this week in literature

THE BIG KAHN

thebigkahn1

THE BIG KAHN: A Sequential Drama by Neil Kleid and Nicolas Cinquegrani (NMB Comics Lit, September 2009, $13.95)
www.nbmpub.com

When family patriarch and “religious giant” Rabbi David Kahn passes away, he is initially mourned by his community; “He counseled when we were lost, laughed when we smiled and comforted when we hurt,” his son Avi, the assistant rabbi at the New Jersey synagogue David helped establish, says during the eulogy (while David’s sister, Lea, is having sex in a temple closet). But then a stranger shows up, demanding that he see the late rabbi’s body, declaring, “That box isn’t going anywhere until I make sure that’s Donnie inside.” Roy Dobbs insists that the man in the coffin is a fraud – his brother Don, a grifter and con man whose life was one big lie. And when it turns out that he’s telling the truth, the rabbi’s family is forced to examine their own lives and suddenly question everything they were taught to believe in as the community that had embraced them for so long coldly and cruelly turns its back on them.

thebigkahn3

Kleid, who has also written the excellent true-crime graphic novel BROWNSVILLE, about New York City’s Murder Inc., and the Xeric Award-winning NINETY CANDLES, tackles some lofty issues in THE BIG KAHN, including faith, the existence of God, sibling rivalry, homosexuality, and whether a person’s deeds later in life can overcome the things he has done in his past. In his first full-length graphic novel, comic artist Nicolas Cinquegrani (CHASQUI, THE MYSTERIOUS SYMPTOMS) creates a simple yet moving environment for Kleid’s emotional tale, his black-and-white drawings setting the appropriate mood for this intense family drama. THE BIG KAHN is no big con; it’s the real deal.

weekly listings nov. 11-18

Magda Tothova gets uncomfortably and romantically close to the former premier in her video “Lenin and the Maiden"

1989: THE END OF HISTORY OR THE BEGINNING OF THE FUTURE?
Austrian Cultural Forum
11 East 52nd St. between Fifth & Madison Aves.
Admission: free
212-319 -3000
www.afcny.org

Wednesday, November 11 Art and Politics After the Annus Mirabilis: panel discussion on the the tumultuous events of 1989, with Marina Abramovic, Anna Jermolaewa, Thomas Draschan, Gerald Matt, and others, reservations required, 5:00

Wednesday, November 11 Video Art Comments on a Time Shift: exhibit opening reception, with live music by B3+ and presentation by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria Michael Spindelegger, 6:00

RICHARD LLOYD
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $10-$12
www.websterhall.com/thestudio

Thursday, November 12 One-night-only special performance by Television’s Richard Lloyd, with opening set by Hey Battlef!eld, hosted by John Varvatos, Bob Gruen, and Legs McNeil, 8:30

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Danspace Project
St. Mark’s Church
131 East Tenth St. at Second Ave.
Admission: $5 plus two cans of food or $10
212-674-8112
www.danspaceproject.org/programs/foodforthought.html

Thursday, November 12 Thomas F. DeFrantz, Rie Ono, Chris Peck, and the Grocery & Jessica Almasy, curated by Ursula Eagly

Friday, November 13 Monstah Black, Vanessa Anspaugh, GoGoVertigoat, and Jamal Jackson Dance Company, curated by Maura Donohue

Saturday, November 14 Brad Kisicki, Travis Chamberlain, and Sheila Lewandowski in collaboration with Sarah Maxfield, and John McGrew, curated by Enrico D. Wey

David teague's animated INTIFADA NYC is part of annual doc fest at AMNH

MARGARET MEAD FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th St.

November 12-15, $12-$40
212-769-5200
www.amh.org/mead

The thirty-third annual Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival once again showcases socially and environmentally conscious work from around the world.

