Click here for the New York Cool March/April 2012 Edition!

Check this page often; New York Cool publishes something every day. And for something to do tonight, be sure to click on our listing section (see index in the left hand column).

January 31, 2012

New York Cool Tip

NEW BLUES
Marking 100 Years of the Blues
January 31st at 9pm
Nublu

Composers Bring the Genre into the 21st Century.
Performed by The International Street Cannibals Ensemble

Composers: Dan Barrett, John Clark, Dan Cooper, Glenn Cornett, Patrick Grant, Robert Johnson, Earl Maneein, Milica Paranosic, Gene Pritsker, and Joseph Pehrson
Performers: Dan Barrett, Lynn Bechtold, John Clark, Dan Cooper, Glenn Cornett, Glenn Cornett, Jennifer DeVore, Patrick Grant, Earl Maneein, Cesare Papetti, Milica Paranosic, Gene Pritsker, and Malik Work

Admission: $10

Nublu | 62 Ave C, NYC
(646) 546-5206
http://www.nublu.net

Another New York Cool Tip:

"I'm From Driftwood" Black LGBT Story Screening Spotlight
Tuesday, January 31st. 6:30 - 10pm
Gallery Bar

ImFromDriftwood.com is a Brooklyn-based non-profit that collects and shares personal LGBT stories to help deepen our understanding of each other, preserve our history, and open hearts and minds. The first week in February, they're spotlighting stories from the Black LGBT Community. Before they're posted online, though, you can see a preview of the stories and enjoy a 1-HOUR OPEN BAR by El Dorado Rum. Come enjoy live DJ Missy B., lots of great raffle prizes, silent auction items, and yummy appetizers. El Dorado Open Bar from 6:30 - 7:30, Story Screening from 8:00 - 8:30, Raffle Drawing at 9:00. $15 at the door or $10 advance tickets at www.ImFromDriftwood.com/Event

Gallery Bar | 120 Orchard St (at Delancey)

January 30, 2012

Just Published: Read my Theater Column with coverage of Silence! The Musical and Anne Bogart's Siti Company's Bob.

January 29, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

January 28, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Anne Bogart and SITI Company
Bob
Jan 19 - 21, 24 - 28 @ 7:30 pm
Jan 22, 28, 29 @ 2:30 pm
January 19-29, 2012
New York Live Arts

For its third New York season, director Anne Bogart and SITI Company celebrate the 70th birthday year of Robert Wilson with the revival of the Obie Award-winning one-man tour-de-force, Bob. Inspired by the creative life and times of the internationally acclaimed avant-garde theater director, Bob will run at New York Live Arts, January 19-29, 2012. The 90-minute play is conceived and directed by Bogart, created and performed by Will Bond (a founding company member of SITI who has worked with Wilson), and based on hundreds of interviews Bogart collected and recorded over several decades, which were then adapted to the stage by Irish writer and dramaturg, Jocelyn Clarke.

Bob premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University in February of 1998 and had its New York premiere in April of 1998 at New York Theatre Workshop before touring the world at critical acclaim for four years. It hasn’t been seen in New York since 1998.

Acclaimed as a genius, Wilson uses his own history and everyone around him as fodder for his grandiose staged spectacles. Best known for his groundbreaking 4 1/2 hour production of Philip Glass’ opera, Einstein on the Beach, he rides the fast track of the ever-shrinking global art scene, and his vision has been widely adapted in every field from theater to music videos.

TICKETS: $15 Previews (Jan 19 & 20)
$40 Reg Price at door/ $32 in advance online
Call (212) 924-0077, or online at www.newyorklivearts.org

New York Live Arts | 219 West 19th Street, NYC
(btw. 7th and 8th Avenues)

New York Cool Tip:

An Evening of Arias and Scenes
Saturday January 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM
All Souls Church

NY Opera Exchange presents scenes and arias by Puccini, Mozart, and Donizetti in their original Italian, French, and German featuring members of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra. Supertitles will be provided at each performance. Reception to follow concert.

Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased in advance at www.nyoperaexchange.com or at the door.

All Souls Church | 1157 Lexington Avenue

January 27, 2012

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Asger Leth's Man On Ledge, which opens today, Friday, January 27, 2012.

New York Cool Tip:

Art Auction to Benefit
The Trish Brown Dance Company
January 27th 6:30 - 9PM
SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO.

The Trisha Brown Dance Company (TBDC) will celebrate Trisha Brown’s 75th birthday with a special art auction to support the Trisha Brown Archive at Sikkema Jenkins & Co., 530 West 22nd Street, on Friday, January 27, 2012 from 6:30-9:00 pm. TBDC is uniquely positioned at the intersection of the performing and visual arts worlds, a result of Ms. Brown’s career as a visual artist and her historic collaborations with other renowned artists in the field.

The auction will feature works by over 30 distinguished artists including: Laurie Anderson, Cecily Brown, Chuck Close, Dan Colen, Louise Fishman, Nancy Graves, Adam Helms, Arturo Herrera, Roni Horn, Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Barry Le Va, Sol LeWitt, Roy Lichtenstein, Andrew Lord, Robert Mangold, Peter Moore, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Petersen, Ellen Phelan, Christopher Rauschenberg, Robert Rauschenberg, Analia Saban, Peter Saul, Matt Saunders, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Amy Sillman, Laurie Simmons, Josh Smith, Al Taylor, Wolfgang Tillmans, Richard Tuttle, Kara Walker, Lawrence Weiner, Terry Winters and Joe Zucker. The auction will also include a print/etching/edition by Ms. Brown, and as well as a unique poster expressly designed for Ms. Brown by Robert Rauschenberg, her long-time collaborator and friend. Sotheby’s will conduct the proceedings.

Honorary Chairs Dorothy Lichtenstein and Christopher Rauschenberg will host the event with support from Steering Committee members Lisa Dennison, Richard Flood, Fredericka Hunter, Michael Jenkins, Klaus Kertess, Ivy Shapiro, Brent Sikkema, and Adam Weinberg.

Paddle8 will be collaborating with TBDC to present the art auction online beginning on January 9, 2012 at paddle8.com where bidding will continue until January 26 at Noon. All online bids will continue to the live event on January 27 when the bidding will close. In addition, ten signed posters created by Robert Rauschenberg will be available for immediate purchase for $1,000 each on paddle8.com To become a Paddle8 member and bid on works in the TBDC auction, visit paddle8.com.

Benefit tickets to the event on January 27 at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. start at $500. The contact for reservations is Heather Wigmore at h.wigmore@trishabrowncompany.org or 646-278-6120.

Sikkema Jenkins & Co.,| 530 West 22nd Street

New York Cool Tip:

Camille A. Brown and Dancers
Friday, January 27 at 8pm
Saturday, January 28 at 2pm
Sunday, January 29 at 7:30pm
The Joyce Theater

Camille A. Brown is noted for mixing modern dance techniques with West African dance and hip-hop elements to produce “focused bursts of energy and frozen positions that explode into motion” (The New York Times). A huge hit at The Joyce in 2010, Camille A. Brown & Dancers return to The Joyce Theater with “The Groove To Nobody's Business” and “Been There, Done That,” a duet filled with “Brown’s considerable and effortless humor (The Boston Globe),” among other works.

Tickets begin at $10 and are available by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800, in person at the Box Office (Monday-Friday, 12-6pm), or online by visiting Joyce.org.

The Joyce Theater | 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC.

January 26, 2012

Sunny Knable's "American Variations" CD Release Concert
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 8 pm
Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Center

Composer/pianist Sunny Knable gives CD Release Concert of “American Variations” on Centaur Records. Performers include esteemed pianist Richard Cionco, praised by Donal Henahan of the New York Times for his "sensitive pianism"; Dynamic Motion String Quartet; and himself, among others. Knable’s unique blend of Americana and post-modern eclecticism has won him numerous awards and adored performances worldwide. Fans of Copland, Bernstein, or Gershwin would not leave disappointed, nor would the more modern crowd, whose sensibilities are accustomed to composers like John Corigliano, Frederic Rzewski and Jennifer Higdon. Come join him for this evening of tuneful and vital new classical music.
$10 Admission, $10 CD'sTo buy tickets, go to:
http://kaufman-center.org/mch/event/sunny-knables-cd-release-american-variations

For more information:
sunnyknable.com

Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Center | 129 West 67th street, NYC

January 25, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Crush Presents 2011 iTunes’ "Best New Dance Artist" Katy B
Wed, January 25th @ 9:00pm
Drom

Trained at the same stage school as Adele, the funky, dubstep, R&B, and house singer Katy B shares an affinity for artistry fused with personal experience. Katy B’s songs delve into subjects about relationships and her busy nightlife which are skillfully laid over catchy jazzy, soul and dubstep beats. Her debut album "On a Mission," was released in 2011 to critical acclaim and peaked at the top of the UK charts at number two. Katy B has been nominated for several awards including Best Push Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards as well as Best Album and Best Female Artist at the 2011 Virgin Media Music Awards.
More Information>>

Drom | 85 Avenue A (b/w 5th & 6th)

January 24, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Alicia Witt live with band and special guests
January 24, 7 PM
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

You might know Alicia Witt from her work on shows including Friday Night Lights, Law & Order and Cybill & films 88 Minutes, Two Weeks Notice, Last Holiday and Mr Holland's Opus to name a few. But she is also an accomplished singer/songwriter. Alicia's first music video, for the single 'Anyway', has played on MTV & VH1. She has appeared as musical guest on the Late Late Show w Craig Ferguson and was featured on the cover of Sound+Vision Magazine. Her music is on iTunes and at www.aliciawittmusic.com.

$10 For more information or advance purchase visit:
www.rockwoodmusichall.com

Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 | 196 Allen St, New York NY 10002

New York Cool Tip:

David Dorfman Dance:
Prophets of Funk
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 7:30pm
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - 7:30pm
Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 8pm
Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 8pm
Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 2pm.
Joyce Theater

Prophets of Funk celebrates the groundbreaking, visceral and politically innovative music of Sly and The Family Stone, one of the first major national bands integrated along race and gender lines. The piece for eight dancers explores the prophetic possibilities of music and dance and invites everyday people to find strength and joy in the muck and mess - the funk - of everyday life. The Joyce Theater performance will be the NYC premiere of the fully staged version of Prophets of Funk and a return of David Dorfman Dance to The Joyce for the first time since 2005.

Tickets range in price from $10-$39. Ticket prices are subject to change. Tickets are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or Joyce.org.

Joyce Theater | 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC.

