NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/01) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 12/01/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ DECEMBER 01, 2018

“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.

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

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

Titanique: In Concert (Dec.01-03)
The Green Room 42 / 7PM, $20+
“The songs of Quebecois nightingale Celine Dion are the stately vessel—or are they the iceberg?—in this campy concert spoof of James Cameron’s 1997 romantic disaster film, written by stars Marla Mindelle (Sister Act) and Constantine Rousouli (Cruel Intentions) with director Tye Blue. Also in the cast are Alex Ellis, Stephen Guarino, Mykal Gilgore, Sebastian La Cause, Kathy Deitch and the painfully shy Frankie J. Grande.” (TONY)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Les Pêcheurs de Perles
>> Mark Turner
>> ANGELICA SANCHEZ
>> BOB DYLAN
>> Live From Here with Chris Thiel
>> Brooklyn Whiskey and Craft Spirits Fest
>> New York Motorcycle Show
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 Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers) (next Dec.8, 8;30PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 8PM, $20+
“Penny Woolcock’s breathtaking production, a highlight of the 2015–16 season, makes its much awaited return with an all-star cast. Soprano Pretty Yende is the beautiful priestess Leïla, with tenor Javier Camarena and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as rivals for her forbidden love. Emmanuel Villaume conducts Bizet’s sensual score.”

Mark Turner (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Two decades ago, Mark Turner was the new kid on the block. Today, the tenor-saxophone demigod is a leading light for a generation of aspiring players. Turner, who recently scored a low-key triumph with “Temporary Kings,” a lyrical duet album with the pianist Ethan Iverson, has matured into an authoritative bandleader with a feel for unique sidemen. His Vanguard quintet includes the much discussed Cuban pianist David Virelles.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ANGELICA SANCHEZ (LAST DAY)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Sanchez’s aggressiveness as an improviser and an experimentalist is matched by the sensitivity and composure of her touch at the piano. She is in residence this coming week at the Stone, where she performs in a different scenario each night. On Tuesday and Wednesday she appears in two different trios: Sam Newsome on saxophone and Andrew Cyrille on drums the first night; Andrew Bishop on saxophone and Tom Rainey on drums the second. On Thursday she pairs up with the drummer Pheeroan Aklaff. She’s with the guitarist Omar Tamez and the drummer Ramon Lopez on Nov. 30, then she leads a 17-person big band to close out the run on Dec. 1.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOB DYLAN (LAST DAY)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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

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

Live From Here with Chris Thiel
Town Hall / 5:45PM, $55-$65
“Like a warm bowl of mac and cheese, Live From Here with Chris Thiele beams into your home week after week with its folksy radio drama. This Saturday see the show IRL at the Town Hall, with performances from Cat Power and John Batiste.” (grubstreet)

Elsewhere, but to sip some fine whiskey you sometimes have to take a detour:

Brooklyn Whiskey and Craft Spirits Fest
Sip some craft spirits.
Brooklyn Expo Center / 2-5PM, 6:30-9:30PM, $15-$70
“Feel like a whiskey from Wyoming? How about a fruity gin from Germany? Pick your poison at the Brooklyn Whiskey and Craft Spirits Fest this Saturday at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. Choose from a hundred different styles of booze and enjoy some live music. There are two sessions, and tickets include a 5-oz. cup and unlimited tastings.” (grubstreet)

New York Motorcycle Show
Ogle things that go vroom.
Javits Center / 2-8PM on Friday, $22
“You may not have the guts to get yourself a sweet hog, but you can still admire them up close. From Friday to Sunday, the New York Motorcycle Show at the Javits Center showcases the best things in two wheels. See demos, get your gear checked, admire everything from scooters to ATVs to dirt bikes and vintage bikes, and, hey, if you get up the courage to buy one, it’s all right there for the taking.” (grubstreet.com)

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

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, 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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 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.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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)

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)

‘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)

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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 11/23 and 11/21.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/30) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/30/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ NOVEMBER 30, 2018

“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.

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

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

Windstorm
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $40+
“The sonic array of a wind instrument chamber music concert is unsurpassable. Although we revel in the thunder of the modern piano and the warmth of the violin, the soundscape of combined flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn—the classic wind quintet heard in this program—offers a rich tasting menu for the ear. Come hear CMS’s exceptional lineup of wind players tackle this demanding and rewarding repertoire.”