Thursday, November 12 Opening night: COOKING HISTORY (Peter Kerekes), 7:00

Sunday, November 15 DJ SPOOKY AND THE SCIENCE OF TERRA NOVA, featuring DJ Spooky speaking and demonstrating the creation of his latest multimedia project, addressing climate change in Antarctica, 4:00

Sunday, November 15 Closing night: HAIR INDIA (Raffaele Brunetti & Marco Leopardi), with Brunetti in person, 8:00

JANIS BRENNER & DANCERS
Joyce SoHo
15 Mercer St.
Tickets: $15-$20
www.joyce.org

Thursday, November 12
through
Sunday, November 15 JB&D presents FIVE DECADES, consisting of works by Meredith Monk (BREAK, 1964), Murray Louis (FIGURA, 1978), and Janis Brenner, (GUILT, 1985, and A MATTER OF TIME, 1994), and world premiere of Brenner’s DANCING IN ABSENTIA

A HISTORY OF NEW YORK
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
421 East 61st St.
Admission: $15 (includes discount for Wafels & Dinges)
212-838-6878
www.mvhm.org

Friday, November 13 Dr. Michael Black discusses Washington Irving’s A HISTORY OF NEW YORK, which takes a satirical look at the early politics of the early Dutch-settled city, 6:30

PAGE TURNER: THE ASIAN AMERICAN LITERARY FESTIVAL
Multiple venues
All day pass $20 ($25 with literary awards)
www.pageturnerfest.org

Friday, November 13 Gala Kick-off Dinner with Michael Ondaatje helping to honor Lifetime Achievement Award winner Sonny Mehta, Vermilion, 480 Lexington Ave., $50 cocktail reception, $500 cocktail reception, gala dinner, signed book by Ondaatje, and more, 7:00

Saturday, November 14 Readings at powerHouse Arena, with Jhumpa Lahiri, David Henry Hwang, Jen Kwok, Professor Mae Ngai, Ed Park, Amitava Kumar, and more, 37 Main St., Dumbo, $5 each, every hour on the hour from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday, November 14 Twelfth annual literary awards and cocktail reception, powerHouse Arena, 37 Main St., Dumbo, $10, 6:00

Guy Maddin's unique take on Dracula is part of Vampire Weekend at the Paley Center

DARK SHADOWS AT TWILIGHT: A PALEY CENTER VAMPIRE WEEKEND
The Paley Center for Media
25 West 52nd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Admission: $10
212-621-6800
www.paleycenter.org

Friday, November 13
through
Sunday, November 15 Three days of special events focusing on vampires, including F. W. Murnau’s NOSFERATU, Guy Maddin’s DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN’S DIARY, ROBSESSED (about the cult surrounding TWILIGHT’s Rob Pattison), screenings of past Paley Center events featuring the cast and crew of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (2008), ANGEL (2001), TRUE BLOOD (2009), and DARK SHADOWS (2001), as well as a panel discussion and more

ESTHER
New York City Opera
David H. Koch Theater
63rd St. & Columbus Ave.
Tickets: $12-$145
212-721-6500
www.nycopera.com

Friday, November 13
through
Thursday, November 19 City Opera presents Hugo Weisgall’s opera for the first time in sixteen years, starring Lauren Flanigan and with stage and film design by Jerome Sirlin

COLLECTORS FESTIVAL OF NEW YORK: DE LA CHARANGA AL CHARANGO
Taino Towers Cultural Building
240 East 123rd St. at Second Ave.
Admission: $10
www.cccadi.org/node/529

Saturday, November 14 Sixth annual International Latin/Tropical Music Collectors Festival, with displays, DJs, film screenings, a tribute to Charanga legends, panel discussions, a flea market, and a fiesta de cierre with live performances by La Orqesta Broadway and La Bolá con su Charangón, 1:00 – 10:00 pm

GENERATIONS: A 30-YEAR CELEBRATION
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2597 Broadway at 95th St.
Tickets: $15-$25
www.symphonyspace.org

Saturday, November 14 Thirtieth anniversary concert by the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band, featuring works by Respighi, Shostakovich, Saint-Saens, Jerry Herman, Harold Arlen, and John Philip Sousa in addition to a world premiere of special piece by James Adler commissioned for the event, 8:00

ARTWALK NY
Skylight Studio
275 Hudson St.
Tickets: $200-$5,000
212-776-2056
www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/artwalk.html

Tuesday, November 17 Benefit for the Coalition for the Homeless, honoring artist Pat Steir, with a cocktail
party, live and silent auctions, with cochairs Richard Gere, Carey Lowell, and Alec Baldwin, 6:30

