As we head into August the city is still filled with music, dance and theater – most of it outdoors. We also found a few places to cool down on a Friday night and listen to great jazz and folk music, and would you believe they are at museums? So visit one of these Culture Clubs, see some great art, then relax with a martini or glass of wine. Here are this weekend’s offerings:
Friday, July 31
Good Morning America Summer Concert Series: Kelly Clarkson
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’s performer is Kelly Clarkson.
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. at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.
Exhibition: Mid-19th Century Underwear
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Take a peek at rarely seen ‘unmentionables’ of the 1850s and 60s, including a lady’s chemise, corset, drawers, stockings, and cage crinoline. Included with regular admission. Reservations not required.
Exhibit is at Merchant’s House Museum (29 East Fourth Street)
Call (212) 777-1089 for more information.
Shakespeare in Riverside Park: Hamlet
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 6:30 p.m.
Join Hudson Warehouse, the Other Shakespeare in the Park, for their production of Hamlet, a classic Shakespeare tragedy.
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.
Performances at Riverside Park, North Patio of Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument (89th Street)
Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series at the East River Park
7:00 p.m.
The Met’s annual concerts in New York City parks are one of the most beloved summer traditions in the city. This year, the company will present a six-performance series of recitals in the parks of all five boroughs. All performances in the Summer Recital Series are free and no tickets are required.. For additional information, please call (212) 362-6000. There will be no rain dates for these performances.
Today’s line-up is: Joyce El-Khoury, soprano?Keith Miller, bass?Vlad Iftinca, pianist
River to River Festival: BPC Parks’ Sunset Jam on the Hudson
7:00 p.m.
Improvise on African, Latin and Caribbean rhythms in a drumming circle led by master drummers. Instruments provided or bring own. Fridays through August 28.
The River To River Festival takes place each summer from June through August, in a variety of public venues that canvas all of Downtown New York – from Chambers Street down to the southern tip of Manhattan and across the island from river to river. This Friday’s concert is at the Robert E. Wagner Jr. Park. Call 212-417-2000 for more information.
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Dracula
Friday and Saturday, 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. Play takes place 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.
Central Park Summerstage Dance: RIOULT & Viewsic Expressions
8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Two courageous choreographers stage an enthralling evening of provocative dance. Summerstage takes place at the Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side). FREE.
Hudson River Park’s River Flicks for Kids: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
8:00 p.m.
Join us at Hudson River Park’s Pier 46 as we screen new and classic films for the whole family! Tonight’s movie is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Movie is shown at Pier 46 at Charles Street. Call (212) 627-2121 for more information.
CityParks Theater: Essential Shakespeare: I Dream a Little Dream
Friday and Saturday 8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
All the twists and turns of Shakespeare’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream packed into a little over an hour. Show is at Marcus Garvey Park, 124th Street & Mt. Morris Park, Manhattan. Call 212-360-8290 for more information.
Joan of Arc Presented by Gorilla Rep
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 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 at Fort Tryon Park on the Pine Lawn west of the Heather Garden. Manhattan. For information call (212) 252-5258.
Movie Night in J. Hood Wright Park: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8:30 p.m.
Come on out for an evening of family fun on the lawn of J. Hood Wright Park, Friday July 31st at 8:30 p.m. Watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, with your friends and neighbors under the stars! Bring a blanket. J Hood Wright Park in at Fort Washington Avenue and 174th Street.
Manhattan Youth Fair
Greenwich St between Barclay and Chambers Sts (nycstreetfairs.com).
The American Folk Art Museum presents Free Music Fridays.
45 West 52nd Street; 5:30 to 7:30 pm
The museum trustees and staff invite the public to explore the galleries free of charge, have a drink in the cafe, and enjoy live music in the stunning atrium.
This Friday music is by: LAWN & FACTORY, JESSIE MURPHY IN THE WOODS (pictured above).
Metropolitan Museum of Art and Martini Bar
Depictions of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Women
7:00 p.m., Tours Sign, Great Hall
The social roles of women are clearly defined in paintings such as Honoré Daumier’s The Laundress (ca. 1863) and Edward Hopper’s Tables for Ladies (1930).