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Mark Turner
>> ANGELICA SANCHEZ 
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> BOB DYLAN
>> JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET
>> The Library After Hours: Picture This
>> New York Motorcycle Show
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

Mark Turner (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Two decades ago, Mark Turner was the new kid on the block. Today, the tenor-saxophone demigod is a leading light for a generation of aspiring players. Turner, who recently scored a low-key triumph with “Temporary Kings,” a lyrical duet album with the pianist Ethan Iverson, has matured into an authoritative bandleader with a feel for unique sidemen. His Vanguard quintet includes the much discussed Cuban pianist David Virelles.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ANGELICA SANCHEZ (Nov. 27-Dec. 1)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Sanchez’s aggressiveness as an improviser and an experimentalist is matched by the sensitivity and composure of her touch at the piano. She is in residence this coming week at the Stone, where she performs in a different scenario each night. On Tuesday and Wednesday she appears in two different trios: Sam Newsome on saxophone and Andrew Cyrille on drums the first night; Andrew Bishop on saxophone and Tom Rainey on drums the second. On Thursday she pairs up with the drummer Pheeroan Aklaff. She’s with the guitarist Omar Tamez and the drummer Ramon Lopez on Nov. 30, then she leads a 17-person big band to close out the run on Dec. 1.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOB DYLAN (Nov.29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 8PM, $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)

JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $20-$35
“With an acrid, lightly distorted sound and a habit of subtly stirring psychedelia and country rock into his dexterous improvising, Scofield has been one of jazz’s leading guitarists since the 1970s. His most recent album, “Combo 66,” is a triumphant romp; he appears here in the quartet from that record, featuring Gerald Clayton on piano and organ, Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

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

The Library After Hours: Picture This
The past and future of photography
NYPL, Main Bldg., Astor Hall / 7PM, $15
“This month’s Library After Hours is all about the art of photography — because libraries know we live in a visual world. The New York Public Library’s after-hours party presents Picture This, turning the clock back to the 1840s for a night of art, science and learning, plus crafts, talks, an illustration workshop, an Instagram challenge and more.” (Metro)

New York Motorcycle Show
Ogle things that go vroom.
Javits Center / 2-8PM on Friday, $22
“You may not have the guts to get yourself a sweet hog, but you can still admire them up close. From Friday to Sunday, the New York Motorcycle Show at the Javits Center showcases the best things in two wheels. See demos, get your gear checked, admire everything from scooters to ATVs to dirt bikes and vintage bikes, and, hey, if you get up the courage to buy one, it’s all right there for the taking.” (grubstreet.com)

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

Continuing Events

So much going on in this town over the holidays. Too many events & performances to list here. For a much fuller list, 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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 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.”

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.

See Below.
———————————————————————————————————-

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.
==============================================================
“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.
========================================================

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

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/29) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/29/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ NOVEMBER 29, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show with Amy Black
City Winery / 8PM, $50+
“Formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind, the Blind Boys of Alabama have since collected five Grammy Awards, been inducted to the Gospel Hall of Fame, recorded a freaky album with pedal-steel prodigy Robert Randolph and shared bills with Prince (at a club) and Bob Dylan (at the White House). Here, they kick off the Christmas season with the help of singer-songwriter Amy Black.” (TONY)

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Time for Three
>> La Bohème 
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> BOB DYLAN
>> JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET
>> Malls vs. Bodegas: Resisting the Suburbanization of the City
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

Time for Three
From Bach to Brahms and beyond: blend of classical, bluegrass, jazz, and pop music.
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Violinist Nick Kendall, violinist Charles Yang, and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer have been thrilling audiences with their groundbreaking, category-shattering blend of classical, bluegrass, gypsy, jazz, and pop music. With an uncommon mix of virtuosity and showmanship, the American string trio performs music from Bach to Brahms and beyond, including world premieres by Pulitzer Prize–winning composers William Bolcom and Jennifer Higdon. Time for Three also creates original works and arrangements of everything from bluegrass and folk tunes to ingenious mash-ups of hits by The Beatles, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and more. Tonight, the group treats the Lincoln Center audience to fresh music off its forthcoming album.”

La Bohème  (next Dec.03, 7:30PM)
Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $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.”

BOB DYLAN (Nov.29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 7PM, $
“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. Ailey begins its annual monthlong winter season with a gala program on Wednesday celebrating its diamond anniversary. The program includes a new work by its artistic director, Robert Battle, and a performance of the company’s beloved signature dance, “Revelations,” featuring live music and a gospel choir. 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)

JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $20-$35
“With an acrid, lightly distorted sound and a habit of subtly stirring psychedelia and country rock into his dexterous improvising, Scofield has been one of jazz’s leading guitarists since the 1970s. His most recent album, “Combo 66,” is a triumphant romp; he appears here in the quartet from that record, featuring Gerald Clayton on piano and organ, Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

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

Elsewhere, but this is too important and is worth the detour:

Malls vs. Bodegas: Resisting the Suburbanization of the City
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St./ 6:30PM, $5
“While chain stores proliferate along neighborhood main streets, a simultaneous phenomenon of storefront vacancy threatens the character of NYC’s famously vibrant street life as landlords push out small business owners, holding out for higher-paying tenants. Join Center for an Urban Future Executive Director Jonathan Bowles, author of Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul Jeremiah Moss, and Director of Economic Policy at the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development Lena Afridi for a conversation moderated by Vanity Fair contributing editor Paul Goldberger as they consider how to counteract the “mall-ification” of public space and commerce in NYC.”

