A singer, a violinist and a pianist

Joyce DiDonato

There is so much to crab about, it’s nice to rave, once in a while. I know at least three musicians, who have recently performed in New York, who make raving possible. They are a singer, a violinist and a pianist.

Singers aren’t ranked like tennis players, but if they were, you’d be hard-pressed to keep Joyce DiDonato out of the No. 1 spot. The mezzo-soprano from Kansas sang at Carnegie Hall, accompanied by a “period” band, Il Complesso Barocco. She sang opera arias from the Italian baroque. A few of the arias were by well-known composers such as Monteverdi. Most were by virtual unknowns: Cesti? Orlandini? Porta? DiDonato has done some welcome excavation.

When she took the stage, the audience roared for her, as though expecting something good. They got it. She put on a clinic of singing, the way Marilyn Horne used to do, in her prime. Technically, DiDonato can do practically anything. She is almost always in the center of the note. She is utterly secure, meaning that you can be secure as you sit in your seat. Her high notes are free. Her low notes are juicy. She can dig into her lower register, the way a violinist does his strings.

Of her musicality, there seems no end. She added a speck of American jazz to a couple of those baroque arias, I swear. Her Italian diction is a model—as when she spat out the first words of a Monteverdi aria, “Disprezzata regina” (“Despised queen”). She has a healthy streak of humor too, which we saw when the band behind her was tuning up. She imitated, almost under her breath, the sound of a string instrument tuning. Memorably funny.

Usually, when the band introduced an aria, she looked eager to sing, champing at the bit to sing. We would be too, if we could sing like that.

With the New York Philharmonic, Frank Peter Zimmermann played Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1. In the first movement, I thought he was playing too warmly, too beautifully. But I soon realized that the music was still frightening: Shostakovich built the fear into it. In the second movement, the Scherzo, Zimmermann was rude, brash and jabbing. Or rather, the music is that way, and Zimmermann expressed it right.

So it was with the Passacaglia, which Zimmermann played nobly. I thought that maybe he and the conductor, Andrey Boreyko, were a touch fast. But they made their tempo work. Incidentally, Zimmermann missed a note or two, which was almost comforting: This was not a studio recording. There’s nothing like live.

The cadenza, which bridges the Passacaglia and the Burlesque, was superbly calibrated. This was a feat of thinking, as well as playing. And the Burlesque was hot and virtuosic—from the orchestra as well, actually.

Pianists aren’t ranked like tennis players, but if they were  . . .  This brings us to Yefim Bronfman, who performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto in Carnegie Hall, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by Fabio Luisi. There is a well-known video of Bronfman. He is 17, rehearsing a Bach concerto. Sitting next to him is Gina Bachauer, the famed midcentury pianist. After the concerto is over, Isaac Stern asks Bachauer whether she has anything to say to Bronfman—any advice to give. “Nothing,” she says. “Bless him. Nothing else. What can you say?”

I have nothing to say about the “Emperor,” except maybe this: The opening pages were just a little overpedaled, in my view. Otherwise, Bronfman had Beethoven to a T. The solidity, the limpidity, the rhythm, the chords (deep and precise), the octaves (ditto), the fortissimos, the pianissimos, the trills. The utter evenness of his playing—the sense of weight—is almost spooky.

Now and then, someone will ask me, “Whom do you like in the Beethoven piano sonatas? What recordings should I get?” The truth is, I don’t have anyone to recommend—although Backhaus and others deserve high praise, certainly for individual sonatas. I know that the recording industry is down the tubes. (Down the YouTubes?) But Bronfman should record the 32 sonatas, even if in his living room, for no money. He owes it to posterity.

Philip Glass and John Adams are the most famous living classical composers (if you don’t count John Williams). Who would be next? Possibly Thomas Adès, the Brit. His opera The Tempest is maybe the most acclaimed opera of recent years. And it has been playing at the Metropolitan Opera. The composer himself conducts. I have long known him to be a very fine pianist. On the night I attended The Tempest, he proved a more than adequate conductor. He knows the score, obviously. But he had his head rather buried in that score—or so it seemed from my seat.