Free tour with Museum admission
The Museum is open until 9:00pm. End the evening at the Museum’s Martini Bar on the Balcony.
The American Museum of Natural History/Hayden Planetarium Rose Center for Earth and Space
In collaboration with MTV2, the Museum of Natural History has developed SonicVision, a groundbreaking digitally animated alternative music show. SonicVision takes audiences in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater on a mind-warping musical roller-coaster ride through fantastical dreamspace. With a mix by Moby and featuring tracks from Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Fischerspooner, Spiritualized, Audioslave, Stereolab, Boards of Canada, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Goldfrapp, Zwan, White Zombie, and Moby, the music ignites this one-of-a-kind computer-generated musical and visual experience, which uses next-generation digital technology to illuminate the Planetarium’s dome with a dazzling morphing of colorful visions. SonicVision is presented every Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., in the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space.
Cocktail Fridays at the Cooper Hewitt Museum
6-9 p.m.
Enjoy summer cocktails and light fare in NYC’s largest private garden. Jazz trio, Ed Fuqua Group performs. The Cooper Hewitt Museum is located at 2 East 91st Street. Admission is free with museum admission.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
Cross-Park Promenade
12:00 p.m.
What better way to stay in shape than a walk on a Saturday afternoon in summer? You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park. Walk begins in Central Park, Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.
NY Laughs: Laughter in the Park 2009
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Laughter in the Park is New York’s only free outdoor comedy series. Every week, we present two hours of comedy at one of six different city parks.
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! This week’s concert is at the East River Park in the Amphitheatre. Call 718-419-5515 for more information.
Jazzmobile: Ms. Annette A. Aguilar & Stringbeans
3:00 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. Annette A. Aguilar & Stringbeans perform at the Samuel N. Bennerson 2nd Playground in Bennerson Park (64th Street and Amsterdam Avenue).
River to River Festival: Merce Cunningham Dance Company
6:00 p.m.
This year Merce Cunningham Dance Company will create a site-specific event, featuring a unique combination of new material and movement from past and current repertory, designed specifically for Rockefeller Park. Come celebrate one of the most extraordinary contemporary masters in his 90th year!
The River To River Festival takes place each summer from June through August, in a variety of public venues that canvas all of Downtown New York – from Chambers Street down to the southern tip of Manhattan and across the island from river to river. Tonight’s Festival takes place at the Nelson Rockefeller Playground in Rockefeller. Call 212-242-0800 for more information.
Central Park Summerstage: M. Ward, Mike Watt, & Nels Cline
7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
A trio of songwriting innovators line-up on one noteworthy evening. On the heels of the success of indie-pop outfit She & Him, singer/songwriter M. Ward recently released his sixth solo effort, Hold Time, to much enthusiasm. NPR describes Hold Time as, “a gorgeously produced mix of finger-picked guitars, upright bass, and shuffling rhythms all tied together by his achy voice.” Currently the lead guitarist of rock band Wilco, Nels Cline is a guitarist and composer best known for his improvisational work and his use of effects pedals and looping devices. Cline has also performed and recorded on several occasions with his Central Park SummerStage partner, punk rock luminary Mike Watt. Cline and Watt have collaborated in The Crew of the Flying Saucer, The Black Gang and in the jazz/punk/improv band Banyan with ex-Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins. Watt is often cited as a key figure in the development of American alternative rock. Summerstage is held at the Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side.
Cupcake Tea Parties Return to Ritz Carlton Central Park
Cupcakes are back.??That’s the word from the Ritz-Carlton at Central Park, which said its Cupcake Tea will return on weekends though October. On the menu: five mini cupcakes Rich Red Velvet Cupcake – Traditional cream cheese frosting topped with a candied pecan; Sicilian Pistachio Cupcake – Pistachio buttercream topped with diced pistachios; Strawberry Shortcake – Tahitian vanilla bean cupcake, summer strawberries, whipped chantilly cream; ?Valrhona Chocolate Cupcake – Whipped Valrhona chocolate ganache frosting; Coconut Infused Cupcake – Coconut cream filling with Tahitian vanilla buttercream frosting dusted with toasted coconut. They’re served with a choice of tea, hot chocolate, milk, chocolate Milk or another non-alcoholic beverage. ??The $25 per person package will be served on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations are required. (212) 521-6125.