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

“A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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: 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.”

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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)

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)

‘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.” (

==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/27 and 11/25.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/28) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 11/28/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ NOVEMBER 28, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30 p.m.; $20-$35
“With an acrid, lightly distorted sound and a habit of subtly stirring psychedelia and country rock into his dexterous improvising, Scofield has been one of jazz’s leading guitarists since the 1970s. His most recent album, “Combo 66,” is a triumphant romp; he appears here in the quartet from that record, featuring Gerald Clayton on piano and organ, Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Les Pêcheurs de Perles
>> Mark Turner
>> ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
>> MARY HALVORSON AND JOE MORRIS
>> Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
>> FRANK KIMBROUGH
>> Harper’s Magazine Presents John Cleese and Iain McGilchrist
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 Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers) [next Dec.01, 8PM]
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $20+
“Penny Woolcock’s breathtaking production, a highlight of the 2015–16 season, makes its much awaited return with an all-star cast. Soprano Pretty Yende is the beautiful priestess Leïla, with tenor Javier Camarena and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as rivals for her forbidden love. Emmanuel Villaume conducts Bizet’s sensual score.”

Mark Turner (Nov. 27-Dec. 2)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“Two decades ago, Mark Turner was the new kid on the block. Today, the tenor-saxophone demigod is a leading light for a generation of aspiring players. Turner, who recently scored a low-key triumph with “Temporary Kings,” a lyrical duet album with the pianist Ethan Iverson, has matured into an authoritative bandleader with a feel for unique sidemen. His Vanguard quintet includes the much discussed Cuban pianist David Virelles.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (through Dec. 30).
at New York City Center / 7PM, $
“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. Ailey begins its annual monthlong winter season with a gala program on Wednesday celebrating its diamond anniversary. The program includes a new work by its artistic director, Robert Battle, and a performance of the company’s beloved signature dance, “Revelations,” featuring live music and a gospel choir. 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)

MARY HALVORSON AND JOE MORRIS
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $15
“Halvorson and Morris are two guitarists whose sound you can recognize immediately. Both give off the feeling that their instrument is a rough and dangerous thing, a kind of electric reactor, though they play quite differently: Halvorson in a corkscrewing tangle, Morris in sharply percussive flecks and bites. This show marks the release of their new album, “Traversing Orbits,” on the Rogue Art label (it’s available only on CD).” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St./ 9:30; $55+
“No matter what aspect Ute Lemper’s eclectic music takes, the dramatic, imperial, and often quite funny chanteuse can’t help but channel her inner Marlene Dietrich. This program, inspired in part by a three-hour phone conversation that Lemper had with the film-and-stage legend in 1988, makes that influence explicit.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

FRANK KIMBROUGH
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $30
“There’s been a spate of activity around Thelonious Monk’s legacy over the past two years; it’s impossible to keep track of everything. But one impressive project that bears accounting is Kimbrough’s new album, a six-disc collection on which he and his band cover every piece in Monk’s songbook. Kimbrough’s treatments amount to a devoted and respectful homage, though they’re laden with moments of subtle reinvention. The record, “Monk’s Dreams,” is out on Friday. He appears here with the members of his quartet: Scott Robinson on saxophones and reeds, Rufus Reid on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

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

Harper’s Magazine Presents John Cleese and Iain McGilchrist
W83 Ministry Center, 150 W. 83rd St./ 7PM, $60, includes a copy of the headlining author’s book and a year subscription to Harper’s Magazine.
“And now for something completely different. Actor and Monty Python hand John Cleese has a new book, Professor at Large, which recounts his experiences moonlighting as a Cornell lecturer. He’ll be joined on consecutive nights by psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist (The Master and His Emissary), each taking turns as lead interviewer. Tuesday night focuses on Cleese, with McGilchrist taking the hot seat on Wednesday.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

AND if you can stand the crowds (I can’t),

86th Annual Tree Lighting
Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza / 7PM, FREE
The 2018 tree will be lit for the first time. Featuring musical entertainment and special guests.

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

“A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 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 “only 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.

