You picked another great weekend to stay in town. There is so much dancing to do, music to listen to, and movies to watch, you may wonder why you ever thought the Hamptons were so great. When you’ve worn out your dancing shoes, slow down and learn to fish, paint or paddle a canoe. There is something for everyone in town this weekend. Here is just a small but interesting sample.
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2009
Good Morning America Summer Concert Series: Third Eye Blind
8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today, Third Eye Blind performs.
Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.
“Good Morning America” airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
NYC Movie Screenings Presents: Jaws
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; W.46th Street at 12th Avenue
7:30pm
NYCMovieScreenings is proud to announce their newest partnership with the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. This Friday they will be showing the 1975 classic JAWS under the stars on the Flight Deck of the Intrepid. The movie starts at 8:30pm, but doors open at 7:30pm. Make sure you get there early to get a good spots! Please bring your lawn chairs, picnic blankets, food and beverages (alcohol is not permitted).
Summer on the Hudson: GlobeSonic Sound System Dance Party – 5th Anniversary!
7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Join hundreds of partygoers in celebrating the 5th anniversary of the GlobeSonic on the Hudson open-air summer dance parties, and dance the night away with the GlobeSonic Sound System DJs.
Riverside Park South, Pier I, FREE. Call 212-408-0219 for more information.
Summer on the Hudson: Site Specific Dance: Dance Gang
7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Guerilla art duo Dance Gang is back with a brand new one-of-a kind dance event created just for the park! Expected some unexpected art-in-the park happenings! Thursday – Saturday, July 16 – 18; 7:00 p.m./Sunday, July 19; 5:00 p.m.
Riverside Park South, 70th Street Basketball Courts. FREE
Jazzmobile: Ms. Vanessa Rubin
7:00 p.m.
Jazzmobile provides arts education program of the highest quality via workshops, master classes, lecture demonstrations, arts enrichment programs, outdoor summer mobile concerts, special indoor concerts, and special projects. Tonight Ms. Vanessa Rubin performs at Marcus Garvey Park (122nd Street and 5th Avenue). FREE.
River to River Festival: BPC Parks’ Sunset Jam on the Hudson
Robert E. Wagner Jr. Park, 7:00 p.m.
Just like in the Academy-Award nominated movie, The Visitor, you can improvise on African, Latin and Caribbean rhythms in a drumming circle led by master drummers. Instruments provided or bring own. Fridays through August 28. FREE. Call 212-417-2000 for more information.
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Dracula
7:30 p.m.
For its 10th season of free theater and music in Northern Manhattan, the Inwood Shakespeare Festival presents Dracula by Lee Kaplan and Ted Minos (based on the story by Bram Stoker). Bring your blankets and we’ll see you there. Costumes by Catherine Bruce, fight choreography by Ray A. Rodriguez, and music by Luke St. Francis.
On the Inwood Hill Park Peninsula. Enter the park from 218 Street and Indian Road and walk west past the Nature Center to the peninsula.
Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks – Central Park
The Great Lawn, 8:00 p.m. FREE
This free outdoor concert by the NY Philharmonic will be followed by a fireworks display. The orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, will perform selections from Copland’s Old American Songs, selected arias from Mozart, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. The sensational Nathan Gunn will sing baritone. Bring a blanket and picnic. Enjoy the music under the stars.
Joan of Arc presented by Gorilla Rep
8:00 p.m.
Gorilla Rep will begin another summer of the finest quality of free theatre in the park with the world premiere of Joan of Arc by Robert Steven Ackerman.
The play, starring French actress Aleksandra Yermak, was commissioned by Gorilla Rep’s Founding Artistic Director, Christopher Carter Sanderson, who also directs. The production, which marks the 17th season for the highly respected theatre company, will perform on the Pine Lawn in Fort Tryon Park.
Joan of Arc will open on Thursday, July 9th at 8 p.m. and run through August 2nd, with performances Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. ADMISSION IS FREE. Meet on the Pine Lawn west of the Heather Garden. Call 212-252-5258 for more information.
NYRP Garden Movies: The 11th Hour
8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, The 11th Hour describes the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how humanity has arrived at this moment, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems by the way we live, and what we can do to change our course. The film will be shown at El Catano (171 East 110th Street). FREE.
Films on the Green: Works
Tompkins Square Park, 8:30 p.m. FREE.
In this film, Chantal is a wealthy, powerful, and happily divorced Parisian attorney whose busy life seems to be going swimmingly until she decides to remodel her massive apartment. She hires Eduard, a brilliant Colombian architect. He and his illegal immigrant crew are highly qualified; however, as they begin to redo her home, they also start to remodel other aspects of her life.
Organized by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
SATURDAY, JULY 18
SummerStage: Q-Tip, Chester French, Little Dragon, Benji B
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
Q-Tip is an American hip hop artist, singer, and occasional actor from Queens, perhaps best known as the leader of legendary hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. After Tribe disbanded in 1998, Q-Tip pursued a solo career. His first singles “Vivrant Thing” and “Breathe & Stop” exemplified his move towards more pop-oriented recordings, closely followed by his solo debut LP Amplified. As of late, Q-Tip has been very active, touring with the full line-up of A Tribe Called Quest as well as continuing to work on his own solo career.
