krall, and Benny Golson. Tonight’s performance features Farnsworth’s regular group of elite musicians, a prestigious band including Harold Mabern, Gerald Cannon, and Eric Alexander.”

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
at Alice Tully Hall / 5PM, $75+
“The society’s annual performances of Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concerts are a particularly beloved festive favorite. Notable instrumentalists this year include the flutist Adam Walker, a principal at the London Symphony, and the oboist James Austin Smith, of the International Contemporary Ensemble.” (NYT- David Allen)

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
at the Joyce Theater / 3PM, $45+
“The all-male Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, which will be at the Joyce through Dec. 30, is cherished, mostly, for its drag jokes: the beefy thighs under the tulle skirts, the chest hair peeping out over the bodices. But the company’s erudition should also be noticed. In its version of the underwater scene from the 1864 piece “Little Humpbacked Horse,” you can see all manner of sea life—corals, squid, starfish—in dainty configurations: rosettes of emboîtés (the box step), lines of pas de cheval (the prancing step). Underneath the guys in tutus, it’s that kind of thing that makes for the comedy and, not seldom, the serious art of the Trocks.” (Joan Acocella, NewYorker)

Cyrus Chestnut Trio (Dec.13-16)
Smoke Jazz Club / 7, 9, 10:30PM, $40
“Although his most recent album, “Kaleidoscope,” finds Cyrus Chestnut reconfiguring compositions by Erik Satie and Deep Purple, it’s safe to say that this mainstay pianist—a passionate stylist who is deeply informed by the spirit of gospel music—will dip into a roomier jazz repertoire at this engagement. He’s joined by the album’s rhythm team: Eric Wheeler on bass and Chris Beck on drums.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Luciana Souza (Dec.14-16.)
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $30
Poetry has always been the marrow of the gifted singer Luciana Souza’s art. Her latest recording, “The Book of Longing,” adapts work by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, and, in his literary guise, Leonard Cohen, amid Souza’s apposite originals. Here, she reunites with the guitarist Chico Pinheiro and the bassist Scott Colley, both of whom brought their own poetic grace to the project.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

=======================================================

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

==============================================

==========================================================================

♦ 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 63 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.

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

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.

=======================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
========================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER, Handel's Messiah, Joe Farnsworth Quartet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, new york events, new york events today, Noel Nights: Rufus & Martha Wainwright and Family and Friends, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Sonnambula | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/15) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 12/15/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
at the Joyce Theater / 3PM, +8PM, $45+
“The all-male Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, which will be at the Joyce through Dec. 30, is cherished, mostly, for its drag jokes: the beefy thighs under the tulle skirts, the chest hair peeping out over the bodices. But the company’s erudition should also be noticed. In its version of the underwater scene from the 1864 piece “Little Humpbacked Horse,” you can see all manner of sea life—corals, squid, starfish—in dainty configurations: rosettes of emboîtés (the box step), lines of pas de cheval (the prancing step). Underneath the guys in tutus, it’s that kind of thing that makes for the comedy and, not seldom, the serious art of the Trocks.” (Joan Acocella, NewYorker)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Joe Farnsworth Quartet
>> La Traviata
>> Cyrus Chestnut Trio
>> Luciana Souza
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> Handel’s Messiah
>> CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

La Traviata (next Dec.18, 7:30PM)
The Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera House / 1PM, $20+
“Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time in five seasons to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo’s father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruciński, and Plácido Domingo.”

