ART

UNDER PRESSURE Peer Gallery presents “Melting Point,” an exhibit of 16 large-scale pigment prints by Jeff Jacobson, which through visual anomalies depict personal tragedy and global discord. Through Saturday, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Peer Gallery, 525 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, suite 208, 212-741-6599, free.

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE A rare winter group exhibit, “public/private” features work by Mauro Zamora, Jeongmee Yoon, Gerald Förster, and others. The exhibit focuses on the artists’ individual perceptions of public versus private spaces. Through Wednesday, January 24, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Jenkins Johnson Gallery, 521 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, fifth floor, 212-629-0707, free.

BOOKS

OH, MR. JONES The New York rapper LL Cool J shows off his muscles and discusses his exercise guide “LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout” (Rodale). Today, 1 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 555 Fifth Ave., between 45th and 46th streets, 212-697-3048, free.

SENCHA AND MATCHA Ellis Avery’s novel “The Teahouse Fire” (Penguin) follows a young girl in the 1860s as she travels to Japan from New York, and learns the art of Japanese tea ceremonies from an adopted guardian. Japanese tea and desserts are served after the reading. Tonight, 7 p.m., McNally Robinson Booksellers, 52 Prince St., between Lafayette and Mulberry streets, 212-274-1160, free.

I SEE THE SECRETS THAT YOU KEEP Mystery writer Lisa Unger reads from her thrilller “A Sliver of Truth” (Shaye Areheart), about a photographer who is questioned by the FBI after a mysterious man appears in her photos for an entire year. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway at 82nd Street, 212-362-8835, free.

DANCE

ALL NEW, ALL THE TIME “Fresh Tracks” is the longest-running series of new dance and performance by Dance Theater Workshop. The group’s 41st presentation of the series features choreography by Ursula Eagly, Lala Ghahreman, Heather McArdle, Tara O’Connor, Deganit Shemy, and Ain Weinstein. Tomorrow through Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 W. 19th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-924-0077, $20 general, $12 students, members, and artists.

BUILDING BLOCKS Dance New Amsterdam kicks off the new year with “Gene Pool,” a program featuring the choreography of Janessa Clark, Nia Love, Shelley Poovey, and B.J. Sullivan. Friday through Sunday, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway at Chambers and Church streets, 212-625-8369, $17 general, $12 members.

FAMILY

OLDE TYME SOUNDS “Re-creating Radio” is a workshop designed for children that lets participants create old-time radio drama using scripts, sound effects, and music. The workshop takes participants through the many stages of radio production, including casting, microphone and sound effects training, and a cue rehearsal, before they put on a “live” broadcast. Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon, the Museum of Television and Radio, 25 W. 52nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-621-6600, $10.

FESTIVALS

WE THREE KINGS Dia de Reyes, or Three Kings Day, commemorates the journey of the three kings to the site of the Nativity. The holiday is celebrated across Latin America and the Caribbean as an occasion to spend time with family and friends. El Museo del Barrio presents a parade through Spanish Harlem to honor the holiday, featuring groups of schoolchildren and floats. The three kings are represented by poet Jesús “Papoleto” Meléndez, visual artist Freddy Rodríguez, and a third guest to be announced at the parade. Friday, 11 a.m., El Museo del Barrio, 106th Street, between Madison and Park avenues, 212-660-7144, free.

FILM

CAPTURING MOVES The “Dance on Camera” festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association, features the best of contemporary dance in the movies. The series kicks off tonight with a screening of Annette von Wangenheim’s “Josephine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man’s World” (2006). Tonight through Sunday, and Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13, tonight, 6:15 p.m., other show times vary, FSLC, Walter Reade Theater, 65th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-875-5601, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members, $5 children. For complete information, please go to filmlinc.com.

FOR THE WARM NIGHTS The BillDance series features screenings of films with pop music and dance. The series continues with a screening of Dorothea Carl’s art film “Pausen Musik” (“Music Break”), about a group of German students who record an album in a week. Tonight, 8 p.m., Karl’s Klipper, 40 Bay St. at Hyatt Street, Staten Island, free.

TIGHT GROUPS Hisham Mayet’s “Musical Brotherhoods from the Trans-Saharan Highway” (2006) is a documentary of North Africa’s best street musicians, and the mystical brotherhoods of musicians from the Moroccan cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira. Mr. Mayet answers questions after each screening. Friday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. at 2nd Street, 212-505-5181, $8 general, $6 students and seniors, $5 members.

