ART

COLD CASE Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz collaborated on a series of sculptures and photographs of skewed snowglobe scenes for “Cold Front,” their sixth joint exhibit at P.O.W. The globes’ miniature inhabitants are usually not dressed for the weather: A businessman wearing only a suit trudges toward a mountain pass carrying his briefcase, and in another scene an angry mob marches through a storm with only short-sleeve shirts and a torch to warm them. The globes themselves are on display, along with photographs that capture the scenes in a picturesque whirl of snow. Through Saturday, February 5, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., P.P.O.W. Gallery, 555 W 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-647-1044, free.

BENEFITS

ICE, ICE, BABY An after-hours ice-skating party in Brooklyn benefits the Prospect Park Alliance’s Junior Committee. A DJ from the Park Slope bar Southpaw spins tunes, the hot chocolate is spiked, and supporters of the park can skate at the borough’s only outdoor rink. Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter, Emma, and a Vogue fashion editor, Sally Singer, are the chairwomen of “Skating Under the Stars.” Friday, January 21, 9:30 p.m.-midnight, Prospect Park, Kate Wollman Rink, near the Parkside Avenue/Ocean Avenue park entrance, 718-965-8988, $35-$100 general, $25 members.

BOOKS

TWIN TROUBLES Former Green Beret Gordon Cucullu discusses his book “Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin” (Lyons Press). Saturday, 2 p.m., Queensborough Public Library, Flushing Branch,41-17 Main St. at 41st Road, Flushing, Queens, 718-661-1200, free.

MUNROVIA Author Alice Munro makes a rare appearance for a reading of her latest short-story collection, “Runaway” (Knopf). Actress Joan Allen reads from the book, which, like most of Ms. Munro’s work, focuses primarily on the lives of women in Canada. “It is fiction of the highest order,” wrote J.D. McClatchy in The New York Sun’s 2004 list of “Books of the Year.” Early reservations are strongly suggested for the reading, which is presented by the Chelsea bookstore 192 Books. Wednesday, February 2, 7 p.m., Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 W. 21st St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-4022, reservations required.

DANCE

SWEET DREAMS John Lithgow wrote and performs narration for Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet “Carnival of the Animals.” The dance tells the story of a young boy, accidentally locked in the American Museum of Natural History, who has dreams in which people in his life appear as animals. New York City Ballet dancers perform to a score by Camille Saint-Saens. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 19, 8 p.m., New York City Ballet, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street, 212-870-5570, $30-$73.

FAMILY

TO ASIA WITH LOVE Children’s artwork will be sold at the kick-off to the “Love, New York” tsunami relief exhibit at Willy Bee’s Family Lounge. Local musician Audra Tsanos and her All-Star Band perform at the opening event. Friday, 5-7 p.m., Willy Bee’s Family Lounge, 302 Metropolitan Ave. at Roebling Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-599-3499, free. Exhibit: Through Monday, February 14, daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

STORIES AND CELEBRATION The South Street Seaport Museum hosts a weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebrations. Storytellers read “Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King” (Saturday) and “Martin’s Big Words” (Sunday), and there’s birthday cake for all to share. Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m., South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St., between Front Street and the East River, 212-748-8758, free with museum admission.

STRING THINGS The Kids Classics series of family concerts offers a recital focusing on stringed instruments. Host Jim Blanton and his orchestra lead audience members through the different parts of the symphony, and introduce musical ideas such as rhythm, pitch, and dynamics. At a preconcert activity session, children can make their own instruments (2 p.m.). Upcoming Sunday sessions focus on percussion (April 17) and “tutti” (May 15). Sunday, 3 p.m., Queens College, LeFrak Concert Hall, Kissena Boulevard at 64th Avenue, Queens, 718-793-8080, $12.

FILM

CRITICS’ PICKS Members of the New York Film Critics Circle introduce some of their favorite movies at a series opening on Saturday. This weekend’s offerings include two politically incorrect delights: Newsday’s John Anderson introduces Alexander Payne’s 1996 film “Citizen Ruth,” a caustic comedy about the abortion debate (Saturday, 2 p.m.), and Leah Rozen of People magazine introduces Ernst Lubitsch’s “To Be or Not to Be” (1942), which poked fun at the Nazis when the outcome of World War II was still uncertain (Sunday, 2 p.m.). Next weekend, The New York Sun’s film critic, Nathan Lee, introduces Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salo” (1975), inspired by a work by the Marquis de Sade (Saturday, January 22, 2 and 4 p.m.). Series: Saturday through Sunday, February 13, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 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.

