this week in music

WINTER 2018 PERFORMANCE FESTIVALS

The Hendrix Project kicks out the jams at the BRIC House as part of the Public Theater’s Under the Radar festival (photo by Nicolas Savignano)

Once upon a time, January was considered a relative artistic wasteland, as people suffered from a post-holidays letdown with a dearth of high-quality movies and Broadway shows opening up. But this century continues to fill that void with more and more cutting-edge, experimental, and offbeat music, dance, and theater with a growing list of performance festivals around the city. You can catch cabaret at Pangea, opera at Prototype, dance at American Realness, the 92nd St. Y, and New York Live Arts, jazz at JazzFest, Irish theater at Origin’s 1st, and a little of everything at Under the Radar and COIL, the latter back where it belongs at the renovated PS122. Below are only some of the highlights of this exciting time to try something that might be outside your comfort zone and take a chance on something new and different to kick off your 2018, especially with the majority of tickets going for about twenty-five bucks.

UNDER THE RADAR
Public Theater and other venues
425 Lafayette St. by Astor Pl.
January 4-15
www.publictheater.org

After by Andrew Schneider, performed by Alicia ayo Ohs and Andrew Schneider, with Kedian Keohan and Peter Musante, January 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, Public Theater, Martinson Hall, $25

Parallel Lives: Billie Holiday & Edith Piaf, created and directed by Nona Hendryx, performed by Joey Arias, Tamar Kali, Liza Jesse Peterson, and Etienne Stadwjck, January 5-6, Joe’s Pub, $45

The Gates: An Evening of Stories with Adam Gopnik, January 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, Public Theater, Newman Theater, $25

The Hendrix Project, by Roger Guenveur Smith & CalArts Center for New Performance, performed by Samantha Barrow, Morgan Camper, Hannah Cruz, Jasmine Gatewood, Heaven Gonzalez, Ariyan Kassam, Liam O’Donnell, Dante Rossi, Henita Telo, Max Udell, Ieva Vizgirdaite, and Christopher Wentworth, January 11-14, BRIC House, $25

Pursuit of Happiness, Nature Theater of Oklahoma & EnKnapGroup, NYU Skirball, January 12-14, $25

Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers goes back to the Lavender Scare of the 1950s (photo by Philip Groshong)

PROTOTYPE
Multiple venues
January 7-20
www.prototypefestival.org

Acquanetta, by composer Michael Gordon, librettist Deborah Artman, director Daniel Fish, and conductor Daniela Candillari, with Mikaela Bennett, Amelia Watkins, Eliza Bagg, Timur, and Matt Boehler, Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center, January 9-13, $30-$75

Out of Bounds — Breaking Ice: The Battle of the Carmens, by Alicia Hall Moran, new vocal work for an ice-skating audience, January 11, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, free, 1:40; January 14, location TBD, free, 2:30

Fellow Travelers, by composer Gregory Spears, librettist Greg Pierce, director Kevin Newbury, and conductor George Manahan, with Aaron Blake, Joseph Lattanzi, Devon Guthrie, Vernon Hartman, Marcus DeLoach, Christian Pursell, Paul Scholten, Alexandra Schoeny, and Violetta Lopez, January 12-14, Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, $30-$55

Out of Bounds: The Future Is Open, by Tori Wrånes, newly commissioned site-specific work, Washington Square Park, Northwest Corner, January 18-19, free, 5:30

MIchelle Ellsworth’s The Rehearsal Artist is an intimate experience at American Realness

Michelle Ellsworth’s The Rehearsal Artist promises an intimate experience at American Realness

AMERICAN REALNESS
Abrons Arts Center and other venues
466 Grand St. at Pitt St.
January 9-16
americanrealness.com

The Rehearsal Artist, by Michelle Ellsworth, January 9-11, the Invisible Dog Art Center, $25, 1:15 – 8:45

Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, by Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez, with Nick Hallett and Jennifer Monson, Danspace Project, January 9, 11, 12, 13, $22-$25

