1. The cherry trees blossom in Brooklyn
2. Biking across the Big Apple
3. Toasting Tribeca artists
3A. Exploding pop culture at the Japan Society
4. Peeping at Michael Powell at Lincoln Center
5. Plus an extended Riff’s Rants & Raves (including more of the Tribeca Film Festival, Connie Nielsen in the Danish film BROTHERS, the existential Korean film 3-IRON, THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY on-screen and in print, Moby at Webster Hall, Elvis Costello at the Beacon, and Bruce Springsteen on DualDisc)
6. and twi-ny’s weekly recommended events, including book readings, film
screenings, panel discussions, concerts, street fairs, and such special
events as Maurice Sendak and Tony Kushner at the Jewish Museum, Sylvester Stallone and Goldie Hawn at Barnes & Noble, Neil Diamond in Rockefeller
Center, Neil Swaab at Happy Ending, Fab 5 Freddy talking up Basquiat in Brooklyn, Thomas Ashley-Farrand chanting at Laughing Lotus, and unique ways to celebrate Mother’s Day
"Tips for aliens in New York: Land anywhere, Central Park, anywhere. No one
will care or even notice Š If your body is really weird, try showing it to
people in the streets for money Š Amphibious life forms from any of the
worlds in the Swulling, Noxios, or Nausalia systems will particularly enjoy
the East River, which is said to be richer in those lovely life-giving
nutrients than the finest and most virulent laboratory slime yet achieved."
-- Ford Prefect, writing in "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy," SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH by Douglas Adams
"Raney Williams’ playground was the Mott Haven streets
Where he ran past melted candles and flower wreaths,
Names and photos of young black faces
Whose death and blood consecrated these places."
-- Bruce Springsteen, "Black Cowboys," from DEVILS & DUST
Comic-book artist Neil Swaab will be at Happy Ending on May 4
TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL SAKURA MATSURI
**** (out of four)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Ave.
Admission: $5 adults, children under sixteen free
Admission free on Saturday 10:00 - noon
Saturday, April 30 Sunday, May 1
718-623-7200
http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherrywatch/sakura.html
It’s not spring until the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are
in full bloom, which means it’s time for the Sakura Matsuri, the annual
Cherry Blossom Festival in the world’s greatest borough. (Don’t call it the
Sakura Matsuri festival, because "matsuri" means "festival.") Few things are
more beautiful than the Cherry Esplanade, with its rows of cherry trees
offering a sensational respite from the drudgery of the city. This year’s
festival features two glorious days of Japanese events; do whatever you can
to rearrange your schedule to make it to the garden for at least one of the
days. Some of the highlights are listed below; there are also special
exhibits and all-day workshops (Mataro Ningyo Dolls, Japanese Woodblock
Prints, Ikebana Flower Arrangements, Origami Crane Confections, and Japanese
food and drink).
Saturday, April 30 Taiko Drumming, with Soh Daiko, Cherry Esplanade
Stage, 12 noon
Saturday, April 30 The Art of Bansai, with Robert Mahler, Steinhardt
Conservatory, 12 noon 2:00
Saturday, April 30 The Art of Sencha, with Kai Anderson, Members’
Room, 1:30
Saturday, April 30 "The Way of Samurai," Samurai Sword Soul, Cherry
Esplanade Stage, 2:30
Saturday, April 30 Hanagasa Odori Parade (Flower Hat Dance), the
Japanese Folk Institute of New York, Lily Pool Terrace, 2:30
Saturday, April 30 Akiko Yano in Concert, Cherry Esplanade Stage,
3:30
Saturday, April 30 Japanese Imperial Court Music Concert, the Tenri
Gagaku Music Society of New York, auditorium, 4:00
Sunday, May 1 Tea Ceremony, with Hisashi Yamada from the Urasenke
Chanoyu Center, A.T. White Memorial, 12 noon
Sunday, May 1 Butoh Presentation, with Corinna Hiller & Dancers with
James Nyoraku Schlefer, Meadow, 1:00
Sunday, May 1 Haiku Readings, with Tony Pupello and the Spring Street
Haiku Group, A.T. White Memorial, 2:00
Sunday, May 1 Koto and Shamisen Concert, with Masayo Ishigure & Sawai
Koto Academy, Cherry Esplanade Stage, 3:15
Sunday, May 1 Shinkendo Swordsmanship, with Modern Samurai Dojo,
Cherry Esplanade Stage, 5:15
Alternative Transportation Event of the Week
BIKE MONTH NYC HIGHLIGHTS
Multiple venues
Admission: free - $55
http://www.transalt.org/calendar/bikemonth2005
http://www.bikenewyork.org
http://www.5bbc.org
http://www.nycbicycleshow.com
http://www.bikeleague.org
http://www.times-up.org
Friday, April 29 Opening Night: Bicycle Paintings by Taliah Lempert,
Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North Eleventh St., 7:00 10:00
Saturday, April 30 Montauk Metric Training Ride City Island, meet
at American Youth Hostel at Amsterdam Ave. & 103rd St. for forty-mile ride
around City Island, $20 membership, 9:00 am
Saturday, April 30 The Seventh Annual Blessing of the Bikes, the
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St.,
9:30 am
Sunday, May 1 28th Annual 5 Boro Bike Tour, Bike New York, Battery
Park, registration required, $55, 212-932-bike, 8:00 am
Monday, May 2 David Herlihy, BICYCLE: THE HISTORY, Coliseum Books, 11
West 42nd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves., 6:30
Tuesday, May 3 TIME’S UP! Bike Repair Workshop, 49 East Houston St.
between Mott & Mulberry Sts., 6:00 9:00 pm
Tuesday, May 3 Ride the Loops of Central Park, Loeb Boathouse, East
Drive north of Fifth Ave. & 72nd St., 212-838-2141, 10:00 am 1:00 pm
Wednesday, May 4 Bicycle Education Leaders Conference, Hotel
Pennsylvania, 401 Seventh Ave. at 33rd St., registration required,
202-822-1333, 8:00 am 7:30 pm
Thursday, May 5 Movie Night: BATTLE ROYALE (BATORU ROWAIARU) (Kinji
Fukasuku, 2000), TIME’S UP!, 49 East Houston St. between Mott & Mulberry
Sts., 8:00
Friday, May 6 Central Park Moonlight Ride, Columbus Circle, 10:00
pm
Saturday, May 7 Queer History Bike Tour, Loeb Boathouse, Central
Park, 917-658-9531, 10:00 am 3:00 pm
Sunday, May 8 Street Art and Graffiti Tour, north side of Union
Square Park, 11:00 am
Wednesday, May 11 Manhattan Evening Ride, Plaza Hotel Fountain, Fifth
Ave. at 58th St., 212-838-2141, 6:45 10:00 pm
Keith Doyle, "Still-films," digital film-still print
TOAST: TRIBECA OPEN ARTIST STUDIO TOUR
Admission: free
212-479-7317
http://www.toastartwalk.com
If you’re going down to the last weekend of the Tribeca Film Festival, take
a little longer to get there by stopping off at a few studios where
Tribeca-based artists work. (And if you’re not going to the TFF, try to make
your way down here anyway.) Visit the above Web site to determine your
walking plan; every participating artist has a sample piece and artist
statement there, so you can pick your favorites.
