 070 |  079 |  077 |  Michelle Collins Gillian Taylforth Hetti Bywater EastEnders Children In Need Promos (5) Michelle Collins Gillian Taylforth Hetti Bywater EastEnders Children In Need Promos (5) |
| EastEnders star Anna Wing dies - ITV News EastEnders star Anna Wing dies - ITV News Kathy Beale, on EastEnders | Gillian Taylforth Tickets - Footballers Wives Star - ATG Tickets Gillian Taylforth Tickets - Footballers Wives Star - ATG Tickets Kathy Beale until 2000. |  078 | Kathy Beale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kathy Beale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kathy Beale |
| Kathy Beal Kathy Beal Kathy Beal (-2006) |  073 |  072 | Gillian Taylforth on EastEnders: They wanted Kathy Beale back. Gillian Taylforth on EastEnders: They wanted Kathy Beale back. Gillian Taylforth arriving at |
 075 |  074 | Former Eastenders Star Joins Hollyoaks - RSVP Magazine Former Eastenders Star Joins Hollyoaks - RSVP Magazine Gillian | Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale |
| Obituary: Anna Wing, actress: created the role of Lou Beale in. Obituary: Anna Wing, actress: created the role of Lou Beale in. Anna Wing. Picture: PA | BBC News - Original EastEnders share their memories BBC News - Original EastEnders share their memories Gillian as Kathy Beale in 1985 | Why the Guardian is going down the pan! | Page 116 | urban75 forums Why the Guardian is going down the pan! | Page 116 | urban75 forums What are you on about? |  068 |
 080 |  071 | BBC One - EastEnders - KATHY BEALE BBC One - EastEnders - KATHY BEALE Kathy Beale |  Michelle Collins Gillian Taylforth Hetti Bywater EastEnders Children In Need Promos (4) Michelle Collins Gillian Taylforth Hetti Bywater EastEnders Children In Need Promos (4) |
| EastEnders turns 25: The soaps 25 best characters - We Love Telly. EastEnders turns 25: The soaps 25 best characters - We Love Telly. 19-kathy120210.jpg | KATHY BEALE - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia KATHY BEALE - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kathy as she appeared in 1985. | BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Tributes paid to Wendy Richard BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Tributes paid to Wendy Richard Taylforth played Kathy Beale | Taylforth: Kathy Beale would sort out Mitchell - EastEnders News. Taylforth: Kathy Beale would sort out Mitchell - EastEnders News. gillian taylforth |
| EastEnders star Anna Wing dies - ITV News EastEnders star Anna Wing dies - ITV News Beale, has died aged 98. |  Whos running and walking on New Years Eve? |  076 |  069 |
 One Day in the Life of Television - Clip 24 EastEnders. One Day in the Life of Television - Clip 24 EastEnders.Part of that evenings EastEnders in the days when it featured Kathy Beale ( Gillian Taylforth. |  Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt. Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt.Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt From The Cafe for her affair with Arthur Fowler. |  EastEnders: Kathy, Pete and Wilmott-Brown 3-Hander. EastEnders: Kathy, Pete and Wilmott-Brown 3-Hander.Kathy demands an apology from Wilmott Brown in this classic EastEnders clip.. Kathy Beale. |  #13 KATHY BEALE - EastEnders Greatest Cliffhangers. #13 KATHY BEALE - EastEnders Greatest Cliffhangers.#13 Kathy Beale - EastEnders Greatest Cliffhangers. Albert Square. EastEnders - Lucy Beale. |
 Eastenders Christine Hewitt tells Arthur Fowler about. Eastenders Christine Hewitt tells Arthur Fowler about.Eastenders Christine Hewitt tells Arthur Fowler about Kathy Beale Sacking her 14 -09-1993.AVI. |  Emily Crawling up the stairs - YouTube Emily Crawling up the stairs - YouTubeKathy Beale. SubscribeSubscribedUnsubscribe 1. Emily practicing kickball - Duration: 3:00. |  Kathy Beale leaves Pete Part 1 - EastEnders - BBC. Kathy Beale leaves Pete Part 1 - EastEnders - BBC.Kathy Beale is depressed and does not share her husband Petes optimism that things are. |  EastEnders | Kathy Leaves | 1998 - YouTube EastEnders | Kathy Leaves | 1998 - YouTubeThe scene where kathy leaves and the cliffhanger at the end of the previous episode!!!! |
 Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt. Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt.Eastenders Kathy Beale Sacks Christine Hewitt From The Cafe for her affair with Arthur Fowler. |  KATHY BEALE leaves husband Pete Part 2. KATHY BEALE leaves husband Pete Part 2.Kathy has a heartbreaking talk with Pete. Subscribe to the EastEnders channel: . |  Lou scolds Pete - EastEnders - BBC - YouTube Lou scolds Pete - EastEnders - BBC - YouTubeIn this clip from the third ever episode of EastEnders, Pete Beale tries in vain to. Kathy Beale. |  Kathy Beale Returns To Eastenders - YouTube Kathy Beale Returns To Eastenders - YouTubeKathy Beale Returns To Eastenders.. Lou Beales Death And Funeral- Part 1 - Duration: 12. |
 First appearance of the Beales! - EastEnders - BBC. First appearance of the Beales! - EastEnders - BBC.kathy beale is in hollyoaks now.. lol the first beale lady in the cafe really reminds me of jane she. |  The suspects for Eddie Royles murder. The suspects for Eddie Royles murder.Kathy Beale comforts the grieving Eibhlin ODonnell. Nick Cotton assures Pete Beale of his. |  Kathy attacked by James Wilmott Brown. Kathy attacked by James Wilmott Brown.Kathy finds herself trapped by James Wilmott Brown in this disturbing video from BBC Smash. |
A Wealth of Cultural Nuggets Waiting to Be Mined
Following is a selected list, compiled by Anna Bahney, of events through September. Performances rarely occur every day of the week, and programs are subject to change. Alabama ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL -- Montgomery (800-841-4273). Productions in repertory through July 15: A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Negro of Peter the Great, Relative Values and Julius Caesar. May 22-July 14: King John. May 29-July 14: An Ideal Husband. July 24-Aug. 4: The White Devil by John Webster, University of Alabama graduate company. July 31-Sept. 2: Beehive: The 60s Musical Sensation. www.asf.net California. Roundup of theater, dance and music festival taking place around US this summer; photos
Arts and Leisure Guide; Of Special Interest
. Int; drawing
EastEnders live week 2015: Phil has a secret for Ian, why cant Ben know?
EastEnders are being utter teases and still leaving us on tenterhooks over what he could be trying to tell Ian Beale. He was on the brink of revealing. Again, this could be the Kathy thing, given that Ben reckons his mum is dead. Or it could be.
Kathy is back! EastEnders shock twist as actress Gillian Taylforth comes back.
Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins went on: ���I have always made my feelings on Kathy Beale and Gillian Taylforth very clear ��� she is part of EastEnders history, mother to Ian and Ben and one of the most important and iconic television.
TV review: #EELive, or delayed gratification masked as suspense
Are you chasing a killer or not, Beale? Laurens card didnt actually say it was one of us, said Jane, playing the soothing. Likewise in his scene with Kathy. I want to come ome. You cant. Bye. That was the sum of their live scene together. It.
Arts and Leisure Guide; Of Special Interest Ballet at BAM Opera Rarity Probing Architecture Films Noir Theater Dance Film Music Arts and Leisure Guide Art Photography Miscellany
. rev; illus
EastEnders Spoilers: Is Ian Lucys killer? Is KATHY BEALE.
The whole country is still on tenterhooks waiting to find out just who killed Lucy Beale in EastEnders - But could the killer have been right under our nos.
EastEnders Unleashed: Just for the Record. Kathys Dead
Kathy Beale, former wife of Pete Beale and Phil Mitchell, mother of Ian Beale and Ben Mitchell, is dead. She was killed off-screen in 2006. I know Kathy was a popular character - so popular even people who werent alive��.
Arts and Leisure Guide; Of Special Interest Dance Panorama West Siders Meet For the Young at Art New York, New York Theater Opening This Week Broadway Now Previewing Off Broadway Off Off Broadway Tristate Dance Film Recent Openings Special Series Music Opera Jazz Pop/Folk/Rock Art Galleries Uptown Galleries 57th St. Arts and Leisure Guide Galleries SoHo Other Museums Photography Miscellany Lectures Poetry Readings
Arts and Leisure Guide; Of Special Interest Dance Panorama West Siders Meet For the Young at Art New York, New York Theater Opening This Week Broadway Now Previewing Off Broadway Off Off Broadway Tristate Dance Film Recent Openings Special Series Music Opera Jazz Pop/Folk/Rock Art Galleries Uptown Galleries 57th St. Arts and Leisure Guide Galleries SoHo Other Museums Photography Miscellany Lectures Poetry Readings
EastEnders live week spoilers: Is KATHY BEALE actually alive? The evidence for.
When EastEnders favourite Kathy Beale was killed off screen back in 2006, many viewers of the show were horrified. Actress Gillian Taylforth (who played Kathy) had repeatedly turned down offers to return, but there was always the chance that shed.
EastEnders Spoilers: Lucy Beale, Cindy, Kathy and Pat return.
As has previously been reported, there are some spooky faces from Walfords past making a comeback to EastEnders this month, and now we can tell you all ab.
EastEnders Spoilers: Pat Butcher, Lucy and KATHY BEALE are.
EastEnders Spoilers: Pat Butcher, Kathy and Lucy Beale are back to haunt Ian! Maria Friedman to return too.
Spring Days of Drone Action at BEALE AFB - No Drones.
Kathy Kelly is coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare. In 2011, Kathy Kelly was a passenger on The Audacity of Hope, the U.S. boat in the international flotilla to��.
EastEnders Live Spoilers: Long-dead Beale comes BACK from beyond the grave!
���Kathy has always been so close to my heart and its absolutely wonderful to be returning to the show and reprising the role.��� Adam Woodyatt, who plays Gillians on screen son Ian, added: ���Im thrilled, I couldnt be happier. Ive finally got my mum.
EastEnders veteran Anna Wing ��� aka Lou Beale ��� dies.
Her screen family included co-star Wendy Richard ��� who died in 2009 ��� as her daughter Pauline Fowler, Gillian Taylforth as daughter-in-law Kathy Beale, and Adam Woodyatt, who still plays Ian Beale on the show.
EastEnders Live recap: A birth! A death!? And a resurrection!
But obviously what everyone tuned in to see was who killed Lucy Beale. Weve had a ten month wait, so of course. You know, Kathy who got it on with both Phil and Grant Mitchell, moved to South Africa and carked it. Well, turns out shes not so dead.
Kathy Kelly Arrested with Ten Others at Beale Air Force.
April 19, 2014 - On April 18, Internationally recognized peace activist Kathy Kelly was detained with ten other anti-drone demonstrators at Beale Air Force Base following a Good Friday prayer service. The following clergy, who��.
The Listings: May 11 - May 17
Selective listings by critics of The New York Times of new and noteworthy cultural events in the New York metropolitan region this week. * denotes a highly recommended film, concert, show or exhibition. Theater Approximate running times are in parentheses. Theaters are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of current shows, additional listings, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/theater. Previews and Openings CRAZY MARY Previews start today. Opens on June 3. In A. R. Gurneys new play, Sigourney Weaver stars as a woman who discovers that her cousin, the title character, who is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, holds the keys to the family fortune (2:00). Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. GASLIGHT In previews; opens on Thursday. The always fascinating Brian Murray stars in Patrick Hamiltons thriller about a man who drives his wife insane (2:00). Irish Repertory Theater, 132 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, (212) 727-2737. IN A DARK DARK HOUSE Previews start on Wednesday. Opens on June 7. Neil LaButes latest drama features Frederick Weller and Ron Livingston as hostile siblings sorting out a history of abuse. Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 279-4200. PASSING STRANGE In previews; opens on Monday. The Joes Pub veteran and pop singer Stew tries his hand at musical theater, with a rock-theme score and a story about the journey of a black bohemian (2:30). Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555. PHALLACY Previews start on Sunday. Opens on May 18. An art historian and a chemistry professor argue over the authenticity and value of a statue in this new drama by the scientist and playwright Carl Djerassi (1:30). Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce Street, West Village, (212) 239-6200. TEN MILLION MILES Previews start today. Opens on June 14. A new musical by the singer Patty Griffin and the playwright Keith Bunin (The Busy World is Hushed) is about a road trip from Florida to New York. Atlantic Theater, 336 West 20th Street, Chelsea, (212) 279-4200. Broadway A CHORUS LINE If you want to know why this show was such a big deal when it opened 31 years ago, you need only experience the thrilling first five minutes of this revival. Otherwise, this archivally exact production, directed by Bob Avian, feels like a vintage car that has been taken out of the garage, polished up and sent on the road once again (2:00). Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Ben Brantley) * COMPANY Fire, beckoning and dangerous, flickers beneath the frost of John Doyles elegant, unexpectedly stirring revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furths era-defining musical from 1970, starring a compellingly understated Raúl Esparza. Like Mr. Doyles Sweeney Todd, this production finds new clarity of feeling in Sondheim by melding the roles of performers and musicians (2:20). Barrymore Theater, 243 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) CORAM BOY Set in 18th-century England, this melodrama about imperiled orphans is big and broad but not particularly deep. With a cast of 40, an orchestra in the pit and bursts of choral music (Handel, mostly) decorating the proceedings, it is tastefully splashy and certainly impressive, but less emotionally engaging than you might hope (2:30). Imperial Theater, 249 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Charles Isherwood) CURTAINS This musical comedy about a musical-comedy murder -- featuring songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Rupert Holmes -- lies on the stage like a promisingly gaudy string of firecrackers, waiting in vain for a match. The good news is that David Hyde Pierce, playing a diffident Boston detective, steps into full-fledged Broadway stardom. Scott Ellis directs a talent-packed cast that includes Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba. (2:30). Al Hirschfeld Theater, 302 West 45th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) DEUCE Back on Broadway for the first time in 25 years, Angela Lansbury is so vitally and indelibly present that she even gives flesh to this flimsy comedy. Terrence McNallys play, about the reunion of two former doubles partners (Ms. Lansbury and Marian Seldes), is a jerry-built shrine to enduring star power. Directed by Michael Blakemore (1:45). Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * FROST/NIXON Frank Langella turns in a truly titanic performance as Richard M. Nixon in Peter Morgans briskly entertaining, if all-too-tidy, play about the former presidents annihilating television interviews with the British talk show host David Frost (the excellent Michael Sheen). Michael Grandage directs with the momentum of a ticking-bomb thriller and the zing of a boulevard comedy (1:40). Jacobs Theater, 242 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * GREY GARDENS Christine Ebersole is absolutely glorious as the middle-aged, time-warped debutante called Little Edie Beale in this uneven musical adaptation of the notorious 1975 documentary of the same title. She and the wonderful Mary Louise Wilson (as her bedridden mother), in the performances of their careers, make Grey Gardens an experience no passionate theatergoer should miss (2:40). Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) INHERIT THE WIND Doug Hughess wooden revival of this worthy war horse, based on the Scopes monkey trial of 1925, never musters much more velocity than a drugstore fan. Be grateful that the cast includes Christopher Plummer, in savory form as a Will Rogers of jurisprudence. An oddly subdued Brian Dennehy plays his pompous adversary (2:00). Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * JOURNEYS END A splendid revival of R. C. Sherriffs 1928 drama of life in the trenches during World War I. Acutely staged (by David Grindley) and acted by a fine ensemble led by Hugh Dancy and Boyd Gaines, this production offers an exemplary presentation of that theatrical rarity, an uncompromising, clear-eyed play about war and the experience of day-to-day combat. An essential ticket (2:40). Belasco Theater, 111 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) LEGALLY BLONDE This nonstop sugar rush of a musical about a powder puff who finds her inner power-broker, based on the 2001 film, approximates the experience of eating a jumbo bag of Gummi Bears in one sitting. Flossing between songs is recommended (2:20). Palace Theater, 1564 Broadway, at 47th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) LOVEMUSIK As Lotte Lenya and Kurt Weill, Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris turn in stunningly shaded performances in what is, alas, a sluggish, mixed-up bio-musical. Scored with an eclectic sampler of Weills songs, LoveMusik strives to achieve chilly distance and cozy intimacy in the same breath. Harold Prince directs; Alfred Uhry wrote the conventionally sentimental book (2:40). Biltmore Theater, 261 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) MARY POPPINS This handsome, homily-packed, mechanically ingenious and rather tedious musical, adapted from the P. L. Travers stories and the 1964 film, is ultimately less concerned with inexplicable magic than with practical psychology. Ashley Brown, who sings prettily as the family-mending nanny, looks like Joan Crawford trying to be nice and sounds like Dr. Phil. Directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne (2:30). New Amsterdam Theater, 214 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) LES MISÉRABLES This premature revival, a slightly scaled-down version of the well-groomed behemoth that closed only three years ago, appears to be functioning in a state of mild sedation. Appealingly sung and freshly orchestrated, this fast-moving adaptation of Victor Hugos novel isnt sloppy or blurry. But its pulse rate stays well below normal (2:55). Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN Kevin Spacey gives a bizarre, beat-the-clock performance, as lively as a frog on a hot plate, as James Tyrone in this off-kilter revival of Eugene ONeills last play. Mercifully, he does not block the view of Eve Best, who maps the contradictory levels of Tyrones strapping love interest with clarity and intelligence (2:50). Brooks Atkinson Theater, 256 West 47th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) 110 IN THE SHADE Is it possible for a performance to be too good? Audra McDonald brings such breadth of skill and depth of feeling to Lonny Prices lukewarm revival of this musical about a love-starved spinster that she threatens to burst the seams of this small, homey musical. Shes an overwhelming presence in an underwhelming show (2:30). Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, (212) 719-1300. (Brantley) THE PIRATE QUEEN How to river-dance your way to the bottom of the ocean, courtesy of the songwriters of Les Misérables (2:30). Hilton Theater, 213 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) RADIO GOLF The final -- and in dramatic terms, the weakest -- of August Wilsons magnificent 10-play cycle about the African-American experience, Radio Golf has the crackle of a bustling comedy. But this tale of getting and spending in the 1990s, directed by Kenny Leon, throbs with a lament for a lost time, a lost culture, a lost language (2:30). Cort Theater, 138 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * SPRING AWAKENING Duncan Sheik and Steven Saters bold adaptation of the Frank Wedekind play is the freshest and most exciting new musical Broadway has seen in some time. Set in 19th-century Germany but with a ravishing rock score, it exposes the splintered emotional lives of adolescents just discovering the joys and sorrows of sex. Performed with brio by a great cast, with supple direction by Michael Mayer and inventive choreography by Bill T. Jones (2:00). Eugene ONeill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) * TALK RADIO The most lacerating portrait of a human meltdown this side of a Francis Bacon painting. Playing an abrasive radio talk show host with a God complex, the astounding Liev Schreiber seems to fill the air as inescapably as weather in Robert Fallss gut-grabbing revival of Eric Bogosians 1987 play (1:40). Longacre Theater, 220 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Joan Didions arresting but ultimately frustrating adaptation of her best-selling memoir about being blindsided by grief, starring Vanessa Redgrave. The tension between style and emotional content that made the book such a stunner does not translate to the stage. The substance here is in the silences, when the focus shifts from words to Ms. Redgraves wry, wounded face (1:40). Booth Theater, 222 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) Off Broadway ALL THE WRONG REASONS: A TRUE STORY OF NEO-NAZIS, DRUG SMUGGLING AND UNDYING LOVE John Fugelsangs amiable solo show mixes memoir and stand-up comedy in a tale of family, faith and Roman Catholic guilt. Slight but engaging (1:30). New York Theater Workshop, 79 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 460-5475. (Isherwood) AMERICAN FIESTA The economist, consultant, preacher and playwright Steven Tomlinson makes his New York stage debut with a one-man show about how it was that he came to collect Fiestaware, the colorful china of the Depression years, which he deploys as a metaphor for just about everything. An astute observer of consumer obsession, Mr. Tomlinson ultimately subordinates much of his clever writing to a tepid and trite political message: that American civic life is a fractured bowl that needs to be put back together. American Fiesta is also about gay marriage, eBay and neuroscience, which is to say that it is about much too much (1:30). Vineyard Theater, 108 East 15th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 353-0303. (Ginia Bellafante) BAD BLOOD (MALASANGRE) A wife is offered a lucrative job in Texas; her husband moves with her from Puerto Rico but rails against the condition of being a Latino in the United States. Presented in Spanish and English on different nights, this play by Roberto Ramos Perea is full of ideas and anger, but the political fury of the husband is not, in the English version, completely borne out by his characterization, and you can see the charting of the play a little too clearly between the lines. (2:30). Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, 304 West 47th Street, Clinton, (212) 354-1293. (Anne Midgette) BE A high-energy, low-content Israeli show that blends music, dance and sex appeal in the latest attempt to tap into the Stomp market (1:30). Union Square Theater, 100 East 17th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 307-4100. (Jason Zinoman) BEAUTY ON THE VINE Zak Berkman presents muddled politics and distorted anxieties in his quasi science-fiction play about the influence of plastic surgery on young women who start modeling themselves after a right-wing radio host. Adding to the atmosphere of hysteria is the inability of the actors to render a single subtle or nuanced moment (2:10). Harold Clurman Theater, 412 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Bellafante) BILL W. AND DR. BOB This insightful new play about the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous subtly makes the claim that the recovery movement was born as a series of accidents. Patrick Husted is excellent as Bob Smith, Bill Wilsons partner in combating addictions (2:15). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Bellafante) BIOGRAPHY A revival of S. N. Behrmans hoary 1932 comedy about a society portraitist and the men who keep trying to reign her in feels slight as a needlepoint pillow. As the plays supposedly beguiling heroine, Marion Froude, Carolyn McCormick never beguiles (2:15). The Pearl Theater, 80 St. Marks Place, at First Avenue, East Village, (212) 598-9802. (Bellafante) * BLACKBIRD David Harrowers stunning new drama looks back at a sexual relationship -- between a 40-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl -- that transforms, cripples and paralyzes. Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill, both extraordinary, peel their characters down to their barest souls. Joe Mantello is the masterly director (1:30). Manhattan Theater Club at City Center Stage I, 131 West 55th Street, (212) 581-1212. (Brantley) THE BRIG Serious students of the stage will want to check out the Living Theaters first revival since 1963 of Kenneth H. Browns docudrama about the soul-shredding grind of daily life in a Marine Corps prison, once again directed by the company co-founder Judith Malina. One of the most celebrated productions in the companys history, The Brig harks back to an era when theater was at the forefront of both political and artistic radicalism (2:00). Living Theater, 21 Clinton Street, Lower East Side, www.livingtheatre.org. (Isherwood) THE FANTASTICKS A revival -- well, more like a resuscitation -- of the Little Musical That Wouldnt Die. This sweet-as-ever production of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidts commedia-dellarte-style confection is most notable for Mr. Joness touching performance (under the pseudonym Thomas Bruce) as the Old Actor, a role he created when the show opened in 1960. Mr. Jones also directs (2:05). Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) GODS EAR Jenny Schwartzs formally inventive and brilliantly performed drama about how the death of a child affects a family is more interested in language than in narrative (1:20). East 13th Street Theater, 136 East 13th Street, East Village, (212) 868-4444. (Zinoman) * IN THE HEIGHTS Lin-Manuel Mirandas joyous songs paint a vibrant portrait of daily life in Washington Heights in this flawed but enjoyable show. Essentially a valentine to the barrio -- conflict of a violent or desperate kind is banished from the picture -- the musical contains a host of funny performances and brings the zesty sound of Latin pop to the stage. (2:10). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Isherwood) A JEW GROWS IN BROOKLYN You dont have to be Jewish or Brooklynish to empathize with Jake Ehrenreich, but in terms of fully appreciating his essentially one-man show, it probably helps. Especially the Catskills jokes (2:05). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 560-8912. (Anita Gates) MOTHER LOAD In her one-woman show on the perils of affluent motherhood, Amy Wilson derides the culture of obsessive child-rearing as she chronicles her submission to it. An affable presence onstage, Ms. Wilson nevertheless mines overly clichéd territory: the nut allergies, the horrors of preschool admission, the importance of knowing two languages by the time you are 3. Posters on Urbanbaby.com will find themselves amusedly looking in the mirror. All other New Yorkers will find themselves wanting to move to Patagonia (1:15). Sage Theater, 711 Seventh Avenue, at 47th Street, (212) 279-4200. (Bellafante) MY MOTHERS ITALIAN, MY FATHERS JEWISH AND IM IN THERAPY Steve Solomon does skillful impersonations in his one-man show, but some of his jokes are as old as the hills (1:30).Westside Theater Downstairs, 407 West 43rd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) NO CHILD Teachers will love Nilaja Suns one-woman show about the challenges of teaching drama at Malcolm X High School (1:10). Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street, at Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) THE RECeiPT A lost bar receipt provides a one-way ticket to bedlam in a clever and diverting show that mirrors the idiosyncrasies of modern life as two young archaeologists study a lost city and postulate on a day in the life of one of its inhabitants (1:15). 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, (212) 279-4200. (Wilborn Hampton) * SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL A disarming collage of selections from the monologues and journals of Mr. Gray, the ultimate stand-up solipsist, who died in 2004. Directed by Lucy Sexton, and read by five performers, none of whom resemble Mr. Gray, with an affection that shrewdly stops short of hero worship (1:30). Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane, Greenwich Village, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) * WEST MOON STREET Rob Urbinatis adaptation of Oscar Wildes short story Lord Arthur Saviles Crime delightfully mines a comedy of manners, a meditation on premarital fear, out of a clever mystery on fate. The performances, one and all, are first-rate (2:00). Hudson Guild Theater, 441 West 26th Street, Chelsea, (212) 352-3101. (Bellafante) Off Off Broadway OCTOPUS LOVE STORY Gay marriage is a theme of this sitcomlike drama about a political protest turned unlikely romance (1:30). Center Stage, 48 West 21st Street, Chelsea, (212) 868-4444. (Zinoman) ON THE VERGE An amusing revival of Eric Overmyers play about three Victoria-era ladies who set out, armed with parasols and machetes, to explore a terra incognita. As they whack the bushes into virgin territory, they soon discover they are traveling into the future (2:00). Connelly Theater, 220 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 777-4280). (Hampton) REALISM and JUMP! The stately Jean Cocteau Repertory (now known as the Exchange) gets a hipster makeover with two foul-mouthed and aggressive new provocations from Britain (1:30 each). Kirk Theater, 420 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Zinoman) THE SEA This odd 1973 play by Edward Bond gets a vivid production by the Actors Company Theater, but be forewarned: this aint American humor. Its the sly, incongruous British variety. A fatal shipwreck off the coast of an eclectic little village turns the inhabitants even weirder than they already are. One fellow is convinced that space aliens are behind the wreck (2:20). Beckett Theater, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Neil Genzlinger) Long-Running Shows ALTAR BOYZ This sweetly satirical show about a Christian pop group made up of five potential Teen People cover boys is an enjoyable, silly diversion (1:30). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) AVENUE Q R-rated puppets give lively life lessons (2:10). Golden Theater, 252 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Cartoon made flesh, sort of (2:30). Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) CHICAGO Irrefutable proof that crime pays (2:25). Ambassador Theater, 219 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE COLOR PURPLE Singing CliffsNotes for Alice Walkers Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (2:40). Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE DROWSY CHAPERONE A pasteboard pastiche of 1920s musicals, as remembered by a witty show queen(1:40). Marquis Theater, 1535 Broadway, at 45th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) HAIRSPRAY Fizzy pop, cute kids, large man in a housedress (2:30). Neil Simon Theater, 250 West 52nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) JERSEY BOYS The biomusical that walks like a man (2:30). August Wilson Theater, 245 West 52nd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE LION KING Disney on safari, where the big bucks roam (2:45). Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street at Broadway, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) MAMMA MIA! The jukebox that devoured Broadway (2:20). Cadillac Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Who was that masked man, anyway? (2:30). Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) RENT East Village angst and love songs to die for (2:45). Nederlander Theater, 208 West 41st Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) SPAMALOT A singing scrapbook for Monty Python fans (2:20). Shubert Theater, 225 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) TARZAN A writhing green blob with music (2:30). Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE A Chorus Line with pimples (1:45). Circle in the Square, 254 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) WICKED Oz revisited, with political corrections (2:45). Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Last Chance THE BIG VOICE: GOD OR MERMAN? Think of two gifted and smart gay men with years of life together deploying their considerable talents from the two pianos you happen to have in your living room. The result is a hilarious and very touching memoir of two decades of love and the funky glories of show business life (2:00). Actors Temple Theater, 339 West 47th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200; closes on Sunday. (Honor Moore) * THE COAST OF UTOPIA Lincoln Center Theaters brave, gorgeous, sprawling and ultimately exhilarating production of Tom Stoppards trilogy about intellectuals errant in 19th-century Russia. A testament to the seductive powers of narrative theater, directed with hot and cool canniness by Jack OBrien and featuring a starry cast (Brian F. OByrne, Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Josh Hamilton and Ethan Hawke, among others) in a tasty assortment of roles. Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 239-6200; closes on Sunday. (Brantley) DENIAL An engrossing and timely legal drama about a Holocaust denier being defended by a Jewish lawyer, this play examines the moral and ethical dilemma inherent in the First Amendment and asks how much sufferance can a free society give its crackpots and maintain its individual liberties (2:30). Metropolitan Playhouse, 220 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 995-5302; closes on Sunday. (Hampton) EXPOSED: EXPERIMENTS IN LOVE, SEX, DEATH AND ART Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens, partners in life and art, share memories of their colorful history together. Donning lab coats, they also engage the audience in some informal experiments intended to increase the store of love in the world. Sloppy but somewhat sweet (1:30). Collective: Unconscious, 279 Church Street, at White Street, TriBeCa, (212) 352-3101; closes tomorrow. (Isherwood) Movies Ratings and running times are in parentheses; foreign films have English subtitles. Full reviews of all current releases, movie trailers, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/movies. * AWAY FROM HER (PG-13, 110 minutes) Sarah Polleys well-observed adaptation of a story by Alice Munro is a quiet tour de force about love and loss, anchored by fine performances by Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie as a couple dealing with the loss of memory and memories of past hurt. (A. O. Scott) Blades of Glory (PG-13, 93 minutes) In this fast, light, frequently funny comedy about a male figure-skating team, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder stake an early claim to being the comedy couple of the year. (Stephen Holden) * BRAND UPON THE BRAIN (No rating, 96 minutes) A baroque entertainment with one foot in silent cinema and the other gingerly toeing the sound waves, Guy Maddins latest centers on a man who, in visiting the now-emptied foundling home, journeys deep into his childhood. Its wild! Its weird! Its strangely touching and a total must see! (Manohla Dargis) THE CONDEMNED (R, 100 minutes) This simple-minded vehicle for the wrestling star Steve Austin follows a bunch of muscle-bound lowlifes as they fight to the death for the benefit of an Internet reality show. Leaden and inept, the movie fails to deliver even the action goods, presenting every fight scene in such quaking, extreme close-up that its difficult to tell whos pummeling whom. Fortunately, the language of pain is universal. (Jeannette Catsoulis) * DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT (No rating, 94 minutes) For most of its 94 minutes, this gripping but evasive portrait of an unidentified 19-year-old terrorist undertaking a suicide bombing mission in Times Square focuses on the face of its star, Luisa Williams. (Holden) * DIGGERS (R, 90 minutes) This minutely observed period piece, set in 1976, about clam diggers on the south shore of Long Island, has the brave, mournful tone of a Springsteen song (My Hometown, say) set in Billy Joel territory. ( Holden) DISTURBIA (PG-13, 104 minutes) A pleasant, scary, well-directed variation on the killer-next-door theme, with the engaging Shia LeBeouf as Kale, a young man who turns house arrest into an occasion for voyeurism and crime-fighting. (Scott) * ELECTION (No rating, 100 minutes, in Cantonese) This intricate gangster entertainment, the first episode in a two-part sequence from the prolific Hong Kong action maestro Johnnie To, offers some acute lessons in the pitfalls of democracy. Also a feast of fighting, humor and fine acting, in particular from Simon Yaw, who plays a soft-spoken, businesslike candidate for chairman of Hong Kongs oldest criminal organization. (Scott) FRACTURE (R, 111 minutes) A glib entertainment that offers up the spectacle of that crafty scene-stealer Anthony Hopkins mixing it up with that equally cunning screen-nibbler Ryan Gosling. (Dargis) * THE HOAX (R, 115 minutes) A first-rate performance by Richard Gere drives this true story of Clifford Irving (Mr. Gere), who claimed to be the authorized biographer of Howard Hughes. Shadowed by the paranoia of its period (the early 70s), this movie, crisply directed by Lasse Hallstrom from an excellent script by William Weaver, is less a morality play than an entertaining portrait of a literary gambler. (Scott) * HOT FUZZ (R, 121 minutes) A British parody of Hollywood-style action flicks from the wits behind Shaun of the Dead. Think of it as The Full Monty blown to smithereens. (Dargis) IN THE LAND OF WOMEN (PG-13, 98 minutes) This meek, mopey comedy is the film equivalent of a sensitive emo band with one foot in alternative rock and the other in the squishy pop mainstream. The movie would like to think of itself as a softer, fuzzier Garden State. (Holden) THE INVISIBLE (PG-13, 102 minutes) This supremely silly retread of the 2002 Swedish film Den Osynlige proves its tough to be in love and in limbo at one and the same time. When a rich-yet-troubled teenager (Justin Chatwin) crosses paths with a violently disturbed classmate (Margarita Levieva), we learn that theres nothing quite like a near-death experience to repair those stubborn emotional wounds. (Catsoulis) * KILLER OF SHEEP (No rating, 83 minutes) Largely hidden from view for three decades, Charles Burnetts lyrical film about a working-class family living in a broken-down home in a bombed-out stretch of Los Angeles is an American masterpiece. (Dargis) LUCKY YOU (PG-13, 124 minutes) Eric Bana plays a poker player with daddy issues (Robert Duvall is his dad), and Drew Barrymore is an aspiring singer who catches his eye in this tepid Las Vegas romance. Its not terrible, just content to break even. (Scott) MEET THE ROBINSONS (G, 93 minutes) Actually, if you see them coming, run in the other direction. (Scott) NEXT (PG-13, 96 minutes) Nicolas Cage plays a guy who can see into the future in this crummy adaptation of a nifty Philip K. Dick story. Too bad Mr. Cage couldnt tap into those same powers to save himself from another bad role. (Dargis) PARIS JE TAIME (R, 120 minutes, in French and English) Paris Je TAime, a mosaic of 18 miniatures, each set in a different location in the City of Light, is a cinematic tasting menu consisting entirely of amuse-bouches. After two hours of such tidbits, the palate is sated. But if there is no need for a main course, you still leave feeling vaguely disappointed at not being served one. (Holden) PERFECT STRANGER (R, 109 minutes) There is enough of a grain of truth in this noirish, paranoid thriller set in the New York media world that even after it lurches from the farfetched into the preposterous, the movie leaves a clammy residue of unease. (Holden) * PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (No rating, 120 minutes, in French) A film from the venerable French auteur Alain Resnais about love and cinematic spaces, elegant camera moves and six heavenly bodies as seen through a mighty telescope. (Dargis) * RED ROAD (No rating, 113 minutes) Andrea Arnolds first feature falls into melodrama and implausibility at the end, but along the way it is a remarkably assured and complex piece of work, anchored by the directors formal control and by Jackie Dicks quietly heartbreaking performance as a Glasgow video-surveillance officer with an unhappy past. (Scott) SPIDER-MAN 3 (PG-13, 139 minutes) Please, God, make this be the last one. (Dargis) TA RA RUM PUM (No rating, 156 minutes, in English and Hindi) This Bollywood movie about a race car driver (the versatile Saif Ali Khan) takes place in New York, but that doesnt stop it from being a classic example of Bollywood family values. Here, all the citys a stage set, perfect for Fame-meets-West Side Story production numbers. (Rachel Saltz) 300 (R, 116 minutes) Greeks versus Persians in the big rumble at Thermopylae, via Frank Millers graphic novel. As dumb as they get. (Scott) THE TREATMENT (No rating, 86 minutes) Oren Rydavskys adaptation of the Daniel Menaker novel about love and psychoanalysis in New York has its heart and head in the right place, but not much else, including its sympathetic stars, Chris Eigeman, Famke Janssen and Ian Holm. (Dargis) * TRIAD ELECTION (No rating, 93 minutes, in Cantonese) The surfaces gleam as luxuriously in Johnnie Tos exemplary gangster thriller Triad Election as those in a similarly slicked-up Hollywood film, but the blood on the floor here seems stickier, more liable to stain. A brutal look at the shadows darkening the Hong Kong triads, the film picks up the narrative line first coiled and kinked in Mr. Tos companion thriller, Election. (Dargis) VACANCY (R, 80 minutes) This banal horror retread involves a couple of critters (Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale) flailing inside a sticky trap for what is, in effect, the big-screen equivalent of a roach motel. (Dargis) * THE VALET (PG-13, 85 minutes, in French) If you love to hate the superrich, this delectable comedy, in which the great French actor Daniel Auteuil portrays a piggy billionaire industrialist facing his comeuppance, is a sinfully delicious bonbon, a classic French farce with modern touches. (Holden) * WAITRESS (PG-13, 104 minutes) Keri Russell is a small-town waitress in a bad marriage who finds solace in pie-baking and adultery in Adrienne Shellys wry and winning final feature. (Scott) * YEAR OF THE DOG (PG-13, 97 minutes) Mike Whites touching comedy about a woman who loses a dog and finds herself is funny ha-ha but firmly in touch with its downer side, which means that its also funny in a kind of existential way. Molly Shannon stars alongside a menagerie of howling scene-stealers. (Dargis) ZOO (No rating, 76 minutes) Robinson Devors heavily reconstructed documentary is, to a large extent, about the rhetorical uses of beauty. It is, rather more coyly, also about a man who died after having sex with a stallion. (Dargis) Film Series and Revivals GENERATION GARREL (Today through Thursday) In France, Philippe Garrel occupies a position in the avant-garde somewhere between John Cassavetes (for his love of garrulous actors and messy dramatic situations) and Andy Warhol (for his love-hate relationship with glamour and stardom). This series widens the focus to include two other members of the Garrel family: his father, Maurice, and his son Louis, both actors. The 23-year-old Louis opens the program tonight with a sneak preview of Dans Paris, the new film by the promising young director Christophe Honoré (whose 2004 Ma Mere, also with Louis, plays on Sunday). Tomorrows schedule includes Philippes 2005 Regular Lovers, a film about the depressing aftermath of the social unrest of 1968. On Wednesday the 84-year-old Maurice takes center stage for Philippes 1983 Liberté, la nuit, in which he stars as an aging activist caught up in the protests surrounding the Algerian war. And on Thursday the whole family (including Louiss mother, the actress Brigitte Sy) turns up in Emergency Kisses (1988), an autobiographical film about a director (Philippe) making an autobiographical film. BAMcinématek, BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (718) 636-4100, bam.org; $10. (Dave Kehr) 10 LATIN AMERICAN & SPANISH FILMS FROM THE LAST 100 YEARS (Tonight through Thursday) As part of the High Line Festival, the Quad Cinema will screen movies by Spanish and Latin American filmmakers. The series opens at 7:30 tonight with El Automovil Gris (1919), a Mexican crime film by Enrique Rosas Priego and presented here by the Mexican theater company El Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes. The 10 oclock show is Alberto Gouts entertaining 1949 Aventurera, a lurid cabaretera melodrama about a girl from the sticks (Ninón Sevilla) kidnapped by human traffickers. Other highlights include, tomorrow, Tomas Gutierrez Aleas Memorias del Subdesarrollo (1968), one of the finest products of Cuban cinema, and, on Tuesday, Luis Bunuels 1954 English-language, made-in-Mexico Robinson Crusoe and Victor Erices dark and lyrical 1973 Spanish film about the terrors of childhood, El Espíritu de la Colmena. Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 255-8800, highlinefestival.com; $12; $35 for El Automovil Gris. (Kehr) Pop Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music. THE ALBUM LEAF, YOUNG GALAXY (Tomorrow and Sunday) Jimmy LaValle, one of the guitarists in the San Diego band Tristeza, creates peaceful, glittering galaxies of electronics and soft guitar in his mostly instrumental side project, the Album Leaf. For a group called a duo, Montreals Young Galaxy had an awful lot of people onstage at its last New York appearance -- the better to help make that languorous wash of guitars and sleepy vocals. With Belong. Tomorrow at 8:30 p.m., Maxwells, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, N.J., (201) 653-1703, maxwellsnj.com; $15. Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $15. (Ben Sisario) LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES (Tomorrow) Los Amigos Invisibles, from Venezuela, latch on to dance grooves from the last three decades -- James Brown funk, the stolid thump of house music, mid-1960s boogaloo, 70s Miami disco, Santanas mambo-rock, even some rap -- while the lyrics (in Spanish) are come-ons somewhere between charm and smarm. With DJ Afro and Todosantos. At 9 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $22. (Jon Pareles) LAURIE ANDERSON (Thursday) Ms. Andersons entrancing performances weave coolly surrealistic songs and reflective monologues with a witty, seamless dream logic. She unveils a new piece as part of David Bowies High Line Festival. At 7:30 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com or highlinefestival.com; $37. (Sisario) * ARCTIC MONKEYS (Tuesday) Emerging from Sheffield, England, a couple of years ago as an unstoppable teenage indie-rock machine, Arctic Monkeys played perfect, cutting post-punk riffs and sang of night-life exhaustion with a jadedness beyond their years. Now, with the members barely into their 20s, the band has returned with Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino), and thankfully not much has changed: danceable, slashing grooves and sneered lyrics about the morning-after blahs. With Be Your Own Pet. At 6:30 p.m., Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-7171, mcstudios.com; sold out. (Sisario) ANDREW BIRD (Thursday) A talented multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Bird shows off his fiddle- and guitar-playing in wistful, fantastical folk reveries. But his most impressive technique is not on fiddle or guitar, nor on the electronic effects that he uses to make the music breathe; its his dexterous, expressive whistling, which floats high above in eerily beautiful tones. With Joan as Policewoman. At 7 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; sold out. (Sisario) BARBARA CARROLL (Sunday and Monday) Elegant, witty and touching, this classically trained jazz pianist and singer, now 82, is in her prime: the female counterpart of Bobby Short. Sunday at 2 p.m., Monday at 8 p.m., Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, Manhattan, (212) 419-9331, algonquinhotel.com; $58 on Sunday, with brunch at noon; $40 on Monday, with a $20 minimum. (Stephen Holden) * ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTORS (Wednesday) Jazz and classical pursuits may command more and more of his time these days, but Mr. Costello is still at his best leading his band through a set of taut, squirmy soul-rock. At 8 p.m., Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway, at 44th Street, (212) 307-7171, nokiatheatrenyc.com; sold out. (Sisario) DAN DEACON (Tomorrow) This Baltimore partymeister has become an underground celebrity playing the kind of music Max Headroom might have made, with low-tech synthesizers pumping manic, smarmy melodies at high volume and accelerated tempo. Channeled through Mr. Deacons antic stage persona, it all becomes house-rocking sensory overload. With Ponytail, Meneguar and Lions and Tigers. At 8:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $8 in advance, $10 at the door. (Sisario) * DEERHOOF (Thursday) With scratchy guitars set against Satomi Matsuzakis nursery rhyme vocals, and songs that zip through multiple personality changes, Deerhoof, from San Francisco, makes jarringly experimental art-pop that somehow remains inviting and sweet. The band plays as part of the High Line Festival with Dirty Projectors, who build elaborate glitch operas with stark pluckings of strings and precise, ecstatic harmonies; and Robert Stillmans Horses. At 9 p.m., Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800, highlinefestival.com; $16.50. (Sisario) ELECTRELANE (Tuesday) The women of this British quartet have found a middle ground between Stereolabs ethereal drone and the earthy twee-pop of groups like the Pastels. No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure), their new album, has a rock n roll pulse even at its most tranquil. With Tender Forever and the Blow. At 9 p.m., Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800; $15. (Sisario) TIM FINN (Tomorrow) When Mr. Finn sings about the warm Pacific sun, hes talking about good times not in California but in New Zealand, where he has been a star since his days in the new wave band Split Enz (and, on and off, in Crowded House with his brother Neil). On his latest album, Imaginary Kingdom (Manhattan), he offers a familiar New World optimism over Beatlesesque melodies, shaking his head at naysayers in history and romance: When they say it cant be done, we have to prove them wrong. He plays a rare solo show at Joes Pub. At 7:30 p.m., 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com; $25. (Sisario) * DANIEL JOHNSTON, BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS, THE LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY (Wednesday) In a feat of inspired programming, David Bowie has put together this bill for his High Line Festival, with some of the brainiest of the New York avant-garde (Bang on a Can All-Stars) meeting two of Texass most extreme outsider musicians. Daniel Johnston writes stirringly candid songs that sound as if they could be the dreams or nightmares of John Lennon. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy has earned an indelible rock footnote: his wild 1968 song Paralyzed inspired Mr. Bowie to create his glam-era alter ego Ziggy Stardust. At 8 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com or highlinefestival.com; sold out. Mr. Johnston also plays Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Warsaw, 261 Driggs Avenue, at Eckford Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 387-0505, warsawconcerts.com; $18. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy plays Thursday at 9 p.m. at Maxwells, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, N.J., (201) 653-1703, maxwellsnj.com; $10. (Sisario) ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO (Wednesday) On her new album, Djin Djin (Razor & Tie), this Beninese singer welcomes a handful of guest stars -- Josh Groban, Joss Stone and Alicia Keys, among others -- into the orbit of her humanist Afro-pop. But the albums best moments come when Ms. Kidjo engages with a strong supporting cast, as she will here. At 8 p.m., B. B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, (212) 997-4144, bbkingblues.com; $32 in advance, $36 at the door. (Nate Chinen) * KIKI AND HERB (Sunday and Thursday) A few years ago this brilliantly perverse cabaret duo played their farewell show at Carnegie Hall. Then came a run on Broadway. And the inimitable Christmas show. After playing their regular Sunday night Joes Pub gig this week, Kiki and Herb go to the Knitting Factory on Thursday to record a new DVD. Sunday at 11:30 p.m., 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com; $20, Thursday at 8 p.m., 74 Leonard Street, TriBeCa, (212) 219-3132, knittingfactory.com; $20. (Sisario) LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (Tomorrow and Monday) James Murphys punk-edged disco in LCD Soundsystem -- sharp and sexy but unapologetically silly, retro but smartly innovative -- has roots across the dance-rock map but is unmistakably a product of New York: Those of you who still think were from England/Were not, he sings with adenoidal wryness on the bands brilliant new album, Sound of Silver (Capitol). With Yacht. Tomorrow at 9 p.m., Studio B, 259 Banker Street, between Meserole Avenue and Calyer Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 389-1880, clubstudiob.com; $20. Monday at 7:30 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; sold out. (Sisario) * STEPHEN MARLEY (Tonight) It sometimes seems as if there is a paratrooper brigade of young Marleys arriving on the reggae and pop scenes: first there was Ziggy and others in the Melody Makers, then Damian, then Ky-Mani and Julian. But Stephen Marley, 35, who rapped as a teenager on early Melody Makers songs, has the distinction of being a strong songwriter and a Grammy-winning producer. He has just released his debut album, Mind Control (Universal Republic), which features tales of incarceration over marijuana and lots of guest spots by -- who else? -- other Marleys. This show will feature his younger brother Damian (a k a Junior Gong), for whom he produced the hit Welcome to Jamrock. At 9, Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway, at 44th Street, (212) 307-7171, nokiatheatrenyc.com; sold out. (Sisario) * MASTODON, AGAINST ME!, CURSIVE (Thursday) Until Mastodon released Leviathan three years ago, the world lacked an extreme-metal album based on Moby-Dick; its appropriately dense and exhilarating and fully attentive to every slashing sonic detail, as is this Atlanta bands latest, Blood Mountain. Also on this unusual but intriguing bill: Against Me!, punk eccentrics from Gainesville, Fla., who specialize in roaring, galloping folk songs; and Cursive, a band from Omaha with one foot in emo and the other in exuberant chamber-pop. At 6:15 p.m., Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800, roselandballroom.com; $25 in advance, $28 at the door. (Sisario) NO FUN FEST (Thursday) Now something of a spring tradition, this four-day festival of noise-rock -- and any other kind of avant-garde music, as long as its clamorous and loud -- begins on Thursday with Hair Police, from the fertile Michigan scene; Yoshimi of the Boredoms with Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth; Pain Jerk; Hive Mind and Damion Romero; Lambsbread; Evil Moisture; Crumbling; and Orphan Fairytale. Take earplugs. At 7 p.m., the Hook, 18 Commerce Street, near Richards Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, (718) 797-3007, thehookmusic.com or nofunfest.com; $18. (Sisario) JENNIFER OCONNOR (Wednesday) Ms. OConnors portraits of the lovelorn and depressed, sung over light strums of guitar with the guileless vulnerability of a 2 a.m. phone confession, are dry but not unsympathetic: Maybe shes on her lunch break thinking of you. She has a Wednesday residency this month at the Living Room. At 11 p.m., 154 Ludlow Street, near Stanton Street, Lower East Side, (212) 533-7235, livingroomny.com; $8. (Sisario) * JOHN PIZZARELLI AND JESSICA MOLASKEY (Tonight and tomorrow night, and Tuesday through Thursday) These married musicians have been called the Nick and Nora of cabaret, a sobriquet that only begins to describe their upbeat sophistication. They fuse two distantly related musical worlds into a larger whole in which Stephen Sondheim, Dave Frishberg, Paul Simon, and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross join hands. (Through May 26.) At 8:45, with additional shows tonight and tomorrow night at 10:45, Café Carlyle, at the Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street, Manhattan, (212) 744-1600, thecarlyle.com; $75 and $125 Tuesday through Thursday; $85 tonight and tomorrow. (Holden) * DUNCAN SHEIK (Tuesday) Broadway gigs are usually not important creative turning points for pop songwriters. But Spring Awakening was the best thing to happen to Mr. Sheiks music in years, giving his silken, phlegmatic songs a youthful and erotic kick. For this show at the Concert Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, he is to play Spring Awakening material and other songs. At 8 p.m., 2 West 64th Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-7171, concertstonight.com; $35. (Sisario) SLOAN (Tonight) Like modern metafictions, Sloans pop-rock songs twist inward on themselves. With their winsome tunes and neo-Beatles intricacies, they are not just about unrequited yearnings, but also about the process of writing pop songs about unrequited yearnings. Theyre rarely so clever that their heart doesnt come through. With Small Sins. At 9 p.m., Southpaw, 125 Fifth Avenue, near Sterling Place, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 230-0236, spsounds.com; $20. (Pareles) SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS (Wednesday) This veteran three-piece from North Carolina knows just how much to poke fun at chicken-fried, backwoods rockabilly: a lot, but not too much to get in the way of some finger-licking twangy guitar. Dont let the band leave without playing its barnstorming ode to Santo, the vigilante Mexican wrestler. With the Dansettes and Jule Brown. At 7:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $15 in advance, $17 at the door. (Sisario) * SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA (Wednesday) Anyone whos heard a salsa band in New York City has probably seen some of the members of this group: theyre the virtuosic journeymen who are one of New Yorks great musical resources. As the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, they reclaim salsa classics under the direction of the keyboardist Oscar Hernández, who has worked with Ruben Blades and Paul Simon. Mr. Simon is to appear as a guest on Wednesday. At 10 p.m., S.O.B.s, 204 Varick Street, at Houston Street, South Village, (212) 243-4940, sobs.com; $20. (Pareles) TO LIVE AND SHAVE IN L.A., ROCK/USADOWN (Monday) The line between metal-on-metal harshness and abstract musique concrète is deliberately blurred in the music of To Live and Shave in L.A., a long-running collective led by Tom Smith. Rock/USAdown is a duo of Dave Unger and Joe Johnson, formerly of the Washington noise-rock band Love 666. Theyve kept the skronk going with their new collaboration, This Is the New American National Anthem (Feedback), a 47-minute wave of sonic chaos that now and then reflects bits of The Star-Spangled Banner. At 8:30 p.m., Club Midway, 25 Avenue B, at Second Street, East Village, (212) 253-2595, clubmidway.com; $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Rock/USAdown also plays on Tuesday at 7 p.m., with Bad Girlfriend and Ghost Factor, at the Hook, 18 Commerce Street, near Richards Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, (718) 797-3007, thehookmusic.com; $8. (Sisario) LAURA VEIRS (Wednesday) Ms. Veirss ballads, with electronics twinkling above soft acoustic guitars like stars in a perfect night sky, cast romance as both intimate contact and cosmic event. With Charles Bissell and Lake. At 7 p.m., Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 East 23rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-7171; $14 in advance, $16 at the door. (Sisario) DALE WATSON (Wednesday and Thursday) Mr. Watson, from Austin, Tex., sings old-fashioned honky-tonk songs that look back to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, with fiddle and pedal steel guitar to ease the music onto the dance floor. At 10 p.m., Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Avenue, at 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 683-6500, rodeobar.com; no cover. (Pareles) Jazz Full reviews of recent jazz concerts: nytimes.com/music. * MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS (Tonight) In addition to being a venerable pianist and composer, Mr. Abrams is one of the original architects of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He performs tonight in a duo setting, with the guitarist Brandon Ross, and with a dynamic quartet featuring Aaron Stewart on tenor saxophone, Brad Jones on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. At 8, Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th Street, Manhattan, (212) 683-4988, aacm-newyork.com; $25. (Nate Chinen) PETER APFELBAUM AND NEW YORK HIEROGLYPHICS (Tonight) Peter Apfelbaum, a multireedist and pianist, has been celebrating the 30th anniversary of this adventurous, African-inspired band, with collaborators including Abdoulaye Diabate on kora and Charles Burnham on violin. At 8, Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, near Bleecker Street, East Village, (212) 614-0505, bowerypoetry.com; cover, $15, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) LUDOVIC BEIER QUARTET (Tuesday) Ludovic Beier is a French accordionist with a sterling reputation; among the guests lined up to join his quartet for this engagement are the singer Hilary Kole, the guitarist Romero Lubambo and the saxophonist Joel Frahm. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen) MICHAEL BLAKES HELLBENT (Tuesday) Right Before Your Very Ears (Clean Feed), Mr. Blakes most recent album, showcases his tenor saxophone in a rough-hewn but focused trio setting. Here he enlists musicians who are different from those on the album -- Steven Bernstein on trumpet, Marcus Rojas on tuba and G. Calvin Weston on drums -- but seeks a similar fire. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10 with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) * RAN BLAKE (Thursday) Mr. Blake is a pianist with an attraction to cinematic imagery and spooky silence, as he confirms on his fine recent album All That Is Tied (Tompkins Square). As on the album, he plays unaccompanied here. At 8 p.m., Center for Improvisational Music, 295 Douglass Street, near Third Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (212) 631-5882, schoolforimprov.org; admission, $15; $10 for students. (Chinen) JOE CHAMBERSS OUTLAW BAND (Tonight and tomorrow night) Joe Chambers, a veteran drummer and vibraphonist with a gliding sense of swing, leads a group with Javon Jackson on tenor saxophone, Misha Tsiganov on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass and Steve Berrios on percussion. At 8, 10 and 11:30, Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com; cover, $28. (Chinen) * ALICE COLTRANE ASCENSION CEREMONY (Thursday) The death of the keyboardist Alice Coltrane in January came a shock to the jazz world, and to the California ashram that she established. This ceremonial tribute, timed to coincide with Ascension Day, will feature performances by the pianist Geri Allen; the bassists Reggie Workman and Charlie Haden; and the drummers Roy Haynes, Rashied Ali and Jack DeJohnette. Ms. Coltranes son Ravi Coltrane, a saxophonist, will also appear, among others. At 7:30 p.m., Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, at 112th Street, Morningside Heights, (909) 744-0704 or (201) 928-0513; free. (Chinen) PATRICK CORNELIUS QUARTET (Sunday) The alto and soprano saxophonist Patrick Cornelius convenes a strong supporting cast from within his age group: Mike Moreno, guitarist; Miro Sprague, pianist; Alan Hampton, bassist; and Kendrick Scott, drummer. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) * PAQUITO DRIVERA QUINTET (Wednesday and Thursday) Funk Tango may not be the most promising word pairing in the English language, but it makes for an engaging new album by the Cuban-born alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito DRivera, who has excellent sidemen in the Argentine trumpeter Diego Urcola and the Israeli pianist Alon Yavnai. (Through May 19.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; cover, $40, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) EITHER/ORCHESTRA (Thursday) This 10-piece ensemble, based in Boston and led by the tenor saxophonist Russ Gershon, pursues a boisterous polyphony informed by both the visionary sweep of Sun Ra and the more terrestrial realm of Ethiopian pop. At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $25, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) SAMMY FIGUEROA AND THE LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION (Monday) On his new album, The Magician (Savant), the percussionist Sammy Figueroa advances a bright ideal of Latin jazz. He leads a group that includes Lew Soloff on trumpet, John Michalak on flute and saxophones, and Robbie Ameen on drums. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $15. (Chinen) ANAT FORT TRIO (Thursday) Anat Fort is a prepossessing pianist with an auspicious debut on the ECM label. She performs her own music with her working trio, which includes the drummer Roland Schneider and the bassist Gary Wang. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10 with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) ERIK FRIEDLANDER (Thursday) Mr. Friedlander is a superb jazz cellist whose technique extends to pizzicato fingerpicking. Here he previews material from his forthcoming album Block Ice & Propane, which reaches for a contemporary synthesis of American roots music. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) FRED FRITH (Sunday and Tuesday) The exploratory tastes of the guitarist Fred Frith are evident throughout this months calendar at the Stone, most obviously on the nights when he performs with notables like the composer and accordionist Pauline Oliveros (Sunday at 8), the alto saxophonist John Zorn (Tuesday at 8) and the harpist Zeena Parkins (Tuesday at 10). At 8 and 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10; $20 on Tuesday at 8. (Chinen) BEN GERSTEINS THE UP/EIVIND OPSVIKS OVERSEAS (Wednesday) The trombonist Ben Gerstein conceived the Up as an open forum for improvisers like the tenor saxophonist Jonathan Moritz, the bassist Eivind Opsvik and the drummer John McLellan. Mr. Opsviks band Overseas, which features Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone, Jacob Sacks on Wurlitzer piano and Kenny Wolleson on drums, heeds more of a compositional framework. At 8 and 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10 per set. (Chinen) * A GREAT NIGHT IN HARLEM (Thursday) The Jazz Foundation of America, a nonprofit musician-aid organization, stocks this edition of its annual gala with illustrious veterans like the pianist Hank Jones, the saxophonists Frank Wess and Jimmy Heath, and the clarinetist Dr. Michael White and his Original Liberty Jazz Band; the celebrity hosts will be Bill Cosby and Danny Glover. At 8 p.m., Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street, Harlem, (212) 245-3999, jazzfoundation.org; $50 to $250 for the concert, $500 to $1500 for V.I.P. packages. (Chinen) JOEL HARRISON AND HARBOR (Wednesday) Harbor (HighNote), the new album by the guitarist Joel Harrison, imagines a fascinating modern fusion of Western and Eastern tonalities. Revisiting that music here, Mr. Harrison enlists another guitarist, Brad Shepik, along with the saxophonist David Binney, the bassist Stephan Crump and a pair of drummers, Jordan Perlson and Jamey Haddad. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen) KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW (Sunday) The trumpeter Steven Bernstein and the multireedist Peter Apfelbaum preside over this outfit, with contributions from Gina Leishman and Doug Wieselman on saxophones, Art Baron on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba and Kenny Wollesen on drums. At 8 p.m., Cutting Room, 19 West 24th Street, Manhattan, (212) 691-1900, thecuttingroomnyc.com; cover, $10; $12 at the door. (Chinen) CHRIS LIGHTCAPS BIGMOUTH (Tomorrow) This ensemble employs compositional forms as a springboard; Chris Lightcap, a bassist, has creative colleagues in the tenor saxophonists Tony Malaby and Matt Renzi, the pianist James Carney and the drummer Gerald Cleaver. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) JOE LOCKE QUARTET (Tonight and tomorrow night) Joe Lockes vibraphone-playing expands on the legacy of Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, but he has his own expressive style. He also knows how to convene good rhythm sections like this one, with Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar, Jay Anderson on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums. At 8 and 9:45, Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; cover, $25, with a $15 minimum. (Chinen) JUNIOR MANCE (Tonight and tomorrow night) Mr. Mance is a veteran pianist with tendencies toward both bebop and blues, as he is likely to demonstrate here with a trio. At 8, 10 and midnight, Sweet Rhythm, 88 Seventh Avenue South, at Bleecker Street, West Village, (212) 255-3626, sweetrhythmny.com; cover, $25, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) THE MUSIC OF OLU DARA (Tonight) Before he was known as the father of the rapper Nas, Olu Dara was a trumpeter, guitarist and singer who infused New York avant-gardism with Mississippi twang. His music is the chief focus of this performance, with Bob Stewart on tuba, Craig Harris on saxophones and Bruce Purse on trumpet, among others. At 7, Aronow Theater, City College of New York, 135th Street at Convent Avenue, Hamilton Heights, (718) 884-5495, multiculturalmusic.org; $10. (Chinen) ARTURO OFARRILL TRIO (Tonight and tomorrow night) Arturo OFarrill, the pianist and Latin bandleader, leads a rhythmically insistent working trio with Alex Blake on bass and Jaime Affoumado on drums. At 9:15, 10:40 and midnight, Puppets Jazz Bar, 294 Fifth Avenue, between First and Second Streets, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 499-2627, puppetsjazz.