FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8

Fall for Dance—It’s back and better than ever—five programs (performed twice) featuring as diverse and impressive an array of dancers, companies and choreographers as you’ll find anywhere. Tickets are always scarce, but there are cancellation lines before each show. Worth it to score one, so good luck! City Center, 130 W. 56th St., 212-581-1212; 8 p.m., $10.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9

Chelsea Art Gallery Tour—Come to a guided tour of the week’s top seven gallery exhibits in the world’s center for contemporary art. Various locations, 212-946-1548; $20.

Mrs. Warren’s Profession—Stage star Cherry Jones leaves Hollywood behind to return to Broadway for the first time in four years in this revival of George Bernard Shaw’s controversial play about a madam and her daughter. American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., 212-719-1300; times vary, $67-$127.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10

Broadway Fall Festival—The Broadway Fall Festival features music from The Michael Grey Quartet, Japanese and Korean foods, as well as arts and crafts. Broadway, from West 86th to 96th streets; 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Free.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11

Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov—The most talked-about new Met production this fall will be the opening night performance of Das Rheingold. A better bet for a great show is the new production of Boris Godunov, with astonishing baritone Rene Pape in the title role. Valery Gergiev will, with proper immodesty, conduct Modest Mussorgsky’s music. Pape and Gergiev are huge talents, and, good or bad, what results is not apt to be dull. Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, 212-799-3100; $25-$310.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12

A Life in the Theatre—Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight headline this season’s David Mamet revival, about two actors who work together at different stages in their careers. Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; times vary, $76-$121.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson—A hit last season at The Public, this tongue-in-cheek, rock ‘n’ roll musical takes audiences on a rollicking ride through the life of President Andrew Jackson. Benjamin Walker reprises his critically lauded role as Jackson. Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; times vary, $51-$136.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14

Jeff Koons: Exaltation—Strange after all these years that Koons’ art is now considered safe (blame it on those cutesy stainless steel balloon animals). But now seems like the time to remember when he was an enfant terrible (albeit at a more advanced age) and making sculptures and portraits of himself and his pornstar wife La Cicciolina. If you don’t want to slap your husband for leering, we recommend staying at home. Luxembourg & Dayan, 64 W. 77th St., 212-452-4646; by appointment only.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

Forbidden Passion—A highly theatrical adaptation of the classic weepie Brief Encounter (itself based on a Noel Coward short play), this production has prestige and theatrical magic written all over it. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., 212-719-1300; times vary, $37-$127.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

The Heist Festival— Film Forum’s caper-centric series features an exciting selection of diffuse features, from Walter Matthau as a parachuting bank robber in Don Siegel’s Charley Varrick to The Wrong Trousers, Nick Park’s best Wallace & Gromit short film. Be sure to take advantage of Film Forum’s two-for-one double feature ticket special to catch such inspired pairings as Blue Collar, Paul Schrader’s directorial debut, and Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow, which stars Ed Begley, Gloria Grahame, Robert Ryan and Shelley Winters. Also don’t miss Un Flic, Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterfully tight-lipped final film and Richard Fleischer’s demented Armored Car Robbery. 209 W. Houston St., 212-727-8110, www.filmforum.org.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

Batsheva Dance Company—The extraordinary, instinctive dancers of this Israeli company perform a mix of familiar and new material in this bare bones adaptation of Ohad Naharin’s Project 5, the newest being “B/olero,” a hypnotic duet. Alternating male and female casts perform during the run. The Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave., 212-691-9740; 2 p.m., tickets start at $10.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

Six Degrees of Marvin Hamlisch—This won’t be a cheap concert, but it’s sure to be a fun night. Hamlisch’s quirky personality and his place as a social fixture and sometime companion of the beautiful at gilded events have obscured his actual accomplishments. Yes, he wrote the James Bond song “Nobody Does It Better.” He also composed the underrated score to A Chorus Line. Most of the surviving stars of that show join up with Robert Klein, Liz Callaway, Victor Garber and Lesley Gore in a benefit for the Actors Fund. Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, 212-864-5400; 7:30 p.m., $50-$250.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5