#PUNK, by nora chipaumire, Abrons Arts Center Playhouse, January 11-13, $25

I <3 PINA, by Neal Medlyn, Abrons Arts Center Experimental Theater, January 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, $25

This, by Adrienne Truscott, Abrons Arts Center Playhouse, January 14-16, $25

origin irish 1st

ORIGIN’S 1st IRISH FESTIVAL
Multiple venues
January 9-29
www.1stirish.org

Dyin’ for It, by Derek Murphy, with Maria Deasy, Adam Petherbridge, Sarah Street, and Aoife Williamson, the Cell, January 17-28, $30

Guy Walks into a Bar, by Don Creedon, New York Irish Center, January 18, 25, $20-$25, 7:15

ShakesBEER with an Irish Twist, pub crawl, Stone St., January 27, February 3, $49 (includes four drinks), 3:00

Dear Mr. Beckett: Letters from the Publisher, with Billy Carter and Olwen Fouéré, the Irish Consulate, January 29, free with advance RSVP, 1:00

WINTER ALT-FEST
Pangea NYC
178 Second Ave.
January 10-16
www.pangeanyc.com

Salty Brine: How Strange It Is, January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, $20, 7:30

Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer, January 11, 14, $20, 7:00

Sven Ratzke: From Amsterdam to Mars, January 14, $20, 9:00

Tammy Faye Starlite: An Evening of Light, Tammy Faye channels Nico, accompanied by Keith Hartel, January 16, $20, 7:00

WINTER JAZZFEST NYC
Multiple venues
January 10-17
www.winterjazzfest.com

Gilles Peterson hosts British Jazz Showcase, with the Comet Is Coming, Nubya Garcia, Yazz Ahmed, and Oscar Jerome, Le Poisson Rouge, January 10, $20-$25, 7:00

Winter JazzFest Marathon, more than fifty artists at eleven venues, January 12-13, $50-$60 one day, $85-$95 both days

Ravi Coltrane Presents Universal Consciousness: Melodic Meditations of Alice Coltrane, Le Poisson Rouge, January 14, $35-$45, 7:00

A Tribute to Geri Allen, with Angela Davis, Esperanza Spalding, Craig Taborn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Ingrid Jensen, Jack DeJohnette, Jaimeo Brown, Jeff Tain Watts, Kassa Overall, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Maurice Chestnut, Mino Cinelu, Ravi Coltrane, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tia Fuller, Vijay Iyer, and others, benefit for the Geri Allen Estate, the New School Tishman Auditorium, January 15, $35-$100

Deerhoof Meet Wadada Leo Smith and Nicole Mitchell: Maroon Cloud, Le Poisson Rouge, January 17, $25-$35, 8:00

COIL
Performance Space 122
150 First Ave.
January 10 – February 4
www.ps122.org/coil-2018

Body of Work, by Atlanta Eke, PS122, January 10-11, $25

visions of beauty, by Heather Kravas, PS122, January 10-13, $25

Jupiter’s Lifeless Moons, by Dane Terry, PS122, January 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, $25

he his own mythical beast, by David Thomson, PS122, January 31, February 1, 2, 4, $25

Our of Israel returns to the 92nd St. Y for its eighth season

OUT OF ISRAEL: 70 YEARS OF ISRAEL, 70 YEARS OF DANCE / OPEN DOORS: 92Y HARKNESS DANCE CENTER ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE SHOWCASE
92nd St. Y
www.92y.org

Out of Israel: works by choreographers Itzik Galili and Roi Assaf performed by Troy Ogilvie, a solo by Roni Chadash, a new composition by DANAKA collective, and films by Joseph Bach and Shamel Pitts, guest curated by Dana Katz, January 12 at 12 noon and January 13 at 8:00, $10 in advance, $20 at the door

Open Doors: works by choreographers Joanna Kotze, Kensaku Shinohara, Pam Tanowitz, and Larissa Velez-Jackson with Jillian Peña, January 12 at 8:00 and January 13 at 4:00, $25-$29