Shakespeare’s play is magical and otherworldly, and an operatic treatment of it ought to be the same. Adès is largely successful in this regard. The opera begins with a storm, as does Otello. What is it about Shakespeare beginnings and storms? Personally, I found it hard to adjust to Adès’s musical language. The notes on the stage did not seem to match the notes played in the pit. The singers’ notes struck me as indeterminate, almost random. But there is a variety of music in this opera, and the score ultimately wins you over, I believe.

Britten’s treatment of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at times Debussyan, and so is Adès’ Tempest. It is both Brittenesque and Debussyan, we could say. Yet Adès is his own man, compositionally. There is humor in this opera, a streak of scherzo. Ariel is a coloratura soprano, with her music way up in the ether. Some of the most moving music is given to Caliban, a freak treated with sympathy.

The Met’s production is by Robert Lepage, best known for Cirque du Soleil, and known, too, for the Met’s latest Ring. His Tempest goes with the story and the score. What more can you ask of a production? This Tempest looks a little like The Enchanted Island, the Met’s baroque pastiche, which debuted last season. Prospero is Wotan-like—walking around grave and troubled, bearing a staff. Supertitles, or rather, subtitles, are flashed at the bottom of the stage. At intermission, a friend of mine said, “It ought to be that way for all productions!” I agree—but what about those who would prefer to do without titles?

In the cast are many worthy singers, of whom I will mention just two. Young Alek Shrader has a beautiful, fresh, graceful tenor voice. Catch it before it changes, as voices must. His character is Ferdinand, over whom his family is in despair, because he is missing. I wanted to call out, “Don’t worry, he’s with Isabel Leonard!” This extraordinary mezzo has the part of Miranda, and on the night I heard her, she sang with her customary intelligence and poise.

Plenty of composers have written operas based on The Tempest, including Lee Hoiby, the American who died last year. Shakespeare is still a force in the artistic world—almost dominant—four centuries on.

In the first week of November, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presented a concert involving three musicians: a pianist, a violinist and a cellist. The first two were okay. Competent. The cellist was something else: a great artist, no less. When she began to play, the evening took on a different character altogether.

She was Alisa Weilerstein, and she played the Chopin Sonata. About her technique, there is no concern: She can do whatever she likes. For example, she can widen or narrow the “ribbon” of her sound. And she has all the colors. Most important, she has an innate sense of music. She knows how to breathe, how to sing, where to put accents. She grasps the “soul” of the music at hand. This is probably unteachable (although a student can be encouraged). She plays with tremendous confidence, as well she might: She has everything to be confident about.

Weilerstein is a young woman, and when she is old or planted, she will be recognized as one of the greatest cellists we have known. In truth, she has been that for several years now. Don’t be a Johnny-come-lately or bandwagoneer: Recognize this today.

A final word, about Chopin: If he had not composed all those marvelous piano pieces, would we ever hear his cello music or his songs? I don’t think so. Odd, how the inspiration did not transfer over.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15

Operatic Masterpiece—The Amore Opera presents Pucini’s Tosca, sung in Italian with English supertitles. Connelly Theatre, 220 E. 4th St., 866-811-4111; times vary, $30.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16

Hip Hop Theater Festival—The 10th annual HHTF celebrates hip-hop culture with theater, dance, public art and more. Various locations, 718-497-4282; www.hhtf.org.

Art in the Park—Friends of Straus Park will host their annual Art in the Park. Artists will exhibit their work and there will be food and books for sale. Music and dance groups will entertain on West End Avenue. Strauss Park, 106th and 107th streets at Broadway; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Free.

Classical Sounds—The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony kicks off its new season with a program that evokes nature. Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, the Pastorale, is paired with Copland’s sublime Appalachian Spring and Cimarosa’s hauntingly beautiful Oboe Concerto, performed by Pedro Diaz, solo English horn of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. All Saints Church, 230 E. 60th St., 212-868-4444; 8 p.m., $10-20.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17

Broadway Great in Recital—Roosevelt André Credit, bass-baritone with pianist Thomas Schmidt, will perform a recital of spirituals, Broadway classics, opera and contemporary songs on Roosevelt Island. Credit has performed on and off Broadway, playing several roles in the Tony Award-winning and national touring companies of Harold Prince’s Show Boat. His extensive repertoire includes opera, oratorio, jazz, spirituals, pop and musicals. Church of the Good Shepard, 543 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, www.goodshepherdchapel.net; 2:30 p.m., Free (donation to food program suggested).