Derrick Guild: After Eden—After Eden is a collection of fastidiously imagined botanical fictions. These impossible plant forms, meticulously realized, owe themselves to the artist’s 22 months on Ascension Island. A British dependency in the mid-Atlantic with only three indigenous plants, the island’s lush rain forest has been an ongoing work of human ingenuity since the mid-18th century. What British botanists achieved in real life, Guild mimics on canvas. These are the botanical equivalent of capriccios, fantastical species of flowering plants instead of invented architectural ruins. Allan Stone Gallery, 113 E. 90th St., 212-987-4997; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Free.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6

Drawings from Ribera to Goya—While we’ve seen plenty of Goya, this is the first museum exhibition to be held in New York City devoted to the broad tradition of Spanish draftsmanship, and includes works on loan from the Met, the Hispanic Society of America and extraordinary sheets from The Morgan Library & Museum, the Princeton University Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and individual collectors. The Frick, 1 E. 70th St., 212-288-0700; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; $18.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

The Last Newspaper—Curious why every newspaper is going gaga over this exhibit? Well, it’s built into the title, so we all feel we must give it some ink. The artwork in this exhibit will be from William Pope.L, Wolfgang Tillmans and Aleksandra Mir. But most everyone seems excited about the working “newsroom” that produces a weekly printed paper. See? Now you can appreciate all of our hard work by seeing the process of creating it. The New Museum, 235 Bowery Street, 212-219-1222; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., $12.

Compiled by Allen Houston

Friday, September 24

Pipilotti Rist: Heroes of Birth—Rist already seduced many with her MoMA atrium installation; now comes a chance to check out new videos from the Swiss artist, including “All or Nothing,” a triptych of mounted LCD screens that is surrounded by an altar with daily offerings such as fresh flowers and water “for visitors to pause and quench their thirst.” Luhring Augustine, 534 W. 24th St., 212-206-9100; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Free.

Doug Varone and Dancers: Stripped—No, they’re not removing their clothes, but Varone’s ensemble of committed, juicy movers will showcase excerpts from a work-in-progress on Italian themes and repertory excerpts in these informal studio presentations—a chance to savor his adventurous, full-bodied choreography while waiting for the troupe’s March Joyce season. 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, 1395 Lexington Ave., 212-279-3344; 8 p.m., $25 at door.

Saturday, September 25

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt—If you’ve scared a child by telling her not to make faces because it may stay that way, this exhibit may be the creepy truth. The first exhibition in the United States devoted exclusively to this major late-18th-century Austro-Bavarian sculptor, the Messerschmidt exhibit focuses on the artist’s creepy-cool “character heads.” Neue Galerie, 1048 5th Ave., 212-628-6200; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $15.

Mark Twain, a Skeptic’s Progress—If you enjoy poring over the scribblings and pontifications of legendary writers and thinkers, then here’s a granddaddy of an exhibit. Coinciding with the 175th anniversary of Twain’s birth, this joint exhibit is presented by The Morgan and The New York Public Library—which hold two of the world’s great collections of manuscripts and rare books by the iconic author. It includes more than 120 letters, notebooks, diaries, photographs and drawings associated with the author’s life and work, and is supplemented by Twain’s correspondence, drawings and illustrations, photographs and several 3-dimensional artifacts. Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave., 212-685-0008; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $12.

Saturday, September 26

Tuesday, September 28

Me, Myself & I—Starring Brian Murray and Elizabeth Ashley, this Edward Albee play is about a mother who can’t distinguish between her twin sons. May not be promising for the boys, but it’s a great season opener for us. Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd St., 212-279-4200; 8 p.m., $75.

Wednesday, September 29

Jazz Giants—Bill Wurtzel and Mike Gari will perform jazz guitar music. American Folk Art Museum, West 66th Street and Columbus Avenue, 2 Lincoln Square Branch; 2 p.m.-3 p.m., Free.

Thursday, September 30

Blood Into Gold: The Cinematic Alchemy of Alejandro Jodorowsky—The Museum of Arts and Design screens Fando Y Lis, one of Chilean guru/filmmaker/comic book writer Jodorowsky’s movies. Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, 212-299-7740; 7 p.m. $7-$10.