New York Cool Tip (for the young at heart, basically all of you):

January 23, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

"Dance from the Heart"
Produced by and benefitting Dancers Responding to AIDS
January 23 & 24 - performances at 6:30 & 8:30 each day
Cedar Lake Theater

The 7th "Dance from the Heart" program - 4 performances - 2 different programs - to benefit Dancers Responding to AIDS. Participants include Janie Taylor and Jared Angle, NYCB principals; Peridance Contemporary Dance Company; Melanie Moore, season 8 winner of "So You Think You Can Dance;" Misty Copeland, ABT soloist, and many many more. For specific programs please visit dradance.org

$30 for 6:30 performances;
$75 for 8:30 performances, followed by receptions with the performers

Cedar Lake Theater | 547 West 26 Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues

Another New York Cool Tip:

JC Sanford Orchestra
as part of the Size Matters large ensemble series
Monday, January 23 9 & 10:30pm
Tea Lounge

JC Sanford – composer/conductor/trombone

Satoshi Takeishi – percussion
David Ambrosio – bass
Florian Höfner – accordion
Tom Beckham – vibraphone
Meg Okura – violin
Will Martina – cello
Dan Willis – sop. sax/oboe/flute/piccolo
Ben Kono – alto sax/Eng. horn/flute/clarinet/bass clarinet
Chris Bacas – tenor sax/sop. sax/clarinet
Kenny Berger - contra–alto clarinet/bassoon/alto flute
James De La Garza – trumpet
Matt Holman – trumpet
Eric Davis – F horn
Mat McDonald – trombone
Jeff Nelson – tuba/bass trombone

(718) 789-2762
http://www.tealoungeny.com/
$5 suggested donation

Tea Lounge | 837 Union St.
Brooklyn, NY 11215

January 22, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Parsons Dance
Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm
Saturday at 2pm
Sunday at 1pm and 5pm.
January 10-22, 2012
The Joyce Theater

Parsons Dance returns to The Joyce Theater from January 10-22, 2012, with a program that includes two World Premieres, Round My World, a new piece by David Parsons, and A Stray’s Lullaby, by emerging choreographer and former Parsons dancer Katarzyna Skarpetowska. The company will also present a family matinee program that features kid-friendly Parsons classics on Saturday, January 14 at 2pm. Both programs include David Parsons’ stroboscopic masterwork Caught.

Parsons Dance will perform January 10-22, 2012 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday at 2pm; and Sunday at 1pm and 5pm. There will be a Dance Chat on Wednesday, January 11 and the performance on Saturday, January 14 at 2pm will be a Family Matinee. Tickets begin at $10 and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

The Joyce Theater | 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street)

Another New York Cool Tip:

THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES
Wednesday - Saturday at 6:30pm
Sunday at 4:30pm.
January 19 – February 12
The Flea Theater

The Flea Theater is proud to present the New York Premiere of THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, a 5-hour marathon of all seven of Sophocles’ plays re-envisioned by playwright Sean Graney, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, and starring The Bats. Standout Tribeca dining destination Macao Trading Co. will provide a complimentary Asian fusion feast at all performances. Previews begin January 19 for this special limited engagement, with opening night slated for Sunday, January 29.

In THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, Sophocles’ seven surviving plays—Oedipus, In Trachis, Philoktetes, In Colonus, Ajax, Elektra & Antigone—combine to create a stunning portrait of the human condition, where the intermingling of chance & fate yields disquieting results. A witty & relevant interpretation of the classics, THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES is an epic examination of the past & a window on the present.

Tickets (including dinner) are $40 and are available by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.

The Flea | 41 White Street
Between Church and Broadway
Three blocks south of Canal
Close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines.

January 21, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

PopRally Presents An Evening with Blondes
Saturday, January 21, 2012 8:30–11:30 p.m.
The performance beings at 9:30 p.m.
The Museum of Modern Art

PopRally kicks off 2012 with an evening of transcendent electronic dance music, courtesy of Blondes. The evening will feature immersive music, light, and sound, including a sound installation and live performance by Blondes and a DJ set by Juan MacLean.

Blondes—the Brooklyn-based duo of Zach Steinman and Sam Haar—create ecstatic, semi-improvisational dance music using live electronics. They harness hypnotic, pulsing minimal chords, layering textured sounds over house rhythms to produce a vein of dance music that is, truly, its own beast.

Visitors will also have the exclusive opportunity to view the exhibitions Contemporary Art from the Collection, 1980-Now; Thing/Thought: Fluxus Editions, 1962-1978; Sanja Ivekovic: Sweet Violence; and Projects 96: Haris Epaminonda.

PopRally:
Launched in April 2006, this program of events at The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 features collaborations with artists and musicians, performances, film screenings, receptions, and special viewings of exhibitions at moderate prices. Past events have included performances by Sigur Rós, Cat Power, Les Savy Fav, Patti Smith, Chicks on Speed, The Raincoasts, DFA records, and PaperRad and friends. Additional information on PopRally is available at MoMA.org/poprally.

TICKETS: $18 in advance, $23 at the door. Available online at MoMA.org/poprally. Admission includes performance, access to galleries, and cocktails. Attendees must be 21 or older to attend this event.

SPONSORSHIP:
PopRally is supported in part by The Friends of Education of The Museum of Modern Art. Additional support provided by Sud de France Wines and Brooklyn Brewery.

The Museum of Modern Art | 11 West 53 Street

Another New York Cool Tip:

An Evening of Arias and Scenes
Saturday January 21, 2012 at 7:30 PM
St. Ann and The Holy Trinity

NY Opera Exchange presents scenes and arias by Puccini, Mozart, and Donizetti in their original Italian, French, and German featuring members of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra. Supertitles will be provided at each performance.

Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased in advance at www.nyoperaexchange.com or at the door.

St. Ann and The Holy Trinity | 157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Another New York Cool Tip:

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company in a Preview Performance
January 21 at 8:30 PM
Salvatore Capezio Theater at Peridance

A preview performance of Igal Perry's new "El Amor Brujo" to the sumptuous score by Manuel de Falla; his "Constructs for 4," music by Bach; and the premiere of a work by lyrical jazz choreographer Kristin Sudeikis.

Tickets: $20 Reservations at 212.505.0886

Salvatore Capezio Theater at Peridance | 126 East 13th Street
Bet. 3rd & 4th Avenues

Another New York Cool Tip:

Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre presents
The Store
January 19-21 at 7:30pm and January 22 at 2pm
Joyce SoHo

New York City based Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre presents The Store, an evening length dance theater performance that tells a story of love, loss and the struggle for self on January 19-21, at 7:30pm and January 22 at 2pm, at Joyce SoHo. Brought together through a single unforeseen event in a neighborhood deli, The Store explores the interconnectedness of individuals and strangers as they struggle to realize their dreams and cope with tragedy in New York City. Through a series of stream-of-consciousness narratives interwoven with multimedia vignettes of dance, video, text and music, this rich performance tells a uniquely human story. Featuring an all-new cast including guest artists Christopher Rudd (Cirque de Soleil, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal), Yusha Marie Sorzano (Morphoses, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre) and Nathan Trice (Nathan Trice/Rituals). Original sound design by Berberock and costumes by Daphne Correll. For more information visit, www.ysdt.org.

Tickets: $18, Student/Senior $15; For advance purchases, visit: http://tickets.joyce.org/tickets/production.aspx?PID=1358

Joyce SoHo | 155 Mercer (Between Houston and Prince)

January 20, 2012

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Dori Berinstein's
Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, which opens today, Friday, January 20th in Los Angeles and on February 3rd in New York City.

New York Cool Tip:

Anne Bogart and SITI Company
Bob
Jan 19 - 21, 24 - 28 @ 7:30 pm
Jan 22, 28, 29 @ 2:30 pm
January 19-29, 2012
New York Live Arts

For its third New York season, director Anne Bogart and SITI Company celebrate the 70th birthday year of Robert Wilson with the revival of the Obie Award-winning one-man tour-de-force, Bob. Inspired by the creative life and times of the internationally acclaimed avant-garde theater director, Bob will run at New York Live Arts, January 19-29, 2012. The 90-minute play is conceived and directed by Bogart, created and performed by Will Bond (a founding company member of SITI who has worked with Wilson), and based on hundreds of interviews Bogart collected and recorded over several decades, which were then adapted to the stage by Irish writer and dramaturg, Jocelyn Clarke.

Bob premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University in February of 1998 and had its New York premiere in April of 1998 at New York Theatre Workshop before touring the world at critical acclaim for four years. It hasn’t been seen in New York since 1998.

Acclaimed as a genius, Wilson uses his own history and everyone around him as fodder for his grandiose staged spectacles. Best known for his groundbreaking 4 1/2 hour production of Philip Glass’ opera, Einstein on the Beach, he rides the fast track of the ever-shrinking global art scene, and his vision has been widely adapted in every field from theater to music videos.

TICKETS: $15 Previews (Jan 19 & 20)
$40 Reg Price at door/ $32 in advance online
Call (212) 924-0077, or online at www.newyorklivearts.org

New York Live Arts | 219 West 19th Street, NYC
(btw. 7th and 8th Avenues)

Another New York Cool Tip:

Stravinsky Outside Russia
7:00 p.m. Conductor’s Notes Q&A (free for ticket holders)
8:00 p.m. Concert
Friday, January 20, 2012
Carnegie Hall

On January 20 the American Symphony Orchestra and Music Director and Conductor Leon Botstein present Stravinsky Outside Russia, the third concert of their 2011–2012 Carnegie Hall season. The all-Stravinsky program focuses on works the great composer created outside of his native Russia, a land he was to leave in his twenties never to return. In addition to a mysterious alternate orchestration of Song of the Volga Boatmen for bass-baritone and full orchestra that was discovered by Dr. Joseph Landers in Lindenhurst, New York in 1996, the program includes Zvezdoliki (Le roi des étoiles), the opera buffa Mavra, his Requiem Canticles, Canticum Sacrum, Babel and the Symphony of Psalms. Award-winning actor John Douglas Thompson will serve as narrator of Babel, and the program will also feature the Collegiate Chorale Singers with baritone Jonathan Beyer, soprano Anne Carolyn Bird, Mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, bass-baritone Keith Miller, Mezzo-soprano Ann McMahon Quintero and tenor Nicholas Phan. Botstein will present a Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7:00 p.m. (free for ticket holders), followed by the performance at 8:00 p.m.

STRAVINSKY
Song of the Volga Boatmen
Zvezdoliki
Mavra
Requiem Canticles
Canticum Sacrum
Babel
Symphony of Psalms

Subscription and Ticket Information All seats: $25
Tickets can be purchased through CarnegieHall.org, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800. American Symphony Orchestra subscriptions can be purchased through americansymphony.org/subscriptions or by calling (212) 868-9276.

Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including one 20-minute intermission.

