READINGS

BONS MOTS A vice president and editor at Knopf, Judith Jones, and author Alex Prud’homme discuss his 2006 book, “My Life in France.” Mr. Prud’homme cowrote the book with his great-aunt, Julia Child, whose first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” was enthusiastically published by Ms. Jones in 1960. This latest book, Child’s memoir, is the story of her love affair with French cuisine and her transformation from an unworldly American into an enduring Francophile and respected authority among French and American chefs alike. Child, who died in 2004, also discussed in her memoir the personal stories behind her collaborations with the French, whose inventions she admired, but with whom she did not always agree. Tonight, 6 p.m., Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-1414, $25 general, $21 in advance, $17 members.

ART

RENAISSANCE MEN Before they painted the ceilings of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, there were sketches and planning to be done. “Michelangelo, Vasari, and Their Contemporaries: Drawings from the Uffizi” gathers drawings by Ponteromo, Andrea del Sarto, and Bronzino, all of whom were involved in creating the artworks that decorated the various apartments at the Florentine palace, which served as the home of the Medici dukes in the 16th century. Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned artist Georgio Vasari to create and preside over much of the artistic expansion and direction at the palace. The show comprises nearly 80 sketches — including four by Vasari. “[N]ot since the Met’s Leonardo drawing show have so many remarkable and illuminating Florentine drawings been available in New York under one roof,” Lance Esplund wrote in the January 24 New York Sun. Through Sunday, April 20, Tuesday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Friday, 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m, Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Morgan Library and Museum, 225 Madison Ave. at 36th Street, 212-685-0008, $12.

FRAGILE HISTORY The Asia Society and Museum presents “First Under Heaven: Korean Ceramics from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection,” an exhibit of celadon glazed stoneware of the Korean Goryeo dynasty (918–1392 CE). Koreans of the period prized the ceramic pieces for use in both royal and Buddhist contexts. The show features bowl-and-saucer sets, vases, and other items. Through Sunday, May 4, Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Asia Society and Museum, Aron Gallery, third floor, 725 Park Ave. at 70th Street, 212-517-2742, $10, $7 seniors, $5 students, free for members and children under 16.

DANCE

LIQUID MOVEMENT In her latest performance piece, “Iodine,” Israeli choreographer Deganit Shemy uses the element’s healing and stinging properties as a metaphor for the highs and lows of falling in love. The piece features six dancers who struggle to reconcile their desire for intimacy with their fear of losing their distinct personal identities in the process. Ms. Shemy is currently in residence at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Tonight through Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 6 p.m., Performance Space 122, 150 First Ave. at 9th Street, 212-352-3101, $20.

MUSIC

TIED UP WITH STRINGS The Tokyo String Quartet performs at the 92nd Street Y, where it is in residence this season. The program celebrates two masterpieces of chamber music, Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major and Brahms’s String Quartet in A minor, but the concert also makes a case for the future of the genre with the American premiere of “Blossoming,” a piece for string quartet by Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa. The quartet, now in its 39th year, includes violinists Martin Beaver and Kikuei Ikeda, violist Kazuhide Isomura, and cellist Clive Greensmith. A professor at the Yale School of Music, Robert Holzer, gives a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $40 general, $25 for age 35 and under.

PHOTOGRAPHY

AN EYE ON THE HOMELAND “Israel Through My Lens,” an exhibit spanning the 60-year career of Israeli photojournalist David Rubinger, is on view at the 92nd Street Y. Born in Vienna in 1924, Mr. Rubinger emigrated to British Palestine in 1939 and developed a passion for photography while serving in the British army’s Jewish Brigade. He became an eyewitness to the history of Israel — first as a news photographer working for the nascent Israeli press and then as a staffer for Time and Life magazines. His photographs are the only ones on permanent display at the Knesset, the site of the Israeli legislature. Tonight, he presents a slide show derived from the book at the New York Public Library. Lecture tonight, 6:30 p.m., New York Public Library, Mid-Manhattan Library, sixth floor, 455 Fifth Ave. at 40th Street, 212-340-0871, free; exhibit through Friday, February 29, 92nd Street Y, Weill Art Gallery, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, free.

TALK

FUNNY IN FLATBUSH Brooklyn has been enjoying its recent status as a center to rival Manhattan for arts, culture, and covetable real estate. But what about humor? The author of “My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable” (Riverhead), cartoonist David Rees, hosts “What’s So Funny About Brooklyn?,” an evening of laughs and conversation with novelists Gary Shteyngart (“Absurdistan,” Random House), Ed Park (“Personal Days,” Random House), Anthony Winkler (“The Lunatic,” Akashic), and actress Amy Sedaris. The event is featured as part of the Brooklyn Independents literary series.

Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Public Library, Dweck Center, Grand Army Plaza at Eastern Parkway, 718-230-2100, free.

STRAIT TALK The New-York Historical Society hosts “New York Magic & Harry Houdini,” a talk led by author Bob Friedhoffer, who discusses Houdini’s most famous feats of escape. Mr. Friedhoffer is joined by magician George Schindler and biographer Kenneth Silverman, the author of “Houdini!!!: The Career of Ehrich Weiss” (Perennial, HarperCollins). The evening’s program concludes with some eyeopening tricks by Mr. Schindler. Refreshments are served. Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m., New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 76th Street, 212-868-4444, $15 general, $10 students and seniors, $8 members.

THEATER

REVIVING INGE William Inge’s “Come Back, Little Sheba” returns to Broadway, this time under the direction of Michael Pressman. Veteran television actress S. Epatha Merkerson plays Lola Delaney, who once traded on her looks and has now grown slovenly, trapped in an oppressive marriage to an alcoholic chiropractor, Doc, played by Kevin Anderson. When the couple invites a young boarder, Marie Zoe Kazan), into their cramped home, her assured sexuality sets off a tense dynamic between the married couple. Eric Grode wrote in the January 25 New York Sun, “Mr. Pressman rightly shifts the play’s focus from the proximity of young flesh to the even more galling presence of no longer young flesh — one’s own. Doc’s affection for his young boarder is apparent from their first encounter, but his attentions are as protective as they are predatory.” Today and Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., tomorrow, Tuesday, and Friday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m., through Sunday, March 16, Biltmore Theater, 261 W. 47th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 212-239-6200, $46.50–$91.50.

ELECTION NIGHT In David Mamet’s new political farce, “November,” actor Nathan Lane plays a corrupt president facing long odds of re-election. He must rely on his lawyer, played by Dylan Baker, and his trusted speechwriter, played by Laurie Metcalf, to navigate a world of shady officials and special-interest groups, which include the manufacturers of turkey by-products. The incumbent contends with such issues as gay marriage, dubious pardons, and questionable campaign contributions as he tries to maintain his grasp on the highest office. Joe Mantello directs the comedy. Tonight and Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., tomorrow, Tuesday, and Friday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., ongoing, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 212-239-6200, $46.50–$99.50.

PAINTINGS

WILD THINGS An Israeli-born painter who lives and works in New York, Yigal Ozeri, depends on his model and muse, Priscilla, for the subject matter of his paintings. In his latest exhibit, “Genesis,” Mr. Ozeri places Priscilla in natural environments, depicting her lying down in a forest or resting comfortably on dried vines. In some images, her blond locks appear to blend into the verdant background. Selections from the exhibit include “Untitled: Priscilla in vines” (2007), above. Through Saturday, February 23, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Mike Weiss Gallery, 520 W. 24th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-691-6899, free.

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