Jack Ferver will present his work-in-progress Everything Is Imaginable as part of Live Artery at New York Live Arts

LIVE ARTERY
New York Live Arts
219 West 19th St.
January 13-15
newyorklivearts.org

Saturday, January 13, $10 each
Abby Zbikowski, abandoned playground (excerpt), 12 noon; Kimberly Bartosik, I hunger for you (work-in-progress), 2:00; RoseAnne Spradlin, “X,” 3:00; Netta Yerushalmy, Paramodernities (work-in-progress), 5:00; Susan Marshall, Construction (collaboration with So Percussion) and Closed System (work-in-progress), 6:00; Walter Dundervill, Skybox (excerpt), 7:00

Sunday, January 14, $10 each
Joanna Kotze, What will we be like when we get there (work-in-progress), 1:00; Kota Yamazaki, Darkness Odyssey Part 2: I or Hallucination (excerpt), 4:00; Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, The Deep Blue Sea, 5:00; Deborah Hay/Eric Geiger, Jess Humphrey & Leslie Seiters, Pause, 6:00; RoseAnne Spradlin, “X,” 8:00; Jack Ferver, Everything Is Imaginable (work-in-progress), 8:30

Monday, January 15, $10 each
Netta Yerushalmy, Paramodernities (work-in-progress), 11:00 am; Jennifer Nugent & Paul Matteson with Ted Coffey, Visual Proof, 1:00; Jack Ferver, Everything Is Imaginable (work-in-progress); 3:30; Joanna Kotze, What will we be like when we get there (work-in-progress), 5:00; Kimberly Bartosik, I hunger for you (work-in-progress), 6:30

MODERN MATINEES — CONSIDERING JOSEPH COTTEN: TOO MUCH JOHNSON

Joseph Cotten is on the run from a jealous husband in Orson Welles Too Much Johnson

Joseph Cotten is on the run from a jealous husband in Orson Welles’s recently rediscovered and restored Too Much Johnson

TOO MUCH JOHNSON (Orson Welles, 1938)
MoMA Film, Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Wednesday, January 3, 1:30
Thursday, February 15, 1:30
212-708-9400
www.moma.org

In August 2013, a 35mm nitrate workprint containing the raw footage of what was to be Orson Welles’s professional debut as a film director was discovered in a warehouse in Pordenone, Italy, home of an annual silent film festival. Consisting of sixty-six unedited, purposefully silent minutes, the film had been shot to accompany the Mercury Theatre’s streamlined staging of William Gillette’s 1894 farce, Too Much Johnson. Unfortunately, when the theatrical production opened in 1938 in a Connecticut theater, the filmed segments couldn’t be shown, spoiling the show’s chances to eventually make it to Broadway — various reports claim that the footage was not finished in time; the Stony Creek Theater lacked the proper projector; Paramount, which owned the rights to the play, demanded a fee; or it just wasn’t safe to screen the film in the theater. But you can see the raw footage at MoMA on January 3 and February 15 at 1:30, the first screening accompanied by a live score by Ben Model, the second by Makia Matsumara. Restored and preserved by George Eastman House, Too Much Johnson is a wacky, breathless tale of lust, passion, and betrayal, as Leon Dathis (Edgar Barrier) catches his wife (Arlene Francis) cheating on him with the dapper Augustus Billings (Joseph Cotten). Dathis sets out after Billings, chasing him through the streets, around a basket shop, and across the rooftops of Lower Manhattan, predominantly in the Meatpacking District — if you look closely, you can see the elevated railroad tracks that became the High Line. Dathis is joined by residents and storekeepers from the neighborhood and a pair of Keystone Kops (John Houseman and Herbert Drake) as they desperately try to catch the cad. The cast also includes Ruth Ford as Billings’s wife, Mary Wickes as Mrs. Battison, and Howard I. Smith as Cuba plantation owner Joseph Johnson.