Chester French is an American pop band anchored by founding members Maxwell Drummey and D.A. Wallach. The two met as college students at Harvard University and quickly realized their strong musical chemistry after playing various campus functions and impromptu jam sessions. Influenced by genres ranging from Motown and swing to power-pop, country and rap, Chester French is constantly reinventing their style and sound.
Sweden-based Little Dragon consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano and friends Erik Bodin (drums), Källgren Wallin (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), all of whom met in high school. In 2007 the band signed with large British indie label Peacefrog Records and released their self-titled debut album. Since the release the band has been busy playing live shows throughout Europe, gaining new fans, and garnering positive attention on music blogs on both sides of the Atlantic.
British DJ and radio host of “Deviation” on BBC Radio 1, Benji B spins the best in jazz, funk, hip hop, house, broken beats, and more
NYC Central Park Paint-out
8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Did you ever notice the painter’s easels lined up along the Lake in Central Parkand marvel at the artists’ talents? The master artists featured on the new public television series Passport & Palette, Kevin Macpherson, Joe Anna Arnett, Kenn Backhaus and James Asher, will be painting in areas between the Bethesda Fountain and the Lake. Artists and art enthusiasts alike are invited to join them by painting and sketching along with the master artists and/or simply observing them at work. The painters will be located between the Bethesda Fountain and the Lake.
River to River Festival: The Big Draw 2009
Join the River to River Festival for their fourth annual celebration of drawing, inspired by the wildly popular program of the same name in the UK. The Big Draw offers hands-on art projects for all ages that are guaranteed to change the way you think about drawing. Pick up a free sketchbook and participate in artist-led activities at three fantastic Lower Manhattan venues. Bring your imagination and let your creativity flow—no experience necessary!
The Big Draw is part of the Arts on the Horizon series presented by The River To River Festival and made possible by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is funded through Community Development Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Visit www.rivertorivenyc.com for more information. Big Draw locations are:
The Big Draw: The Bosque in Battery Park
South of Castle Clinton in Battery Park
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Start at the Bosque in Battery Park and trace your pathways by walking and carrying recycled water bottles filled with river water mixed with blue pigment and as the water drips out, the city turns into a drawing canvas. Join Eve Mosher in remembering Manhattan’s historical geography while bringing the island’s current natural landscape into focus.
The Big Draw: Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Explore how sound and movement can be captured through mark, gesture, and line. Enjoy live dance performances and draw the body in motion and repose with Jeffrey Gibson in collaboration with Larry Yazzie and the Native Pride Dancers (Performances in the Diker Pavilion from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM). Location: ?Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House; One Bowling Green across from Battery Park
The Big Draw: World Financial Center Winter Garden
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Join Suzanne Bocanegra in creating drawings on outdated and recycled music scores that will immediately be performed in ongoing improvisations by the renowned American string group, Flux Quartet. Location: Between Vesey and Liberty Streets and West Side Highway and the Hudson River.
Boomerang Theater Company: The Comedy of Errors
Central Park, 2:00 p.m.
Join the Boomerang Theater Company as it presents it last performances (July 18-19) of The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, directed by Philip Emeott. Performance at 69th Street and Central Park West (the lawn between Strawberry Fields and Tavern on the Green). FREE.
Meet the Princess
Central Park, 4:00 p.m.
Who needs Disney World? New York has its own castle and, apparently, its own Princess. Have you ever searched for the Princess of Belvedere Castle? Well, here’s your chance to meet her, hear stories and fables, and enjoy a short tour around her kingdom.
Children of all ages are welcomed. Come to the Belvedere Castle, Central Park (79th Street mid-park). FREE. Call (212) 628-2345 for more information.
Shakespeare in Riverside Park: Hamlet
Riverside Park, 6:30 p.m.
Join Hudson Warehouse, the Other Shakespeare in the Park, for their production of Hamlet, a classic Shakespeare tragedy. Performances on Saturday and Sunday.
The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father, the King, and then took the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. Visit www.hudsonwarehouse.net for more information. Performances take place in Riverside Park, North Patio of Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument (89th Street). FREE.
Midsummer Night Swing: New Swing Sextet
Damrosch Park, 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves.
6:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
After a 30-year hiatus, the New Swing Sextet has reunited, evoking the heyday of salsa and boogaloo while introducing elements of jazz and pop that speak to aficionados and new audiences alike.
This performance is part of the Midsummer Night Swing, now in its 21st season, which heats up Damrosch Park with the rhythms that keep New York dancing. Cost: $15.
Kicking & Screening Soccer Film Festival July 2009
Central Bar NYC, 109 East 9th Street
6:30 pm, Cost: $11
The Financial Times proudly presents the Kicking & Screening International Soccer Film Festival (KS09), a pioneering festival of soccer-themed films screened in New York City, delivering the finest soccer films from around the world. KS09 brings together cinephiles and soccer lovers to develop greater appreciation for the game and the frame. The festival program runs from Tuesday, July 14, through Saturday, July 18, and includes appearances by some of the films’ principal figures, such as former New York Cosmos stars Shep Messing and Giorgio Chenaglia (Once in a Lifetime).