Saturday, April 30
and
Sunday, May 1 Mikon Hall of Worlds (both days, 12 noon 6:00 pm) and
Teslamania (Saturday night only, 8:00 pm), Collective Unconscious, 279
Church St., http://www.weird.org, 212-254-5277
Saturday, April 30
through
Monday, May 2 TriBeCa Open Artist Studio Tour: Visit artists in their
studios, including Angelique Ledoux, Salvador Rosillo, Christine Schiulli,
Sharon Bartel-Clements, Theresa Greenberg, Robert Coane, Jasleen Mehta,
Debbie Davies, Roy Kinzer, and dozens more, 1:00 6:00 pm
Multimedia Exhibit
of the Week
Noboru Tsubaki, "Aesthetic Pollution," 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Courtesy Spiral/Wacoal Art Center. Photo: Katsuhiro Ichikawa
LITTLE BOY: THE ARTS OF JAPAN’S EXPLODING SUBCULTURE ***1/2 (out of four)
Japan Society
333 E. 47th St. at First Ave.
Through July 24
212-715-1288
http://www.japansociety.org/events/current.cfm
Artist/curator Takashi Murakami, who filled Rockefeller Center with his
grand, playful statues in fall 2003 ("Reversed Double Helix," including Mr.
Pointy), completes his "Superflat" trilogy with this extraordinary exhibit
at the Japan Society. The colorful works are representative of Japan’s
expanding otaku culture -- young pop geeks obsessed with kawaii (cute). The
underlying theme of many of the works emanate from the devastation wrought
by the atomic bombs America dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, imbuing
nearly every piece with either an overt or hidden political relevance. (The
title of the exhibit comes from the nickname given the Hiroshima bomb.)
Chiho Aoshima’s long, horizontal mural "Magma Spirit Explodes Tsunami Is
Dreadful" is remarkably prescient and scary. Mr.’s garden gallery includes
lots of dangling heads and a few big figures (including "Penyo-henyo"), one
wearing a Rocket to the Crypt T-shirt. In "Pee Dead of Night," Yoshitomo
Nara shows a dude enjoying taking a leak. Kenji Yanobe’s "Atom Suit Project:
Tower of Life 3" consists of dozens of small figures clad in protective
suits, inspired by the Chernobyl disaster. Don’t sit in Okamoto Taro’s
"Chair Refusing to Seat Anyone." Mahomi Kunikata’s "The Way Home from Work
-- Left" number eight is virtually Darger-esque. Aya Takano’s watercolors
("Mail Mania Mami’s Summertime Move with a Rabbit," "A Night Walk A Pink
Moon Emerged") are far more adult than everything else on display. And
you’ll be awed by Noburu Tsubaki’s huge yellow creature known as "Fresh
Gasoline," born of yet another environmental disaster.
Also showing up are Godzilla, Ultraman, Hello Kitty, and clips, statues,
and/or drawings from Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA, Fujiko F. Fujio’s DORAEMON,
Yoshiyuki Tomino’s MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, Kinji Fukasuku’s BATTLE ROYALE,
Hiroyuki Yamaga’s DAICON IV, and Leiji Matsumoto’s SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMOTO.
Murakami has also included beautiful figures by Ooshima Yuuki, NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION pachinko games, a whole display case filled with cool vintage
toys from the Kitahara Collection, and good stuff from Shigeru Komatsuzaki,
Izumi Kato, and others. Murakami himself is represented by "Time Bokan
Black," a skeletal mushroom cloud with flowery eyes. There’s an odd
infantilization to the culture and artwork as a whole that will not only
bring out the kid in you but make you feel a little uneasy as well.
Offsite "Little Boy" Sculpture
CHINATSU BAN: V W X YELLOW ELEPHANT UNDERWEAR/H I J KIDDY ELEPHANT
**** (outof four)
Public Art Fund Projects
Scholars’ Gate at Doris C. Freedman Plaza
Fifth Ave. at 60th St.
Through July 24
http://www.publicartfund.org/pafweb/projects/05/littleboy/littleboy_chinatsu _05.html
This entrance to Wien Walk (named for New York City philanthropist Lawrence A. Wien), which takes you into Central Park and leads you to the zoo, has featured art installations since 1993. Standing guard at the entrance right now is this pair of ridiculously cute and colorful yellow elephants clad in
playful underwear, part of "Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding
Subculture." Ban, who is obsessed with all things kawaii, has been drawing
elephants throughout her career, stemming from elephant figures she had as a
child. Kids and adults both are charmed by this mother and child scenario,
and you will be too. Make sure to walk behind them to see the little present
the mother has made for New York.
Also at the Japan Society
COOL JAPAN: OTAKU STRIKES!
Japan Society
212-715-1288
http://www.japansociety.org
Friday, April 29
and
Saturday, April 30 Work-in-Progress: Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at
Armageddon, by Fred Ho, homage to LONE WOLF AND CUB, $25, 8:00
Thursday, May 5 Japanese Postwar Popular Culture & Its Icons, with
Eric Shiner, Anne Allison, and Archie Meguro, $10, 6:30
Friday, May 6 Otaku Cinema Slam! OTAKUS IN LOVE (KOI NO MON)
(Suzuki Matsuo, 2004), introduced by Brian Camp and with New York-based
cosplayers, $10, 6:30
Friday, May 13 Otaku Cinema Slam! KIZUNA PARS 1 & 2 (Rin Hiroo,
1994), introduced by Akiko Mizoguchi, $10, 6:30
Friday, May 20
and
Saturday, May 21 SOLO/DUO: Showcase for Emerging Japanese Dancers &
Choreographers, with Yukiko Amano, Shigemi Kitamura, Natsuko Tezuka, Osamu
Jareo, and Misako Terada, $25, 7:30
Monday, May 23 Otaku Cinema Slam! A2 (Tatsuya Mori, 2001), $10, 6:30
Thursday, May 26 On the Battlefield of "Superflat": The Origins of
Japanese Neo Pop, with Noi Sawaragi, $10, 6:30
Friday, May 27 Otaku Cinema Slam! GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF THE IRIS
(GAMERA 3: JASHIN IRISU KAKUSEI) (Shusuke Kaneko, 1999), $10, 6:30
Thursday, June 9 Fanatics, Cuties & Geeks: The Otaku Phenomenon & Its
Impact Abroad, with Lawrence Eng, Robert DeJesus, and Ed Halter, moderated
by Thomas Looser, $10, 6:30
Friday, June 10 Special screening of MUSUMEDOJOJI (MUSUMEDOJOJI
JAEN NO KOI) (Yukiko Takayama, 2004), $10, 6:30
In the Neighborhood
FORTY-SEVENTH ST. WALK **** (out of four)
47th St. between First & Second Aves.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/99b/pr322-99.html
After leaving the Japan Society feeling geeky, cute, and cool, stop at the
sculpture on the First Ave. median, which, like the "Little Boy" exhibit,
stems from World War II. "Hope" is made up of five marble monoliths and a
bronze briefcase donated by Hungary and dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg, the
Swedish WWII savior of 100,000 Jews; Wallenberg has been missing since his
arrest by the Russians in January 1945, although a few years ago Russia
returned his passport to his descendants. Next continue west through the
renovated Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. On your left is the Holocaust wall of the
Lucille & Martin Kantor Foundation. Designed by A. Blazas, the wall is made
up of fascinating sculptures detailing the seven stages of the Holocaust in
the Warsaw ghetto. The marble counter describes each of the stages. To your
immediate right is the Katharine Hepburn Garden, dedicated in 1997 to the
recently deceased former Turtle Bay resident who lived in the area for some
six decades. Walk through the garden of evergreen shrubs and trees with an
eye to the ground, as every so often a quote from Ms. Hepburn will appear on
the paving stones. The garden also includes two cast-iron fountains and a
statue of a deer. When you get to Second Ave., look over your shoulder; the
UN statue of St. George appears to be slaying the evil Long Island City
Pepsi-Cola dragon.