The hats come off in rediscovered Welles footage meant to accompany Mercury Theatre stage production

In his cinematic debut, Cotten, who would team up with Welles on The Magnificent Ambersons, Citizen Kane, Journey into Fear, and The Third Man, shows quite an aptitude for slapstick comedy, à la Harold Lloyd, fearlessly portraying Billings, doing all the stunts himself, including several very dangerous ones. Meanwhile, Lenore Faddish (Virginia Nicolson, Welles’s wife at the time) and Harry MacIntosh (Guy Kingsley) are preparing to go to Cuba together (Tomkins Cove along the Hudson doubles for Cuba), which does not make her father (Eustace Wyatt) very happy. Welles and cinematographer Harry Dunham use silent-film tropes, from fast-paced action to overemoting to lush close-ups — and yes, the dastardly villain actually twirls his mustache — as well as what would become Welles’s trademark deep focus; the uncut footage features multiple takes, scenes shot from different angles, funny mistakes made by the cast and crew, clearly fake palm trees, a duel without swords, and long takes that would have likely been edited down later. One of the funniest bits involves Dathis and hats, which leads into a suffragette march. The whole thing is a hoot, but just be prepared and know that it’s not a fully realized, fully chronological story with a beginning, middle, and end. Fans of Welles, silent comedies, and Cotten will go crazy for it. And yes, the title means what you think it does. (You can see a home-movie clip of Welles directing the film here.) Too Much Johnson is screening as part of the MoMA series “Modern Matinees: Considering Joseph Cotten,” which runs January 3 to February 28 and also includes the Welles collaborations in addition to Shadow of a Doubt, Gaslight, Duel in the Sun, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Soylent Green, Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, and other films by the underrated radio, TV, stage, and screen star, who was never nominated for an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, or Tony.

TICKET ALERT: THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN

music of led zeppelin

Who: Jackie Greene, Joseph Arthur, moe., Nicole Atkins, Son Little, Bettye LaVette, Brian Wheat of Tesla, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, J Mascis, Patty Smyth, Living Colour, Bustle in Your Hedgerow (Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger), London Souls, O.A.R., Richie Sambora & Orianthi, the Zombies, Tony Shanahan, Sarah Tomek, and more to be announced
What: Fundraising tribute to Led Zeppelin
Where: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, 57th St. & Seventh Ave., 212-247-7800
When: Wednesday, March 7, $48-$175 (VIP packages $325-$10,000), 8:00
Why: Since 2006, City Winery has been staging “Music of” benefit tribute shows to legendary performers at Carnegie Hall, from David Bowie, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen to Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Webb, and the Who. This year City Winery owner Michael Dorf gets the led out with a evening honoring Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and the late John Bonham, whose nine British blues-rock albums as Led Zeppelin over the course of thirteen years and groundbreaking live shows changed the face of popular music. On March 7, more than two dozen musicians will gather in the Stern Auditorium to play big hits and deep cuts by the fantastic foursome; the updated roster features Jackie Greene, Joseph Arthur, moe., Nicole Atkins, Son Little, Bettye LaVette, Brian Wheat of Tesla, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, Bustle in Your Hedgerow (Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger), J Mascis, Living Colour, London Souls, O.A.R., Richie Sambora & Orianthi, and the Zombies, with a house band fronted by Tony Shanahan and Sarah Tomek. Various VIP packages, with such names as “Dazed & Confused,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Stairway to Heaven,” come with a five-course dinner with participating artists, soundcheck access, preview performances, and other perks; for ten grand you can join in onstage for the grand finale. (Keep watching this space for information about the live rehearsal show on March 6 and afterparty on March 7.) All proceeds will benefit Midori & Friends, the Center for Arts Education, Little Kids Rock, Grammy in the Schools, Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools, the Orchestra Now, the D’Addario Foundation, Sonic Arts for All, and the Church Street School for Music & Art.