Carnegie Hall | 881 7th Ave

January 19, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

AARON CARTER
Thursday, January 19th @ 6:30 PM
Gramercy Theatre

Aaron Carter began his music career at age seven, singing lead for the band "Dead End". Two years later he made his first solo appearance when he was nine, opening for the Backstreet Boys at their concert in Berlin Germany, March 1997. The performance was followed by a record contract and, in the fall of 1997, Aaron Carter released his first hit single, "Crush On You". In the 14 years since beginning his career, Aaron has achieved both Triple Platinum and Gold status with his records and won multiple awards including TEEN Choice Awards, Kids Choice Awards, and RTL Young Artist of the Year Award. In addition to music he has also established himself as an actor in Film, Television and on Broadway, currently starring in Off Broadway hit The Fantasticks while writing and recording for his much anticipated album.

Keep up with Aaron: www.twitter.com/AARONCARTER (@AARONCARTER)
Event details and ticket purchase information: http://www.livenation.com/event/00004786A316A06F?camefrom=
CFC_BUYAT_kumardevan&brand=


Gramercy Theatre | 127 E 23rd St
(between Lexington and Park Avenues)

January 18, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

1,934 Days
The Times Square International Theater Festival 2012
January 18th and 21st at 10pm
January 22nd at 6pm
Roy Arias Theatres & Studios

“1,934 Days,” an original play created by Sivan Hadari; actress, producer and founder of Isramerica, will debut at The Time Square International Theater Festival on January 18th, 21st and 21st at the Roy Arias Theatres & Studios located at 300 W. 43rd Street. “This is an incredible opportunity and a very big honor,” said Hadari. “1,934 Days” was one of only 15 plays selected for The Times Square International Theater Festival out of hundreds of plays submitted from all over the world.”

“1,934 Days", directed and co-created by Charlotte Cohn, is an ensemble piece revolving around themes of longing and hope. The piece will be performed by a group of fifteen actors from different countries such as Japan, Israel, Kurdistan, Ireland, France, Korea and more. Each actor will share a personal monologue that deals with longing, unrequited love, separation, heart-break, mourning, divorce, adoption, homosexuality, religion and faith. The actors will draw inspiration from the song ‘Not Over You,’ by Gavin DeGraw and the story of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held captive in Gaza for 1,934 days.

The play will explore the human emotion and rational behind about the idea of longing, fear and uncertainty, as experienced by people of all ages, religions and from different parts of the world,” said Hadari who created “1,934 Days” after experiencing her own personal loss. “My hope is that the audience will connect to each of these individual stories as well as be inspired, moved and changed by them.”

Ticket Information
Ticket prices are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. They can be purchased at http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=oneD82

Roy Arias Theatres & Studios | 300 W. 43rd Street

January 17, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Figuratively Speaking
January 17, 2012 – February 7, 2012
Reception: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (date and time)
Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery dives into the New Year with three exhibitions which explore the rich potential revealed through the creative power of art. Figuratively Speaking investigates the varying sources of inspiration that motivate and direct artists in their imaginative process. Combining a reflection on the most esoteric levels of experience with an understanding of the innately physical nature of the world, these works display a sensitive and emotive comprehension of what it means to be human. The art in Portal to Enigma looks to the hidden secrets and mysteries that help to define existence as we know it, approaching these intriguing topics from a variety of intelligent and innovative perspectives. The result is appealing, thought-provoking and ultimately represents a call to alter the way we view the world and each other. The artists of Degrees of Abstraction concentrate on encapsulating the essence of what they see and sharing their unique viewpoint with their audience. Focusing on form, shape and color in their determination to portray their personal vision, they achieve the ability to construct their message in universal terms as well. The exhibitions will open on January 17, 2012 and run until February 7, 2012. The opening reception will take place on Thursday January 19, 2012 at 6-8 PM. Entrance is free and all art enthusiasts are encouraged to attend.

Free

Agora Gallery | 530 West 25th St, New York City

New York Cool Tip:

January 16, 2012

Twilight: The Musical, a parody of the Twilight book and movie saga
World Premiere and One-time Benefit Concert for Blessings in a Backpack
January 16th 2012 @ 8PM
New World Stages

Fans of the musical comedy and Vampires have something new in common, Twilight: The Musical. Parodying the Twilight book and movie saga, with a twist of the Potter, the show examines our culture of obsession through the story of teenage outsider Bella Swan who risks everything when she embarks on a star-crossed romance with Vampire Edward Cullen. The one-time concert reading/presentation will be performed at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street ) on January 16th at 8pm as a benefit for Blessings in a Backpack (http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/), a unique program designed to feed elementary school children whose families qualify for the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal program, but have little to no food on the weekends.

Created by Ashley Griffin, with music and lyrics by Jeremy Ezell, Ashley Griffin, Sean Mahoney, David Mallamud, and Michael Sutherland. The show had its first workshop in NYC in 2010 at the LABA theater, and is currently in development in NYC.

Presented by Ulmer Theatricals, Moxyrah Productions, and Dreamcatcher Entertainment, this incarnation is directed by Gabriel Barre (Lippa’s The Wild Party, Pippin at Goodspeed), with choreography by Matthew Neff (Petrouchka). The show will feature Meghann Fahy (Next To Normal) as Bella Swan, Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked), as Rosalie, Hermione (et al.), Lauren Lopez (A Very Potter Musical) as Alice (et all), Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon) as Harry Potter (et al.), Olli Haaskivi (Jurassic Parq: The Musical) as Jasper (et all), Eddie Gutierrez (Miss Abigail’s Guide…), Lindsay Dunn (West Side Story), Michael McArthur (Newsies), Kaitlin Mesh (West Side Story) and Cliff Samuels (Follies). Casting by Michael Cassara Casting.

Tickets are available via telecharge, or at the New World Stages box office.

Better test scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior; improved health and increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this program. $80 feeds a child in the program for an entire school year. Blessings in a Backpack is a 501 C-3 non-profit organization currently feeding over 55,000 children in 318 schools in 37 U.S. states and three countries - Canada, Columbia and Haiti.

To support this event, please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/Twilight-The-Musical?a=246851

For more information, please visit: www.thetwilightmusical.com

Check out the preview on Youtube at: Twilight: The Musical

New World Stages | 340 West 50th Street

January 15, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

HARRIET TUBMAN: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom
Premiere of Act I
Sunday January 15 at 5 PM
St. Mark's Church

Premiere of Act I of Ms. Nkeiru Okoye's chamber opera about Harriet Tubman, the legendary Underground Railroad engineer born in slavery who would lead more than 70 people to freedom. The opera encompasses the universal themes of sisterhood, courage, sacrifice and family bonds.

Tickets: $20; $10 for students/seniors: Reservations: 212-477-1594

St. Mark's Church | 131 East 10th Street
At Second Avenue

January 14, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

MAKE. BELIEVE.
A group exhibition curated by Frank Maresca
January 12 – March 7, 2012
Fountain Gallery

This exhibition spotlights work in various mediums by Fountain Gallery artists living with mental illness, and by artists with mental illness from three other non-profit organizations participating through the Fountain Gallery Visiting Artists Program: HAI, The Living Museum, and Services for the UnderServed. MAKE. BELIEVE. is curated by Frank Maresca.

Maresca, co-owner of Ricco/Maresca Gallery, said: "Basically, art for me falls into two categories. That which is effective, and that which is less effective. It is all about communication. Many of the artists in the show do not have the questionable benefit of academic training or an art historical background. However, they still have a lot to say. The art emanates from life experiences that are often harsh and unique, creating an overwhelming desire to reach out and make their stories known. The medium that they have chosen is art, and the message is powerful." Maresca has championed the work of artists communicating outside of the academic mainstream for the last 30 years; the mission of Ricco/Maresca Gallery has always been to blur the lines between the so called high and low.

Fountain Gallery is the premier venue in New York City representing artists with mental illness. Founded by Fountain House in 2000 as a not-for-profit exhibition space for its member-artists living and working with mental illness, the Gallery sells original artworks by trained and self-taught artists and collaborates with a wide network of artists, curators and cultural institutions. The Fountain Gallery Visiting Artists Program was established in 2008 with support from founding sponsor Glenn Close.

Admission is free at all times.
Gallery hours: Tues.-Sat. 11-7; Sun. 1-5
www.fountaingallerynyc.com

Fountain Gallery | 702 Ninth Avenue (at 48th Street)

Another New York Cool Tip:

Silence! The Musical
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 8 PM
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM
Sunday at 5 PM
Beginning January 12, 2012
Performance Space 122

SILENCE! The Musical, the unauthorized parody of The Silence of the Lambs, with book by Hunter Bell, music & lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan, and direction & choreography by Christopher Gattelli, is set to begin a new winter playing schedule beginning January 12th at The 9th Space Theatre at Performance Space 122, 150 First Avenue (at 9th St.) SILENCE! The Musical opened July 9, 2011 to unanimous rave reviews, led by David Cote of Time Out and New York 1 News who said, “Pungent, punchy and raunchy, with a sheepish chorus to boot, the consummately silly SILENCE! will leave you stuffed and wanting mutton more.” The show immediately became a sold-out smash hit and was just selected by Time Magazine as one of the year’s Top 10 Plays and Musicals along with such lofty company as The Book of Mormon and War Horse.

Originally announced as an eight-week limited engagement, the show’s producers extended the run four times to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets. SILENCE! The Musical recently celebrated its 100th New York performance.

The original cast recording of SILENCE! The Musical has been released by Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records online at iTunes, Amazon.com for digital download, and is available at www.sh-k-boom.com. Finally, musical comedy fans outside of New York are now able to enjoy the critically acclaimed score, including such song selections as “If I Could Smell Her C---” and “Put the F--king Lotion in the Basket.”

In the Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs, rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to catch the serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill. Clarice must face her own demons and race the clock to unlock Lecter’s clues before another innocent girl is killed and skinned by Bill. It’s a hair-raising thriller that’s kept countless millions on the edge of their seats and permeated the pop lexicon with delightfully creepy quotes like “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti” and of course “It places the lotion in the basket.” And now, at last, this delicate symphony of suspense has been turned on its ear and retold in the only way it can be – as a musical. A singing chorus of floppy eared lambs narrates the action; Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown while kidnapping hapless Catherine Martin; and even Dr. Lecter, scary as ever, sings about the life he’d like to lead someday outside the prison walls.

The running time is 89 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $25 - $79 and are available by calling 212-352-3101 or through www.SilenceTheMusical.com.

Performance Space 122 | 150 First Avenue (at 9th St.)

January 13, 2012

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Baltasar Kormákur's Contraband, which opens today, Friday, January 13, 2012.

January 12, 2012

New York CoolTip:

BrainSpunk Theater Presents
Three Sheets, A One-Act Showcase Fundraiser
January 11-14 8PM; January 15 2PM
Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex

An Evening of Three One Act Comedies! One Bed. Three Stories. A Fundraiser for BrainSpunk Theater.