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

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.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In 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).
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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.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/27) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/27/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ NOVEMBER 27, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

ANGELICA SANCHEZ (Nov. 27-Dec. 1)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Sanchez’s aggressiveness as an improviser and an experimentalist is matched by the sensitivity and composure of her touch at the piano. She is in residence this coming week at the Stone, where she performs in a different scenario each night. On Tuesday and Wednesday she appears in two different trios: Sam Newsome on saxophone and Andrew Cyrille on drums the first night; Andrew Bishop on saxophone and Tom Rainey on drums the second. On Thursday she pairs up with the drummer Pheeroan Aklaff. She’s with the guitarist Omar Tamez and the drummer Ramon Lopez on Nov. 30, then she leads a 17-person big band to close out the run on Dec. 1.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
>> FRANK KIMBROUGH
>> TWYLA THARP DANCE 
>> BOB DYLAN
>> Harper’s Magazine Presents John Cleese and Iain McGilchrist
>> How to Break Up with Your Phone
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

Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene (Nov.27-28)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St./ 9:30; $55+
“No matter what aspect Ute Lemper’s eclectic music takes, the dramatic, imperial, and often quite funny chanteuse can’t help but channel her inner Marlene Dietrich. This program, inspired in part by a three-hour phone conversation that Lemper had with the film-and-stage legend in 1988, makes that influence explicit.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

FRANK KIMBROUGH (Nov.27-28)
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $30
“There’s been a spate of activity around Thelonious Monk’s legacy over the past two years; it’s impossible to keep track of everything. But one impressive project that bears accounting is Kimbrough’s new album, a six-disc collection on which he and his band cover every piece in Monk’s songbook. Kimbrough’s treatments amount to a devoted and respectful homage, though they’re laden with moments of subtle reinvention. The record, “Monk’s Dreams,” is out on Friday. He appears here with the members of his quartet: Scott Robinson on saxophones and reeds, Rufus Reid on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

TWYLA THARP DANCE  (thru Dec.09)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $60+
“Tharp takes inspiration from just about anything fit for a stage — from ballet to the circus to baton twirling — so she can sometimes feel like a stylistic maximalist. But early in her career, she caught the minimalism bug sweeping through the arts at the time. This nearly four-week engagement, called “Minimalism and Me,” focuses on works she created between 1965 and 1971. Among them are the now-classic “Tank Dive,” “The History of Up and Down” and “Eight Jelly Rolls,” a richly layered romp to music by the ragtime master Jelly Roll Morton.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

BOB DYLAN (Nov.26-27,29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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

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

Harper’s Magazine Presents John Cleese and Iain McGilchrist (also Nov.28)
W83 Ministry Center, 150 W. 83rd St./ 7PM, $60, includes a copy of the headlining author’s book and a year subscription to Harper’s Magazine.
“And now for something completely different. Actor and Monty Python hand John Cleese has a new book, Professor at Large, which recounts his experiences moonlighting as a Cornell lecturer. He’ll be joined on consecutive nights by psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist (The Master and His Emissary), each taking turns as lead interviewer. Tuesday night focuses on Cleese, with McGilchrist taking the hot seat on Wednesday.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

How to Break Up with Your Phone
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7PM, $29
“Is your smartphone the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you touch before bed?

Join award-winning author and journalist Catherine Price for an interactive evening based on her newest book, How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life. Price will lead the audience through a speed breakup, providing practical and philosophical suggestions for how we can keep using the good parts of our phones while minimizing the parts the make us feel bad. The goal isn’t to throw your phone under a bus; it’s to create a healthy, long-term relationship.”

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

“A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

============================================================================
♦ 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:

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:

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.) “

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 11/25 and 11/23.

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/26) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 11/26/2018 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ NOVEMBER 26, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

TERRY WALDO SEXTET :  Scott Joplin and the World of Ragtime
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $35
“Though the day of Scott Joplin’s birth is not known for certain, the most generally agreed-upon date is Nov. 24, 1868, meaning that Saturday would be the ragtime pioneer’s 150th birthday. In commemoration, the virtuoso pianist Terry Waldo — who plays traditional repertoire with a kind of playful reverence — will lead a sextet through some of Joplin’s music. The ensemble includes the trumpeter Mike Davis, the clarinetist and saxophonist Evan Arntzen, the trombonist Jim Fryer, the banjoist and guitarist Jerron Paxton, the bassist Brian Nalepka and the drummer Jay Lepley. The vocalist Tamar Korn and the pianist Joshua Rifkin will join in on certain tunes.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

=========================================================
6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Broadway Sings Sara Bareilles
>> Combo Chimbita
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> BOB DYLAN
>> Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square
>> Public Lecture Series with David Grann: “The White Darkness”
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

Broadway Sings Sara Bareilles
The Green Room 42 / 7PM, +9:30PM, $20+
“Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles went Broadway in the musical Waitress, and now Broadway is going Bareilles in the latest edition of Corey Mach’s concert series. The lineup of singers at this “unplugged” acoustic edition includes Mach, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Natalie Weiss, Gerard Canonico, Alexa Green, Mykal Kilgore, Desi Oakley and Waitress’s own Drew Gehling, with musical director and orchestrator Joshua Stephen Kartes leading the band.” (TONY)

Combo Chimbita
Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, better get there early for a seat.
“Drawing on backgrounds in heavy rock, metal, and psychedelic funk and soul, this Colombia-rooted, NYC-based four-piece band gleefully fuses cumbia, ‘70s funaná from Cape Verde, kompa from Haiti, guacharaca, dub, and synth into their own blend of tropical futurism. These first-generation New Yorkers—powerhouse vocalist Carolina Oliveros, synth and bassist Prince of Queens, guitarist Niño Lento, and drummer Dilemastronauta—began experimenting with different traditional musical styles during their late-night residencies at Barbès in Brooklyn. Tonight, they kick off the holiday season at Lincoln Center with a free show at the David Rubenstein Atrium as part of the Lincoln Square BID’s Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square celebration.”

