ART

SEEING THE CITY The Precisionist artist Louis Lozowick (1892-1973) immigrated to America from Russia in 1906 and was inspired by his adopted country’s developing industrial landscape. Many of his works focus on machinery, bridges, and skyscrapers. The paintings and lithographs in the exhibit “Building a City” date from the 1920s and 1930s. Included is a series of New York bridges, including the Brooklyn, Queensboro, and Williamsburg. A 1925 lithograph titled “Minneapolis” is one of several on view that incorporate harsh geometric angles, inspired by Cubism, in a bustling cityscape. The exhibit also features art inspired by granite quarries he visited during summers spent in Rockport, Mass. He was intrigued by the process by which the raw blocks were extracted from the earth to be used to pave Manhattan and build the Chrysler Building. Through Wednesday, January 22, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mary Ryan Gallery, 24 W. 57th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-397-0669, free.

PICTURE PERFECT Minneapolis artist Andrea Shaker has her first solo show in New York at Daniel Cooney Fine Art. The large-scale, black-and-white photographs on display were taken in Ms. Shaker’s home. She captures ragged dining room chairs, a clump of hair lying on a bathroom windowsill, and a woman’s shadow cast on a white wall. In some photos, pieces of string dangle from unexpected places: a woman’s raised heel, and a mysterious hole in the wall. Through Thursday, December 23, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 511 W. 25th St. at Tenth Avenue, #506, 212-255-8158, free.

AMERICAN FACES Recent photographs by Burk Uzzle are on display at Laurence Miller Gallery. “Riptide: America on the Flipside” looks at ordinary American scenes, sometimes through a humorous lens. A Vermont lawn is studded with homemade model cows, a dour elderly woman’s wheelchair bears a huge sign reading “Frisky, Cool, Ladies,” and a Florida cheerleader poses under a tree draped in toilet paper. Through Friday, December 24,Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Laurence Miller Gallery, 20 W. 57th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-397-3930, free.

BENEFITS

INSTRUMENTAL HELP The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performs a program of Mozart and Mendelssohn at its annual benefit. Pinchas Zukerman performs a solo violin piece and also conducts parts of the concert. It’s the orchestra’s only performance in New York this year. A gala dinner at the Plaza follows. Tonight, 7 p.m. concert, Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, dinner to follow at the Plaza, Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, 212-247-7800 for concert, 212-697-2949 for benefit, $35-$125 concert only, $1,500 for concert and dinner.

MONDAY NIGHT LIVE Tina Fey and Amy Poehler of “Saturday Night Live” perform at the Leadership in Tourism awards ceremony. The city’s official tourism organization, NYC & Company, will bestow honors on American Express, NBC Universal, fashion designer Nicole Miller, and the president of the Hotel Association of NYC, Joseph Spinnato. NBC’s Brian Williams hosts the ceremony. Tonight, 7 p.m. reception, 8 p.m. dinner, Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-245-6570 ext. 16, $2,500.

BOOKS

HEAR HER ROAR The creator of “The Vagina Monologues,” Eve Ensler, discusses her latest stage production, “Good Body.” Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Union Square, 33 E. 17th St. at Broadway, 212-253-0810, free.

LAUGHTER IN THE SANCTUARY The author of “Laughter in the Living Room: Television Comedy and the American Home Audience” (Peter Lang), Michael Tueth, discusses and signs his book. Wednesday, 7 p.m., Mary Chapel, St. Francis Xavier Church, 46 W. 16th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-627-2100, free.

COMEDY

GURU GUFFAWS Indian-American comedians, including Paul Verghese, Vidur Kapur, and Anand Chulani perform in a show titled “The Gurus of Comedy.” Wednesday, 7 and 9 p.m., Imaginasian Theater, 239 E. 59th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-371-6682, $20.

FILM

THE ACTOR INSIDE Academy Award nominee Javier Bardem talks with Columbia University’s Annette Insdorf before a screening of his biopic “The Sea Inside,” about the writer Ramon Sampedro. Thursday, 7:15 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $25.