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) BOBBY PREVITE (Wednesday) Mr. Previte, an adventurous and often effervescent drummer, teams up with musicians similarly inclined to pair aggressive experimentation with a rock-hard sense of groove: the tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, the vibraphonist Bill Ware and the bassist Brad Jones. At 10 p.m., 55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 929-9883, 55bar.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) RENEE ROSNES QUARTET (Tuesday through Thursday) The articulate pianist Renee Rosnes leads a post-bop band composed of the alto and soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson, the bassist Peter Washington and the drummer Bill Stewart. (Through May 20.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) * JENNY SCHEINMAN (Monday) Ms. Scheinman is that rare jazz violinist who embraces her instruments folksier side without making concessions to genre. The impressive group she leads here, in preparation for a recording session, includes the guitarist Bill Frisell, the pianist Jason Moran, the clarinetist Doug Weiselman and the cornetist Ron Miles. At 7 and 8:30 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $20 to $30 per set. (Chinen) KENDRA SHANK (Thursday) Ms. Shank interprets jazz and pop liberally, but with an abiding respect for melody. On her recent album A Spirit Free: Abbey Lincoln Songbook (Challenge), she pays homage to one of her deeper vocal influences, with musicians like the pianist Frank Kimbrough, the bassist Dean Johnson and the drummer Tony Moreno, who all join her here. At 8 and 9:45 p.m., Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; no cover, with a $15 minimum (Chinen). JALEEL SHAW QUINTET (Tomorrow) Jaleel Shaw is an alto saxophonist with a progressive take on bebop, and he has a way of assembling sharp-honed rhythm sections. This one includes Mike Moreno on guitar and Kendrick Scott on drums. At midnight, Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $10, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) Classical Full reviews of recent music performances: nytimes.com/music. Opera * IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Tonight) Bartlett Shers breezy production of Rossinis Barbiere di Siviglia, introduced in November, conveys the comic confusions of the story through its fluid staging and a wonderfully abstract set: a matrix of movable doors, staircases and potted orange trees, behind which the characters spy on one another. The heated sexuality in this tale of romantic intrigue also comes through strongly, thanks to Mr. Shers subtle direction of a handsome cast. The captivating young mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato is a vocally agile and feisty Rosina. The accomplished American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, in his Met debut role, makes a sweet-toned, technically agile and appealing Count Almaviva. The baritone Russell Braun is another standout for his hardy and clever Figaro. Maurizio Benini conducts. Tonight will be the final Barbiere of the season. At 8, Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; sold out. (Anthony Tommasini) CASTOR ET POLLUX (Thursday) Rameau was a wonderful opera composer, but since there is not a big market for the French baroque at major opera houses, this is a relatively rare chance to hear one of his operas in New York. The diminutive Opera Français de New York has helped propel the conductor Yves Abel into a larger career, but he returns to it for these two performances (there is another next weekend), featuring talented young singers like the soprano Erin Morley. At 8 p.m., French Institute/Alliance Française, 55 East 59th Street, Manhattan, (212) 355-6160, fiaf.org; $50; $40 for students and members. (Anne Midgette) * ORFEO ED EURIDICE (Tomorrow) In his Met debut, the choreographer Mark Morris has created an often magical and unapologetically fanciful modern-dress production of Glucks sublime masterpiece Orfeo ed Euridice. He draws rich portrayals from the elegant and ardent countertenor David Daniels as Orfeo, the earthy soprano Maija Kovalevska as Euridice, and the sweet-toned soprano Heidi Grant Murphy as the god Amor, here a sassy, angelic Ellen DeGeneres look-alike who descends from the skies to intervene in the story. Members of Mr. Morriss company, supplemented by dancers from the Met, are silent participants in the action. But nearly 100 vocally robust choristers portray historical witnesses to the drama, everyone from Henry VIII to Mahatma Gandhi to Princess Di. James Levine conducts a distinguished performance. At 1:30 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; sold out. (Tommasini) * IL TRITTICO (Tomorrow) The Mets season ends tomorrow night with its new Trittico, Puccinis triptych of one-act operas, which is now officially the most elaborate production in the companys repertory. The director Jack OBrien has created grandly old-fashioned yet insightful and effective stagings of these three very different operas: Il Tabarro, a grim love triangle aboard a barge in Paris; Suor Angelica, a tender, mystical and ultimately devastating story of a young nuns yearning to be with her dead child; and Gianni Schicchi, an irreverent comedy about the avaricious relatives of a miserly old man who has just died. The earthy soprano Maria Guleghina as the beleaguered barge-owners wife, the impassioned soprano Barbara Frittoli as Sister Angelica, and the stylish baritone Alessandro Corbelli as the shrewd Schicchi are stand-outs, though the powerhouse mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who plays three supporting roles, almost steals each show. Joseph Colaneri conducts. At 8 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; sold out. (Tommasini) * VOX 2007 (Tomorrow and Sunday) Showcasing American composers is the tag line of City Operas annual series of readings of contemporary operas-in-progress. Twelve composers, from Robert Aldridge to John Zorn, present excerpts from their works in six afternoon sessions, each preceded by a panel discussion. Tomorrow night four independent groups present new works of their own, including a new operina by Jack Beeson, as part of the Vox umbrella. Readings begin at noon, performances tomorrow night at 8, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 La Guardia Place, at Washington Square South, Greenwich Village, (212) 992-8484, nycopera.com; free. (Midgette) Classical Music * PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD (Tonight) Concerts of excerpts, short works and juggled movements can easily misfire, but if anyone can make something of the format, it is Pierre-Laurent Aimard, one of the more thoughtful pianists performing now. He has, in any case, made this montage approach work in several recent recitals, and the material at hand here holds out fascinating possibilities. Among the composers represented are Boulez, Stockhausen, Kurtag, Liadov, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Bartok, Webern, Janacek, Schoenberg, Beethoven and Schubert. At 7:30, Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $40 to $48. (Allan Kozinn) AMERICAN STRING QUARTET (Tonight) A prestigious Naumburg Award gave the American String Quartet its start more than 30 years ago. For the Naumburg Looks Back series, this well-regarded ensemble, in residence at the Manhattan School of Music since 1984, presents a program of works by Berg, Schubert and Robert Sirota, the president of the Manhattan School. At 8, Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $20. (Tommasini) * ALISON BALSOM (Sunday) The indispensable Free for All at Town Hall series continues with a recital by the trumpeter Alison Balsom. Forging a solo trumpet career is not easy. And almost all the players who have succeeded have been male. But Ms. Balsom, a 27-year-old Brit, is having great success, with two acclaimed EMI Classics recordings already to her credit. She is joined by the Balsom Ensemble for a program of works by Bach, Purcell, Handel, Byrd, Falla and Piazzolla. At 5 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 707-8787, freeforallattownhall.org; free tickets will be available at the box office at noon. (Tommasini) BROOKLYN PHILHARMONIC (Tomorrow) Under the leadership of Michael Christie, its dynamic young music director, this orchestra has offered a number of stimulating concerts recently. It closes the season with another intriguing program, featuring the Ridge Theater staging of Goreckis Symphony No. 3, and Hindemiths Mathis der Maler, with Nathalie Paulin, a soprano, as soloist. At 8 p.m., Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene, (718) 636-4100, brooklynphilharmonic.org; $20 to $60. (Vivien Schweitzer) CHAMBER MUSIC AT THE Y (Tuesday and Wednesday) A stellar lineup of musicians, including the violinists Jaime Laredo and Daniel Hope, the cellists Sharon Robinson and Paul Watkins, and the violists Ida Kavafian and Mark Holloway, join forces for an evening of chamber music that includes Schuberts String Trio in B flat and String Quintet in C, Gideon Kleins Duo for Violin and Cello and Erwin Schulhoffs String Sextet. At 8 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5500, 92y.org; $40. (Schweitzer) COLLEGIATE CHORALE (Tuesday) Orffs Carmina Burana and Brahmss Liebeslieder Waltzes are the stuff of this well-known choruss last concert of the season, conducted by Frank Nemhauser. The chorus will perform the Orff this summer at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. At 8 p.m., Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Columbus Avenue at 59th Street, (646) 792-2373, collegiatechorale.org; $20 to $45. (Midgette) DISCOVERIES (Tuesday and Wednesday) The Austrian Cultural Forums final mini-festival of the season features nominally less-known songs, including works by Johan Hoven, who set Heines cycle Die Heimkehr -- all 88 poems -- to music. The first program, performed by Elisabeth von Magnus, a mezzo, includes a set of Hoven songs, as well as works by Haydn and a group of familiar works by Mozart. At 8 p.m., 11 East 52nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 319-5300, acfny.org; free, but reservations are required. (Midgette) MET ORCHESTRA (Sunday) James Levine and his estimable Met Orchestra frame Elliott Carters Three Illusions and Dialogues for Piano and Orchestra with Mendelssohns Scottish Symphony and Mozarts Jupiter Symphony. Nicolas Hodges will be the visiting piano soloist. At 3 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800; $50 to $160. (Bernard Holland) MUSICIANS FROM MARLBORO (Tonight) Teachers and students intermingle and are sometimes hard to tell apart in this city edition of Vermonts famous summer musical seminar-in-action. Here the program includes a Mozart piano trio, a Dvorak piano quartet and the Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8. At 8, Metropolitan Museum of Art, (212) 570-3949, metmuseum.org; $40. (Holland) * PAUL ODETTE and ELLEN HARGIS (Tuesday) The soprano Ellen Hargis and the lutenist Paul ODette have proved an inventive early-music recital team, and their current program of 17th-century songs and lute solos -- offered as part of the Boston Early Music Festivals New York series -- promises a bit of everything, from love songs and humorous works to heart-rending laments. At 7:30 p.m., Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, (212) 685-0008, morganlibrary.org; $45; $35 for members. (Kozinn) ITZHAK PERLMAN (Thursday) The violinist Itzhak Perlman and the pianist Rohan De Silva return to Lincoln Centers Great Performers series, with Schuberts Rondo in B minor (D. 895), one of the few pieces he wrote for violin; Strausss romantic Sonata in E flat (Op. 18); and Lukas Fosss Three American Pieces. Mr. Perlman will announce other works from the stage, adding a whiff of spontaneity to the evening. At 8 p.m., Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 721-6500, lincolncenter.org; $35 to $70. (Schweitzer) * MAURIZIO POLLINI (Tomorrow) In his two Carnegie Hall recitals, the pianist Maurizio Pollini is exploring the links between standard repertory works and classic modern scores. At the first, late last month, he traced the links between Chopin, Debussy and Pierre Boulez. Now he turns to German composers for a program that includes Stockhausens Klavierstücke VII and VIII, Schumanns Kreisleriana and Beethovens Hammerklavier Sonata. At 8 p.m., (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $34 to $108. (Kozinn) ST. THOMAS CHOIR (Tuesday) John Scott leads his superb choir of men and boys in Rachmaninoffs Vespers, a remarkably rich work that draws on ancient Russian chant. Ory Brown is the mezzo soloist; David Vanderwal is the tenor. At 7:30 p.m., St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street, (212) 664-9360, saintthomaschurch.org; $25 to $60. (Kozinn) SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY (Thursday) One of the worlds happy marriages between orchestra and conductor comes to New York in this, the first of two concerts. The San Francisco players under Michael Tilson give the first evening over to Stravinsky, including the Symphony in Three Movements, and to Tchaikovsky. We get a good look at Tchaikovskys enduring influence on Stravinsky. At 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $29 to $98. (Holland) BRIGHT SHENG AND DAEDALUS STRING QUARTET (Tomorrow) Bright Sheng is a lively and internationally acclaimed composer, and composer in residence at Flushing Town Hall: He has organized several concerts at its small theater, and this weekend is the host of a performance with two of his own pieces -- the Third String Quartet and the Concertino for Clarinet and String Quartet -- and Brahmss Clarinet Quintet. The Daedalus is a young group with many awards, in residence both at Lincoln Center and Columbia. At 8 p.m., 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Queens, (718) 463-7700, flushingtownhall.org; $16; $12 for members. (Midgette) TOKYO STRING QUARTET (Tomorrow) The eminent Tokyo String Quartet, in residence at the 92nd Street Y, continues its enjoyable exploration of the works of Robert Schumann, in honor of the 150th anniversary of his death. The program tomorrow includes the String Quartet in F (Op. 41, No. 2) and the Piano Quintet in E flat (Op. 44), for which the Tokyo will be joined by the German pianist Alexander Lonquich. Mr. Lonquich will also play Schumanns Kreisleriana. At 8 p.m., 1395 Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5500, 92y.org; $40. (Schweitzer) * DEBORAH VOIGT (Tonight) This popular soprano sings a recital with her regular accompanist, Brian Zeger. The program begins with a selection of songs by Mozart, Verdi, Strauss and Respighi. Then Ms. Voigt turns to American music, with Three Browning Songs by Amy Beach and seven songs by Leonard Bernstein, including some lovely and seldom-heard works. At 8, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 to $84. (Tommasini) ZEPHYROS WINDS WITH PEDJA MUZIJEVIC (Thursday) The Baryshnikov Arts Center continues its Movado Hour series with the Zephyros Winds and the pianist Pedja Muzijevic in a program of quintets by Mozart and Beethoven and bagatelles by Ligeti. At 7 p.m., 450 West 37th Street, Manhattan, (917) 934-4966, baryshnikovdancefoundation.org; free, but reservations are required. (Midgette) Dance Full reviews of recent performances: nytimes.com/dance. * AMERICAN BALLET THEATER (Monday through Thursday) The company opens with a gala program of tidbits from the ballets to be performed during its eight-week New York spring season. The novelty of the evening is a new pas de deux choreographed by Brian Reeder to a Chopin waltz performed live by the concert pianist Lang Lang. Then its on to a week of La Bayadère, complete with pathetic heroines, noble but all-too-human princes, sizzlingly wicked villains and choreography that epitomizes the exquisite purity of classical ballet. The first-week lead dancers are Paloma Herrera, Angel Corella and Gillian Murphy (Tuesday); Veronika Part, Marcelo Gomes and Michele Wiles (Wednesday mati nee); Diana Vishneva, Ethan Stiefel and Stella Abrera (Wednesday night) and Ms. Herrera, David Hallberg and Ms. Murphy (Thursday). (The season continues through July 7.) Monday at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $24 to $168. (Jennifer Dunning) Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo (Wednesday and Thursday) The artistic director Vasco Wellenkamp brings his dramatic vision to the Joyce with a return to his dance Requiem. Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m. (Through May 20.) The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800; $38. (Claudia La Rocco) * DANCE AT THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Tonight, tomorrow and Thursday nights) SkoveWorks will perform Lily Skoves new Split, a collaboration with the lighting designer T J Hellmuth, through tomorrow. Ms. Skove compares the piece, which plays with hidden and obstructed perspectives, to a Polaroid picture in its first seconds of exposure. Chase Granoff takes over on Thursday (through May 19) with his new BOREDOM!!! (as an amplifier), with a score by Jon Moniaci. At 8, the Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens, (212) 352-3101, chocolatefactorytheater.org; $15; free for Queens residents on Thursday. (Dunning) FRIDAYS @ NOON (Today) This informal series of new work and audience feedback will feature work by Naomi Goldberg Haas, Shannon Hummel and Dagmar Spain. At noon, 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, 1395 Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5500, 92y.org; free. (Dunning) * Lawrence Goldhuber/BIGMANARTS (Wednesday and Thursday) Stravinsky and Elvis, uptown and downtown, theater and dance, drama and biting wit -- Lawrence Goldhuber knows how to bridge worlds. With a company that includes Wallie Wolfgruber, Robert La Fosse, Keely Garfield and David Parker, and a show that features three works new to New York, there should be something here for everyone. (Through May 19.) At 7:30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 924-0077, dtw.org; $12 and $20. (La Rocco) GORILLAFEST 07 (Thursday) Bill Young/Colleen Thomas & Company have opened up their studio for a wide-ranging and relaxed-sounding alternative arts festival that includes music, film, performance art and dance by Joe Poulson, Walter Dundervill, Erick Montes and Osmany Tellez. (Through May 20.) At 8:30 p.m., Hundred Grand, 100 Grand Street, at Mercer Street, SoHo, (212) 925-6573; $15; $12 for students and 65+. (Dunning) DEBORAH LOHSES AD HOC BALLET (Tonight and tomorrow) Ms. Lohse, a classically trained dancer who has worked with the mentally ill, will present The Lucy Poems, a series of dances that address mental illness and are set to music by David Lang, Michael Gordon and Bang on a Can. Tonight at 8 and 9:30; tomorrow at 3 and 8 p.m., Clark Studio Theater, 165 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 868-4444, smarttix.com; $20; $10 for students and 65+. (Dunning) LA MAMA MOVES! (Tonight through Sunday) This lively series ends this weekend with a single program, Inventors, featuring a young iconoclast named Christopher Williams and a sly veteran upsetter of apple carts named Douglas Dunn. Tonight and tomorrow night at 10:30, Sunday at 5:30 p.m., La MaMa e.t.c., 74A East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 475-7710, lamama.org; $15; $10 for students and 65+. (Dunning) * Movement Researchs Spring Gala (Monday) One of the citys brightest spots for experimentation honors one of dances ultimate experimenters, Yvonne Rainer. Dinner at 6 p.m., performance at 8, Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South, Greenwich Village, (212) 598-0551, movementresearch.org; $25 and $50 for performance-only tickets; $150 to $1,500 for gala tickets. (La Rocco) NEW GENERATION DANCE COMPANY (Tomorrow) This tango and modern-dance troupe will perform The Black-White Tango with the guest artists Carlos Copello, who danced in Tango Argentino and Forever Tango, and Luciana Paris and Elizabeth Mertz, both of American Ballet Theater. At 3 and 8 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400; $25 to $45. (Dunning) * NEW YORK CITY BALLET (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) Peter Martinss new Romeo and Juliet will be performed through the weekend with the lead dancers Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild (tonight and Sunday afternoon); Erica Pereira and Allen Peiffer (tomorrow afternoon) and Tiler Peck and Sean Suozzi (tomorrow night). Then its back to regular repertory, now performed in theme programs: next week Four Voices, with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Three Masters: Tchaikovsky, Balanchine and Robbins (Thursday). Tonight at 8, tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, (212) 870-5570, nycballet.com; $15 to $86. (Dunning) RAGAMALA (Tonight through Sunday) From Minneapolis, the company mixes Indian Bharatanatyam dance with contemporary movement, Japanese taiko drums and a capella singing. Tonight at 7, tomorrow at 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200, newvictory.org; $12.50 to $35. (Dunning) Liz Sargent (Thursday through Sunday) In Revealing, Ms. Sargent probes issues of perception and control, employing repetitive movements that play out in Jayme del Rosarios shape-shifting creations. At 8:30 p.m., Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street, East Village, (212) 674-8194; $15. (La Rocco) * DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS (Thursday) Mr. Varone and his dancers have an understated but profound way with movement, music and performing. His new Dense Terrain, set to music by Nathan Larson, explores the notion of human connectedness with an emphasis on the language of words, gestures and movement. (Through May 20.) At 7:30 p.m., BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton Street, between Ashland and Rockwell Places, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (718) 636-4100, bam.org; $20 to $45. (Dunning) WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE: SONGS & SHAMAN DANCES OF MANIPUR (Tonight) Presented by the Laihui ensemble, in a United States debut, these rarely performed songs and shaman ritual dances come from the land of jewels, an isolated mountainous region in the foothills of the Himalayas that is the home of the Tibeto-Burman Meiteis people, where pure cultural traditions have been preserved. At 8, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, worldmusicinstitute.org; $27; $15 for students. (Dunning) Art Museums and galleries are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of recent art shows: nytimes.com/art. Museums BROOKLYN MUSEUM: KINDRED SPIRITS: ASHER B. DURAND AND THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE, through July 29. This show of about 60 works by Durand has as its centerpiece Kindred Spirits (1849), a tribute to the landscapist Thomas Cole and his friend the poet-journalist William Cullen Bryant. A founder of the Hudson River School, Durand (1796-1886) favored the realistic approach to landscape. He explored forest interiors with close attention to the ways of trees, foliage and rocks and ground cover in smaller works, while his larger and more elaborate exhibition pictures, influenced by European masters, are Arcadian visions suffused with light, color and atmospheric perspective. The show reveals Durands strong sense of artistic mission and his potent role in shaping the aesthetic of 19th-century America. 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, (718) 638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org. (Grace Glueck) GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: DIVISIONISM/NEO-IMPRESSIONISM: ARCADIA AND ANARCHY, through Aug. 6. Ultimately this rare, compressed, mercurial exhibition of work by the Italian Divisionists of the 1890s is long on history and short on truly convincing paintings. The inclusion of works by Seurat and his French, Dutch and Belgian followers clarifies how the Italians pushed Pointillism, Seurats invention, in all directions: toward realism, academic classicism, Symbolism, class consciousness and even Impressionism. The show opens a new, albeit small, window on the genesis of Modernism beyond the French canon. If many of the works are period pieces, they are also immensely appealing, big-hearted and physically robust period pieces. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3500. (Roberta Smith) * JAPAN SOCIETY: Awakenings: Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan, through June 17. Japan Society has a history of producing exquisite shows of Buddhist art. And this one, with four dozen paintings of Buddhists gods and saints hung in shrinelike alcoves, is transporting. It covers a broad swath of geography, bringing together 13th- to 16th-century hanging scrolls, not only from Japan but also from China, where Zen Buddhism, called Chan in Chinese, originated. 333 East 47th Street, (212) 832-1155, japansociety.org. (Holland Cotter) * the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Journeys: Mapping the Earth and Mind in Chinese Art, through Aug. 26. Every six months or so, the Met rotates all the work in its Chinese painting galleries to preserve the delicate silks and papers, and each time, the curator in charge, Maxwell K. Hearn, produces a new and illuminating thematic exhibition, as is the case with Journeys. Outward-bound and inward-bound are the directions taken by Chinese landscape painting, and it carries us on some fascinating voyages in a show that mixes classical and contemporary art. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Cotter) The Met: FRANK STELLA: PAINTING INTO ARCHITECTURE, through July 29. Crammed into a gallery that feels like an obstacle course, this exhibition spans 43 years with 25 paintings, reliefs, drawings and architectural models, all with the goal of tracing an evolution that has not yet occurred. Taking up most of the space are enlarged versions of models that are considered sculptures -- and that look as if they date from the early 1960s. The main draws are the examples of the paintings and reliefs that are the basis of Mr. Stellas importance as an artist. (See above.) (Smith) The Met: FRANK STELLA ON THE ROOF, through Oct. 28. Two large Pop art sculptures, two architectural models and a model enlarged into a sculpture-installation piece confirm that one of the greatest American artists of the postwar era doesnt do himself or anyone else any favors when he strays from the wall to work fully in the round. The results have a certain Stella-like verve but are otherwise generic. (See above.) (Smith) * Neue Galerie: Van Gogh and Expressionism, through July 2. The Neue has, as usual, gathered a stellar roundup of Expressionist art. In one of the shows most exciting rooms, a third-floor gallery devoted mostly to self-portraits, two extraordinary van Goghs hang at opposite ends: Self-Portrait With Straw Hat (1887-88), from the Metropolitan Museums collection, filled with energetic, radiating brushstrokes, and the National Gallerys vibrant self-portrait of the artist holding a palette and brushes, painted about a year later. The most compelling pairing in this room, though, is van Goghs Bedroom from 1889, the second of three versions he painted of his room in Arles, with Egon Schieles obvious homage, The Artists Bedroom in Neulengbach, painted in 1911, in a darker palette and with a perspective tipped precariously toward the viewer. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, (212) 628-6200, neuegalerie.org. (Martha Schwendener) The Studio Museum in Harlem: Philosophy of Time Travel, through July 1. This flawed show, which was created by a group of artists who studied together at the California Institute of the Arts, is nonetheless an interesting example of one of the art worlds latest trends: the art collective. It takes Brancusis Endless Column as its point of departure and reimagines this Modernist icon from the point of view of art school grads, who are versed in the language of artspeak and wed to the righteous cause of freedom of expression. 144 West 125th Street, (212) 864-4500, studiomuseum.org. (Bridget L. Goodbody) Whitney Museum of American Art: Gordon MaTTA-cLARK rETROSPECTIVE, through June 3. I have no doubt that Matta-Clark is now being turned into a hot commercial commodity, but at least at the Whitney you can see what he aspired to be. He came up with various wonderfully harebrained ideas. Literally, in one case: after letting his hair grow for a year, he cut it off as a kind of performance and phrenological gag. The preserved hair, dutifully tagged piece by piece, opens the show like a holy relic. At the center of the exhibition is Splitting. To a plain single-family suburban frame house in Englewood, N.J., he made a cut straight down the middle, bisecting the building, then severing the four corners of the roof. The retrospective consists of films, drawings, photographs and some of the architectural pieces he cut out of buildings. The drawings are casual and not too interesting, but the luxurious black-and-white photographs from Paris speak more to Matta-Clarks formal elegance. The big message was: Life as art, and art as life, a philosophy dependent on our being properly attuned and keen to the moment. (212) 570-3676, whitney.org. (Michael Kimmelman) Whitney Museum of American Art: Taryn Simon, through June 24. Ms. Simon couches the show in the intellectual, power-to-the-people oratory of leftist politics, yet she clearly delights in exposing, in a quasi-tabloid fashion, Americas underbelly. Though she has also worked in war-torn areas, Ms. Simon is best known for The Innocents, a series of portraits of men and women who were wrongly convicted but later cleared by DNA test results. Ms. Simon can work as long as a year to gain permission to photograph high-security zones like the government-regulated quarantine sites, nuclear waste storage facilities, prison death rows and C.I.A. offices on view in the show. There are also pictures with lighter themes: the sandpit where the Grucci family tests fireworks, ski slopes being dynamited for avalanche control and the second Death Star, from Return of the Jedi, at George Lucass Skywalker Ranch. Ms. Simon is at her artistic best when her delight in the strangeness of American culture shines. (See above.) (Goodbody) Galleries: 57th Street * KATHY BUTTERLY: BETWEEN A ROCK AND A SOFT PLACE Although she is a little off her game here, this extraordinarily talented ceramic sculptor continues to impress with exquisitely detailed, radiantly colored, art historically aware, discreetly lascivious little pieces, especially if you have never seen her work before. Still, the question of whether it isnt time for a change hangs over the proceedings. Tibor deNagy Gallery, 724 Fifth Avenue, (212) 262-5050, through May 19. (Smith) Last Chance * American Folk Art Museum: MARTíN RAMíREZ, Ramírez, a Mexican peasant who immigrated to Northern California and died there at 68 in 1963, spent the last 32 years of his life in a mental hospital, making some of the greatest art of the last century. He had his own way with materials and color, and an unforgettable cast of characters. But most of all, he had his own brand of pictorial space. In addition to being one of the seasons best exhibitions and the first of his work in a New York museum, this show should render null and void the distinction between insider and outsider art. 45 West 53rd Street, (212) 265-1040, folkartmuseum.org; closes on Sunday. (Smith) * Jo Baer Ms. Baer is best known for her immaculate early Minimalist paintings and for a 1983 statement in which she declared that the realities of post-1960s power politics had rendered abstraction irrelevant. By that point she had moved to Europe where, in her 80s, she still lives. And she had started painting the figure, which she continues to do with verve, on the evidence of this quietly vehement show. Alexander Gray Associates, 526 West 26th Street, Suite 1019, Chelsea, (212) 399-2636; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * Lazhar Mansouri: Portraits of a Village: 1950-70 Mansouri (1932-1985) was born in northeastern Algeria and apprenticed to a local portrait photographer, then set up a studio of his own. Townspeople and neighbors came to have portraits made, either to celebrate an occasion -- a birth, a graduation, a military induction -- or to document a relationship and create personal keepsakes. The pictures at Westwood, all recent prints and larger than the originals would have been, range over 20 years. Whether approached as social and political documents or as objects of beauty, they are moving, burning, life-enlarging things. Westwood Gallery, 568 Broadway, SoHo, (212) 925-5700; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * the Museum of Modern Art: JEFF WALL. This majestic show makes a great case for Mr. Wall as the most complete, if traditional, of the untraditional artists who emerged from the turmoil of Conceptual art. His often immense color transparencies mounted on light boxes are enthralling visual vehicles, intent on giving pleasure while making a point or two about society, art, history, visual perception, the human animal or all of the above. An imposing blend of painting, street photography and movies, they blur reality and artifice, narrative and form, detail and the big statement. You cant stop looking at them. (212) 708-9400, moma.org, closes on Monday. (Smith) * RICHARD OELZE: PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS FROM THE 1950s & 1960s Nearly two dozen paintings in the first United States show of this little-known German Surrealist introduce an introvert with a penchant for grisaille grottolike structures that seem built on air, and for soft, fleshy forms that sometimes have eyes or reveal hidden faces or figures. Max Ernst is a big influence, and Pavel Tchelitchew an obvious analogy, but the exquisite rendering and pervasive unquiet are Oelzes alone. Ubu Gallery, 416 East 59th Street, (212) 753-4444; closes tomorrow. (Smith) * Prime Time: Mickalene Thomas and Shinique Smith A sparkling double-header by two very different artists with much in common. In paintings encrusted with rhinestones, Ms. Thomas gives 1970s pin-up portraits of African-American women the shimmer of Byzantine mosaics. Ms. Smith turns bundles of cast-off clothes into floral bouquets of exotic patterning. Caren Golden Fine Art, 539 West 23rd Street, Chelsea, (212) 727-8304, carengoldenfineart.com; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * Hunter Reynolds: Patina du Preys Memorial Dress, 1993-2007 In 1993 Hunter Reynolds -- an artist and an H.I.V.-positive gay man -- first performed as his alter ego, Patina du Prey, wearing a black ball gown inscribed with thousands of names of people who had died of AIDS. There were so many names that a second gown had to be made. It is in this heartbreaking show, along with the memorial books of names collected over the years, and blank books for recording names for a new dress. In a world littered with bogus monuments, this is the real, worthy thing. Artists Space, 38 Greene Street, third floor, SoHo, (212) 226-3970, artistspace.org; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * Anne Ryan Anne Ryan sightings are infrequent these days, partly because the exquisite abstract collages that made her name in New York in the late 1940s and early 50s are scarce. Theres just one in this small show at Teller, otherwise made up of prints and a few paintings. All are part of a fascinating and understudied modernist career that should be on permanent view. Susan Teller Gallery, 568 Broadway, SoHo, (212) 941-7335; closes tomorrow. (Cotter)
Former Hollyoaks actress Gillian Taylforth stuns in her return to Eastenders.
