Summer Activities in NYC

(Amanda’s note: “OMG!”) On August 29, the...

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:20:11 -0400

(Amanda’s note: “OMG!”)

On August 29, the Metropolitan Opera will launch its first-ever Summer HD Festival, featuring free screenings of ten productions from the company’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Live in HD series. The series will run for ten nights and opens with Laurent Pelly’s acclaimed production of Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez. The festival will close with Anthony Minghella’s staging of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, featuring Patricia Racette and Marcello Giordani, on Monday evening, September 7. Three of the HD productions to be shown are conducted by Met Music Director James Levine.

The HD screenings start at 7:30, 7:45 or 8:00pm and are FREE! Tickets are not required; 2800 seats will be available each night on a first-come, first-served basis. Eat locally before or after performances and check out special restaurants offers listed below.

Details here: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/template.aspx?id=8586

Activities over the next few days...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:30:58 -0400

Thurs, August 13^th
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s “Movies With A View,” FREE
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/go/programs-/-events/movies-with-a-view

Thurs, August 13th
Blondie, Pat Benatar and The Donnas
Asser Levy Park, Coney Island, FREE
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/05/blondie_pat_ben.html

Fri, August 14^th
Central Park SummerStage: Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company with musical guest Martha Wainwright (Dance), 8 PM.
www.summerstage.org

Fri, August 14^th
RiverFlicks for Kids: Pier 46, 8:30 PM, FREE
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Outdoor movie series for children through Fri, August 21^st
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org

Fri, August 14^th-Sun, August 30^th
The New York International Fringe Festival
http://www.fringenyc.org
(Amanda’s note: I always buy a ticket to the silliest musical, so join me!)

Sat, August 15th
Hip-Hop Karaoke BBQ, 2 PM
Water Taxi Beach Governors Island

Sat, August 15^th
Central Park SummerStage: Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company with musical guest Martha Wainwright (Dance), 8 PM.
www.summerstage.org

Movies Under the Stars

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:56:00 -0400

If you live uptown, or are adventurous enough to leave East Village, head uptown to the free outdoor movies in Riverside Park!

Movies Under the Stars are at 8:30 PM at Pier I (70th Street). Free and weather permitting.

Wednesday, July 15th
Wall Street (1980s), starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah; Directed by Oliver Stone (1987). In a shockingly relevant New York fable for our times, a young and impatient stockbroker, willing to do anything to get to the top, trades on illegal inside information from a ruthless and greedy corporate raider who takes the newcomer under his wing.

Wednesday, July 22nd
Dinner at Eight (1930s) , starring Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Jean Harlow, Wallace Berry, Lionel Barrymore, Billie Burke (1933). The all-star film version of the George S. Kaufman/Edna Ferber comic stage hit. Socially ambitious Gotham hostess Billie Burke throws a dinner party and everyone’s coming – no matter what happened to them that day.

Wednesday, July 29th
The Out-of-Towners (1970s), starring Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis; Directed by Arthur Hiller; Written by Neil Simon (1970). George Kellerman and his wife travel to New York, where he is about to take a new job. The journey turns out to be the trip from hell – if you’ve ever had a New York nightmare, you’ll recognize it in this comedy.

Wednesday, August 5th
Drums Along the Mohawk (1760s), starring Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna May Oliver; Directed by John Ford (1939). Ford’s first color film sweepingly recreates the adventures of Mohawk Valley pioneers during the Revolutionary War. A young farmer and his wife courageously endure hardships caused by British, Tories, and Indians.

Wednesday, August 12th
Sweet Smell of Success (1950s), starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison; Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (1957). “Match me, Sidney!” and other famous lines etch out this dark and vividly atmospheric portrait of the seamy side of show business. Burt Lancaster as powerful New York gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker exploits desperately dependent press agent Sidney Falco and others in his lair.

Movies Under the Stars has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

Broadway in Bryant Park schedule

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:22:00 -0400

From the Bryant Park website:

July 9
Phantom of the Opera | STOMP | Avenue Q | In The Heights
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawn
presented by New York’s 106.7 LiteFM

July 16
The Little Mermaid | 9 to 5 | Pure Country | The Toxic Avenger
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawnpresented by New York’s 106.7 LiteFM

July 23
Mary Poppins | Rock of Ages | Vanities | Next to Normal
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawn
presented by New York’s 106.7 LiteFM

July 30
Chicago | Naked Boys Singing! | Jersey Boys | Shrek
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawn
presented by New York’s 106.7 LiteFM

August 6
Wicked | Burn The Floor | The Lion King | The Marvelous Wonderettes
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawn
presented by New York’s 106.7 LiteFM

August 13
Billy Elliot | South Pacific | Mamma Mia! | Altar Boyz
12:30pm–1:30pm | The Lawn

——-
Broadway in Bryant Park has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

Blues BBQ - Sunday, August 23rd on Pier 54

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:36:00 -0400

From the Friends of Hudson River Park:

Blues BBQ
Pier 54 at W.14th St.
August 23, 2-9pm
Rain or shine!

