Happenings for Week of August 20th, 2007

Week of August 20th, 2007



2007 Pro Beach Volleyball Crocs Tour (S)
The AVP swings to New York for the Brooklyn Open on Coney Island, where Mike Lambert-Stein Metzger seek to defend their title and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh look to get back on track in Brooklyn.
August 23rd - 26th, 2007
@ Coney Island Beach
19th and Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
Tickets: $20 - $60
For more information and to buy tickets: avp

Monday, August 20th, 2007

The 26th Annual Downtown Dance Festival (A, C, D)
Battery Dance Company presents a wide range of styles and companies from New York and around the world for the city's longest running free dance festival.
@ Chase Plaza, Nassau Street (between Liberty and Pine Streets)
12p
Free
For more information: river

Sex Sells (A, C)
An Evening to Benefit the Hysteria Festival (1st Annual Female Comedy Festival) Performances and videos by some of NYC's most talented performers.
With Performances and Videos by: Desiree Burch, Ann Carr, Livia Scott, Sara Schaefer, Eliza Skinner, Becky Yamamoto, Julie Klausner and Jackie Clarke
@ Galapagos Art Space
70 North 6th Street (between Kent and Wythe Avenues)
Free
8p
For more information: galapagos

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007



Jewish Candymakers of New York: 100 Years of Joyva (C, D/F, E)
A halvah and candy company, Joyva is one of Brooklyn’s treasures. Family owned and run for 100 years this year, Richard Radutsky now spearheads the legacy of his grandfather who emigrated from Kiev Russia and founded Joyva in 1907. In the exhibition, the company’s staff, product development, employee interviews and historic and contemporary photographs present one of the gems in New York’s wealth of immigrant history. The candymaking process features an underground tahini main, 50 pound pillows of sesame seeds and honey, perfect oh’s of chocolate and jelly, and the story of “Miss Joyva, 1951”.
@ Mark Miller Gallery
92 Orchard Street (between Grand and Broome Streets)
Free
For more information: food

Lecture: City Cycling for Adults (E, S)
Martin Nichols teaches how to safely use this fast, efficient transportation, NYC's rules of the road and basic roadside maintenance. Bicycle/helmet required.
@ North Esplanade at Chambers Street, Battery Park City
6:30p
Free
For more information: bikes

Wine Tasting: Island Hopping (D/F, E)
So many islands…so little time. Sicily, Sardinia, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and of course Long Island
@ Best Cellars
2246 Broadway (between 80th and 81st Streets)
8p
$7
For more information call: 212.362.8730

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007



Photography Exhibit: Visual Griots of Mali (A, C, E)
Visual Griots of Mali combines the importance of storytelling with the power of the camera, engaging Malian youth (ages 10-16) to use images instead of words in a revealing process of self-exploration and expression. Forty-nine black and white photographs, resulting from a series of workshops organized by the Academy for Educational Development, tell stories of life in Mali from the perspective of a new generation of visual griots.
@ World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery
Complex is bordered by Vesey Street along the north, West Street to the east, Liberty Street on the south and the Hudson River to the west
Free
For more information: mali

We Love Chick-Lit (C, L)
Writers chat about the hip and chic in-and-outside world of “Chick-Lit” and “Lad-Lit.” The country's most celebrated authors speak about recent successes and their thoughts on being a writer. Featuring: Jennifer Belle, Little Stalker, Caprice Crane, Forget About It, Megan Crane, Frenemies, Carrie Karasyov, The Infidelity Pact
@ Bryant Park - Reading Room
(between 40th/42nd Streets and Fifth/Sixth Avenues)
12:30 - 1:45p
Free
For more information: bryantpark

Come test your game of luck and skill (S)
Play backgammon while eating dinner and/or enjoying a cocktail or two. Players will get a 20% discount off of their check. Boards provided.
@ Brasserie Julien
1422 Third Avenue (between 80th and 81st Streets)
All day and night
For more information: brasserie