IN OUR LINGO: DJ DISCO WIZ & JAMEL SHABAZZ
El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St.
Admission: free with reservations at below Web site
www.elmuseo.org/en/calendar/date_all_all

Tuesday, November 17 Multimedia dialogue and mixed plate beats featuring DJ Disco Wiz and Jamel Shabazz, 6:30

DEBORAH HAY: IF I SING TO YOU
YVONNE RAINER: SPIRALING DOWN
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Tickets: $25
www.bacnyc.org

Tuesday, November 17
through
Thursday, November 19 U.S. premiere of a piece by Deborah Hay and New York premiere of work by Yvonne Rainer, part of Performa 09 festival, 7:30

De Sica classic is part of neorealist feast and film festival

UMBERTO D. (Vittorio De Sica, 1952)
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th St. between Broadway & Amsterdam Ave.
Tuesday, November 17, 8:30
Saturday, November 21, 5:30
212-875-5600
www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/italiannr.html

We don’t think we’ll ever stop crying. Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist masterpiece stars Carlo Battisti (a professor whom De Sica saw one day and thought would be perfect for the lead role; it would be Battisti’s only film) as Umberto Domenico Ferrari, an elderly former bureaucrat who is too proud to sacrifice his dignity in order to pay his mean-spirited landlady (Lina Gennari), who rents out his room by the hour while he’s out walking his beloved dog, Flag, and trying to find some way to get money and food. Umberto D. is befriended by the boardinghouse maid (Maria Pia Casilio), who is pregnant with the child of one of two servicemen, neither of whom wants to have anything to do with her. As Umberto D.’s options start running out, he considers desperate measures to free himself from his loneliness and poverty. His relationship with Flag is one of the most moving in cinema history. Don’t miss this remarkable achievement, which was lovingly restored a few years ago by eighty-six-year-old lighting specialist Vincenzo Verzini, known as Little Giotto. The film is part of Lincoln Center’s “Life Lessons: Italian Neorealism and the Birth of Modern Cinema,” which continues through November 25 with such films as Michdelangelo Antonioni’s IL GRIDO, Luchino Visconti’s LA TERRA TREMA: EPISODIO DEL MARE, and Francesco Rosi’s SALVATORE GIULIANO. The November 21 screening of UMBERTO D is part of “A Feast of Food and Film,” a special one-day event that also includes admission to Federico Fellini’s I VITELLONI, Roberto Rosselini’s VIAGGIO IN ITALIA, Luigi Comencini’s PANE, AMORE E FANTASIA, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ACCATTONE, a tasting of Lamberti Prosecco and Rose Spumante, Italian delicacies from Sora Lella, all for $30

SPLICE: PANIC JOURNALS
Dance New Amsterdam
280 Broadway at Chambers St. (second floor)
Tickets: $12-$17
212-625-8369
www.dnadance.com
www.falldowntown.com

Thursday, November 19
through
Sunday, November 22 Ishmael Houston-Jones and Dan Safer/ Witness Relocation team up for a night of raucous performance art

GOTHAM GIRLS ROLLER DERBY
Hunter College Sportplex
Lexington Ave. at 68th St.
Tickets:
888-830-2253
www.gothamgirlsrollerderby.com

Thursday, November 19 Although the GGRD championship bout on Saturday, November 21, between the Bronx Gridlock and the Manhattan Mayhem is currently sold out, a small batch of tickets will be released on November 19 at 8:30 am

QUARTETT

Robert Wilson reinterprets LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES with Isabelle Huppert at BAM (photo by Pascal Victor)

Robert Wilson reinterprets LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at BAM (photo by Pascal Victor)

BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton Street between Ashland Pl. & Rockwell Pl.
November 4-14
Tickets: $25-$75
718-636-4100
www.bam.org