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland, / 9:30PM, $30
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It’s a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Billy Stritch on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.” (broadwayworld)

BOB DYLAN (Nov.26-27,29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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

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

Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square
Lincoln Center, Hearst Plaza, Upper West Side / 5:30-9:00PM, FREE
“This action-packed cold-weather festival has been going strong for nearly two decades. As always, the fest kicks off with a holiday tree lighting ceremony in Dante Park, followed by artists, musicians and dancers ushering in the holiday season with performances at 20 different venues. If you’re feeling peckish, choose from more than 30 restaurants offering food tastings for just a couple bucks each. Grab a mini beef Wellington from Bluebird London ($4) and a gruyere cheese bread from Bouchon Bakery ($2) and then go take advantage of special one-night-only discounts and deals at shops around the neighborhood.” (TONY)

Public Lecture Series with David Grann: “The White Darkness”
The Explorers Club, 46 E. 70th St./ 7PM, $25
“If you were enraptured by David Grann’s New Yorker piece on British explorer Henry Worsley’s Ernest Shackleton-inspired expedition, you won’t want to miss this Explorers Club presentation on the book-length version, The White Darkness: A Journey Across Antarctica.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

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

“A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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: 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.”

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” finally closed, now it’s “Mean Girls.”)

lThose in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
=====================================================
Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.
Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.

==============================================================================
“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 , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/25) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 11/25/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ NOVEMBER 25, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

Electric Miles
Iridium / 8:30PM, $30-$50
“Fusion, the unruly alliance of jazz, rock, and R. & B., wasn’t yet an established genre when Miles Davis started dipping his toes in the music’s churning waters, in the late sixties. By the time of his death, in 1991, Davis had steadily reimagined fusion to his liking in ways that present-day acolytes are still working to master. An all-star contingent, featuring the trumpeters Jeremy Pelt and Randy Brecker, comes together at Iridium on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to celebrate Davis’s farsighted vision.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS
>> BOB DYLAN
>> ‘VELOCITY’
>> Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
>> Maria Schneider Orchestra
>> Evacuation Day Celebration
>> Spice Class
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

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS (LAST DAY)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $30-$45
“This annual engagement celebrates the birthday of Dizzy Gillespie, the co-inventor of bebop and a champion of Latin jazz, who died in 1993. The All-Stars’ ever-evolving lineup now stands at nine and boasts some of today’s finest straight-ahead talent (the trumpeters Terell Stafford and Freddie Hendrix, the drummer Willie Jones III), including a few who played with Gillespie himself (the pianist Cyrus Chestnut and the bassist John Lee). This year’s proceedings may have an elegiac air: The trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a longtime member of the group, died earlier this month at 49.” (NYT -GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOB DYLAN (Nov.23-24,26-27,29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

‘VELOCITY’   (LAST DAY).
at the New Victory Theater / 12PM, +4PM, $17+
“In this high-energy production, the much-lauded champion dancers James Devine and David Geaney look at the past, present and future of Irish dance. Featuring live music by a Celtic band, along with a D.J., “Velocity” — performed by Geaney, AnneMarie Keaney and Gabriella Wood — is a celebratory jam session and suitable for all ages.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Jason Moran and the Bandwagon (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St. / 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“The bandleader and composer James Reese Europe is as important as he is unsung. In 1912, he organized the first concert at Carnegie Hall to feature African-American composers exclusively. His death, in 1919, at the hands of a disgruntled bandmate, was followed by a quick slide into regrettable posthumous obscurity. The simultaneously adventurous and historically aware pianist Jason Moran, fronting his avidly attuned trio, addresses Europe’s legacy.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Maria Schneider Orchestra (LAST DAY)
Jazz Standard,116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40 – looks like a tough ticket, may need to try the secondary market.
“Maria Schneider has a handsome collection of Grammys, and the accolades are well deserved: This protégée of the late bandleading/arranging genius Gil Evans fronts the most polished modern jazz orchestra on the planet, a vehicle for her lush, intricate and refreshingly accessible works. Catch her at this annual Thanksgiving engagement.” (TONY)

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

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

Evacuation Day Celebration
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 11AM-5PM, $1
“In honor of Evacuation Day, the museum is offering $1 museum admission all day long!