Non-Tribeca Film
Festival of the Week
Eric Portman and Raymond Massey in THE 49th PARALLEL, courtesy Photofest
MICHAEL POWELL: BEAUTY UNENDING
**** (out of four)
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th St. between Eighth Ave. & Broadway
May 6-31
Tickets: $10
212-496-3809/212-875-5600
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/programs/5-2005/mpowell05.htm
Michael Powell is one of those "important" filmmakers you’ve heard of or
read about but have never actually seen any of his movies, except for maybe
THE RED SHOES. The Film Society of Lincoln Center is paying tribute to the
great Powell’s centennial with this huge retrospective of his forty-year
career, divided into thematic sections that shed new light on his myriad
contributions to the cinema.
Friday, May 6 High Art : PEEPING TOM (Michael Powell, 1960), 1:30
Friday, May 6 High Art : THE TALES OF HOFFMAN (Michael Powell,
Emeric Pressburger, 1951), 3:30
Friday, May 6 High Art : THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (Ludwig Berger, Michael
Powell, Tim Whelan, 1940), 6:15
Friday, May 6 High Art : THE RED SHOES (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1948), 8:30
Saturday, May 7 High Art : THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan, 1940), 1:30
Saturday, May 7 High Art : OH...ROSALINDA! (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1955), 3:45
Saturday, May 7 High Art : An Evening with Thelma Schoonmaker, 6:00
Saturday, May 7 High Art : PEEPING TOM (Michael Powell, 1960), 8:30
Sunday, May 8 High Art : THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan, 1940), 1
Sunday, May 8 High Art : THE RED SHOES (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1948), 3:15
Sunday, May 8 High Art : OH...ROSALINDA! (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1955), 6:00
Sunday, May 8 High Art : THE TALES OF HOFFMAN (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1951), 8
Tuesday, May 10 Beginnings: CROWN VS. STEVENS (Michael Powell, 1936), 2
Tuesday, May 10 Beginnings: RED ENSIGN (Michael Powell, 1934), 3:30
Tuesday, May 10 Beginnings: RYNOX (Michael Powell, 1932), preceded by THE VOLUNTEER (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1943), 5
Tuesday, May 10 Beginnings: THE PHANTOM LIGHT (Michael Powell, 1935), 9
Wednesday, May 11 Beginnings: THE PHANTOM LIGHT (Michael Powell, 1935), 1 & 4:20
Wednesday, May 11 Beginnings: HER LAST AFFAIRE (Michael Powell, 1936), 2:40
Wednesday, May 11 Beginnings: RYNOX (Michael Powell, 1932), preceded by THE VOLUNTEER (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1943), 6
Wednesday, May 11 Beginnings: THE MAGICIAN (Rex Ingram, 1926), with livepiano accompaniment by Donald Sosin, 8:15
Thursday, May 12 Beginnings: RYNOX (Michael Powell, 1932), preceded by
THE VOLUNTEER (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1943), 1:30
Thursday, May 12 Beginnings: RED ENSIGN (Michael Powell, 1934), 3 & 6
Thurs, May 12 Beginnings: CROWN VS. STEVENS (Michael Powell, 1936),
4:30 & 7:30
Thurs, May 12 Beginnings: HER LAST AFFAIRE (Michael Powell, 1936), 9
Friday, May 13 Mysticism: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1943), 1
Friday, May 13 Mysticism: A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1946), 4:15 & 8:30
Friday, May 13 Mysticism: I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1945), 6:30
Saturday, May 14 Mysticism: I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1945), 2
Saturday, May 14 Mysticism: GONE TO EARTH (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1950), 4 & 8:45
Saturday, May 14 Mysticism: A CANTERBURY TALE (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1944), 6:15
Sunday, May 15 Mysticism: A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1946), 2
Sunday, May 15 Mysticism: A CANTERBURY TALE (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1944), 4:15
Sunday, May 15 Mysticism: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1943), 6:45
Monday, May 16 War: CONTRABAND (Michael Powell, 1940), 2
Monday, May 16 War: THE SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1949), 4 & 8:30
Monday, May 16 War: ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1942), 6:15
Tuesday, May 17 War: ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1942), 2
Tuesday, May 17 War: THE SPY IN BLACK (Michael Powell, 1939), preceded by SMITH (Michael Powell, 1939), 4
Wednesday, May 18 War: THE SMALL BACK ROOM (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1949), 1
Thurs, May 19 War: CONTRABAND (Michael Powell, 1940), 2:30 & 6:30
Thursday, May 19 War: THE SPY IN BLACK (Michael Powell, 1939), preceded by SMITH (Michael Powell, 1939), 4:30 & 8:30
Friday, May 20 Exploration: BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1940), 2:30
Friday, May 20 Exploration: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (Michael Powell, 1937), preceded by AN AIRMAN'S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER (Michael Powell, 1941), 4:30
Friday, May 20 War: THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1956), 6:30
Friday, May 20 War: ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1957), 9
Saturday, May 21 War: ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1957), 2:30
Saturday, May 21 Exploration: THE 49TH PARALLEL (Michael Powell, 1941), 4:45
Saturday, May 21 Exploration: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (Michael Powell, 1937), preceded by AN AIRMAN'S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER (Michael Powell, 1941), 7
Saturday, May 21 Exploration: BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1940), 9
Sunday, May 22 War: THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1956), 2
Sunday, May 22 Exploration: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (Michael Powell, 1937), preceded by AN AIRMAN'S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER (Michael Powell, 1941), 4:30
Sunday, May 22 Exploration: BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1940), 6:30
Sunday, May 22 Exploration: THE 49TH PARALLEL (Michael Powell, 1941), 8:30
Monday, May 23 War: THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1956), 3
Tuesday, May 24 War: ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1957), 3
Wed, May 25 Endings: AGE OF CONSENT (Michael Powell, 1969), 2:15
Wednesday, May 25 Endings: THE BOY WHO TURNED YELLOW (Michael Powell, 1972), 4:30
Thursday, May 26 Endings: BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE (Michael Powell, 1964), 8
Friday, May 27 Endings: THEY'RE A WEIRD MOB (Michael Powell, 1966), 2:30 & 8:30
Fri, May 27 Endings: BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE (Michael Powell, 1964), 4:45
Friday, May 27 Endings: AGE OF CONSENT (Michael Powell, 1969), 6:15
Saturday, May 28 Endings: THE BOY WHO TURNED YELLOW (Michael Powell, 1972), 2:30
Saturday, May 28 Endings: BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE (Michael Powell, 1964), 4
Saturday, May 28 Endings: THEY'RE A WEIRD MOB (Michael Powell, 1966), 5:30
Saturday, May 28 Endings: AGE OF CONSENT (Michael Powell, 1969), 8
Sunday, May 29 High Art : THE RED SHOES (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1948), 2 & 6:30
Sun, May 29 High Art : PEEPING TOM (Michael Powell, 1960), 4:30 & 9
Monday, May 30 Mysticism: I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1945), 2 & 6
Monday, May 30 Exploration: BLACK NARCISSUS (Michael Powell, Emeric
Pressburger, 1940), 4 & 8
In the Neighborhood
DISCO: A DECADE OF SATURDAY NIGHTS
***1/2 (out of four)
Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 12 noon 6:00
Thursday, 12 noon 8:00 pm
Through May 14
Admission: free
212-870-1630
http://www.nypl.org/press/disco.cfm
We highly recommended this exhibit a few issues ago, and we’re back to let
you know you better hurry over there before it closes. While you’re in the
Lincoln Center area taking in a film at the Walter Reade or a live
performance elsewhere, boogie on down to this inferno of an exhibit it’s
hot hot hot. Let the diva in you come out as you dance through this
multimedia delight, getting down with glorious costumes worn by Nile
Rodgers, Gloria Gaynor, Patti Labelle, and Donna Summer; checking out film
clips from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (John Badham, 1977) and documentaries on
such early gay-friendly disco clubs as the Flamingo, the Loft, and the
Gallery; taking over a DJ station where you can mix some fine tunage;
listening to Giorgio Moroder describe the recording session for Summer’s
"Love to Love You Baby" and Gaynor discuss the emergence of "I Will Survive"
as an unexpected hit; marveling at vintage items from the treasured roller
disco era; and worshiping at the altar of the Bee Gees. There’s a look at
Comiskey Park’s Disco Demolition Night and the spread of AIDS, plenty of
sweet album covers, glitter and photos galore, instructions on how to do the
Hustle, mirrors for you to check your groove thang, and lots of other
booty-shaking memorabilia.