ALTMAN’S INFLUENCE “An Artist and a Gambler” is a monthlong retrospective of works by the director Robert Altman, who was widely regarded as a groundbreaking director. The series opens with a two-day screening of the Korean War film “M*A*S*H” (1970). Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7, and 9:30 p.m., IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. at 3rd Street, 212-924-7771, $10.50 general.

VIEWS OF WAR A film critic for Time Out New York magazine, David Fear, introduces a screening of Emile de Antonio’s “In the Year of the Pig” (1968), about America’s participation in the Vietnam War. The film is presented as part of the “Critics Choice: Great Documentaries” series. Saturday, 2 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 3601 35th Ave. at 36th Street, Long Island City, Queens, 718-784-0077, $10 general, $7.50 students and seniors, $5 children.

VIEWS FROM THE SOUTH AND THE BORDER Debbie Fleming Caffery’s black and white photographs focus on capturing people in either remarkable or ordinary circumstances. Her latest self-titled exhibit spans work from the past 30 years, and concentrates mostly on pieces taken in New Orleans and rural Mexico. Selections include “Butter” (2005), top, and “Nexicolis” (1995). Through Saturday, February 24, Wednesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Gitterman Gallery, 170 E. 75th St., between Lexington and Third avenues, 212-734-0868, free.

FOOD & DRINK

NEW YORK MUNCHES “The Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour” is a walking tour of New York’s best neighborhoods in which to chow down. City sections include the Jewish East Side, Little Italy, and Chinatown. Favorite snacks include plaintains, pickles, dim sum, and fresh mozzarella. Sunday, 1 p.m., meeting point at the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey streets, 212-439-1090, $19 general, $16 seniors, $14 students and members of the New-York Historical Society.

MUSIC

MEDIEVAL TUNES The ensemble Machicoti performs a lunchtime program of works by Guillaume Dufay, considered one of the best composers of the Middle Ages. The show is part of the Midtown Concerts series. Today, 1:15 p.m., Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 135 W. 31st St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-967-9157, free.

DONALDSON’S MUSIC The concert series “Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz” presents “A Salute to Lou Donaldson,” which pays tribute to the saxophonist. Performers include the Lou Donaldson Trio, the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein, and Mike LeDonne. Tomorrow, 8 p.m., Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St., between Greenwich Street and the West Side Highway, 212-220-1460, $30 general, $27.50 students.

MOUNTAIN JAZZ The “Harlem in the Himalayas” series at the Rubin Museum of Art features uptown jazz musicians in the museum’s downtown setting. Hardbop trumpeter Dizzy Reece celebrates his 76th birthday with a solo performance. Friday, 7 p.m., Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St. at Seventh Avenue, 212-620-5000, $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

AMAZON AWARENESS The Brazilian ensemble the Bachiana Chamber Orchestra opens Carnegie Hall’s season for the new year. The concert is designed to raise awareness about the current state of affairs in the Amazon rain forest. Saturday, 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th Street, 212-903-9600, $1.

MUSIC IN SPACE Composer and soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom performs “Beyond the Bloom,” a program of new works. Accompanying musicians include drummer Matt Wilson. A former artist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ms Bloom has an asteroid named after her. Saturday, 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk St., between Rivington and Delancey streets, 212-358-7501, $15.

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE The record label Little (i) Music is the host of a release party for Shakers n’ Bakers, an ensemble that performs music by the utopian religious community, the Shakers. The program consists of songs composed by young women between 1837–1850 that were inspired by “trance” sessions. The ensemble has reinterpreted the songs through a contemporary jazz lens inspired by John Lennon and Albert Ayler. Friday, 9 p.m., BAMcafé, 30 Lafayette St., between St. Felix Place and Ashland Street, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, free.

HONORING A MENTOR Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis performs from his album “Minions Dominion,” which serves as a tribute to his mentor, the jazz musician Elvin Jones. During the weekend, saxophonist Dave Liebman joins Mr. Marsalis in the tribute. Through Sunday, 8 and 10:30 p.m., the Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St., between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street, 212-475-8592, $25 for a table, $15 at the bar.

