COMMUNITY EVENTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Hanna and the Moonlit Dress
Dec. 2–18, Fridays at 4 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays at 10 a.m. & noon
The Theater at the 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14th St.
“Hanna and the Moonlit Dress” is based on the beloved Israeli book Hanna’s Sabbath Dress by Itzhak Schweiger-Dmi'el and is adapted for the stage by Ronit Muszkatblit and Yoav Gal. Hanna is a fantastical, interactive musical for children about the magic of a good deed. Directed by Ronit Muszkatblit, the cast features actors Case Watson as Hanna, Kate Mulberry as the Mother, and Matt Webster as Zuzzi the Dog, and the Coalman, under the music direction of Peter Hodgson. $18 or $50 per family. TheMoonLitDress.com
Peter & the Wolf
Dec. 3, 4, 10 & 11 at 2:30 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim, 1071 Fifth Ave.
In what has become an annual holiday tradition, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents ten performances of Sergei Prokofiev’s charming children’s classic. $35–$100. WorksAndProcess.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
New York & The Nation
Ongoing
The Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History
170 Central Park West
Explore the story of New York and America in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History. $20 for adults, $12 for students, $15 for seniors. NYHistory.org
ONGOING ELSEWHERE
Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Exercises
Through Dec. 21, Wednesdays, 4–5 p.m.
Borough Park Library, 1265 43rd St., Brooklyn
A class of five exercises including meditation. Come relieve your stress and anxieties, increase your energy and vitality, and enjoy peace of mind. Free. en.FalunDafa.org
Thursday Nights at the Brooklyn Museum
Thursdays
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy.
See all that the Brooklyn Museum has to offer—compliments of Squarespace. Get access to world-class permanent collections and tours of special exhibitions and events like films and salsa dancing. Free. ThursdayNightsBKM.org
Pushing the Envelope: A Decade of Documentary at the Cinema Eye Honors
Through Jan. 8
Museum of Moving Image, Queens
Highlights from the Cinema Eye Honors’ first decade with a series featuring more than twenty films that have won or been nominated, along with a few key films released in the year before that inaugural Cinema Eye Honors award ceremony. MovingImage.us
VISUAL ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Willow Avenue Atelier Opening Celebration
Dec. 8 at 6–9 p.m.
In the Historic Paperclip Building (formerly The Harlem Studio of Art)
728 E. 136th (4F), Port Morris Section of South Bronx
Recent work by atelier artists Edmond Rochat (recently profiled in Epoch Times), Tim Buch, Missy Dewing, and Judith Pond Kudlow will be exhibited. RSVP: [email protected]
The Poetics of Place
Dec. 12–May 28
The Met Fifth Avenue
The 60 works in The Poetics of Place will survey the diverse ways in which contemporary artists have photographed landscape and the built world over the last half century. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
A True Friend of the Cause: Lafayette and the Anti-Slavery Movement
Dec. 7–Feb. 4
Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St.
Hailed as the “Hero of Two Worlds,” the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) has received renewed attention for his multifaceted contributions in several areas, including international politics, diplomacy, the military, and the human rights movement. His sustained efforts deployed on both sides of the Atlantic on behalf of the abolition of slavery however are not widely known. This is the first public exhibition devoted to Lafayette’s role as an international anti-slavery advocate. Free. GrolierClub.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe
Through Jan. 7
The Museum at FIT
Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe features 40 extraordinary fashions and accessories from the fabulous wardrobe of Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, the Countess Greffulhe (1860–1952). A famous beauty celebrated for her “aristocratic and artistic elegance,” the countess fascinated her contemporaries, including Marcel Proust who told her cousin, Robert de Montesquiou, “I have never seen a woman so beautiful.” FITnyc.edu
Fragonard: Drawing Triumphant
Through Jan. 8
The Met Fifth Avenue
Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806)—one of the most forward-looking and inventive artists of the 18th century—was equally skilled in painting, drawing, and etching. Unlike many old masters for whom drawing was a preparatory tool, Fragonard explored the potential of chalk, ink, and wash to create sheets that were works of art in their own right. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven
Through Jan. 8
The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899
This exhibition will illuminate the key role that the Holy City played in shaping the art of the period from 1000 to 1400. While Jerusalem is often described as a city of three faiths, that formulation underestimates its fascinating complexity. In fact, the city was home to multiple cultures, faiths, and languages. History records harmonious and dissonant voices of people from many lands, passing in the narrow streets of a city not much larger than midtown Manhattan. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
NEW ELSEWHERE
Wrap Me Up: Winter Small Works
Through Jan. 20
Eleventh Street Arts, 46-06 11th St, Long Island City, Queens
Small, intimate paintings and drawings by 51 artists, including a couple of sculptures and over 100 portraits, landscapes, figure and still life paintings and drawings by highly skilled artists from the Water Street and Grand Central Ateliers. Prices range from $150 up to $9,500. Most works are priced around $2,000. eleventhstreetarts.com
PERFORMING ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Nov. 30–Dec. 31
New York City Center, 131 W. 55th St.