LE GUICHET (THE BOX OFFICE) by Alexander Calder ***1/2 (out of four)
Lincoln Center Plaza
http://www.calder.org
Standing in front of the New York Library for the Performing Arts is this
black 1963 sculpture by Alexander Calder, which you can walk under and
around and look through. The spidery presence comes to a triangular point at
its top, with four tendrils extending south and a more solid base pointing
north. The stationary mobile, or stabile, was made during Calder’s later
years (he died in 1976 in New York), when he worked on many public art
projects around the world.
LIBRARY OF PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS
Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
Bruno Walter Auditorium
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
Admission: free
212-870-1630 / 212-642-0142
http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm
Wednesday, April 27 Treasures of the Music Division -- Pennies from
Heaven: The Life and Songs of Arthur Tracy, the Street Singer, with Steve
Ross, Gregory Moore, Victor Prieto, and Joe Franklin, 6:00
Thursday, April 28 Disco Panel, with Vince Aletti, Frank Crapanzano, Tom
Silverman, and Judy Weinstein, moderated by Monica Lynch, 6:00
Saturday, April 30 Grant Johannesen, pianist: video and audio clips from
the late Mr. Johannesen’s many performances for the library, 3:00
Thursday, May 5 Agnes deMille: A Centennial Celebration -- Agnes de
Mille: Dance Modernism in the American Musical, with Liza Gennaro, 6:00
Saturday, May 7 Treasures of the Music Division: Pierrot Lunaire --
Performance of the work by Arnold Schoenberg, 3:00
Thursday, May 12 The Gregory Hines Collection of American Tap Dance:
Screenings from the Dance Division’s New Acquisition, 6:00
Friday, May 13
and
Saturday, May 14 Performing Arts of Asia and the Middle East: New
Directions in Indian Dance II, with Dr. Sunil Kothari, 3:00
Thurs, May 19 Winners of the 2004 Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers, 6:00
Saturday, May 21 Orpheus with His Lute: BLACK ORPHEUS (Marcel Camus,1959), 1:00
Saturday, May 21 Orpheus with His Lute: BLACK ORPHEUS (Marcel Camus 1959), 3:30
Wednesday, May 25 Stars on Stage: Eileen Darby's Photographs of
Broadway's Golden Age, with Mary Henderson and John Lahr, 6:00
Thursday, May 26 Lincoln Center Artists -- The New York Piano Quartet
Works by Brahms, Mozart, 6:00
3-IRON (Kim Ki-duk, 2004) ***1/2 (out of four)
Opens April 29
http://www.sonyclassics.com/3iron
Don’t be scared off by the golf-related title; this film festival hit, which
really has very little to do with the sport, is a lyrical, poetic,
existential romance that is beautifully mysterious and charmingly unique.
Jae Hee stars as Tae-suk, a young man who, when finding out that a person or
family is away for a few days, moves into their house and quietly goes about
his business, cooking, eating, cleaning, sleeping and taking pictures of
himself in front of family pictures, as if he has become a part of them. But
when he enters the home of Min-kyu (Kwon Hyuk-ho), he eventually discovers
that he is not alone. There he meets Sun-hwa (Lee Seung-yeon), a former
model who seems desperately unhappy and joins Tae-suk on his neighborhood
travels. Along the way, the two never speak, communicating only through
gestures. But when they move into a home and find a dead body inside, their
peaceful life of solitude quickly goes astray. South Korean writer-director
Kim Ki-duk (SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTERŠAND SPRING) delves deep inside the
human psyche in this stunning work; although the two protagonists don’t talk
to each other or anyone else, we learn about who they are by how they react
in each house, as if every new place is another piece of them. The film does
veer off course in the latter sections, although Kim does straighten things
out, successfully getting out of the bunker and sinking an eagle on the
eighteenth hole.
Copyright Touchstone Pictures
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (Garth Jennings, 2005) *** (out of
four)
Opens April 29
http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com
http://www.douglasadams.com/movie
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2
H2G2 fans, don’t panic! The long-awaited movie version of Douglas Adams’s
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, which began life as a BBC radio play
before becoming a series of novels, a television show, and a computer game,
has made it to the big screen, more or less intact. Based on a second-draft
script written by the late Adams himself, the film expands, contracts,
redefines, and reworks the story of poor Arthur Dent (a fabulous Martin
Freeman, fresh from THE OFFICE), a West Country gent who somehow ends up
traversing the universe with Ford Prefect (a curiously goofy Mos Def) after
earth is destroyed by the Vogons to make room for an intergalactic highway.
Arthur and Ford hitch a ride with the two-headed president of the galaxy,
Zaphod Beeblebrox (a way-too-over-the-top Sam Rockwell), his companion,
Trillian (a sweet Zooey Deschanel), and Marvin the perpetually depressed
robot (voiced by Alan Rickman, played by Warwick Davis) in search of the
ultimate question; they already know the answer. Some individual vignettes
don’t quite make it and a bunch of the jokes are repetitive, but overall
this is a playful and funny film that does justice to all things H2G2. Don’t
forget to bring your towel, and don’t leave before the end of the closing
credits song, "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish," for a bonus treat. Oh,
and look for a planet shaped like Douglas Adams’s head.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY SERIES by Douglas Adams (1980-92) **** (out of four)
http://www.hhgproject.org
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY; THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE
UNIVERSE; LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING; SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE
FISH; and MOSTLY HARMLESS make up this fabulous series written by the great
Douglas Adams, who passed away in 2001 at the age of forty-nine. For more
than eleven hundred pages, you get to hang out with Arthur Dent, Ford
Prefect, Marvin the perpetually depressed robot, and Trillian on their
bizarre adventures that lead them to Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, Slartibartfast,
Zaphod Beeblebrox, Vroomfondel, Zarniwoop, Mark Knopfler, the Hingefreel
people of Arkintoofle Minor, Hurling Frootmig, Sqornshellous Zeta, the
planet Krikkit, magic dolphins, Old Thrashbarg, and the Whole Sort of
General Mish Mash. Arthur would much rather be back in his quaint little
home, but earth had to be destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial express
route. So take a seat, make yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and
enjoy the ride it gets uneven and a little bumpy at times, but you’ll
savor every moment. Above all else, of course, the books tell us once and
forever just what the answer is. But what was the question again?
Connie Nielsen excels in BROTHERS
BROTHERS (BRODRE) (Susanne Bier, 2004)
*** (out of four)
Opens May 6
http://www.trust-film.dk/off_vis_film.asp?id=154
This 2005 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award Winner is an
emotional, complex examination of family torn apart by love and war. Connie
Nielsen (GLADIATOR) is sensational as Sarah, who is living a seemingly
idyllic life with her husband, Michael (Ulrich Thomsen), and two young kids.