Three Pillows, by Jim Dalglish. Starring Sarah Miller, Leo Giannopoulos, German Rodriguez, and Emily Kuckuk. When Howard goes shopping for a new bed to fit his new non-traditional marriage, little does he know he will encounter Veronica, the born-again Mattress Sales Person. Closet Madness, by Murray Schisgal. Starring Collin Biddle and Edward Carnevale. Sam Kogan, once a successful playwright, hasn't had a hit in years. Sam has a plan: he's going to be "gay" (since he perceives this as a prerequisite for Broadway success today). He's going to have some difficulty, though, persuading his buddy Billy to help him out in this regard. Pillow Talk, by Peter Tolan. Starring Michael Komala and Dylan Uremovich. Two heterosexual men, Aaron and Doug, are forced to share a bedroom and a bed in the mobile home of Aaron’s dotty old grandmother. Hampered by Doug’s phobic fear of physical intimacy, the two are forced to examine their feelings about friendship and each other. They get little sleep and a night full of surprises!

Tickets $25. For more information or advance purchase, visit www.brainspunktheater.com or call 646-520-6448

Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex | Dorothy Strelsin Theatre
312 W 36th St, 1st Fl
New York, NY 10018

January 10, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Parsons Dance
Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm
Saturday at 2pm
Sunday at 1pm and 5pm.
January 10-22, 2012
The Joyce Theater

Parsons Dance returns to The Joyce Theater from January 10-22, 2012, with a program that includes two World Premieres, Round My World, a new piece by David Parsons, and A Stray’s Lullaby, by emerging choreographer and former Parsons dancer Katarzyna Skarpetowska. The company will also present a family matinee program that features kid-friendly Parsons classics on Saturday, January 14 at 2pm. Both programs include David Parsons’ stroboscopic masterwork Caught.

Parsons Dance will perform January 10-22, 2012 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday at 2pm; and Sunday at 1pm and 5pm. There will be a Dance Chat on Wednesday, January 11 and the performance on Saturday, January 14 at 2pm will be a Family Matinee. Tickets begin at $10 and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

The Joyce Theater | 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street)

January 9, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Under the Radar Festival
January 4–8
The Public Theater

This annual festival, produced by The Public Theater, features a variety of new theater from the United States and around the world. With a lineup that includes emerging talents and masters in the field, Under the Radar offers a crash course in exciting, independent and experimental theater, created by some of the most dynamic artists working today.

Schedule and Tickets: http://tickets.publictheater.org/

The Public Theater |425 Lafayette

January 8, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Listen for Life Concert at Carnegie Hall Presents the Power of 8 for Peace
Sunday, January 8, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m. (EST)
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

Listen for Life (LfL), a global social-venture organization presents a multicultural music statement for peace. LFL has proclaimed January 8, 2012 to be Multicultural Music Day worldwide, encouraging musicians from around the world to celebrate the power of music as a force to bring cultures together. They will bring eight musicians together-including three of the top "traditional instrument” musicians from Israel, Syria and Jordan to perform together on one stage at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Tickets are between $35-85, depending on seating, however discounts are available to students, and seniors. Tickets can be bought at http://www.carnegiehall.org/Event.aspx?id=4294979468 or you can call 212.247.7800
http://www.carnegiehall.org/Event.aspx?id=4294979468

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall | Address: 154 West 57th Street

January 7, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Dance Gotham
Saturday, January 7 at 8pm
Sunday, January 8 at 7pm
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

This annual dance festival returns to the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts for its sixth year, and continues to present a thrilling range of aesthetics and artistry. From post-modern athleticism to seasoned theatricality, these artists offer choreographic works that are sophisticated, witty, wonderfully intelligent and revealing. Scheduled to perform in two separate programs over two nights are artists from across the nation, including dance companies from Philadelphia, Portland, Houston, Chicago, New York City and an international company from Italy.

Tickets $10 (general admission); Tickets can be purchased at www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu/calendar/dance_gotham_2012, by phone at 212-352-3101 or 866-811-4111, or in person at NYU Ticket Central, located in the Skirball Center lobby (Tuesday-Saturday 12pm - 6pm, two hours before show time.)

Skirball Center for the Performing Arts | 566 LaGuardia Place
At Washington Square South

Another New York Cool Tip:

“THE PEONY PAVILION”
Thursday, January 5; Friday
January 6 and Saturday, January 7 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, January 8 at 2:00 pm.
DAVID H. KOCH THEATER (Lincoln Center)

The United States premiere of a new dance drama production, “The Peony Pavilion” by the China Jinling Dance Company of Nanjing will be performed at the David H. Koch Theater (Lincoln Center) January 5 - 8, 2012. It is presented by The China Arts & Entertainment Group (CAEG), a creative enterprise under the administration of the Ministry of Culture for the People’s Republic of China. The engagement is the first production of what is hoped to be an ongoing relationship between CAEG and the David H. Koch Theater. These presentations will showcase China’s historical contribution to the world of theater and art by presenting the finest in Chinese contemporary and classical performing arts to the United States. The not-to-be missed spectacular production of “The Peony Pavilion” in New York City is made possible in part by the generous support of American Airlines. 2 hrs. including the intermission

Tickets are for the Orchestra and also the First Ring at: $149, $119, $75, $49 and $25. The Second Ring is $119, $79, $39 and $19. Tickets sales are available at (212) 496-0600; or by Fax at (212) 580-2545 and on the web. http://davidhkochtheater.com

DAVID H. KOCH THEATER (Lincoln Center)

January 6, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

The TriBeCa Comedy Collective
Friday January 6th, 8pm-10:30pm
TriBeCa Comedy Club 22 Warren St. New York, NY

The new state of the art venue, Tribeca Comedy Club, will open its doors for stand up comedy showcases brought to you by the Tribeca Comedy Collective (TCC) Friday January 6th, 2012. Produced by several of New York’s most exciting comedians, TCC is committed to bringing the highest quality talent to the stage every Friday at 8:00pm. The newly renovated comedy club will open 7:00pm for early seating. In the heart of Tribeca, the venue has sufficient night time parking and is only blocks aways from all downtown subways. Coupling superior food with superior entertainment, the Tribeca Comedy Club offers a full service dining experience as well as a fantastic wine list. The TCC offers audiences the uniquely high-end and accessible comedy club experience, while showcasing an ensemble of premier comedic talent for only $10 a ticket. TCC promises to bring top talent throughout the country, in a innovative, multifaceted format, setting it apart from other clubs in a city saturated with comedy. The TCC remains committed to top-notch dining, service, and most importantly, comedic entertainment.

Tickets at $10 and can be purchased at the door. Advanced reservations can be made by calling 212-608-1222.

TriBeCa Comedy Club (Inside Brick Restaurant) | 22 Warren St.
New York, NY 10007

January 5, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

JAZZ-MINH MOORE
"Is That All There Is"
January 5 - 28, 2012
Artist's Reception
Thursday, January 5, 2012
6-8pm
Lyons Wier Gallery

Lyons Wier Gallery is pleased to present, Is That All There Is, by New York based artist Jazz-minh Moore.
Moore's new series of paintings features her sister, Asia Kindred, amidst the ruins of a deteriorating cabin. The primarily naturalistic pallet is infused with distortion and bright color, causing the compositions to hover between physical and psychological space.

The cabin depicted was the first structure built on the land where the artist was born, deep in the Oregon woods. Over the years, Moore has watched the dilapidated structure fall into a nest-like geometry that she finds beautiful. The external post and lintel structure has given way to the kind of forgotten, mythical space that a teen might build her fort in; a space wherein secrets can be told and tasted, where the patchy, uneven ground is both soft and solid. It is within this context that Asia is found squatting, or absentmindedly doodling on the fallen boards with a sharp stick. The cabin and the girl are inextricably linked through overlapping compositions. In some of the works, such as 'The Tower', Asia is almost entirely camouflaged amidst a patterning of light and tattoos.
The idea of aligning one's own experience symbolically with gods in mythical fables is prevalent in Moore's new body of work. The work speaks obliquely to the artist's disillusionment with monotheistic and patriarchal codes within Western culture. Throughout these paintings, physicality is dominant in the materials, subject matter and process: wood on wood, sex, cutting, and nature. The birch surfaces that inhabit the work also have a voice within the compositions.

Utilizing the wood grain as a landscape to influence her compositions, Moore leaves some sections unfinished, while others are highly rendered. The level of completion is an evolving collaboration between the artist's hand and the organic drawing 'style' present in the wood panel itself. Some surfaces are finished with a high gloss resin. Others are left bare. The surface treatment is reflective of the subject matter within each work.

Through a combination of tattoos on her sister's body and archetypes carved into the wood panels of the fallen cabin, Moore creates a personal pantheon of gods to reflect her experiences. These divinities, including a pair of snails in slow fornication, a blue-faced Kali, lines from a Jenny Holzer projection, a sculpture of a laughing pig with a coin-slot asshole by Matthew Weinstein, Medusa, Ouroboros, performance artists Eva and Adele, Lady Rizo, and an inextricable tangle of vines, connect as beings in Moore's quest for a new iconography.

Lyons Wier Gallery | 542 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
Tel: + 1 212 242 6220
Email: gallery@lyonswiergallery.com
www.lyonswiergallery.com

January 4, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Poetic Theater Productions presents: Poetic License
January 4-8, Wed - Sat 5PM, 7PM, 9PM, Sun 3PM, 5PM, 7PM
The Wild Project

15 shows in 5 days for $5-$15! Poetic Theater Productions presents
Poetic License, a festival of new poetic theater addressing social
justice through spoken word, hip hop and slam. The festival features
performers who have been seen on and off Broadway, on HBO's Def Poetry
Jam & Brave New Voices, members of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe slam team
& Urban Word NYC, and three encore performances of Poetic Theater
Productions' award-winning 2011 production, Goliath.

Tickets $5-$15 To purchase tickets please visit:
http://www.poetictheater.com/festival

The Wild Project |195 East 3rd Street
(Avenue B)

January 3, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Focus Dance
Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 7:30pm
Thursday – Saturday at 8pm
Saturday and Sunday at 2pm
January 3-8, 2012
The Joyce Theater

A celebration of U.S.-based dance, featuring performances by 8 companies in a repertory schedule. Presented by Gotham Arts this new annual event is the centerpiece of an initiative to promote American dance. FOCUS DANCE is comprised of four programs featuring eight U.S.-based choreographers/companies: Keigwin and Company, zoe | juniper, Abraham.In.Motion, Kate Weare Company, Monica Bill Barnes and Company, Joe Goode Performance Group, Trey McIntyre Project, and Jason Samuels Smith & Company.

Tickets are $10-$39
JoyceCharge: 212-242-0800 www.joyce.org

The Joyce Theater | 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC

January 2, 2012

New York Cool Tip:

Jackie Hoffman's
A Chanukah Charol
Sunday December 11th
Sunday December 18th
Monday January 2nd
Sunday January 8th
All at 7:30pm
New World Stages

Stage Entertainment will present Jackie Hoffman’s A Chanukah Charol, her new holiday-themed, pseudo-autobiographical, one-woman show inspired by Patrick Stewart’s A Christmas Carol. Michael Schiralli will direct.