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007



Music by Marta Topferova (M)
Vocalist Marta Topferova composes and performs beautifully lyrical music rooted in Latin rhythms including Venezuelan vals, merengue, and gaita, Cuban son and Argentinian zamba merging it all with her background in classical music and the folklore of her native Czechoslovakia. She accompanies herself on the four-string cuatro and will be joined by Roland Satterwhite, violin and guitar; Pedro Giraudo, bass; and Franco Pinna, percussion.
@ Museum of Modern Art - Sculpture Garden
11 West 53rd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
5:30p
Free with museum admission, $20
For more information: moma



Book Discussion and Signing: Game Over by Azie Faison
A cautionary tale about the life of former kingpin Azie Faison, who has become the fabric of street legend Faison was a ninth grade dropout who earned more than $100,000 a week selling cocaine in Harlem. His legacy has been noted in hip-hop's lyrics, and his life was the basis for the urban cult classic film "Paid in Full" starring Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris, and rapper Cam'ron and produced by Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Films.
@ Hue Man Bookstore
2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (between 124th and 125th Streets)
6p
Free
For more information: hueman

Movie Screening: West Side Story (C, F)
The Sharks and the Jets replay "Romeo and Juliet" in 1950's New York City with a gorgeous score and choreography. Also featuring a short: Slip Of The Tongue by Karen Lum
Careful what you ask a stranger at the bus stop you might just get an answer! A look at perceptions of beauty, ethnicity and body image. And DJ: Doug Gomez and DJ Drilla (Drrtyhaze) bring their collection of Latin boogie down to the bridge.
@ Brooklyn Bridge Park - Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, Lawn
1 Main Street, Brooklyn
Music starts at 6p, movie starts at sunset (between 8 - 9p)
For more information: brooklyn

Friday, August 24th, 2007



Movie Screening: Dirty Dancing (Exclusive Engagement) (C, F)
Its the summer of 1963 and Baby is stuck at the Catskills with her parents. Attempting to make the best of the situation, Baby attends the organized classes on merengue dancing and wig demonstration. Suddenly, all of that changes when she meets Johnny Castle, the resort’s dance instructor. With Johnny, Baby learns the steps to a new dance a dirty dance that allows her to discover new strengths and new talents in order to define her place in a rapidly changing world. Under the influence of Rhythm and Blues, Baby can now express herself and her love for Johnny.
@ Clearview's Ziegfeld
141 West 54th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)
7:30p
$9 (plus service charges)
For more information and to buy tickets: movie

Speed Dating Event (S)
Men Ages: 40 - 51, Women Ages: 37 - 47
(women are sold out, but you can join waiting list)
@ Mustang Harrys
352 7th Avenue (between 29th and 30th Streets)
7:30p
Cost: $44.75, (Save - Use the name Laura in the discount code and pay $34.75). No discount is applied on day of event.
For more information and to sign up: dating

Draw - A - Thon (A, D)
Draw, paint, sculpt, write and create with a wide variety of talented models in a marathon 8 hour format. Models as performance artists, performance artists as models, dancers and actors as models, doing dramatic and intense gestures, 15's and long poses in a theatrical fun setting. Our mission is to provide artists with an affordable alternative to the conventional drawing workshop. We encourage and promote our models as artists.
@ ReBar
147 Front Street (between Maiden Lane and Pine Street)
8 - 4a
$13 per session
For more information: drawathon

Saturday, August 25th, 2007

Art Exhibit: 21 Positions (A)
More than a mere assembly of 21 artistic positions, this exhibition is about looking at the 21st century from different angles. Rather than celebrating speed, ubiquity, and unlimited growth, the new state of the art is to make us reflect on what we are about to lose.
@ Austrian Cultural Forum
11 East 52nd Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenues)
Free
For more information: acfny



Movie Screening: Stormy Weather (A, C, F)
Starring New York’s own Lena Horne with Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham and some of the greatest African American talent of the 1940’s. The story is lightly based on Bill Robinson’s life. A black newspaper headlined this fine effort, no Bandannas in “Stormy Weather”.
@ Casa Frela Gallery
47 West 119th Street (between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue)
12p
$5 per movie
For more information: casafrela

Lecture: The Rising Tide: Urban Population and Climate Change (C, E, L)
Human settlement has long been drawn to resource-rich coastal areas. But coastal regions also experience seaward hazards, including sea level rise and extreme weather events that are expected to increase as a result of climate change. Coastal zones exhibit higher population densities, in both urban and rural areas than any other major ecologically defined zone. In this study, we show that about one person in ten globally lives in the most vulnerable low elevation portions of coastal zones. This presentation will review findings in a global context, and for the five boroughs of New York City, and discusses implications for policy at both scales.
@ Governors Island - Pershing Hall
Free
12:30p
For more information and directions: govisland



