Calendar
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

ART
BUILDING A MYSTERY Artist John Kirchner takes photographs of architectural icons, strips them of their accoutrements, and gently distorts their shapes to make them seem even more imposing. The exhibit “Architectural Voodoo” at Kim Foster Gallery includes an image of the Metropolitan Museum of Art without its ever-present banners and tourists resting on its steps. The Empire State Building juts perilously high into the sky, and the Federal Reserve building appears almost ominously broad. Many of the photographs position the buildings at the foot of tall columns of open sky. Through Saturday, December 18, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Kim Foster Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-229-0044, free.
GIVE ME SHELTER Painter Denise Regan exhibits a series of Shelter Island landscapes. The primitive-style paintings focus on the island’s Coecles Harbour area, nestled between the North and South forks of Long Island. Through Thursday, December 23, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, 529 W. 20th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, suite 6W, 212-366-5368, free.
BENEFITS
WOMEN TO WATCH Comedian Sandra Bernhardt serves as master of ceremonies for a gala luncheon presented by New York Women in Film & Television. The entertainment organization presents Muse Awards to actresses Susan Lucci and Lee Grant, production designer Kristi Zea, and the co-chairwoman of the Walt Disney Company, Anne Sweeney. Thursday, 11:30 a.m. V.I.P. cocktails reception, 12:30 p.m. luncheon, New York Hilton, 1335 Sixth Ave., between 53rd and 54th streets, 212- 838-6033, $125 and up.
BOOKS
LOCAL LITERATURE The Brooklyn Public Library hosts a double-hitter of New York writers. Jonathan Lethem reads from his novel “The Fortress of Solitude” (Doubleday), about a boy who grows up on Dean Street in Boerum Hill during the 1970s (2 p.m.).Then Paul Auster reads from his holiday book “Auggie Wren’s Christmas Story” (Henry Holt) (4 p.m.). Both events: Saturday, Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 718-230-2100, free.
BASEBALL BOOKS The author of “Unhittable!: Baseball’s Greatest Pitching Seasons” (Triumph), Gabriel Schecter, joins the author of “Scapegoat: Baseballers Whose Careers Are Marked by One Fateful Day” (McFarland & Company), Christopher Bell, at a reading in conjunction with a baseball book group. Saturday, 6 p.m., Coliseum Books, 11 W. 42nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212- 803-5890, free.
COMEDY
OBSESSION A correspondent for “The Daily Show,” Samantha Bee, is the guest host at the next installment of comedian Sara Schaefer’s live talk show. “Sara Schaefer Is Obsessed With You” also welcomes the Moldy Peaches’ Kimya Dawson as the musical guest. In addition, every show features a different actor who has played a role on a “Law & Order” series. Friday, 8 p.m., Juvie Hall, 24 Bond St., between Bowery and Lafayette Street, 212-868-4444, $8.
DANCE
DANCE PREMIERES Jeanette Stoner presents a program of premieres with dancers including Chase Booth, Peter Davis, and Akiko Ko. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 5 p.m., Loft, 83 Leonard St., between Broadway and Church Street, 212-226-1576, $12.
IMPROV MOVES The Dance Improv Game Show lets children have input into what happens on stage. Choreographers David Neumann, Lynn Mancinelli, and Coco Killingsworth begin by dancing three minute performances that show off their individual styles. Then host Treva Offutt invites audience members to suggest settings and sounds to be performed on the spot. Saturday, 2 p.m., the Kitchen, 512 W. 19th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-5793 ext. 11, $10.
FAMILY
SEUSS TUNES The Great Performers series at Lincoln Center launches the Family Musik series this weekend. The program “Green Eggs and Hamadeus” pairs a piece written by host Rob Kapilow based on a Dr. Seuss classic with Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.” Saturday, 2 and 4 p.m., Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, 65th Street and Broadway, 212-721-6500, $25.
KING OF NEW YORK Brooklyn boosters can celebrate their borough at a festival this weekend. Attendees can see colorful West Indian Day Parade costumes, hear stories about “the old days,” watch a double-dutch jump-rope troupe, and taste the best pizza around. Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. at St. Mark’s Avenue, 718-735-4400, $4 general, members free.
MONKEY MEN The Funkey Monkeys are a children’s band created by “Dora the Explorer” composer Joshua Sitron who sing and act out silly stories for children ages 2 to 9.The simian singers perform at Makor this weekend. Sunday, 1 p.m., Makor, 35 W. 67th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-415-5500, $12.
FILM
HOLLYWOOD IN JERSEY African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux’s silent film “Symbol of the Unconquered” (1920) pits the Ku Klux Klan against black pioneers in the American West. The short films “The White Caps” (1905) and D.W. Griffith’s “The Rose of Kentucky” (1911) also focus on the Klan. They screen as part of a series focusing on Fort Lee, N.J., where all three films were shot during a brief period when the town was the center of the film world. (Griffith alone made almost a hundred films there.) Saturday, 2 p.m., American Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Avenue at 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, 718-784-0077, $10 general, $7.50 seniors and students, free for members.
FOOD & DRINK
SAVORY SPICES Chef, author, and photographer Lois Ellen Frank joins chef Walter Whitewater for a discussion and tasting of spicy Southwestern dishes. Tuesday, 7 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Linder Theater, 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5200, $15 general, $13.50 seniors, students, and members.
HOLIDAYS
CHRISTMAS LESSON The musical revue “An Old Fashioned Christmas” follows two sisters who journey back in time through several decades of festive music to find the true meaning of the holiday. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m., Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Music Hall, 1000 Richmond Terrace at Snug Harbor Road, Staten Island, 718-981-3576, $21 general, $16 seniors and students.