Back for the 10th year, Hudson River Park’s annual Blues BBQ Festival brings the best Blues bands from across the country together with the finest New York City BBQ restaurants for a fantastic summer day on the river. This feast for your senses brings you the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a true southern BBQ experience!

This year’s performers will include:

Eden Brent
Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater
Diunna Greenleaf
the Homemade Jamz Blues Band
Michael Burks

——-

Blues BBQ has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

Clinton Concert Series - Pier 84

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:22:00 -0400

All concerts are free and take place at Pier 84.

From the Friends of Hudson River Park:

Roosevelt Dime
Monday, July 13
Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 (44th Street)
Treat yourself to a Monday night on the pier with this upbeat
trio that plays country soul with a bluesy flavor.

Gregoio Uribe Big Band
Monday, July 27
Hudson River Park’s Clinton Cove (55th Street)
Groove to the steaming reverberations of this infectious 16-piece band that blends Afro-Columbian rhythms with funk and jazz.

Soul Understated
Monday, August 10
Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 (44th Street)
Join for soul music, mixed with jazz and hip-hop.

Stephen Beasley Project
Monday, August 24
Hudson River Park’s Clinton Cove (55th Street)
Grab a spot at the Cove for a great hour of soul, rock, and funk, flavored with a world music slant.

Pier Lawrence Quartet
Monday, September 14
Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 (44th Street)
Relax to the sounds of this jazz group.

Contraband
Monday, September 28
Hudson River Park’s Clinton Cove (55th Street)
Groove along to this mix of rock, soul and folk.

——-

Clinton Concert Series as been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

PLOT/09 Public Art Project on Governors Island

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:14:58 -0400

From nycgo:

Take the free ferry across the river to Governors Island to view this new public art quadrennial, with 19 works commissioned from more than 20 international artists. Entitled This World & Nearer Ones, the installation reflects on the shifting histories and narratives of this island just off Manhattan’s southern tip. Participating artists hail from nine countries, and include Anthony McCall, Mark Wallinger, Lawrence Weiner and Patti Smith. Visit creativetime.org for more information.

PLOT/09 has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

Concert Schedule at Water Taxi Beach Governors Island

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0400

The concert schedule has been released for Water Taxi Beach Governors Island:

July 12, 4 p.m. - DJ khz
July 18, 2 p.m. - Wheel Up! w/ DJs DRM (Bastard Jazz) + Erik The Red (Giant Step)
July 19, 2 p.m. - Tragedy
July 25, 2 p.m. - The Beatards
July 26, 3 p.m. - Turntables on the Hudson
Aug 4, 8 p.m. - Erykah Badu
Aug 15, 2 p.m. - Hip-Hop Karaoke BBQ
Aug 18, 8 p.m. - B52s
Aug 23, 3 p.m. - Turntables on the Hudson
Sept. 6, 3 p.m. - Turntables on the Hudson
Sept 12, 9:30 p.m. - Mos Def.
Sept. 26, 8 p.m. - Buckethead

This has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

New York: Outdoor Summer Screenings

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:44:31 -0400

brieflynoted:

(via Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting)

July 1, 2009 - Summer in New York City brings with it a slew of outdoor films. Here’s a sample of the festivals happening in the City:

2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Date: Every Monday until August 17
Time: Lawn opens at 5pm. Films begin at dusk (8pm-9pm)
Movies Shown: The Sting, Breaking Away, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dog Day Afternoon, How Green Was My Valley, Harold and Maude, The Defiant Ones, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Magnificent Seven, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Location: Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Every Monday night from June 15 until August 17, the 2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presents classic films like The Magnificent Seven and Kramer vs. Kramer. The lawn opens at 5pm for blankets and picnicking; films begin at dusk. For a complete schedule, click here.

RiverFlicks
Date: Every Friday from July 10 to August 21
Time: Movies begin at dusk (around 8:30pm)
Movies Shown: Wizard of Oz, Kung Fu Panda, Ghostbusters, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Muppet Movie, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and Curious George
Location: Piers 54 and 46 at Charles Street
Overlooking the Hudson River, RiverFlicks for Kids takes place every Friday night at Pier 46 with offerings of The Wizard of Oz, Kung Fu Panda, and The Muppet Movie. For adults, there’s RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups at Pier 54 on Wednesdays. Beginning on July 8 with Iron Man and concluding with Pineapple Express on August 19, the series will also feature Tropic Thunder on August 5. For more information, visit http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events.asp.

Summer on the Hudson
Date: Every Wednesday from July 8 to August 12
Time: 8:30pm- 11pm
Movies Shown: The Age of Innocence, Wall Street, Dinner at Eight, The Out-of-Towners, Drums Along the Mohawk, and Sweet Smell of Success
Location: Pier 1, Manhattan
Pier 1 at 70th Street in Manhattan plays host to Movies Under the Stars on Wednesday evenings beginning July 9. This year’s films were chosen to showcase the theme of finance, with selections that include The Age of Innocence, Wall Street, and Sweet Smell of Success. Visit http://nycgovparks.org/ for a full schedule.