Leave it to the endlessly innovative Robert Wilson to reinterpret Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s classic story of seduction, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES, in yet new ways. The 1782 novel has been turned into movies, operas, a television miniseries, a ballet, and a Broadway play, but avant-garde stylist Wilson has turned things inside out and upside down – literally – in his unique, thrilling, and annoying staging of German playwright Heiner Müller’s condensed 1980 adaptation of de Laclos’s tale, running at the BAM Harvey Theater through November 14. (Gabriella Maione’s version of QUARTETT was performed at the Harvey back in 2001.) An oddly coiffed Isabelle Huppert, in a stylized, futuristic purple dress, stars as Madame de Merteuil, her dirty blonde hair wound into a large cone pointing off to the right; Ariel Garcia Valdès plays Valmont, made up in red to look like Mephistopheles. As the two protagonists discuss their sexual conquests and challenge each other to yet more – and switch roles, with Huppert speaking Valmont’s words and Valdès reciting the marquise’s – they are joined onstage by Rachel Eberhart in a short green dress (purposefully braless so she can bound around demurely) and a shirtless Louis Beyler, who act out sexual deviance and frustration, seemingly representing the younger marquise and Valmont as well as their various lovers. Benoît Maréchal rounds out the cast as a gangly, goofy old man in white whom Wilson has said is a stand-in for Müller himself. Only Valdès and Huppert speak; the other three actors frolic about the stage, hang suspended from above, and dance behind a partial curtain.

Ariel Garcia Valdès and Isabelle Huppert grab hold of one another in Robert Wilson's QUARTETT (photo by Pascal Victor)

While Valdès devilishly overacts, Huppert is coldly mannered, her every movement carefully choreographed to a tee (as opposed to her previous appearance at BAM, when she stood stock-still throughout a harrowing version of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 PSYCHOSE). All of the characters occasionally break out into horrific laughter (which is actually piped in from offstage), with Huppert also sticking her tongue out to yet more strange sounds. Unfortunately, far too many of the actions are accompanied by a disturbing, alarming bang that perhaps is there to ensure those who aren’t quite getting it remain awake. The entertaining score is by Michael Galasso, who passed away in September. At ninety minutes, QUARTETT is almost shockingly short, which will delight less adventurous theatergoers. Wilson, who conceived and directed the production for the Odéon-théâtre de l’Europe and also designed the sets and lighting, has crafted yet another confounding visual spectacle, transforming the age-old story of wealthy socialites playing sexual games into a compelling, intriguing, and infuriating experience.

SCHOOL OF FEAR

Author Gitty Daneshvari will be discussing her phobias and more in Centereach

SCHOOL OF FEAR (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 2009, $15.99)
Best Bargain Books
217 Centereach Mall
Admission: free
631-737-7777
www.bestbargainbooks.com
www.hachettebookgroup.com
Author Gitty Daneshvari considers herself an alumnus of the School of Fear. Born in Los Angeles and currently living in New York City, Daneshvari is a third-generation phobic who has written the charming middle-grade novel SCHOOL OF FEAR. Run by a crazy old beauty pageant veteran named Mrs. Wellington, the supremely secretive School of Fear has a new class for the summer: Garrison Feldman, a star athlete who is afraid of water; Madeleine Masterson, who travels everywhere with insect repellent to keep bugs, spiders, and other creepy crawlies out of her hair; Theodore Bartholomew, who is terrified that something bad might happen to a member of his family so he has to check in with them constantly; and Lulu Punchalower, who is deeply claustrophobic. But when classes begin, the last thing on the agenda seems to be the students’ individual fears as wackiness ensues. Daneshvari, who has also written the adult novel THE MAKEDOWN, tells the very funny, insightful story with a cinematic edge that is enhanced by black-and-white illustrations by Carrie Gifford. (The playful book design is by FOT – friend of twi-ny – David Caplan.) Each chapter begins with the definition of yet another phobia, including nomatophobia, mnemophobia, geliophobia, didaskaleinophobia, logizomechanophobia, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, and phobophobia, so readers will have fun identifiying their own fears. Daneshvari herself doesn’t hold anything back when discussing her personal phobias; at a recent panel at Books of Wonder, she openly talked about her own fears and encouraged others to do the same. So don’t be afraid to bring your fears to the Centereach Mall on November 10 at 7:00, when Daneshvari will be reading from and signing copies of SCHOOL OF FEAR and sharing some very cool details about her life.

weekly listings nov. 4-11

Taiwanese company will present feast at the Joyce

THE HAN TANG YUEFU MUSIC AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St.
Tickets: $10-$49
212-645-2904
www.joyce.org