But things get more complicated when Michael’s troubled brother, Jannik
(Nikolaj Lie Kaas), gets released from prison and can’t straighten out his
life. After Michael is sent to Afghanistan on a rescue mission and his
helicopter is shot down, Sarah mourns him while Jannik attempts to be a
father figure to his niece and nephew, growing up in the process. But it
turns out that Michael has survived and has been taken captive himself,
ultimately forced to do something that eats at his soul and tortures his
relationship with his family. Written and directed by Danish filmmaker
Susanne Bier (THE ONE AND ONLY, OPEN HEARTS), BROTHERS is a well-acted,
well-written tale that becomes much too harsh in its later scenes but
fortunately avoids most of the genre cliches in telling its poignant story.
THE AMERICAN RULING CLASS (John Kirby, 2005) ***1/2 (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Cinemas (TC)
54 Varick St. below Canal St. at Laight St.
Regal Cinemas Battery Park Stadium 11 (RBPT)
102 North End Ave. between Vesey & West Sts.
Thursday, April 28, TC1, 4:00
Saturday, April 30, RBPT1, 3:15
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
http://theamericanrulingclass.org
Described by debut director John Kirby as the "world’s first dramatic
documentary musical," THE AMERICAN RULING CLASS is a very funny and
extremely fascinating search for America’s ruling class. Harper’s editor
Lewis Lapham creates two very different Yale graduates one from a wealthy
background who is considering entering the maelstrom by going after the
money at Goldman Sachs, the other from a poor family who decides to work as
a waiter as he tries to get his writing career off the ground and
introduces them to all the right people to help determine if a ruling class
exists and, if so, just what the heck it is and what the requirements are to
sign on. Along the way advice is offered by a slew of guests, including
Walter Cronkite, Bill Bradley, Pete Seeger, Barbara Ehrenreich, Vartan
Gregorian, Robert Altman, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., James Baker, Kurt
Vonnegut, William Howard Taft IV, Hodding Carter, Larry Summers, Mike
Medavoy, and many others, not all of whom seem to know about the premise.
The film is not actually finished yet; a "festival cut" is screening twice
more, but don’t let that stop you; tickets are going fast.
MODIFY (Greg Jacobson & Jason Gary, 2005)
*** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Wednesday, April 27, RB PT2, 3:30
Friday, April 29, RBPT5, 10:00
Tickets: $10
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
http://www.modifythemovie.com
Simply put, MODIFY is the most disgusting movie we have ever seen. To a
pulsating electronica beat, Gary Jacobson and Jason Gary delve into the
rather unsettling world of body modification, from tattoos to piercings,
permanent makeup to body suspension, under-the-skin jewelry to 3-D scarring,
liposuction to face lifts, bodybuilding to elective amputation, drag queens
to sex change operations. Along the way there is a whole lot of pinching
cutting, slicing, bleeding, lasering, poking, prodding, implanting, and
more, shown in living color and with great detail. The film focuses on body
artists who believe they are just decorating a canvas, conceptual artists
who suspend their bodies in the air with metal hooks, men and women who say
altering their body is both their right and a spiritual quest, and, well,
you get the idea. Among those sharing their views and bodies are
Lizardman, Stalking Cat, Trigger, Zulu, Bear, Screwfish, and early pioneers
Jim Ward and Fakir Musafar. You won’t believe the lengths some people go to
achieve their goals, including genital piercing, horn implants, metal
everywhere and anywhere you can imagine, and more. The movie is actually
very well made and edited, but even we looked away from the screen a lot,
and that’s something we never do. You’ve been warned.
HOW TO EAT YOUR WATERMELON IN WHITE COMPANY (AND ENJOY IT) (Joe Angio, 2005)
*** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Pace University ‹ Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts (PACE)
1 Pace Plaza on Spruce St. between Park Row & Gold
Thursday, April 28, PACE, 9:00
Friday, April 29, RBPT8, 7:15
Saturday, April 30, RBPT6, 10:00
Tickets: $10
http://www.mvpmovie.com
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
Time Out New York editor in chief Joe Angio pays tribute to the great Melvin
Van Peebles in this fascinating and fun documentary that picks up
significantly after an awkward, goofy start. While Van Peebles is most well
known for his classic 1971 film SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG, Angio
reveals many other sides of the maverick, iconoclastic, fiercely independent
self-taught artist: Air Force navigator in Korea, novelist in Paris,
playwright, musical performer, street beggar, Wall Street trader,
marathoner, lover, and activist, among others. The self-described "one-man
infrastructure" was a successful writer in France, a cable-car operator in
San Francisco, an early rap artist, a multiple Tony nominee (with two
musicals on Broadway at the same time), a regular commentator on the news, a
nightclub performer, and a radio host. Still vibrant at seventy-two, he
never follows the rules, as demonstrated in musings from Spike Lee, Gordon
Parks, Timothy White, Gil Scott-Heron, Manny Azenberg, Woodie King Jr., and
Melvin’s children, Mario, Max, and Megan Van Peebles. Angio combines these
first-person accounts with clips from Van Peebles’s films, appearances on
television, and behind-the-scenes looks at him directing LE CONTE DU VENTRE
PLEIN (BELLYFUL) and on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It’s
impossible to watch this film and not become an instant Van Peebles fan,
even if you’ve never heard of him or seen any of his work.
ROCKAWAY (Mark Street, 2005) *** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Friday, April 29, TC1, 4:00
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
Mark Street, assistant professor of film in the Visual Art Department at
Fordham University-Lincoln Center, directed, produced, and edited this
charming little story of three teenage girls from Rockaway getting ready to
graduate high school. Vanessa Yuille is outstanding as Merida, a fun-loving,
free-spirited young woman who lives for the moment, not yet ready to face
that she might never leave her suburban community. Laura Johnson is Kelly, a
more reserved pianist who is secretly sleeping with a much older bartender.
And Jennifer Brown is Juanita, who has a domineering mother and is still
trying to discover her own sexuality. The very close trio drink on the
beach, reenact a scene from Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS, share their innermost
thoughts, and sometimes speak to the camera as they look forward to a
last-gasp limo ride that will take them through Times Square. Street
alternates from a documentary video style to grainy poetic shots of the
Rockaway landscape, from quick flashbacks to longer, improvised scenes,
avoiding genre cliches and ending up with a sweet, personal film.
THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED (Jacques Audiard, 2005) *** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Wednesday, April 27, RBPT 5, 7:00
Thursday, April 28, RBPT3, 2:30
Saturday, April 30, RBPT8, 1:15
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
In a relatively unique change of pace, the French have remade a favorite
American underground film. Director Jacques Audiard and screenwriter Tonino
Benacquista follow-up their international hit READ MY LIPS (2001) with this
creative, moody remake of James Toback’s FINGERS (1978), which starred
Harvey Keitel as a New York City kid forced to choose between the piano and
the mob. Audiard moves the film to the mean streets of Paris, where Tom
(Romain Duris) attempts to regain his childhood musical virtuosity, which he
gave up after his mother’s tragic death. As he begins to train with a
Vietnamese piano student-teacher who does not speak French (Linh-Dan Pham),
his crooked partners continue to reel him in to their low-rent, dangerous
real estate scams. Ever the antihero, Tom also has a poignant love-hate
relationship with his father, played by Niels Arestrup in a marvelous yellow
get-up. As Tom’s worlds collide, he is constantly aware of protecting his
fingers, which he needs to perform Bach’s Toccata in E Minor at an important
audition. The film, which takes a while to really develop, is shot in long
takes with a handheld camera, keeping Tom boxed into his claustrophobic
situation. Songs by Bloc Party and the Kills keep things on edge, mixing
well with Bach and Alexandre Desplat’s evocative award-winning score.