Cyrus Chestnut Trio (Dec.13-16)
Smoke Jazz Club /
“Although his most recent album, “Kaleidoscope,” finds Cyrus Chestnut reconfiguring compositions by Erik Satie and Deep Purple, it’s safe to say that this mainstay pianist—a passionate stylist who is deeply informed by the spirit of gospel music—will dip into a roomier jazz repertoire at this engagement. He’s joined by the album’s rhythm team: Eric Wheeler on bass and Chris Beck on drums.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 2PM, +8PM, $30+
“This troupe continues its run at City Center with its “Three Visionaries” program, opening on Friday. It spotlights dances created by the artistic directors who have presided over the company since its formation in 1958: Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison and Robert Battle. From Jamison, the artistic director emerita, are excerpts from “Divining” and “Forgotten Time.” Battle, its current artistic director, offers “Mass” and “Ella,” and from Ailey, its founder, there are the classics “Cry” and “Revelations.” Another program pick is “Timeless Ailey” (on Saturday), a presentation of rarely seen Ailey dances, including “Pas de Duke” and “The Lark Ascending.” Both are gems.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Handel’s Messiah (LAST DAY)
New York Philharmonic
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $67+
“Presented by Gary W. Parr The Messiah of all Messiahs! The New York Philharmonic’s Messiah is the must-see, must-hear holiday event. Every bar of Handel’s greatest masterpiece — whether upon first encounter or at a yearly ritual — speaks to us with passion, beauty, spirituality, and joy. Dazzling solos, instrumental fireworks, and the most glorious choral writing of all time never fail to thrill.”

CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS
at the Rose Theater / 8 p.m., $40+
“Lloyd, a tenor saxophone luminary and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, maintains Zen-like control, whether searing through a climactic solo or playing a smoothly searching melody at medium tempo. It’s a skill he’s had since the mid-1960s, when he was briefly hailed as jazz’s next great crossover star (he eschewed the spotlight soon after). In the last few years, he has released a series of winning albums on Blue Note, including this year’s “Vanished Gardens,” featuring his country-tinged band the Marvels, joined by the vocalist Lucinda Williams. They will play repertoire from that album at this two-night run at Jazz at Lincoln Center.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Some bonus Brooklyn stuff.

See where the bubbles are made
“Egg creams and other seltzer-based drinks used to be huge in Brooklyn, but today there’s only one seltzer company left in Brooklyn still making fizzy goodness. Tour the Gomber Seltzer Works with the Brooklyn Seltzer Boys and the City Reliquary (then check out their vintage seltzer bottle collection) and learn all about the process and business of fizz — and yes, there’s an egg cream for everyone. Dec. 15, 12:30 p.m., 855 E. 92nd St., Brooklyn, $25, artful.ly”

Find a perfect handmade gift
“The best of Etsy, the ultimate online indie craft market, comes to the brick-and-mortar world inside the Brooklyn Historical Society with more than 60 vendors selling everything from natural beauty products to handmade clothing and more. Dec. 15-16, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn, free, handmadecavalcade.com” (Metro)

=======================================================

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

==============================================

============================================================================

♦ 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 63 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.

=====================================================

Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

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

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.
===========================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Here is one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

Jocelyn Hobbie (thru Dec.22)

Fredericks & Freiser, 536 W. 24th St.

==========================================================

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 12/13 and 12/11.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Joe Farnsworth Quartet, La Traviata, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/14) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 12/14/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS (also Dec.15)
at the Rose Theater / 8 p.m., $40+
“Lloyd, a tenor saxophone luminary and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, maintains Zen-like control, whether searing through a climactic solo or playing a smoothly searching melody at medium tempo. It’s a skill he’s had since the mid-1960s, when he was briefly hailed as jazz’s next great crossover star (he eschewed the spotlight soon after). In the last few years, he has released a series of winning albums on Blue Note, including this year’s “Vanished Gardens,” featuring his country-tinged band the Marvels, joined by the vocalist Lucinda Williams. They will play repertoire from that album at this two-night run at Jazz at Lincoln Center.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Luciana Souza
>> Ana Gasteyer: Holiday Tipple
>> JONATHAN MICHEL
>> CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
>> Kenny Barron Quintet
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> Handel’s Messiah
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ana Gasteyer: Holiday Tipple
Schimmel Center at Pace University/ 7:30PM, $29+
“Best known for her six-year stint on Saturday Night Live and manic appearances on Lady Dynamite, Suburgatory and People of Earth, Ana Gasteyer has also had a successful stage career on Broadway and elsewhere, including a run as Wicked’s Elphaba and a cabaret show, I’m Hip, at the Cafe Carlyle. In this Christmas nightclub set, she decks the halls with classic ditties including “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” (TONY)

