ART

CASSATT COLLECTION A group of 48 counterproofs by Mary Cassatt is on view for the first time at Adelson Galleries. “Art in a Mirror” includes the subjects for which Cassatt is best known: women, mothers and children, and girls with their pets. Through Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., the Mark Hotel, Adelson Galleries, 25 E. 77th St. at Madison Avenue, third floor, 212-439-6800, free.

PATTERNED PAINTINGS Paintings by Roger Brown (1941-97) are on display in the first solo exhibit of his work in New York in 10 years. He often used silhouetted figures and patterned forms to create a graphic vision of the American landscape. Through Saturday, tomorrow-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Adam Baumgold Gallery, 74 E. 79th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-861-7338, free.

BOOKS

TRIBUTE TO INNOVATION Harold Evans discusses his book “They Made America: Two Centuries of Innovators from the Steam Engine to the Search Engine” (Little, Brown). Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street, 212-595-6859, free.

POSTCARD FROM A PRINCESS Carrie Fisher reads from and discusses “The Best Awful” (Simon & Schuster), which follows one of the heroines of her novel “Postcards from the Edge.” Tomorrow, 6 p.m., Coliseum Books, 11 W. 42nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-803-5890, free. Note: Ms. Fisher will only sign copies of her books at this event.

AMERICA (THE READING) Jon Stewart and writers of “The Daily Show” read from their bestseller “America (The Book)” (Warner). Proceeds go to 826NYC, a free tutoring center and writing lab for children in Brooklyn. Thursday, 8 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, $36.

COMEDY

JUNIOR’S FIRST JOKES Comedians including Eugene Mirman, Michael Black, Demetri Martin, and Jessi Klein perform at “My First Time! Comics Performing Their First Jokes.” Michael Showalter hosts the show, which is presented by PSNBC, NBC’s performance and development lab. Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. doors open, 8 p.m. show, the Marquee Theater, 356 Bowery between 3rd and 4th streets, www.nbc.com/psnbc ,$5.

FILM

SCREEN SIRENS A display of movie posters features Hollywood screen sirens from Jeanne Moreau to Marilyn Monroe to Raquel Welch. The winter grows a little bit warmer with the sight of Jane Russell reclining (with a gun) on a dark bed of straw for the Argentine poster for the 1946 Howard Hughes picture “The Outlaw.” Rita Hayworth coolly smokes in a gold evening gown on the poster for “Gilda” (1959) and a lingerie-clad Brigitte Bardot kneels innocently in Paris, which she dwarfs, for the “Une Parisienne” (1958) advertisement. Through Thursday, February 3, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, noon-6 p.m., Posteritati, 239 Centre St., between Broome and Grand streets, 212-226-2207, free.

GARDEN-VARIETY HORROR Traveling Cinema is screening a vintage horror flick at Barbes each Monday in January. Tonight, “The Thing from Another World” (1951) warns of an intelligent vegetable from space that threatens the safety of the free world. The film is said to have been directed by its producer, Howard Hawks, but credit went to Christian Nyby. After the screening, Las Rubias del Norte play live Latin music at the cozy Brooklyn bar. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barbes, 376 9th St. at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, 718-965-9177, free.

ONLINE SHORTS Blogger and filmmaker Greg Allen (www.greg.org) shares an installment of his Souvenir Series of short “video blogs” accompanied by clips by his favorite filmmakers. The talk is sponsored by the independent-film group the Reel Roundtable. Tonight, 7:30 p.m. reception, 8 p.m. screening and talk, the Millennium Theater, 66 E. 4th St., between Second Avenue and Bowery, www.reelroundtable.com ,$5.

FOOD & DRINK

SWEET CHARITY Tabla hosts a five-course meal of new Indian cuisine. The restaurant will donate 100% of the proceeds to Save the Children’s tsunami relief efforts. The two wine tastings for each course are donated by Korbrand (Tonight, 6:30 p.m. Champagne reception, meal to follow, Tabla, 11 Madison Ave. at 24th Street, 866-562-7263, $175). Meanwhile, restaurants in the B.R. Guest group – which includes Blue Water Grill, Ruby Foo’s, Dos Caminos, and Fiamma – are donating 20% of all net sales through dinner tomorrow to the International Red Cross. The effort is expected to raise more than $150,000. See www.brguestrestaurants.com for full list of restaurants.