On November 25, 1783 British troops evacuated New York City, the last City to be occupied at the end of the Revolutionary War. General George Washington led his troops in a parade that proceeded down Broadway, and ended with a dinner held at Fraunces Tavern.

Celebrate this momentous event in New York City’s history by visiting the Museum for special programming that includes live performances by the uniformed Fife & Drums of the Old Barracks, who will perform 18th century music that would have been played by military corps during the Revolutionary War.

Enjoy the performance and other special activities planned for this day, all included with special $1 Admission!”

Spice Class
The Museum of Interesting Things Secret Speakeasy
at The Lofts at Prince Street 177 Prince St.
Btw Thompson & Sullivan St./ 4PM, $20
– Discuss the agricultural origins, cultivation and harvesting of spices like cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom
– Taste different varieties of common spices and delve into the differences in flavor
– Discuss the history of the spice trade and how it’s being updated to match 21st century values and tastes

On top of that, I’m giving everyone FREE ADMISSION to the Museum of Interesting Things for anyone who wants to stick around after the lesson.
We’ll keep the party running well into 10pm!

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40+
“Most people think of “The Nutcracker” as a light entertainment, and it is, but it’s also more than that. It’s an adventure, undertaken by a special little girl, Marie. She doesn’t care for conventional toys—instead, she’s drawn to the odd-looking Nutcracker. She’s sensitive—when the Nutcracker breaks, she can’t rest until she has tended to its wounds. And she’s valiant—faced with a mouse a head taller than she is, she stands her ground, striking him with her slipper. The choreographer George Balanchine, who created the now classic version in 1954 for New York City Ballet (at the David H. Koch Nov. 23-Dec. 30), had the good sense not to undermine her bravery by saying that it was all a dream. “Actually, it’s not a dream,” he once explained. “It’s the reality that Mother didn’t believe.” The Land of the Sweets, with its brilliant dancing, is her prize, and ours.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET at the NYS Theater (through Dec. 30). A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 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.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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

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)

Jewish Museum

‘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)

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)

‘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)

===========================================================
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).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/23 and 11/21.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/24) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/24/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ NOVEMBER 24, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

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

Maria Schneider Orchestra (also Nov.25)
Jazz Standard,116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40 – looks like a tough ticket, may need to try the secondary market.
“Maria Schneider has a handsome collection of Grammys, and the accolades are well deserved: This protégée of the late bandleading/arranging genius Gil Evans fronts the most polished modern jazz orchestra on the planet, a vehicle for her lush, intricate and refreshingly accessible works. Catch her at this annual Thanksgiving engagement.” (TONY)

=========================================================
7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS
>> BOB DYLAN
>> ‘VELOCITY’
>> Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
>> Carla Cook
>> Marilyn Maye Gives Thanks
>> coming soon
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

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS (Nov.20-25)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $30-$45
“This annual engagement celebrates the birthday of Dizzy Gillespie, the co-inventor of bebop and a champion of Latin jazz, who died in 1993. The All-Stars’ ever-evolving lineup now stands at nine and boasts some of today’s finest straight-ahead talent (the trumpeters Terell Stafford and Freddie Hendrix, the drummer Willie Jones III), including a few who played with Gillespie himself (the pianist Cyrus Chestnut and the bassist John Lee). This year’s proceedings may have an elegiac air: The trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a longtime member of the group, died earlier this month at 49.” (NYT -GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOB DYLAN (Nov.23-24,26-27,29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

‘VELOCITY’   (Nov.23-25).
at the New Victory Theater / 12PM, +4PM, $17+
“In this high-energy production, the much-lauded champion dancers James Devine and David Geaney look at the past, present and future of Irish dance. Featuring live music by a Celtic band, along with a D.J., “Velocity” — performed by Geaney, AnneMarie Keaney and Gabriella Wood — is a celebratory jam session and suitable for all ages.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Jason Moran and the Bandwagon (Nov.20-25)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St. / 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“The bandleader and composer James Reese Europe is as important as he is unsung. In 1912, he organized the first concert at Carnegie Hall to feature African-American composers exclusively. His death, in 1919, at the hands of a disgruntled bandmate, was followed by a quick slide into regrettable posthumous obscurity. The simultaneously adventurous and historically aware pianist Jason Moran, fronting his avidly attuned trio, addresses Europe’s legacy.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Carla Cook
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM, +9:30PM, $20-$25
“Carla Cook is a vivacious, genre-fluid singer who can take on an Ellington-penned jewel as easily as she can “Scarborough Fair” or “Watermelon Man.” She has sympathetic cohorts in the pianist Bruce Barth and the bassist Kenny Davis, both of whom worked with the vocalist on her widely celebrated album “Simply Natural.”
(Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Marilyn Maye Gives Thanks (LAST DAY)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $70+
“Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now. In her latest engagement at F/54, the newly nonagenarian singer shares Great American Songbook favorites, including a medley from My Fair Lady and a smattering of holiday songs. Beyond her remarkable energy and musical acuity, the astonishing Maye has a bone-deep comfort that imbues familiar songs with fresh simplicity, truthfulness and power.” (TONY)