Movies with a View
Date: Every Thursday from July 9 to August 27
Time: 6pm to 11pm. Movies start at sunset.
Movies Shown: Raising Arizona, The Maltese Falcon, Paper Moon, To Catch A Thief, The Return Of The Pink Panther, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Catch Me If You Can, and Edward Scissorhands.
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
The 10th Annual Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Movies with a View kicks off on July 9 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Maltese Falcon and Edward Scissorhands are among the films shown every Thursday. For more information, visit http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org.

Free Music in Lincoln Square

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:56:26 -0400

Bring your lunch and enjoy free music in Richard Tucker Park (Broadway & 66th St) this summer in Lincoln Square.

Concerts are Noon-2 PM every Wednesday until August 26th.

Summer Restaurant Week reservations are now open

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:18:36 -0400

Starting today, you can make your summer Restaurant Week reservations on OpenTable.com. Many participating restaurants are using this site, where you can accrue points that go toward earning dining certificates around the city.

Also visit nycgo.com for a full list of Restaurant Week participants.

Prix-Fixe Lunch: $24.07

Prix-Fixe Dinner: $35.00

(I already made my lunch rezzie for Blue Water Grill!)

Free hours at museums and other institutions around town

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:01:39 -0400

NewYorkology published a great list of free days at NYC museums, gardens, zoo and more. Check it out!

This week's activities around NYC

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:42:00 -0400

Don’t forget, you can start making your Restaurant Week reservations beginning tomorrow!

Mon, June 29^th
HBO Bryant Park Film Festival
Gold Diggers of 1933, Bryant Park lawn, FREE
Lawn opens at 5 PM; movie begins at dusk (8-9 PM)
http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/film-festival.php

Wed, July 1^st
Celebrate Brooklyn: MGMT, Prospect Park, 5:30 PM. SOLD OUT.
http://briconline.org/celebrate
(Amanda’s note: I will give you my first-born if you can get me a ticket! Whatever that’s worth to you.)

Fri, July 3^rd-Fri, August 14^th
South Street Seaport Music Festival
Free outdoor concerts all summer long, check website for full schedule
www.seaportmusicfestival.com

Sat, July 4^th
Macy’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display over East River

Sun, July 5th-Sun, July 26th
SummerGarden at MoMA
“Summer Sunday evenings are always a little bit lovelier when MoMA’s annual Summergarden concerts roll around. The series recruits jazz and classical players from the Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center, so you know the lineups will always be first-class. Seating opens at 7pm.”

www.moma.org

*****
Find more to do on the big, bad list of summer activities!

Upcoming events this week

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:03:34 -0400

This week is full of exciting goings-on around the city!

Tues, June 23^rd-Tues, July 7^th
King Lear in Battery Park, 7 PM, FREE
Meet at Castle Clinton
www.newyorkclassical.org

Thurs, June 25^th
NYC Opera at Rockefeller Park (River Terrace & Warren St), 7 PM, FREE
The Magic Flute
www.nycopera.com

Fri, June 26^th through Friday before Labor Day
Fireworks on the Beach, Coney Island, 9:30 PM, FREE
D/F/N/Q trains to Stillwell Avenue. Astroland and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park sponsor fireworks every Friday night during the season.
www.coneyisland.com/tourism.shtml

Fri, June 26^th
NYC Opera at World Financial Center, Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St, 7 PM, FREE
La Navarraise
www.nycopera.com

Sat, June 27^th
NYC Opera at Pier 17 (South Street Seaport), 7 PM, FREE
www.nycopera.com

***

View the full summer list here!

Free summer Broadway performances in Bryant Park!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:31:38 -0400

NewYorkology posted the dates for the free Broadway performances that take place in Bryant Park in July and August every year.

The performances take place on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30 PM on the Lawn.

Blondie, Pat Benatar & the Donnas - 2009 Tour Dates (includes a free show in Coney Island)

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:20:00 -0400

Blondie, Pat Benatar & the Donnas - 2009 Tour Dates (includes a free show in Coney Island) :

lebaneseblonde:

(via www.brooklynvegan.com)

I think I am looking most forward to this show out of all my concerts this summer!

Free movies every night of the week!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:03:03 -0400

Free movies every night of the week!:

(via lebaneseblonde)

Fireworks on Saturday!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:39:00 -0400

Target Fireworks at the Seaport this Saturday, June 13th at sundown!

(It’s part of a larger event that involves children, but let’s face it, you’re going to be buzzed from daytime drinking by this point anyway. Just watch where you step; they’re short.)

Target Fireworks has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

SummerGarden at MoMA

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:39:00 -0400

SummerGarden has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!

Summer Restaurant Week dates announced

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:57:13 -0400

Enjoy prix fixe prices and three-course menus at the annual summer Restaurant Week, which will take place in NYC from Sunday, July 12th-Friday, July 31st.

Restaurant Week has been updated in the big, bad list of summer activities in NYC!