Tuesday, November 3
through
Sunday, November 8 Taiwan-based company brings the ancient painting “The Feast of Han Xizai” to life in an evening-length program featuring costumes and set design by Oscar winner Tim Yip

Disco beats should dominate as Hercules and Love Affair spin at the W

SYMMETRY: A DJ SERIES
Oasis Living Room, W New York
541 Lexington Ave. at 49th St.
Admission: free
www.starwoodhotels.com/whotel
www.myspace.com/herculesandloveaffair

Wednesday, November 4 Disco throwbacks Hercules and Love Affair will be sharing their lush, longing sounds spinning tunes at the W’s new DJ series, with such special cocktails as the Backspin Manhattan, Dub a Pear, Pomegranate Wow, and Move It to Mojito, 8:00 – 11:00 pm

THE RED BOOK DIALOGUES
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Tickets: $15-$25
212-620-5000 ext 344
www.rmanyc.org
Analysts delve into Carl Jung’s RED BOOK in a series of fascinating discussions featuring Charlie Kaufman, Alice Walker, David Byrne, Kathleen Chalfant, Marina Abramovicz, Cornel West, Billy Corgan, and many more.

Thursday, November 5 Documentarian Albert Maysles and Jungian analystl Laurie Layton Schapira, $25, 7:00

Award-winning Thai film tells story of an unexpected love

TROPICAL MALADY (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2004)
92Y Tribeca
200 Hudson St. at Canal St.
Thursday, November 5, $12, 7:30
212-415-5500
www.92ytribeca.org/film
www.kickthemachine.com/works/tropical_malady.html
Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul won the Jury Prize at Cannes for this beautiful, mystical work that will thoroughly engage you — if you allow it to. Part tender love story between a country boy (Banlop Lomnoi) and a soldier (Dakda Kaewbuadee), part folktale set in the deep forests of Thailand, TROPICAL MALADY is a like a visual poem in which details are not as important as the overall effect, which is intoxicating. The unorthodox film features ghosts, a shape-shifter, unusual characters, and a playful sense of humor that come together to form a subtle meditation on life and love.

MOVING IMAGE MASTERPIECES: TOKYO STORY (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)
Queens Theatre in the Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York State Pavilion
Tickets: $10
718-760-0064
www.queenstheatre.org

Thursday, November 5 Special screening of Yasujiro Ozu classic, 7:30

Pink Eye lets it all hang out at Fucked Up show in Brooklyn this past summer (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

FUCKED UP
Thursday, November 5, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Clermont Ave. at Lafayette Ave., $18, 7:00
Friday, November 6, Market Hotel, 1142 Myrtle Ave. at Broadway, $18, 7:00
www.myspace.com/epicsinminutes
www.myspace.com/markethotelnyc
www.masonicboom.com
On November 5, Fucked Up will be performing THE CHEMISTRY OF COMMON LIFE, with Andrew W.K. on keyboards and the Vivian Girls on backup vocals; also on the bill are Titus Andronicus, the Girls at Dawn, and Katie Stelmanis. The next night members of Fucked Up will appear at Market Hotel as Bitters on a bill with the Vivian Girls, Grass Widow, and Stupid Party.

THE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR FOR PRINTS & EDITIONS
The Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Ave. at 67th St.
Admission: $20
212-674-6095
www.printfair.com

Thursday, November 5
through
Sunday, November 8 Annual print fair features etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, innovative contemporary projects, curator-led tours, a panel discussion on collecting, a treasure hunt, and more

EDITIONS | ARTISTS’ BOOKS
X Initiative
548 West 22nd St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Admission: free
www.eabfair.com

Thursday, November 5 VIP preview benefiting the Annual Exhibition Fund of P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, with a special DJ set by Sahra Motalebi and live music by AJ Slim, $50, 6:00 – 9:00

Friday, November 6
through
Sunday, November 8 Fair open to the general public, with special events featuring Mike Bidlo, Alison Knowles & Alan Bowman, Geoffrey Hendricks, Nancy Hwang & Elaine Tin Nyo, Sal Randolph, Tom Otterness, Larry Miller, and others, site-specific installations by Yoko Onno and Robert Wyatt, and Occurrences curated by Robin Kahn and Kirby Gookin