La Bete—David Hyde Pierce, Joanna Lumley and Mark Rylance bring this revival of David Hirson’s 1991 comedy (set in the 17th century and written in iambic pentameter) back to Broadway. Comedic golden boy Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage) directs. Music Box Theater, 239 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; 3 p.m., $76-$126.

Sankai Juku—Ushio Amagatsu directs the troupe in his most recent work, Tobari—As if in an Inexhaustible Flux. The Joyce, 175 8th Ave., 212-242-0800; 2 p.m., $10.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19

Seventeenth Annual Family Party—Over 2,500 children and parents are expected to participate in an evening of adventure throughout the American Museum of Natural History. The Family Party, one of the museum’s best-loved annual traditions, is a very special opportunity for children and adults of all ages to experience the wonders and magic of the museum. Taking full advantage of the magnificent halls, guests are treated to an evening full of fun. They interact with live animals, dig for dinosaur fossils, conduct fascinating experiments, experience simulated space travel, meet with scientists and much more. American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-313-7161; 5-7:30 p.m., $85-$175.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20

Poems from the Women’s Movement—Barnard College welcomes a group of outstanding women writers and thinkers for an evening celebrating the work of poets whose writing helped shape, and was shaped by, the women’s movement. Participants include Jorie Graham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author; physician and poet Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins; Anne Waldman, author of more than 40 books of poetry including On the Wing and Manatee/Humanity; and Eileen Myles, whom BUST magazine called “the rock star of modern poetry.” Barnard Hall, West P117th Street and Broadway, Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd floor, 212-854-2116,www.barnard.edu; 7 p.m., Free.

Compiled by Alice Robb

Friday, July 9

Magic Musical—TADA! Youth Theater presents The Magic Pot: Three Tales from China, an original musical for kids, performed by kids, about a young girl who finds herself in the middle of ancient tales. TADA! Theater, 15 W. 28th St., 2nd floor, 212-252-1619 x5; 7 p.m., $6-$25.

Pictures from the Past—The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents Lincoln Center Festival in Pictures, a retrospective photography exhibition highlighting the Festival’s artists and productions over the past 14 years. The gallery portrays some of the great artists who have participated in the Festival over the years, including Liam Neeson, Harold Pinter, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ornette Coleman and Merce Cunningham. Plaza corridor gallery of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Plaza, 212-870-1630; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Free.

Zombies—The Museum of Arts and Design continues its Italian zombie film series with a screening of Zombie 2 (1979), directed by Lucio Fulci. While investigating an unmanned yacht drifting into the New York City harbor, two patrolmen are attacked by a member of the living dead. The film series is presented in conjunction with special exhibition Dead or Alive, which explores how contemporary artists incorporate once-living materials in their work. Wear zombie makeup for a discounted ticket. MAD Theater, 2 Columbus Circle, 212-299-7740; 7 p.m., $7-$10.

Saturday, July 10

Operatic—The emerging artists of the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance program present a fully staged and costumed production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 695 Park Ave., 212-772-4448; 7:30 p.m., $20-$90.

Civil War History—A walking tour marks the 147th anniversary of the infamous New York Draft Riots. Learn through first-person accounts about the flourishing of Gramercy Park and personalities such as George Templeton Strong and Edwin Booth. The tour is led by New York City expert Maria Dering. Meet outside Church of the Transfiguration, 1 E. 29th St., 646-573-9509; 11 a.m., $15-$20.

Meet a Penguin—Interact with a live black-footed penguin at the Museum of Natural History’s Wild, Wild World Program. Jarod Miller, host of the television series Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller, discusses the habitats and surprising behaviors of these “extreme climate” animals. Linder Theater, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at West 79th Street, 212-769-5100; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., $10-$12.

Sunday, July 11

International Festival—Tens of thousands flock each year to the NYC Celebration of Nations Festival, which features international food, art and merchandise, as well as entertainment. Madison Avenue from East 47th to East 57th Street, 212-809-4900; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Free.