Time Out New York called Jackie “the funniest woman in America,” and The Village Voice hailed her as a mix of “Carol Burnett's rubber face, Sarah Silverman's outrage, Ethel Merman's vocal throttle, and Gladys Kravitz's world view.”

In her all new holiday show, this kvetching comedienne is forced to examine her life when she is visited by the Ghosts of Chanukah Past, Present and Future, and even Molly Picon! What she finds on her quest for fame is that she is a dark desperate diva who would give Scrooge a run for his money. The New York Times described her previous holiday outings as “a beloved ritual for fans looking for a reprieve from the enforced benevolence and good cheer that reigns as the holiday onslaught reaches its peak.”

Tickets will be $35 and premium seats available at $55 (including a free drink). Tickets may be purchased by visiting Telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the New World Stages Box Office.

For more information, visit www.newworldstages.com.

New World Stages| 340 West 50th Street
Between Eighth & Ninth Avenues

January 1, 2012

Happy New Year's from the writers and photographers of New York Cool!

New York Cool Tip:

New Year’s Day Open House
Sunday, January 1-3 to 6 p.m.
Merchant’s House Museum

Description: Come follow the centuries-old New York tradition of paying New Year’s Day calls, this year with a vintage-twist. Take a tour of the 1850s Merchant’s House Museum, retro-decked with 1950s ornaments and memorabilia, then enjoy a cup of holiday punch and canapés in the cozy period kitchen. $30, MHM Members $15.

Merchant’s House Museum | 29 East Fourth Street
Btwn Lafayette & Bowery

Another New York Cool Tip:

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Sunday, January 1 @ 7:30PM
New York City Center

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s first season led by Robert Battle is exciting packed houses and receiving standing ovations at New York City Center this month. A cherished holiday tradition, Ailey’s performances will continue to inspire with dynamic new works and Alvin Ailey’s inspiring Revelations through January 1st.

Ailey’s dancers bid farewell to New York audiences on New Year’s Day (Sunday, January 1 at 7:30pm) in a special program highlighting all of this year’s dynamic premieres and new productions, along with Revelations in its entirety.

Audiences can also get a jump on their New Year’s resolution for fun and fitness. Ailey’s “Ticket to Dance”* enables ticket holders to take their first class for free at The Ailey Extension, a popular program of dance and fitness classes for the general public. Since its inception, over 45,000 people have experienced the joy of dancing in a wide variety of classes seven days a week.

Don’t miss the opportunity to share the holiday spirit, and experience the passion, beauty, and power of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater before they depart on a 27-city North American tour!

Tickets starting at $25 are avilable at the New York City Center Box Office (131 West 55th Street), through CityTix® at (212) 581-1212 or online at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org. For discounts on groups of 10 or more, call 212-405-9082 or e-mail groupsales@alvinailey.org.

For additional information about the Alvin Ailey New York City center season please visit www.alvinailey.org.

For a complete schedule of The Ailey Extension schedule, visit: www.aileyextension.com

New York City Center Box Office | 131 West 55th Street

December 31, 2011

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady, which opened this weekend in New York City.

Aldo Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Stephen Daldry's
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which opened this week in New York City.

December 30, 2011

New York Cool Tip for the New Year (if you sing):

NYC Gay Men's Chorus seeks singing and non-singing members
January 5, 2011 from 7-10 pm
January 6, 2011 from 7-10 pm

The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus will hold auditions January 5 & 6 from 7-10 PM. We are looking for a passion for singing, musicality, a good voice, openness, teamwork, and a positive attitude, some level of reading skill and/or a good musical memory and a commitment to our mission, essentially fighting homophobia through song. Whatever your skills, all we ask is that you embrace singing in all styles. We guarantee you’ll find people in the Chorus who share your interests and voices in the Chorus with whom you can blend. Even if you're not a singer, there's still a place for you!

Please e-mail us if you are interested, and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Auditions are by appointment only and may be scheduled by emailing auditions@nycgmc.org before January 4th.

December 29, 2011

Rooney Mara in
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Just Published: Read Frank J. Avella's Film Column with his coverage of the best films of 2011.

December 28, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Cornelia Jensen
STRUCTURE + LIGHT
December 1 - 31, 2011
Artists' Reception
Thursday December 1st, 6 - 9 pm
Giacobetti Paul Gallery

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12-6

Giacobetti Paul Gallery | 11 Front Street, Brooklyn, New York, NY

Rebecca Aidlin
Water
December 1 - 31, 2011
Artists' Reception
Thursday December 1st, 6 - 9 pm
Giacobetti Paul Gallery

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12-6

Giacobetti Paul Gallery | 111 Front Street, Brooklyn, New York, NY

December 27, 2011

Just Published: Alliance of Women Film Journalists Announces the
2011 AWFJ EDA Awards.

December 26, 2011

Alexander Skarsgård, Kristin Bauer, Deborah Ann Woll and Stephen Moyer

New York Cool Tip: HBO’s will make New Year's sucks by giving us three nights of Season Four of True Blood, starting Thursday 12/29 through 12/31.

December 25, 2011

Photo Credit Angelo Rivera

Merry Christmas From New York Cool!

December 24, 2011

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara
Photo Credit: Charles Norfleet / PR Photos

Just Updated: Check out Celebrities Out and About in New York City for photos from New York City premieres of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and We Bought a Zoo.

December 23, 2011

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Cameron Crowe's We Bought A Zoo, which opens today, Friday, December 23, 2011.

December 22, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

SHE KILLS MONSTERS
Tuesday - Saturday at 7pm
Saturday & Sunday at 3pm
November 4 – December 23
The Flea Theater

The Bats are back and ready for action in The Flea Theater’s world premiere production of SHE KILLS MONSTERS, a comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Robert Ross Parker. Previews begin November 4, with opening night slated for Thursday, November 17.

In SHE KILLS MONSTERS, average Agnes is finally leaving her childhood home following the death of her totally weird sister, Tilly. When she stumbles upon Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, Agnes embarks on an action-packed adventure to discover more about her sister than she previously cared to know. A high-octane comedy fraught with hostile fairies, randy ogres, and ‘90s pop culture, SHE KILLS MONSTERS is a heart-pounding homage to the badass (& geek) within us all.

The Flea will also host the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired art exhibit DOOMSLANGERS. Successfully presented at New York’s Allegra LaViola Gallery last winter, Artist Casey Jex Smith brings to life a D&D adventure to save the mythical city of Dingershare from the evil Lord Ricaek. The exhibit can be viewed in the Flea’s lobby one-hour before the show.

Tickets are $25 and are available by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org. Please also note, all Tuesday performances are Pay-What-You-Can (one ticket per person; subject to availability at the door only) and Saturday matinees are $10.

The Flea | 41 White Street
Bbetween Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal
Close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines.

December 21, 2011

NAKED HOLIDAYS
December 8-10, 15-17, 19-22, & 27-30 at 8pm
December 11 & 18 at 7pm.
Roy Arias Stage 4 | Times Square Arts Center

Attention lovers of non-traditional holiday mischief and merriment: EndTimes Productions presents the 5th Annual NAKED HOLIDAYS beginning December 8th at Roy Arias Stage 4 in the Times Square Arts Center. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, the 2011 edition will offer some of the best of its past seasons, plus more singing, more dancing, and more naked!

NAKED HOLIDAYS is a darkly comic Yuletide bacchanalia, a gleeful pageant filled with indulgent tidings which climaxes in a scantily clad routine that looks a lot like Christmas. This boisterous holiday celebration puts a theatrical spin on some of our best-loved winter traditions. Highlights include:
- "The Annihilator" by Steve Strangio, about X-mas at a professional wrestler's house.
- "Dead-Nosed" by Oliver Thrun, in which Santa's reindeer plot the assassination of Rudolph. A Samuel French short play festival finalist.
- "Fear the Nog" by R.I. Stokes, The North Pole meets Orwell's 1984 with Santa as Big Brother.
- "A Very Special Hanukkah Special" by Mark Harvey Levine, a Jewish-themed spoof of It's A Wonderful Life.
- "The Naked People Play" by Stacy Lane, the traditional Naked Holidays closer.

Tickets are $47.50, available at 212-352-3101 or www.EndTimesProductions.org.

Roy Arias Stage 4 | Times Square Arts Center | 300 West 43rd Street
(at 8th Avenue, 4th Floor)

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/mike-erricos-holiday-show-rockwood-music-hall#ixzz1gd2CDnut
Tickets $15. For more information or advance purchase visit http://rockwoodmusichall.tickets.musictoday.com/RockwoodMusicHall/
moreInfo.aspx?event=146111&+outlet=2315

Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2) | 196 Allen Street, NYC

December 20, 2011

Just Published: Read Frank J. Avella's review of David Lewis’s Longhorns.

December 19, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

FIERCE Cabaret
A benefit performance for FIERCE
Produced by FIERCE and The Imperial Court of New York
Monday, December 19
6p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction; 7p.m. show time
The Metropolitan Room

This stunning show features Titus Burgess, the original Sebastian in Little Mermaid; Colman Domingo of Passing Strange and Scotsboro Boys; Eric Michael Gillett, cabaret star and Broadway performer in Kiss Me Kate, Sweet Smell of Success and Frogs; Rebecca Naomi Jones, American Idiot and Passing Strange; Curtis Wiley, The Lion King (Tour), Smokey Joe's Cafe; cabaret luminary Terese Genecco; Uraina Collazo; Jim Speake; Karen Thompson. And from the Imperial Court of New York: Chad Ryan (Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera), Witti Repartée, Epiphany and Anya. Musical Director: Traccy Stark. With Alli Miller on drums and Brian Shaw on saxophone. Emcee: Robin Kradles. FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color in New York City. www.fiercenyc.org. The Imperial Court of New York is a membership-based 501c3 organization that raises money for worthy gay- and AIDS-related charities. www.icny.org

$20 and 2 Drink Minimum

The Metropolitan Room | 34 Est 22nd Street, New York City

December 18, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

The Nutcracker. A Contemporary Ballet
Saturday, December 17th at 3:30 & 7:30pm(Gala)
Sunday, December 18th at 2pm & 5pm
AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER

Giada Ferrone’s fresh and modern vision of this beloved holiday classic balances strong classical ballet technique and Tchaikovsky’s original score with captivating contemporary movement, hints of
new dance styles, characters and scenes, and sprinkles of witty theatrical magic. Long time favorites such as the snowflakes section and party scene have been infused with dynamic and whimsical movement that give them the quality of a stand-alone contemporary dance piece. Complementing the original cast are a beautiful and aloof Marzipan Doll, a Gingerbread Toy yearning to experience human love and an 8 legged break-dancing King Spider who is defeated by the Nutcracker himself, assisted by fly-swatting Candy Canes and a thumping Tarantella…choreographed by Nicola Iervasi www.mnelements.org. This full-scale70-minute production is distinctive for uniting students & professionals from several dance communities from all over the New York City Tri-State area, while promoting the positive and powerful impact of dance on our fractured communities and creating a cast which is as truly international and diverse as New York City’s own “Melting Pot”.