C.O.R.E. Health Expo
Seventh Ave between 47th and 57th Streets
La Guardia Place Festival
La Guardia Pl between Houston and 4th Sts.
Canoe the Meer
11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join us 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. Event takes place at the Central Park Harlem Meer near Lasker Pool. Call 212-628-2345 for more information.
Family Program: Storytelling by Felix Pitre with Coqui the Frog
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Join veteran storyteller, performer, and musician extraordinaire Felix Pitre and his sidekick, puppet Coqui the Frog, at one of New York City’s most exciting gathering spots, the High Line’s 10th Avenue Square, for puppetry, musical instruments, folktales and songs during Stories from Latin America with Felix Pitre and Coqui the Frog. The High Line’s 10th Avenue Square is located at 17th Street and Tenth Avenue. Don’t forget to read Eleanor Foa Dienstag’s article about The High Line on Thursday’s front page. Visit www.thehighline.org for more information.
Festival of the Americas
6th Avenue from 42nd – 56th Street
Columbus Avenue Fair
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
A Concert Celebrating Stan Michels
1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Join the Fort Tryon Park Trust, New York City Parks & Recreation, Parlor Entertainment, and the Michels family in celebrating the late Council Member Stan Michels at a jazz concert performed by Marjorie Eliot* and her jazz ensemble.
We hope you can be with us to remember Stan on the one year anniversary of his passing. Concert take place at the Stan Michels Promenade in Fort Tryon Park located near the entrance at Margaret Corbin Circle, Fort Washington Avenue and Cabrini Boulevard.
Harlem Meer Performance Festival: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band
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.
Theater for the New City: Tally Ho! or Navigating the Future
2:00 p.m.
Theater for the New City’s award-winning Street Theater Company presents Tally Ho! or Navigating the Future a rip-roaring musical that will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs.
The production, free to all New Yorkers, has book, lyrics and direction by Crystal Field and musical score composed by David Tice. It’s about a young bank teller’s adventures in high finance with the big bankers and the heads of industry. The tale gets cosmic as Hera and Athena jump in to help when toxic assets and old mortgages join the runoff from the earth–the dead batteries, pesticides and rotting garbage–that have begun piling up on Mount Olympus. The piece will be written dynamically as events of state and the world unfold.
The production will play Theater for the New City (August 1), Morningside Park (August 2), Tompkins Square Park (August 8), Herbert Von King Park (August 9), Coney Island Boardwalk (August 14), Wise Towers (August 15), Central Park Bandshell (August 16), Prospect Park Concert Grove (August 22), Travers Park (August 23), St. Mary’s Park (August 29), Washington Square Park (August 30), Sobel Court & Bowen Street (September 12), and St. Marks Church (September 13). Call (212) 254-1109 for more information
MoonDance: Nu Guajiro
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. Free dance lessons begin at 6:30pm courtesy of Dance Manhattan. Live bands go on at 7 p.m. Dancing takes place at Pier 54.
Summer on the Hudson: Acoustic Sundays – Jazz at Lincoln Center: Pianist Jonathan Batiste
7:00 p.m.
Enjoy spectacular sunsets over the Hudson as you listen to some of New York’s best jazz, R&B, and world music. ?This week, Jazz at Lincoln Center presents pianist Jonathan Batiste.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1986, Jonathan began his musical education at the age of eight years old and quickly flourished as a multi-instrumentalist performing on piano, saxophone, and bass guitar. By the age of 16 years old, he was playing with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield and Nicholas Patyon and has currently performed with Harry Connick Jr., Cassandra Wilson and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and has quickly become a rising star in the jazz world.
Concert takes place at Riverside Park South, Pier I at 70th Street. Call 212-408-0219 for more information.
Central Park Summerstage: CineFest Brasil: If I Were You 2 & Silvia Machete
7:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
In this Brazilian-themed night, there will be a screening of If I Were You 2 (Se eu fosse você 2), a popular Brazilian concert directed by Daniel Filho, and a performance by Silvia Machete The natural born carioca is renowned for her trademark little red dress, twirling hoops and sensuous guitar work.
Concert takes place at the Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side).
