this week in music

BLACK

The Brooklyn Hangar
140 53rd St. at Second Ave. Dr.
Saturday, November 14, $30-$80, 10:00 pm – 6:00 am
black-nyc.com
thebrooklynhangar.com

Tickets are going fast for BLACK, a combined music-and-art experience taking place at the Brooklyn Hangar, a thirteen-thousand-square-foot, two-floor warehouse space that hosts unique events. Run by MATTE Projects, the downtown Manhattan company that also promotes the Full Moon Festival and Kitsuné Club Nights, BLACK will feature music by Gesaffelstein, Jon Hopkins, GENER8ION, Virgil Abloh of FLAT WHITE, and NSR (The Deep) x Haruka. (You can hear a mix of songs from the musicians here.) While music is going on upstairs, the basement will be divided into six interactive rooms designed by six visual artists — Cara Stricker, Jesper Just, Nate Brown, Toki Series, Abloh, and Zach Walker, each in a different color. There will also be DJ sets by Tummetott and MASHA downstairs.

BAM NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL: HAGOROMO

Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto are back together again at BAM in HAGOROMO (photo by Julieta Cervantes)

Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton St.
November 3-8, $52-$110
718-636-4100
www.bam.org

It’s a thrill seeing former New York City Ballet legends Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto perform together for the first time in a decade in Hagoromo; if only it were in a more thrilling production. Conceived and directed by David Michalek, Whelan’s husband, Hagoromo (“The Feathered Robe”) is an adaptation of a traditional Noh drama about an elegant celestial garment that drifts from the heavens to earth, where it is found by a fisherman (Soto). The angel (Whelan) whom it belongs to descends to reclaim the magical robe, but the fisherman demands an angelic dance in return. Sara Brown’s set is a large room with a pale wood floor and walls on two sides at the back and the right; the performers enter and exit from the left. At the front of the stage is an apron of black, suggesting a dark reflecting pool. At the back, a window opens up to reveal a circle of celestial light, while the beautiful silk robe sits regally on a frame at center stage. Above the wall are twenty members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, forming an angelic choir; contralto Katalin Károlyi, who sings the role of the angel, and tenor Peter Tantsits, who sings the fisherman; and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), featuring company artistic director Claire Chase on flute, Rebekah Heller on bassoon, Jennifer K. Curtis on violin, Daniel Lippel on guitar, and Ross Karre on percussion and dulcimer, all conducted by Nicholas DeMaison.

Wendy Whelan stars as an angel trying to reclaim her magical feathered robe at BAM (photo by Julieta Cervantes)

The first part of the ninety-minute show, which takes place in the Palace of the Moon, is lovely, as Whelan, wearing an ashen black-and-white outfit in which her limbs seem to be disappearing (the costumes, which become more colorful, are by Dries Van Noten), makes inventive use of the title robe as she dances at first by herself, then joined by two life-size puppet versions of herself, designed by Chris M. Green and operated by puppeteers dressed in black. It’s utterly breathtaking when the angel and her two masked doppelgangers join at the front of the stage and look down at their reflections. Another segment with animals playing with the robe provides comic relief, but once the magical garment flutters down to earth, Nathan Davis’s chamber music and Brendan Pelsue’s libretto turn far too New Age-y, lacking the ethereal beauty of the first half while also feeling much more like a moralistic tale for children. Károlyi’s singing remains impressive, but Tantsits has trouble connecting with the audience. But that doesn’t stop Whelan and Soto from soldiering on, leading to a series of pas de deux that makes it all worthwhile.

