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
INDIA INK Indian artist Nataraj Sharma displays new large-scale paintings and works on paper in his first North American solo show at Bose Pacia Gallery. Mr. Sharma paints skeletal skyscrapers, out-of-place humans, and landscapes that seem not quite right. Reception: Tonight, 6-8 p.m. Exhibit: Today through Saturday, February 19, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m., Bose Pacia Gallery, 508 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 11th floor, 212-989-7074, free.
POP-UP ART Minnesota artist Thomas Allen’s photographs of cliff-hanging adventures and femmes fatales are literally straight out of pulp fiction. He cuts out figures from the covers and pages of vintage books and pulp fiction, poses the cut-outs to create miniature dramas, and photographs them. Through Saturday, February 5, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Foley Gallery, 547 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-244-9081, free.
BEAUTY
LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD Federico Salon offers free beauty services on Monday, with a request for clients to make donations Unicef’s tsunami-relief fund. Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Federico Salon, 36 E. 57th St., between Madison and Park avenues, 212-262-3027, appointments required.
BENEFIT
The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong with a benefit dinner Monday. The event includes a Wong look-alike contest that the company’s artistic producing director, Tisa Chang,says is open to “any age, any body type, any gender.”
Judges include actor and playwright Charles Busch, actor Francis Jue, costume designer Willa Kim, dancer Jadin Wong, and Chinese director and choreographer Lu Yu. Comedian Esther Goodheart hosts the benefit, which also includes a contest for the best vintage ensemble.
The benefit raises funds for the theater’s spring production, the world premiere of Elizabeth Wong’s “China Doll,” a “reimagining” of the life of Anna May Wong. Ms. Chang will direct the play, which is told through Wong’s memories of her life. “It gives us a little latitude,” Ms. Chang explains. “It’s not a slavish biography.”
Wong’s breakthrough in Hollywood came when Douglas Fairbanks cast her in “The Thief of Bagdad.” The extravagant fantasy was released in 1924 — the same year that quotas set by the National Origins Act drastically reduced Chinese immigration to America.
Despite the political climate, Wong became a popular star. She shared the screen with Marlene Dietrich in “Shanghai Express” (1932) and with Charles Laughton in “Dangerous to Know” (1938). Often cast as a fierce “dragon lady” or as a subservient “lotus flower,” many of her characters met a grisly fate.
Yet Ms. Chang believes that Wong paved important ground for Chinese-American actresses. “In contemporary times many young people think she was cast in a negative light,” she says. “But she did what she could to forge ahead.”
Monday, 6:30 p.m., Manhattan Penthouse, 14th Street and Fifth Avenue, 212-868-4030, $200 and $500.
–Ruth Graham
BOOKS
HIGHER THINGS Talk-show host Montel Williams discusses “Climbing Higher” (New American Library), his memoir about living with multiple sclerosis. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Hue-Man Bookstore, 2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard at 125th Street, 212-665-7400, free.
GHOST STORY David Plante reads from “American Ghosts” (Beacon), his story of searching for how his French Catholic upbringing affected his spiritual and sexual adulthood. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Chelsea, 675 Sixth Ave. at 21st Street, 212-727-1227, free.
MUNROVIA Author Alice Munro makes a rare appearance for a reading of her latest short-story collection, “Runaway” (Knopf), by actress Joan Allen. Like most of Ms. Munro’s work, the stories focus 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.
FAMILY
ROMAN HOLIDAY A carnival celebrates Italian culture with family activities including tours, a mosaic workshop, a theatrical performance, and a wine-tasting (for grown-ups).”When in Rome” is presented in conjunction with the exhibit “The Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry.” Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 38 1383 129 1393Bard Graduate Center, 18 W. 86th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-501-3011, $3 general, $2 seniors and students, $10 families. See www.bgc.bard.edu for full schedule.
DOG DAYS The live-action film “The Adventures of Milo and Otis” (1989) focuses on a mischievous friendship between a puppy and a kitten. When Milo, the cat, is swept away in a river, it’s Otis to the rescue. Dudley Moore narrated the children’s movie, which was directed by Japanese filmmaker Masanori Hata. Saturday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, $10 general, $8 seniors and students, $6 members.
JAZZ FOR JUNIOR A jazz program introduces children to the music of the Harlem Renaissance. The concert is part of the “Harlem Is…” series. Saturday, 1-4 p.m., South Street Seaport Museum, Schermerhorn Row, 12 Fulton St., between Front and South streets, 212-748-8735, free with museum admission, $8 general, $6 seniors and students, $4 children ages 5 to 12, free for members and children under 5.
FILM
REEL MOVEMENT The Dance on Camera Festival celebrates the cinematic beauty of tango, tap, ballet, and trance. A highlight of the festival, presented by the Dance Film Association and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, is the ballet film “The Red Shoes” (tomorrow, 6:15 p.m.). Festival: Friday and Saturday, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., 212-875-5600, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members. A full schedule is at www.filmlinc.com.
CRITICS’ PICKS Members of the New York Film Critics Circle introduce some of their favorite movies at a series at the American Museum of the Moving Image. This 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, 2 and 4:30 p.m.). J. Hoberman of the Village Voice introduces “Myra Breckenridge” (1970), a much-maligned adaptation of a Gore Vidal novel that stars Mae West and Rex Reed (Sunday, 4 p.m.). Series: 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.