Compiled by Allen Houston

Friday, September 17

Russian Revolution—Poet Alex Galper introduces Battleship Potemkin, considered one of the world’s most influential films. The Sergei Eisenstein film commemorates the uprising aboard a battleship, one of the pivotal events of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., 212-620-5000; 9:30 p.m., Free with $7 bar minimum.

Saturday, September 18

New Pop Artist—Asia Society presents Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool, an exhibition of the iconic Japanese pop artist and his relationship to rock and punk music. More than 100 works, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and installation, are on display. Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., 212-288-6400; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $10.

Dance the Night Away—The New York Swing Dance Society will host its first dance of the fall at St. Jean the Baptiste Church. An hour-long dance lesson for beginners will take place at 7 p.m., followed by a night of dancing. St. Jean the Baptiste Church, 184. E. 76th St., 212-696-9737; 8 p.m.-12 a.m., $15.

Latin Caribbean Sound—Son De Madre, a group that mixes the Latin Caribbean tradition with a modern feel, kicks off the 35th season of the Carnegie Hall Neighbohood Concert series. The group brings their combination of salsa, boleros and funk music. El Museo Del Barrio, 120 5th Ave., 212-831-7272; 4 p.m., Free.

Monday, September 20

Dystopian Author—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, returns to the Poetry Corner to read from The Year of the Flood, her most recent novel of speculative fiction. 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street, 212-415-5500; 8 p.m., $27.

Tree Inspiration—Arboreal presents a striking variety of paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures that use trees as both a subject and for artistic material. Four artists portray the forest as an aesthetic inspiration, as well as a metaphor for larger environmental issues. The Arsenal Gallery in Central Park, 5th Avenue and 64th Street, www.nycgovparks.org; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Free.

Tuesday, September 21

Famous Fashionistas—Relive New York’s history through the ever-evolving styles of its most famous fashionable females. Notorious and Notable collects wardrobes and accessories from upper crust royalty to its most famous burlesque dancer. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Ave., 212-534-1672; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $10.

Wednesday, September 22

Animal Drawing—The American Museum of Natural History invites aspiring artists of all levels to participate in a museum art class in animal drawing. For eight consecutive Wednesdays, participants will sketch from world-class dioramas and displays such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at West 79th Street, www.amnh.org/programs; 7-9 p.m., $160 (materials not included).

Thursday, September 23

Visionary Light—Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burfield compiles more than 100 watercolors, drawings and oils on canvas, capturing the nature-lover’s expressionistic view of light and the environment that surrounded him. Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave., 212-570-3600; 11 a.m.-6 pm, $18.

Compiled by Shilpa Agrawal

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Chair Pilates—This class, open to senior citizens, is being led by Laura Shapiro, dancer, choreographer and Pilate’s instructor. DOROT, 171 W. 85th St., 212-769-2850; 10:30-11:20 a.m., Free (suggested donation $5).

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Echoing Voices—Silver Roots, a musical ensemble, plays a soundtrack of traditional songs ranging from European to Middle Eastern and Latin American. The group fuses story, acting and music to look at waves of immigration throughout American History. David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-875-5000; 11 a.m., Free.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Final Performance—Join Sounds of Deliverance, a gospel group, as it plays the closing day of the Harlem Meer Performance Festival at the northern end of Central Park. Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park at 110th St. (between 5th & Lenox Aves.), 212-860-1370; 2-4 p.m., Free.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

Haunted Comes To An End—The Guggenheim ends its exhibit featuring contemporary videos, photography and performance, and an overall haunted ambience that yields a melancholy longing for the past. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave., 212-423-3500; 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m., $15-18.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

Drabbles—Soho Photo Gallery kicks off its 40th season with an opening reception for William George Wadman’s Drabbles. This exhibition features photos that Wadman considers “drabbles” (short and precise works of fiction) because they let the viewer imagine a story and expound on it. Soho Photo Gallery, 15 White St., 212-226-8571; 6-8 p.m., Free.

