TALKS

MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE Journalist Malcolm Gladwell delivers the Newman Lecture at the 92nd Street Y. Mr. Gladwell is a staff writer at the New Yorker and the author of the influential bestsellers “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” (Back Bay Books) and “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” (Back Bay Books). He discusses some of the subjects of his recent work, including how and why change happens and how snap judgments can lead to successful decision-making, as well as what he has been up to in recent months. Tonight, 8 p.m., 92nd Street Y, Kaufman Concert Hall, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $26.

ART

JACOB’S LADDER Seventeen panels of Jacob Lawrence’s “Migration Series” are on view at the Whitney Museum. Lawrence is best known for his depictions of the emigration of African-Americans to the industrial cities of the North from the South during the first half of the 20th century. The panels were borrowed from the series’ permanent home in Washington, D.C., the Phillips Collection. Highlights from the exhibit include “The Migration Series, Panel 1” (1940–41). Through Sunday, January 6, Wednesday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday, 1–9 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave. at 75th Street, 800-944-8639, $15 general, $10 students, free for members and city public high school students.

RIDING THE WAVE Gianfranco Gorgoni rode the wave of Pop Art in the 1960s, enjoying the camaraderie of artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein through his work as a photojournalist. He came to New York in 1968 to work on a photographic essay. He stayed, taking on assignments and shooting for magazines including Time and Esquire. Through Wednesday, Tuesday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Jim Kempner Fine Art, 501 W. 23rd St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-206-6872, free.

DANCE

BEHOLD! THE KING OF MICE

Marching toy soldiers and adorable dancing mice take to the stage at Lincoln Center during New York City Ballet’s presentation of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.” The seasonal staple for the entire family features Little Marie at her family’s Christmas party, and a timeless cast of lavishly costumed characters, including the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mother Ginger in her 85-pound dress, all set to Tchaikovsky’s memorable score.

Tomorrow through Thursday, 6 p.m., Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 and 5 p.m., through Sunday, December 30, dates and times vary, New York State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, between West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue, 212-870-5570, $20–$120.

HOLIDAY

AN ODE TO OY The National Yiddish Theatre–Folksbiene hosts its annual “Kids and Yiddish: Ode to Oy.” The show is presented in Yiddish and English, and teaches children and families lessons about Yiddish language and culture through music and humor. Featured performers include Aaron Mayer, Jenny Romaine, and Josh Berk. Sunday, 11 a.m., and consecutive Sundays through December, Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street, 212-479-4200, $20 general, $17 children.

READINGS

A TRIBUTE TO GRACE PALEY Members of the literary community pay tribute to the life and work of short-story writer and poet Grace Paley, who died in August. Paley studied writing with W.H. Auden at the New School in the 1940s. She went on to write several collections of short fiction and volumes of poetry, including “The Little Disturbances of Man” (Penguin) and “Later the Same Day” (Penguin). Featured readers include authors Amy Hempel, A.M. Homes, Galway Kinnell, Allan Gurganus, and Jean Valentine. The event is co-sponsored by Poets House and the Unterberg Poetry Center at the 92nd Street Y. Wednesday, 7 p.m., the New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-229-5630, free.

SCULPTURE

INDIANA’S LOVE JONES “Love Wall,” a 12-foot-high steel sculpture, was initially conceived of in 1968 by artist Robert Indiana in the form of a painting. This reinterpretation of the artist’s iconic work is featured as part of “Art in the Parks: Celebrating 40 Years,” a tribute to the 40th anniversary of New York City’s public art program. In “Love Wall,” four “LOVE” sculptures have been stacked to create a sort of visual puzzle. Mr. Indiana became famous for employing the symbols of commercial art to express an existential viewpoint. The exhibition is presented by the Paul Kasmin Gallery and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. On view through Friday, February 29, at Park Avenue and 57th Street, 212-563-4474, free.

THEATER

A GOOD JEWISH GIRL The Zipper Factory presents “Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad,” a vaudevillian production to showcase the talents of performers and writers, including Ophira Eisenberg, whose work has been featured on the Comedy Central network; a spoken-word artist, Vanessa Hidary, and the burlesque duo Sister Schmaltz. Comedian Goddess Perlman is host of the show. The self-described “J-Girls” explore preconceived ideas about Jewish femininity and send up religious and cultural traditions.

Thursday, 9:30 p.m., through Monday, December 24, dates and times vary, Zipper Factory, 336 W. 37th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, 212-352-3101, $25.

JUNIORS ON BROADWAY Thirty students from Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts are cast in the school’s production of “City of Angels,” the musical with original music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by David Zippel. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, the show follows the efforts of a young writer as he pens a screenplay for a Hollywood producer. The production features a score performed by a 20-piece jazz ensemble. Thursday–Saturday, 7 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Fiorello H. La Guardia High School, 100 Amsterdam Ave. at 65th Street, 212-496-0700, $20. To purchase tickets online, go to laguardiahs.org.

DRAWINGS

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR The Allan Stone Gallery celebrates its relationship with Abstract Expressionist painter Willem de Kooning: For more than 45 years, the gallery has exhibited the artist’s works, chronicling de Kooning’s artistic shift from representation to a stronger affiliation with abstraction. De Kooning’s drawings are seen by many as precursors to shift changes in his paintings, but the drawings are also considered to be important works of art on their own. Selections from “Drawings: 1920s–1970s” include “Study for Pink Angels” (1945), above. Through Saturday, December 22, Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Allan Stone Gallery, 113 E. 90th St. at Park Avenue, 212-987-4997, 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.