FOOD & DRINK
BIG APPLE MARTINI Gotham foodie Arthur Schwartz unveils his new “Stony Brook Cocktail” at an event hosted by the Manhattan division of Stony Brook University. The evening is dedicated to the history of drinking in New York, from early Dutch alcohol to the Carrie Bradshaw Cosmopolitan. Mr. Schwartz discusses Manhattan specialty drinks and pairs each up with local treats like Nathan’s hot dogs and Second Avenue Deli sandwiches. The decadent dinner, peppered with Mr. Schwartz’s “theoretically scholarly discussion,” ends with a piece of Junior’s cheesecake. Mr. Schwartz is the author of “Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang). Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Stony Brook – Manhattan, 401 Park Avenue South at 28th Street, 631-632-9404, $85 includes autographed copy of book, age 21 and above.
INAUGURATION
THREE CHEERS (OR SNEERS) New Yorkers can celebrate or mourn President Bush’s second inauguration at two parties hosted by local political groups. All proceeds from both events go to tsunami relief efforts. Mayor Bloomberg is scheduled to attend a cocktail party hosted by the New 1033 1225 1118 1235York Young Republican Club, Log Cabin Republicans of NYC, New York State Association of Young Republicans, and the Metropolitan Republican Club. (Tonight, 6:30-9:30 p.m., the Beekman Tower, Three Mitchell Place, 49th Street and First Avenue, 212-465-3377 orrsvp@nyyrc.com,$100 minimum donation, business dress required, reservations requested). The activist organization Drinking Liberally hosts a cheeky “UnAugural Ball,” with guests including the speaker of the City Council, Gifford Miller; state Senator Eric Schneiderman, and Assemblyman Scott Stringer.(Tonight, 7:30 p.m., the Tank, 432 W. 42nd St., between Ninth and Tenth avenues, 212-563-6269, free, donations requested).
MUSIC
OLD KID ON THE BLOCK Former New Kids on the Block heartthrob Jordan Knight comes to Irving Plaza for an evening of solo slow jams and songs with un-New Kids titles such as “Give It to You.” Mr. Knight is currently enjoying popularity in Asia and Europe and making a bid for a second chance at American superstardom. His fellow “Surreal Life” castmate Flavor Flav is among the concert’s several special guests. Tomorrow, 8 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, between 15th and 16th streets, 212-777-1224 for information, 212-307-7171 for tickets, $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
MELOMANIACS The pop sextet Melomane performs in BAMcafe’s “Fort Greene Scene” festival, which showcases musicians who live in the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s neighborhood. Tomorrow, 9 p.m., Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette St., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, free, $10 minimum.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BIG BOOK The Rubin Museum of Art displays the biggest book in the world, according to the judges at Guinness. Its 112 5-by-7-foot pages use a gallon of ink and enough paper to cover a football field. The 133-pound photography volume is titled “Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Kingdom.” Today through Sunday, February 20, Tuesday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Wednesday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-620-5000, $7 general, $5 seniors, students, and artists, $5 residents of 10011 and 10001 ZIP codes, free for members and children under 12.
READINGS
IN IT TOGETHER “Thrown Together,” a reading benefiting tsunami relief efforts, includes Bust magazine columnist Ayun Halliday; the author of “Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found” (Knopf), Suketu Mehta, and a founding editor of Civilization magazine, Adam Goodheart. Sunday, 6-9 p.m., Jefferson, 121 W. 10th St., between Sixth and Greenwich avenues, 212-255-3333, $15.
TALKS
FULFILLING POTENTIAL An evening program informs parents about how to help learning-disabled children fulfill their social, emotional, and academic potential. Tonight, 7-9 p.m., the Churchill Center, 301 E. 29th St. at Second Avenue, 212-722-0610, $40.
WOMEN IN JAZZ A panel makes the case that women in jazz have been excluded from serious historical study. A rough cut of Kay Ray’s documentary “Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women in Jazz” will be screened at the discussion. Tuesday, 7-10 p.m., Columbia University, 301 Philosophy Hall, 116th Street and Broadway, 212-851-1633, free.
THEATER
CAPTIVATING DRAMA Composer John King’s experimental electronic opera “La Belle Captive” uses prose by French writer Alain Robbe-Grillet and poems by women imprisoned during Argentina’s 1970s military dictatorship to explore the relationship between captor and captive. Today-Saturday, 8 p.m., the Kitchen, 512 W. 19th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-5793 ext. 11, $15.
SOUTH AFRICAN SUN Judylee Vivier’s new play “Oranges Like the Sun” explores her childhood in a working class white family in South Africa. Tom Bullard directs. Opens: Saturday, 8 p.m. Runs: Through Sunday, February 20, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., 78th Street Theatre Lab, 236 W. 78th St., between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, 212-868-4444, $20 general, $15 seniors and students. Note: There will be no performance this Sunday, and additional performances on Monday, January 24, and Tuesday, January 25, at 8 p.m.
TOUR
MANHATTAN MANSION Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan’s oldest house, began as Roger Morris’s “Gentleman’s Farm,” became Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters, and in the 19th century was used by Madame Eliza Jumel as a “Chateau in the Heights.” A guided tour provides a look at its 11 period rooms decorated in styles from throughout its Colonial, Federal, and Empire history. Saturday, 11 a.m.-noon, Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, between 160th and 162nd streets, 212-923-8008, $5 general, $3 seniors, students, and members, reservations recommended.
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