JEWISH FESTIVAL The New York Jewish Film Festival screens the short film “Waiting for Woody Allen,” a pastiche of Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” that finds two chasidic men (Modi and Joseph Piekarski) talking religion and therapy on a Central Park bench – as they wait for Woody Allen to arrive and explain it all. It is accompanied by Daniel Anker’s documentary “Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust.” The series is presented by the Jewish Museum and Lincoln Center. Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Monday, 6 p.m., Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, 3 p.m., Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-875-5600 for information, 212-496-3809 for tickets, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members, $5 seniors Monday-Friday before 6 p.m. See www.thejewishmuseum.org for complete schedule.

BURNS ON BOXING Ken Burns signs the DVD of his latest PBS documentary, “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson,” about boxing’s first black heavyweight champion. Monday, 12:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble Union Square, 33 E. 17th St. at Broadway, 212-253-0810, free.

FIRST LOOK The ImaginAsian theater hosts advance screenings of several new Asian films to benefit tsunami relief efforts by Unicef, Oxfam, and the Red Cross. Films include “Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities” (Tuesday, 7 p.m.); “Beautiful Boxer,” about a Thai transvestite kickboxer (Wednesday, 7 p.m.); and “Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior,” a muay Thai film featuring martial arts star Tony Jaa (Thursday, 7 p.m.). All screenings: ImaginAsian Theater, 239 E. 59th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-371-6682, $10 minimum donation.

GAMES

BOCCE BAR The Brooklyn Heights bar Floyd, NY hosts the championship tournament of a local bocce ball league this weekend on its full indoor court. The competing teams have been playing throughout the fall. The event is sponsored by Rheingold Beer, and the grand prize is a night of Rheingold on the house. “Most people are competitive about it but they have fun with it,” says Nathan Dewey of the brewery. As for spectators, they can enjoy two-for-one Rheingold all night long, and if the competition becomes too intense they can retreat to the back of the bar, which Mr. Dewey says is “loungey, but not loungey in the sense of Manhattan at all.” Saturday and Sunday, 4 p.m., Floyd, NY, 131 Atlantic Ave., between Henry and Clinton streets, 718-858-5810, free.

WEEKEND WARRIORS The downtown music venue Pianos usually books literary magazine readings, quirky songwriters, and hipster comedy acts in its upstairs lounge. This weekend, it eschews trendiness and broadcasts the Jets-Steelers game on a big-screen television. Sunday, 4 p.m., Pianos, 158 Ludlow St. at Stanton Street, upstairs lounge, 212-505-3733, free.

MUSIC

CHILLY AND DIRTY The seasonally appropriate band Winter Pageant opens for the mellow Brooklyn ensemble Dirty on Purpose. Saturday, 8 p.m. show, 11 p.m. Dirty on Purpose, Sin-E, 150 Attorney St. at Stanton Street, 212-388-0077, $8.

SWEET HOME ALBANIA Albanian star Merita Halili sings a program of songs from central Albania, a style characterized by frilly ornamentation and Turkish makems, or modes. Her husband, accordion player Raif Hyseni, joins her for the recital. Saturday, 8 p.m., Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, $26 general, $22 members and children, $15 students.

PIANO FORT Pianist Anat Fort performs in BAMcafe’s “Fort Greene Scene” festival, celebrating musicians who live in the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s neighborhood. Saturday, 9:30 p.m., Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette St., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, free, $10 minimum.

ONE OUT OF FOUR SEASONS Urban folk singer Morley performs an interpretation of Vivaldi’s “Winter” in a program of original music backed by violin, percussion, and guitar. Sunday, 2 p.m., Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, 718-548-3200 ext. 385, $18 general, $12 members, reservations suggested.

NEVER TOO LATE The Collegiate Chorale, led by its assistant conductor, Michael Conley, celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a program titled “Remembering the Dream.” The Manhattan Voices and organist Ken Bowen join the ensemble in presenting the world premiere of Nancy Wertsch’s commissioned work “Tis Not Too Late,” set to text by Tennyson. The program also includes three settings of the Agnus Dei, three choruses from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” and the “Prisoner’s Chorus” from Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Monday, 8 p.m., the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 145 W. 46th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 917-322-2140, $25 and $40.

RUSSIAN POETRY The New York Festival of Song presents a musical tribute to 20th-century Russian poets Alexander Blok and Anna Akhmatova. The program features Shostakovich’s “Seven Songs on Poems by Alexander Blok (op. 127),” Prokofiev’s “Five Poems by Anna Akhmatova,” and songs by Rachmaninoff, Sergey Slonimsky, Tchaikovsky, and Cesar Cui. Up next in the series is a selection of songs by opera composers including Verdi, Puccini, and Wagner (March 23). Wednesday, 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-501-3330, $45 general, $35 seniors, $22.50 for students a half-hour before showtime.

READINGS

GOOD ‘N’ PLENTY Editors and writers from Plenty magazine read work from the bimonthly lifestyle magazine about environmental friendliness that debuted in November. Monday, 7 p.m., Half King, 505 W.23rd St.at Tenth Avenue,212-462-4300, free.