JONATHAN MICHEL
at Ginny’s Supper Club / 7 and 9 p.m.; $
“Michel is a Haitian-American bassist who’s now based in New York (after a formative stint on Philadelphia’s jazz scene in the 2000s). This month he released his debut album, “MDR,” on Imani Records, the label run by Orrin and Dawn Evans; it’s a peppery and distinctive record, blending influences from Haitian dance music, modern jazz and hip-hop. He will play music from the record as well as some holiday fare at this show, joined by Brandon Bain on vocals, Tivon Pennicot on tenor saxophone, Corey Wallace on trombone, Julius Rodriguez on keyboards, Anwar Marshall on drums and Kofi Hunter on percussion.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Kenny Barron Quintet (Dec.12-16)
Village Vanguard / 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Any gig featuring veteran pianist, bandleader and composer Barron is positively guaranteed to reach the heights of suavity and improvisational fire. This year’s excellent Concentric Circles featured Barron’s quintet in top-notch form. Expect no less than professionalism here.” (TONY)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 8PM, $30+
“This troupe continues its run at City Center with its “Three Visionaries” program, opening on Friday. It spotlights dances created by the artistic directors who have presided over the company since its formation in 1958: Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison and Robert Battle. From Jamison, the artistic director emerita, are excerpts from “Divining” and “Forgotten Time.” Battle, its current artistic director, offers “Mass” and “Ella,” and from Ailey, its founder, there are the classics “Cry” and “Revelations.” Another program pick is “Timeless Ailey” (on Saturday), a presentation of rarely seen Ailey dances, including “Pas de Duke” and “The Lark Ascending.” Both are gems.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Handel’s Messiah (Dec.11-15)
New York Philharmonic
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $34+
“Presented by Gary W. Parr The Messiah of all Messiahs! The New York Philharmonic’s Messiah is the must-see, must-hear holiday event. Every bar of Handel’s greatest masterpiece — whether upon first encounter or at a yearly ritual — speaks to us with passion, beauty, spirituality, and joy. Dazzling solos, instrumental fireworks, and the most glorious choral writing of all time never fail to thrill.”

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

=======================================================

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

==============================================

==========================================================================

♦ 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 63 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.

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

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

=====================================================

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 55th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $9.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk: 1 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
=================================================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ana Gasteyer: Holiday Tipple, CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER, Charles Lloyd & the Marvels, JONATHAN MICHEL, Luciana Souza, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/13) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 12/13/2018 by GregD

“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.

==========================================================

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

La Bohème (last performance)
The Metropolitan Opera
Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera House / 8PM, $30+
“Puccini’s timeless masterpiece of love and loss features two casts of young stars. Sopranos Nicole Car (in her highly anticipated Met debut) and Ailyn Pérez share the role of the ill-fated Mimì, opposite tenors Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano as the ardent poet Rodolfo. After a celebrated Met debut as Mimì in 2017, Angel Blue returns as the spitfire Musetta, and Etienne Dupuis and Lucas Meachem appear as Marcello. James Gaffigan conducts.”

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Cyrus Chestnut Trio
>> LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO
>> Handel’s “Messiah”
>> Kenny Barron Quintet
>> Ikue Mori
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> Handel’s Messiah
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO (through Dec. 30).
at the Joyce Theater / 8 p.m, $45+
“This all-male troupe, dancing in point shoes and drag, has been honoring and skewering ballet since 1974. Now the formidable fellas in tutus return to the Joyce for a nearly three-week engagement with two programs. Program A includes their slapstick version of “Swan Lake, Act II” paired with a cheeky take on the 19th-century Petipa ballet “The Little Humpbacked Horse.” Program B features “ChopEniana,” a wink at Fokine, and “Stars and Stripes Forever,” an air kiss to Balanchine, set to the music of John Philip Sousa. Sure, it’s silly, but the dancing is impressively skillful, too.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Handel’s “Messiah” (also Dec.14,16,17)
Trinity Church / 7:30PM, all performances sold out, waitlist (note this one for next year)
The performance on Sunday, December 16, will be live streamed on our website and available on Facebook live. Visit trinitywallstreet.org or the live Facebook event at 3pm ET to watch.