Tickets $25 adults, $15 students & children under 12
To purchase tickst visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/207970
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/207990 (Gala performance) or call 1-800-838-3006

AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER | 405 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019

December 17, 2011

New York Cool Tip: Please like the Facebook page for The Big Apple Posse Trilogy series of action adventure stories for kids of all ages (they weren't written by a kid and you don't have to be a kid to enjoy them).

The first two books of The Big Apple Posse Trilogy (The Big Apple Posse and The Big Apple Posse: Escape from New Orleans) are available at Amazon.com. The Big Apple Posse series of books are written by Wendy R. Williams and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse. The third book, The Big Apple Posse: Escape from Los Angeles, will be published in August of 2012.

Another New York Cool Tip:

MORE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Thomas Jefferson, Maria Cosway,
And the Music and Philosophy of the Enlightenment
A Benefit for Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Saturday, December 17th, 2011 @ 8:00pm:
The Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium

Protean genius and primary architect of the Doctrine ofSeparation of Church and State, Jefferson was also an accomplished violinist and four-year resident of Paris before he became our third President. His romance with the married, Italian-bornpainter/composer/musician Maria Cosway during his post as MinisterPlenipotentiary to France leaves a trove of letters which render the soundscape of the French Revolution with startling precision. This performance will combine a theatrical presentation of excerpts from their passionate correspondence, which continued for forty years ,interwoven with performances of the music they heard. Repertoirewill include selections from Sacchini’s opera Dardanus, songs by JamesHewitt, and rare compositions by Cosway herself. A portion of the proceeds fromthe performance will be donated to Americans United for Separation ofChurch and State.

TICKETS: $100 front seating, $50 rear seating, $35 students with ID
To reserve tickets, please go to http://www.salonsanctuary.org

The Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium | 417 East 61st Street Between 1st and York Avenues

December 16, 2011

Just Published: The New York Film Critics Online 2011 Awards.

Also Just Published: Read Frank J. Avella's review of Carnage, which opens today, Friday, December 16, 2011.

New York Cool Tip:

Vista Lirica Chamber Music Ensemble
An Adventure in Romantic Psychedelia
December 16, 2011 8:00 pm
The Open Center Grand Room

Vista Lirica, a classical chamber music ensemble, presents its version of a 19th century psychedelic rock concert where the music of Schumann and the projections of media artist Onome Ekeh are intertwined with a telling of E.T.A. Hoffman's hallucinogenic tale of lost reflections and döppelganger trickery, A New Year's Eve Adventure Noted actor Stephen Park (A Serious Man, Do the Right Thing) will act as narrator.

Tickets $25
For more information please visit www.vistalirica.com/events.php

The Open Center Grand Room |22 East 30th
Between Madison and Park

December 15, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Bright Young Things Holiday Market
Thursday, December 15th 6-10PM
Bedlam | 40 Avenue C | New York City
tinyurl.com/7xhgdde

One-of-a-kind BLACK_FRAGMENTED CHUNK™ SURPRISE pieces available from the FLEURS DU MAL Holiday Collection at some VERY special holiday prices... So spread the word + come buy if you can !

ABOUT GABRIEL J. SHULDINER JEWELLERY:

An innovative approach to jewellery + accessories + objects, the luxuriously dark work of Gabriel J. Shuldiner transcends conventions +
re-defines boundaries as a direct + natural + logical extension of his heavily blackened artistic vision… unique variants of his hybrid sculptural paintings, “the body now replaces the wall + floor + ceiling…”

Taking further inspiration from the beautifully dark + decadent + erotic prose of one of his favourite poets, Gabriel reappropriates the title
Charles Baudelaire gave to his own first volume of poetry, originally published in 1857, for his inaugural + on-going FLEURS DU MAL Collection.

Falling somewhere between the minimal + abstract + conceptual + absurd, Gabriel J. Shuldner considers each piece “a sort of poem of its own; one that tells its individual + mysterious + romantic story, from deep within the fragmented + fractured BLACK…”

www.gabrieljshuldiner.com
www.gabrieljshuldinerjewelry.com

Another New York Cool Tip:

The Knickerbocker Suite
December 15 and 16 at 7:30pm and December 17 and 18 at 7pm
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center

The Knickerbocker Suite features New York City landmarks, such as The Statue of Liberty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and NY sports teams, weaved into the time-honored holiday tale of The Nutcracker. Classic Nutcracker scenes like “The Land of the Snow” will be transformed to a snowy frenzy of shoppers dancing in and out of stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s for last minute gifts, while “The Land of Sweets” will be accompanied by street vendors and roasted chestnuts. Perhaps one of the more well-known scenes, “Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles,” will be played by the Statue of Liberty and dancing immigrants who just arrived from Ellis Island.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and are available at www.manhattanmovement.com/calendar

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center | 248 W. 60th Street
New York, NY 10023

Another New York Cool Tip:

Being Sexy
Thursday, December 15. 8PM-11PM
The Chelsea Room

On December 15th, Rusk (subsidiary of Conair) will host a product sneak preview in New York at Chelsea Room featuring its new collection, Being Sexy. To amp up the volume, the sexy firefighters featured in the national firefighter calendar, Nation's Bravest, will be attending. Adding further to the allure, Real Housewife of NY, Sonja Tremont-Morgan, will be handing a check to the firefighters on behalf of Rusk. The best part is fans of these delightful hunks can go online and click to vote for the "Nation's Bravest" firefighter. At Rusk1.com, the firefighters share what each finds sexy and unsexy about a woman, and is paired with a product from the Being Sexy line. Voting runs from December 12th until the New Year. Calendars are available for purchase at www.NationsBravest.com.
If you can do a broader event feature, I would be delighted to coordinate an interview with the firefighters and/or Sonja Morgan. Additionally, your readers are invited to attend the after-party also at Chelsea Room (see invite for times). Tickets for the after-party are available for purchase at SingleAndTheCity.

The Chelsea Room | 222 W 23rd St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011

December 14, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

“Holly Jolly” Holiday Cocktail Party
Wednesday, December 14th. 6 to 8 p.m.
Merchant’s House Museum

Description: Toast the holidays with 1950s flair in a mid-19th century house, retro-decked with over-the-tinsel-top vintage decorations and holiday memorabilia. Enjoy classic 1950s Christmas cocktails and canapés, “rock around the Christmas tree” with the Tinsel Tones, and do some last minute shopping at our fabulous holiday gift bazaar. Vintage cocktail attire encouraged, but not required. $40, Free for MHM Members.

Merchant’s House Museum | 29 East Fourth Street
Btwn Lafayette & Bowery

Another New York Cool Tip:

Disney Burlesque Cabaret and Sing-Along:
(Good Teenagers, Take off Your Clothes)
November 9th, December 14th, January 11th
The Second Wednesday of every month @ 8pm
Bowery Poetry Club

After a sold out debut, we're excited to announce Disney Burlesque Cabaret and Sing-a-long is going monthly. Enjoy all your favorite Disney classics as you’ve never seen them before. Lady Scoutington (MTV, Howard Stern, Comix, Miss America Pageant) hosts a night of drag, burlesque, contortion and magic with all live sing-a-long music from The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, 101 Dalmations, Cinderella and more. Costume contest. Raffle prizes. Fun for the whole family... that is old enough to appreciate partial nudity.

Every month an all new cast of characters and an all new line up of your favorite Disney sing-a-long hits.

Come in costume for discount admission and the chance to win our grand prize--the chance to star in your own Disney musical!

Tickets $10 / 8 in costume
www.bowerypoetry.com for tix
212-614-0505

Bowery Poetry Club | 308 Bowery NYC

December 13, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Another New York Cool Tip:

December 12, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Movement Research at Judson Church
Monday December 12. 8PM – 10PM
Judson Memorial Church

A high visibility, low-tech forum on Monday nights throughout the fall/winter and spring seasons. Movement Research at the Judson Church supports experiments in performance rather than finished products. Artists are selected by a rotating committee of peer artists. No reservations and admission is FREE. Featuring works by The Movement Party- Zena Bibler & Katie Schetlick, Makiko Tamura/small apple co. , Jumatatu Poe/ idiosynCrazy productions, Rebecca Patek.

Free. For more information visit www.movementresearch.org or call 212-598-0551.

Judson Memorial Church | 55 Washington Square South.

December 11, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan
Friday, December 9th, 8PM
Saturday, December 10th, 2PM (children's matinee, kids half-price)
Saturday, December 10th, 8PM (Sign Language Interpreted)
Sunday, December 11th, 2PM
The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University

Fans of Charles Dickens, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan are in for a real holiday treat Dec. 9-11 as members of the Village Light Opera Group usher in their production of Nathan Hull’s Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan. Dickens greatly admired Sullivan’s music and was a lifelong friend. Gilbert adapted the novelist’s Great Expectations for the stage. Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan mines eleven of the dynamic duo’s operettas to reinvigorate this tale of greed and redemption with a Victorian musical sensibility. Classics from Mikado, Pirates, .M.S. Pinafore, Ruddigore and other gems seamlessly bring Scrooge’s world to life, with a libretto and some revised lyrics provided by Hull. Director Sharon Fogarty is marshalling the talent and energy of VLOG’s pool of doctors, lawyers, teachers and community members with their variety of professional and arts backgrounds. Fogarty was voted one of the “People of the Year” by NYTheatre.com, entered in the “Manhattan Theatre Source Hall of Fame” for contributions in the production and performance of live theatre, and was winner of best comedy prize at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival. Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan musical director Christopher Baum is associate conductor of Columbia Summer Winds, music director of the Manhattan Wind Ensemble, and a member of the artistic staff of New Music New York.

Tickets $25 and $45 Visit http://www.vlog.org. Group Sales, 10 or more tickets, villagelightoperagroup@gmail.com or phone 212-627-8586. TDF vouchers accepted.

The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace Universit | , 3 Spruce Street
New York, New York

Another New York Cool Tip:

THE COLONIAL NUTCRACKER
Performed by Dance Theatre in Westchester
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 2pm
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College

Created especially for families with children ages four to ten, The Colonial Nutcracker sets Tchaikovsky's classic ballet in wintry colonial Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. Featuring timeless classics such as "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" to "Waltz of the Snowflakes," the production features a red-coated mouse army, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and compelling narration that will enhance young viewers' understanding and enjoyment of this timeless story. Rose Menes' delightful staging and choreography, coupled with colorful costumes and Tchaikovsky's timeless score, will captivate audiences of all ages.