I AM A SEX ADDICT (Caveh Zahedi, 2005) *** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Thursday, April 28, RBPT11, 5:30
http://www.cavehzahedi.com
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
Indie filmmaker Caveh Zahedi (A LITTLE STIFF, I DON’T HATE LAS VEGAS
ANYMORE, IN THE BATHTUB OF THE WORLD) chronicles his sexual addiction in
this oddball low-budget docudrama that is as fun as it is embarrassing.
Zahedi plays himself as he re-creates pivotal scenes from his life, focusing
on his relationships with Caroline (Rebecca Lord), Christa (Emily Morse),
and Devin (Amanda Henderson) each of which was troubled in different ways
by his compulsion to visit street prostitutes. Zahedi regularly turns to the
camera and addresses the audience (breaking time and space), shows actual
footage of the real women, and gets way too personal by reenacting sex
scenes that are humorous at first but eventually get to be too much
information. Silly animation by Bob Sabiston and songs by Jonathan Richman
keep things playful, there’s plenty of female nudity, and the acting is so
convincing you’ll wonder at times which parts are the real thing.
THE RECEPTION (John G. Young, 2005) *** (out of four)
Tribeca Film Festival
Friday, April 29, RBPT1, 9:15
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
It’s been ten years since SUNY Purchase graduate John G. Young’s debut film,
PARALLEL SONS (1995), was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance,
and it’s good to have him back. THE RECEPTION is the epitome of the indie
film, shot in eight days for a mere five grand. The entire film takes place
in upstate New York during a snowy winter, where cynical, man-hating
Jeanette (Pamela Holden Stewart), who drinks too much, lives with gay
painter Martin (Wayne Lamont Sims). When Jeanette’s estranged daughter,
Sierra (Margaret Burkwit), unexpectedly shows up with her new husband,
Andrew (Darien Sills-Evan), it is not exactly a joyful family reunion.
Secrets are revealed, confidences betrayed, and surprising truths strike out
as Young infuses the film with classic French touches lots of wine,
dancing to Eurotrash music, and plenty of philosophical waxings on life,
love, and race.
DEVILS & DUST by Bruce Springsteen ***3/4 (out of four)
In stores now
http://www.brucespringsteen.net
Right off the bat, we have to admit we have a bit of a Springsteen thing, so
we tend to listen to his records through rose-colored earphones. However,
we’ve been playing the new album nonstop for about a week now, and we can’t
get enough of it. It took a while for us to get used to the title track, the
chorus of which sounds too much like "Blood Brothers" and whose forced
chorus rhyme of "trust" and "dust" initially disappointed us. But we
immediately fell for Bruce’s version of "All the Way Home," previously
recorded by Southside Johnny in 1991; "Long Time Comin’," with the great
lines "Tonight I’m gonna get birth naked and bury my old soul / and dance on
its grave" and "Well, if I had one wish for you in this God-forsaken world,
kid / It’d be that your mistakes will be your own / that your sins be your
own"; the uplifting "Leah," written for a waitress at Harry’s Roadhouse in
Asbury Park; the singalong "Maria’s Bed," which is a charming rocker even if
it does recycle lines from "Further On (Up the Road)"; and the bluesy "All
I’m Thinkin’ About," which Bruce sings in a creaky falsetto. We can’t wait
for Tom Waits to cover "Matamoros Banks." Heck, we even like "Reno"; despite
its way-too-graphic depiction of sex with a hooker, it’s essentially a
heartbreaking lost-love song. The successor to NEBRASKA and THE GHOST OF TOM
JOAD, Bruce Springsteen’s third acoustic-based album is a spiritual,
profound trip through people’s souls, often focusing on the relationship
between mothers and sons. The album is available only on DualDisc, a
two-sided CD/DVD that includes video performances as well as Bruce talking
about the creation of the material. DEVILS & DUST is a vibrant, powerful,
spiritual record that will both exult and haunt you.
MOBY AT WEBSTER HALL ***1/2 (out of four)
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Wednesday, April 20
http://www.moby.com
http://www.websterhall.com
Moby rocked the old Ritz at this awesome show that featured his usually
eclectic taste in originals and covers, including fine takes on Lou Reed’s
"Walk on the Wild Side," New Order’s "Temptation," and Mission of Burma’s
"That’s When I Reach for My Revolver." Supplying beautiful backup throughout
was vocalist Laura Dawn, one of the heads of Move On and a terrific artist
in her own right. (We raved about her album BELIEVER back in February 2002.)
Sounding much better than on record, Moby played a lot of strong material
from PLAY, including "Find My Baby," "Honey," "My Weakness," and"Porcelain." Among the hot tunes from his new disc, HOTEL, were "Very" and"Spiders," which he dedicated to David Bowie, who was in attendance. Less
techno-trance than we expected, Moby played his electric lead through killer
versions of "Feeling So Real," "Silence Is Easy," "Extreme Ways," a
beautiful "Natural Blues," a great "We Are All Made of Stars," and, of
course, a "Bodyrock" that could have gone on forever, as far as we were
concerned.
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS AT THE BEACON ***1/2 (out of four)
2124 Broadway at 74th St.
Friday, April 22
http://www.elviscostello.com
Touring in support of his most recent album, THE DELIVERY MAN, Elvis
Costello (coming out in a ten-gallon hat and glittering cowboy boots),
keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Dave Faragher, and drummer Pete Thomas
played an exciting, intimate show at the Beacon Theater. Kicking things off
with "Welcome to the Working Week," "Uncomplicated," and "Clown Strike,"
Elvis made his way through a flood of tunes both old and new; among the
treats from DELIVERY MAN were gorgeous renditions of "Country Darkness" and"Needle Time" and a playful "Monkey to Man." The band also tore through hot
versions of "Watching the Detectives," "(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea,"
"Radio, Radio," "Clubland" (with an instrumental nod to "I Feel Pretty"),"Mystery Dance," and "Pump It Up." He finished with a string of covers,
including the other Elvis’s "Mystery Train," Nick Lowe’s "(What’s So Funny‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding" and "Heart of the City," and Smokey
Robinson’s "You Really Got a Hold on Me" before closing the encore-less show
with "Scarlet Tide" from COLD MOUNTAIN. All along the way, he spoke with the
crowd, encouraged audience participation, and smiled a whole lot; he even
jammed with former Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin on "Why Don’t You
Love Me (Like You Used to Do)." Elvis will be making his way back to his
home, New York City, on July 19, when he and the Imposters play a pay gig at
Summerstage. Don’t miss it.