OFFICE ANTICS The cult hit “Office Space” is screened in the Onion Film Series. Mike Judge’s dark comedy stars Ron Livingston as an office drone who decides to simply stop working. Promoted for his “refreshing honesty,” he has to fight his way out of middle management with the help of a few willing friends, including a hopeless dork named Michael Bolton. Along the way, he dates Jennifer Aniston and beats up a fax machine. The film was a flop in theaters but went on to find a huge audience on video. Thursday, 6 p.m. tickets go on sale, 7 and 9:30 p.m. screenings, Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave., between 1st and 2nd streets, 212-505-5181, $8 general, $5 members and students.

HOLIDAYS

EARLY CAROLS Holiday songs from the 18th century, including “I Saw Three Ships” and “The Holly and the Ivy,” are played on period instruments such as hammer dulcimers and fiddles. Seasonal refreshments are served in the Colonial museum setting. Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m., Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St. at Broad Street, 212-425-1778, $15 general, $10 members.

SOME ZERO GAMES Performance artist Zero Boy, who can produce an action movie’s worth of sound effects with just his mouth, performs a Christmas program. Audience members at tomorrow’s show can bring suggestions for Zero Boy, who will also perform some risque Christmas tunes along with the usual roster of sound effects. He is a regular guest on the public radio program “The Next Big Thing,” where listeners try to “Stump Zero Boy” by proposing elaborate stories that he must create sound effects for on the spot. Tuesday, 8 p.m., Gallery, 7 E. 27th St., between Fifth and Madison avenues, 646-207-0595, $10.

MUSIC

‘MESSIAH’ MEN The Saint Thomas men and boys choir perform Handel’s Messiah with soloists including soprano Amanda Balestrieri, countertenor Thomas Dinan, tenor Scot Cameron, and bass Christopher Trueblood. Tomorrow and Thursday, 7:30 p.m., St. Thomas Church, 53rd Street at Fifth Avenue, 212-664-9360, $60 and $70 for reserved seating.

ELEGANCE AND MOZART The New York Philomusica Chamber Ensemble performs a program titled “Elegance, Artistry, and Flair.” The concert includes Mozart’s “Piano Trio in G, K. 564,” Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s “Septet in D Minor, Op. 74,” and Brahms’s “Piano Trio No. 1 in B, Op. 8.” A talk with members of the ensemble precedes the performance, and a reception follows. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. talk, 8 p.m. concert, Merkin Concert Hall, Abraham Goodman House, 129 W. 67th St. at Broadway, 212-580-9933, $35 general, $30 seniors, $17.50 students.

TRANSFER HERE The Manhattan Transfer perform music from their latest album, “Vibrate,” as well as some of their old favorites. Thursday through Sunday, 8 and 10:30 p.m., the Blue Note, 131 W. Third St. at MacDougal Street, 212-475-8592, $40 at the bar, $55 at a table.

READINGS

SATIRIC STORIES Actors Alec Baldwin, Rosie Perez, Molly Shannon, and Liev Schreiber read holiday short stories by David Sedaris at a benefit next week. The program includes “Dinah, the Christmas Whore” and “Six to Eight Black Men.” Proceeds benefit the children’s literacy organization Everybody Wins. Tonight, 8 p.m., Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 800-494- 8497, $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

ACHEY BREAK Harold Pinter’s 1961 play “A Slight Ache” was originally performed as a radio play, despite the fact that one of its three characters never speaks. It’s performed in an event presented by Food for Thought, which pairs afternoon luncheons and dramatic readings. Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. lunch, 1:30 p.m. reading, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, between Irving Place and Gramercy Park West, 1156 565 1297 575212-362-2560, $47. Note: Business attire required.