THE SORCERESS (DI KISHEFMAKHERIN)

the sorceress

Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Pl.
December 25 – January 1, $25
866-811-4111
nytf.org
mjhnyc.org

Two years ago, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene resurrected Joseph Rumshinsky’s long-lost Yiddish musical,
The Golden Bride, to well-deserved, widespread critical and popular acclaim. The company is now kicking off its Global Yiddish Theatre Restoration Project with a special work-in-progress presentation of the long-lost operetta The Sorceress (“Di Kishefmakherin”). The show, based on a Jewish and Romanian superstition about witches, was written in 1878 by playwright, songwriter, and poet Abraham Goldfaden, considered the father of modern Yiddish theater; in 1882, it became the first Yiddish Theatre production in America, and was directed by fourteen-year-old Boris Thomashefsky. From Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, there will be five lightly staged performances in Yiddish, with English and Russian supertitles, at NYTF’s home in Edmond J. Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The scenic design is by Dara Wishingrad, with costumes by Izzy Fields, lighting by Zachary Heffner, sound by Howard Fredrics, and scripts in hand, featuring Michael Yashinsky as Bobe Yakhne, Stephanie Lynne Mason as Mirele, Pat Constant as Markus, Steve Sterner as Hotsmakh, Rachel Botchan as Basye, and a ten-piece orchestra. The meticulously restored piece incorporates partial arrangements that were discovered at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, rescued by the Paper Brigade; through January 23, YIVO is hosting the exhibition “The Paper Brigade: Smuggling Rare Books and Documents in Nazi-Occuped Vilna.” The developmental production of The Sorceress is directed by Motl Didner, with music direction by Zalmen Mlotek and musical staging by Merete Muenter. The Christmas Day show is already sold out, so hurry if you don’t want to miss this Yiddish treasure.

HOLIDAY MUSIC AND COMEDY 2017

It’s not Christmas in New York until Darlene Love comes to town

Hanukkah is under way and Christmas is right around the corner, so the city is filled with holiday-themed comedy shows and concerts. They range from classical performances at the Met and Carnegie Hall to hip-hop, soul, and rock extravaganzas at smaller clubs to Jewish takes on the season. Below is a sampling of some of the cooler events; keep watching this space for more additions.

Thursday, December 14
Ingrid Michaelson’s Eleventh Annual Holiday Hop, with Ingrid Michaelson and a Great Big World, Terminal 5, $40, 8:00

The Fire & Ice Hanukkah Celebration!, with fire dancers, fire breathers, poi juggling, live musical performances, Israeli music with DJ Adidor, glow in the dark madness, Hanukkah video art installations, Hanukkah drink specials, chocolate dessert bar, sufganiyot, and more, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $40, 8:00

Thursday, December 14
through
Saturday, December 16
The 38th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration, with the Paul Winter Consort and Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave., $40-$150

Thursday, December 14
through
Tuesday, December 19
The Eight Nights of Hanukkah with Yo La Tengo, with Yo La Tengo and special guests, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St., $40, 8:30

Friday, December 15
Christmas with Aaron Neville, B. B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St., 212-997-4144, $69.50-$75, 8:00

An Acoustic Christmas w/ Over the Rhine, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $29.50-$55, 8:00

Sunday, December 17
Natasha’s Christmas Spirit Brunch Show, with Matt Koplik, Danny Caraballo, Brian Klimowski, Hallie Brevetti, Sophie Bell, Abby Goldfarb, and Alexandria Grace Williams, hosted by Natasha Edwards, benefiting the HAVE Foundation (Honduras Agalta Valley Education), Stand Up NY, 236 West 78th St., $20, 2:00

Unsilent Night, participatory boombox concert with Phil Kline, Washington Square Park, free, 6:00

Monday, December 18
Oratorio Society of New York: HANDEL Messiah, conducted by Kent Tritle, Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, $28-$100, 8:00

Wednesday, December 20
Holidelic feat. Everett Bradley, with special guest Dr. Elmo, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $30-$60, 8:00

SING! An Irish Christmas with Keith & Kristyn Getty and Friends, Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, $15-$130, 8:00