Summergarden—The Museum of Modern Art’s Summergarden concert series returns to The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, with a performance of chamber music including the world premiere of Laurie Altman’s Ways of Looking: At Zurich (2008) and New York premieres of works by Reynold Tharp and Paul Desenne. MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St., 212-708-9400; 8 p.m., Free.

Groovy Tunes—Families can hear the energetic pop-rock sound of Milkshake along with Curious George inspired tunes, in conjunction with The Jewish Museum’s exhibition Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey. The Jewish Museum, 1109 5th Ave., 212-423-3337; 2 p.m., $11-$16.

Monday, July 12

Broadway from the Inside—The Town Hall continues its fourth annual Summer Broadway Festival with Broadway Winners: The Award-Winning Music of Broadway. The evening features music and dance coupled with witty insider tidbits, all performed by Broadway’s finest. The Town Hall, 143 W. 43rd St., 212-840-2824; 8 p.m., $40-$50.

Tuesday, July 13

East Meets West—The 2010 New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks series opens with a performance by musicians from New York and Shanghai. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Long Yu, and international star pianist Lang Lang share the stage with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Andrey Boreyko. The Great Lawn, 79th to 85th Streets in Central Park, 8 p.m., Free.

Czech Film—The Czech Center New York continues its free screenings of Czech films (with English subtitles) with a showing of the ironic comedy Ecce Homo Homolka (1969), directed by Jaroslav Papousek. Rooftop of the Czech Center, 321 E. 73rd St., 646-422-3399; dusk (around 8:30 p.m.), Free.

Wednesday, July 14

Picnic with a Soundtrack—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 66th Street. Music lovers are invited to bring lunch, join friends and relax at a performance featuring Tunisian percussionist Najib Bahri, one man band Peter Joseph Paul and gypsy funk group SisterMonk. Richard Tucker Park, Broadway and 66th Street, 212-878-7250; 12 p.m., Free.

Compiled by Alexandra Waldhorn

Friday, June 18 

Motion Art—Susan Mastrangelo’s show, Slice of Life, presented by the Midtown Arts Common, captures the figural gestures of humans experiencing both the banality and the excitement of daily life. Exhibitors call it a “proscenium of the street, arrested in motion.” Narthex Gallery at Saint Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Ave., 212-935-2200; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Free.

Jazz Festival—George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival kicks off with an all-star lineup from the Jazz Gallery, including Roy Hargove, Claudia Acuna, Ambrose Akinmusire, Lage Lund, Gerald Clayton, Kendrick Scott, Ben Williams, Pedro Martinez and Miguel Zenon. Through June 25. Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 2537 Broadway, 212-864-5400; 8 p.m., $15.

Ukrainian Icons—The Museum of Biblical Art examines the culture and history of Ukraine with 70 icons, crosses, textiles, chalices and other rare liturgical objects from Kyiv’s famed Monastery of the Caves, many never shown before in the U.S. This historic Orthodox Christian monastery was founded in 1051 and is the oldest Orthodox monastery in Eastern Europe. Museum of Biblical Art, 1865 Broadway, 212-408-1500; noon to 6 p.m., $7.

Saturday, June 19 

Ships Ahoy—Take a trip on a retired fireboat and 103-year-old tug on the Hudson River, and a dockside tour of a former Coast Guard steamship. Noted maritime historian Norman Brouwer talks about historic ships throughout the afternoon on the former U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouse Tender, Lilac. North side of Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River, reservations recommended, www.nrhss.org; 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Free.

Swing Time—Hone your Charleston skills for the season finale of the New York Swing Dance Society, which starts again this fall. The Solomon Douglas Swingtet provides the music. St. Jean the Baptiste Church Hall, 184 E. 76th St., 212-NY-NYSDS; 7 p.m. to midnight, $11 to $15.

Upscale Flea—Visit The MARTE, the weekly Manhattan Artisan Retail and Trade Emporium. The upscale market is a collaboration between the host school’s Parents Association and this paper’s publisher, Manhattan Media. Proceeds go to P.S. 63. Kids receive free Hawaiian shaved ice all day and lucky shoppers receive free Broadway tickets throughout the day. P.S. 63, Fourth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A, 212-268-0501; noon to 6 p.m., Free.