Tickets are $7. Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org. Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday - Saturday, 1pm - 6pm.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts | Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2900 Campus Road
Brooklyn, NY 11210

Another New York Cool Tip:

The Yorkville Nutcracker
Thursday - Friday at 7pm
Saturday at 2pm and 7pm
Sunday at noon and 5pm
December 8-11, 2011
The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College

Dances Patrelle presents the 16th annual production of The Yorkville Nutcracker from December 8-11, 2011 at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, E. 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, NYC. Performances: Thursday - Friday at 7pm; Saturday at 2pm and 7pm; and Sunday at noon and 5pm. Tickets are $45-90 and will be available beginning November 1 at 212-772-4448 or in person at The Kaye Playhouse Box Office.
The company presents the 16th annual production of choreographer Francis Patrelle's unique rendition of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's holiday classic The Nutcracker. Set in 1895, The Yorkville Nutcracker takes the audience on an action-packed tour of Olde New York's most beloved landmarks, including a holiday party at Gracie Mansion, dancing at the Crystal Palace in the New York Botanical Garden, and skating in Central Park. Lavish sets and costumes, enchanting music and beautiful dancers from ages 5 to 65 complete this thrilling production, with New York City Ballet principals Abi Stafford and Jared Angle as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. In addition, Kfir Danieli of The Metropolitan Opera Ballet and Natalia Boesch, most recently of Staatsballett Berlin, Germany, will portray the Snow King and Queen. Appropriate for all ages.

Tickets are $45-90 and will be available beginning November 1 at 212-772-4448 or in person at The Kaye Playhouse Box Office.

The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College | E. 68th Street
New York, NY 10021

December 10, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

Photos with Santa to Benefit the Brooke Jackman Foundation
December 9 from 10 am- 7 pm
December 10 from 10 am- 7 pm
December 11 from 10 am- 5 pm,
Holiday Story Time takes place December 10-11 from 1-2 pm
Winter Garden at the World Financial Center

When Santa checks his list to see who’s been nice this year, the Brooke Jackman Foundation is going to be right on top. To make sure it stays there, New York City's kids will be treated to a weekend of Santa and stories this month when the World Financial Center Winter Garden hosts a three-day holiday celebration featuring photos with Santa and readings of holiday tales from books curated by the Brooke Jackman Foundation.

From Friday, December 9, through Sunday, December 11, Santa will bring his elves along for his annual stay at Santa's Winter Garden, posing for photos with kids and listening to their Christmas wish lists.

On December 10 and 11, during Santa's midday break from 1 pm to 2 pm, The New York Public Library's Battery Park City branch will provide books selected by the Brooke Jackman Foundation for Holiday Story Time, including such classic tales as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas, as well as new favorites like Olive, The Other Reindeer and Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas.

While it’s free to participate in the Holiday Story Time, proceeds from the Santa's Winter Garden photo sales will benefit the Brooke Jackman Foundation.

For more information, please visit www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com.

Winter Garden at the World Financial Center | 220 Vesey Street

Another New York Cool Tip:

Water Collective Holiday Fundraiser
Saturday December 10th, 7-11PM
Wooster Street Social Club

Celebrate the holiday season with Water Collective on December 10th by giving clean water to thousands in Northern Uganda. One $40 Ticket gets you an open bar, access to an incredible silent auction (view here: http://bit.ly/t1DKBm), raffle prizes, fun indoor activities, and a contribution that will provide $176 in economic returns for those without clean water! The event's open bar is sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery (brooklynbrewery.com), Mei Chi Liquors, and Runa Tea (runa.org).

Tickets $40. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.showclix.com/event/watercollective or purchased at the door. For more information on Water Collective, please visit thewatercollective.org

Wooster Street Social Club | 43 Wooster Street
(between Greene and West Houston)
New York, NY 10013

Another New York Cool Tip:

THE FORGOTTEN SPANISH NON-FICTION CINEMA AND ITS RENEWAL:
TRUE LOVE
Saturday, December 10 at 6:45
Anthology Film Archives

This program comprises films that portray emotional catharsis with pain, humor, and tenderness. Fascinated by the first-person perspective, these touching films reveal the truth of love in all its variations.
Virginia García del Pino ME AND MY SISTER / MI HERMANA Y YO (2009, 10 minutes, video)
Daniel Cuberta THE LIFE JACKET IS UNDER YOUR SEAT / EL CHALECO ESTÁ DEBAJO DE SU ASIENTO (2009, 10 minutes, video)
Ion de Sosa TRUE LOVE 2010, 75 minutes, video.
Elías León Siminiani ZOOM (2005, 3 minutes, video)
Total running time: ca. 100 minutes.

Tickets: $9 general; $8 Essential Cinema (free for members); $7 for students, seniors, & children (12 & under); $6 AFA members. http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org

Anthology Film Archives | 32 Second Ave
New York, NY

December 9, 2011

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Jason Reitman's Young Adult, which openes today, Friday, December 9, 2011.

December 8, 2011

Designer Fabiola Arias
Photo Credit: Katherin Wermke and Beatriz Schulze
Barcelona Photographer

Just Published: Read my article and see see Katherin Wermke and Beatriz Schulze's photographs of The Fashion Institute of Technology's Couture Council Fall Party at the Club Room of the Soho Grand Hotel.

Pilar Molyneux, Sharon Hoge, Kimberly Rockefeller,
Natalie Sann and Nathalie de Bedoyere
Photo Credit: Fernando Cuestas

Also Just Published: Read my article and see Fernando Cuestas's photographs of The American Friends of Versailles Fall 2011 Gathering.

New York Cool Tip:

New York Studio School Open House
December 8th 6pm
New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture

The Open House provides an opportunity for individuals to experience the
uniquely charged atmosphere of a school focused solely on training painters
and sculptors in their development as professional artists. With its
two-week intensive marathons, the rigorous MFA and Certificate programs, the
diversity of the Evening and Saturday courses, the breadth of Exhibitions in
the Main Gallery, and the celebrated Evening Lecture Series, the New York
Studio School is a nexus for intellectual and tactile engagement in the
ever-present pursuit of art and meaning. Visitors will tour students'
private studios, as well as the large, sky-lit ateliers that were once home
to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Faculty, staff, alumni, and students
will answer questions about the School's programs and philosophies. A Show
of student work will be on exhibit, and students will have their studios
open for view from 7:00 ¬ 8:30. Please join us for this exciting event!
Please rsvp by emailing jpowell@nyss.org.

Fee for event: NO FEE
www.nyss.org

New York Studio School | 8 West 8th Street, NY, NY 10011
6 Train at Astor Place, A/B/D/E/F/M to West 4th Street

Another New York Cool Tip:

An Irish Christmas
A Musical Solstice Celebration
With Mick Moloney, Athena Tergis and Special Guests
December 7 - 18
Wednesday - Sunday | 8 pm
Saturday | 2 pm and 8 pm
Sunday | 3 pm and 8 pm
Itish Arts Center

Your entire family will enjoy our annual holiday tradition, featuring an eclectic mix of tunes and stories to warm the heart, hosted by the legendary Mick Moloney. Famed Filipino singer Grace Nono and jazz singer Tamar Korn join the Irish Christmas lineup, featuring fiddler Athena Tergis, button accordionist BillyMcComiskey, pianist Brendan Dolan, fiddler and singer Liz Hanley, and dancer Niall O’Leary.

And you never know who will drop by to share their favorite party piece—past special guests have included Gabriel Byrne, Colum McCann, Ellen McCourt, Isaiah Sheffer, Peter Quinn, Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra and more.
Whatever your holiday tradition, don’t miss this delightful celebration of the season!

Admission: $50 general / $40 members
Group Rates Available
If you need assistance placing your order, call 866-811-4111.
Live CDs of "An Irish Christmas" available now. Please visit

www.irishartscenter.org or call (866) 811-4111

Irish Arts Center | 553 W. 51st St.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 757-3318

December 7, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

LITTLE LORD'S BABES IN TOYLAND
Wednesdays - Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 8pm & 10:30pm.
November 30 - December 10
The Brick

This holiday season, The Brick Theater, Inc presents the World Premiere of LITTLE LORD'S BABES IN TOYLAND, an eccentric musical extravaganza that joyously plunders Victor Herbert's 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland. It is adapted and directed by Michael Levinton with musical direction by Kate Marvin. Originally workshopped as part of the 2009 Ice Factory Festival at the Ohio Theatre, this revamped and reconceived production begins previews November 30 at The Brick with opening night slated for December 3.

In this anarchic and awkwardly sincere incarnation, LITTLE LORD'S BABES IN TOYLAND is stripped-down to make the most of the original script's absurd, nonsensical plot about a pair of young lovers and their fantastical journey from Mother Goose Village to Toyland. Staged as a "recession spectacular," its world is one of brightly painted cardboard and shoddy spectacle, with a cast of five playing over two-dozen roles. Pillaging the foggy recollections of its adapter/director Michael Levinton – who appeared for seven years in a Baltimore community theater production of Babes in Toyland in his youth – BABES conjures a nostalgia for made-up memories in a land of manufactured make-believe. Due to language and content, this production is not recommended for children.

Tickets are $18 tickets available at 212-352-3101 or www.bricktheater.com.

The Brick | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | 575 Metropolitan Avenue
Bbetween Union Avenue and Lorimer Street
Accessible from the L train to the Lorimer stop or the G train to Metropolitan stop

December 6, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

MITF Symposium
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7pm
The June Havoc Theatre

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) presents the third annual MITF Symposium. This year's Symposium will feature a panel of festival staff and previous Festival participants. The panel will discuss the Festival and the reasons to choose the Festival. There will be a short presentation followed by a question-and-answer session; the panelists will also be available after the symposium to address individual concerns. "The panel will illustrate for self-producing artists and would-be Off-Broadway producers why the MITF is a valid alternative to bigger festivals," said John Chatterton, executive producer of the MITF. The thirteenth season will run from July 17 - Aug. 12, 2012. Applications for the 2012 season are currently available online at www.midtownfestival.org.

Admission is FREE and reservations are not required.

The June Havoc Theatre
312 W 36th St., first floor
New York, NY 10018

December 5, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

God, I Hope I Get It!
December 5, 2011 at 6:30pm
New York City Center

Studio 5 at City Center utilizes in-studio performances and an interactive format to take the audience beyond the proscenium and deep into the worlds of dance and musical theater.

Spend an evening with Encores! Casting Director Jay Binder. Here you can eavesdrop on the behind-the-table discussions that take place when an actor leaves the audition room. Jay will talk about his experiences and will host mock auditions for this season of Encores! Shows to demonstrate his techniques.

Tickets $20
212.581.1212 or citytix@nycitycenter.org

New York City Center | 130 West 56th St
NYCitycenter.org

Make-Up Artist Chase Aston and Model
Using Body Shop 4 Step Smoky Eyes
Photo Credit: Katherin Wermke and Beatriz Schulze for Barcelona Photographer

Just Published: Read my article and see Katherin Wermke and Beatriz Schulze's photographs of The Body Shop's Body Shop Previews 2011 Winter Trend Make-Up With Celebrity Make-Up Artist, Chase Aston.

