City Week: August 5 - August 12
a selective listing of recommended cultural and community events
compiled by alice robb and reid spagna thursday, august 5 celebrating color-lincoln center hosts art + revolution: celebrating black august! as part of its free thursdays schedule sponsored by target. the event combines music, movies and discussion to commemorate the month of african-american culture. david rubenstein atrium, lincoln center, 10 lincoln center plaza, 212-875-5456; 8:30 p.m., free.
living in space?-bestselling author mary roach delves into the subject with her latest, packing for mars: the curious science of life in the void. the book takes a witty look at what would happen if your average person lived in space. documentation of tests detail how humans would react if their most basic needs (normal food, bathing and a solid ground to walk on, etc.) were taken from them in space. barnes and noble, 2289 broadway, 212-362-8835; 7 p.m., free. friday, august 6 mixed mediums-the denise bibro fine art gallery is presenting summer selections 2010. the exhibit features the work of 19 artists, ranging in mediums from encaustic paints to 3-dimensional assemblage. denise bibro fine art, 529 w. 20th st., ste. 4w, 212-647-7030; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free. saturday, august 7 argentine tango party-singles and couples of all ages and levels are welcome. a group lesson is held during the first hour; light refreshments are served. jackets are required for men. buttenweiser hall, 92nd street y, 1395 lexington ave., 212-415-5500; 8 p.m.-2 a.m., $15. sunday, august 8 clarinetist in the garden-bang on a can and the noguchi museum are teaming up to present music in the garden, a concert series in the museum's sculpture garden. the series wraps up with contemporary composer and clarinetist evan ziporyn, who plays his own pieces and those of other musicians. the noguchi museum, 901 33rd road, queens, 718-204-7088; 3 p.m., $5-$10.
sacred music-the summer festival of sacred music at st. bartholomew's continues with a service featuring music for women's voices. st. bartholomew's church, corner of park avenue and east 51st street, 212-378-0222; 11 a.m., free. monday, august 9 portraits-a painter whose pieces describe the american experience, asha canalos is displaying portraits at saint peter's church. portraits aims to document "the idiosyncratic people" canalos has met throughout her life. saint peter's church, 619 lexington ave, 212-935-2200; 9 a.m.-7 p.m., free.
superman returns to metropolis-bam! pop! wow! free superhero movies at the east river (complementary popcorn included) as part of the rcn superhero series. for this week's installment, christopher reeve returns to the silver screen in the original superman film. waterside plaza (at east 25th street and the fdr drive), 212-340-4208; at dusk (8:30 p.m.), free. tuesday, august 10 nanny returns-renowned authors emma mclaughlin and nicola kraus visit barnes and noble to introduce their newest work of fiction. infused with the experiences of its authors (both were once new york city caregivers), nanny returns is the sequel to the #1 new york times bestseller, the nanny diaries. barnes and noble, 150 e. 86th st., 212-369-2180; 7:00 p.m., free. wednesday, august 11 underground music-the mta arts for transit's music under new york program continues its summer concert series, which brings members of new york's diverse underground music scene to broadway and west 66th street. music lovers are invited to bring lunch and friends to a performance featuring jazz musicians jason green and donald malloy from cleveland and maxidekalu from guinea. west 66th street and broadway; 12 p.m.-2 p.m, free.
subway posters-the museum of modern art's latest exhibit delves below the streets of london to find its inspiration. underground gallery: london transport posters, 1920's-1940's explores the bills that hit the subway tunnels after world war i, turning each platform into a subterranean art gallery. the museum of modern art, 11 w. 53 st., 212-708-9400; 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., $12-$20. thursday, august 12 short shows-the country's top playwrights show off their work at summer shorts, a theater festival that embraces the stage's short form. the first series of shorts runs until the end of august. 59e59 theaters, 59 e. 59th st., 212-279-4200; $18.
sleeping beauty puppets-cityparks kids continues its summer 2010 programming with a puppetmobile performance of sleeping beauty. beautiful princess aurora and friends come to life in this updated version of the fairytale classic reset in central park's belvedere castle. west 116th street and riverside drive, 212-360-8359; 11 a.m., free.
interactive theater-mister jack is an interactive don juan comedy by playwright, novelist and editor marvin kaye, co-founder of the open book. don juan's final night, a short one-act, is presented in the same evening. the drilling company theatre, 236 w. 78th st., 212- 799-3753; 8:15 p.m., $10-$15.
cross-cultural music-genre-defying ensemble lojva and the kontraband performs chamber-jam music drawing on old world sounds, tango, classical forms, gypsy melodies and russian street music. david rubenstein atrium at lincoln center, 61 w. 62nd st., 212-875-5350; 8:30 p.m., free.