Good Cause—Support the Youth Empowerment Scholarship, which helps teenagers and foster kids enrolled in college, by taking in a performance of Dream Babies, a musical about youth living in foster care, presented by the Riant Theater. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, 120 W. 46th St., 646-623-3488; 8 p.m., $25 to $250.  

Sunday, June 20

Opera Benefit—The mid-19th-century melodrama, Linda di Chamounix, by Gaetano Donizetti, plays tonight. All proceeds benefit the Trinity Place Shelter for homeless LGBT youth. Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan, 164 W. 100th St., 212-877-0509; 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation.

Monday, June 21

Optical Illusion—A reception celebrates Diane Englander’s Paintings and Drawings, which goes on view today. A former consultant to non-profits before she began to paint full-time in late 2007, Englander is known for making her canvases appear larger than they are with minimal use of lines and rich, often glowing surfaces. Saint Peter’s Church, downstairs Living Room Gallery, 619 Lexington Ave., 917-922-0666; 6 p.m., Free.

Celebrate Pride—The annual LGBT celebration, Spirit of Pride, focuses on a number of plays and musicals that examine global issues in the LGBT community, such as family and adoption, religion and relationships, and the military. Among the performers are Bobby Steggert, Brian Childers, Jeremy Lawrence, Mildred Dred Gerestant and Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, 212-316-7337; 7:30 p.m., Free.

Greek Visionary—Described as one of the largest musical events in the city’s history, the fourth “Make Music New York” celebrates the music of visionary Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, with performances throughout Central Park. Events include Persephassa in rowboats, an Oresteia puppet show and the Yale Percussion Group. Follow interactive electronic performances in the Meatpacking district, more than 100 punk bands on Governors Island and hundreds of homegrown ensembles playing all over town. Throughout the city, www.makemusicny.org; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Free.

Street Sounds—Give your musical talent a test and sit down at one of 60 pianos installed on the city’s streets, part of Sing For Hope, a public service organization for artists. The project is part of “Play Me, I’m Yours,” a worldwide public art project by British artist Luke Jerram. An opening festival offers free concerts in public spaces throughout the city. Find a piano at Lincoln Center, Central Park (Merchants’ Gate, Bandshell, Dana Discovery Center) and Riverside Park, among 30 other Manhattan locations. www.nycstreetpianos.com; through July 5, Free.

Tuesday, June 22

Frick History—See how the former home of Adelaide and Henry Clay Frick was transformed into a museum. A collection of architectural drawings, photographs and other materials are gathered in the educational display, “From Mansion to Museum: The Frick Collection Celebrates Seventy-Five Years.” The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St., 212-628-4417; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
$5 to $18.

Climate Talk—A discussion focuses on how climate change, energy and national security are connected, and why their effects threaten the stability of different world regions. John Mroz, president and CEO of the Eastwest Institute, moderates the panel, featuring leading experts like rear admiral Neil Morisetti, climate and energy security envoy of the U.K. Ministry of Defense and Foreign Commonwealth office. The American Museum of Natural History, Kaufmann Theater, first floor, West 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5200; 5:30 p.m. for wine, coffee and snacks for purchase, with the discussion starting at 6:30 p.m., Free.  

Artists’ Health—Oil painter and illustrator Roberto Parada shares his insight on how he made his studio a safer place after being diagnosed with bone marrow failure. He discusses what art supplies to get rid of and why, and how to keep oil painting in his life safe. Society of Illustrators, 128 E. 63rd St., 212-838-2560; 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., $7 to $15.

Summer Series—The Naumburg concert series kicks off in Central Park tonight with The Knights. The ensemble, led by conductor Eric Jacobsen, performs works by Mendelssohn, Schubert and Dvorak, featuring cellist Jan Vogler, and a rarely performed work by Morton Feldman. The first 100 attendees receive DVDs. Concert ground in Central Park, south of the 72nd Street cross-drive, 212-501-7809; 7:30 p.m., Free.