FIRST BOOKS Actors including Kristen Johnston, Justin Theroux, Sam Rockwell, Bob Balaban, Martha Plimpton, and Parker Posey read from classic works of children’s literature by authors such as Mark Twain, Dr. Seuss, and Roald Dahl at a benefit for the Brooklyn writing lab 826NYC. Eric Bogosian hosts the evening, which also includes readings of works by “grown-up” authors Jonathan Safran Foer, Nick Hornby, Neil Gaiman, and George Saunders. Monday, January 24, 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey and Rivington streets, 718-499-9884, $50 general, $100 tickets include priority seating, drinks, and a signed book including copies of the works to be read.

SPACE

TO THE MOON The American Museum of Natural History celebrates the first landing of a space probe on one of Saturn’s moons, Titan, with a series of events this weekend. The night before the landing, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, David Grinspoon, givesa talk titled”Imaging Titan: The Ongoing Discovery of a Strange, New World” (Friday, 7-9 p.m., $14 general, $12 members, seniors, and students). Die-hard space fans can enjoy a 5 a.m. “Breakfast at Titan” with a live broadcast of the news conference to release landing images (Saturday, 5-9 a.m., free). Hands-on family activities are also available, to give future astronauts a taste of space (Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m., free). All activities: American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5200, $13 general, $9 seniors and students, $7 children. See www.amnh.org for full list of Titan activities.

TALKS

LETTERS FROM LEWIS The next meeting of the New York C.S. Lewis Society features a discussion about the second volume of Lewis’s letters. Friday, 7:30-9 p.m., Parish House, Church of the Ascension, 12 W. 11th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-254-8620, free.

FASHION FORWARD Designers Diane von Furstenberg, Norma Kamali, and Jill Stuart talk about how they built their successful global product lines. Cosmetics consultant Pamela Vaile moderates the talk. Monday, 8:15 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $25.

WHERE NO MAN HAD GONE BEFORE Science writer Carol Grant Gould discusses the life of explorer and naturalist William Beebe (1877-1962), a best-selling author in his day. Beebe straddled the past and present of the environmental movement: He was a protege of Theodore Roosevelt and a mentor to Rachel Carson. He decended 2,000 feet into the ocean in a 4-foot steel sphere to observe deep-sea life, and trekked across the Far East to catalog species of pheasant. Ms. Gould is the author of the new biography “The Remarkable Life of William Beebe” (Shearwater). Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. lecture, 8:15 p.m. signing, Explorers Club, 46 E. 70th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-628-8383, $15 general, $5 students.

THEATER

ONE-ACT EVENING Eli Wallach reads Isaac Bashevis Singer’s play “Alone” at the next installment of Food for Thought. The organization produces readings of one-act plays during cocktail hours. Friday, 5:30 p.m. cocktails, 6:30 p.m. reading, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, between Irving Place and Gramercy Park West, 212-362-2560, $49 includes drinks. Note: Business attire required.

SOUTHERN SONGS Robert Ward’s opera “Claudia Legare,” which opens for the first time in New York this weekend, is a version of Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” set in post-Civil War Charleston, S.C.

Friday through Sunday, January 23, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 4 p.m., Dicapo Opera Theatre, 184 E. 76th St. at Lexington Avenue, 212-288-9438, $47.50.

WRESTLING HISTORY WWF Hall of Famer “Luscious” Johnny Valiant performs a one-man show deconstructing his career as a professional wrestler. A question-and-answer session with the audience follows. Saturday, 8 p.m., Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery at 1st Street, 212-614-0505, $10.

BEDTIME STORY Olympia Dukakis and Phyllis Newman read in the first staged production of Susan Sandler’s new play, “Under the Bed,” which follows two women in their 70s on a romantic quest. Gus Kaikkonen directs. Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Makor, 35 W. 67th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-415-5500, $10.

‘PELLEAS’ ON PIANO Debussy’s opera “Pelleas & Melisande” is performed in its original piano version. Kevin Greenlaw and Patricia Petibon play the title characters in the show, with Yves Abel serving as musical director. The opera is performed in French with English supertitles. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 21, 7:30 p.m., Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-355-6189, $40 general, $32 members.

TOURS

UNDERGROUND TOUR The chief designer of many maps for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, John Tauranac, leads a tour of historic subway stations. The event begins with a slide show at the Museum of the City of New York about early stations, including mosaics and bas reliefs allegedly designed to help immigrants navigate the system. Then attendees board the subway for a backward looking glimpse at the MTA. Be warned: Mr. Tauranac will also administer a “subway quiz.” Sunday, 2 p.m., meet at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103rd Street, 212-534-1672, ext. 3393, $10 general, $6 members, reservations required.

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