NEW YORKER NOEL Selected Shorts presents an afternoon reading of Christmas stories from the pages of The New Yorker. Roger Angell hosts the family-friendly program of stories read by Malachy Mc-Court, James Naughton, and Tony Roberts. Sunday, 3 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-669-3333, $21 and $25 general, $19 and $23 seniors and students, $18 and $22 members.

SHOPPING

METRO SAVINGS As part of its centennial celebration, the MTA lets passengers use their MetroCards as a discount pass in a variety of Chinatown businesses. Participants include Lucky 11 restaurant, Pearl of the Orient Gallery, Cathay Jewelry, and Green Tea Cafe. Through Friday, December 31, various locations. See www.explorechinatown.com for full list of participants.

TALKS

HUMAN RIGHTS THEN AND NOW A symposium celebrates the memory of human rights activist Andrei Sakharov (1921-89), who abandoned his career as a Soviet scientist in the 1960s to help spread democratic ideals in the communist world. The conference addresses human rights and democracy in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Panelists include veterans of the Soviet human rights movement, who will reflect on how their experiences might be adaptable to thwarting the trends toward authoritarianism in the region. They also discuss the impact of the current turmoil in Ukraine and the meaning of its “orange revolution.” Today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Columbia University, International Affairs Building, 420 W. 118th St. at Morningside Drive, room 1501, 212-854-4697, free, reservations requested.

SAD CANVASES The director of the Jerusalem Studio School, Israel Hershberg, gives a talk about “paintings that make him cry.” The nonprofit Jerusalem Studio School opened in Israel in 1997 to train students in painting and drawing. Tonight, 7:15 p.m., Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street, 646-505-4445, free.

FAN OF FANS Fan collector William Smith shows off part of his large collection of Art Deco and modern fans. The program, presented by the Art Deco Society of New York, includes fans by French artists including George Barbier, Paul Iribe, and Georges Lepape. A holiday-themed reception follows. Tomorrow, 6 p.m., American Association of University Women, 111 E. 37th St., between Lexington and Park avenues, 212-679-3326, $20 general, $15 members, reservations requested.

PRESERVING THE VILLAGE Professor Joshua Kotzin examines the preservation movement in late 19th-century America through the lens of literature. He discusses, among other topics, how Henry James wrote that he imagined Greenwich Village would be remembered in the future. The program is a presentation of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Wednesday, 6 p.m., Jefferson Market Regional Library, Sixth Avenue at West 10th Street, 212-475-9585 ext. 39, free.

THEATER

SMOKE SIGNALS Comedian Tommy Chong appears in the role he was born to play in the ongoing production of “The Marijuana-Logues.” Mr. Chong performs with the show’s creators, Doug Benson and Tony Camin. Through Sunday, tomorrow-Thursday, 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m., Sunday, 4:20 p.m., the Actors’ Playhouse, 100 Seventh Avenue South, between Christopher and Bleecker streets, 212-239-6200, $55-$65.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE Nikolai Gogol’s 1833 comedy “Marriage” takes place in St. Petersburg and follows a young unmarried woman who is wooed by four bachelors. The play is performed in repertory with Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid.” Through Sunday, days and times vary, the Pearl Theatre Company, Theatre 80, 80 St. Mark’s Place at First Avenue, 212-598-9802, $40 for Tuesday-Thursday shows and Saturday matinees, $50 Friday-Sunday shows.

TRYING TIMES Andre Gide and Jean-Louis Barrault’s adaptation of Kafka’s “The Trial” opens this week. John Lenartz stars as Joseph K in the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble production. Opens: Friday, 8 p.m. Runs: Friday through Sunday, January 9, days vary, 8 p.m. all days except Sundays, 3 p.m., the Mint Space, 311 W. 43rd St. at Eighth Avenue, fifth floor, 212-352-3101, $15.

WORKSHOPS

LUCKY LANGUAGE The CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies hosts a conversation circle for those who wish to practice their Irish language skills. All skill levels are welcome. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Lehman College, Carman Hall Cafe, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, between Paul and Goulden avenues, Bronx, 718-960-6722, free.

---

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.