Lecture: Chew on This (E, L)
Learn about the history of chewing gum, Adams NY Gum #1 and make a pack of chewing gum from scratch.
@ South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street (@ FDR Drive)
1p
Free with Museum Admission, $8
For more information: gum

Shemekia Copeland returns to NYC (A, C, M)
When singing sensation Shemekia Copeland first appeared on the scene in 1997 with her groundbreaking debut CD, Turn the Heat Up, she quickly became, at 18 years old, a roots music superstar. Critics from around the country celebrated Shemekia's music as fans of all ages agreed that an unstoppable new talent had arrived. Shemekia released two more CDs: 2000's Grammy© nominated Wicked and 2002's Taling to Strangers (produced by Dr. John), and in that short period of time, collected five Blues Music Awards, a Grammy© nomination, five Living Blues Awards, and was honored with the coveted "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" Award by the DownBeat Critics' Poll. Rock legend Robert Plant called her "the next Tina Turner." Shemekia has already had a lifetime's worth of career highlights, including performances on national television, appearances in films, and sharing stages with some of the biggest names in the music world.
@ BB King Blues
237 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
Doors open at 6p, show starts at 8p
$25
For more information and to buy tickets: shemekia

Sunday, August 26th, 2007

Sculpture Exhibit: Number 72 by Louise Bourgeois (A, C)
This exhibit comprises a group of works that demonstrate Ms. Bourgeois’s use of clustered forms. Works in bronze, marble, latex and fiberglass, aluminum, and steel, ranging in date from the late 1940s to 1996, highlight Ms. Bourgeois’ focus on the psychological and emotional effects of human relations. Grouping anthropomorphic and tactile forms, she emphasizes their relation to one another and to the space around them, and explores the themes of intimacy and anxiety. Deeply symbolic, the works are charged with both sexuality and innocence, mined from Ms. Bourgeois’ childhood and family life in order to understand and remake that history.
@ Storm King
Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville, NY
$10
For more information and directions (there is public transport avail)stormking

Walking Tour: The Cool, Green Edge of the City: Central Park West (S)
Another opportunity to enjoy the cool of the evening on an architectural tour that takes advantage of unique qualities of light and microclimate, this time along Central Park West. The distinctive skyline of Central Park West tells a story of changing fashions and attitudes in architecture and planning over a 150-year period. Uncover the layers of architectural and landscape history from the Dakota to Columbus Circle. The tour ends in a location that will provide a choice of dining options.
Location: Meet at the N.E. corner of Central Park West and West 72nd Street
6p
$15
For more information and to sign up: mas

Revenge of the Book Eaters (C, L, M)
A show that reminds you of the eternal question: words or music - which is better?
Featuring: Britt Daniel, AC Newman, Feist, Jim James, Sarah Vowell and Demetri Martin
@ Beacon Theatre
2124 Broadway (between 74th and 75th Streets)
7p
$35 - $50
For more information and to buy tickets: book

Yoga Class (S)
Stretch your Sunday nite blues away with Paula Lynch from Yoga Works.
@ Lululemon Athletica
1928 Broadway (@ 64th Street)
8 - 9p
Free
For more information: lululemon

Monday, August 27th, 2007



Monday Night Magic (C)
Featuring: David Oliver (Classic Doves, Exquisite Silent Manipulation), Harley Newman (Wild, Crazy and On The Edge Miracles) and Rocco (Magic Master & Sleight-of-Hand Champion)
Come and spend the most magical night New York City has to offer at “Monday Night Magic.” We’ve got a seat with your name on it prepare to be amazed. It’s a night of magic you will never forget.
@ St. Cement's Theatre
423 West 46th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues)
8p
Tickets: $32.50, day of show: $37.50
For more information and to buy tickets: magic

Key to Activities

A Art
C Cultural
D Dance
D/F Drink/Food
E Education
F Film
L Literature
M Music
NP Non-Profit
P Party
S Sport