Unlike traditional film festivals, KS09 screenings will mostly take place in soccer-friendly venues, celebrating the beautiful game’s grassroots tradition and global reach. The venues are similarly as diverse as the films, a tribute to the broad appeal of the sport to expatriates and New Yorkers alike.
Harlem Book Fair
West 135th Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard
St. Bernard Church Festival
14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue
East Side Summer Festival
Lexington Avenue between 42nd and 57th Streets
SUNDAY JULY 19
Canoe the Meer; Central Park near Lasker Pool; 11am to 2pm
Join your fellow-adventurers for a fun-filled day of canoeing and water safety. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. First-come, first-served. Ages 8+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Life jackets will be provided. Call 212-628-2345 for more information.
Harlem Meer Performance Festival: Jazz by Alex Blake
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.
NY Laughs: Laughter in the Park 2009
Central Park; 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Laughter in the Park is New York’s only free outdoor comedy series. Every week, NY Laughs presents two hours of comedy at one of six different city parks and this week it’s Central Park. Performances take place at Mineral Springs, Central Park. Enter via Central Park West at West 67th or 69th Street.
NYLaughs, Inc. is a unique non-profit that wants to change the cultural landscape of the Big Apple through humor. We seek to elevate the comic arts and provide laughter for free to New Yorkers on a consistent basis by producing free live comedy shows in New York City’s public spaces; from its parks and streets to its subways. We want to make New York a better place through laughter! Call 718-419-5515 for more information.
Hudson River Fishing
Riverside Park; 2:00 p.m.
Discover the joys of fishing, as we connect to the life living within the Hudson River. Equipment provided, but bring your own luck and enthusiasm. First come, first-served. Ages 8+. Fishing takes place at Riverside Park, West Harlem Piers Park (125th Street & Hudson River. Call 212-628-2345 for more information.
Summer on the Hudson: Lawn Party, Music, and More!
Riverside Park South; 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. FREE.
Celebrate the Hudson River Quadricentennial and come out and play some “old skool” games kids played hundreds of years ago colonial New York, such as hoops, sticks, lawn bowling, and more! Activities take place at the Locomotive at West 62nd Street. Contact 212-408-0219 for more information.
Central Park Summerstage: Alpha Blondy & The Solar System and Lee “Scratch” Perry & Dubblestandart
3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
These two charismatic and political reggae originators from Côte d’Ivoire and Jamaica, have defined the genre and expanded its global reach. Concert takes place at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue. Visit www.summerstage.org for more information.
Summer on the Hudson: Symphony Space’s Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story
Riverside Park South, Pier I at West 70th Street; 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Symphony Space brings its magically entertaining reading series to the park for a unique afternoon of literature in performance: compelling short stories brought to life by terrific actors. Hosted by Isaiah Sheffer. Rain date is Sunday, August 2. Call 212-408-0219 for
Moondance: Los Hermanos Colon
Pier 54; 6:30 p.m.
Whether you’ve been dancing for years, or want to learn how to boogie like a pro, Hudson River Park’s MoonDance is your chance to strut your stuff under the stars! No experience necessary. Featured styles include swing, tango, and salsa. This Sunday hear Hector Del Curto’s Eternal Tango Orchestra. Free dance lessons begin at 6:30 p.m. courtesy of Dance Manhattan. Live Bands go on at 7 p.m.
Summer on the Hudson: Acoustic Sundays – Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars (pictured above)
7:00 p.m. Riverside Park South, Pier I at West 70th Street.
Enjoy spectacular sunsets over the Hudson as you listen to some of New York’s best jazz, R&B, and world music. This Sunday, Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars performs.
The original styles of Klezmorim have failed to surface until a number of extraordinary brass musicians were brought together by Frank London. The group of musicians met in “New York City’s Knitting Factory” bar to combine their knowledge, history, and talents and create magical sounds together. They threw back several cocktails in memory of the old traditions and uncovered secrets and tales of the incredible lost sounds, creating “Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Allstars”. Contact 212-408-0219 for more information.
First Annual NYC Village Pourhouse Brewfest
Third Avenue at 11th Street; 1-4 p.m.
Summertime is upon us, which means it’s time for The Village Pourhouse 1st Annual Beer Festival! Come out for a day of beer festivities, drinks, and giveaways! The Village Pourhouse provides NY with the best beers all year round and invites you to celebrate with dozens of beer samples and an a la carte beer-infused menu.
$15 General Admission includes 5 Samples from over 20 breweries including: Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier, 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat, Jenlain Amber Ale, Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Goose Island Summertime and many more. Only $1 per taste after your first 5. Visit www.villagepourhouse.com for more information. Tickets will be $20 at the door.
NYC Unfolds Street Fair
Broadway from Houston to Grand Street
International AIDS Prevention/Names Project Fest
Broadway between East Houston Street and Grand Street
Captive Nations Parade
5th Avenue from East 50th to East 72nd Street