Wednesday, June 23

Wilcock on Warhol—Join Village Voice founder John Wilcock in a discussion of the new edition of his book, The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol. First published in 1971, the book was the first oral biography of the artist during the early years of his fame. The New York Public Library, south court auditorium, 476 Fifth Ave., 917-275-6975; 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.), Free.

Colson Conversation—Join New York-based novelist Colson Whitehead, author of Sag Harbor, in conversation with Samantha Hunt, author of The Invention of Everything Else, at the Bryant Park Reading Room in a shady corner of the park. Bryant Park Reading Room, 42nd Street side of the park between the back of the Public Library and Sixth Avenue, 212-768-4242; 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Free.

Food on Film—The New York City Food Film Festival, hosted by and benefiting the Food Bank for New York City, kicks off with “The Great New York City Shuck ’N’ Suck,” an all-you-can-eat oyster feast, four short oyster films and a shucking contest. Films continue across the city until June 27. Water Taxi Beach, South Street Seaport, 89 South St., www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com; 7 p.m., $95.

MGM Classics—Join the popular Upper West Side institution Sing! Sing! Sing! and belt out some of the best tunes from MGM’s famed musicals. Anne Phillips and Michael Shepley play piano and the audience takes over with songs, including “The Trolley Song,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Taking a Chance on Love.” The Triad, 158 W. 72nd St., 212-786-9064; 7 p.m., $10 plus two-drink minimum.

Thursday, June 24

Cotton and Friends—The James Cotton Blues Band and an all-star line-up of contemporary blues giants, including Taj Mahal, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Shemekia Copeland, Darrell Nulisch and David Maxwell, play for a special one-night show. Cotton, the greatest living blues harmonica master, shows what the blues are really about. Rose Theater, Broadway at West 60th Street, 212-721-6500; 8 p.m., $35 to $85.

Compiled by Max A. Goldstein

Friday, June 4

Eastern Dance—The Indo-American Arts Council and Asia Society present the third annual “Erasing Borders: Festival of Indian Dance 2010.” The agenda includes two evening performances and two days of panels, workshops and demonstrations of Indian and Indian-inspired dance. The evening performances feature traditional, non-traditional, classical and post-modern dance, while the day sessions explore movement elements, rhythm and textual content. For more information, visit www.asiasociety.org. Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Ave., 212-288-6400; $16 to $20 for performances, $7 to $10 for a class.

Immigrant Experience—Author and culinary expert Jane Ziegelman talks about her latest book, 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement. The families—who were Irish, Italian, Eastern European Jewish and German—lived in the same building from 1863 to 1935. Each sought assimilation, but hung on fiercely to recipes from “the old country.” Includes wine and cheese reception, author talk and book signing, followed by evening service and potluck dinner. The Society for the Advancement of Judaism, 15 W. 86th St., 212-724-7000; 6:15 p.m., Free.

Baby Boomers—Town Hall presents a tribute to boomers’ music of the ’60s and ’70s, featuring Tony-nominated actresses and sisters Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway. The two share stories about growing up in New York and Chicago and perform selections from their cast recordings and works made famous by Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder and more. The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., 212-307-4100; 8 p.m., $45 to $50.

Opera Cinema—Empire Opera presents the world premiere of renowned composer Thad Wheeler’s latest work, Cinema Songs. This production brings together recognized performers from both musical theater and opera, and offers a new interpretation to some of America’s best-loved movies, from Hitchcock’s Rear Window to Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Empire Opera, 349 West End Ave., 917-743-7076, www.empireopera.org; 8 p.m., $30.

Saturday, June 5

Storytelling—The 54th season of “Stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen” kicks off today with Haitian stories from the book The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales. Stories are accompanied by music from Haitian drummer Oneza LaFontant, singers Jessica Lee and Joy Smith, and guitarist Phil Robinson. Through Sept. 25; visit www.dianewolkstein.com for details. Central Park on the west side of the pond, near 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, 212-929-6871; 11 a.m., Free.

Spring Fair—Celebrate spring with the P.S. 9 community. Festivities include inflatable rides, face painting, games, arts & crafts, food and music. P.S. 9, West 84th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, 212-678-2812; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Free admission, games/activities $1 to $2 each.