New York Baroque Incorporated: Baroque Holiday Music and Dance, led by Robert Mealy, with dancers Caroline Copeland and Carlos Fittante, featuring suites by Rameau, Lully, Purcell, and Handel, the Met Fifth Avenue, 1000 Fifth Ave., $65 (includes same-day museum admission), 7:00

Ronnie Spector will celebrate the best Christmas ever at City Winery

Ronnie Spector will celebrate the annual best Christmas ever at City Winery

Wednesday, December 20
and
Thursday, December 21
Ronnie Spector’s Best Christmas Party Ever! with Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes, City Winery, 155 Varick St., 212-608-0555, $35-$75, 8:00

Thursday, December 21
through
Saturday, December 23
A Darlene Love Christmas: Love for the Holidays, B. B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St., 212-997-4144, $45, 8:00

cirque saturdays

Friday, December 22
Raheem DeVaughn & Friends Annual Holiday Concert 2017, feat. Doug E Fresh, Lil Mo, Ro James, Beanie Sigel, MC Lyte, Raheem DeVaughn, and the CrossRhodes, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $35-$69.50, 8:00

Saturday, December 23
Rhett Miller’s Fifth Annual Holiday Extravaganza feat. Jen Kirkman, Janeane Garofalo, and other special guests, City Winery, 155 Varick St., 212-608-0555, $25-$35, 8:00

Cirque Saturdays Presents: The Naughty List — A Christmas Spectacular, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $20, 11:00

Yo B, It’s Xmas feat. Nyck Caution, Lauriana Mae, with Michael Medium, LiveLikeDavis, DJ Shawn G, and DJ Surge, Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St., $12, 11:59 pm

Sunday, December 24
A Very Jewish Christmas, with Brad Trackman, Ophira Eisenberg, Jared Freid, Jon Fisch and others, Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd St., 212-367-9000, $25, 7:00 & 9:00

The Jew(ish) Show, with Jared Freid, Marion Grodin, Myq Kaplan, and Talia Reese, Stand Up NY, 236 West 78th St., $20, 8:00

City Winery & Joel Chasnoff Present: Christmas Eve for the Jews, with Jessica Kirson, Phil Hanley, and more, City Winery, 155 Varick St., 212-608-0555, $25-$60, 8:00

Monday, December 25
Oy Vey Festival w/ Soulfarm, featuring Kosha Dillz, Zalman Krause, Meir Kay, and Chillent, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., 212-414-5994, $20-$49.99, 8:00

FIRST SATURDAY: FROM ANCIENT EGYPT TO THE AFROFUTURE

(photo by Gavin Ashworth / Brooklyn Museum)

“Ibis Mummy,” animal remains, linen, from the Ibis cemetery at Abydos, Egypt; excavated by the Egypt Exploration Fund. Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 410–200 BCE (photo by Gavin Ashworth / Brooklyn Museum)

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, December 2, free, 5:00 – 11:00
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

The Brooklyn Museum honors World AIDS Day and looks at what’s to come in the African diaspora in its monthly free First Saturday program in December with “From Ancient Egypt to the Afrofuture.” There will be live music by Daví, Everyday People featuring DJ mOma and Jade de LaFleur, and Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, performing a Sun Ra tribute; a curator tour of “Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt” with Edward Bleiberg; an artist talk and tour of “Ahmed Mater: Mecca Journeys” with Ahmed Mater and Catherine Morris; a hands-on art workshop in which participants will create headdresses inspired by the museum’s ancient Egyptian collection; the scholar talk “Everything in the Future Is Black” with Makeba Lavan exploring the work of Wangechi Mutu, Octavia Butler, George Clinton, Janelle Monae, Erykah Badu, and others; teen pop-up gallery talks on Ancient Egyptian art; screenings of Terence Nance’s short films They Charge for the Sun, Swimming in Your Skin Again, and Univitellin, followed by a talkback with Nance; “Alternate Endings, Radical Beginnings” short films by Mykki Blanco, Cheryl Dunye and Ellen Spiro, Reina Gossett, Thomas Allen Harris, Kia Labeija, Tiona Nekkia McClodden, and Brontez Purnell, curated by Erin Christovale and Vivian Crockett and commissioned for Visual AIDS’ annual Day With(out) Art in honor of World AIDS Day; and a feminist book club discussing Angela Y. Davis’s “Working Women, Black Women, and the History of the Suffrage Movement,” hosted by Glory Edim of Well-Read Black Girl in conjunction with “Roots of ‘The Dinner Party’: History in the Making.” In addition, the galleries will be open late so you can check out “Roots of ‘The Dinner Party,’” “Soulful Creatures,” “Rodin at the Brooklyn Museum: The Body in Bronze,” “Proof: Francisco Goya, Sergei Eisenstein, Robert Longo,” “Arts of Asia and the Middle East,” “Infinite Blue,” “A Woman’s Afterlife: Gender Transformation in Ancient Egypt,” and more.