NICER NEWS PRESENTS: GOOD STUFF FUNDRAISER
Sin Sin Leopard Lounge
248 East Fifth St. at Second Ave.
Suggested donation: $5
212-253-2222
www.nicernews.com

Friday, November 6 Nicer News, which delivers “uplifting news and events from all over the world,” what they refer to as “just the good stuff,” is holding a fundraiser for their all-volunteer venture with cheap drinks and live music by the John Powers Band and other guests, 6:00 – 10:00 pm

The Big Man will be discussing his life and career at the Hard Rock

CLARENCE CLEMONS
Hard Rock Cafe
1501 Broadway at 43rd St.
Admission: free
www.hardrock.com/newyork
www.bigmanthebook.com

Friday, November 6 Saxophonist Clarence “Big Man” Clemons celebrates the release of his memoir, BIG MAN: REAL LIFE & TALL TALES (Grand Central, October 2009, $26.99), with a reading, signing, and audience Q&A, with special celebrity guests, 8:00
CAGE A SWALLOW CAN’T YOU BUT YOU CAN’T SWALLOW A CAGE: A SONNET SEQUENCE FOR RONI HORN
Whitney Museum of America Art
745 Madison Ave. at 74th St.
Free with museum admission (pay-what-you-wish)
www.whitney.org

Friday, November 6 Whitney Live special presentation in honor of Roni Horn exhibition, composed by Anne Carson and featuring Carson, Olof Arnalds and Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Ros, and poets R. Currie and Penelope Thomas, 8:00

Women have something to say in angry punk show

MONGREL BITCH
Otto’s Shrunken Head
538 East 14th St.
212-228-2240
www.ottosshrunkenhead.com

Friday, November 6 Futurex, 9:00; Ff, 10:00; a Bunch of Girls, 11:00; and Mongrel Bitch, 12 midnight

COOK. EAT. DRINK. LIVE. 24.7.365
The Tunnel and La.Venue
608 West 28th St.
Tickets: $65-$99
www.cookeatdrinklive.com

Friday, November 6
through
Sunday, November 8 Three days of gourmet food and wine and spirits, with tastings, lectures, demonstrations, classes, book signings, and more, featuring such guests as

LUC TUYMANS
The Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway at 12th St.
Admission: free
www.strandbooks.com

Saturday, November 7 Artist Luc Tuymans will be signing copies of his new eponymously titled book (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art/ Wexner Center for the Arts/D.A.P., 10/31/09, $60), 2:00

THE ALL CITY BLACK BOOK SHOW
NYC Arts Cypher
12 Broad St., Staten Island
Admission: $10
www.nycartscypher.com

Saturday, November 7 Special event celebrating the release of GRAFFITI NEW YORK, featuring subway and street legends from all five boroughs, including COPE 2, SPAR ONE, MENIC, BRAZE, STRIDER, SNOOZE, and many more, with two floors of music and graff hosted by ON 2, DJ Fresh Style Rockers, and a live performance by the Bandulos, 6:00

Soup will be celebrating its tenth anniversary at Piano's

TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF A TOUR OF TWO CITIES
Piano’s
158 Ludlow St.
Tickets: $12-$15
212-505-3733
www.pianosnyc.com
www.facebook.com/soup.atl

Saturday, November 7 Soup celebrates the tenth anniversary of the release of its live album with special reunion shows in Atlanta and New York City, on a bill with Leisure McCorkle, Emily Long, and the Swimmers, 8:00

City Winery hosts unique kind of tasting this week

SPIT & TWIT: TASTING THE FUTURE
City Winery
155 Varick St. at Vandam St.
Tickets: $35
212-608-0555
http://www.citywinery.com/events/38944

Sunday, November 8 Ticket holders will participate in tasting of some one hundred wines from thirty-five wineries from around the world, then immediately tweet their opinions in what is being billed as the “first ever online fully interactive wine tasting,” with plasma screens at City Winery picking up all the twittering, 2:00 – 6:00

EDOKKO: GROWING UP A FOREIGNER IN WARTIME JAPAN
Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Rd. at Vernon Blvd.
Second Sunday of every month
Free with museum admission of $10
Weekend shuttle service: $10 round trip
718-204-7088
www.noguchi.org

