Events
What to Watch in The New Year: Jan 26
Place/Settings: Berkeley By Berkeley Repertory Theatre Ten revered writers, each with deep ties to Berkeley, have all crafted a story around a place or a setting within the City of Berkeley that is significant to them. Place/Settings: Berkeley will debut one story per week starting Tuesday, January 12, 2021 with each episode running approximately 10-15 minutes. Celebrated New Yorker illustrator Tom Toro has created a fold out (physical) map that will be mailed to each ticket buyer.
7am: Crips Without Constraints Part 2 five brand new short plays, celebrating the best talent and creativity of Deaf and disabled artists from across the UK.
The cast includes Harriet Walter, Sharon D. Clarke, Mandy Colleran, Naomi Wirthner, Julie Graham and more to be announced.
The new plays, all duologues, are written by Leanna Benjamin, Rebekah Bowsher, Karen Featherstone, Kellan Frankland, and Jessica Lovett, The pieces will all be directed by upcoming disabled directors Stephen Bailey, Hana Pascal Keegan, Cheryl Martin, Alex Whiteley and Lilac Yosiphon.
2:30pm: Leave a Light On By Lambert Jackson Productions Lauren Drew
4pm: CyberTank Variety Show By The Tank A weekly, remote, multidisciplinary, variety arts gathering open to all where we explore theatricality + themes by you.
The CyberTank Weekly Variety Show is a remote, multidisciplinary variety arts gathering open to everyone. The arts community has been presented with a challenge to re-examine theatricality, and The Tank has reframed this as the gift of an opportunity to grow and choose community over despair. Each weekly installment is centered around a specific question and features guest artists who will perform and facilitate conversation.
6pm: A Collection of Short Plays (African Caribbean Mixfest 2021) By Atlantic Theater Company is bringing back MixFest, its annual free reading series exploring and celebrating the abundance of diverse stories in the theatre.
African Caribbean MixFest will kick off with a group panel discussion. Learn more about the festival writers, their creative process and what inspires their work!
7:15pm: Piano Bar Live! (PBL!) with host Scott Barbarino and guests Michelle Dowdy, Nicolas King, Mardie Millit and Michael Garin, Patrick Pevehouse and Scott Raneri
7:30pm: Rossini’s Le Comte Ory Set during the Crusades in 13th-century Touraine, Rossini’s French farce chronicles a caddish count who, along with the rest of his footmen, disguises himself as a nun in order to hide in a convent and snag his love interest, a virtuous countess named Adèle. Hilarity ensues, as do several of the composer’s most piquant and cleverly orchestrated musical moments—including an intoxicating gender-bending trio featuring a man dressed as a woman, a woman dressed as a man, and a noblewoman masquerading as an abbess.
8pm: Three Hotels By Broadway Cares through January 30. Two-time Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei will star in a free streamed reading of Jon Robin Baitz’s Three Hotels January 26 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Produced by Tectonic Theater Project, the evening will be directed by two-time Tony nominee Moisés Kaufman.
The play unfolds through monologues set in hotel rooms in Morocco, the Virgin Islands, and Mexico, as a married couple reflect on their lives as players in the game of international business.
Kelli O’Hara, Renée Fleming, More Sing Adam Guettel’s Myths & Hymns (Episode 1) By MasterVoices The central project of MasterVoices’ 2020-2021 season will be a virtual rollout of award-winning composer Adam Guettel’s theatrical song cycle, Myths and Hymns, in an online staging conceived by Ted Sperling. Inspired by Greek myths and a 19th-Century Presbyterian hymnal, the 1998 cycle is a kaleidoscopic collection of musical genres as it explores the nature of faith and longing in a secular world. New short musical films will illustrate the protagonist’s attempt to seek answers in four ways – through Flight, Work, Love, and Faith. The four chapters of this personal voyage will be released in free digital installments throughout the winter and spring.
Molly Sweeney Lantern Theater Company through February 14. This Philadelphia company’s newly filmed performance of Brian Friel’s gentle tale from the shifting perspectives of Molly Sweeney, her husband Frank, and the surgeon who values his skills above his patients.
The Niceties Forward Theater through February 7. In this Wisconsin theater company’s production of the play by Eleanor Burgess, Zoe, a Black student at a liberal arts college, is called into her white professor’s office to discuss her paper about slavery’s effect on the American Revolution. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes into an urgent debate about
Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty, and Aisling O’Sullivan portray three women, two of them sisters, who have drifted apart and are now catching up over coffee. Over the course of three conversations spanning five years, we learn that they have allowed relationships with their partners to come between their relationships with each other. Gradually, a common secret of tragic consequence is revealed.
Bernadette Peters, David Hyde Pierce, More Star in Jerry Herman Tribute From Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse will pay tribute to the late composer of Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles with You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman.
Conceived and music directed by Andy Einhorn, the revue will be available to stream January 10. A live virtual opening night will also take place that night, with guests including Bernadette Peters and David Hyde Pierce.
Available to stream through February 7.
The Haunting of Alice Bowles A new theatrical production streaming online from Original Theatre Company (Apollo 13: The Dark Side of The Moon) debuts.
The Haunting of Alice Bowles by Philip Franks, based on M.R. James’ short story The Experiment, stars Janie Dee, Max Bowden, Stephen Boxer, Jack Archer, Alexandra Guelff, Robert Mountford, Poppy Roe, and Tim Treloar.
In 1918, the recently widowed Alice Bowles is left destitute as she seeks to solve a mystery left by her late husband Francis. Moving to 2020, YouTube urban explorers Matt and Caitlin uncover a mysterious grave in an abandoned churchyard. What starts as harmless entertainment turns darker when their discovery begins to unwrap a mystery which has lain dormant for over a century.