Ocean Experts—The 2010 World Science Fair, running through June 6, includes a much-anticipated discussion about the world’s oceans with legendary marine biologist Sylvia Earle and Fabian Cousteau, grandson of the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. They focus on the endless possibilities of oceanic exploration, with a look at new technologies transforming how we investigate the seas. Also check out never-before-released “making-of” footage from Jacques Perrin’s revolutionary film, Oceans. The Paley Center, 25 W. 52nd St., 866-811-4111 or 212-352-3101; 4:30p.m., $15 to $30.

Multi-talented—The “Lyrics and Lyricists” series ends its 40th anniversary season with a tribute to the composer, pianist, singer, actor and bandleader Hoagy Carmichael. Carmichael wrote some of the most famous American songs of all time, including “Stardust,” “The Nearness of You,” “Heart and Soul” and “Georgia on My Mind.” Tonight’s show, “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening: The Stardust of Hoagy Carmichael,” features artistic director Ted Sperling and Broadway vocalists Laura Maria Duncan, Capathia Jenkins and Clarke Thorell. Also June 6 and 7. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 212-415-5500; 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., $52 to $62.

Sunday. June 6

Community Festival—The Enid A. Haupt Glass Garden at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine hosts its 12th annual community festival for families and children. The festival includes a petting zoo with baby farm animals from Green Chimney Farms in Westchester, plant potting, nature crafts and pony rides. 400 E. 34th St., 212-263-6058; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Free.

Medical Info—The Hospital for Joint Diseases at NYU Langone Medical Center hosts the 2010 Rose Dabbs Health Fair. The fair includes free medical consultations, craft and book sales and physician referrals, along with children’s activities and a magician. The Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 E. 17th St., 212-598-6016; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Free.

Monday, June 7

Colon Cancer Cues—Learn more about colon cancer prevention on a virtual tour of a colon. Colon cancer survivors and health professionals provide tours through an 8-foot-high, 20-foot-long inflatable replica of the human colon that depicts healthy and cancer-riddled tissue. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, 1315 York Ave., 212-821-0560; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Free.

Taste of Times Square—The annual Times Square festival showcases food from different neighborhoods and restaurants around the city, and includes live entertainment. Special musical guests perform at the Hard Rock Café stage. For more information, visit timessquarenyc.org. West 46th Street between Broadway and Ninth Avenues, 212-768-1560; 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Free.

Preservation Effort—Kathy Howe of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation delivers an informal discussion on how to submit a building or neighborhood for consideration on the National Register. The designation can provide benefits and tax incentives to owners and residents to preserve the neighborhood or building, and is the first step toward local landmark designation. Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 E. 11th St., 212-614-9107; 8:30 p.m., Free.

Roosevelt Review—A musical review featuring Broadway’s only female
composer-lyricist team, Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, raises money for Roosevelt House, Hunter College’s recently reopened public policy institute. “Einstein & the Roosevelts” is a fanciful story about Eleanor Roosevelt’s 120th birthday party hosted by her cousin, Alice, with a guest list of luminaries that include Albert Einstein. Roosevelt House, 47-49 E. 65th St., 212-650-3786; performance 7:30 p.m., dessert reception 8:45 p.m., $95.

Tuesday, June 8

Senior Steps—Choreographer Naomi Goldberg Hass and her company, Dances For a Variable Population, offer a six-class workshop for older adults that encourages participants to explore the benefits of dance in their daily lives. Participants will perform with the ensemble on the High Line Cruise in September 2010. Classes are also June 11, 15, 18, 22 and 25. Hudson Guild Fulton Senior Center, 119 Ninth Ave., 347-683-2691; 1 p.m., Free.

Get Your Culture On—Museums up and down the mile offer free admission for the 32nd annual “Museum Mile Festival.” El Museo del Barrio, The Museum of the City of New York, The Jewish Museum, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, National Academy Museum & School of Fine Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Neue Galerie New York, Goethe-Institut New York/German Cultural Center and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are taking part in the festival, which includes outdoor activities for children. The opening ceremony is at El Museo del Barrio, on Fifth Avenue between East 104th and 105th streets. Fifth Avenue from East 82nd to 105th streets, 212-606-2296; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Free.