twi-ny top two dozen (or so) weekly reminders & special events
SPRING FAIR
Grand Central Terminal
Vanderbilt Hall
Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am 8:00 pm
Sunday, 12 noon 6:00 pm
Admission: free
http://www.grandcentralterminal.com
Wednesday, April 27
through
Saturday, May 7 Five dozen booths sell kids’ clothes, jewelry, hats,
teas, hand-blown glass, silk scarves and dresses, bonsai trees, chenille,
ties, antiques, Nepalese baskets, and more
---
NATIONAL DANCE WEEK NYC: HIGHLIGHTS
Multiple venues
April 22 May 1
Registration fee: $50
http://www.ndw-nyc.org
Wednesday, April 27 BOMBA, with producer Roberta Singer present,
Musica, 622 Broadway, Brooklyn, 3:00
Friday, April 29 DONALD MCKAYLE: HEARTBEATS OF A DANCEMAKER (Dance
Pioneers), Spike Lee Screening Room at LIU, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn,
718-488-1051
Saturday, April 30 Dancewave Kids Company, Berkeley Carroll School
Dance Studio, 181 Lincoln Pl., Park Slope, 2:00 4:30
Saturday, April 30 DANCE WITH ME, Dance Times Square, 156 West 44th
St., third floor, 212-994-9500, 3:00
---
MEET THE WRITERS
Barnes & Noble
33 East 17th St. at Union Square (US)
212-253-0810
600 Fifth Ave. at 48th St., Rockefeller Center (RC)
675 Sixth Ave. at 22nd St., Chelsea (CH)
160 East 54th St. at Third Ave., Citicorp (CC)
105 Fifth Ave. at 18th St. (18)
4 Astor Pl. at Broadway (AP)
1972 Broadway at West 66th St., Lincoln Triangle (LT)
396 Sixth Ave. at Eighth St., Greenwich Village (GV)
2289 Broadway at 82nd St. (BW)
240 East 86th St. at Second Ave. (86)
106 Court St., Brooklyn (CS)
267 Seventh Ave., Park Slope (PS)
Admission: free
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/frames/storeLocator/storeLocator_zip.asp?ZIP=1
0016&userid=1D6CIO3Q8L&linkto=shop
Wednesday, April 27 Phil Lesh, SEARCHING FOR THE SOUND: MY LIFE IN THE GRATEFUL DEAD, RC, 1:00
Friday, April 29 Venus and Serena Williams, VENUS & SERENA: SERVING FROM THE HIP: TEN RULES FOR LIVING, LOVING, AND WINNING, RC, 1:00
Mon, May 2 Goldie Hawn, A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD, RC,
1:00, 7:00
Wednesday, May 4 SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA: A Tribute to Spalding Gray, with Eric Bogosian, Bob Holman, Reno, and Roger Rosenblatt, US, 7:00
Friday, May 6 Anna Quindlen, BEING PERFECT, BW, 7:30
Saturday, May 7 Mario Batali, MOLTO ITALIANO: 327 SIMPLE ITALIAN
RECIPES TO COOK AT HOME, US, 11:00
Monday, May 9 Sheenah Hankin, COMPLETE CONFIDENCE: A HANDBOOK, GV, 7:30
Tuesday, May 10 Sylvester Stallone, SLY MOVES: STAY FIT, EAT RIGHT,
AND UNLEASH THE CHAMPION WITHIN YOU, RC, 12:30
---
POST TYPOGRAPHY DESIGN TALK / DOUBLE DAGGER DESIGN ROCK
CooperArts at the Cooper Union
Wollman Auditorium
Albert Nerken School of Engineering
51 Astor Pl.
Admission: free
212-353-4195
http://www.cooper.edu/month.html
Thursday, April 28 Lecture by Nolen Strals and Bruce Willen at 6:30,
concert by Double Dagger at 8:30
---
A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Gallery Korea
Korean Cultural Service
460 Park Ave. at 57th St., sixth floor
Alternate Thursday nights at 6:30
Admission: free
212-759-9550
http://www.koreanculture.org
Thursday, April 28 SUPERSTAR MR. GAM (Jong-hyeon Kim, 2004)
---
BORDERS BOOKSTORE EVENTS
Park Avenue (PA)
461 Park Ave. between 57th & 58th Sts.
Kips Bay (KB)
Second Ave. at 32nd St.
Wall Street (WS)
100 Broadway between Wall & Pine Sts.
Shops at Columbus Circle (CC)
212-980-6785
Admission: free
http://www.bordersstores.com/events/events.jsp
Friday, April 29 Ronan Tynan, CC, 7:00
---
VISITING YOGI SERIES
Laughing Lotus
59 West 19th St. at Sixth Ave., third floor
Fee: $30-$40 per day or $95 for all three days
212-414-2903
http://laughinglotus.com
Friday, April 29
through
Sunday, May 1 A Weekend of Mantras, Stories, and Ceremonies, with
author and mystic Thomas Ashley-Farrand retelling the ancient Indian epic
THE ADVENTURES OF SITA AND RAMA through chanting and mantras; each
participant receives cassette of the mantras
---
ASIAN CINEVISIONS AT BAM
BAMcinematek
BAM Rose Cinemas
Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
April 29 May 1
Tickets: $10
718-636-4100
http://bam.org/film/AsianCinevisions.aspx
Friday, April 29 A PECK ON THE CHEEK (KANNATHIL MUTHAMITTAL) (Mani Ratnam, 2002), 6:30 & 9:30
Saturday, April 30 THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED (YUDAN TAITEKI) (Izuru Narushima, 2003), 2:00 & 6:50
Saturday, April 30 LONG LIFE, HAPPINESS, AND PROSPERITY (Mina Shum, 2002), 4:30 & 9:15
Sunday, May 1 MEN SUDDENLY IN BLACK (DA ZHANG FU) (Edmond Ho-Cheung Pang, 2003), 6:50
Sunday, May 1 THE RIDE (Nathan Kurosawa, 2003), 4:30 & 9:15
---
FREE EVENTS AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
Scholastic Auditorium (SA)
The Scholastic Store, 557 Broadway
Tribeca Cinemas (TC)
54 Varick St. below Canal St. at Laight St.
Admission: free
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
Friday, April 29 EMPIRE SQ (episodes 1 to 10) (David Rowntree), TC2,
12 midnight
Saturday, April 30 Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair, Greenwich
St., 10:00 am 6:00 pm
Saturday, April 30 Family Film Festival: THE MUPPETS’ WIZARD OF OZ
(Kirk R. Thatcher, 2005), SA, 7:00
Sunday, May 1 Family Film Festival: THE MUPPETS’ WIZARD OF OZ (Kirk
R. Thatcher, 2005), SA, 6:00
---
ANTIQUE GARDEN FURNITURE SHOW AND SALE
The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx River Parkway (exit 7W) & Fordham Rd.
Admission to garden and show: $13
Metro-North One-Day Getaway: $6 round trip
1-718-817-8700
http://www.nybg.org/agf.php
Friday, April 29
through
Sunday, May 1 Thirteenth annual show and sale of antiques from more
than thirty dealers from all over the country, including benches, urns,
statues, fountains, sundials, birdbaths, and botanical prints as well as
lectures, tours, and presentations
---
SUNSHINE AT MIDNIGHT
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 E. Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
Friday and Saturday nights at midnight
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/NewYork/NewYork_frameset.htm
Friday, April 29
and
Saturday, April 30 NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Todd Solondz, 1995)
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Jared Hess, 2004)
*** (out of four)
http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/napoleondynamite
This inventive and fun film follows the exploits of one of cinema’s greatest
high school geeks ever, Napoleon Dynamite, played with sweet charm by Jon
Heder. Napoleon’s screwed-up family includes his over-thirty brother, who
sits at home falling in love with a woman over the Internet, and Uncle Rico,
a retro-’70s loser who drives around in a van selling pseudo-Tupperware to
unsuspecting housewives. Set in Idaho, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE features all of the
cliched high school subplots (nerd love, the big dance, bullies, the race
for student council president), but they’re treated here with an originality
and freshness unique to the genre. The movie has become such a cult classic
so quickly that there are already late-night screenings where people show up
dressed as their favorite character. And any flick that includes tetherball
is okay by us.
Friday, May 6
and
Saturday, May 7 MIDNIGHT COWBOY (John Schlesinger, 1969)
---
NYC FOREST AND STREET TREE INVENTORY
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave. between 103rd & 104th Sts.
Reservations required
718-482-6440
http://www.mcny.org/Calendar/prog.htm
Saturday, April 30 Learn about the urban forest, sponsored by NYC
ReLeaf, morning workshop $10, free training session 1:30 4:30 for street
tree census volunteers, 9:00 am 12:30 pm
---
WEEKEND STREET FAIRS/
FESTIVALS/PARADES/CARNIVALS
All events approximately 11:00 am - 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted
Admission: free
http://www.nyctourist.com/st_fairs_calendar.htm
http://nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html
Saturday, April 30 P.A.L. Festival: University Pl. between Waverly
Pl. & 14th St.