December 4, 2011

Just Published: See Katherin Wermke and Beatriz Schulze's photographs of historic Greenwood Cemetary.

New York Cool Tip:

TWO BENSON AIDS SERIES CONCERTS
Downtown Music Productions & Labyrinth Dance Theater
Thursday December 1 at 7:30 PM (World AIDS Day)
at DMAC (Duo Multicultural Arts Center), 62 E 4th Street
Sunday December 4 at 6 PM
at Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk Street

Mimi Stern-Wolfe's Downtown Music Productions will honor World AIDS Day with two performances of their BENSON AIDS CONCERTS, now in its 21st year, (and named for Eric Benson (1946-1988), gifted singer/actor/musician, and company friend, who died of AIDS). Performances are December 1st (World AIDS Day) at Duo Multicultural Arts Center and December 4th at the Clemente Soto Center. Included in the programs are rarely heard compositions from composers also lost to AIDS: Chris DeBlasio (1959-1993) and Kevin Oldham (1960-1993). The roster of performers includes Darcy Dunn, mezzo-soprano, Jose Arturo Chacon, baritone, dancer Aviad Herman in choreography by Sasha Spielvogel, and dancer Elizabeth Auclair in Martha Graham's "Lamentation" (Dec. 4 only). Both evenings will feature an excerpt of All the Way Through the Evening, a documentary on the Benson AIDS Series by Australian director Rohan Spong.

World AIDS Day, Thursday December 1, 7:30 PM
Duo Multicultural Arts Center, 62 East 4th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues)
Tickets: $25
Reservations: 212.868.4444 or www.smarttix.com

Sunday December 4 at 6 PM
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk Street (near Delancy)
Tickets: $20; $12 for students & seniors
Reservations: 212.260.4080 ex. 11

December 3, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

No Name Comedy Variety Show @ The Pipers Kilt
Saturday, December 3, 2011 - 10:00 pm
The Piper's Kilt

Comics Leighann Lord (Fox News "Strategy Room," The Huffington Post) Marilyn Torres ("Maid In Manhattan," "Flight of the Conchords") and Josh Homer (Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham," New York Underground Comedy Festival) will be among the performers featured at the "No Name" Comedy Variety Show at popular Inwood restaurant The Pipers Kilt on Saturday, December 3rd. The Piper's Kilt is located at 4944 Broadway (between 207th St & Isham St) New York, NY. Take the "A" subway to 207 Street. Performers subject to change, No cover charge for the 10pm show (ages 21 & over) and for more information, contact (212) 569-7071 or go to http://www.nonamenyc.com

The Piper's Kilt | 4944 Broadway
(between 207th St & Isham St), New York, NY

Another New York Cool Tip:

Chamber Orchestra of New York Presents Baroque Garden of Roses Concert
Saturday, December 3 – 8:00 PM
Church of St. Jean Baptiste

The Chamber Orchestra of New York, Salvatore Di Vittorio, Music
Director, will present Baroque Garden of Roses, a concert featuring the
U.S. Premieres of Scarlatti’s rediscovered oratorio The Garden of Roses,
with The Virgin Consort and organist Kyler Brown (Director of Music,
Church of St. Jean Baptiste) and Respighi’s (ed. Di Vittorio) Suite in G
Major, for organ and strings, again with soloist Kyler Brown. Holst’s
St. Paul Suite and Elgar’s Sospiri (Sighs) will also be presented.

Tickets are $20 general admission; $10 for seniors & students, available
at 866-468-7619 or
http://www.ticketweb.com
For more information, visit
http://www.chamberorchestraofnewyork.org

Church of St. Jean Baptiste | Lexington Avenue at 76th Street in Manhattan

December 2, 2011

Just Published: Read Harvey Karten's review of Steve McQueen's Shame, which opens today, Friday, December 2, 2011.

Also Just Published: For another perspective, read Frank J. Avella's review of Steve McQueen's Shame, which opens today, Friday, December 2, 2011.

New York Cool Tip:

Black on Broadway: A Holiday Celebration
Friday, December 2nd. 6:30PM
The Duplex

Seasons Greetings are coming from BIG voices! Bending Threads is a cabaret collaborative of Four Performing Artists. This holiday season they bring you, "Black On Broadway: A Holiday Celebration". Special Guest Broadway Stars: Arbender Robinson, Carly Hughes, T. Oliver Reid, the legendary Vivian Reed & more! (google them baby!)

Door prizes will be given all night long! Enter yourself in the raffle and win one of these prizes: Tickets to Brooklyn Academy of Music, Gift Certificates to Chinatown Brasserie Restaurant, Two Vocal coaching sessions and a spa package to Exhale Spa. Portion of the proceeds made will be donated to M.O.V.E. for Autism; Give love, Share love.

Tickets: $20.00 with a two drink minimum. For Reservations visit: www.bendingthreads.com

The Duplex | 61 Christopher Street, NYC

Another New York Cool Tip:

SEFIRA
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 9 pm
DROM

SEFIRA is a newly-formed vocal and percussion ensemble, composed of musicians with a solid track record and entirely different backgrounds: vocalists Sofia Rei, Malika Zarra, and Sachal Vasandani and percussionists Brahim Frigbane and Mathias Kunzli.

The Sefira ensemble celebrates the human voice at its most naked and potentially influential- improvised, original music surrounded by only voices and percussion. The unique format draws upon the creative, improvisatory force of all participating musicians. Each of the singers represents not simply traditions, be they jazz, North African, or Latin American, but a current flowing to the present, molding their sounds and improvisations to one another, within the context of each piece. The two percussionists provide a foil for the singers' timbre with rich texture and a strong rhythmic energy.
For a video, audio samples and more info about each member: http://lilihouseagency.com/sefira/

$15 at the door; $12 pre-sale at
http://www.dromnyc.com/events/1251/sefira
Table reservation: 212.777.1157

DROM | 85 Avenue A (between 5th & 6th)
New York, NY 10003

December 1, 2011

New York Cool Tip:

The Economist's World In… festival
December 1st and December 3rd
Angel Orensanz (172 Norfolk Street)
And The Great Hall, Cooper Union (30 Cooper Square)

The Economist's third annual World In… festival, which coincides with The World in 2012 publication. The festival, which is open to the public, includes two days of eye-opening panels, performances and events.

Thursday, December 1st
Gala dinner from 6:30 pm-10:00 pm at Angel Orensanz Center

Gala dinner tickets are $495 each. The event features the following individuals:
• Alec Baldwin, Emmy Award-winning actor, “30 Rock”
• Daniel Franklin, Editor, The World in 2012
• Mary Matalin, Republican Strategist, CNN
• Performance by Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, Professor, European Graduate School; Author, “Book of Ice”
• Performance by Moby, acclaimed musician
• Mark Penn, CEO, Burson-Marsteller
• George Stephanopoulos, Anchor, “Good Morning America”; Chief Political Correspondent, ABC News

Saturday, December 3rd
9.00 am - 5.00 pm at The Great Hall, Cooper Union

Saturday tickets are $75 each. The event features a day full of debate, discussion and interactive activities. Hear about the future of the economy, media, sports, technology, innovation and more. Featured speakers include:
• Zanny Minton Beddoes, Economics Editor, The Economist
• Matthew Bishop, NY Bureau Chief, The Economist
• Tyler Cowen, Professor, George Mason University; Author, “The Great Stagnation”
• Dennis Crowley, Co-Founder, CEO, foursquare
• Tom Easton, US Finance Editor, The Economist
• Robert Frank, Author, “The High-Beta Rich”; Senior Writer, The Wall Street Journal
• Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor, The Economist; Editor, The World In 2012
• Brian Gaffney, Chairman, Allianz Global Investors
• Tavi Gevinson, Founder, Editor-in-Chief, “The Style Rookie” & Rookie Magazine
• Martin Giles, Technology Correspondent, The Economist
• Arianna Huffington, President, Editor-in-Chief, AOL Huffington Post Media Group
• Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President & President of Global Market Development, Qualcomm
• Nicholas Lardy, Author, “Sustaining China’s Economic Growth After The Global Financial Crisis”; Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Kati London, Director of Product, Zynga New York
• Alice Lyman Miller, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution”
• Susan Miller, Founder, Astrology Zone, Author, “The World Ahead; 2012”
• Saad Mohseni, Charman, Founder, MOBY Group
• Daryl Morey, General Manager, Houston Rockets
• James Mulvenon, Director, China Division, Defense Group, Inc.
• Ruth Porat, Executive Vice President, CFO, Morgan Stanley
• Esward Prasad, Professor of Trade Policy, Cornell University; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Dan Rosenheck, Americas Online Editor, Sports Editor, The Economist
• Robert Rubin, former Secretary, US Department of Treasury; Chair, Council on Foreign Relations
• Paul Saffo, Managing Director, Discern Analytics
• Travis Tygart, CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency
• Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Shanghai Bureau Chief, The Economist

Angel Orensanz | 172 Norfolk Street
And
The Great Hall, Cooper Union | 30 Cooper Square

Another New York Cool Tip:

TWO BENSON AIDS SERIES CONCERTS
Downtown Music Productions & Labyrinth Dance Theater
Thursday December 1 at 7:30 PM (World AIDS Day)
at DMAC (Duo Multicultural Arts Center), 62 E 4th Street
Sunday December 4 at 6 PM
at Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk Street

Mimi Stern-Wolfe's Downtown Music Productions will honor World AIDS Day with two performances of their BENSON AIDS CONCERTS, now in its 21st year, (and named for Eric Benson (1946-1988), gifted singer/actor/musician, and company friend, who died of AIDS). Performances are December 1st (World AIDS Day) at Duo Multicultural Arts Center and December 4th at the Clemente Soto Center. Included in the programs are rarely heard compositions from composers also lost to AIDS: Chris DeBlasio (1959-1993) and Kevin Oldham (1960-1993). The roster of performers includes Darcy Dunn, mezzo-soprano, Jose Arturo Chacon, baritone, dancer Aviad Herman in choreography by Sasha Spielvogel, and dancer Elizabeth Auclair in Martha Graham's "Lamentation" (Dec. 4 only). Both evenings will feature an excerpt of All the Way Through the Evening, a documentary on the Benson AIDS Series by Australian director Rohan Spong.

World AIDS Day, Thursday December 1, 7:30 PM
Duo Multicultural Arts Center, 62 East 4th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues)
Tickets: $25
Reservations: 212.868.4444 or www.smarttix.com

Sunday December 4 at 6 PM
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk Street (near Delancy)
Tickets: $20; $12 for students & seniors
Reservations: 212.260.4080 ex. 11

(More)