FIRST SATURDAY — CONNECTING CULTURES: A WORLD IN BROOKLYN

Details of four works in the “Connecting Cultures” installation, from top: “Girl in a Japanese Costume,” circa 1890, William Merritt Chase; “Seated Shakyamuni Buddha,” late 19th–early 20th century; “Warrior Figure,” Huastec, 13th or 14th century; “Mask (Ges),” 19th century

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, November 7, free, 5:00 – 11:00
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

The Brooklyn Museum is making its long-term installation, “Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn,” the focus of its November free First Saturday program. There will be live performances by Ilusha Tsinadze, Lafawndah, and OSHUN, an artist talk and performance by calligraphy master Wang Dongling, a calligraphy workshop with Society of Scribes, a movement workshop with Afro Flow Yoga, a music workshop with Afrika Meets India, a book club discussion with Patricia Park about her novel Re Jane, Belladonna* poetry readings by R. Erica Doyle, Kyoo Lee, and Nathanaël Stephens, a curator talk with Kevin Stayton, an interactive reading by Selina Alko of B Is for Brooklyn for kids, pop-up gallery talks, an art workshop inspired by Syrian mosaics, and Brooklyn Film Festival screenings of Girls Gone J-1 (Mikhail Shraga & Alina Smirnova, 2014), Green Card (Pilar Rico & David Whitmer, 2014), and Born into This (Lea Scruggs & Sean Ryon, 2014). In addition, the galleries are open late so you can check out such other exhibitions as “Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World,” “Kara Walker: ‘African Boy Attendant Curio (Bananas),’” “KAWS: ALONG THE WAY,” “Ai Weiwei: LEGO Collection Point,” and “Zanele Muholi: Isibonelo/Evidence.”

COUNTRY BRUNCHIN’: SERENITY

Joss Whedon continues FIREFLY series with feature film that reunites cast for one last adventure

SCI-FIGHTERS: SERENITY (Joss Whedon, 2005)
Nitehawk Cinema
136 Metropolitan Ave. between Berry St. & Wythe Ave.
Saturday, November 7, 11:15 am
718-384-3980
www.nitehawkcinema.com
www.serenitymovie.com

We were huge fans of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so it was with much disappointment that we watched his 2002 TV show, Firefly, come and go so quickly. But the diehard fans, known as Browncoats, wanted more than the Fox network gave them, so Whedon delivered this exciting feature-length film for Universal, reuniting the cast, including Nathan Fillion as Mal, Gina Torres as Zoe, Alan Tudyk as Wash, Morena Baccarin as Inara, Adam Baldwin as Jayne, Jewel Staite as Kaylee, Sean Maher as Simon, Summer Glau as River, and Ron Glass (yes, the guy from Barney Miller) as Shepherd. The bad guy this time around is known simply as the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a cold-blooded killing machine out to destroy River, who has very dangerous special powers that the Alliance wants silenced. Also getting in the crew’s way are the Reavers, vile creatures who prefer to eat their prey alive. While the Browncoats should be thrilled with the film, so should newbies to this world, as Whedon has managed to make Serenity an involving stand-alone space Western that sci-fi fans can enjoy without knowing anything about Firefly. But after you see this thoroughly enjoyable flick, you’re likely to rush to catch up on everything you missed. Serenity is screening November 7 at as part of the Nitehawk Cinema series “Country Brunchin’” and “Sci-Fighters” and will be preceded by a live performance by the Brooklyn country band Tatters & Rags. “Sci-Fighters” continues Fridays and Saturdays in November around midnight with such other fab flicks as Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Alien, Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, and Paul Michael Glaser’s The Running Man.

JOANNA GRUESOME

Joanna Gruesome come to town for a pair of Halloween weekend shows in Brooklyn (photo by Rachel Hodgson)