Three Irish Widows—The 1st Irish Festival 2010 kicks off with Three Irish Widows Versus The Rest of the World, written and performed by Ed Malone. The play follows three Irish women as they journey all over the world in a search of excitement after the deaths of their husbands. Stage Left Studio, 438 W. 37th St., Ste. 5A, 212-838-2134; 8 p.m., $18.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

A Birding Adventure—The American Natural History Museum is sponsoring bird walks throughout the fall in Central Park. Join expert Joseph DiCostanzo on a walk through the park to see more than 50 species of birds. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th St., 212-769-5310; 7-9 a.m., $85.

Music of the Spanish Baroque—A performance by Anima, an ensemble that specializes in music from the Baroque and late Renaissance period, will feature the rich and rhythmic music of the Spanish Baroque. Immanuel Lutheran Church, 122 E. 88th St., 212-967-9157; 1:15 p.m., Free.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

That Is Then. This Is Now—The CUE Art Foundation is exhibiting the works of nine artists who came of age during the 1970s and are continuing to produce vital work. The event is curated by Irving Sandler and Robert Storr and includes the work of Donna Dennis, professor of art at Purchase College, as well as other artists. CUE Art Foundation, 511 W. 25th St., Ground Floor, 212-206-3583; 6-8 p.m., Free.

Compiled by Hannah O’Grady and Shilpa Agrawal

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

Senior Citizen Jin Shin Jyutsu—Open to senior citizens, this is a peaceful way to start your afternoon. Join Judith Janus, practitioner of Jin Shin Jyutsu, to harmonize your mind, body and spirit with various exercises. DOROT, 171 W. 85th St., 212-769-2850; 10:30 a.m., $5 (suggested donation).

Summer Salsa—Dance Manhattan hosts this month’s Salsa Social, part of an eight-year-old program open to new and experienced dancers alike. 39 W. 19th St., 5th Fl., 212-807-0802; 9:30 p.m., $5-$10.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

Striped Sensation—New York International Fringe Festival presents Sarah Hayward’s one-woman show, Stripes: The Mystery Circus, which follows the story of Pollyhymnia, a girl who dreams of being in the circus. The semi-autobiographical musical reflects Hayward’s own rise from library worker in Vancouver to writer of and actress in her own show in New York. Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., 604-689-0017; 2 p.m., $15 (with advanced purchase).

Mostly Mozart—Lincoln Center is closing its annual celebration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a final performance featuring Mozart’s rarely performed Davidde penitente. This performance will be conducted by Louis Langrée and feature pianist Stephen Hough. Avery Fisher Hall, 20 W. 63rd St., 917-441-6109; 8 p.m, $35-85.

Goodbar by Bambï and Waterwell—NYC Rock band Bambï is teaming up with theater company Waterwell to put on an adaptation of the ’70s novel and movie, Looking For Mr. Goodbar. The production explores the themes of sexuality, independence and persona. City Parks Foundation, East River Park, 212-360-2777; 8 p.m., Free.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

Check Mate—Marshall Chess Club hosts a chess tournament for kids ages 6-12. Trophies will be awarded to the top three competitors, and all participants will receive medals. Bryant Park Chess Area, 212-365-4745; 11 a.m. (10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. advanced registration), $25.

Argentine Mass—The Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bartholomew’s continues its festivities with an Argentine Mass, Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramírez. St. Bartholomew’s Church, East 51st Street and Park Avenue, 212-378-0222; 11 a.m., Free.

Broadway Blast From the Past—Lost & Found, a production by Sunday Series at Abingdon with Actors Underground, is a compilation of songs from post-1970 Broadway musicals. Proceeds will support the non-profit Abingdon Theatre. 312 W. 36th St., 1st Fl., 212-868-4444; 7 p.m., $15.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23

Starving for Scripts—The Castillo Theatre performs Judith Marie Wallace’s Another Kind of Hunger—directed by Eric Vitale—one of four winning scripts from the 2010 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Playwriting Contest. This play follows the protagonist in his attempts to build a high-class resort in his Southwestern reservation and his efforts to better his impoverished friends as others grow involved. Castillo Theatre, 543 W. 42nd St., 212-941-1234; 7:30 p.m., $5-$10.