Former Hollyoaks actress Gillian Taylforth stunned viewers as she made her return to Albert Square as Kathy Beale tonight. The actress, 59, who used to live in Merseyside, played Kathy Beale in EastEnders for 15 years. Ahead of tonights episode of .
Ex-EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth arrested for drink-driving again
Gillian is best known for playing EastEnders Kathy Beale but she also stars in Hollyoaks as Sandy Roscoe. She was last seen on screen in 2000, however she did did appear in the Children In Need EastEnders special in which Kathy Beales ghost came .
Chart of Yesterdays Races at Aqueduct
Chart of Yesterdays Races at Aqueduct
30 things you never knew about EastEnders
Michelle Collins, who portrayed Cindy Beale, previously auditioned for punk single mother Mary Smith. Derek Martin, who played. Phils wives are Nadia, Kathy, Kate and Sharon, while Ians are Cindy, Laura, Mel and Jane. If he remarries Jane this.
Eye Witness Reporter | Lucy Beale, Kathy Mitchell and Pat.
Lucy Beale, Pat Butcher, Cindy Beale and Kathy Mitchell are all making a surprise return to EastEnders. They might all be dead, but that isnt enough to stop the former residents of Walford returning to Albert Square.
Arts and Leisure Guide; Theater Opening This Week Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide
Arts and Leisure Guide; Theater Opening This Week Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide Arts and Leisure Guide
Remembering a legend: Kathy Beale | Eastenders Unplugged
From 1985 - 2000 Gillian Taylforth played the role of the iconic Kathy Beale, the poor downtrodden suffering wife of Phil Mitchell, the mother of Ian Beale and Ben Mitchell and all round tough cookie she had hard-hitting story��.
Strangers, Dads, Sisters, Friends
The human toll of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is still unimaginable: 2,801 killed in the towers of the World Trade Center and in the two airplanes that were flown into them, 125 dead at the Pentagon and 59 aboard the plane that struck it, and 40 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93 killed when that hijacked plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa. In all, 3,025 victims united by a date -- Sept. 11. Here are those people.. Photos of 3,025 victims of terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001; 2,801 were killed in twin towers and in two airplanes that crashed into them; 125 died at Pentagon and 59 aboard plane that crashed into it; 40 died aboard plane that crashed into field near Shanskville, Pa (L)
Concerns Aid Fresh Air Fund Appeal
Recent gifts to the Fresh Air Fund have increased the total contributions for this years appeal to $359,139,81.
THEATER GUIDE
A selective listing by critics of The Times: New or noteworthy Broadway and Off Broadway shows this weekend. Approximate running times are in parentheses. * denotes a highly recommended show.+ means discounted tickets were at the Theater Development Funds TKTS booth for performances last Friday and Saturday nights.++ means tickets were at the TKTS booth for last Friday night only. Broadway ++ * ASSASSINS (Tony Award winner for best musical revival; direction of a musical; featured actor in a musical, Michael Cerveris; lighting; and orchestration). This is what they always wanted, isnt it? A clear shot at the big time, where people would have to pay attention to them? More than a decade after they first surfaced to critical shudders and head-scratching, the unhappy have-nots of Assassins -- the glitteringly dark musical by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman about Americans who dream of killing their countrys presidents -- have finally made it to Broadway. Accompanied by a sumptuously full orchestra and portrayed by a cast that finds the magnetism in rage and resentment, the frightening title characters of Assassins are restating their demand to be noticed in this Roundabout Theater Company production. And under Joe Mantellos direction, they are doing so with an eloquence and an intensity that make a compelling case for a show once regarded as a mere curiosity as a major piece from a major composer (1:50). Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, (212) 719-1300. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: $36.25 to $91.25 (Ben Brantley).
THE LISTINGS | MAY 4 - MAY 10
Selective Listings by critics of The New York Times of new and noteworthy cultural events in the New York metropolitan region this week. * denotes a highly recommended film, concert, show or exhibition. Theater Approximate running times are in parentheses. Theaters are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of current shows, additional listings, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/theater. Previews and Openings DIXIES TUPPERWARE PARTY In previews; opens on Thursday. Dixie Longate has left her Alabama trailer park to sell Tupperware in New York in this irreverent comedy (1:15). Ars Nova, 511 West 54th Street, Clinton, (212) 868-4444. DEUCE In previews; opens on Sunday. The grandes dames Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes play retired tennis players in this new Terrence McNally comedy. Michael Blakemore directs (1:45). Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. GASLIGHT Previews start on Wednesday. Opens on May 17. The always fascinating Brian Murray stars in Patrick Hamiltons thriller about a man who drives his wife insane (2:00). Irish Repertory Theater, 132 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, (212) 727-2737. MEMORY Previews start tomorrow. Opens on Thursday. Part of the increasingly essential Brits Off Broadway festival, a new play by Jonathan Lichtenstein (The Pull of Negative Gravity), about the way people choose to remember events, reveals how the Holocaust still haunts the present. Terry Hands directs (1:30). 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, (212) 279-4200. 110 IN THE SHADE In previews; opens on Wednesday. Audra McDonald stars in the Roundabouts revival of the musical version of N. Richard Nashs Rainmaker. Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, (212) 719-1300. PASSING STRANGE In previews; opens on May 14. The Joes Pub veteran and pop singer Stew tries his hand at musical theater, with a rock-theme score and a story about the journey of a black bohemian (2:30). Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555. RADIO GOLF In previews; opens on Tuesday. The last play in August Wilsons cycle is set in 1997 and centers on the vital question of what will be done with the fabled Aunt Esthers house. Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change) stars (2:30). Cort Theater, 138 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. Broadway A CHORUS LINE If you want to know why this show was such a big deal when it opened 31 years ago, you need only experience the thrilling first five minutes of this revival. Otherwise, this archivally exact production, directed by Bob Avian, feels like a vintage car that has been taken out of the garage, polished up and sent on the road once again (2:00). Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Ben Brantley) * THE COAST OF UTOPIA Lincoln Center Theaters brave, gorgeous, sprawling and ultimately exhilarating production of Tom Stoppards trilogy about intellectuals errant in 19th-century Russia. A testament to the seductive powers of narrative theater, directed with hot and cool canniness by Jack OBrien and featuring a starry cast (Brian F. OByrne, Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Josh Hamilton and Ethan Hawke, among others) in a tasty assortment of roles. Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * COMPANY Fire, beckoning and dangerous, flickers beneath the frost of John Doyles elegant, unexpectedly stirring revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furths era-defining musical from 1970, starring a compellingly understated Raúl Esparza. Like Mr. Doyles Sweeney Todd, this production finds new clarity of feeling in Sondheim by melding the roles of performers and musicians (2:20). Barrymore Theater, 243 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) CORAM BOY Set in 18th-century England, this rollicking melodrama about imperiled orphans is big and broad but not particularly deep. With a cast of 40, an orchestra in the pit and bursts of choral music (Handel, mostly) decorating the proceedings, it is tastefully splashy and certainly impressive, but less emotionally engaging than you might hope (2:30). Imperial Theater, 249 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Charles Isherwood) CURTAINS This musical comedy about a musical-comedy murder -- featuring songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Rupert Holmes -- lies on the stage like a promisingly gaudy string of firecrackers, waiting in vain for a match. The good news is that David Hyde Pierce, playing a diffident Boston detective, steps into full-fledged Broadway stardom. Scott Ellis directs a talent-packed cast that includes Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba. (2:30). Al Hirschfeld Theater, 302 West 45th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * FROST/NIXON Frank Langella turns in a truly titanic performance as Richard M. Nixon in Peter Morgans briskly entertaining, if all-too-tidy, play about the former presidents annihilating television interviews with the British talk show host David Frost (the excellent Michael Sheen). Michael Grandage directs with the momentum of a ticking-bomb thriller and the zing of a boulevard comedy (1:40). Jacobs Theater, 242 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * GREY GARDENS Christine Ebersole is absolutely glorious as the middle-aged, time-warped debutante called Little Edie Beale in this uneven musical adaptation of the notorious 1975 documentary of the same title. She and the wonderful Mary Louise Wilson (as her bedridden mother), in the performances of their careers, make Grey Gardens an experience no passionate theatergoer should miss (2:40). Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) INHERIT THE WIND Doug Hughess wooden revival of this worthy war horse, based on the Scopes monkey trial of 1925, never musters much more velocity than a drugstore fan. Be grateful that the cast includes Christopher Plummer, in savory form as a Will Rogers of jurisprudence. An oddly subdued Brian Dennehy plays his pompous adversary (2:00). Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * JOURNEYS END A splendid revival of R. C. Sherriffs 1928 drama of life in the trenches during World War I. Acutely staged (by David Grindley) and acted by a fine ensemble led by Hugh Dancy and Boyd Gaines, this production offers an exemplary presentation of that theatrical rarity, an uncompromising, clear-eyed play about war and the experience of day-to-day combat. An essential ticket (2:40). Belasco Theater, 111 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) LEGALLY BLONDE This nonstop sugar rush of a musical about a powder puff who finds her inner power-broker, based on the 2001 film, approximates the experience of eating a jumbo bag of Gummi Bears in one sitting. Flossing between songs is recommended (2:20). Palace Theater, 1564 Broadway, at 47th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) MARY POPPINS This handsome, homily-packed, mechanically ingenious and rather tedious musical, adapted from the P. L. Travers stories and the 1964 film, is ultimately less concerned with inexplicable magic than with practical psychology. Ashley Brown, who sings prettily as the family-mending nanny, looks like Joan Crawford trying to be nice and sounds like Dr. Phil. Directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne (2:30). New Amsterdam Theater, 214 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) LES MISÉRABLES This premature revival, a slightly scaled-down version of the well-groomed behemoth that closed only three years ago, appears to be functioning in a state of mild sedation. Appealingly sung and freshly orchestrated, this fast-moving adaptation of Victor Hugos novel isnt sloppy or blurry. But its pulse rate stays well below normal (2:55). Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN Kevin Spacey gives a bizarre, beat-the-clock performance, as lively as a frog on a hot plate, as James Tyrone in this off-kilter revival of Eugene ONeills last play. Mercifully, he does not block the view of Eve Best, who maps the contradictory levels of Tyrones strapping love interest with clarity and intelligence (2:50). Brooks Atkinson Theater, 256 West 47th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) THE PIRATE QUEEN How to river-dance your way to the bottom of the ocean, courtesy of the songwriters of Les Misérables (2:30). Hilton Theater, 213 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) * SPRING AWAKENING Duncan Sheik and Steven Saters bold adaptation of the Frank Wedekind play is the freshest and most exciting new musical Broadway has seen in some time. Set in 19th-century Germany but with a ravishing rock score, it exposes the splintered emotional lives of adolescents just discovering the joys and sorrows of sex. Performed with brio by a great cast, with supple direction by Michael Mayer and inventive choreography by Bill T. Jones (2:00). Eugene ONeill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) * TALK RADIO The most lacerating portrait of a human meltdown this side of a Francis Bacon painting. Playing an abrasive radio talk show host with a God complex, the astounding Liev Schreiber seems to fill the air as inescapably as weather in Robert Fallss gut-grabbing revival of Eric Bogosians 1987 play (1:40). Longacre Theater, 220 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) TARZAN This writhing green blob with music, adapted by Disney Theatrical Productions from the 1999 animated film, has the feeling of a superdeluxe day care center, equipped with lots of bungee cords and karaoke synthesizers, where children can swing when they get tired of singing, and vice versa. The soda-pop score is by Phil Collins (2:30). Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Joan Didions arresting but ultimately frustrating adaptation of her best-selling memoir about being blindsided by grief, starring Vanessa Redgrave. The tension between style and emotional content that made the book such a stunner does not translate to the stage. The substance here is in the silences, when the focus shifts from words to Ms. Redgraves wry, wounded face (1:40). Booth Theater, 222 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) Off Broadway ALL THE WRONG REASONS: A TRUE STORY OF NEO-NAZIS, DRUG SMUGGLING AND UNDYING LOVE John Fugelsangs amiable solo show mixes memoir and stand-up comedy in a tale of family, faith and Roman Catholic guilt. Slight but engaging (1:30). New York Theater Workshop, 79 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 460-5475. (Isherwood) AMERICAN FIESTA The economist, consultant, preacher and playwright Steven Tomlinson makes his New York stage debut with a one-man show about how it was that he came to collect Fiestaware, the colorful china of the Depression years, which he deploys as a metaphor for just about everything. An astute observer of consumer obsession, Mr. Tomlinson ultimately subordinates much of his clever writing to a tepid and trite political message: that American civic life is a fractured bowl that needs to be put back together right now. American Fiesta is also about gay marriage, eBay and neuroscience, which is to say that it is about much too much (1:30). Vineyard Theater, 108 East 15th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 353-0303. (Ginia Bellafante) BE A high-energy, low-content Israeli show that blends music, dance and sex appeal in the latest attempt to tap into the Stomp market (1:30). Union Square Theater, 100 East 17th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 307-4100. (Jason Zinoman) THE BIG VOICE: GOD OR MERMAN? Think of two gifted and smart gay men with years of life together deploying their considerable talents from the two pianos you happen to have in your living room. The result is a hilarious and very touching memoir of two decades of love and the funky glories of show business life (2:00). Actors Temple Theater, 339 West 47th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Honor Moore) BILL W. AND DR. BOB This insightful new play about the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous subtly makes the claim that the recovery movement was born as a series of accidents. Patrick Husted is excellent as Bob Smith, Bill Wilsons partner in combating addictions (2:15). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Bellafante) BIOGRAPHY A revival of S. N. Behrmans hoary 1932 comedy about a society portraitist and the men who keep trying to reign her in feels slight as a needlepoint pillow. As the plays supposedly beguiling heroine, Marion Froude, Carolyn McCormick never beguiles (2:15). The Pearl Theater, 80 St. Marks Place, at First Avenue, East Village, (212) 598-9802. (Bellafante) * BLACKBIRD David Harrowers stunning new drama looks back at a sexual relationship -- between a 40-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl -- that transforms, cripples and paralyzes. Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill, both extraordinary, peel their characters down to their barest souls. Joe Mantello is the masterly director (1:30). Manhattan Theater Club at City Center Stage I, 131 West 55th Street, (212) 581-1212. (Brantley) THE FANTASTICKS A revival -- well, more like a resuscitation -- of the Little Musical That Wouldnt Die. This sweet-as-ever production of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidts commedia-dellarte-style confection is most notable for Mr. Joness touching performance (under the pseudonym Thomas Bruce) as the Old Actor, a role he created when the show opened in 1960. Mr. Jones also directs (2:05). Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) * IN THE HEIGHTS Lin-Manuel Mirandas joyous songs paint a vibrant portrait of daily life in Washington Heights in this flawed but enjoyable show. Essentially a valentine to the barrio -- conflict of a violent or desperate kind is banished from the picture -- the musical contains a host of funny performances and brings the zesty sound of Latin pop to the stage. (2:10). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Isherwood) THE J.A.P. SHOW: JEWISH AMERICAN PRINCESSES OF COMEDY Laughs along with longueurs (1:30). Actors Temple Theater, 339 West 47th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Lawrence Van Gelder) A JEW GROWS IN BROOKLYN You dont have to be Jewish or Brooklynish to empathize with Jake Ehrenreich, but in terms of fully appreciating his essentially one-man show, it probably helps. Especially the Catskills jokes (2:05). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 560-8912. (Anita Gates) MY MOTHERS ITALIAN, MY FATHERS JEWISH AND IM IN THERAPY Steve Solomon does skillful impersonations in his one-man show, but some of his jokes are as old as the hills (1:30).Westside Theater Downstairs, 407 West 43rd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) NO CHILD Teachers will love Nilaja Suns one-woman show about the challenges of teaching drama at Malcolm X High School (1:10). Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street, at Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) * SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL A disarming collage of selections from the monologues and journals of Mr. Gray, the ultimate stand-up solipsist, who died in 2004. Directed by Lucy Sexton, and read by five performers, none of whom resemble Mr. Gray, with an affection that shrewdly stops short of hero worship (1:30). Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane, Greenwich Village, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Off Off Broadway DENIAL An engrossing and timely legal drama about a Holocaust denier being defended by a Jewish lawyer, this play examines the moral and ethical dilemma inherent in the First Amendment and asks how much sufferance can a free society give its crackpots and maintain its individual liberties (2:30). Metropolitan Playhouse, 220 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 995-5302. (Wilborn Hampton) REALISM and JUMP! The stately Jean Cocteau Repertory (now known as the Exchange) gets a hipster makeover with two foul-mouthed and aggressive new provocations from Britain (1:30 each). Kirk Theater, 420 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Zinoman) T J AND DAVE The comics T. J. Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi miraculously improvise a one-hour play at every performance. This is an impressive feat of mental athletics, but the results are also observant, complex and frequently enormously funny (1:00). Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street, West Village, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) Long-Running Shows ALTAR BOYZ This sweetly satirical show about a Christian pop group made up of five potential Teen People cover boys is an enjoyable, silly diversion (1:30). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Cartoon made flesh, sort of (2:30). Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) CHICAGO Irrefutable proof that crime pays (2:25). Ambassador Theater, 219 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE COLOR PURPLE Singing CliffsNotes for Alice Walkers Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (2:40). Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE DROWSY CHAPERONE A pasteboard pastiche of 1920s musicals, as remembered by a witty show queen(1:40). Marquis Theater, 1535 Broadway, at 45th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Often more entertaining than the real thing (1:45). 47th Street Theater, 304 West 47th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) HAIRSPRAY Fizzy pop, cute kids, large man in a housedress (2:30). Neil Simon Theater, 250 West 52nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) THE LION KING Disney on safari, where the big bucks roam (2:45). Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street at Broadway, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) MAMMA MIA! The jukebox that devoured Broadway (2:20). Cadillac Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Who was that masked man, anyway? (2:30). Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) RENT East Village angst and love songs to die for (2:45). Nederlander Theater, 208 West 41st Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) SPAMALOT A singing scrapbook for Monty Python fans (2:20). Shubert Theater, 225 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE A Chorus Line with pimples (1:45). Circle in the Square, 254 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) WICKED Oz revisited, with political corrections (2:45). Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Last Chance THE ACCOMPLICES Bernard Weinraub, a former reporter for The New York Times, has chosen a worthy subject for his first play: In 1940, the young Zionist Peter Bergson was determined to persuade the United States government to open its arms to Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. Unfortunately, this production takes a hagiographic approach to its protagonist, emphasizing his heroism at the expense of more complex characterization. (2:00). Acorn Theater, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200; closes tomorrow. (David Ng) ANNE OF GREEN GABLES The trick to refashioning beloved childrens books for the stage is to keep both the spirit and the story largely intact. In this, Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford -- a musical-theater partnership of five decades standing, who have moved from their hit Im Getting My Act Together to the American Girl demographic -- have largely succeeded. This breezy, upbeat musical avoids slickness and gets the job done, and is nicely cast into the bargain (1:30). The Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 279-4200; closes tomorrow. (Anne Midgette) * APOSTASY Gino Dilorios fearless play about a dying white Jewish woman who falls under the spell of a black televangelist is pretty good; the acting that delivers it is terrific, especially Susan Greenhill as the woman, and Susan Louise OConnor as her daughter (2:00). Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, (212) 868-4444; closes on Sunday. (Neil Genzlinger) GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL A very funny if not terribly original satire of musical theater features what must be the worst backers audition of all time (2:05). Actors Playhouse, 100 Seventh Avenue South, at Fourth Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 239-6200; closes on Sunday. (Zinoman) JANE EYRE Staged as a psychological drama, this new version of an oft-adapted classic is a shadowy, fluid, engaging production (2:45). Baruch Performing Arts Centers Nagelberg Theater, 55 Lexington Avenue, at 25th Street, (212) 279-4200; closes tomorrow. (Zinoman) HOWARD KATZ The subject of Patrick Marbers comedy of unhappiness about a rabid talent agent, starring a baleful Alfred Molina and directed by Doug Hughes, is nothing more nor less than your standard-issue midlife crisis. This familiar topic gets the better of all the talented people here trying to make it seem fresh (1:30). Laura Pels Theater, 111 West 46th Street, (212) 719-1300; closes on Sunday. (Brantley) THE VIEW FROM K STREET STEAK An attempt at political satire that misses with just about every shot, this play ends up being simply confusing and boring, neither funny nor timely (1:50). Altered Stages, 212 West 29th Street, Chelsea, (212) 352-3101; closes tomorrow. (Hampton) Movies Ratings and running times are in parentheses; foreign films have English subtitles. Full reviews of all current releases, movie trailers, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/movies. AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS (R, 87 minutes) Not as funny as the title or the Cartoon Network series on which its based. (A. O. Scott) BLADES OF GLORY (PG-13, 93 minutes) In this fast, light, frequently funny comedy about a male figure-skating team, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder stake an early claim to being the comedy couple of the year. (Stephen Holden) THE CONDEMNED (R, 100 minutes) This simple-minded vehicle for the wrestling star Steve Austin follows a bunch of muscle-bound lowlifes as they fight to the death for the benefit of an Internet reality show. Leaden and inept, the movie fails to deliver even the action goods, presenting every fight scene in such quaking, extreme close-up that its difficult to tell whos pummeling whom. Fortunately, the language of pain is universal. (Jeannette Catsoulis) * DIGGERS (R, 90 minutes) This minutely observed period piece, set in 1976, about clam diggers on the south shore of Long Island has the brave, mournful tone of a Springsteen song (My Hometown, say) set in Billy Joel territory. (Holden) DISTURBIA (PG-13, 104 minutes) A pleasant, scary, well-directed variation on the killer-next-door theme, with the engaging Shia LeBeouf as Kale, a young man who turns house arrest into an occasion for voyeurism and crime-fighting. (Scott) FRACTURE (R, 111 minutes) A glib entertainment that offers up the spectacle of that crafty scene-stealer Anthony Hopkins mixing it up with that equally cunning screen-nibbler Ryan Gosling. (Manohla Dargis) GRINDHOUSE (R, 180 minutes) A double feature, complete with fake previews for schlocky exploitation pictures, that pays nostalgic tribute to disreputable traditions of moviemaking and moviegoing. Robert Rodriguez contributes Planet Terror, a purposely incoherent zombie gross-out flick that flaunts is own badness the way Rose McGowan (as a go-go dancer named Cherry Darling) shows off her weaponized prosthetic leg. For his part, Quentin Tarantino, more of a connoisseur than his collaborator (and a much better filmmaker), turns out a brutal, talky and satisfying car-chase revenge movie in Death Proof, starring Kurt Russell. (Scott) * THE HOAX (R, 115 minutes) A first-rate performance by Richard Gere drives this true story of Clifford Irving (Mr. Gere), who claimed to be the authorized biographer of Howard Hughes. Shadowed by the paranoia of its period (the early 70s), this movie, crisply directed by Lasse Hallstrom from an excellent script by William Weaver, is less a morality play than an entertaining portrait of a literary gambler. (Scott) * HOT FUZZ (R, 121 minutes) A British parody of Hollywood-style action flicks from the wits behind Shaun of the Dead. Think of it as The Full Monty blown to smithereens. (Dargis) IN THE LAND OF WOMEN (PG-13, 98 minutes) This meek, mopey comedy is the film equivalent of a sensitive emo band with one foot in alternative rock and the other in the squishy pop mainstream. The movie would like to think of itself as a softer, fuzzier Garden State. (Holden) THE INVISIBLE (PG-13, 102 minutes) This supremely silly retread of the 2002 Swedish film Den Osynlige proves its tough to be in love and in limbo at one and the same time. When a rich-yet-troubled teenager (Justin Chatwin) crosses paths with a violently disturbed classmate (Margarita Levieva), we learn theres nothing quite like a near-death experience to repair those stubborn emotional wounds. (Catsoulis) KICKIN IT OLD SKOOL (PG-13, 107 minutes) Jamie Kennedy tries to lead a break-dancing revival, playing a man who was left in a coma by a break-dancing accident in 1986 and has only just now come out of it. Funny early, but grows less so, and the dancing sequences arent as exciting as they ought to be. (Neil Genzlinger) * KILLER OF SHEEP (No rating, 83 minutes) Largely hidden from view for three decades, Charles Burnetts lyrical film about a working-class family living in a broken-down home in a bombed-out stretch of Los Angeles is an American masterpiece, independent to the bone. (Dargis) LONELY HEARTS (No rating, 100 minutes) This beautifully photographed remake of Leonard Kastles 1970 cult B movie The Honeymoon Killers succeeds better than many modern crime dramas in balancing the philosophical with the visceral, although its villains dirty deeds still trump its deeper strain of melancholy. (Holden) NEXT (PG-13, 96 minutes) Nicolas Cage plays a guy who can see into the future in this crummy adaptation of a nifty Philip K. Dick story. Too bad Mr. Cage couldnt tap into those same powers to save himself from another bad role. (Dargis) PERFECT STRANGER (R, 109 minutes) There is enough of a grain of truth in this noirish, paranoid thriller set in the New York media world that even after it lurches from the farfetched into the preposterous, the movie leaves a clammy residue of unease. (Holden) * PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (No rating, 120 minutes, in French) A film from the venerable French auteur Alain Resnais about love and cinematic spaces, elegant camera moves and six heavenly bodies as seen through a mighty telescope. (Dargis) * RED ROAD (No rating, 113 minutes) Andrea Arnolds first feature falls into melodrama and implausibility at the end, but along the way it is a remarkably assured and complex piece of work, anchored by the directors formal control and by Jackie Dicks quietly heartbreaking performance as a Glasgow video-surveillance officer with an unhappy past. (Scott) SING NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE (No rating, 94 minutes) A would-be Big Chill for 30-somethings, Sing Now concerns the 15-year reunion of a college a cappella group for a classmates wedding in the Hamptons, and its attendant midlife crises. But the ensemble cast is too unwieldy, and interesting characters are given short shrift. Only Molly Shannon, in a selfless, robust performance, registers amid the suds. (Andy Webster) SNOW CAKE (No rating, 112 minutes) Sigourney Weaver peels off layers of urbane sophistication to play a high-functioning autistic woman living in a rural Ontario town who intersects with an embittered Briton (Alan Rickman). Their technically accomplished performances partly camouflage the suds. (Holden) SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT (No rating, 64 minutes) Betsy Blankenbakers plodding but heartfelt documentary celebrates the career of Indianas Crispus Attucks Tigers, who, in 1955, became the first all-black high school basketball team to win a state championship. Interspersing grainy game film and interviews with original team members, like the N.B.A. legend Oscar Robertson and the former Harlem Globetrotter Hallie Bryant, the movie pays tribute to a time when basketball scholarships and N.B.A. opportunities were unknown. Back then, a players only opportunity was to make history. (Catsoulis) * SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY (No rating, 105 minutes, in Thai) Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a Thai director who has become a star of the international festival circuit, makes films that are difficult, abstract and mysterious in the best art-cinema tradition, but at the same time characterized by unusual warmth and generosity of spirit. Syndromes, suggested by the lives of the filmmakers parents and the music of Mozart, is a two-part invention on the themes of chance and longing, shot with an intoxicating mix of suavity and sensuality. (Scott) TA RA RUM PUM (No rating, 156 minutes, in English and Hindi) This Bollywood movie about a race car driver (the versatile Saif Ali Khan) takes place in New York, but that doesnt stop it from being a classic example of Bollywood family values. Here, all the citys a stage set, perfect for Fame meets West Side Story production numbers. (Rachel Saltz) * TRIAD ELECTION (No rating, 93 minutes, in Cantonese) The surfaces gleam as luxuriously in Johnnie Tos exemplary gangster thriller Triad Election as those in a similarly slicked-up Hollywood film, but the blood on the floor here seems stickier, more liable to stain. A brutal look at the shadows darkening the Hong Kong triads, the film picks up the narrative line first coiled and kinked in Mr. Tos companion thriller, Election. (Dargis) VACANCY (R, 80 minutes) This banal horror retread involves a couple of critters (Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale) flailing inside a sticky trap for what is, in effect, the big-screen equivalent of a roach motel. (Dargis) * THE VALET (PG-13, 85 minutes, in French) If you love to hate the superrich, this delectable comedy, in which the great French actor Daniel Auteuil portrays a piggy billionaire industrialist facing his comeuppance, is a sinfully delicious bonbon, a classic French farce with modern touches. (Holden) * YEAR OF THE DOG (PG-13, 97 minutes) Mike Whites touching comedy about a woman who loses a dog and finds herself is funny ha-ha but firmly in touch with its downer side, which means that its also funny in a kind of existential way. Molly Shannon stars alongside a menagerie of howling scene-stealers. (Dargis) ZOO (No rating, 76 minutes) Robinson Devors heavily reconstructed documentary is, to a large extent, about the rhetorical uses of beauty. It is, rather more coyly, also about a man who died after having sex with a stallion. (Dargis) Film Series and Revivals AN EVENING WITH ANDREAS HYKADE AND MARIUSZ WILCZYNSKI (Monday) This evening includes works by two leading contemporary animators, Andreas Hykade from Germany and Mariusz Wilczynski from Poland. The Runt, the concluding episode of Mr. Hykades trilogy of country films, will have its United States premiere; Mr. Wilczynskis latest work, Kizi Mizi -- which the director describes as a tough love story between a cat and a mouse -- will have its world premiere. Both animators will be on hand to discuss the works. Museum of Modern Art Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, (212) 708-9400, moma.org; $10. (Dave Kehr) RADICAL SCAVENGER: THE FILMS OF EMILE DE ANTONIO (Today through Thursday) The director Emile de Antonio reinvented the art of the collage film in the documentaries he made from 1963 to 1989, the year of his death. He raided network news footage and archival sources to select sounds and images that he would then recombine into radical political statements. This series at the Anthology Film Archives begins tonight with a new print of Mr. de Antonios most celebrated and influential film, In the Year of the Pig (1968). A pointed assemblage of television reports about the Vietnam War, both abroad and at home, In the Year of the Pig was among the most widely seen protest films in the United States. Among the other titles: Rush to Judgment (1966), di Antonios critical analysis of the Warren Report (made with the conspiracy theorist Mark Lane); America Is Hard to See (1970), about the presidential campaign of Eugene McCarthy; and Millhouse: A White Comedy (1971), a comic portrait of Richard M. Nixon. Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, at Second Street, East Village, (212) 505-5181, anthologyfilmarchives.org; $8. (Kehr) WILD AT HEART: BARRY GIFFORD (Tuesday) The novelist and screenwriter Barry Gifford will attend a screening of Wild at Heart, David Lynchs 1990 film adapted from Mr. Giffords novel about a pair of extremely star-crossed young lovers (Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern). This will be the rarely screened European version, which includes, if memory serves, a little extra gore than Americans were allowed to see in the R-rated film released in theaters here. BAMcinématek, BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (718) 636-4100, bam.org; $10. (Kehr) Pop Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music. AIR (Thursday) This French duo, whose every electronic note seems to drip with breathy, limply funky pop nostalgia, plays as part of David Bowies High Line Festival. At 8 p.m., Theater at Madison Square Garden, (212) 465-6741, thegarden.com or highlinefestival.com; $36 and $46. (Ben Sisario) * KAREN AKERS (Tonight and tomorrow night, and Tuesday through Thursday) The songs in Simply Styne, Ms. Akerss beautiful tribute to the composer Jule Styne, have been arranged into a touching, tongue-in-cheek cabaret answer to Scenes From a Marriage. The pianist Don Rebic is her witty partner in deconstruction. (Through May 12.) At 9, with additional shows tonight and tomorrow night at 11:30, Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, Manhattan, (212) 419-9331, algonquinhotel.com; $60 cover; $65 dinner charge at 9; $25 minimum at 11:30. (Stephen Holden) ANTIBALAS (Tomorrow) This Brooklyn collective worships the musky Afro-funk of Fela Kuti, and can produce a credible facsimile of it, thickly textured with reverb-heavy guitars and brawny horns. Its latest, Security (Anti-), also follows Felas other big legacy: no-holds-barred denunciations of political oppression and corruption. At 9 p.m., Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800; $20. (Sisario) * ARCADE FIRE, THE NATIONAL (Monday through Wednesday) Arcade Fire became king of the indie-rock mountain with a lovable, artsy eccentricity and a disarming emotional clarity. Its new album, Neon Bible (Merge), is dark and preoccupied but satisfyingly cathartic. The National, from Brooklyn, plays flawless, wilting ballads threaded with subtly brilliant guitar playing by Bryce Dessner and the dry, cynical baritone of Matt Berninger. Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m., United Palace Theater, 4140 Broadway, at 175th Street, Washington Heights, (212) 307-7171, bowerypresents.com; Wednesday at 8 p.m., Radio City Music Hall, (212) 307-7171, radiocity.com or highlinefestival.com; sold out. (Sisario) THE BAMBOOZLE (Tomorrow and Sunday) The Web site for this lollapalooza in the Giants Stadium parking lot has a faux radio station, complete with obnoxious promo spots crackling with pyrotechnic sound effects. Its unfortunately appropriate for the Bamboozle, a roll call of more than 100 young hard-rock bands that, once you get past the headliners, sound utterly interchangeable and predictable -- the kind that make you want to change the station. My Chemical Romance and Muse headline tomorrow, and Linkin Park on Sunday. A few highlights are Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Killswitch Engage, Weird Al Yankovic, Captured by Robots, Lordi, Andrew W. K., and Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock (It Takes Two). At noon, Meadowlands Sports Complex, Routes 3 and 120, East Rutherford, N.J., (201) 935-3900, thebamboozle.com; $35 each day. (Sisario) * BEIRUT, FINAL FANTASY (Sunday through Tuesday) A year ago Zach Condon, a 19-year-old from Albuquerque who records as Beirut, released Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing), an album of somber, sepia-toned marches with touches of Balkan brass. He quickly became a celebrity among music bloggers, which means that by now Beirut has become a kind of blog classic rock. As Final Fantasy, Owen Pallett creates nervous universes in miniature, looping ribbons of violin around his quavering voice. At 7:30 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; sold out. (Sisario) * BJORK (Tomorrow and Tuesday) Its been a long time since Bjorks combination of wailing indie-rock, eroticized electronica and use of random musical props -- Inuit choirs, beatboxers, African kora players -- has been truly avant-garde, or even surprising. But her latest album, Volta (Elektra), still sounds fresh and energized, with every sound becoming her exotic plaything. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., with Konono No. 1, a Congolese band whose polyrhythmic bubblings are made with amplified thumb pianos, at the United Palace Theater, 4140 Broadway, at 175th Street, Washington Heights, (212) 307-7171; Tuesday at 8 p.m., Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street, Harlem, (212) 307-7171, apollotheater.com; both sold out. Konono No. 1 also plays tomorrow night at the Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $23. The doors open at 8, and Magik Markers opens. (Sisario) * BLONDE REDHEAD (Tuesday) Its days of spindly, atonal guitar webs apparently behind it, Blonde Redhead has for the last few years been making lusher, more cottony music, as if finally realizing that its amplifiers have reverb buttons. Its latest, 23 (4AD), is a gorgeous trip through clouds of overdriven guitar and heavenly vocals, recalling those kings of overdriven guitar and heavenly vocals, My Bloody Valentine. With Fields. At 8 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; sold out. (Sisario) BOWLING FOR SOUP (Wednesday) When the venerable British singer and guitarist Richard Thompson put together his album 1,000 Years of Popular Music, his choices included Sumer Is Icumen In, Renaissance ballads and Cole Porters Night and Day, as well as 1985, a gag catalog of 80s nostalgia by this otherwise undistinguished Texas rock band. (When did Motley Crue become classic rock?/And when did Ozzy become an actor?) Its a fun karaoke number, though Mr. Thompson may have been making another point: if you were really going to preserve the most representative songs of our culture, youd have to include some 1985s, right? At 8 p.m., Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800; $17.50 in advance, $20 at the door. (Sisario) BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT (Tomorrow and Sunday) Though nominally part of the current psych-folk revival, Brightblack Morning Light has a sound that is harder to place, and therefore more intriguing: an electric hum; warbling keyboards that evoke damp funk; and ecstatic, breathy chants, like the rituals of a secret forest cult. The songs on its most recent album were written, the band has said, while living in tents in Northern California. Also on the bill: Daniel A.I.U. Belteshazzar-Higgs with Chiara Giovando. Tomorrow at 10 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; Sunday at 9 p.m., Southpaw, 125 Fifth Avenue, near Sterling Place, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 230-0236, spsounds.com; $13 in advance; $15 at the door. (Sisario) JIM CAMPILONGO, MIKE VIOLA (Monday) Just another night at the Living Room, a plain Lower East Side cabaret that puts on one guitar-cradling singer-songwriter after another, some of them world-class. Mr. Campilongo is a well-traveled guitar whiz who plays with Norah Jones in her country band, the Little Willies; his Electric Trio has had a Monday-night residency forever. Mr. Viola, jumping from piano to guitar, sings strident power-pop with some jagged wit. Also on the bill are Kelly Jones and Phillip La Rue. At 8 p.m., 154 Ludlow Street, near Stanton Street, (212) 533-7235, livingroomny.com; no cover. (Sisario) CORNELIUS (Thursday) Keigo Oyamada, a Japanese musician who records as Cornelius (he took his name after Roddy McDowalls character in Planet of the Apes), is a witty if cold conceptualist, toying with minimal electronics and off-kilter rhythms that sound like the stimuli of some psychological lab experiment. At 7 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $25. (Sisario) BEN GIBBARD (Tuesday) The singer of Death Cab for Cutie, the indie-rock giants whose spectrum of mood runs from lovelorn and aloof to wistful and aloof, is on a rare solo tour. With David Bazan and Johnathan Rice. At 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 840-2824, the-townhall-nyc.org or bowerypresents.com; sold out. (Sisario) KIKI AND HERB (Sunday) A few years ago this brilliantly perverse cabaret duo played their farewell show at Carnegie Hall. Then came a run on Broadway. And some late-night gigs at Joes Pub. And the inimitable Christmas show. (Highlight: a medley of Smells Like Teen Spirit and Frosty the Snowman.) Kiki and Herb cant stay away from the stage, and New York is the better for it. At 11:30 p.m., Joes Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com; $20. (Sisario) * TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS (Tomorrow) As stalwart as you can be in indie rock, Mr. Leo has made a long and admirable career matching the musical fury of Clash-like punk with impassioned, highly personal social commentary. His new album, Life Among the Living (Touch and Go), is a reminder that he is one of the best and most uncompromising songwriters in the game. With Love of Diagrams. At 6:30 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $19. (Sisario) MAGIC NUMBERS (Wednesday) Perfectly jangly bubblegum harmonies of mid-60s vintage get a slight melancholy twist with this British foursome, made up of brother-and-sister pairs. With All Smiles. At 7 p.m., Hiro Ballroom, 371 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $25. (Sisario) * MARTIRIO (Tuesday and Wednesday) This Spanish singer, long a curious mingler of pop, jazz and flamenco, recorded her new album, Primavera en Nueva York (Calle 54), in New York with a jazz band, its boleros reinterpreted as a languorous, savory jazz suite. She makes her New York debut at Joes Pub. At 7 and 9:30 p.m., 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com; $30. (Sisario) MOE (Tonight through Sunday) One chord is all Moe needs to start one of its nimble, quick-fingered jams. Its music starts with the Grateful Dead-Allman Brothers hybrids that most jam bands use, and from there it takes off toward Southern rock, spacey interludes or the borderline of funk. At 9, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; sold out. (Jon Pareles) NEKROMANTIX (Sunday) Is it Halloween already? This Copenhagen trio follows the Munsters-as-punk lead of the Misfits and the Cramps with a full sideshow of warped rockabilly, B movie titles (new album: Life Is a Grave & I Dig It!) and, most important, ghoulish stacked hairdos. With Heart Attacks, Westbound Train and Orange. At 8 p.m., Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 East 23rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-7171; $12.50. (Sisario) JENNIFER OCONNOR (Wednesday) Ms. OConnors portraits of the lovelorn and depressed, sung over light strums of guitar and with the guileless vulnerability of a 2 a.m. phone confession, are dry but not unsympathetic: Maybe shes on her lunch break thinking of you. She has a Wednesday residency this month at the Living Room. At 11 p.m., 154 Ludlow Street, near Stanton Street, Lower East Side, (212) 533-7235, livingroomny.com; $8. (Sisario) * JOHN PIZZARELLI AND JESSICA MOLASKEY (Tonight and tomorrow night, and Tuesday through Thursday) These married musicians have been called the Nick and Nora of cabaret, a sobriquet that only begins to describe their upbeat sophistication. They fuse two distantly related musical worlds into a larger whole in which Stephen Sondheim, Dave Frishberg, Paul Simon, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross join hands. (Through May 26.) At 8:45, with additional shows tonight and tomorrow night at 10:45, Café Carlyle, at the Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street, Manhattan, (212) 744-1600, thecarlyle.com; $75 and $125 Tuesday through Thursday; $85 tonight and tomorrow. (Holden) DULCE PONTES (Thursday) This Portuguese singers champions (or at least her publicists) call her the successor to the fado queen Amália Rodrigues. Not quite: Ms. Pontess style has leaned pretty far toward the soapy and homogenized glitz you can hear every year at the Eurovision festival. (Ms. Pontes was a competitor in 1991.) But she has a strong, fleshy alto, and for this Carnegie Hall appearance will sing traditional songs from her lovely new album, O Coração Tem Três Portas, with a small acoustic ensemble. At 8 p.m., (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $23 to $72. (Sisario) ANNIE ROSS (Tuesday) When this jazz legend barks out I Got Rhythm, she turns this great Gershwin standard into a hipsters credo. If youve got as much rhythm in your body and music in your head as Ms. Ross does at 76, who indeed could ask for anything more? At 7 p.m., Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street, Flatiron district, (212) 206-0440, metropolitanroom.com; $25 cover, two-drink minimum. (Holden) * SHIVKUMAR SHARMA AND ZAKIR HUSSAIN (Tomorrow) Shivkumar Sharma plays the santur, Indias hammered dulcimer, and has transformed it from an accompanying instrument into a solo instrument that brings shimmering resonances to the classical Indian raga repertory. He will be accompanied by Zakir Hussain on tabla, who can supply subtle propulsion and percussive fireworks over the course of a raga. At 8 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 545-7536, the-townhall-nyc.org or worldmusicinstitute.org; $25 to $45; $15 for students. (Pareles) SIX PARTS SEVEN (Tonight) The Six Parts Seven, from Kent, Ohio, play instrumental rock that unfolds with deliberation and inexorable grace, working through minimalistic guitar-picking patterns and gradual buildups that quickly become mesmerizing. With Trouble Books, Ghosts of Pasha and Yellow Fever. At 8, Union Hall, 702 Union Street, at Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 638-4400, unionhallny.com; $8. (Pareles) SLOAN (Thursday) Like modern metafictions, Sloans pop-rock songs twist inward on themselves. With their winsome tunes and neo-Beatles intricacies, Sloans songs are not just about unrequited yearnings, but also about the process of writing pop songs about unrequited yearnings. Theyre rarely so clever that their heart doesnt come through. With Small Sins. At 9 p.m., Maxwells, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, N.J., (201) 653-1703, maxwellsnj.com; $20. (Pareles) SUNSET RUBDOWN (Tonight) A solo enterprise of the prolific Spencer Krug, who sings and plays keyboards in the Montreal indie-arty band Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown is one of those weirdly fascinating bedroom noise projects characterized by stompy lo-fi backing tracks and evocative stream-of-consciousness lyrics (Shut up, I am dreaming of places where lovers have wings). With Katie Eastburn and Get Him Eat Him. At 8:30, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; sold out. (Sisario) * AMY WINEHOUSE (Tuesday and Wednesday) The British R&B revivalist of the moment, Ms. Winehouse growls defiant epigrams of debauchery (They tried to make me go to rehab/I said no, no, no) over tasty arrangements that, were it not for the whiff of hip-hop in the rhythms, could pass for lost 1960s soul tracks. With Patrick Wolf on Tuesday. At 8 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; sold out. Mr. Wolf also plays on Wednesday at 8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $15. (Sisario) Jazz Full reviews of recent jazz concerts: nytimes.com/music. KARRIN ALLYSON (Wednesday and Thursday) Ms. Allyson is an effervescent jazz singer whose recent album Footprints (Concord) convincingly delves into Jon Hendricks-style vocalese. (Through May 12.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; cover, $40, with a $10 minimum. (Nate Chinen) SAM BARDFELDS STUFF SMITH PROJECT (Thursday) Sam Bardfeld, a violinist with a wide-ranging résumé, pays tribute to a swing-era hero of his instrument with help from the pianist Anthony Coleman, the bassist Sean Conly and the guitarist and singer Doug Wamble. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) TIM BERNES LITTLE SATAN (Wednesday) The alto saxophonist Tim Berne presents a coy riff on his established skronk-improv trio Big Satan: the drummer Tom Rainey remains, but Kieran Daly on electric mandolin fills in for the guitarist Marc Ducret. At 8 and 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) MICHEL CAMILO (Tuesday through Thursday) A percussive, often cathartic pianist, Mr. Camilo has a new album, Spirit of the Moment (Telarc), that captures the crisp interplay of his Latin-jazz trio with the bassist Charles Flores and the drummer Dafnis Prieto. (Through May 13.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $35 at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen) * RON CARTER NONET/AARON GOLDBERG TRIO (Monday) At 70, the bassist Ron Carter has come to assume a professorial stature in addition to his celebrated virtuosity; here he leads an ensemble that includes four cellos. Also on the program is the sharp young pianist Aaron Goldberg, with a superb rhythm section: Omer Avital on bass and Ali Jackson on drums. At 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, (212) 501-3330, kaufman-center.org; $40; $35 in advance. (Chinen) CREOLE JAZZ SERENADERS (Tomorrow) The New Orleans jazz banjoist Don Vappie has been leading this repertory ensemble for the past dozen years, with typically high-spirited results. At 9:30 p.m., Joes Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555 or (212) 539-8778, joespub.com; cover, $20, with a two-drink minimum. (Chinen) DEATH AMBIENT (Tonight and tomorrow night) A descriptively titled experimental collective, consisting of Fred Frith on guitar, Ikue Mori on electronics and Kato Hideki on bass. At 8 and 10, the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) ELI DEGIBRI TRIO (Tuesday) An Israeli saxophonist with a taste for burnished sonorities, Eli Degibri explores his own music with help from Gary Versace on organ and Obed Calvaire on drums. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Louis 649, 649 East Ninth Street, East Village, (212) 673-1190, louis649.com; no cover. (Chinen) SCOTT DUBOIS QUARTET (Sunday) Scott DuBois, a guitarist equally devoted to knotty compositions and free improvisation, leads a band with the saxophonist Hakon Kornstad, the bassist Eivind Opsvik and the drummer Jeff Davis. At 9:30 p.m., 55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 929-9883, 55bar.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) JOHN ELLIS GROUP (Tomorrow) John Ellis is a tenor and soprano saxophonist drawn to loose-limbed funk, but he also has an interest in spacious modern jazz, as he illustrates on his most recent album, By a Thread (Hyena). He works here with similarly inclined players, like the guitarist Mike Moreno, the pianist Aaron Parks and the drummer Kendrick Scott. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15. (Chinen) * ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON (Sunday) Jazz at Lincoln Centers nationwide Duke Ellington repertory competition concludes this weekend, as 15 high school jazz orchestras come out swinging. Sundays concert and ceremony feature the finalists, alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. At 7:30 p.m., Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 875-5030, jalc.org; $20. (Chinen) ALAN FERBER NONET (Tonight) Here, as on his new album, The Compass (Fresh Sound New Talent), the trombonist Alan Ferber features his own elastic compositions for nonet. In the second set the group will be augmented with a four-piece string section. At 9 and 10, Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 donation. (Chinen) 4 GENERATIONS OF MILES (Thursday) The rapid permutation of Miles Daviss working bands makes it theoretically possible for four former sidemen to claim connection to four separate phases of his career. Here those musicians are the drummer Jimmy Cobb, the tenor saxophonist George Coleman, the bassist Buster Williams and the guitarist Mike Stern. (Through May 13.) At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $32.50 to $35, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) JOEL FRAHM (Tuesday) Mr. Frahms tenor saxophone playing has rarely sounded roomier or more relaxed than it does on his new album, We Used to Dance (Anzic). He holds down a regular trio engagement at the Bar Next Door. At 8 and 10 p.m., 129 MacDougal Street, West Village, (212) 529-5945, lalanternacaffe.com; cover, $8, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) * KENNY GARRETT (Tonight through Sunday night) The best moments on Beyond the Wall, Mr. Garretts most recent album, showcase his alto saxophone in dialogue with the robust tenor of Pharoah Sanders, who resurfaces as a guest at this engagement. At 8:30 and 10:30, Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $35 and $40, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) * GRAND REUNION (Tuesday through Thursday) The saxophonist Todd Williams, the pianist Marcus Roberts, the bassist Reginald Veal and the drummer Herlin Riley reconvene as a collective, each bringing a sophisticated understanding of the blues. Given that they once worked together in the employ of Wynton Marsalis, there just might be a special guest. (Through May 13.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway, (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; cover, $30, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen) TOM HARRELL QUINTET (Tonight and tomorrow night) An introverted but assertive trumpeter, Tom Harrell leads a disciplined hard-bop band with Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Danny Grissett on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums. At 8, 10 and 11:30, Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com; cover, $28. (Chinen) * FRED HERSCH TRIO (Tuesday through Thursday) Together with the bassist Drew Gress and the drummer Nasheet Waits, the pianist Fred Hersch applies a rigorous elasticity to originals and standards alike. The trio has a sparkling new album, Night and the Music (Palmetto), featuring a little of both. (Through May 13.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) BILL HORVITZ EXPANDED BAND (Sunday) The guitarist Bill Horvitz presents a suite of new compositions dedicated to the memory of his brother Philip, a writer and performer; some 20 musicians will be involved, including the clarinetist Marty Ehrlich, the bassist Ken Filiano and the pianist and vocalist Robin Holcomb. At 8:30 p.m., Roulette, 20 Greene Street, at Grand Street, SoHo, (212) 219-8242, roulette.org; $15, $10 for students. VIJAY IYER (Thursday) A pianist and composer given to restive energies and rhythmic conundrums, Mr. Iyer leads an exceptionally intuitive band, with the alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, the drummer Marcus Gilmore and the bassist Matt Brewer. (Through May 12.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15; $10 for members. (Chinen) OMER KLEIN TRIO (Tonight and tomorrow night) The pianist Omer Klein explores a melodic modernism partly informed by his Israeli roots; his trio includes Massimo Biolcati on bass and Eric McPherson on drums. At 9 and 10:30, Smalls, 183 West 10th Street, West Village, (212) 675-7369, smallsjazzclub.com; cover, $20. (Chinen) * KATE McGARRY SEXTET (Thursday) On her fine new album, The Target (Palmetto), Ms. McGarry applies a vision of pop pluralism to the craft of jazz singing, without slighting either side of the equation. She appears with some of the same musicians here, including the guitarist Keith Ganz, the organist Gary Versace and the saxophonist Donny McCaslin. (Through May 13.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen) JOHN McNEIL/BILL McHENRY QUARTET (Sunday) Mr. McNeil, a trumpeter, and Mr. McHenry, a tenor saxophonist, mostly play obscurities from the 1950s West Coast jazz canon in this solid and often delightful quartet. At 8 and 10 p.m., Biscuit BBQ, 230 Fifth Avenue, at President Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 399-2161, biscuitbbq.com; cover, $10; $5 for musicians, students and children, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) JEREMY PELT QUARTET (Tonight through Sunday night) Jeremy Pelt, a trumpeter with a big tone and bracing technique, leads a locomotive band with Danny Grissett on piano, Derek Nievergelt on bass and Willie Jones III on drums. At 9 and 11, Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $25, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) MICHELE ROSEWOMAN (Today) Ms. Rosewoman is a pianist with a sharp and searching style, as she confirms on her recent album, The In Side Out (Advance Dance). Here she leads her band Quintessence: Mark Shim and Loren Stillman on saxophones, Matt Brewer on bass and Gene Jackson on drums. At 6 and 7:30 p.m., Rose Center for Earth and Space, Central Park West at 81st Street, (212) 313-7278, amnh.org/rose/specials/jazz; suggested admission, $14. (Chinen) GRANT STEWART (Tuesday) Mr. Stewart is an uncommonly proficient tenor saxophonist, as he confirms on a bebop-steeped new album, In the Still of the Night (Sharp Nine). At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Smalls, 183 West Tenth Street, West Village, smallsjazzclub.com; cover, $20. (Chinen) TRAVIS SULLIVANS CASUAL SEXTET (Thursday) The alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan, probably best known as the leader of a self-explanatory band called the Bjorkestra, leads a smaller and freer group with colleagues like the guitarist Rez Abbasi and the vocalist Jen Shyu. At 9:30 p.m., Joes Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 539-8778, joespub.com; cover, $12, with a two-drink minimum. (Chinen) LEW TABACKIN TRIO (Tonight and tomorrow night) Lew Tabackin is an expansive tenor saxophonist and lyrical flutist who never sounds freer than in this setting, backed only by a bassist (Boris Kozlov) and a drummer (Mark Taylor). At 8 and 9:45, Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; cover, $25, with a $15 minimum. (Chinen) OHAD TALMORS NEWSREEL (Sunday) The multireedist Ohad Talmor features his own music in this ensemble featuring the trumpeter Shane Endsley, the keyboardist Jacob Sacks, the bassist Matt Pavolka and the drummer Dan Weiss. (Mr. Endsley plays an early set at 7 p.m., with his own group.) At 9 p.m., Bar 4, 444 Seventh Avenue, at 15th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 832-9800, myspace.com/conceptionsatbar4; suggested cover for each show, $5. (Chinen) * CECIL TAYLOR: NEW AHA 3 WITH ANDY BEY (Sunday) On the surface, the fiery pianist Cecil Taylor and the mellifluous singer Andy Bey have little in common. But their interaction here is not a first, and it holds some cooperative possibilities, partly because of the audacious support of the bassist Henry Grimes and the drummer Pheeroan akLaff. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $35 at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen) TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET (Tonight through Sunday night) This string ensemble, which won a 2005 Grammy for best classical crossover album, marks the release of a more recent effort, A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane (Telarc). At 7:30 and 9:30, with an 11:30 set tonight and tomorrow night, Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $35; $30 on Sunday. (Chinen) * VISION TONIC (Tuesday) In response to the recent closure of Tonic, the Vision Festival absorbed a few off-season bookings, including two next Tuesday. The first, at 7:30, is a promising trio consisting of the guitarist Marc Ribot, the bassist Henry Grimes and the drummer Chad Taylor; the second, at 9:30, includes the drummer Andrew Barker and the multireedists Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Clemente Soto Vélez, 107 Suffolk Street, Lower East Side, (212) 696-6681, visionfestival.org; cover, $10 per set, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) JOHN ZORNS BOOK OF ANGELS (Tonight and tomorrow night) The Book of Angels is a body of 300 works composed by John Zorn during an apparently feverish three-month span. Tonight the cellist Erik Friedlander and the keyboardist Jamie Saft, among others, perform some of those pieces; tomorrow the interpretation falls to the bassist Shanir Blumenkranz and the Masada String Trio. At 8, Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, at Pitt Street, Lower East Side, (212) 352-3101, abronsartscenter.org; $20. (Chinen) Classical Full reviews of recent music performances: nytimes.com/music. Opera * IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Tomorrow) Bartlett Shers breezy production of Rossinis Barbiere di Siviglia, which was introduced in November, conveys the comic confusions of the story through its fluid staging and a wonderfully abstract set: a matrix of movable doors, staircases and potted orange trees, behind which the characters spy on one another. The heated sexuality in this tale of romantic intrigue also comes through strongly, thanks to Mr. Shers subtle directing of a handsome cast, notably the captivating young mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, a vocally agile and feisty Rosina. Some major changes are coming to the cast, though, for the final performances. The accomplished American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, in his Met debut role, makes a sweet-toned, technically agile and appealing Count Almaviva. The baritone Russell Braun is a hardy and clever Figaro. Maurizio Benini conducts. At 8 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $220 tickets available. (Anthony Tommasini) LA GRAN SCENA OPERA COMPANY (Tonight and tomorrow night) In the tradition of every great diva who just cant say goodbye to the stage, Mme. Vera Galupe- Borszkh is following last years 20th annual and absolute last farewell with a return engagement, Back by Personal Whim (and Popular Demand). Mme. Vera, for the two or three opera lovers in New York still unfamiliar with her name, is a creation of the brilliant Ira Siff, who skewers opera and its mores as only one steeped in it can. Madames recitals are a combination of stand-up comedy and Vissi darte, and have been shown to be suitable even for nonopera fans -- if they can get tickets. At 8, Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, granscena.org; $33. (Anne Midgette) * IL TRITTICO (Tonight, Monday and Thursday) The Mets new Trittico, Puccinis triptych of one-act operas, is now the most elaborate production in the companys repertory. The director Jack OBrien has created grandly old-fashioned yet insightful and effective stagings of these three very different operas: Il Tabarro, a grim love triangle aboard a barge in Paris; Suor Angelica, a tender, mystical and ultimately devastating story of a young nuns yearning to be with her dead child; and Gianni Schicchi, an irreverent comedy about the avaricious relatives of a miserly old man who has just died. The earthy soprano Maria Guleghina as the beleaguered barge-owners wife, the impassioned soprano Barbara Frittoli as Sister Angelica and the stylish baritone Alessandro Corbelli as the shrewd Schicchi are standouts, though the powerhouse mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe almost steals each show playing three supporting roles. James Levine conducts vibrant and beautifully refined performances. Tonight at 8, Monday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $205 tickets available tonight; $175 for Monday and Thursday. (Tommasini) TURANDOT (Tuesday) Franco Zeffirellis extravagant take on a Puccini fantasy of Far Eastern bloodthirstiness and lust helps wind down the Mets season. Erika Sunnegardh continues in the title role. At 7:30 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $175 tickets remaining. (Bernard Holland) Classical Music * PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD (Thursday) During his Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall this season, this astounding French pianist has revealed himself to be a fascinating concert programmer and astute music historian. The next-to-last of his Perspectives concerts, called Programming Games, offers an eclectic evening of 20th-century works for piano and percussion by Ligeti, Peter Eotvos and Gyorgy