Who: Joanna Gruesome
What: Pair of Halloween weekend shows
Where: Rough Trade, 64 North Ninth St. between Wythe & Kent Aves., Williamsburg; Shea Stadium, 20 Meadow St. between Bogart & Waterbury Sts., Bushwick
When: Friday, October 30 (Rough Trade), $12, 8:30; Saturday, October 31 (Shea Stadium), $12, 8:30
Why: If Cardiff noise punks Joanna Gruesome look and sound slightly different at two Halloween weekend shows than they do on their sophomore album, the fab ten-track Peanut Butter (Slumberland, May 2015), it isn’t necessarily because they are wearing costumes. This past spring, vocalist Alanna McArdle announced she was leaving the group, which first got together at an anger-management class, for personal reasons. She explained on the band’s Facebook page, “Lately, my mental health problems have become a lot worse and I’ve gone through a pretty shitty time. I’ve realised I need to actually take some time out to focus on some kind of ‘recovery,’ so I won’t be singing in Joanna Gruesome anymore. I hate to sound cheesy but the time I had in jgro was life-changing.” Joining guitarist Owen Williams, bassist Max Warren, guitarist and keyboardist George Nicholls, and drummer David Sandford are vocalists Kate Stonestreet of Pennycress and Roxy Brennan of Two White Cranes. Peanut Butter is slathered in postpunk-pop glory, as screams and shouts, furious guitars and drums give way to sweetly melodic moments at the turn of a dime, as on the propulsive “Last Year,” “Psykick Espionage,” and the aptly titled “I Don’t Wanna Relax.” Joanna Gruesome — yes, their name is a riff on American musician and actress Joanna Newsom — will be playing Rough Trade in Brooklyn on October 30 with Aye Nako and King of Cats, followed on Halloween night with a show at Shea Stadium with Aye Nako and King of Cats again as well as PWR BTTM.

KEEN ON KATE!

Kate Baldwin will perform benefit concert for Keen Company on November 2

Who: Kate Baldwin, with special guests Katie Thompson and Graham Rowat, accompanied by Georgia Stitt, Michael Croiter, and Brian Hamm
What: Benefit performance for Keen Company
Where: The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd St. between Eighth & Ninth Aves.
When: Monday, November 2, $60-$150, 7:00
Why: Tony- and Drama Desk-nominated actress Kate Baldwin, who has starred in such shows as Big Fish and Finian’s Rainbow on Broadway and Giant and John & Jen off Broadway, will be giving a special concert on November 2 benefiting Keen Company, which is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. The show is taking place at the Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row, where Keen is performing Giles Havergal’s adaptation of Graham Greene’s Travels with My Aunt. Baldwin, who has recorded such albums as Let’s See What Happens: Songs of Lane & Harburg and She Loves Him: Kate Baldwin Live at Feinstein’s, is currently starring in Songbird, a Tennessee Fiction, at 59E59. General admission is $60, while $150 tickets come with with premium seating and a Champagne toast with the performers.

STEPHEN PETRONIO: LUMINOUS MISCHIEF

Spoken-word performances will take place under Teresita Fernández’s “Fata Morgana” installation in Madison Square Park on September 17 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Stephen Petronio will be staging free-form, improvised, and participatory music and dance event under Teresita Fernández’s “Fata Morgana” installation in Madison Square Park on October 30 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Who: Stephen Petronio Company
What: “Luminous Mischief” under Teresita Fernández’s “Fata Morgana”
Where: Madison Square Park, 23rd to 26th Sts. between Madison & Fifth Aves.
When: Friday, October 30, free, 6:00
Why: “Let’s cause some mischief,” New York City–based dancer and choreographer Stephen Petronio declares about his one-time-only site-specific piece “Luminous Mischief,” taking place under Teresita Fernández’s “Fata Morgana” installation in Madison Square Park on October 30. The participatory dance and music event will feature nine members of Petronio’s company, along with a brass band led by clarinetist Mike McGinnis, who is inviting horn players to sign up in advance and join in the fun. The dancers and musicians will be interacting with the five-hundred-foot-long sculpture — a series of canopies of mirror-polished discs with small sections cut out of them resembling clouds or leaves — as well as passersby, so anything can happen, as this is a free-form, improvised party. Of course, that is always the case with Petronio, who staged his own New Orleans–style funeral at the Joyce in 2013 and walked down the old Whitney Museum building in homage to Trisha Brown in 2010.