The digital production is co-directed by Philip Franks and Alastair Whatley, designed by Adrian Linford, and edited by Tristan Shepherd, with sound design and original music composed by Max Pappenheim.
Ham: A Musical Memoir Sam Harris’s sensitive and prodigiously talented boy survives the Bible Belt through talent and moxie, which lead to fame and fortune, but when the rocky road of desperately seeking acceptance finally reaches a dead end, he is forced to confront the internal demons that haunt him.
Encores! Inside the Revival: Tap Dance Kid New York City Center. Directed by Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun) dives into the 1983 Tony-nominated musical The Tap Dance Kid, centered around the life of an upper-middle class Black family and a ten-year-old’s dream of being a professional tap dancer despite the challenges posed by his lawyer father and society. Leon, alongside book adapter Lydia Diamond, will give audiences an up-close look at the percussive heart of the story with the help of choreographer Jared Grimes and cast member from the original Broadway production Dulé Hill.
C. B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, and The LEGO Group Senior Graphic Designer Mark Tranter will be at the Fifth Ave LEGO Store this Friday, December 1st from 5pm-6pm signing the Avengers Tower set—the most iconic building in the Avengers Universe, with 5,201 pieces and an all-star cast of 31 figures.
The Avengers Tower, formerly known as Stark Tower, was a high-rise building complex located in Manhattan. Constructed by Tony Stark, the tower was powered by an Arc Reactor that made it capable of running itself for over a year. The top ten floors housed the research and development initiatives.
Following the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark Tower became the main headquarters of the Avengers. However, after the Ultron Offensive, Stark refurbished a Stark Industries warehouse upstate into the Avengers Compound to use as their primary base while Avengers Tower was repurposed for Stark Industries’ use. In the aftermath of the Avengers Civil War, Stark sold the tower and moved all of its equipment to the Avengers Compound.
By 2024, the tower, under its new ownership, had gone through extensive construction and renovation.
Following a successful run in Los Angeles last year, Lumina Enchanted Night Walks, Moment Factory’s awe-inspiring nighttime experience series, is coming to New York City. Moment Factory is teaming up with Fever to present Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden this winter.
Experience a visit from the stars through projections, lighting and music. The Queens Botanical Garden will be transformed into an immersive outdoor, multimedia enchanted world that awakens the imagination. Inside the experience, guests will be guided on an illuminated nature pathway with a photo booth, gift shop, and food and beverage options available for purchase at the end.
From our earliest years, we’ve been told to reach for the stars, but what if the stars could reach for us? Astra Lumina, created by Moment Factory, welcomes you to an extraordinary place, a garden here on Earth that shares a special connection with the sky above. Come nightfall, the garden sets the stage for a phenomenal event: a visit from the stars. This stellar journey invites stargazers to set off across the garden’s celestial pathway to encounter the wonder of the stars and embrace their own human light. As the night unfolds, these luminous orbs regenerate, rise, and reunite in the night sky, to shine brighter than ever before.
Astra Lumina at Queens Botanical Garden is the 19th experience in the Lumina Enchanted Night Walk series.
Location & Opening Times:
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Location: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St, Queens, NY 11355
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Dates: Until January 1, 2024
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Opening times:
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5:30 pm – 10 pm
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Approx 60 minutes
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Tickets will be available for purchase starting on September 13, but fans who sign up for the waitlist can unlock exclusive access. Ticket prices start from $22 for children and $29 for adults, and will be available on Fever’s marketplace. You can read more about the experience at AstraLumina.com.
Park Lane New York toasted a special winter partnership with Moët & Chandon this week. The launch party was a something as unique as a snowflake as the darlings of New York City came to celebrate and start the seasonal party in the most epic way.
From November 29 – January 3, the hotel’s iconic rooftop bar, Darling will be transformed into a captivating après ski-inspired chalet for the season, complete with unique Moët Ice Impérial beverage offerings, bespoke decor and captivating entertainment, providing an unforgettable festive experience for hotel guests and visitors alike.
“It is an honor to partner with the world-renowned Moët & Chandon to bring unique offerings to our guests at Park Lane New York this holiday season,” said Niles Harris, Managing Director and Vice President of Operations at Park Lane New York. “The transformation of Darling into a luxurious winter wonderland is a testament to the hotel’s commitment to creating extraordinary experiences for our guests. This partnership symbolizes the best of both worlds: the timeless elegance of Moët & Chandon and the vibrant energy of New York City, and we look forward to welcoming travelers and locals alike to join us for this festive occasion.”
Guests can indulge in a special menu featuring two bespoke Moët cocktails: Snow Bunny (Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial, hibiscus tea syrup and grapefruit soda) and Alpine Passion (Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, passionfruit and vanilla, lime). Alternatively, they can build their own Champagne cocktail with the “Darling, Choose Your Own Adventure” menu, while snacking on Petrossian caviar blinis served with crème fraîche; sea salt toasted chestnuts with brown butter, sage and chives; and a grilled cheese & roasted tomato soup, with chervil, crème fraiche and basil. A myriad of Moët & Chandon-branded touchpoints, like custom skis and snowboards, branded cocktail vessels and a captivating photo experience round out the offerings, making a Darling Chalet reservation the must-have of the season.
Guests who book the Pop, Drink, Fizz package on Park Lane New York’s website will receive a complimentary bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Reserve Champagne in their room upon check in.
The festivities continue through the New Year, where Moët & Chandon and Park Lane New York will present a black-tie New Years’ Eve celebration at Darling from 9pm-1am. Complete with an open bar, DJ, passed hors d’oeuvres and a midnight toast with Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut before watching the fireworks over Central Park, guests will ring in the New Year in elegance and merriment. Packages start at $295 per person for General Admission and $413 per person for the Darling Ultra VIP package including table service.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.