Sunday, May 1 17th Annual Broadway Spring Festival: Broadway between
86th & 96th Sts.
Sunday, May 1 Third Ave. Merchants Spring Expo: Third Ave. between
23rd & 34th Sts.
Friday, May 6 NYC Business Expo: Maiden Lane between Water &
South Sts.
Saturday, May 7 Romania Day Festival: Broadway between Battery Pl. &
Fulton St.
Sunday, May 8 Lexington Ave. Mother’s Day Festival: Lexington Ave.
between 42nd & 57th Sts.
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BRUNDIBAR
The Jewish Museum
Scheuer Auditorium
1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St.
212-423-3337
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org
Tuesday, May 3
and
Wednesday, May 4 Music performed by the Young People’s Chorus of New
York, followed by a discussion between creators Maurice Sendak and Tony
Kushner, $50, 8:00
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SUICIDE GIRLS NIGHT
Happy Ending Reading Series
302 Broome St. between Forsyth & Eldridge Sts.
Admission: free
212-334-9676
http://www.amandastern.com/happyending.html
Wednesday, May 4 Comic-book artist Neil Swaab (REHABILITATING MR.
WIGGLES, the New York Press) and Tony Fletcher in conversation with Daniel
Robert Epstein of Suicide Girls, with music by Oren Bloedow of Elysian
Fields, 8:00
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IT CAME FROM NEW YORK!
Juvie Hall
24 Bond St. between Broadway & Lafayette St.
Tickets: $5
212-330-7681
http://www.juviehall.com
http://www.carmenmofongo.com
Wednesday, May 4 Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll: An Evening of NYC-Themed
Comedic Storytelling and Music, hosted by Michele Carlo (Red Alert), 8:00
Wednesday, May 11 All in the Familia: An Evening of NYC-Themed
Comedic Storytelling and Music, hosted by Michele Carlo (Red Alert), 8:00
---
FIRST THURSDAYS
Dahesh Museum of Art
580 Madison Ave. at 57th St.
Admission: free from 6:00 9:00
212-759-0606
http://www.daheshmuseum.org/publicprograms_events/index.html#thursdays
Thursday, May 5 Guitar and Lute: History and Performance, with Jerry
Willard, at 6:30, as well as gallery talks and other events
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TODAY SHOW TOYOTA CONCERT SERIES
Rockefeller Plaza
49th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Outside TODAY studio 1A
Fridays at 8:30 am
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7597326
http://www.rockefellercenter.com
Friday, May 6 Neil Diamond
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MOTHER WOVE THE MORNING
Shetler 54 Showcase Theatre
244 West 54th St., twelfth floor
Tickets: $15
http://www.jebian.com/mother
http://www.clpearson.com/mwmintro.html
Friday, May 6
through
Saturday, May 14 New play about mothers and history by Carol Lynn
Pearson, directed by Andrew Dawson, presented by Sarah Jebian
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DANCE SAMPLER
Symphony Space
Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
212-864-5400
http://www.symphonyspace.org
Saturday, May 7 Sixteen New York companies present contemporary works
in a four-hour mini-marathon, $20, 7:00
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MAKOR MUSIC
Makor
Steinhardt Building, Lecture Hall
35 West 67th St. between Amsterdam & Columbus Aves.
212-601-1000
http://www.makor.org
Saturday, May 7 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, $15, 9:30
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FIRST SATURDAYS
Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Parkway
Admission: free after 5:00 pm
718-638-5000
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/first-saturdays
Sat., May 7 Performance: Sridhar Shanmugam’s ensemble, music and dance from India, Iris B. and Gerald Cantor Auditorium, third floor, 5:30 6:30
Saturday, May 7 World Music: Violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, music
inspired by the work of Basquiat (limited Audio Graffiti tickets available
at 5:30), 6:00 8:00
Saturday, May 7 Gallery Talk: "Basquiat," Morris A. and Meyer
Schapiro Wing, fifth floor, (free tickets available at the visitor center in
the grand lobby at 5:00), 6:00 & 7:00
Saturday, May 7 Hands-On Art: Paint your own Japanese nature scroll,
Education Division, first floor (free tickets available in the education
gallery at 6:00), 6:30-8:30
Saturday, May 7 Film: DOWNTOWN 81 (Edo Bertoglio, 1981), Iris B. and
Gerald Cantor Auditorium, third floor (free tickets available at the visitor
center in the grand lobby at 6:00), 7:00
Saturday, May 7 Gallery Talk: "Basquiat," with Fab 5 Freddy, meet in
the Rodin gallery, fifth floor (free tickets available at the visitor center
in the grand lobby at 6:00), 7:00
Saturday, May 7 Dance Party: Fab 5 Freddy, with DJ B. Dub, Beaux-Arts
Court, third florr, 9:00 11:00
Saturday, May 7 Film: LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN (David Petersen, 2004),
Iris B. and Gerald Cantor Auditorium, third floor (free tickets available at
the visitor center in the grand lobby at 7:00), 9:30
---
MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND
New York Aquarium
Boardwalk at West Eighth St.
Admission: $11 for adults; $7 for children 2-12
Parking: $7
718-265-3474
http://nyaquarium.com/nyawhatshappening/nyaevents
Saturday, May 7
and
Sunday, May 8 Special activities relating to the moms of the ocean
world
---
FLORAL FANTASY FOR MOM/
FANTASIA FLORAL PARA MAMA
Wave Hill
West 249th St. at Independence Ave., the Bronx
Kerlin Learning Center
Admission: $4 adults, children under six free
718-549-3200
http://www.wavehill.org
Saturday, May 7
and
Sunday, May 8 Family Art Project, with Esperanza Cortes teaching how
to create gifts with flowers, 1:00 4:00
---
MOTHER’S DAY EVENTS
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42nd St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
212-997-4144
http://bbkingblues.com/schedule/index.shtml
Sunday, May 8 Sunday Gospel Brunch, featuring the Harlem Gospel
Choir, $35 for buffet and show, 11:00 am & 4:30 pm
Sunday, May 8 Sunday Dinner, featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir, $20
for show, plus a la carte dinner, 8:30
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CHAMPAGNE FASHION BRUNCH
Jimmy Sung’s
219 East 44th St. between Second & Third Aves.
General seating: $65
VIP seating: $150, including backstage tour, photo ops, and more
http://www.usafashionshows.com/champagnefashionbrunch/runwayshows.htm
Sunday, May 8 USA International Fashion Shows presents runway show
and gourmet Chinese dinner
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UNTERBERG POETRY CENTER READINGS
92nd St. Y, Kauffman Concert Hall
1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St.
212-415-5500
http://www.92ndsty.org/calendar/calendar.asp
Monday, May 9 John Irving, $16, 8:00
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LIVE FROM THE NYPL
South Court Auditorium (SC)
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.
212-930-0855
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/pep/peplist.cfm
Monday, May 10 Let’s Put Manners on You, featuring Miss Manners in
conversation with Bob Morris about modern etiquette, $10, 7:00
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NY’S MOVERS & SHAKERS: THEIR STORIES
& HOW NY GREW
CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Ave. at 34th St.
212-817-8215
http://www.gc.cuny.edu/calendar_of_events/index.htm
Tuesday, May 10 With Ted Kheel, Gabe Pressman, and Bert Powers
discussing the newspaper strikes of 1962-63 and 1978, $15, 7:00
---
ITP SPRING SHOW 2005
721 Broadway at Waverly Pl.
Fourth Floor, South Elevators
Admission: free
212-998-1880
http://www.itp.nyu.edu
http://itp.nyu.edu/show
Tuesday, May 10
through
Wed, May 11 Exhibition of innovative student works, 5:00 9:00
pm
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