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

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

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

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

Continuing Events

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
=====================

New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40+
“Most people think of “The Nutcracker” as a light entertainment, and it is, but it’s also more than that. It’s an adventure, undertaken by a special little girl, Marie. She doesn’t care for conventional toys—instead, she’s drawn to the odd-looking Nutcracker. She’s sensitive—when the Nutcracker breaks, she can’t rest until she has tended to its wounds. And she’s valiant—faced with a mouse a head taller than she is, she stands her ground, striking him with her slipper. The choreographer George Balanchine, who created the now classic version in 1954 for New York City Ballet (at the David H. Koch Nov. 23-Dec. 30), had the good sense not to undermine her bravery by saying that it was all a dream. “Actually, it’s not a dream,” he once explained. “It’s the reality that Mother didn’t believe.” The Land of the Sweets, with its brilliant dancing, is her prize, and ours.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET at the NYS Theater (through Dec. 30). A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
212-496-0600, nycballet.com

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

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.”

==========================================================================
♦ 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 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.”

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.

See Below.
———————————————————————————————————-

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (11/23) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/23/2018 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ NOVEMBER 23, 2018

“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-November”
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:

BOB DYLAN (Nov.23-24,26-27,29-30,Dec.1)
at the Beacon Theater / 8PM, $90+
“The 77-year-old impresario of American song is offering a week’s worth of shows as part of what for the past 30 years some journalists have termed his Never Ending Tour — a label Dylan himself flatly rejects. Dylan’s external gruffness masks a man whose performances remain as heartfelt as they were more than 50 years ago, when he was just another guy with a guitar bumming around Greenwich Village. The shows on Friday and Dec. 1 are sold out, but tickets are available through resellers.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
>> Carla Cook
>> Carol Sloane
>> Maria Schneider Orchestra
>> TWYLA THARP DANCE 
>> Marilyn Maye Gives Thanks
>> DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS
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

Jason Moran and the Bandwagon (Nov.20-25)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St. / 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“The bandleader and composer James Reese Europe is as important as he is unsung. In 1912, he organized the first concert at Carnegie Hall to feature African-American composers exclusively. His death, in 1919, at the hands of a disgruntled bandmate, was followed by a quick slide into regrettable posthumous obscurity. The simultaneously adventurous and historically aware pianist Jason Moran, fronting his avidly attuned trio, addresses Europe’s legacy.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Carla Cook (Nov.23-24)
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM, +9:30PM, $20-$25
“Carla Cook is a vivacious, genre-fluid singer who can take on an Ellington-penned jewel as easily as she can “Scarborough Fair” or “Watermelon Man.” She has sympathetic cohorts in the pianist Bruce Barth and the bassist Kenny Davis, both of whom worked with the vocalist on her widely celebrated album “Simply Natural.”
(Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Carol Sloane (Nov. 21-24.)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St./ 7PM, $30
“There was once a time when you couldn’t stroll from Greenwich Village to the Upper East Side without stumbling upon a trove of terrific singers, ever ready to polish American-songbook chestnuts and jazz standards into dazzling gems. The vocalist Carol Sloane was among this honored bunch, and now, hale and welcoming with a program promisingly titled “Still Autumn in New York,” she proudly carries on the tradition.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Maria Schneider Orchestra (Nov.20-21; Nov.23-25)
Jazz Standard,116 E. 27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40 – looks like a tough ticket, may need to try the secondary market.
“Maria Schneider has a handsome collection of Grammys, and the accolades are well deserved: This protégée of the late bandleading/arranging genius Gil Evans fronts the most polished modern jazz orchestra on the planet, a vehicle for her lush, intricate and refreshingly accessible works. Catch her at this annual Thanksgiving engagement.” (TONY)

TWYLA THARP DANCE  (thru Dec.09)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $60+
“Tharp takes inspiration from just about anything fit for a stage — from ballet to the circus to baton twirling — so she can sometimes feel like a stylistic maximalist. But early in her career, she caught the minimalism bug sweeping through the arts at the time. This nearly four-week engagement, called “Minimalism and Me,” focuses on works she created between 1965 and 1971. Among them are the now-classic “Tank Dive,” “The History of Up and Down” and “Eight Jelly Rolls,” a richly layered romp to music by the ragtime master Jelly Roll Morton.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Marilyn Maye Gives Thanks (Nov.19-24)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $70+
“Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now. In her latest engagement at F/54, the newly nonagenarian singer shares Great American Songbook favorites, including a medley from My Fair Lady and a smattering of holiday songs. Beyond her remarkable energy and musical acuity, the astonishing Maye has a bone-deep comfort that imbues familiar songs with fresh simplicity, truthfulness and power.” (TONY)

DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL-STARS (Nov.20-25)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $30-$45
“This annual engagement celebrates the birthday of Dizzy Gillespie, the co-inventor of bebop and a champion of Latin jazz, who died in 1993. The All-Stars’ ever-evolving lineup now stands at nine and boasts some of today’s finest straight-ahead talent (the trumpeters Terell Stafford and Freddie Hendrix, the drummer Willie Jones III), including a few who played with Gillespie himself (the pianist Cyrus Chestnut and the bassist John Lee). This year’s proceedings may have an elegiac air: The trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a longtime member of the group, died earlier this month at 49.” (NYT -GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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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

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)

Tree Lighting Skate-tacular
As one of the most popular holiday markets in NYC, the Winter Village has big plans to make their tree-lighting ceremony (held 6PM, Tuesday, December 4) a smash.

An annual New York City Christmas tradition, Tree Lighting Skate-tacular is led by a celebrity narrator who reads an original Christmas tale. As the story unfolds, the characters are brought to life by world-class skaters performing on the ice, under the stars in the Midtown cityscape. Excitement builds until the finale: the Tree is lit, surrounded by fireworks. With host Alan Cumming and performances by Olympic skaters Johnny Weir, Kaetlyn Osmond, Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford, and Jeremy Abbott.
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New York City Ballet / “The Nutcracker” (Through Dec. 30)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / various times, $40+
“Most people think of “The Nutcracker” as a light entertainment, and it is, but it’s also more than that. It’s an adventure, undertaken by a special little girl, Marie. She doesn’t care for conventional toys—instead, she’s drawn to the odd-looking Nutcracker. She’s sensitive—when the Nutcracker breaks, she can’t rest until she has tended to its wounds. And she’s valiant—faced with a mouse a head taller than she is, she stands her ground, striking him with her slipper. The choreographer George Balanchine, who created the now classic version in 1954 for New York City Ballet (at the David H. Koch Nov. 23-Dec. 30), had the good sense not to undermine her bravery by saying that it was all a dream. “Actually, it’s not a dream,” he once explained. “It’s the reality that Mother didn’t believe.” The Land of the Sweets, with its brilliant dancing, is her prize, and ours.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET at the NYS Theater (through Dec. 30). A New York holiday tradition returns as City Ballet embarks on another season of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” That magical growing Christmas tree is as glorious as ever, and as usual, a rotating cast of the company’s top ballerinas, and some promising up-and-comers, take turns as the regal Sugar Plum Fairy. There are subtle recent changes as well, notably in Act II’s visit to the Land of Sweets, which the company has reworked to tone down long-ingrained cultural stereotypes.” (NYT- Brian Schaefer)
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.”

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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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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)

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)

‘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.” (

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/21 and 11/19.
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Selected NYCity Event (11/22)

Posted on 11/22/2018 by GregD

Today’s Fab NYC Event>THURSDAY/NOV 22, 2018

“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-November”
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.

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this (of course):

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
starts W77th St. at Central Park West/ 9AM, FREE

“When the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, it featured a fanfare of live animals from the Central Park Zoo. Don’t expect to see tigers and elephants roaming 34th Street a century later. “But you will see a lineup that features 16 giant balloons; 43 novelty balloons; heritage balloons; balloonicles and trycallons (hybrid balloons and vehicles); and balloonheads (hybrid costume characters). Some of the new characters blowing hot air include Saiyan warrior Goku from “Dragon Ball Super: Brody.” You’ll still be able to see some old favorites, such as Charlie Brown, The Grinch and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Look out for the new floats, including Elf Pets by The Elf on the Shelf.” (USA Today)

“As the story — however apocryphal it may be — goes, Macy’s employees asked the company to put on a parade in the mid-1920s. Many of them were first-generation immigrants who wanted to celebrate the place their families now called home, as well as the arrival of the holiday season. Jazz bands, employees in costume and even Santa Claus took part in a two-block procession that is now an annual tradition as synonymous with Thanksgiving as a turkey dinner.

This year is the 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which now covers far more blocks — it begins at 77th Street at Central Park West and ends on 34th Street in front of Macy’s.
At 9 a.m.; it will also be broadcast live on NBC.”

Diana Ross, John Legend, Martina McBride and the Muppets from “Sesame Street” are  scheduled to perform, despite an extreme cold weather alert for performers and onlookers alike. Plenty more good info on the Parade and Thanksgiving @ Time Out NY

The rest of the day is turkey and football, so that’s all for today’s edition of NYCity123.com.
Come right back here tomorrow for our usual selection of carefully curated events.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

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