Good afternoon, this is W42ST Lifestyle Editor Sarah Beling with “Make Way For The Weekend” — your curated guide to the best of New York events in one convenient newsletter!
I recently had the pleasure of attending a true New York broad’s 60th birthday party — in which, not only did my dear friend give all of us gifts to show her gratitude for our friendship, but also went around the room making speeches about each and every one of our relationships and what they had taught her. And as I looked around at people who had known this woman anywhere from half a day to half a century, I was reminded that despite the reputation that New York can be a city of strangers — andanotherhundredpeoplejustgotoffofthetrain et al — there’s more than enough community to be found if you know where to look ♥️.
Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.
🔥 Hot tip(s)!!!
Hot Tip up top??! What’s it doing HERE? Yes, yes, I’ve already mentioned the below productions — which as of tonight, are all officially open!! — in previous newsletters, but I’d be remiss not to add a few stream-of-consciousness, non-critic’s notebook musings I’ve jotted down after the wealth of new theater I’ve been lucky enough to attend over the past several weeks: I challenge any jaded New Yorker to remain as such while watching the exuberant cast of Hell’s Kitchen sing Empire State of Mind; I’d travel to the farthest corners of the earth to watch Beth Leavel sing an 11 o’clock number (this time it’s in Lempicka); there’s gender-euphoric joy and theatrical magic afoot on W42nd Street at Signature Theatre’s Orlando; you cannot beat the spot-on comedic timing of a song like Suffs’ Great American Bitch; anyone who has already seen Off-Broadway’s chaotic masterpiece, Oh, Mary could have predicted its Broadway transfer (and the same goes for Playwrights’ Fleetwood Mac-but-not masterpiece, Stereophonic!); and while it’s not exactly true that (SPOILER FOR A CENTURY-OLD BOOK AHEAD) A Little Party Never Killed Nobody, the totally top-notch cast of The Great Gatsby is throwing the best party in town.
…when you can only think as far ahead as Monday!
🎶 even better than backstreet
New York’s hottest club is the Skirball Center, where the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus presents an evening of Bubblegum Pop April 26-27 billed as “the gayest choral celebration of the unforgettable hits from the 90s and 00s” and featuring everything from Britney, Mariah and Whitney’s greatest singles to Avril Lavigne and this iconic cover of Destiny’s Child’s Jumpin’ Jumpin’.
🖼️ gone but not forgotten
Fans of Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York will enjoy the New-York Historical Society’s nostalgic tribute to erstwhile landmarks at new exhibit Lost New York now open through September — and while it’s probably A-OK that there’s no longer a King George monument in Bowling Green, we’d love to have kept the original Penn Station!!
🎞️ take a deep dive
If you’ve ever watched any behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Titanic, you’re likely aware that director James Cameron prefers nearly drowning his actors to overdoing it with CGI. Now, Cameron has re-released the director’s cut of the other movie where he almost drowned the actors, The Abyss, which is screening at the Museum of the Moving Image April 28, May 3 and May 5. Let’s hope that SAG is on to him now!!!
SPONSORED POST
Intrepid Museum Free Fridays are back! Once again, the Museum is extending its hours with no admission cost from 5-9pm on select Fridays through September — kicking off tomorrow (April 26). Visitors are invited to enjoy special astronomy-themed programming aboard the storied WWII aircraft carrier Intrepid. Read more…
🌎 earth day is every day
If you missed last weekend’s Earth Day activities, there’s still time to celebrate at the American Museum of Natural History’s EarthFest April 27, where you can catch a full day of all-ages educational programming, interactive sustainability initiatives and performances exploring “NYC’s urban ecosystem”!
💥celebrating black comic books
Calling all “animators, Blerds, bloggers, cosplay lovers, fans, families, illustrators, independent publishers and writers” — the 12th annual Schomburg Center Black Comic Book Festival is back April 26-27, with a chock-full lineup of panels, workshops, cosplay opportunities and performances like The Little Heroes of Color Musical, Say it Proud: Amplifying LGBTQ+ Voices in Comics, How to Draw Black Superheroes and Comics and the Black Comics Trivia Challenge!
✏️ you’re on deadline
If you, like me, have a veritable graveyard of unfinished writing projects that haunt you every time someone at a cocktail party asks you what you’re working on, why not get unstuck at Study Hall: A Generative Writing Workshop at Romer Hell’s Kitchen April 27, May 4, May 11 led by local writer and teacher Joe D’Annibale!
💃 flamenco at the joyce
Pop over to see Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca now through April 28 at The Joyce where artistic director Martín Santangelo and Bessie Award-winning principal dancer Soledad Barrio pay homage to the longstanding influence of visual artist Francisco de Goya in “a series of vignettes interpreting the artist’s visual responses to the political turmoil of 19th-century Spain!”
🎤 almost ready for primetime
As someone who LOVES to see the evolution of any live performance go from page to stage, or in this case, tape, I’d wager that Josh Gondelman Buttons It Up — playing Union Hall April 27 and providing the Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Last Week Tonight comedian with the opportunity to work out his soon-to-premiere special in real-time — is worth checking out!
…what’s happening before and just after I hit your inbox next!
📸 they capture the drama
If you’ve ever seen a Broadway or Off-Broadway production photo, you’ve seen Joan Marcus and Carol Rosegg’s work. Celebrate their four-decade legacy of capturing New York theater at Photo Call: The Theater Photos of Joan Marcus and Carol Rosegg beginning May 1 at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Not pictured: an infamous regional theater publicity shot where everyone is on the correct foot but me.
🎭 it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare
Support Hell’s Kitchen’s own Pregones/The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (started by the legendary Miriam Colón!) at their new production of The Desire of the Astronaut May 2-26, which explores “the enduring myth and popular iconography of the astronaut through the fictional story of Esteban Only, the last Boricua in space. Drifting on a dying spacecraft with only intermittent contact with Earth, Esteban undertakes repairs that may facilitate his rescue or accelerate his court martial on grounds of insubordination.”
💎 the best baubles and bangles
Celebrate the art of contemporary jewelry at the Museum of Arts and Design’s annual MAD about Jewelry gala May 4, honoring designers Lele Sadoughi (responsible for the first-ever J Crew costume jewelry collection aka a good majority of my jewelry collection lol) and Sex and the City’s Patricia Field (I might as well hang a sign that says “Weeks without a SATC reference: 0”)! If you can’t make it to the awards, the pop-up and exhibit runs through May 8!
…for when you need to secure those hot tickets before they sell out!!!
🎶 billy’s last midnight
I know that this is quite a bit in advance but you should KNOW that Billy Joel is playing his LAST show at the Garden July 25 and if you also worship at the Altar of Dad Rock you should snag a ticket!!
🥙 outdoor dining
Featuring tons of tasty Hell’s Kitchen treats AND a booth to visit your favorite local news publication 😉, The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival returns to the neighborhood May 18-19!
⚠️ Omg I forgot to tell you
There are multiple outdoor performances in Lincoln Center Plaza April 27
Japan Fes is back — this time in Chelsea! — April 27
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day (April 27) with a bookstore crawl through BK or a trip to the The New York Art Book Fair !
You can see artist Shiro’s new exhibit Can I Kick It at a free Hudson Yards show presented by Bronx Brewery now through June 21 — and stop by the opening tonight
Jim Gaffigan plays the Beacon Theatre April 25-28
That’s it for now! Call me beep me if you want to reach me! (sarah@w42st.com)
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