Five Days in March—City Parks Foundation continues its Summer Stage with the play Five Days in March by Toshiki Okada. Set in 2003 as the U.S. is about to wage war on Iraq, this comedic and devastating show about relationships captures the irony and essence of the Generation Y in Japan. City Parks Foundation, East River Park, 212-360-2777; 8 p.m., Free.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24

Oliver Lake Organ Quartet—The Jazz Standard hosts a quartet led by saxophonist Oliver Lake, alongside Jared Gold on organ, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and Chris Beck on drums. Food from Blue Smoke, along with wine, beer and cocktails, will be provided at additional cost. 116 E. 27th St., 212-576-2232; 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., $20.

My Night At Maud’s—The Film Society of Lincoln Center continues paying tribute to director Eric Rohmer by screening My Night At Maud’s along with many of his other films. This Oscar-nominated piece brings philosophy and existential talk to the story about a young Catholic engineer (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who is forced to spend the night with a seductive divorcee (Françoise Fabian) because of a snowstorm. To see film timings for other Rohmer films, visit www.filmlinc.com. Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., 212-875-5600; 4 p.m., $5-$9.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

Tales of Terror—The “Word for Word Author” outdoor reading series presents author and musician Rick Moody, who discusses and answers questions regarding his novel, The Four Fingers of Death. The event is hosted by Wesley Stace, author of Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, followed by a musical performance by the authors. Bryant Park Reading Room, E. 42nd St., 212-768-4242; 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m., Free.

Summer Sings—Conductor Patrick Gardner will lead audience members to sing through Orff’s Carmina Burana and Brahms’ Nänie as part of The New York Choral Society’s 50th annual Summer Sings Program. Scores are provided by the New York Choral Society. Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th St.), 212-864-5400; 7:30 p.m., $15.

Enduring the Hurricane—Meet six Katrina survivors in the play 23 Feet in 12 Minutes: The Death and Rebirth of New Orleans as part of the FringeNYC arts festival, and see how one of the largest storms to hit America changed these peoples’ lives. Players Loft, 115 MacDougal St. (W. 3rd & Bleecker Sts.), 212-475-1449; 5:15 p.m., $15.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26

Star-Struck—The Hayden Planetarium space show, Journey to the Stars, lets visitors experience the life of our solar system. The show documents the Milky Way’s birth 13 billion years ago and hypothesizes about the destruction of our sun five billion years from now. American Museum of Natural History, W. 79th St. and Central Park West, 212-769-5200; 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (every 30 minutes), $18-$28.

Compiled by Alice Robb and Reid Spagna

Friday, August 13

Mostly Mozart—The 2010 Mostly Mozart Festival continues with Osmo Vanska, called “a conductor of genius” by The New Yorker, leading the Festival Orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s D-Minor Piano Concerto and Symphony No. 40. Avery Fisher Hall, West 65th Street & Columbus Avenue, 212-875-5316; 8 p.m., $35-$90.

Theater on The Move—One of Shakespeare’s most well-known works comes to Central Park, but this time, there’s no way to fall asleep in your seats. The cast of Much Ado About Nothing performs at various locations throughout Central Park, where the end of each scene is accompanied by a complementary change of scenery; audiences must run through the park to watch the plot progress. Shakespeare on the Run, West 103rd Street & Central Park West, 212-252-4531; 7 p.m., Free.

Saturday, August 14

Big Apple Block Party—This year, the city is bringing back its Summer Streets event for the third year. On the first three Saturdays of August, almost 7 miles of streets will be cleared of traffic for the citizens’ enjoyment. Free offerings include bike and skate rentals, swimming in Dumpster Pools, Crunch workout classes, kids’ theater workshops and more. Summer Streets, Park Avenue (from Foley Square to East 72nd Street), www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets; 7 a.m.
-1 p.m., Free.

Scenic Concert—Riverside Clay Tennis Association continues its series of sunset concerts. Steve Tarshish and his Instrumental Trio bring jazz, folk, blues and rock to the tennis lawn overlooking the Hudson River. The Tennis Lawn, West 97th Street (inside Riverside Park), 212-978-0277; 7 p.m., Free.