Kurtag, culminating in Bartoks exciting Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. You can be sure that Mr. Aimard will have an intriguing explanation for having included Steve Reichs Clapping Music in the mix. At 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; sold out. (Tommasini) AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA (Tuesday and Wednesday) Composers, especially young ones, have too few chances to hear their new orchestral works performed. Part concert, part service, part competition, this orchestras annual new-music readings address the gap, selecting nine composers (from 150 submissions this year) to receive feedback from mentor composers and conductors. One of the nine will win a $15,000 prize and an official premiere at an American Composers Orchestra concert; all will hear their music performed by a professional orchestra -- a prize in itself. At 10 a.m., Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place, at Washington Square South, Greenwich Village, (212) 977-8495, americancomposers.org; free. (Midgette) AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE (Tonight and tomorrow) This ensemble of experienced new-music performers, conducted by Robert Paterson, offers works by Chen Yi and Zhou Long, both from China, who draw on Chinese and Western sounds and structures in their music. (They are also married.) The first half of the program includes Ms. Chens Sparkle, Chinese Ancient Dances, Near Distance and Blue Dragon Sword Dance. The second part is devoted to Mr. Zhous Dhyana and Metal, Stone, Silk, Bamboo. The composers will be interviewed during the intermission. At 8 p.m., Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 645-2000, americanmodernensemble.org; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Allan Kozinn) CONCERTANTE (Sunday) This vibrant string sextet will play Mozarts String Quintet in G minor (K. 516) and Strausss Metamorphosen (the version for string sextet). The ensemble, which champions new music, also offers a new piece by Jonathan Leshnoff. At 3 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan, (212) 501-3330, kaufman-center.org; $20. (Vivien Schweitzer) MATTHIAS GOERNE AND CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH (Monday) Call it the Fischer-Dieskau effect: Germany has produced a whole crop of fine baritones, and one of the finest is Matthias Goerne, with a dark, full voice; a slightly distracting penchant for onstage gesticulation; and a constant search for artistic stimulation that will push him to extend his artistic horizons. Christoph Eschenbach, moving off the podium and taking his place as accompanist, joins him for a concert of Schumann (including the Op. 24 Liederkreis) and Brahms (including Vier Ernste Gesänge, a wrenching set to which Mr. Goerne should do full justice). At 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $23 to $72. (Midgette) INTERPRETATIONS (Thursday) To celebrate the composer Chinary Ungs 65th birthday, several ensembles and soloists -- Antares, the Brentano String Quartet, the cellist Maya Beiser, the percussionist Steven Schick and the baritone Thomas Buckner -- are joining forces to play some of his music. The program also includes works by Koji Nakano, Hi Kyung Kim, Kee-Young Chong and Chou Wen-Chung. At 8 p.m., Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street, (212) 517-2742 or (212) 545-7536, asiasociety.org; $20. (Kozinn) ALEXANDER LONQUICH (Thursday) This German pianist returns to the 92nd Street Y, where he made his New York debut in March 2006, with Schumanns Fantasiestücke, and selections from Album for the Young. He will be joined by Cristina Barbuti for Schumanns 12 Pieces for Piano Four Hands for Children Small and Large, and Brahmss Variations on a Theme by Schumann for Piano Four Hands. At 8 p.m., 1395 Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5500, 92y.org; $40. (Schweitzer) * ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (Tomorrow) The young Dutch violinist Janine Jansen made her New York debut at an Orpheus concert at the start of this season, and gave high-energy performances of Vivaldis Four Seasons, which was also the subject of her first recording. Now she has released a second CD with the Mendelssohn Concerto as its centerpiece, and is returning to play that work with Orpheus as well. The program also includes Poul Ruderss Credo and Trapeze, and Schumanns Symphony No. 2. At 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $30 to $98. (Kozinn) * JORDI SAVALL (Wednesday and Thursday) This Spanish master of the viola da gamba has become a favorite of New York early-music audiences, both as a soloist and as the leader of his three period-instrument ensembles. This time he is playing two gamba recitals, with Pierre Hantaï, a harpsichordist; and Xavier Díaz, a lutenist. The first program, Folias and Romanescas, includes works by Ortiz, Murcia, Sanz and Hume. The second is devoted to music of the French court, with works by Marais, Couperin and others. At 8 p.m., Metropolitan Museum of Art, (212) 570-3949, metmuseum.org; $55; $100 for both concerts. (Kozinn) Dance Full reviews of recent performances: nytimes.com/dance. * ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (Tonight through Sunday) Yes, these terrific dancers will be performing Aileys soul-lifting Revelations. Any other questions? Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 3 p.m., New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, (888) 466-5722, njpac.org; $22 to $78. (Jennifer Dunning) AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET (Tonight and tomorrow night) This New Jersey-based classical ballet troupe will perform Twyla Tharps Octet, and choreography by Val Caniparoli; Harrison McEldowney; Susan Shields; the company director, Graham Lustig; and the always intriguing Melissa Barak. At 8, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $18 to $38; $12 to $32 for students and 65+. (Dunning) BROOKLYN ARTS EXCHANGE: FIRST WEEKENDS (Tonight and tomorrow night) The choreographers participating in this installment of a series for new and lesser-known artists are KC Chun-Manning, Alethea Adsitt and Jessica Morgan. At 8, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, 421 Fifth Avenue, at Eighth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 832-0018, bax.org; $8 to $15. (Dunning) CHAMECKILERNER (Tonight and tomorrow night) Rosane Chamecki and Andrea Lerner, both originally from Brazil, are known for their dark, exaggerated and often raw depictions of human behavior. In their new multimedia EXIT, they create a funeral rite for themselves in which they watch from the afterlife while colleagues offer eulogies and flashbacks. At 8:30, the Kitchen, 512 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 255-5793, Ext. 11, thekitchen.org; $10. (Dunning) NORA CHIPAUMIRE (Tonight) This is the second and last performance of push/pull theories by Ms. Chipaumire, a Zimbabwean dancer, and the choreographer and writer/director Linnet Taylor. Ms Chipaumire is a powerful performer whose work explores her experience as an immigrant and her relationship to her history and country. At 7:30, Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 924-0077, dtw.org; free. (Roslyn Sulcas) DANCE CONVERSATIONS @ THE FLEA (Tuesday) This performance and discussion series ends its season with dances by Kristen Hollinsworth, Valerie Green, Julia Ritter and Pascal Rekoert, and talk moderated by Jonah Bokaer. At 7 p.m., Flea Theater, 41 White Street, TriBeCa, (212) 226-2407, theflea.org; free. (Dunning) ANDRé GINGRAS/KORZO PRODUCTIES (Tonight and tomorrow night) From the Netherlands, Mr. Gingras and his company will present CYP17, a mixed-media piece that aims to present the freak show that is our future, as its publicity puts it. Rock on. At 8:30, Danspace Project, St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street, East Village, (212) 674-8194, danspaceproject.org; $15. (Dunning) IN THE COMPANY OF MEN (Tonight through Sunday, and Thursday) Six individuals and companies will celebrate choreography by men. They are Aaron Drapers AnD Dance, nathantrice/RITUALS, Jeffrey Peterson Dance, Cosmo Scharf (in collaboration with Larry Keigwin and Young Dance Collective), Brian Brooks and dre.dance, directed by Taye Diggs (yes, the actor) and Andrew Palermo. (Through May 13.) Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 3 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, at Chambers Street, TriBeCa, (212) 279-4200, dnadance.org; $25. (Dunning) JOYCE SOHO PRESENTS (Tonight, tomorrow night and Thursday night) This is the first of a three-part series offering four emerging groups each week. This weekend features Sidra Bell Dance New York, Oni Dance, Gallim Dance Group/Andrea Miller and Dorian Nuskind-Oder. Week 2 performances begin on Thursday, with fivefour/Cortney McGuire and Leah Nelson, Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, Katie Martin and Katy Orthwein. At 8, Joyce Soho, 155 Mercer Street, (212) 352-3101, or (866) 811-4111; $15; $12 for students and 65+; $35 for a three-weekend pass. (Sulcas) ALONZO KINGS LINES BALLET (Tonight through Sunday) This San Francisco company dances ballet with an unusually streamlined and extra-active body line and attack. Mr. Kings new Moroccan Project is set to African drumming and oud and violin music. His Migration, also new, will be danced to music by Pharoah Sanders, Miguel Frasconi and Leslie Stuck. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800, joyce.org; $40. (Dunning) LA MAMA MOVES! (Tonight through Sunday night) This modern-dance version of a three-ring circus spills out into three theater spaces at La MaMa, with nine programs featuring more than 50 companies and soloists. (Through May 13.) At 7:30 p.m., La MaMa E.T.C., 74A East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 475-7710, lamama.org; $15. (Dunning) MONEY OF THE MONTH CLUB (Tonight and tomorrow night) Were not quite sure what this is all about, but it sounds as if it lives up to the Dixon Place standard of the cozily bizarre. At 8, Dixon Place, 258 Bowery, between Houston and Prince Streets, Lower East Side, (212) 219-0736, dixonplace.org; $12; $10 students and 65+. (Dunning) * NEW YORK CITY BALLET (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) The new production of Romeo and Juliet by the company director, Peter Martins, continues. The doomed young lovers will be danced by Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild (tonight, tomorrow night and Tuesday); Tiler Peck and Sean Suozzi (tomorrow afternoon and Thursday); Erica Pereira and Allen Peiffer (Sunday); and Kathryn Morgan and Seth Orza (Wednesday). (Through May 13.) Tonight at 8, tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, (212) 870-5570, nycballet.com; $15 to $86. (Dunning) DAVID PARKER AND THE BANG GROUP (Tuesday through Thursday) The members of Mr. Parkers troupe use their bodies as instruments -- literally -- creating a percussive score as they dance. His new Hour Upon the Stage is likely to offer the eccentric comedy that Mr. Parker specializes in, or as press materials put it, a ribald approach to gender and sexuality. On Tuesday there will be a preshow talk at 6.30 p.m. (Through May 12.) At 7.30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 924-0077, dtw.org; $25; $15 for students, 65+ and artists. (Sulcas) RAGAMALA MUSIC AND DANCE THEATER (Tonight through Sunday, and Thursday) From Minneapolis, the company mixes Indian Bharatanatyam dance with contemporary movement, Japanese taiko drums and a capella singing. (Through May 13.) Tonight at 7, tomorrow at 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200, newvictory.org; $12.50 to $35. (Dunning) SKOVE WORKS (Thursday) Lily Skove and her modern-dance company will present SPLIT, a collaboration with the lighting designer T J Hellmuth that plays with hidden and obstructed perspectives in shadowy spaces that might be rooms in a house. And this mustily idiosyncratic performing space would seem the ideal setting. (Through May 12.) At 8 p.m., the Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens, (212) 352-3101, chocolatefactorytheater.org; $15. (Dunning) * URBAN BUSH WOMEN (Tuesday through Thursday) Jawole Willa Jo Zollars Walking With Pearl: Africa Diaries and Walking With Pearl: Southern Diaries, works based on the travel diaries of the modern-dance pioneer Pear Primus, are the linchpins of the two programs at the Joyce offered by this dynamic company. There are other draws, however: a new work by Camille A. Brown, one of the most promising young choreographers around, and a restaging of Blondell Cummingss Chicken Soup. (Through May 13.) Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800, joyce.org; $36. (Sulcas) Art Museums and galleries are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of recent art shows: nytimes.com/art. Museums * AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM: MARTíN RAMíREZ, through May 13. Ramírez, a Mexican peasant who immigrated to Northern California and died there at 68 in 1963, spent the last 32 years of his life in a mental hospital, making some of the greatest art of the last century. He had his own way with materials and color, and an unforgettable cast of characters. But most of all, Ramírez had his own brand of pictorial space, established by rhythmic systems of parallel lines, both curved and straight, whose mesmerizing expansions and contractions simultaneously cosset and isolate his figures. In addition to being one of the seasons best exhibitions and the first of his work in a New York museum, this show should render null and void the distinction between insider and outsider art. 45 West 53rd Street, (212) 265-1040, folkartmuseum.org. (Roberta Smith) BROOKLYN MUSEUM: KINDRED SPIRITS: ASHER B. DURAND AND THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE, through July 29. This show of about 60 works by one of the greats of 19th-century American landscape painting has as its centerpiece Kindred Spirits (1849), a tribute to the landscapist Thomas Cole and his friend the poet-journalist William Cullen Bryant. A founder of the Hudson River School, Durand (1796-1886) favored the realistic approach to landscape advocated by the English critic John Ruskin. Durand explored forest interiors with close attention to the ways of trees, foliage and rocks and ground cover in smaller works, while his larger and more elaborate exhibition pictures, influenced by European masters, are Arcadian visions suffused with light, color and atmospheric perspective. The show reveals Durands strong sense of artistic mission and his potent role in shaping the aesthetic of 19th-century America. 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, (718) 638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org. (Grace Glueck) GREY ART GALLERY: BEYOND THE WHITE CUBE: A RETROSPECTIVE OF BRIAN ODOHERTY/PATRICK IRELAND, through July 14. Starting in the mid-1960s and in concert with the most influential thinkers of the period (Roland Barthes, Marcel Duchamp and Susan Sontag), Brian ODoherty made Conceptual art in a Minimalist vein. This show displays his sculptures, drawings, performance videos, paintings and rope drawings, which could easily be called installations. Its a must-see show for anyone who wants to understand the conceptual frameworks that underpin so much of todays most significant installation and performance art. 100 Washington Square East, Greenwich Village, (212) 998-6780, nyu.edu/greyart/. (Bridget L. Goodbody) GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: DIVISIONISM/NEO-IMPRESSIONISM: ARCADIA AND ANARCHY, through Aug. 6. Ultimately this rare, compressed, mercurial exhibition of work by the Italian Divisionists of the 1890s is long on history and short on truly convincing paintings. The inclusion of works by Seurat and his French, Dutch and Belgian followers clarifies how the Italians pushed Pointillism, Seurats invention, in all directions: toward realism, academic classicism, Symbolism, class consciousness and even Impressionism. The show opens a new, albeit small, window on the genesis of Modernism beyond the French canon. If many of the works are period pieces, they are also immensely appealing, big-hearted and physically robust period pieces. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 88th Street, (212) 423-3500. (Smith) * JAPAN SOCIETY: AWAKENINGS: ZEN FIGURE PAINTING IN MEDIEVAL JAPAN, through June 17. Japan Society has a history of producing exquisite shows of Buddhist art. And this one, with four dozen paintings of Buddhists gods and saints hung in shrinelike alcoves, is transporting. It covers a broad swath of geography, bringing together 13th- to 16th-century hanging scrolls, not only from Japan but also from China, where Zen Buddhism, called Chan in Chinese, originated. 333 East 47th Street, (212) 832-1155, japansociety.org. (Holland Cotter) THE JEWISH MUSEUM: DATELINE: ISRAEL: NEW PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO ART, through Aug. 5. Roughly every decade, the Jewish Museum offers a survey of contemporary art from and about Israel. This year non-Israeli artists from Europe and the United States -- and a single artist from Palestine -- have been added to the mix. Theres some very good work here, though, on the whole, the show grapples with crucial political issues in an indirect way. 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, jewishmuseum.org. (Cotter) * THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: JOURNEYS: MAPPING THE EARTH AND MIND IN CHINESE ART, through Aug. 26. Every six months or so, the Met rotates all the work in its Chinese painting galleries to preserve the delicate silks and papers, and each time, the curator in charge, Maxwell K. Hearn, produces a new and illuminating thematic exhibition, as is the case with Journeys. Outward-bound and inward-bound are the directions taken by Chinese landscape painting, and it carries us on some fascinating voyages in a show that mixes classical and contemporary art. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Cotter) * THE MET: VENICE AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD, 828-1797, through July 8. At its peak in the Renaissance, Venice was a giant, clamorous Costco-on-the-Rialto. All the necessities, and most of the luxuries, of life flowed into and through it, with many items arriving from Islamic Africa and the Near East. With classic Met largesse, this exhibition suggests the spectacle of two different cultures meeting in one fantastic city, in which commerce and love of beauty, those great levelers, unite them in a fruitful bond. (See above.) (Cotter) MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM: APOCALYPSE THEN: MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATIONS FROM THE MORGAN, through June 17. Even in the contemporary art world the symbolism of the Book of Revelation has a subversive appeal. This new exhibition at the Morgan Library celebrates a facsimile of Las Huelgas Apocalypse (1220), the largest surviving Spanish illuminated commentary on the Apocalypse. The show, which includes 50 leaves from the original text, unbound and installed around the gallerys perimeter, offers a walking tour of the medieval imagination. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, (212) 685-0008, morganlibrary.org. (Andrea K. Scott) * THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: JEFF WALL, through May 14. This majestic show makes a great case for Mr. Wall as the most complete, if traditional, of the untraditional artists who emerged from the turmoil of Conceptual Art. His often immense color transparencies mounted on light boxes are enthralling visual vehicles, intent on giving pleasure while making a point or two about society, art, history, visual perception, the human animal or all of the above. An imposing blend of painting, street photography and movies, they blur reality and artifice, narrative and form, detail and the big statement. You cant stop looking at them. (212) 708-9400, moma.org. (Smith) * NEUE GALERIE: VAN GOGH AND EXPRESSIONISM, through July 2. The Neue has, as usual, gathered a stellar roundup of Expressionist art. In one of the shows most exciting rooms, a third-floor gallery devoted mostly to self-portraits, two extraordinary van Goghs hang at opposite ends: Self-Portrait With Straw Hat (1887-88), from the Metropolitan Museums collection, filled with energetic, radiating brushstrokes, and the National Gallerys vibrant self-portrait of the artist holding a palette and brushes, painted about a year later. The most compelling pairing in this room, though, is van Goghs Bedroom from 1889, the second of three versions he painted of his room in Arles, with Egon Schieles obvious homage, The Artists Bedroom in Neulengbach, painted in 1911, in a darker palette and with a perspective tipped precariously toward the viewer. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, (212) 628-6200, neuegalerie.org. (Martha Schwendener) THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM: PHILOSOPHY OF TIME TRAVEL, through July 1. This flawed show, which was created by a group of artists who studied together at the California Institute of the Arts, is nonetheless an interesting example of one of the art worlds latest trends: the art collective. It takes Brancusis Endless Column as its point of departure and reimagines this Modernist icon from the point of view of art school grads, who are versed in the language of artspeak and wed to the righteous cause of freedom of expression. 144 West 125th Street, (212) 864-4500, studiomuseum.org. (Goodbody) WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: GORDON MATTA-CLARK RETROSPECTIVE, through June 3. I have no doubt that Matta-Clark is now being turned into a hot commercial commodity, but at least at the Whitney you can see what he aspired to be. He came up with various wonderfully harebrained ideas. Literally, in one case: after letting his hair grow for a year, he cut it off as a kind of performance and phrenological gag. The preserved hair, dutifully tagged piece by piece, opens the show like a holy relic. At the center of the exhibition is Splitting. To a plain single-family suburban frame house in Englewood, N.J., he made a cut straight down the middle, bisecting the building, then severing the four corners of the roof. The retrospective consists of films, drawings, photographs and some of the architectural pieces he cut out of buildings. The drawings are casual and not too interesting, but the luxurious black-and-white photographs from Paris speak more to Matta-Clarks formal elegance. The big message was: Life as art, and art as life, a philosophy dependent on our being properly attuned and keen to the moment. (212) 570-3676, whitney.org. (Michael Kimmelman) WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: TARYN SIMON, through June 24. Ms. Simon couches the show in the intellectual, power-to-the-people oratory of leftist politics, yet she clearly delights in exposing, in a quasi-tabloid fashion, Americas underbelly. Though she has also worked in war-torn areas, Ms. Simon is best known for The Innocents, a series of portraits of men and women who were wrongly convicted but later cleared by DNA test results. Ms. Simon can work as long as a year to gain permission to photograph high-security zones like the government-regulated quarantine sites, nuclear waste storage facilities, prison death rows and C.I.A. offices on view in the show. There are also pictures with lighter themes: the sandpit where the Grucci family tests fireworks, ski slopes being dynamited for avalanche control and the second Death Star, from Return of the Jedi, at George Lucass Skywalker Ranch. Ms. Simon is at her artistic best when her delight in the strangeness of American culture shines. (See above.) (Goodbody) Galleries: Uptown * RICHARD OELZE: PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS FROM THE 1950s & 1960s Nearly two dozen paintings in the first United States show of this little-known German Surrealist introduce an introvert with a penchant for grisaille grottolike structures that seem built on air, and for soft, fleshy forms that sometimes have eyes or reveal hidden faces or figures. Max Ernst is a big influence, and Pavel Tchelitchew an obvious analogy, but the exquisite rendering and pervasive unquiet are Oelzes alone. Ubu Gallery, 416 East 59th Street, (212) 753-4444, through May 12. (Smith) Galleries: 57th Street * KATHY BUTTERLY: BETWEEN A ROCK AND A SOFT PLACE Although she is a little off her game here, this extraordinarily talented ceramic sculptor continues to impress with exquisitely detailed, radiantly colored, art historically aware, discreetly lascivious little pieces, especially if you have never seen her work before. Still, the question of whether it isnt time for a change hangs over the proceedings. Tibor deNagy Gallery, 724 Fifth Avenue, (212) 262-5050, through May 19. (Smith) Galleries: SoHo * GEGO, BETWEEN TRANSPARENCY AND THE INVISIBLE The artist named Gego was born Gertrud Goldschmidt in Germany in 1912, but lived most of her life in Venezuela, where she produced netlike drawings in ink and watercolor and what she called drawings without paper: semi-geometric, see-through, two- and three-dimensional pieces of twisted and knotted wires, suspended in space. Whether you think of them as grids gone haywire or as rational forms charged with emotion, theyre out of this world, and this survey gives a sense of what is distinctive and radical about Gegos art. The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street, Soho, (212) 219-2166, drawingcenter.org, through July 21. (Cotter) Galleries: Chelsea * PRIME TIME: MICKALENE THOMAS AND SHINIQUE SMITH A sparkling double-header by two very different artists with much in common. In paintings encrusted with rhinestones, Ms. Thomas gives 1970s pin-up portraits of African-American women the shimmer of Byzantine mosaics. Ms. Smith turns bundles of cast-off clothes into floral bouquets of exotic patterning. Caren Golden Fine Art, 539 West 23rd Street, (212) 727-8304, carengoldenfineart.com, through May 12. (Cotter) Galleries: Other * SOL LEWITT: DRAWING SERIES If the greatness of Sol LeWitt, the Minimal-Conceptual artist who died in April at 78, has so far escaped you, this show of 14 of his mind-teasing, eye-filling wall drawings from the late 1960s and early 70s may do the trick. Selected and arranged by the artist, they proceed in carefully sequenced contrasts and echoes that are both insightful and idiosyncratic. Since their generating instructions are part of their titles, they reduce the creative process to a short, highly visible straight line. But their crisp geometries, accumulating marks and radiating patterns force us to mind the gap between artistic thought and artistic action, to experience the inability of language to account fully for visual outcome. Dia:Beacon, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, N.Y., (845) 440-0100, through Sept. 10. (Smith) * LILY LUDLOW Best known as a designer for Imitation of Christ and Somnus, Ms. Ludlow offers a handful of draftsmanly paintings for this solo show. Done on faint dark lines on a white ground, each group picture presents nude, semi-classical figures entangled in what appear to be ethereal, sadistic ballets. Canada, 55 Chrystie Street, Chinatown, (212) 925-4631, canadanewyork. com, through May 13. (Cotter) Last Chance DELPHINE COURTILLOT From O. Winston Link to Anna Gaskell and The Blair Witch Project, there are far too many borrowed bits in these large watercolors based on staged photographs of people in dark, desolate landscapes. But the larger question is why the images wouldnt do just as well in their original photographic form. Tilton Gallery, 8 East 76th Street, (212) 731-2221, jacktiltongallery.com; closes tomorrow.(Smith) * WALTER DE MARIA Counting and space -- important to both Minimal and Conceptual Art -- come together with unusual clarity, if a bit too much in the way of gleaming metal, in two large installations by the creator of The Lightning Field earthwork. Both pieces consist of several dozen shiny, meter-long stainless-steel rods presented in spaces that couldnt be much more pristine. Experience the spatial levitation and note the number of sides on the rods; in both cases, they increase row by row. Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st Street, Chelsea, (212) 741-1717, and 555 West 24th Street, Chelsea, (212) 741-1111, gagosian.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith) * JONATHAN LASKER One of the tortoises of 80s painting, this artist has cultivated his narrow abstract vocabulary without painting himself into a corner, and this latest show is one of his best. The usual asides to the history of abstract painting continue, as does the almost garish postmodern style, but there is more coherence in both single works and the group. Perhaps this is because Mr. Laskers hand and brush have always stayed in the picture, subverting yet partaking of traditional touch and surface. Cheim & Read, 547 West 25th Street, (212) 242-7737; closes tomorrow. (Smith) ORLY GENGER: MASSSPEAK More than three tons of nylon climbing rope knotted into mats and arranged in mounds that sometimes touch the ceiling add to the tradition of filling gallery space with unusual quantities of just one thing for an effect that is at once dour and hilarious, like a playground designed by a Welsh miner. Larissa Goldston, 530 West 25th Street, Chelsea, (212) 206-7887, larissagoldston.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith) * JONATHAN MONK: SOME KIND OF GAME BETWEEN THIS AND THAT As usual, this Conceptually inclined Scottish artist concentrates on sly tributes to, or plays on, works by other artists, among them Bruce Nauman, Chris Burden, John Baldessari and René Magritte. The slightest pieces are best, including drawings done on old books and The Cheat, in which this and that consist of an early silent film accompanied by a boom box tuned to a classical music station. Casey Kaplan, 525 West 21st Street, Chelsea, (212) 645-7335, caseykaplangallery.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith * MAY STEVENS: ASHES ROCK SNOW WATER The outstanding piece in this beautiful show of recent work is a mural-size painting of eddying water, the surface flecked with glinting bits of mica and amber, as if spirits were moving beneath the turbulence. Mary Ryan Gallery, 527 West 56th Street, (212) 397-0669; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * TEMPORARY SERVICES: GROUP WORK Temporary Services, an inventive Chicago-based artists collective, was given the run of Printed Matters archives and came up with a fascinating selection of collectively published materials covering several decades. In addition, the group has installed a photographic installation that touches on the many things that group may mean, from Apostles, to Immigrants, to Upper Class. Printed Matter Inc., 195 10th Avenue, at 22nd Street, Chelsea, (212) 925-0325; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) * WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: LORNA SIMPSON This tight, refined and impassioned survey covers more than 20 years of Lorna Simpsons career, from her photo-and-text meditations on race and sexism in the 1980s, to her more recent short films, which unite American history and personal history in forceful and lyrical ways. It would be easy to put some of this work on a shelf as identity art, but with an African-American woman holding one of the highest offices in the United States government, an African-American man running for president, and the nation embroiled in what some people view as an ethnic war, this art is entirely of the moment. (212) 570-3676, whitney.org; closes tomorrow. (Cotter)
The Listings: Dec. 1 - Dec. 7