In our survey of the city’s many versions of Handel’s masterpiece last year, my colleagues called Trinity Wall Street’s “perhaps the essential New York ‘Messiah,’” and they weren’t wrong. Julian Wachner conducts the Trinity Baroque Orchestra and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street in a reading that has been fiercely dramatic in music that can too often be treated as a comfy part of the festive scenery.” (NYT)

Kenny Barron Quintet Dec.12-16)
Village Vanguard / 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Any gig featuring veteran pianist, bandleader and composer Barron is positively guaranteed to reach the heights of suavity and improvisational fire. This year’s excellent Concentric Circles featured Barron’s quintet in top-notch form. Expect no less than professionalism here.” (TONY)

Ikue Mori (Dec.11-15)
at the Stone, 55 W. 13th St. / 8:30PM, $20
“It’s hard to imagine New York’s experimental music scene—with its fertile mashup of avant rock, jazz, and new music—without the remarkable contributions of the percussionist and electronics visionary Ikue Mori. This residency finds her joining forces with her fellow sonic adventurers Mary Halvorson and Satoko Fujii as well as the luminaries John Zorn and Craig Taborn.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 7:30PM, $30+
“In 1958, a small group of African-American dancers performed at the 92Y, and now, six decades later, that company is one of the largest and most popular modern dance troupes in the country. Still to come this season are works by Ronald K. Brown, Jessica Lang and a new two-act creation by the hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris called “Lazarus,” inspired by Ailey’s life.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)
See a Sugar Plum-free ballet
“Skip The Nutcracker and its derivatives and catch the premiere weekend of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Lazarus, instead. Hip-hop master Rennie Harris is the brains behind this two-act ballet, which addresses the racial inequality Ailey faced when he founded his dance company in 1958 — inequality that continues to plague America 60 years later.” (Thrillist)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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

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.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Hilma af Klint : Paintings for the Future (thru 02/03/19)

Jewish Museum

Museum of the City of New York

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)

‘CROWNS OF THE VAJRA MASTERS: RITUAL ART OF NEPAL’ (through Dec. 16). “Up a narrow staircase, above the Met’s galleries of South and Southeast Asian art, are three small rooms of art from the Himalayas. The space, a bit like a treehouse, is a capsule of spiritual energy, which is especially potent these days thanks to this exhibition. The crowns of the title look like antique versions of astronaut headgear: gilded copper helmets, studded with gems, encrusted with repoussé plaques and topped by five-pronged antennas — the vajra, or thunderbolt of wisdom. Such crowns were believed to turn their wearers into perfected beings who are willing and able to bestow blessings on the world. This show is the first to focus on these crowns, and it does so with a wealth of compressed historical information, as well as several resplendent related sculptures and paintings from Nepal and Tibet. But it’s the crowns themselves, the real ones, the wisdom generators, set in mandala formation in the center of the gallery, that are the fascinators.” (NYT-Holland Cotter)

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 12/11 and 12/09.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘La Bohème’, Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Handel's Messiah, new york events, new york events today, NYC Events, NYC Events Today | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/12) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 12/12/2018 by GregD

“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.