Wednesday, June 9

Bee Talk—Samantha Bee, the most senior correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, talks about her memoir I Know I Am But What Are You?, a collection of her hilarious personal essays. Bryant Park Reading Room, Bryant Park, Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street, 212-768-4242; 12:30 p.m., Free.

Symphonic—Music Director George Rothman leads the Riverside Symphony, for the third and final concert of the orchestra’s 29th season, in “Theater for the Ears.” The finale, dedicated to three generations of music from the theater, features Rebecca Jo Loeb, winner of the 2008 Lotte Lenya International Soprano Competition. Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, 1941 Broadway, 212-864-4197; 8 p.m., $35 to $50.

Incredible Life—George Marcy’s life has been a voyage. The Ballad of George Porgie, a one-man show presented by Marcy, takes audiences from an orphanage to a tank in World War II and his role as Bernardo, opposite Chita Rivera, in the original West Side Story. Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St., 212-757-0788; 6 p.m., $25 plus two-drink minimum.

Thursday. June 10

Vinyl—More than 10,000 items, including records, posters and sheet music from the 1800s to the 1980s, are on sale. Includes genres spanning across the music world. Tip Top Shoe Building, 155 W. 72nd St., 4th floor, 212-579-0689; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Free.

Sketchy Stuff—Beginning June 10, some of the best live sketch comedy groups in North America descend on the city for SketchFestNYC. Featured shows include MUDRDERFIST, Fearsome Presents: Grease 3: THREASE, Elephant Larry, Fuct and Tom Davis Presents: 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss. The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W. 26th St., 212-366-9176; 7 p.m., $10 to $90.

“When I first started conducting, I did a Rossini opera at BAM in the early ’90s, and Caramoor asked me to develop opera productions in their Music Room,” said Crutchfield, an Upper West Sider. “We did that for a few years, then brought a good production to the Caramoor Festival in 1996: Rossini’s La Cenerentola with mezzo-soprano Viveca Genaux. It got a great response and the following year we made ‘Bel Canto at Caramoor’ official—we’ve been going strong ever since.”

Conductor Will Crutchfield leads the Bel Canto at Caramoor series, featuring revivals of 19th-century Italian operas by Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini.

That strength is especially evident in this summer’s opera events: Donizetti’s popular comedy The Elixir of Love was performed July 18, and Rossini’s dramatic—and rarely performed—Semiramide is scheduled for July 31. Since opera singers’ schedules are planned years in advance, operas at Caramoor are performed whenever Crutchfield’s ideal casts are assembled.

“One example is this year,” he said. “We wanted tenor Lawrence Brownlee, but his schedule is very full and getting fuller. He could finally sing for us this summer, and we gave him a role he has not done before: Nemorino in Elixir of Love. He’s in such demand for other roles that he has not sung this one. So he was the starting point for that opera, and the starting point for Semiramide was soprano Angela Meade, whom I first heard two years ago, and wanted to sing the title role, which would be a real showcase for her.”

Rounding out the Semiramide cast is Viveca Genaux, who is coming back to play Arsace, and Brownlee, who will return to sing Idreno.

“So we have the world’s three best Rossini singers in one Rossini opera!” the conductor said.

Crutchfield doesn’t see any disadvantages to performing operas at the festival’s outdoor Venetian Theater.

“The atmosphere is great, of course, and it also has good natural acoustics,” he said. “We use no amplification at all, and the sound is fresh and pleasant—we can perform as if we’re inside a concert hall with good acoustics. Happily, we are able to avoid the frustration of many outdoor spaces.”

This October, Caramoor plans to hold its first Fall Festival, a weekend of concerts that begins with the New York Philharmonic and culminates with a solo recital by soprano Sumi Jo, whom Crutchfield is accompanying on piano. He hopes that opera will also become a part of future Fall Festivals.

“We may do some small-scale operas in the fall, perhaps even returning to The Music Room,” he said.

His Caramoor conducting career would then come full circle.

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Bel Canto at Caramoor, on July 31, is part of the Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, N.Y., which runs through
Aug. 5. For information about round-trip bus service from Manhattan, call 914-232-5035 or visit caramoor.org.