More Movies—Symphony Space continues its string of film screenings with its Summer Blockbusters event. This week’s feature is The Karate Kid, in which Mr. Miyagi teaches an embattled teen martial arts. Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, 212-864-5400; 5 p.m., $5.

Sunday, August 15

Stomp the Yard—Street dancing makes a splash at Lincoln Center with Centrifugal Force: Hip-Hop Generations. Featuring 75 first and second generation dancers, the show mixes hip-hop and urban dance as it moves through the Lincoln Center complex. The event ends at the steps of Alice Tully Hall, where audience members will be encouraged to participate in a freestyle dance-off. Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-875-5456;
5 p.m., Free.

New Plays—Summer Shorts 4, the fourth annual festival of new American one-act plays, continues with works by Christopher Stetson Boal, Wendy Kesselman, Alan Zweibel and Neil Koenigsberg. 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., 212-279-4200; 3:15 p.m., $18.

Monday, August 16

Celluloid Superheroes—RCN Movie Nights’ screenings of superhero-themed movies continues with Spy Kids. The children of secret-agent parents must save them from danger. Free popcorn is served. Seating is limited, but lawn chairs are welcome. The Waterside Plaza, between East 25th & 29th streets along the East River, 212-340-4208; at dusk (8:30 p.m.), Free.

Yiddish Theater—The Dybbuk, written and directed by Julia Pascal, is presented as part of Theater for the New City’s first Dream Up Festival of new plays. Judith, a British atheist Jew, is haunted by thoughts of her family lost in the Holocaust. This leads her to a dream world haunted by ghosts, or dybbuks. Johnson Theater, Theater for the New City, 155 1st Ave., 212-254-1109; 7 p.m., $12-$15.

Afro-Cuban Tunes—Acclaimed band Los Soneros de Oriente, which specializes in Afro-Cuban music, gives a free concert on Pier 1 overlooking the Hudson. Pier 1, Riverside Park and West 70th Street, 866-560-7669; 7 p.m., Free.

Golf Lessons—Make the Big Apple’s public parks your fairway with CityParks Golf, presented by René Lacoste Foundation. The partnership is offering free golf lessons for the city’s youth, looking to both build their skills and confidence. East River Park, E. 6th St. (on the FDR Drive), 718-760-6999, www.cityparksfoundation.org; Free.

Tuesday, August 17

Exhibiting a Museum—New York City’s historic Frick Collection pays homage to its origins in its featured exhibition. From Mansion to Museum: The Frick Collection Celebrates Seventy-Five Years describes how art connoisseur Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) opted to turn his home into a museum for his art collection after his wife’s death. The exhibit feature the elevation drawings of John Russell Pope, the architect tasked with expanding the house into a museum. The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St., 212-288-0700; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., $18.

Wednesday, August 18

Book Reading—Mona Simpson will be reading and discussing her latest novel. My Hollywood takes the untrodden route to describing our nation’s entertainment capital; instead of focusing on the fame and riches, Simpson tells a story of the domestic workers who keep households intact behind the scenes. Bryant Park Reading Room, 212-768-4242; 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m., Free.

Rafael Ferrer—Born in Puerto Rico, Ferrer has become a successful artist with many mediums, including painting, drawing and sculpture. As part of El Museo’s FOCOS series (displaying the work of mature yet under-the-radar artists), the exhibit presents the best of Ferrer’s working during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Avenue, 212-831-7272; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $4-$6 (suggested admission).

Thursday, August 19

Garden of Music—This summer, the West Side Community Garden invites you to cool down with some soothing jazz in its attractive park. The latest edition of the 2010 Season of Music in the Garden features Geoff Burke, a “bebop alto sax master” who is sure to impress. West Side Community Garden, West 89th Street (between Columbus & Amsterdam avenues), www.westsidecommunitygarden.org; 4 p.m., Free.

A Very Hot Jazz Night—The Samurai Jazz Piano Trio will be performing some of history’s most famous jazz tunes at St. Peter’s Church. The Trio will perform pieces by The Beatles, Coltrane, Gershwin, Stevie Wonder and others. St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea, 346 W. 20th St. (between 8th & 9th avenues), 212-929-2390; 8 p.m., $10 (suggested donation).