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

Sullivan Fortner Trio
With pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Ryan Berg, and drummer Jeremy “Bean” Clemons.
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $20-$35
“New Orleans’ Sullivan Fortner is one of the most promising young voices on piano. In 2015, the American Pianist Association named him its Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz, and he has worked extensively with Stefon Harris, Christian Scott, Roy Hargrove, John Scofield, members of the Marsalis family, and in duet with audience and critic favorite Cécile McLorin Salvant. Of Fortner and Salvant’s 2018 duet album, The Window, Variety says, “If there were such a thing as a Grammy for best jazz piano album, The Window should rightfully be up for that, too, because keyboardist Sullivan Fortner is an equal—and equally spectacular—partner through all 17 tracks, regardless of whether he gets cover billing.” Fortner is a regular on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s larger stages, and tonight’s performance will be his anticipated return to Dizzy’s Club as a bandleader. This is top-notch piano jazz, and Fortner is an exceptional talent that any jazz fan should experience in person.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> ESPERANZA SPALDING
>> Kenny Barron Quintet
>> Ikue Mori
>> Handel’s Messiah
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> Suicide of the West:
>> Taste Makers: A Conversation with Paul Freedman
Continuing Events
>> Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
>> New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker”
>> Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

ESPERANZA SPALDING
at the Town Hall / 8 p.m., $45+
“Over the past four years, this bassist and vocalist has been working her way down a jazz-rock fusion trail of her own design. For a while, it was unclear where it was going to lead. The release this fall of “12 Little Spells,” a bold recording featuring videos accompanying each song, was the reward for her fans’ patience: It unifies her prolix, philosophical style of writing with a devotion to groove and ear-encompassing orchestration. Spalding and her band will perform music from the album at this show.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures/Discussions, Book Talks, Film, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Nationalism, Populism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy
Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, 18 Bleecker St./ 7PM, $10
“With his trademark blend of political history, social science, economics, and pop culture, two-time New York Times bestselling author, syndicated columnist, National Review senior editor Jonah Goldberg makes the timely case that America and other democracies are in peril as they lose the will to defend the values and institutions that sustain freedom and prosperity.

Moderated by Kathryn Jean Lopez. Kathryn is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and an editor-at-large of National Review.”

Elsewhere, but this sure looks worth the detour:

Taste Makers: A Conversation with Paul Freedman and Mayukh Sen
Museum of Food and Drink, 62 Bayard St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn / 6:30PM, $30
“Between Michelin stars, the World’s Best and America’s Hottest lists, and the more populist restaurant-rating apps, there is no shortage of ranking systems that dictate the best and most popular restaurants across the world. Yet what defines best, who gets left out, and why do we care so much?

Since its publication in 2016, Paul Freedman’s The 10 Restaurants That Changed America has shifted the conversation, going beyond the typical ranking system and asking: what makes a restaurant influential? In the new paperback edition, which features an afterword on the ten restaurants changing America now, Freedman continues to interrogate which establishments are changing how we eat out.

Join Paul Freedman and Mayukh Sen in conversation as they discuss Freedman’s process in deciding The 10 Restaurants That Changed America (both then and now), the difference between quality and influence, how you can measure influence, and why it matters.

A reception and book signing will follow featuring dishes from two of the 10 restaurants.”

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Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, expanding every day, check out the tab above: “Holidays.”

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40

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♦ 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 63 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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City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St. (btw 6/7), thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Sony Hall – 235 W 46th St. (btw 7/8), sonyhall.com, 212-997-5123
and one more, not exactly WestSide:
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

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

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.

See Below.
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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Esperanza Spalding, Handel's Messiah, Kenny Barron Quintet, NYC Events, NYC Events Today, Suicide of the West:, Sullivan Fortner Trio, Taste Makers: A Conversation with Paul Freedman | Leave a comment

	Darin on October NYC Events + NYC Weeke…
	Darin on Selected Events (10/13) + Toda…

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ DECEMBER 21, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ DECEMBER 20, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St)

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ DECEMBER 19, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ DECEMBER 18, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > MONDAY/ DECEMBER 17, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Whitney Museum of American Art

Museum of Modern Art:

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ DECEMBER 16, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ DECEMBER 15, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ DECEMBER 14, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment. =================================================================================

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ DECEMBER 13, 2018

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ DECEMBER 12, 2018

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

3 Good Eating places

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If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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