Sunday, November 8 Longtime Isamu Noguchi friend Isaac Shaprio, who was born in Japan and raised there and in China, reads from his forthcoming memoirs in the monthly Noguchi Museum Second Sundays series, 3:00

Special event will help children in trouble

A WAY FROM NO WAY: ISRAELI ARTISTS AND COLLECTORS FOR ELEM
Opera Gallery
115 Spring St.
Sunday, November 8, $35-$120 (tax-deductible), 6:30-10:00
www.elem.org
A group of Israeli artists and collectors will come together to help support the King’s Road mentoring program of ELEM, an organization that helps Israeli youth in distress in Israel. The evening begins at 6:30 for VIPs with an art tour, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a silent and public auction at 7:30 for all ticket holders. Among the participating artists are Ron Agam, Aliza Olmert, Moshe Kupferman, Dror Daum, Karen Gillerman, and Michal Cole, among many others. In addition, works by children helped by ELEM – including a special guest, sixteen-year-old Ilan, who has turned his life around with the help of the organization – will also be up for bidding. The auction will be run by Sotheby’s president Jennifer Roth.

EYE TO EYE: ARTIST-LED TOURS OF KANDINSKY
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th St.
Tickets: $25
212-423-3500
www.guggenheim.org

Monday, November 9 Multidisciplinary artist R. Luke DuBois leads a tour of the Kandinsky exhibit, focusing on the correspondence between Vasily Kandinsky and composers Arnold Schoenberg and Alexander Scriabin, followed by a reception, 6:30

DIRTY: ONE WORD CAN CHANGE THE WORLD (Raison Allah, 2009)
National Black Theatre
2031 Fifth Ave. between 125th & 126th Sts.
Tickets: $15-$20
212-722-3800
www.imagenation.us
www.nationalblacktheatre.org

Tuesday, November 10 Special premiere of new documentary about Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu Tang Clan, preceded by a live performance by Brooklyn Zu and followed by a panel discussion with director Raison Allah, Terrie Williams, Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, Brooklyn Zu, and members of the Wu Tang Clan, 7:00

WALTER DEAN MYERS
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West at 77th St.
Free with museum admission of $7-$12
212-873-3400
www.nyhistory.org

Wednesday, November 11 Award-winning author reads from, discusses, and signs copies of RIOT, which examines the 1863 New York Civil War draft riots, held in conjunction with the museum’s “Lincoln and New York” exhibition, 10:30 am

Justin Townes Earle will be singing about movies and more at Webster Hall (photo by Joshua Black Wilkins)

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $25
www.websterhall.com
www.myspace.com/justintownesearle

Wednesday, November 11 Justin Townes Earle plays on a bill with Dan Auerbach and Jessica Lea Mayfield, 7:00

PERFORMA 09

Fischerspooner will kick off Performa 09 at MoMA on Nov. 1

Multiple venues
November 1-22
Admission: free – $30
www.performa-arts.org
The third biennial Performa festival gets under way on November 1, kicking off three weeks of eclectic performance and installation art sponsored by Performa, a nonprofit interdisciplinary arts organization founded by RoseLee Goldberg that celebrates cutting-edge visual art and education. Although we’re suckers for multimedia performance art and site-specific sound and video installations, it can also be hit or miss, with concept often winning out over execution. But we’re here to narrow down the myriad choices for you; below are ten of our recommendations, in chronological order, to help you sift through the more than 150 artists participating in some 110 events at 80-plus institutions.

Lilibeth Cuence Rasmussen will look at the present and future at the Performance Project

Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen will look at the present and future at the Performance Project

Other highlights include Arto Lindsay’s “Somewhere I Read” at Duffy Square on November 1, Tracey Emin reading from “Those Who Suffer Love” and “Strangeland” at the Performance Project at University Settlement on November 7, Kalup Linzy at Taxter & Spengemann on November 8, Omer Fast’s reinvention of the game Broken Telephone at Abrons Art Center November 11-13, Mai Ueda’s “Family Dinner in a Parallel Universe” neo-fluxus event at the Emily Harvey Foundation on November 14, Yeondoo Jung’s “Cinemagician” theater piece at the Asia Society November 19-21, Marina Rosenfeld’s “P.A.” audio installation at the Park Avenue Armory on November 22, and Guy Ben-Ner’s live untitled film being screened nightly at 7:00 at Performa Hub at 41 Cooper Square throughout the festival.