SUNTORY TIME For those who have been considering membership at the Japan Society, now is an excellent time to join. A members-only event next week features a tasting of Japanese single-malt whisky. Grain chemist and whisky connoisseur Lincoln Henderson leads the tasting, which focuses on Suntory Yamazaki 12- and 18-year-old whiskies at various stages of the aging process. Wednesday, January 19, 6:30 p.m., Japan Society, 33 E. 47th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-752-3015, $25, members 21 and older only, reservations strongly suggested.

MUSIC

MUSICAL KAFKA Soprano Dawn Upshaw and violinist Geoff Nuttall perform Gyorg y Kurtag’s “Kafka Fragments,” a collection of 39 songs constructed of texts from Franz Kafka’s letters and diaries. Peter Sellars directs a new staging of the program. Tonight, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8:30 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $38-$52.

BIRTHDAY CONCERT Saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera celebrates his 50th birthday with a musical party that includes performances by Bill Cosby, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes, Brazilian songstress Rosa Passos,and many others. Tonight, 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $18-$66.

MIDTOWN MONTEVERDI The early-music organization ARTEK performs a program titled “Madrigals of Monteverdi,” featuring work from Monteverdi’s books 4, 5, and 9.The group’s director, Gwendolyn Toth, plays the harpsichord during the concert, which is part of the early-music series Midtown Concerts. Wednesday, 1:15 p.m., Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 135 W. 31st St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-967-9157, free.

PUMPKIN SEED Former Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin performs with his band, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex. Group Sounds headlines the evening (Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Chamberlin, 10:30 p.m. Group Sounds). Also at Mercury Lounge this week, the Canadian pop orchestra the Dears, which is being noticed for their second album, “No Cities Left,” performs (Saturday, 11 p.m.). Both shows: Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., between Essex and Ludlow streets, 212-260-4700, $10.

PHILHARMONIC FILMS The Brooklyn Philharmonic launches its 50th-anniversary season with a concert that celebrates Brooklyn’s role in the early years of film. “Brooklyn Goes Hollywood” includes music by Aaron Copland, Bernard Herrmann, John Corigliano, and Arnold Schoenberg. A highlight is the New York Premiere of George Gershwin’s “Watch Your Step Ballet.” Saturday, 8 p.m., Brooklyn Academy of Music, Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette St., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-488-5913, $20-$60.

READINGS

HALF-BAKED NOVELS Junno’s Reading Series invites authors to try out their works in progress in front of an audience. Tonight, the author of the book “girls” (Little, Brown), Nic Kelman, and Arlaina Tibensky read from their novels in progress. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Junno’s, 64 Downing St., between Bedford and Varick streets, 212-627-7995, free.

TALKS

TRADE TALK The Smith Family Foundation presents a discussion about free trade and its effects on the American economy. A reception follows. Tomorrow, 6:15 p.m., CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. at 34th Street, free.

LIVING WITH NATURE The president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Steven Sanderson, discusses the balance between allocating resources toward protecting endangered species and addressing human poverty. Tomorrow, 8:15 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 915 1264 1071 127492nd Street, 212-415-5500, $25 general, $18 members.

THEATER

WINTER TALES The New York Winter Theatre & Arts Festival includes performances by comedian Elizabeth Warner (tonight and tomorrow, 7:45 p.m., Friday, 9 p.m.) and a reading of “Norman and Beatrice” (Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.).Today through Saturday, 7:30 p.m. awards, 7:45 and 10 p.m. performances, Producers Club Two, 616 Ninth Ave., between 43rd and 44th streets, festival@ergoentertainment.com for reservations, $20 individual show, $40 festival pass, $30 festival pass for city employees.

DOWN WITH MEN “Eugene: A Bioethical Romance” is performed in a workshop setting next week. B.R. Westbrook’s play follows a man who is lured into the gene-manipulation underground, becomes a radical feminist, and attempts to unleash a virus that would decimate “the male race.” Matt Okin directs the Gilbert-Westbrook production. Tonight and tomorrow, 8 p.m., Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 Macdougal St. at West Street, 212-501-4751, $12.

TOP 10 TUNES Alec Duffy’s new musical theater piece, “The Top Ten People of the Millennium Sing Their Favorite Schubert Lieder,” puts Einstein, Copernicus, Galileo, and other “top 10” figures together in a salon like setting. Thursday through Sunday, January 30, Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Bank Street Theater, 155 Bank St., between West and Washington streets, 212-868-4444, $15.

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