This season, engage your emotions with our wide-ranging repertory, including 3 world premieres: r-Evolution, Dream; Untitled America; and Deep. $20–$200. AlvinAiley.org
Don Pasquale
Dec. 2 & 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Ades Performance Space at Manhattan School of Music, 120 Claremont Ave.
$30 adults, $15 students and seniors. MSMnyc.edu
La Clemenza di Tito
Dec. 8–10 at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11 at 2:30 p.m.
Neidorff-Karpati Hall at Manhattan School of Music, 120 Claremont Ave.
$30 adults, $15 students and seniors. MSMnyc.edu
The Yorkville Nutcracker
Dec. 8–11
The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, E. 68th St.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of “The Yorkville Nutcracker,” set in 1895, which includes lavish sets and costumes and takes the audience on a tour through 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. $45–$85. DancesPatrelle.org
Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker
Dec. 10 & 11 at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St.
New York Theatre Ballet returns for a sixth year of Keith Michael’s “The Nutcracker,” an enchanting holiday ballet. From clockwork imps to a luminous owl that flies above the audience, mice dressed in polka dots and dancers dancing with huge chopsticks, this timeless re-imagined classic bursts with energy and excitement. $24 for children, $34 for adults. NYTB.org
The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s The First Noel
Dec. 10–18
The Apollo Theater
The Harlem-based holiday musical makes an unprecedented move to the Apollo’s mainstage this year with an expanded cast. The musical features original music and re-imagined classic carols—ranging from pop to jazz to gospel—and follows three generations of a Harlem family affected by tragedy to tell a universal story of love and belonging perfect for this holiday season. $30–$65. ApolloTheater.org
The Magic Flute
Dec. 20–Jan. 5
Metropolitan Opera
The Met’s English-language family adaptation of Mozart’s sublime and mystical journey, a new holiday tradition in the city, returns in Julie Taymor’s fanciful production. Young stars Layla Claire and Ben Bliss are the fairy-tale princess and prince, and Christopher Maltman reprises his acclaimed interpretation of the bird-catcher Papageno. Special holiday pricing and weekday matinees are available for this abridged version, conducted by Antony Walker. From $25. MetOpera.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Manon Lescaut
Through Dec. 10
Metropolitan Opera
Anna Netrebko stars in the title role, a heroine as alluring and irresistible as her adored city of Paris. Marcelo Alvarez is her obsessed lover in the opera that made Puccini famous, showcased in Richard Eyre’s heated,1940s film noir–inspired production, with Marco Armiliato on the podium. From $32. MetOpera.org
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
Through Dec. 31
David H. Koch Theater
Celebrate the joy and wonder of the holidays with George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” as Tschaikovsky’s iconic score whisks you away on a heartwarming adventure through the eyes of the pint-sized heroine Marie on her journey to a fantastical land made entirely of candy. $35–$285. NYCBallet.com
L'Amour de Loin
Dec. 1–29
Metropolitan Opera
Commissioned by the Salzburg Festival, where it was first seen in 2000, it will now finally have its Metropolitan Opera premiere in a dazzling new production by Robert Lepage, featuring glimmering ribbons of LED lights that extend across the length of the stage and over the orchestra pit. Eric Owens is the knight on a quest of love and Susanna Phillips is his lover on the other side of the sea. Conductor Susanna Malkki makes her Met debut. From $25. MetOpera.org
Nabucco
Dec. 12–Jan. 7
Metropolitan Opera
The legendary Plácido Domingo brings another new baritone role to the Met under the baton of his longtime collaborator James Levine. Liudmyla Monastyrska is Abigaille, the warrior woman determined to rule empires, and Jamie Barton is the heroic Fenena. Dmitri Belosselskiy is the stentorian voice of the oppressed Hebrew people. From $27. MetOpera.org
NEW ELSEWHERE
The Colonial Nutcracker
Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Rd.
An annual holiday favorite, Dance Theatre in Westchester performs its family-friendly, full-length version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet set in wintry colonial Yorktown, complete with a red-coated mouse army, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and simultaneous narration to help young audience members enjoy this timeless classic. $15. BrooklynCenter.org
MUSIC
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Vespers of 1610
Dec. 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Church of St. Jean Baptiste, 184 East 76th St.
TENET’s Green Mountain Project returns to offer their beloved performance of this monumental work: Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 under conductor and music director Scott Metcalfe and with Dark Horse Consort in a historically informed approach and appropriate chants. $60–$100. Tenet.nyc
Mozart for the Holidays
Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.
Grace Church, 802 Broadway
The Choral Society of Grace Church: presents Mozart’s “Missa longa” (K 262), with works by Palestrina, Tavener, Rutter, Handel, and audience carol sing. $30. TheChoralSociety.org
Amor Artis
Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.
Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, 263 Mulberry St.
Carols and motets from the medieval period and Renaissance up through the 21st century, including works by Victoria, Sweelinck, Britten, and Howells, along with beautiful arrangements for choir, harp, and oboe of favorites such as “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” “Auld Lang Syne,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Artistic Director Ryan James Brandau. $35 or $25 for students. AmorArtis.org
Manhattan Chamber Players
Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th St.
Formed by Artistic Director Luke Fleming, MCP is comprised of an impressive roster of musicians who all come from the tradition of great music making at the Marlboro Music Festival, Steans Institute at Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Yellow Barn and Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festivals and Perlman Music Program, and are former students of the Curtis Institute, Juilliard School, Colburn School, New England Conservatory, and Yale School of Music. $19. KaufmanMusicCenter.org
When Icicles Hang by the Wall
Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
Loreto Theater at The Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker St.
Mirror Visions Ensemble (soprano, tenor, baritone and piano) was founded from a desire to explore the relationship between music and text, initially through the creation of “mirror visions”, which are settings of the same text to music by different composers. This particular concert features four “mirror visions”—four different settings of Shakespeare’s text “When Icicles Hang by the Wall,” including a world premiere by Christopher Berg. $17–$22. MirrorVisions.org
Handel’s Messiah
Dec. 6 & 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Saint Thomas Church
In the glorious setting of Saint Thomas Church, Director of Music Daniel Hyde leads baroque music ensemble Concert Royal and The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys in this joyous holiday concert. $40–$95. SaintThomasChurch.org
Great Music in a Great Space
Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.
The annual Christmas Concert at St. John the Divine celebrates France! Poulenc’s stunning organ concerto gives the Great Organ a star turn, while his Four Motets evoke the mystery of the Christmas miracle. Charpentier’s charming In Nativitatem Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Canticum tells the Christmas story through a Baroque lens, angels and shepherds abiding. $50–$75. StJohnDivine.org
Renaissance Christmas
Dec. 10 at First Church of Christ, Scientist
Dec. 11, 18, & 25 at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
To celebrate the holidays, Early Music New York’s Director Frederick Renz has selected carols, noels, and motets emanating from European sacred and secular rituals. Special holiday repertoire performed for voices and instruments. $20–$50. EarlyMusicNY.org
What Makes It Great? Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8
Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th St.
The meaning of Shostakovich’s greatest chamber work, an emotionally wrenching piece he called his “ideologically depraved quartet,” has been contested for more than 50 years. Written in just three days in a white-hot burst of inspiration after visiting the bombed-out portions of Dresden, the quartet was officially dedicated to the victims of fascism and war. But did Shostakovich actually intend it as veiled criticism of Soviet rule meant to undermine the Communist regime? Or as a requiem for himself, a powerful testament to his own uniquely personal experience? Featuring the Attacca Quartet. $45. KaufmanMusicCenter.org
Young Concert Artists: Tomer Gewirtzman
Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th St.
Poetic Israeli pianist and winner of the 2015 YCA International Auditions, the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Tel Aviv, and Gold Medalist at the 2014 Wideman International Piano Competition in Louisiana. A favorite soloist with the Israeli Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the New Haifa Symphony. He held Juilliard’s Kovner Fellowship. $10–$45. KaufmanMusicCenter.org
Storm Large: Holiday Ordeal
Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W. 54th St.
What better way to spend a holiday than with Storm Large (of Pink Martini fame)? Storm will love you, leave you, delight you and abuse you with wicked charm and stunning vocals that will have you begging for more. “Holiday Ordeal” is a night of music, gags, gifts and some very special guests, with songs ranging from “2000 Miles,” “Hallelujah,” “Sock it to Me Santa,” and the greatest holiday song never written for the holidays, “Somebody to Love.” $30–$60. 54Below.com
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Spiral Music
Wednesdays
Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St.
Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries. Free. RubinMuseum.org
NEW ELSEWHERE
Brooklyn Rider
Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Queens
The program features Philip Glass’ String Quartet No. 3, “Mishima”, Janácek’s string quartet No. 1, “The Kreutzer Sonata”, and Brooklyn Rider member Colin Jacobsen’s BTT, which is a tribute to the New York downtown music scene of an earlier era that included Glenn Branca, John Lurie, Meredith Monk, the Velvet Underground, the Ramones, and many more. Also on the program is Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95. $25. 5BMF.org
Christopher Cerrone & Friends
Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
National Sawdust, 80 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn
Christopher Cerrone writes music characterized by profoundly expressive lyricism, ringing clarity, and a deep literary fluency. NYFOS. The dynamic line-up of performers includes vocalists Theo Bleckmann and Justine Aronson, Pat Swoboda on bass and NYFOS Associate Artistic Director Michael Barrett and composer Timo Andres at the piano. $40–$45. NationalSawdust.org
