READINGS

A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR Veteran actress Julie Andrews, best known for her performances in musicals such as “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music,” has lived an extraordinary life. In her new book “Home: A Memoir of My Early Years” (Hyperion), Ms. Andrews, 72, tells her story, from her childhood in war-torn Britain to the moment when Walt Disney cast her as the silver screen’s favorite nanny. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes and Noble, 33 E. 17th St. at Broadway, 212-253-0810, free.

ART

HEARTBREAKING WORKS Award-winning novelist Dave Eggers is the curator of “Lots of Things Like This,” an exhibit at apexart featuring works by photographer Tucker Nichols, graphic artist R. Crumb, and authors Shel Silverstein and Kurt Vonnegut, among many others. The pieces on view are a combination of one-panel cartoons and text-based art, what Mr. Eggers describes as “somewhat crude, usually irreverent, and always funny.” The exhibit is made up of about 100 pieces, and explores how humor can be applied to fine art and in what forms. Opening reception tomorrow, 6–8 p.m., exhibit through Saturday, May 10, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., apexart, 291 Church St., between Walker and White streets, 212-431-5270, free.

DANCE

EN POINTE The world-renowned Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia, returns to New York for a three-week engagement. Under artistic director Valery Gergiev, the 200-year-old Russian dance company performs a wide range of works, including pieces from its classical repertoire such as Marius Petipa’s “The Kingdom of Shadows” from “La Bayadere”; Michel Fokine’s “Scheherazade” and “Chopiniana,” and Alexander Gorsky’s “The Grand Pas de Deux” from “Don Quixote.” Company soloists include Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and Leonid Sarafanov. Through Sunday, April 20, Tuesday–Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, 3 p.m., New York City Center, 130 W. 56th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-247-0430, $15–$110.

FILM

SURREAL CINEMA Polish director Wojciech Has used the structure of a story-within-a-story in making his 1965 post-modern classic, “The Saragossa Manuscript.” The adapted movie is based on a collection of tales found during the Napoleonic War, which feature ghosts, gypsies, hermits, and other supernatural characters. An anchoring narrative of a Spanish officer lost in the Sierra Moreno is at the center of the film; an impressive list of celebrities — including Martin Scorsese, Jerry Garcia, and Luis Buñuel became ardent fans of this fanciful film.

Friday, 2, 5:30, and 9 p.m. Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave. between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place, 718-636-4100, $11.

MUSIC

VERDI’S HIDDEN TREASURE The Metropolitan Opera presents “Ernani,” one of Verdi’s first operas, last performed at the Met more than 20 years ago. This infrequently performed opera is based on Victor Hugo’s play, “Hernani,” and boasts what many consider one of Verdi’s finest comedic ensemble scenes, as John of Aragon escapes a murderous rival and falls in love with Donna Elvira. Italian tenor Marcello Giordani is cast in the title role, with Roberto Abbado conducting.

Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 8 p.m., and Thursday, April 10, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera, 150 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-362-6000, $15–$295.

SONGS FOR SOLOISTS The New Juilliard Ensemble, led by director Joel Sachs, presents the world premiere of composer Jude Vaclavik’s “Bruha.” Mr. Vaclavik created the work for 17 solo performers who play in tandem, rather than as a homogenous ensemble. Also on the program is the American debut of Icelandic composer Snorri Sigfus Birgisson’s Piano Concerto no. 2, Italian composer Franco Donatoni’s “Cloches,” and British composer Oliver Knussen’s “Requiem — Songs for Sue,” with soprano Katherine Whyte. Tomorrow, 8 p.m., the Juilliard School, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 155 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-799-5000, free.

CROSSING GENRES Singer Emily Saxe has her New York concert premiere performing selections from her debut album, “Keeping You In Mind.” With a style that crosses from jazz to alternative, folk to blues, and country to pop, Ms. Saxe appears with an all-star band that includes guitarist Greg Liesz (who frequently accompanies singer Beck), and the keyboardist of the Smashing Pumpkins, Kevin Patrick Warren, who has also played for Seal and Tracy Chapman. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Allen Room of Jazz, 33 W. 60th St., between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-721-6500, $52.50–$62.50.

READINGS

RUSSIAN READ-ALOUD To celebrate the release of Dalkey Archive Press’s new bilingual anthology “Contemporary Russian Poetry,” McNally Robinson Booksellers presents an evening with three contributing poets. Evgeny Bunimovich, Elena Fanailova, and Yuli Gugolev read from their works in Russian, followed by English translations. All three authors have received acclaim in Russia, and Mr. Bunimovich’s 2001 book of verse, “Natural Selection,” won the Moscow Prize in Literature and Art. A catered reception and question-and-answer session with the poets caps the reading. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., McNally Robinson Booksellers, 52 Prince St., between Lafayette and Mulberry streets, 212-274-1160, free. RSVP to chartblay@cecartslink.org.

TALKS

A LONG TIME COMING The New York Public Library hosts an evening of discussion with Murat Kurnaz, a detainee who was imprisoned and released from Guantanamo Bay. In 2001, Mr. Kurnaz, then a 19-year-old Turkish citizen and legal resident of Germany, traveled to Pakistan. A few weeks later, he was arrested at a police checkpoint. Two months later, he was taken to Guantanamo Bay and held prisoner for five years. Mr. Kurnaz’s memoir, “Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo” (Palgrave Macmillan) says he was placed in solitary confinement, and suffered sleep deprivation, physical abuse, and sexual humiliation during his imprisonment. Mr. Kurnaz appears with his lawyers, as well as playwright and actor Wallace Shawn, who will read from Mr. Kurnaz’s memoir.

Friday, 7 p.m., Humanities and Social Sciences Library, South Court Auditorium, 476 Fifth Ave. at 42nd Street, 212-868-4444, $15 general, $10 library donors, seniors, and students.

ART

ELECTRIC BLUE Ashok Sukumaran’s art transcends the usual boundaries of genre. The bulk of his first American exhibit, “Glow Positioning System and Other Forms of Address,” features video pieces — but the exhibit is more than a multimedia show. Mr. Sukumaran creates art by applying methods of urban planning, suggesting innovative ways to deliver electricity to cities in India. Selections from the exhibit include a series of stills from the video “Two Poles,” above, which is included in the video piece “Recurrences” (2007). Through Saturday, April 19, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Thomas Erben Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-645-8701, free.

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