READINGS

COMMON KNOWLEDGE Judah Freed’sessay “Global Sense: Awakening Your Personal Power for Democracy and World Peace” (Media Visions) is an update of Thomas Paine’s 1776 essay “Common Sense,” which urged colonial Americans to fight for independence. Mr. Freed discusses the dangers of an increasingly autonomous government. Friday, 7:30 p.m., VoxPop Books, 1022 Cortelyou Rd. at Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-940-2084, free.

TALKS

ISRAEL AND BEYOND The Queens Community for Cultural Judaism holds a public talk on “The Rise of Jewish Nationalism,” discussing topics such as cultural and territorial autonomy in Eastern Europe, the Zionist movement, and whether Jews are a religion or a nation. Saturday, 2 p.m., Queens CCJ, 188-15 McLaughlin Ave. at the Grand Central Parkway, Jamaica, Queens, 718-380-5362, $5 general, free for members.

THEATER

QUICK HUMOR Before the American Broadcasting Company ever aired an episode of the short-lived but popular improv comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” England’s Channel 4 had been pioneering the show for years. Members of the various British casts perform in a weeklong reunion. Comedians and musicians include Richard Vranch, Steven Frost, Andy Smart, and Jim Sweeney. Tonight through Sunday, 8 p.m., Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St., between Ninth and Tenth avenues, 212-868-4444, $20.

FROM THE MOUTH OF BRUCE Actor Steve Cuiffo channels the spirit and words of writer Lenny Bruce, performing selections of Bruce’s most biting material. Tonight, 9:30 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., between 4th Street and Astor Place, 212-967-7555, $15.

HANG EACH NIGHT IN RAPTURE The performance theater group Great Small Works presents “The Rapture Project,” which examines the influence of religion on American culture and politics, bringing together tabloid newspaper stories, Biblical literature, and fundamentalist evangelicalism. The show stars John Bell, Trudi Cohen, Stephen Kaplin, and Jenny Romaine. Tomorrow through Sunday, January 21, Thursday and Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday, 7 and 10:30 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m., HERE Arts Center, 145 Sixth Ave., between Spring and Broome streets, 212-352-3101, $20.

GULF DUO Paul Zimet’s “Party Time” follows two soldiers, Frankie and Sal, as they fight through a desert war, facing death while enduring epiphanies and brutal situations. Produced by the Talking Band, the play is directed by the playwright, and featured actors include William Badgett and Joe Roseto. Tomorrow through Sunday, January 14, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2:30 and 8 p.m., La MaMa E.T.C., 74 E. 4th St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, 212-475-7710, $18.

LONG TITLES Matt Morillo’s “Angry Young Women in Low-Rise Jeans With High Class Issues” is a send-up of the television show “Sex and the City,” which follows the trials of urban goddesses in New York. The play is directed by the playwright, and featured actors include Rachel Nau, Thomas Pilutik, and Angelique Letizia. Tomorrow through Sunday, February 11, Thursday–Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at 10th Street, 212-868-4444, $20.

RISQUÉ BUSINESS Horse Trade and Firecracker productions present “Dirty Girl,” a story about a “nice Jewish girl from Long Island” who answers a newspaper advertisement to become an editor of a magazine that features male nudity. The play is based on the autobiography of Ronnie Koenig, a former editor at Playgirl magazine. The show is directed by Robert Mc-Master, and featured actors include Corrie Beula and Bridget Harvey. Ms. Koenig also appears in the play. Tomorrow through Saturday, January 27, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Kraine Theater, 85 W. 4th St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, 212-868-4444, $18 general, $15 students and seniors.

BRAINS ON THE LOOSE Jonathan Leaf’s “The Germans in Paris” follows three exiled thinkers — Heinrich Heine, Richard Wagner, and Karl Marx — as they wend their way through Paris in the 1840s. The play is directed by James Milton, and featured actors include Angelica Torn and Bruce Barton. Friday through Saturday, January 27, Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Arclight Theater, 152 W. 71st St., between Broadway and Columbus Avenue, 212-352-3101, $18.

LOUD MOUTHS The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, a repertory ensemble, presents 10 days of performances featuring the best of the songwriting duo’s comic operas. Featured plays include “The Yeomen of the Guard,” “The Mikado,” and “The Rose of Persia.” The director of the three plays is Albert Bergeret, and featured actors include Stephen Quint, Keith Jurosko, and David Wannen. Friday through Sunday, January 14, showtimes vary, City Center, 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-581-1212, $40–$96. For complete information, please go to nycitycenter.org.

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.