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 & 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 & 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 & 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.

Compiled by Alice Robb and Reid Spagna

Thursday, July 29

Creative Writing 101—Professional writers teach an hour-long class on creative writing, hosted by the Gotham Writers’ Workshop. Barnes & Noble, 150 E. 86th St., 212-369-2180; 7 p.m., Free.

Design on Wheels—The Museum of Arts and Design explores the art of building bikes with Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle. The exhibit displays the models of six renowned designers, who manipulate steel, aluminum and titanium to create their vehicles. The Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, 212-299-7777; 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., $12-$15.

Friday, July 30

Young Opera—Citywide Youth Opera presents The World So Wide (A Global Journey through Operatic Music). This concert of opera scenes and arias is performed by some of greater New York’s most talented teens, with selections by Mozart, Handel, Monteverdi, Berlioz and others. Roy Arias Studios and Theatre, 300 W. 43rd St., 6th Fl., 212-539-3561; 7:30 p.m., $12-$20.

Saturday, July 31

Manhattan in 1900—Playwright Martin Zuckerman and Turtle Shell Production have taken a famous John Dos Passos novel and adapted it for the stage. Manhattan Transfer chronicles the Big Apple’s evolution during the early 20th century through the intertwined stories of several New Yorkers. The Shell Theater, 300 W. 43rd St., 212-352-3101; 8 p.m., $18.

Shakespeare for the Small—DramaTune presents A Mini-Twelfth Night, an hour-long, family-friendly version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity. Children are encouraged to wear clown hats, as Feste the Clown interacts with them. West Side Community Garden, 115 W. 89th St., 212-316-5490; 5 p.m., Free.

Sunday, August 1

Sea Lions—Witness sea lions high-fiving their trainers, showing off their flips and catching fish on the fly at a sea lion feeding and presentation. Central Park Zoo, East 64th Street and 5th Avenue, www.centralparkzoo.com; 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Free with admission ($7-$12).

Artistic Life from Death—Thirty international artists use organic materials to create their art at Dead or Alive, a unique exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design. Everything from bird feathers to animal bones are employed to creatively make a statement about existence. The Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, 212-299-7777; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $12-$15.

Monday, August 2

The Art of Jazz—In its latest exhibit, Lincoln Center shows that jazz can be visual as well as auditory. Jazz at First Sight: The Art of David Stone Martin displays the artist’s illustrations for the sleeves of various jazz albums. Throughout his career, Martin always aimed to correlate his cover art with the composer’s musical piece. Frederick P. Rose Hall, 33 W. 60th St., 212-258-9807; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Free.

Tuesday, August 3

Klezmer Music—Music for a Better World: Jewish Music Free & Out of Doors presents a concert featuring the music of the Grammy Award-winning Klezmatics, Adrienne Cooper, Michael Winograd & Friends and the Community Chorus of the Boston Workmen’s Circle. Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, West 62nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-889-6800; 7 p.m., Free.

Baskets Full of Baskets—The Museum of Arts and Design presents Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection. With over 70 traditional and contemporary baskets, the exhibit displays the best of the Liebermans’ collection, and gives an in-depth look at the art of basket weaving. The Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, 212-299-7777; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $12-$15.

Wednesday, August 4

Cool Songs to Cool Down—Performance company Sing! Sing! Sing! will give audiences a way to escape the heat this summer. The group presents Cool Songs for A Summer Evening, a rendition of over 20 summer-related songs that aims to “counter soaring temperatures with soaring voices.” Spectators are encouraged to sing along. The Triad, 158 W. 72nd St., 212-786-9064; 7 p.m., $10 cover with 2-drink minimum.

Andes to the Pampas—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 the lively oasis of Broadway and West 66th Street. Music lovers are invited to bring lunch and friends to a performance featuring a pair of Colombian identical twins, Argentinian singer Flamenco Y Sol and Andean flute player Edgar Paucar. Richard Tucker Park, Broadway and West 66th Street, 212-878-7250; 12 p.m., Free.