CHANUKAH HISTORY Klezmer ethnographer and performer Yale Strom celebrates Chanukah with a program of music and stories. Saturday, 8 p.m., B’Nai Jeshurun Synagogue, 257 W. 88th St., between Broadway and West End Avenue, 212-787-7600, $20 general, $15 members, reservations suggested.
RISQUE HOLIDAY Rock ‘n’ roll cabaret singer Rene Risque and his band, the Art Lovers, present a “Christmas Show and Chanukah, Too.” The band cultivates a louche Eurotrash attitude, and it plays some great pop music along the way. Saturday, 9:30 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. at Astor Place, 212-239-6200, $15.
WORLD-RECORD WASSAILING A group of singers will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Christmas caroling group ever. Edie Falco, Drew Lachey of “Rent,” and cast members from “Avenue Q” are among the crooners. The first 1,000 registered carolers will receive a free scarf from event co-sponsor Old Navy. Monday, 6:45-8:15 a.m. registration, 8:15-8:30 a.m. caroling, Times Square, 47th Street and Broadway, free.
MUSIC
NORDIC ORCHESTRA The Scandinavian Chamber Orchestra performs holiday favorites and works by Arcangelo Corelli, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, and Jean Sibelius. Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Scandinavia House, Victor Borge Hall, 58 Park Ave., between 37th and 38th streets, 212-847-9740, $25 general, $17 members and students.
ORCHESTRAL HOMAGE The Dicapo Opera Theater performs Hector Berlioz’s “L’Enfance du Christ” with a full orchestra and 100-member chorus. Johannes Somary con ducts. Saturday, 8 p.m., St. Jean Baptiste Church, Lexington Avenue between 75th and 76th streets, 212-288-9438, $47.50.
VIRGIL’S VOYAGE The folk opera “Il Viaggio Della Madonna Nera” (The Voyage of the Black Madonna) tells the story of Virgil’s journey in search of true knowledge. The opera is sung in Italian and features Spanish, Brazilian, French, and Portuguese drumming. Alessandra Belloni and John La Barbera’s ensemble, “I Giullari di Piazza,” performs the work at the group’s 25th anniversary celebration. Saturday, 8 p.m., Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-877-3399, $20.
RARE CHANCE The Archives Listening Project hosts monthly parties at which they play an obscure or lost album. Up next is “Fed,” the latest album created by the band Plush, the project of Chicago songwriter Liam Hayes. The pop album, which mashes Mr. Hayes’s rough vocals with lush orchestrations, was released in 2002 as a Japanese import. Monday, 9 p.m., Rififi in Cinema Classics, 332 E. 11th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-677-1027, free.
READINGS
PUBLIC PERFORMANCE Actors looking for some public practice of their craft can join in the Cold Reading Slam – a poetry slam for thespians. Actors pair up and prepare a five-minute scene on the spot. Then, after reading in front of a guest director, they’re given feedback and invited to try the scene again using the director’s notes. A prize goes to the winning team. Monday, 5-6 p.m. sign-up for actors, 6:30-10 p.m. readings, Nolita House, 47 E. Houston St., between Mott and Mulberry streets, 212-625-1712, $10.
LA LA LAND The Moth reading series presents “La La La,” an evening of stories about Los Angeles. Writer Andy Borowitz hosts the event, which features 10 five-minute stories exploring the West Coast wonderland. Readers include Teri Garr, Sue Costello, and Matt McGough. Monday, 6:30 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. reading, Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery at Spring Street, 212-868-4444, $20.
TALKS
ART AND POLITICS New York artists who created political work leading up to the presidential election talk about the post election blues (and reds). Saturday, 6-9 p.m., White Box Gallery, 525 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-714-2347, free.
THEATER
FRESH PLAYS Playwrights read from their new works at an event hosted by editors Eric Lane and Nina Shengold. Lisa Kron reads from her one-person show “2.5 Minute Ride” and Aasif Mandvi reads from “Sakina’s Restaurant.” All the readers are contributors to “Under 30: Plays for a New Generation” (Random House) or “Talk to Me: Monologue Plays” (Random House). Friday, 5-7 p.m., Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-944-0595 ext. 417, free, reservations requested.
FLYING FRANKENSTEIN The Flying Machine theater troupe uses storytelling and music to reimagine Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” as a “winter’s fairy tale.” Opens: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Runs: Saturday through Saturday, January 8, Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Soho Repertory Theater, 46 Walker St., between Broadway and Church Street, 212-868-4444, $15. Note: No performances on Tuesday, December 14 and Saturday, January 1, and the week of December 20.
BLIND MEMORIES Jan Lauwers’s performance work “Isabella’s Room” explores the memories of a 94-year-old blind woman who has been used as an experiment by a research hospital. Doctors have projected images directly into her brain. The production questions whether these manufactured memories are real or false. Presented by the ensemble Needcompany, “Isabella’s Room” is performed in French with English surtitles. Mr. Lauwers discusses his work before one of the performances (Thursday, 6 p.m.). Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday, December 18, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Academy of Music, Harvey Theater, 30 Lafayette Ave., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, $20-$45.
TOURS
PARK PEAKS A walking tour of Central Park’s North Woods, designed after the forests of the Adirondack Mountains, provides an afternoon in natural surroundings for city dwellers. Saturday, 11 a.m., meet at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, inside the park at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, 212-360-2726, free.
CHRISTMAS IN ALES A walking tour visits historic New York taverns that are decked out for the holidays. Stops include the White Horse Tavern, a favorite haunt of Dylan Thomas, who wrote “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” The tour is sponsored by NYC Discovery Walking Tours. Saturday and Sunday, 5:15 p.m., 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $13. Note: Ticket price does not include drinks.
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