Many of the events are free, with other ticket prices ranging from $10 to $30. There’s a whole bunch of awesome events, so do your best to try to check out at least one of these ultracool happenings.

Sunday, November 1 Fischerspooner, “Inbetween Worlds,” the Museum of Modern Art, $20, 6:00

Tacita Dean collaborates with Merce Cunningham shortly before the great choreographer's death

Thursday, November 5
through
Saturday, November 7 Tacita Dean, Craneway Event, feature-length film documenting Merce Cunningham dance rehearsals in an abandoned automobile factory, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery, $10

Friday, November 6 Jonas Mekas and Now We Are Here, live musical performance with lead singer Jonas Mekas and special guests, Emily Harvey Foundation, free, 9:00

Friday, November 6
and
Saturday, November 7 Auf den Tisch! (At the Table!), curated by Meg Stuart, featuring a revolving cast of artists and thinkers improvising at a large conference room table, including Trajal Harrell, Keith Hennessy, Yvonne Meier, Vania Rovisco, Meg Stuart, and others, Baryshnikov Arts Center, $20, 7:30

Saturday, November 7 First Saturdays: Rock Out, with “Twirl” by Jen DeNike, 6:00, and “Saaqiou” by Terence Koh, 9:30, Brooklyn Museum, free

Brilliant South African multimedia artist William Kentridge will discuss his latest work-in-progress at festival

Monday, November 9
and
Tuesday, November 10 William Kentridge, “I Am Not Me, the Horse Is Not Mine,” multimedia presentation about Kentridge’s work-in-progress, inspired by Shostakovich’s THE NOSE, Cedar Lake, $30, 8:00

Maria Hassabi follows up last month's "Solo" show with "SoloShow"

Thursday, November 12
and
Friday, November 13 Maria Hassabi, “SoloShow,” P.S. 122, $20

Friday, November 13 Guido Van Der Werve, “Nummer Elf: The King’s Gambit Accepted, the Number of Stars in the Sky & Waiting for an Earthquake,” Marshall Chess Club, $10, 7:00 & 9:00

Friday, November 13
through
Sunday, November 15 Wangechi Mutu, “Stone Ihiga,” multimedia performance and site-specific installation with music by Imani Uzuri, Saatchi & Saatchi, $15, 9:00

Deborah Hay and Yvonne Rainer collaborate for Performa 09

Tuesday, November 17
through
Thursday, November 19 Deborah Hay and Yvonne Rainer, “If I Sing to You / Spiraling Down,” Baryshnikov Arts Center, $25, 7:30

RADIO PLAY

Sue de Beer and Andy Comer collaborate on ghostly mystery at the Kitchen

The Kitchen
512 West 19th St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
October 29-30, 8:00
Tickets: $10
212-255-5793
www.thekitchen.org
Video installation artist Sue de Beer and musician Andy Comer, formerly of such bands as the Prosaics and Tel Aviv, have collaborated on a multimedia adaptation of German writer Friedrich Schiller’s “The Ghost-Seer; or, Apparitionist, an Interesting Fragment, Found among the Papers of Count O*****,” a ghost story about a Venetian prince who “avoided all kinds of diversions, and though he was but thirty-five years old he had resisted the numerous attractions of this voluptuous city. To the charms of the fair sex he was wholly indifferent. A fettled gravity and a profound melancholy were the prominent features of his character.” De Beer, whose work includes PERMANENT REVOLUTION, THE QUICKENING, THE DARK HEARTS, and HANS AND GRETE, creates immersive environments through avant-garde video and sets; for example, her 2005 piece BLACK SUN consisted of a multichannel video shown in a homey screening room, with two comfy beanbag chairs and pictures and cutouts of cats, trees, and horses both inside and outside the space. For RADIO PLAY, de Beer has created the set and written the new text, which she will perform live onstage, accompanied by Comer’s original music, which to us sounds like a great way to kick off the Halloween weekend.