New Music—Asphalt Orchestra performs world premiere commissions by Yoko Ono and David Byrne/Annie Clark as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival. Broadway Plaza, corner of West 65th Street and Broadway, 212-875-5000; 7 p.m., Free.

Thursday, August 5

Meet the Goldbergs—A classic film from 1950 will make its return to the silver screen at the Jewish Museum. Molly: The Goldbergs is based upon the television series The Goldbergs, with the sitcom’s cast reprising their roles as a working class Jewish family from the Bronx. The Jewish Museum, 1109 5th Ave., 212-423-3337; 6:30 p.m., $12-$15.

By Deirdre Donovan

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice has meant very different things at very different times. It began its stage life with a comic Shylock in a false nose and evolved through the centuries into a drama of great pathos. But whether you see this play as a comedy or tragedy, Daniel Sullivan’s staging at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, starring Al Pacino as Shylock, is incisive and arresting.

Lily Rabe, Byron Jennings and Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice.

Pacino’s Shylock holds the attention. Without forcing a syllable or gesture, Pacino constantly makes a point. He is incredibly interesting to watch, and plays his character as a small-minded patriarch who prides himself on his money lending on the Venetian Rialto. There are emotionally searing moments: for example, his character’s best-known speech of “Hath not a Jew eyes?” reminds you again that the spiteful Shylock is not without human feeling. Other contemporary productions have stressed this conceit but Pacino, with his gritty New York voice, pulls it off with fresh gravitas.

Fortunately, the rest of the cast is not eclipsed by Pacino. While the star undoubtedly has mega-wattage on the boards, there are a number of other actors who deliver big-time. There’s Lily Rabe, as Portia, who turns in an especially luminous performance. Playing opposite Rabe is the protean Hamish Linklater as Bassanio, who evolves from a mere fortune-hunter to Portia’s true-love during the evening. Byron Jennings, as the nominal character, is suitably urbane.

To be sure, the real protagonist of this story is money. And it eventually taints everybody who lends, borrows, steals, uses or enjoys its luxuries. Venice is a city of commerce, after all, and even the Christians know that money is the vital ingredient of their workaday world.

This production takes a few liberties with Shakespeares’ text: Sullivan has inserted a scene that has Shylock baptized in full view of the audience. This invented stage business vividly underscores one of the sticking points of the story: The Christian morality in Venice is often cruel and punitive.

If The Merchant of Venice is a deeply disturbing play with dark energies, then The Winter’s Tale is awash with enchantment. Although the drama opens like a tragedy, Shakespeare’s genius turns the plot inside-out before the final scene arrives.

The story, in many ways, resembles a fairytale. Polixenes, King of Bohemia, visits his old friend Leontes, King of Sicilia. Polixenes is so charming to his wife Hermione that Leontes believes that they are lovers and he has fathered her unborn child. I would be a spoiler to recount all the intricacies of the story here, but suffice it to say that Leontes’s mad jealousy causes a number of tragic events.

The problem with this production is that Ruben Santiago-Hudson is miscast in the leading role. Merely adequate in the part, Santiago-Hudson doesn’t add any fresh nuances to his character. Curiously, the star turn in this production belongs to Marianne Jean-Baptiste, playing the feisty Paulina. This show, directed by Michael Greif, also has the daunting task of playing in repertory with Merchant. Repertory theater has many virtues, but it has one unavoidable drawback: one production typically outshines the other.

Still, you can’t go wrong with this show. Certain plays repay repeated seeing, and The Winter’s Tale is one of them.

Instead of thinking in the “hit and flop” mentality of Broadway, you should go to both Delacorte offerings this summer to enjoy their Shakespearean resonances and to watch the actors perform in contrasting roles. In Merchant, you have a rare opportunity to watch the legendary Pacino on the boards; and in The Winter’s Tale, you can reflect on the wonder of “second chances” in life.

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Shakespeare in the Park
Performances continue through Aug. 1.
Tickets to both shows are free.
For additional information, visit www.shakespeareinthepark.org or call 212-539-8750.