RED ROSES, GREEN GOLD

Red Roses, Green Gold features fun interpretations of Grateful Dead songs (photo by Chad Batka)

Minetta Lane Theatre
18 Minetta Lane between MacDougal St. & Sixth Ave.
Tuesday – Sunday through January 7, $57-$124
redrosesgreengold.com
minettalanenyc.com

Deadheads are in for a musical treat with Red Roses, Green Gold, a reworking of Michael Norman Mann’s 1998 show, Cumberland Blues. The songs, primarily by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia from the classic Grateful Dead period of the early 1970s, are performed with care and flair by a fun troupe and arranged by Furthur and Dead & Co. veteran guitarist Jeff Chimenti. However, there’s no one at the wheel driving the train wreck of a story, no matter how tongue in cheek it might think it is. Running at the Minetta Lane Theatre through January 7, the musical is set in the 1920s at the Palace Saloon and Mining Company, a tumbledown spot won long ago in a card game by Jackson Jones (Scott Wakefield), who has failed to keep up with the bills and is now facing eviction. Evil drummer Jessup McElroy (Michael McCoy Reilly) and his dimwitted brother, Dudley (bassist and pianist Brian Russell Carey), want the Palace back, but Jackson is not about to let them take it away from him, although he has no legitimate master plan. Offering their support are Jackson’s girlfriend, Glendine (pianist and bassist Maggie Hollinbeck), who is afraid to say, “I love you”; his doomsayer of a daughter, Melinda (Natalie Storrs); Melinda’s childhood friend, Liam Alexander (David Park), now a lawyer; his gadabout son, the hirsute Mick (guitarist Michael Viruet), who seems to have escaped from a road version of Hair; and Bertha Marie (Debbie Christine Tjong), who Mick leaves at the altar. (Yes, there are plenty of inside references to Grateful Dead characters and situations.)

All of the actors sing and dance and/or play instruments well enough to satisfy the GD faithful, encouraging participation; there’s also an area where audience members can get up and boogie down. The silly script is just an excuse to present such songs as “Friend of the Devil,” “Truckin’,” “Ripple,” “Wheel,” and “Deal,” with director and choreographer Rachel Klein (More Than All the World) at her best when she cuts loose with “Bertha” or slows things down with beautiful renditions of “Box of Rain” by Park and Storrs and “Brokedown Palace” by Hollinbeck and Storrs. The wood-laden set by Robert Andrew Kovach is appropriate, featuring occasional projections by Brad Peterson that are often hard to make out. Most of the cast play it too far over the top, beginning with Wakefield’s slick and confident Jackson, who knows more than he’s telling. The script could use significant tightening, including getting the show down to about ninety minutes without a break instead of two hours and ten minutes with intermission and encore. Grateful Dead fans, a group that includes me, are a forgiving lot when it comes to the band meandering during a long, strange solo or riding off the tracks on certain tunes, but the theater crowd is not so merciful. But as Jerry famously sang, “Let there be songs / to fill the air.”