Selective listings by critics of The New York Times of new and noteworthy cultural events in the New York metropolitan region this week. * denotes a highly recommended film, concert, show or exhibition. Theater Approximate running times are in parentheses. Theaters are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of current shows, additional listings, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/theater. Previews and Openings ANNIE Opens on Wednesday. Kathie Lee Gifford stars as Miss Hannigan in this touring version of the popular musical about the little orphan who dreams of tomorrow (2:30). The Theater at Madison Square Garden, (212) 307-4100. THE APPLE TREE In previews; opens on Dec. 14. The Roundabout revives this 1966 Bock-Harnick musical, based on its City Center production. Kristin Chenoweth, Brian DArcy James and Marc Kudisch star (2:30). Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, (212) 719-1300. CARRIE Previews start tomorrow; opens on Dec. 9. The irreverent Theater Couture (Doll) takes you back to the bloody prom in Erik Jacksons spin on the Stephen King novel. Performance Space 122, 150 First Avenue, at Ninth Street, East Village, (212) 352-3101. FLOYD AND CLEA UNDER THE WESTERN SKY In previews; opens on Tuesday. David Cale and Jonathan Kreisbergs musical tracks the friendship between a former country star and a 20-year-old free spirit in a trip across the country (2:10). Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. HIGH FIDELITY In previews; opens on Thursday. Nick Hornbys romantic profile of a music hipster made a successful movie, but will it work as a Broadway musical? (2:00). Imperial Theater, 249 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. KAOS In previews; opens on Monday. A new fusion of text, dance and music by Martha Clarke that tells four Pirandello stories set in turn-of-the-20th-century Sicily (1:30). New York Theater Workshop, 79 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 239-6200. MURDER MYSTERY BLUES In previews; opens on Thursday. In this film noir sendup with an original jazz score -- based on short stories by Woody Allen -- the gumshoe Kaiser Lupowitz is hired to find Mr. Big (2:10). 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, (212) 279-4200. SPRING AWAKENING In previews; opens on Dec. 10. The Atlantic Theaters acclaimed rock musical, based on an angst-ridden teenage drama from the 19th century, moves to Broadway (2:00). Eugene ONeill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. TWO SEPTEMBER In previews; opens on Tuesday. Mac Wellmans new play looks at the prelude to the Vietnam War (1:10). Flea Theater, 41 White Street, TriBeCa, (212) 352-3101. TWO TRAINS RUNNING In previews; opens on Sunday. Set in 1969, August Wilsons play includes his typically wonderful talk from a bunch of regulars at a local Pittsburgh diner that is about to be destroyed (3:00). Signature Theater at Peter Norton Space, 555 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 352-3101. THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE In previews; opens on Wednesday. Fritz Weaver stars as the patriarch of a wealthy family in crisis in David Mamets new adaptation of what may be Harley Granville Barkers finest drama (1:50). Atlantic Theater, 336 West 20th Street, Chelsea, (212) 239-6200. Broadway A CHORUS LINE If you want to know why this show was such a big deal when it opened 31 years ago, you need only experience the thrilling first five minutes of this revival. Otherwise, this archivally exact production, directed by Bob Avian, feels like a vintage car that has been taken out of the garage, polished up and sent on the road once again (2:00). Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Ben Brantley) * THE COAST OF UTOPIA: VOYAGE The exhilarating first installment of Tom Stoppards trilogy about 19th-century Russian intellectuals dreaming of revolution, this production pulses with the dizzy, spring-green arrogance and anxiety of a new generation moving as fast as it can toward the future. Jack OBrien directs a fresh, vigorous and immense cast, led by Billy Crudup and Ethan Hawke (2:45). Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * COMPANY Fire, beckoning and dangerous, flickers beneath the frost of John Doyles elegant, unexpectedly stirring revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furths era-defining musical from 1970, starring a compellingly understated Raul Esparza. Like Mr. Doyles Sweeney Todd, this production finds new clarity of feeling in Sondheim by melding the roles of performers and musicians (2:20). Barrymore Theater, 243 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) DR. SEUSS HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL The beloved holiday classic in a new musical version that honors the spirit and the letter of the original. (The two immortal Albert Hague-Dr. Seuss songs from the television special are included). Bloated at 90 minutes, but the kids didnt seem to mind (1:30). Hilton Theater, 213 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Charles Isherwood) THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Tony Awards, best book of a musical and best original score, 2006) This small and ingratiating spoof of 1920s stage frolics, as imagined by an obsessive show queen, may not be a masterpiece. But in a dry season for musicals, it has theatergoers responding as if they were withering houseplants finally being watered after long neglect (1:40). Marquis Theater, 1535 Broadway, at 45th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) * GREY GARDENS Christine Ebersole is absolutely glorious as the middle-aged, time-warped debutante called Little Edie Beale in this uneven musical adaptation of the notorious 1975 documentary of the same title. She and the wonderful Mary-Louise Wilson (as her bed-ridden mother), in the performances of their careers, make Grey Gardens an experience no passionate theatergoer should miss (2:40). Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * HEARTBREAK HOUSE A ripping revival of Shaws comedy about the English gentry waltzing toward the abyss as the shadow of World War I looms. Philip Bosco, as the admirably sane madman Captain Shotover, and Swoosie Kurtz, as his swaggeringly romantic daughter, lead the superb cast, under the sharp direction of Robin Lefevre. Nearly a century after its composition, the play still sparkles with wit and sends a shiver down the spine too (2:30). American Airlines Theater, 227 West 42nd Street, (212) 719-1300. (Isherwood) LES MISÉRABLES This premature revival, a slightly scaled-down version of the well-groomed behemoth that closed only three years ago, appears to be functioning in a state of mild sedation. Appealingly sung and freshly orchestrated, this fast-moving adaptation of Victor Hugos novel isnt sloppy or blurry. But its pulse rate stays well below normal (2:55). Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED The comedy of manners, a form widely believed to be extinct in the American theater, has actually resurfaced on Broadway with all its vital signs intact in Douglas Carter Beanes breezy but trenchant satire about truth and illusion, Hollywood-style. With the wonderful Julie White as the movie agent you hate to love (but just cant help it) (2:00). Cort Theater, 138 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) MARY POPPINS This handsome, homily-packed, mechanically ingenious and rather tedious musical, adapted from the P. L. Travers stories and the 1964 Disney film, is ultimately less concerned with inexplicable magic than with practical psychology. Ashley Brown, who sings prettily as the family-mending nanny, looks like Joan Crawford trying to be nice and sounds like Dr. Phil. Directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne (2:30). New Amsterdam Theater, 214 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) TARZAN This writhing green blob with music, adapted by Disney Theatrical Productions from the 1999 animated film, has the feeling of a superdeluxe day care center, equipped with lots of bungee cords and karaoke synthesizers, where children can swing when they get tired of singing, and vice versa. The soda-pop score is by Phil Collins (2:30). Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) Off Broadway ALL THE WAY HOME The play won a Pulitzer Prize, but in this revival by the Transport Group it is Sandra Goldmarks simple, striking set that first gets your attention, and then keeps refocusing it during a show that runs almost three hours. Amid her doll-size houses, the human actors seem like giants, but as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that the characters they play are anything but. The acting is excellent, though the play, centered on a small domestic tragedy, doesnt have the punch it once did (1:35). Connelly Theater, 220 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 352-3101. (Neil Genzlinger) ALL TOO HUMAN Henry Millers one-man show about Clarence Darrow is far from scintillating theater, but its relevant. (1:35) 45th Street Theater, 354 West 45th Street, Clinton, (212) 868-4444. (Anita Gates) THE AMERICAN PILOT The fate of an injured American soldier hangs in the balance when his plane crashes in territory held by rebels fighting a regime backed by the United States. David Greigs play strives for the topical and the universal, but mostly gets hold of the generic (2:00). Manhattan Theater Clubs City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street, (212) 581-1212. (Isherwood) ARMS AND THE MAN Shaws story of a mercenary who breaks into a young Bulgarian womans bedroom while fleeing a battle seems not to have much social bite in this rendition, but the humor still works nicely, particularly when in the hands of Robin Leslie Brown and Dominic Cuskern as the invaded households matriarch and patriarch. Bradford Cover has an appealing, offhand delivery as the soldier (2:15). The Pearl Theater Company, 80 St. Marks Place, East Village, (212) 598-9802. (Genzlinger) BHUTAN Daisy Footes drama may not be working the freshest territory -- dead-end lives in a small town -- but it sure is well told and well acted. A widow and her two teenagers are struggling financially and feeling dislocated by their towns changing social alignments; Sarah Lord is especially good as the daughter whose fascination with a neighbors trip to Bhutan gives the play its title and overarching metaphor (1:20). Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce Street, between Barrow and Bedford Streets, West Village, (212) 239-6200. (Genzlinger) *THE CLEAN HOUSE Sarah Ruhls comedy about the painful but beautiful disorder of life has arrived in New York at last in a gorgeous production directed by Bill Rauch. Blair Brown and Jill Clayburgh delight as sisters with different views on the meaning of cleaning, and Vanessa Aspillaga is equally good as the depressed maid with little affection for her work but a deep conviction that a good joke can be a matter of life and death (2:15). Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, 150 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) DAI (ENOUGH) Iris Bahrs unnerving one-woman show doesnt have much to add to the Middle East debate, but it sure leaves a lasting impression. Ms. Bahr plays an assortment of characters who have the misfortune of being in a Tel Aviv cafe that is about to be visited by the havoc common to such establishments. The attack is rendered in jarring fashion, repeatedly; you watch the play on pins and needles, waiting for the next burst. Gimmicky? Sure. But viscerally effective. Culture Project, 45 Bleecker Street, at Lafayette Street, East Village, (212) 307-4100. (Genzlinger) DURANGO In Julia Chos tender-hearted comedy-drama, a Korean-American family takes to the road with a trunk full of emotional baggage in tow. The narrative mostly runs in familiar grooves, but Ms. Cho has a clear, honest voice, and Chay Yews production sets it off elegantly (1:30). Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555. (Isherwood) ESOTERICA Eric Waltons very entertaining one-man show is a mix of magic, mentalism and intelligent chat. He does all three impressively (1:30). DR2 Theater, 103 East 15th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL This likable horror comedy based on Sam Raimis gory movies wants to be the next Rocky Horror Show. To that end, it offers deadpan lyrics, self-referential humor and geysers of stage blood (2:00) New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD AND FIND TRUE LOVE IN 90 MINUTES This refreshing musical, born of the Fringe Festival, about a bookstore clerk, a slacker, a diplomat and a terrorist has witty songs, wacky performances and an untethered sense of fun (1:30). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Gates) A JEW GROWS IN BROOKLYN You dont have to be Jewish or Brooklynish to empathize with Jake Ehrenreich, but in terms of fully appreciating his essentially one-man show, it probably helps. Especially the Catskills jokes (2:05). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 560-8912. (Gates) THE MILLINER Suzanne Glasss delicate play tells of a Jewish hat-maker who, after fleeing Germany and his beloved mother and business just before World War II, longs to return to Berlin. A vixenish cabaret singer is among the things beckoning him back. The lovely hats, both worn and used as scenery, will make the bare heads of 2006 long for the old days (2:30). East 13th Street Theater, 136 East 13th Street, East Village, (212) 352-3101. (Genzlinger) MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE A small, intense and loudly heralded one-woman drama that tells the true story of its title character, a pro-Palestinian activist killed in the Gaza strip by an Israeli Army bulldozer. Yet for all the political and emotional baggage carried by this production, adapted from Ms. Corries writings and starring Megan Dodds, it often feels dramatically flat, even listless (1:30). Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane, Greenwich Village, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) POST MORTEM A grievance list of a comedy by the indefatigable A. R. Gurney, set in the near future, about the unearthing of a world-shaking play called Post Mortem by A. R. Gurney. Jim Simpson directs this likable grab bag of insider jokes, polemical satire and cosmic lamentation (1:30). The Flea Theater, 41 White Street, TriBeCa, (212) 352-3101. (Brantley) THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE A slow, airless revival of Jay Presson Allens 1966 play (adapted from Muriel Sparks novel) about a dangerous Scottish schoolteacher, directed by Scott Elliott and starring the wonderful (but miscast) Cynthia Nixon, who seems much too sane and centered as the deluded Miss Brody. (2:40). The Acorn Theater at Theater Row, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Brantley) REGRETS ONLY Old acquaintance comes under siege in Paul Rudnicks chiffon-thin comedy about the varieties of love and marriage. But no one who sees this latest offering from one of the funniest quip-meisters alive is going to doubt that Christine Baranski is a one-liners best friend (2:00). City Center Stage I, 131 West 55th Street, (212) 581-1212. (Brantley) ROOM SERVICE The Peccadillo Theater Company puts a charge into this old comedy from the 1930s, thanks to a brisk pace by the director, Dan Wackerman, and a dozen dandy performances. David Edwards is the would-be producer whose bills threaten to swamp his efforts to put a show on Broadway, and Fred Berman is particularly fine as his director (2:00). The SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street, South Village, (212) 691-1555. (Genzlinger) SCHOOL FOR WIVES The Pearl Theater Companys production of Molières satire about one misguided mans expectations of women is pleasant, occasionally quite funny and definitely on the side of common sense (1:55). The Pearl Theater Company, 80 St. Marks Place, East Village, (212) 598-9802. (Gates) * STRIKING 12 A minimalist musical about an odd but rewarding New Years Eve in the life of a guy who hates New Years Eve. Performed by the indie pop band Groovelily, its fresh and funny, and features a standout pop score (1:30). Daryl Roth Theater, 101 East 15th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER As the luscious (and lobotomy-threatened) damsel in distress in Tennessee Williamss famously lurid melodrama, Carla Gugino gives a gutsy assurance to a production that otherwise lacks compelling confidence. Mark Brokaw directs a cast that includes Blythe Danner, in a fascinating but misconceived performance as a smothering mother from hell (1:30). Laura Pels Theater, 111 West 46th Street, (212) 719-1300. (Brantley) THE TIMEKEEPERS Dan Clancys play, which throws a Jewish artisan and a gay hustler together in a concentration camp, transcends standard Holocaust psychodrama on the strength of its characterizations and definitive performances by Seth Barrish and Eric Paeper (1:35). Barrow Group Theater, 312 West 36th Street, third floor, (212) 760-2615. (Rob Kendt) 25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER This is the comedian Judy Golds fiercely funny monologue, based on her own life as a single Jewish lesbian mother and interviews with more than 50 other Jewish mothers (1:10). St. Lukes Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Phoebe Hoban) Off Off Broadway THE FORTUNE TELLER This morality tale for grown-ups is told through marvelously grotesque puppets and a cast, evoking Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. Written by Erik Sanko, it is an allegory of the Seven Deadly Sins, a lovely thing to look upon and listen to (the dark, brooding music is by Mr. Sanko and Danny Elfman), but for all its macabre grisliness, it needs more drama. (1:00). Here Arts Center, 145 Sixth Avenue, at Dominick Street, South Village, (212) 352-3101. (Anne Midgette) Spectacles BIG APPLE CIRCUS One terrific show (2:15). Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, (212) 721-6500 or (212) 307-4100. (Lawrence Van Gelder) RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Mingles tradition and novelty to a festive fare-thee-well (1:30). Radio City Music Hall, (212) 307-1000. (Van Gelder) Long-Running Shows ALTAR BOYZ This sweetly satirical show about a Christian pop group made up of five potential Teen People cover boys is an enjoyable, silly diversion (1:30). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) AVENUE Q R-rated puppets give lively life lessons (2:10). Golden Theater, 252 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Cartoon made flesh, sort of (2:30). Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) CHICAGO Irrefutable proof that crime pays (2:25). Ambassador Theater, 219 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE COLOR PURPLE Singing Cliffs Notes for Alice Walkers Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (2:40). Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street, (212) 239-6200.(Brantley) HAIRSPRAY Fizzy pop, cute kids, large man in a housedress (2:30). Neil Simon Theater, 250 West 52nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) JERSEY BOYS The biomusical that walks like a man (2:30). August Wilson Theater, 245 West 52nd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE LION KING Disney on safari, where the big bucks roam (2:45). Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street at Broadway, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) MAMMA MIA! The jukebox that devoured Broadway (2:20). Cadillac Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Who was that masked man, anyway? (2:30). Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE PRODUCERS The ne plus ultra of showbiz scams (2:45). St. James Theater, 246 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) RENT East Village angst and love songs to die for (2:45). Nederlander Theater, 208 West 41st Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) SLAVAS SNOWSHOW Clowns chosen by the Russian master Slava Polunin stir up laughter and enjoyment. A show that touches the heart and tickles the funny bone (1:30). Union Square Theater, 100 East 17th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Van Gelder) SPAMALOT A singing scrapbook for Monty Python fans. (2:20). Shubert Theater, 225 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE A Chorus Line with pimples (1:45). Circle in the Square, 1633 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) WICKED Oz revisited, with political corrections (2:45). Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Last Chance GREAT EXPECTATIONS Its hard to improve on Dickens, and the playwright Bathsheba Doran doesnt manage to in the Theatreworks/USA production of her version for families and children. Directed by Will Pomerantz, scenes fly by too fast, and Kathleen Chalfants Miss Havisham should be frightening rather than eccentric. But as her icy protégée, Estella, Kristen Bush is near perfect (1:20). Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 279-4200; closing on Sunday. (Andrea Stevens) JOBS PASSION The Israeli playwright Hanoch Levins blending of two biblical characters, Job and Jesus, sometimes flaunts irreverence for irreverences sake but finds both dizzying humor and rich meaning in human misery (2:00). Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, at Ninth Street, East Village, (212) 254-1109; closing on Sunday. (Gates) MIMI LE DUCK This musical, seen in 2004 at the New York International Fringe Festival, has morphed into a campy celebration of Eartha Kitt, who, just short of her 80th birthday, milks a minor role gleefully. The main order of business, though, is a middle-aged, middle-American housewife (Annie Golden), who, at the urging of Hemingways ghost, goes to Paris in search of her true self. Diana Hansen-Young, who wrote the book and lyrics, seems to get most of her not-very-revolutionary ideas from mainstream womens magazines (2:05). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200; closing on Sunday. (Genzlinger) ROMANIA. KISS ME! A worthwhile collection of six short plays by young Romanian playwrights who grew up after the fall of Ceausescus regime (2:10). 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, (212) 279-4200; closing on Sunday. (Jason Zinoman) WOYZECK This improbably vivacious London-born production of Buchners great, prophetic drama of existential emptiness finds the bleak rhythm of life in, of all things, the music of Elvis Presley. While Daniel Kramers production is more flash than feeling, it features a first-rate, gymnastically stylized performance from Edward Hogg in the title role (2:20). St. Anns Warehouse, 38 Water Street, at Dock Street, Brooklyn, (718) 254-8779; closing on Sunday. (Brantley) Movies Ratings and running times are in parentheses; foreign films have English subtitles. Full reviews of all current releases, movie trailers, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/movies. * THE AURA (No rating, 138 minutes, in Spanish) A heist, a case of mistaken identity and a lonely, epileptic taxidermist are at the heart of this melancholy, deeply satisfying noir exercise, the second and last feature directed by the Argentine filmmaker Fabián Bielinsky, who died in June. (A. O. Scott) BACKSTAGE (No rating, 112 minutes, in French) Beautifully acted and uncomfortably believable much of the time, this close-up study of the toxic relationship of a narcissistic French pop star and a besotted teenage fan produces a feeling of emotional claustrophobia. (Stephen Holden) BOBBY (R, 111 minutes) Emilio Estevezs picture, which follows a score of characters through the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968, is full of noble ambition. The day in question ended with the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, an event that hovers over the movie, even though Kennedy himself is visible only in archival clips. A huge cast (including Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan and Mr. Estevez) labors to inject a collection of melodramatic anecdotes with portent and significance, but the individual parts of the film tend to be either overdone or vague and slight. (Scott) * BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN, (R, 89 minutes) In this brainy, merciless comedy, a Kazakh journalist named Borat Sagdiyev, a k a the British comic Sacha Baron Cohen, invades America. America laughs, cries, surrenders. (Manohla Dargis) CASINO ROYALE (PG-13, 144 minutes) The latest James Bond vehicle finds the British spy leaner, meaner and now played by an attractive piece of blond rough named Daniel Craig. Zap, pow, ka-ching! (Dargis) DECK THE HALLS (PG, 95 minutes) In the holiday tradition of stale fruitcake, ugly snowflake sweaters and food poisoning comes this piece of junk, in which Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito compete to see who can annoy the audience more. (Scott) DÉJÀ VU (PG-13, 125 minutes) In Tony Scotts preposterous action flick, with Denzel Washington, the gaudy pyrotechnics are nowhere near as jaw-dropping as the screenplay that name-checks not one, not two, but three national tragedies. ( Dargis) DHOOM 2 (No rating, 151 minutes, in Hindi) A slick and satisfying example of the new, thoroughly modern Bollywood, this cops-and-robbers tale is animated by old-fashioned star power. Hrithik Roshan plays the smartest and coolest thief alive, and Aishwarya Rai is the small-time crook who loves him. (Rachel Saltz) EATING OUT 2: SLOPPY SECONDS (No rating, 85 minutes) A Rubiks Cube of shifting sexual orientation and elaborate fantasies, this film follows a young gay man who joins an ex-gay group in his quest to bed a hot male model. Gathering all the accouterments of soft pornography -- cheesy music, low-rent acting and attractively framed genitals -- into a plot of stunning imbecility, the director, Phillip J. Bartel, is most amusing in his zeal to demonstrate the fruitlessness of right-wing efforts to reorient gay men. (Jeannette Catsoulis) * FAST FOOD NATION (R, 106 minutes) Richard Linklater has turned Eric Schlossers journalistic exposé of the American industrial food system into a thoughtful, occasionally rambling inquiry into the contradictions of contemporary American life. Three stories examine different parts of the capitalist food chain: illegal immigrants from Mexico work in terrible conditions in a meat-processing plant; a restaurant chain executive undergoes a crisis of conscience; and a teenage burger-slinger is drawn into political activism. Mr. Linklater covers a lot of ground, and the result is an unusually funny, moving and intellectually demanding movie. (Scott) * FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (R, 132 minutes) Clint Eastwood raises the flag over Iwo Jima once more in a powerful if imperfect film about the uses of war and of the men who fight. The fine cast includes Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach, who delivers heartbreak by the payload. (Dargis) FLANNEL PAJAMAS (No rating, 124 minutes) The twin specters of Ingmar Bergman and Woody Allen hover over this film, which might have been more accurately titled Scenes From a Mixed Marriage or Annie Hall Without Laughs. This smart, talky history of a relationship between two New Yorkers follows a Jewish theatrical promoter and an aspiring caterer from a Roman Catholic background from courtship to marriage to separation. (Holden) * FLUSHED AWAY (PG, 85 minutes) Sewer rats, singing leeches and whimsical British anarchy -- this computer-animated feature from Aardman Animations (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run) is completely delightful. (Scott) THE FOUNTAIN (PG-13, 96 minutes) Darren Aronovskys new film spans a thousand years, as Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman pursue undying love and eternal life in the 16th, 21st and 26th centuries. There is some lovely visual poetry, but the ideas are pure doggerel, an ungainly mixture of sci-fi overreach and earnest sentimentality. (Scott) FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (PG-13, 86 minutes) This satire of pre-Oscar nomination buzz in Hollywood is far and away the broadest comedy Christopher Guest and his improvisatory company have made. It is also the flimsiest, and unlike Mr. Guests earlier films, it has no airs of being a fake documentary. As farce trumps satire, the humors subversive edge is lost, along with meaningful character development, except for the brilliant exception of Catherine OHara. (Holden) HAPPY FEET (PG, 100 minutes) The director George Miller gets happy and snappy, then goes dark and deep, in a musical about an animated penguin who was born to dance. Take hankies. (Dargis) THE HISTORY BOYS (R, 104 minutes) The current of intellectual energy snapping through this engaging screen adaptation of Alan Bennetts Tony Award-winning play, set in a north England boys school in 1983, feels like electrical brain stimulation. As two teachers jockey for the hearts and minds of eight teenage schoolboys preparing to apply to Oxford and Cambridge, their epigrams send up small jolts of pleasure and excitement. How to teach and interpret history is the question. (Holden) INVISIBLE (No rating, 86 minutes) Absent parents cause no end of bother in this moody thriller about an unhappily married couple, a remote cabin and a pair of homicidal crazies. Unfortunately, the director, Adam Watstein, is so invested in his theme of nature as emotional healer that the movies abrupt transition from lush travelogue to murky violence feels jarring and unearned. As both victims and attackers trade abandonment issues Invisible suggests that weekend getaways are best approached, if not with a pistol, then at least with a firm grasp of psychobabble. (Catsoulis) LETS GO TO PRISON (R, 84 minutes) Sure, it has shower scenes, but theyre sly and restrained rather than frat house obvious, and all the funnier for it. Dax Shepard is hilariously deadpan as a petty criminal who retaliates against a judge by contriving for the mans son (Will Arnett) to be arrested and then purposely being arrested himself so he can harass the prissy fellow. Chi McBride is perfect as a fellow inmate with a taste for prison lovin and a voice like Barry Whites. (Neil Genzlinger) * OUR DAILY BREAD (No rating, 92 minutes) In this superb documentary the Austrian filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter takes an unblinking, often disturbing look at industrial food production from field to factory. You are what you eat; as it happens, you are also what you dare to watch. (Dargis) TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (R, 87 minutes) As it wobbles from one episode to the next, this rock n roll comedy starring Jack Black is a garish mess, and some of it feels padded. But it has enough jokes to keep you smiling, and Mr. Black brings to it a fervent affection for the music he spoofs but obviously adores. (Holden) * VOLVER (R, 121 minutes, in Spanish) Another keeper from Pedro Almódovar, with Penélope Cruz -- as a resilient widow -- in her best role to date. (Scott) Film Series JACQUES AUDIARD RETROSPECTIVE (Tuesday) Cinéma Tuesdays at the French Institute Alliance Française concludes its five-week tribute to Mr. Audiard, a contemporary master of the French thriller, next week. The final film is Venus Beauty Institute (1999), about beauty salon workers looking for love in their own ways during the holiday season. The stars include Audrey Tautou and Nathalie Baye. Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street, Manhattan, (212) 355-6100, fiaf.org; $10. (Anita Gates) ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU RETROSPECTIVE (Through Dec. 15) The Museum of the Moving Image begins a three-film salute to Mr. González Iñárritu, the 43-year-old Mexican-born filmmaker, tonight with his new film, Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett as an American couple traveling in Morocco. The filmmaker will appear after tonights screening for a discussion. The retrospective continues next Friday with Amores Perros (2000) and on Dec. 15 with 21 Grams (2003). 35th Avenue at 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, (718) 784-0077, movingimage.us; $18 on Dec. 1, $10 all other dates. (Gates) HEROIC GRACE II: SHAW BROTHERS RETURN (Through Wednesday) BAMcinématek and the U.C.L.A. Film & Television Archive Shaw Brothers series, honoring the Chinese movie studio that spread the gospel of martial arts films, winds up next week. Tuesdays feature is Chor Yuens Clans of Intrigue (1977), about a swordsman framed for murder. Wednesdays is Chang Cheh and Bao Zuelis Boxer From Shantung (1972), about a young fighter who succumbs to bad influences in the big city. BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (718) 636-4100, bam.org; $10. (Gates) WALTER MIRISCH (Through Dec. 31) To honor Mr. Mirisch, 85, the New York-born producer, the Museum of Modern Art is sponsoring a retrospective of 12 films from the Mirisch Corporation, beginning tonight. This weekends films include In the Heat of the Night (1967), Norman Jewisons Oscar-winning crime drama about racial tensions in the Deep South; West Side Story (1961), Robert Wise and Jerome Robbinss Oscar-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical; and Some Like It Hot (1959), Billy Wilders comedy classic in which Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon all wear dresses. Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, (212) 708-9400, moma.org; $10. (Gates) MONDOVINO: THE SERIES (Through Dec. 10) Technically, Mondovino, Jonathan Nossiters 10-hour documentary about winemaking, is one film. But the Museum of Modern Art is presenting its theatrical world premiere as five two-hour programs, beginning tomorrow. The story begins in Southern France, travels to Tuscany and the New World, and includes a portrait of the wine critic Robert Parker. An all-weekend marathon of the 10 parts is also scheduled. Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, (212) 708-9400, moma.org; $10. (Gates) Pop Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music. RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS (Monday through Wednesday) No one exemplifies the frustrations of alt-country better: so much talent, so much rich history to draw on, so much arrogance. But at least Mr. Adams can deliver the goods. Within his unnecessarily voluminous output -- he released three full-length albums last year and posts new songs to his Web site by the dozen -- is some astonishingly beautiful work. At 8 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-7171, the-townhall-nyc.org; sold out. (Ben Sisario) BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA (Tomorrow) After more than 60 years as a group, the Blind Boys of Alabama are no longer boys, but gray-haired pillars of gospel quartet singing. Led by Clarence Fountain, they proclaim their reverence in close harmonies and gutsy improvisations that leap heavenward. At 8 p.m., B. B. King Blues Club and Grill, 243 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 997-4144, bbkingblues.com; $42.50 in advance, $45 at the door. (Jon Pareles) BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE (Sunday) This tuneless headache of a band, modeled on the jangly psychedelic rock of mid-1960s Britain and Los Angeles, was well on its way into obscurity when, two years ago, it was featured in a hit documentary, Dig!, and a legend was created. Since then the band has toured widely, to audiences who wait for its leader, Anton Newcombe, to lash out in paranoia and kick a fan in the head, as he did in the film. With A Place to Bury Strangers. At 7 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $20. (Sisario) CONVERGE (Tonight) The guitar riffs of this Boston band come like a spray of machine gun bullets, rapid and unrelenting. The violent rasp of Jacob Bannon, the singer, is just as deadly. With Some Girls, Modern Life Is War, and Blacklisted. At 6, Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, TriBeCa, (212) 219-3006, knittingfactory.com; $15. (Sisario) COPELAND (Sunday) Rueful piano ballads that lead to teary, guitar-drenched, not-quite-cathartic peaks: the songs of this Florida band strongly resemble those of Coldplay and Keane. But while its passion is sincere, Copeland lacks something in the sophistication department. (Im in love with my doubt/Its freaking me out.) With Appleseed Cast, Owen and Acute. At 6:45 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800, irvingplaza.com; $15 in advance, $17 at the door. (Sisario) GENO DELAFOSE AND FRENCH ROCKIN BOOGIE (Monday) Geno Delafose, the son of the zydeco accordionist John Delafose, holds on to the traditions of an older generation, pumping waltzes and two-steps and blues on his button accordion, keeping the old bayou flavor. At 7:30 p.m., with a free dance lesson at 6; Connollys, 121 West 45th Street, Manhattan, (212) 685-7597, letszydeco.com; $22. (Pareles) DINOSAUR JR. (Tonight and tomorrow night) One of the greatest and most influential original grunge bands, Dinosaur Jr. joined mopey lyrics to furious guitar sludge, a juxtaposition that prefigured Nirvana. Long estranged, the original lineup of J Mascis on guitar, Lou Barlow on bass and Murph on drums reunited last year, sounding brawny and vigorous; their first album together in 18 years is to be released in the spring. At 9, Rebel, 251 West 30th Street, Manhattan, (212) 695-2747, rebelnyc.com; $25. (Sisario) EL VEZ (Tomorrow) Most Elvis imitators are corny; El Vez is conceptual, merging Presleyana, Mexican-American in-jokes and bad puns to honor and simultaneously twist the Presley legacy. At 9:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $15. (Pareles) JEREMY ENIGK (Thursday) In the 1990s Mr. Enigk was the leader of Sunny Day Real Estate, a Seattle group that did as much as anybody to transform emo from a relatively obscure offshoot of hardcore punk into the populist form of yearning and tantrum-throwing that it is today. This fall he released his first solo album in a decade, World Waits (Lewis Hollow). At 8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $16 in advance, $18 at the door. (Sisario) MELISSA FERRICK (Monday) Somewhere between Ani DiFranco and Melissa Etheridge, Ms. Ferrick slings an acoustic guitar and belts songs filled with bravado. At 7 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $18 in advance, $20 at the door. (Pareles) * THE GRATES (Wednesday) Playful and capricious, this guitar-drums-vocals trio from Brisbane, Australia, led by the frequently airborne Patience Hodgson, reaches back to classic 1990s riot grrrl for its passionate amateurism. But on its ambitious debut album, Gravity Wont Get You High (Cherrytree/Interscope), the band is unburdened by any legacy, going from hip-swaying sassy to defiant and tough, all with a sense that nothing in life is worth getting too upset about (No Ill never believe the truth in you/Lies are much more fun). With the White Rabbits, Tigercity and Cassettes Wont Listen. At 7:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $10. (Sisario) JOAN JETT AND the blackhearts (Tomorrow) With a never-changing arsenal of meaty riffs, sneering looks and defiant declarations of sexual independence, Joan Jett, now in her late 40s, has been expertly playing the tough-chick-with-a-guitar role longer than many of her younger imitators have been alive. At 9 p.m., Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place, at 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 777-6800, irvingplaza.com; sold out. (Sisario) JUNIOR BOYS (Thursday) When dance music goes sad: squiggly, awkward beats and droopy keyboards surround the forlorn vocals of this Canadian electronic group, who sing about missed birthdays and phones that dont ring. Also on the bill is a D.J. set by Morgan Geist. At 9 p.m., Studio B, 259 Banker Street, between Meserole Avenue and Calyer Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 389-1880, clubstudiob.com; $15. (Sisario) KLEZMATICS (Monday) This veteran New York band has had a major influence on the bohemian rediscovery and reinvention of klezmer music, the somewhat jazzy dance music of Eastern European Jews. So it made perfect sense when Nora Guthrie, the daughter and archivist of Woody Guthrie, approached the members a few years ago to write music for lyrics that Guthrie wrote in the 1940s and 50s, when he lived on Coney Island with his second wife, Marjorie Mazia, and her Jewish family. There the Dust Bowl troubadour ate blintzes, lighted the menorah and wrote about Hanukkah in the plainspoken, unmistakably Guthrie style: Its honeyky Hanukkah, shaky my hand/My candles are burning all over this land. The Klezmatics play these songs, as collected on a new album, Woody Guthries Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Jewish Music Group). At 7:30 p.m., Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, at Pitt Street, Lower East Side, (212) 352-3101, henrystreet.org/arts; $20. (Sisario) DAVID KRAKAUERS KLEZMER MADNESS (Tomorrow) Well into an illustrious career as a classical clarinetist, Mr. Krakauer stumbled onto klezmer, and his endless curiosity in adapting it to avant-garde jazz, rock and even Latin styles has brought him a wide new audience. For this concert he collaborates with Fred Wesley, the funk trombonist who was a key member of James Browns band in the 1960s and 70s; and with SoCalled, a k a Josh Dolgin, a Canadian D.J. and keyboardist whose efforts at infusing hip-hop with Jewish identity -- or perhaps the other way around -- include an album, The SoCalled Seder (JDub). At 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 to $35. (Sisario) LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES (Tonight) Los Amigos Invisibles, from Venezuela, latch on to dance grooves from the last three decades: James Brown funk, the stolid thump of house music, mid-1960s boogaloo, 70s Miami disco, Santanas mambo-rock, even some rap, while the lyrics (in Spanish) are come-ons somewhere between charm and smarm. At midnight, S.O.B.s, 204 Varick Street, at Houston Street, South Village, (212) 243-4940, sobs.com; $23. (Pareles) * LOW (Wednesday) With exquisite care, this band from Duluth, Minn., featuring the husband-and-wife team of Alan Sparhawk on guitar and Mimi Parker on vocals, and Matt Livingston on bass, creates hushed, stark songs on a vast sonic scale. This concert is advertised as a special performance with a variety of unnamed musical friends. At 8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $18 in advance, $20 at the door. (Sisario) MARITIME (Sunday) Founded by former members of the Promise Ring and the Dismemberment Plan, two foundational emo bands of the mid-90s, Maritime plays understated and effortlessly catchy songs with minimal touches of acoustic guitar and new-wave keyboards. With Tall Hands. At 9 p.m., Southpaw, 125 Fifth Avenue, near Sterling Place, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 230-0236, spsounds.com; $10. (Sisario) * LE MYSTÈRE DES VOIX BULGARES (Sunday) Formed in 1952 as the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir (but known since the 80s by this considerably sexier name, originally an album title), this group performs complex modern arrangements of traditional Bulgarian folk and Byzantine liturgical styles. The concept is high, but the effect of the pungently close harmonies and intense percussive yips is immediate and transcendent. At 7:30 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $30 in advance, $35 at the door. (Sisario) NEW MODEL ARMY (Wednesday and Thursday) New Model Army, an English band founded in the early 1980s by the songwriter Justin Sullivan, has held onto the vehement idealism and revved-up guitars of the British punk-rock pioneered by the Clash. With Echoes and Shadows. Wednesday at 9 p.m., Northsix, 66 North Sixth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-5103, northsix.com; $12. Thursday at 8 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $15. (Pareles) OTEP (Monday) These Ozzfest vets play brutal noise-metal but are notable mainly for their leader, Otep Shamaya, a smallish woman with the voice of a roaring bear who wears T-shirts with slogans like strong aggressive female and sings about sexual abuse. With Ground to Machine. At 9 p.m., Northsix, 66 North Sixth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-5103, northsix.com; $10. (Sisario) * RED HOT + RIOT LIVE (Tonight and tomorrow night) A tribute to the inimitable Fela Kuti, the Nigerian master of Afrobeat who, on dozens of albums from the early 1970s until his death from AIDS nine years ago, merged James Browns funk with the chants and polyrhythms of Africa, and used his music as a populist political cudgel against corrupt authority. The lineup for this concert, a benefit for the African Services Committee, an AIDS and H.I.V. support group, includes Tony Allen, Felas longtime drummer; the eclectic Nigerian duo Amadou and Mariam; Cheikh Lo, from Senegal; Meshell Ndegeocello, the American bassist and funk ambassador; Dead Prez, a politically minded rap duo from Brooklyn; Keziah Jones, a Nigerian singer-songwriter; and Yerba Buena, a New York Latin band, playing with the jazz-funk keyboardist John Medeski. At 7:30, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene, (718) 636-4100, bam.org; $25 to $65. (Sisario) THE STILLS (Tonight and tomorrow night) On its debut album three years ago, this Montreal band took the sulking guitar minimalism of New York groups like Interpol and the Strokes and sublimated it into a shimmering, majestic gloom that recalled the glories of U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen. Its most recent album, Without Feathers (Vice), perplexingly slows things down to a bored crawl. With Au Revoir Simone and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin tonight, and Favourite Sons and A Brief Smile tomorrow night. At 9, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $16 in advance, $18 at the door. (Sisario) UMPHREYS McGEE (Tonight and tomorrow night) One of the few jam bands to gain critical respect in the rock world, Umphreys McGee, from South Bend, Ind., seamlessly incorporates the irregular meters and gnarled guitar patterns of classic progressive rock into the smoother, more spoonful-of-sugar textures more common in its milieu, a feat of reconciliation that impresses the connoisseurs and keeps everybody else on their feet. At 9, Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway, at 44th Street, (212) 307-7171, nokiatheatrenyc.com; $26.50 in advance, $30 at the door. (Sisario) Jazz Full reviews of recent jazz concerts: nytimes.com/music. BEN ALLISON (Monday and Wednesday) On Monday Mr. Allison, a resourceful bassist and composer, leads the band featured on his recent album, Cowboy Justice (Palmetto): Ron Horton on trumpet, Steve Cardenas on guitar and Jeff Ballard on drums. On Wednesday he does the same with a good substitute drummer, Gerald Cleaver. Monday at 10 p.m., 55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street, near Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 929-9883; cover, $10. Wednesday at 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $8. (Nate Chinen) HELIO ALVES (Tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday) Mr. Alves, the Brazilian jazz pianist, has a light touch but a firm sense of purpose, as he demonstrates on his recent album, Portrait in Black and White (Reservoir Music). He performs tonight and tomorrow in a group called the Brazilian Voyage Trio, with Nilson Matta on bass and Marcello Pellitteri on percussion, and on Wednesday with his own trio, which includes Santi Debriano, the bassist from his album. Tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 and 9:15, Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) SAM BARDFELDS STUFF SMITH PROJECT (Thursday) Sam Bardfeld, a violinist with a wide-ranging résumé, pays tribute to a swing-era hero of his instrument with help from the pianist Anthony Coleman, the bassist Brad Jones and the guitarist and vocalist Doug Wamble. At 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $8. (Chinen) DAVID BINNEY (Tomorrow) Mr. Binney, a graceful yet gutsy alto saxophonist, enlists a handful of regular collaborators -- the guitarist Adam Rogers, the bassist Tim Lefebvre and the drummer Dan Weiss -- in an exploration of his broadly dynamic tunes. At midnight, Iridium 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $10, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) IGOR BUTMAN (Tuesday through Thursday) Mr. Butman, a powerfully proficient tenor and soprano saxophonist, is Russias most accomplished jazz musician. He teams up with one of his countrymen (the pianist Andrei Kondakov) and two top-flight Americans (the bassist Eddie Gomez and the drummer Lenny White). (Through Dec. 10.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway, (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; cover, $30, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen) * CACHAO (Tonight through Sunday) In the 1940s Israel Lopez, known as Cachao, helped define modern Cuban music, especially with respect to the bass. Now in his 80s, he has wisdom to match his panache, as hell demonstrate here with a well-stocked 10-piece band. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $47.50 at tables, $35 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen) GAL COSTA (Tuesday through Thursday) A founding member of Brazils Tropicália movement, Ms. Costa has continued to lend her warmly appealing vocals to a kaleidoscopic array of grooves. She returns to the scene of her fine recent recording, Live at the Blue Note (DRG), with a proficient quartet. (Through Dec. 10.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $55 at tables, $35 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen) * DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET (Tuesday through Thursday) The trumpeter Dave Douglas has lately had an uncommonly cohesive working ensemble in this post-bop quintet, with Donny McCaslin on tenor saxophone, Uri Caine on piano and Fender Rhodes, James Genus on bass and Clarence Penn on drums. (Through Dec. 10) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $25. (Chinen) PAUL DUNMALL, PAUL ROGERS, TONY LEVIN (Tonight through Sunday) The saxophonist Paul Dunmall, the bassist Paul Rogers and the drummer Tony Levin make up three-fourths of the longstanding British ensemble Mujician, a pillar of the European free-jazz scene. They perform as a trio tonight; tomorrow they welcome the tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin and the trombonist Ray Anderson. On Sunday their guests will include the tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and the percussionist Kevin Norton. At 8 and 10, the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10 ($15 tomorrow). (Chinen) BEN GOLDBERG (Thursday) Mr. Goldberg, a clarinetist best known for his work in the eclectic improv-chamber group Tin Hat, has an engaging recent album called The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact (Cryptogramophone). Drawing from the album, he leads a group consisting of Carla Kihlstedt on violin, Rob Sudduth on tenor saxophone, Trevor Dunn on bass and Ches Smith on drums. At 8:30 p.m., Roulette at Location One, 20 Greene Street, at Grand Street, SoHo, (212) 219-8242, roulette.org; $15. (Chinen) RON HORTON (Wednesday) Mr. Horton, a bright and surefooted trumpeter, revisits the material from his recent album, Everything in a Dream (Fresh Sound New Talent), with the tenor and soprano saxophonist Michael Blake, the bassist Ben Allison, the vibraphonist Tom Beckham and the drummer Gerald Cleaver. At 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $8. (Chinen) ETHAN IVERSON AND BILL McHENRY (Tomorrow) A venturesome and harmonically advanced duologue of kindred spirits: Mr. Iverson, a smartly prickly pianist, and Mr. McHenry, an introspective yet surefooted tenor saxophonist. At 8:30 p.m., Center for Improvisational Music, 295 Douglass Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (212) 631-5882, schoolforimprov.org; cover, $12; students, $8. (Chinen) DAVID KRAKAUERS KLEZMER MADNESS (Tomorrow) The clarinetist David Krakauer celebrates his 50th birthday with a concert featuring his acclaimed and supercharged klezmer band, augmented by the legendary funk trombonist Fred Wesley and the D.J. known as SoCalled. At 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 and $35. (Chinen) JASON LINDNER (Tonight) Mr. Lindner, a rhythmically assertive pianist and composer-arranger, previews material from his forthcoming album Ab Aeterno (Fresh Sound Records), with Omer Avital on bass and oud and Luisito Quintiero on percussion. At 9 and 10:30, Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15; members, $10. (Chinen) TONY MALABY TUBA TRIO + ONE (Tonight) Tony Malaby, a versatile and intrepid tenor saxophonist, leads a trio with Marcus Rojas on tuba and John Hollenbeck on drums; their added guest is Ben Gerstein, on trombone. At 9 and 10:30, Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) JIMMY McGRIFF (Tonight and tomorrow night) A powerfully bluesy presence on the Hammond B-3 organ since the early 1960s, Mr. McGriff rolls into a welcoming setting with his working band. At 8, 10 and 11:30, Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com; cover, $25. (Chinen) * MICROSCOPIC SEPTET (Tonight and tomorrow) This rambunctious but soundly ensemble has put together a pair of retrospective releases on Cuneiform Records, and a tour to support them. The saxophonist Phillip Johnston and the pianist Joel Forrester are still steering the ship, and the groups ranks still include the charter members Dave Sewelson (baritone saxophonist) and Dave Hofstra (bassist), as well as the longtime compatriots Don Davis and Paul Shapiro (both saxophonists). Tonight at 11:30, tomorrow night at 9:30, Joes Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 539-8778, joespub.com; cover, $20, with a two-drink minimum. (Chinen) * PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000 + 2 (Tuesday through Thursday) Show tunes and other standards receive loving and slyly imaginative interpretations on Paul Motian on Broadway Vol. 4 (Winter & Winter), a handsome album featuring the drummer Paul Motian along with the pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, the vocalist Rebecca Martin, the tenor saxophonist Chris Potter and the bassist Larry Grenadier. Replacing Ms. Martin on this engagement is the alto saxophonist Greg Osby, whose presence may nudge the music further into flinty abstraction. (Through Dec. 10.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) MILES OKAZAKI (Sunday) Mr. Okazaki, a confident guitarist and composer, celebrates Mirror, his ambitious self-released debut, with a group consisting of the alto saxophonists Miguel Zenon and David Binney, the multireedist Christof Knoche, the bassist Jon Flaugher and the drummer Dan Weiss. At 9:30 p.m., 55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street, near Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 929-9883, 55bar.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) DAFNIS PRIETO QUARTET (Tomorrow) The Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto, an essential fixture on New Yorks Latin jazz scene, convenes some regular cohorts: Peter Apfelbaum on saxophones, Manuel Valera on piano and Yunior Terry on bass. At 9:30 p.m., Rose Live Music, 345 Grand Street, between Havemeyer and Marcy Streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-0069, liveatrose.com; cover, $5. (Chinen) MATANA ROBERTS MISSISSIPPI MOONCHILE (Tuesday) A bracing alto saxophonist and a junior member of Chicagos AACM, Matana Roberts is at her best responding to ensemble actions. In this blues-abstracted working band, she interacts with the pianist Shoko Nagai, the trumpeter Jason Palmer, the vocalist Beatrice Anderson, the bassist Hill Green and the drummer Tomas Fujiwara. At 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street, near Delancey Street, Lower East Side, (212) 358-7501; cover, $10. (Chinen) WALLACE RONEY AND THE NEW JAZZ COMPOSERS OCTET (Monday) This post-bop ensemble owes much of its coherent drive to the trumpeter and arranger David Weiss. But the spotlight here will fall on Mr. Roney, a plangent trumpet soloist. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $30 at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen) TED ROSENTHAL (Wednesday) There arent many modern jazz pianists more dexterous than Mr. Rosenthal, who performs here with the experienced rhythm team of Martin Wind, bassist, and Matt Wilson, drummer. At 7:30 and 9:15 p.m., Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; no cover, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) RUDDER (Tuesday) The direction of this funk-fusion vessel is collectively determined by its crew: Chris Cheek on saxophones, Henry Hey on Fender Rhodes piano, Tim LeFebvre on bass and Keith Carlock on drums. At 10 p.m., Zebulon, 258 Wythe Avenue, near Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 218-6934, zebuloncafeconcert.com; no cover. (Chinen) ADAM RUDOLPH AND GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA (Sunday) This sprawling, meditative ensemble draws inspiration from earthy and elemental sources; in addition to the percussionist and composer Adam Rudolph, its ranks here will include the cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, the multireedist Ned Rothenberg and the guitarist Leni Stern. At 8:30 p.m., Roulette at Location One, 20 Greene Street, at Grand Street, SoHo, (212) 219-8242, roulette.org; $15. (Chinen) STATESMEN OF JAZZ (Thursday) The latest installment in Jack Kleinsingers long-running Highlights in Jazz series shines a spotlight on a handful of highly versatile musicians: the clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, the trumpeter Randy Sandke, the guitarist Howard Alden, the pianist Derek Smith, the bassist Rufus Reid and the drummer Ed Metz Jr. At 8 p.m., TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, (212) 220-1460, tribecapac.org; $30; students, $27.50. (Chinen) TANGO MEETS JAZZ FESTIVAL (Tonight through Sunday night) The overlap between American jazz and Argentine tango provides a premise for this quartet engagement featuring the pianist Pablo Ziegler, a protégé of the peerless tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Tonight he enlists the tenor saxophonist David Sanchez; tomorrow and Sunday he welcomes the flutist Nestor Torres. At 7:30 and 9:30, with an 11:30 set tonight and tomorrow night, Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $30. (Chinen) Classical Full reviews of recent music performances: nytimes.com/music. Opera LA BOHÈME (Tonight and Tuesday) Franco Zeffirellis overblown Bohème returns to the Met for its regular airing. Rolando Villazón, the charismatic Mexican tenor, is a convincing Rodolfo, although he seems somewhat dwarfed by the massive sets. But sparks should fly on Tuesday when Anna Netrebko, the gorgeous Russian soprano, sings Mimi. Tonight Angela Marambio, the Chilean soprano, offers a warm-voiced, robust Mimi. Mr. Villazóns mentor and idol, Plácido Domingo, leads the orchestra in a fine, lively performance. Anna Samuil replaces Susannah Glanville as Musetta both nights, and Peter Coleman-Wright is her jealous lover, Marcello. At 8, Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $110 and $140 tickets remain for tonight; Tuesday is sold out. (Vivien Schweitzer) * DON CARLO (Monday and Thursday) James Levine will be in the pit when Verdis noble masterpiece returns to the Met in John Dexters production. The Met has assembled what looks to be a top-tier cast, with the powerhouse tenor Johan Botha singing the title role for the first time with the company; Patricia Racette as Elisabeth; Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Rodrigo; René Pape as Philip II; Olga Borodina as Eboli; and Samuel Ramey as the Grand Inquisitor. At 7 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $15 to $175. (Anthony Tommasini) IDOMENEO (Tomorrow and Wednesday) In place of the dramatic tenor Ben Heppner, the clarion-voiced tenor Kobie van Rensburg takes over the title role in Mozarts noble opera seria Idomeneo, which has returned to the companys roster in Jean-Pierre Ponnelles highly stylized and effective 1982 production. There are two other cast changes: the elegant mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena sings Idamante, and the bright-voiced soprano Alexandra Deshorties sings the volatile Elettra. Best of all, Dorothea Röschmann, a superb soprano, returns as Ilia. James Levine conducts. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. and Wednesday at 8 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $42 to $220 tomorrow, $15 to $175 on Wednesday. (Tommasini) LORD BYRONS LOVE LETTER/THE VILLAGE SINGER (Wednesday) The operatization of A Streetcar Named Desire by André Previn might have obscured the fact that Tennessee Williams did write a single opera libretto of his own. Its Lord Byrons Love Letter, set by the composer Raffaello de Banfield, first performed in 1955 and nearly forgotten since. Now the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater continues its cultivation of neglected American opera by bringing the work (which is about, what else, dotty old Southern ladies) back for its New York premiere, on a double bill with Stephen Pauluss Village Singer. Ari Pelto conducts. At 8 p.m., Broadway at 122nd Street, Morningside Heights, (917) 493-4428, msmnyc.edu; $20; $10 for students and 65+. (Anne Midgette) SUOR ANGELICA/GIANNI SCHICCHI (Tomorrow and Sunday). Two-thirds of Puccinis Il Trittico, fully staged with orchestra, form a showcase for this years crop of young artists in the Dicapo Operas program. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m., Dicapo Opera Theater, 184 East 76th Street, Manhattan, (212) 288-9438, dicapo.com; $30. (Midgette) TOSCA (Tomorrow) Andrea Gruber is a soprano who flings herself into roles; accordingly, she takes on her first Tosca with a certain violence. The character becomes tough yet vulnerable in her reading, yet the vulnerability is perhaps too pronounced in her uneven, patchy singing. She resumes the role for the seasons final performance tomorrow, paired with the Cavaradossi of Walter Fraccaro and the Mets perennial Scarpia these days, James Morris. The real news is the conductor Nicola Luisotti in his first Met season, who conducts the piece as if it mattered. At 8 p.m., Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; $42 to $220. (Midgette) Classical Music * AMSTERDAM BAROQUE ORCHESTRA (Thursday) Ton Koopman leads his period instrument orchestra and choir, along with a slate of vocal soloists (Lisa Larsson, soprano; Bogna Bartosz, alto; Jörg Dürmüller, tenor; and Klaus Mertens, bass) in a program that includes Magnificat settings by Bach and Buxtehude; Bachs Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf preiset die Tage, from the Christmas Oratorio; and Corellis Christmas Concerto Grosso in G minor. At 8 p.m. (preconcert discussion at 7), Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $28 to $89. (Allan Kozinn) ANONYMOUS 4 (Thursday) This excellent female vocal quartet, whose recordings of medieval music captivated a broad audience, took a break in 2004. Now, with their new CD, Gloryland, they are continuing the exploration of traditional American folk music they began with American Angels. On Thursday the women will be joined by Darol Anger, a violinist and mandolinist, and Scott Nygaard, a guitarist, for a program titled Long Time Traveling, featuring folk songs, shape-note tunes and gospel hymns. At 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan, (212) 501-3330, kaufman-center.org; $35 in advance, $40 at the door. (Schweitzer) * BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS (Tuesday) The freewheeling performing arm of the Bang on a Can new-music empire -- well, small empire, anyway -- offers a program that moves through the increasingly porous boundaries between contemporary classical music, rock and jazz. Included are works by Fred Frith, Martin Bresnick, Julia Wolfe, Conlon Nancarrow, Thurston Moore and Don Byron. At 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 to $35. (Kozinn) STEPHANIE BLYTHE (Thursday) This American mezzo-soprano sings lots of Brahms, some delicious Duparc and a little Falla too. Warren Jones is the pianist. At 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $40 to $48. (Bernard Holland) CHANTICLEER (Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday) The annual Christmas concerts by this San Francisco mens choir have become seasonal highlights. The performances are presented in the Metropolitan Museums spacious and acoustically vibrant Medieval Sculpture Hall, which is decked out with a huge Christmas tree and a Neopolitan Baroque crèche, surroundings that perfectly suit the choirs program of medieval and Renaissance sacred works and carols. At 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., (212) 570-3949, metmuseum.org; $60. (Kozinn) * ELIOT FISK AND THE MIRÓ QUARTET (Tonight) Mr. Fisk plays guitar with energy, intensity and precision, qualities that the Miró players are likely to match in this program of Spanish music. Included are Arriagas String Quartet No. 3, Leonardo Baladas Caprichos No. 2 and Boccherinis Quintet No. 4 for guitar and strings, best known for its zesty fandango. Mr. Fisk will also play some solo guitar music. At 7, Metropolitan Museum of Art, (212) 570-3949, metmuseum.org; $45. (Kozinn) JUAN DIEGO FLÓREZ (Tonight) The darling of the Metropolitan Opera these days, this Peruvian tenor is making a Carnegie Hall recital debut that Carnegie Hall, interestingly, is not presenting. Mr. Flórezs voice can be a little bleaty for some tastes, but its always thoughtfully, carefully produced, with clean coloratura and excellent musicianship. His program includes Mozart, Fauré, Massenet, Bizet, Rosa Mercedes Ayala de Morales, Donizetti and, of course, Rossini, his signature composer. At 8, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 to $95. (Midgette) JUILLIARD ORCHESTRA (Monday) James DePreist conducts his Juilliard hotshots in Berlioz, Mozart and Ravel. Isabel Leonard sings; Benedicte Jourdois is the pianist. At 8 p.m., Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 769-7406, juilliard.edu; free, but tickets are required. (Holland) NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC (Tonight and tomorrow night) The Philharmonic makes one of its run-outs to Long Island as Leon Fleisher takes on one of Mozarts more enticing early piano concertos (No. 12) and Hindemiths nearly unknown and long forgotten Piano Music With Orchestra, for left hand alone. Lorin Maazel conducts Roussels Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 2, and accompanies Nancy Gustafson in a scene from Strausss Salome. The program repeats tomorrow night at Avery Fisher Hall. Tonight at 8, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, at the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Brookville, N.Y., (516) 299-3100, tillescenter.org; $50 t0 $110; $3 off for 65+. Tomorrow at 8, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 721-6500, nyphil.org; $28 to $96. (Holland) NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY (Sunday) This always impressive orchestra begins its season at Carnegie Hall with a typically ambitious program that features Prokofievs mighty Symphony No. 5 as the major work. Also on tap is Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, featuring Peter Schickele as narrator. And, as is customary at these concerts, there will be the premiere of a work by a young composer: Snow by Mark Dancigers. Paul Haas conducts. At 2 p.m., (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $7 to $55. (Tommasini) * ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (Tomorrow) The conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra kicks off its just announced New Brandenburgs commissioning project at Carnegie Hall. Six composers have been invited to write orchestra concertos inspired by Bachs Brandenburgs. Stephen Hartke, the arresting California-based composer, starts things off with A Brandenburg Autumn, which will receive its premiere on this program, alongside, naturally, three Bach concertos: the Brandenburgs Nos. 1 and 2, and the Keyboard Concerto in D minor with the pianist Jeremy Denk. At 8 p.m., (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $30 to $98. (Tommasini) PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (Tuesday) This orchestra, which has been pulling itself together after a bad financial patch, appears here with one of its multiple principal conductors, Andrew Davis. It will play Sofia Gubaidulinas Feast During a Plague and other works. Joshua Bell is the soloist in the Brahms Violin Concerto. At 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $27 to $90. (Holland) VASSILY PRIMAKOV (Sunday) The latest alternative space for the classical arts is Arium, in the center of the meatpacking district. The next musical event takes place on Sunday, when Vassily Primakov, a Russian pianist, plays an all-Beethoven program. A ticket includes complimentary wine and hors doeuvres. At 4 p.m., Arium for the Arts, 31 Little West 12th Street, West Village, (212) 463-8630, ariumnyc.com; $40; $20 for members; $15 for student members. (Tommasini) RUSSIAN CHAMBER CHORUS OF NEW YORK (Tomorrow and Wednesday) This chorus, led by Nikolai Kachanov, its founder and artistic director, often presents works written for the Russian Orthodox Church. Here it offers a program called Jewels of Russian Liturgical Music, which includes selections from Tchaikovsky, as well as Rachmaninoffs Vespers, Kastalskys Christmas Hymns and works by anonymous composers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., St. James Chapel, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, at 112th Street, Morningside Heights, (866) 468-7619; $25; $20 for students and 65+. Wednesday at 8 p.m., Church of the Holy Trinity, 213 West 82nd Street, Manhattan, (718) 445-5799; $25; $15 for students and 65+. Information: rccny.org. (Schweitzer) YEVGENY SUDBIN (Sunday) This Russian pianists program is perhaps most interesting at the beginning and end: it starts with Scarlatti sonatas and ends with a Scriabin collection, including the Second and Fifth Sonatas. At 5 p.m., Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, (212) 547-0715, frick.org; $25. (Holland) TALLIS SCHOLARS (Tuesday) Tudor polyphony is the constant running through this program by this outstanding early-music vocal group, which focuses on Tye, Tallis and Taverner, with a couple of pieces by de Monte and one by Palestrina for good measure. At 8 p.m., St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street, (212) 854-7799, millertheater.com; $35; $21 for students. (Midgette) VIENNA CHOIR BOYS (Sunday) This choir, founded in 1498, counts Schubert and the conductor Hans Richter among its illustrious graduates. Its still going strong. Here the talented young musicians, with pure, treble voices, offer a program of classics and holiday favorites. At 3 p.m., Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, at the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Brookville, N.Y., (516) 299-3100, tillescenter.org; $30 to $55; $3 off for 65+. (Schweitzer) WORKS AND PROCESS (Sunday and Monday) This installment of the Guggenheims series looks at Don Juan in Prague, the collaboration between the electronic-music composer Matthew Suttor and the director David Chambers on a version of Mozarts Don Giovanni that uses digital media, film and still photographs; it will be staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Musics Harvey Theater from Dec. 13 to 16. Mr. Chambers, Mr. Suttor and the singer Iva Bittova, who sings Donna Elvira in the production, will be on hand. At 7:30 p.m., Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3587, guggenheim.org; $24; $15 for students. (Kozinn) Dance Full reviews of recent performances: nytimes.com/dance. * ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) This vibrant companys annual season, five weeks long, leads off this week with the premiere tonight of Karole Armitages Gamelan Gardens. Tomorrow nights performance of Revelations will be done with live music, and both the Armitage and Twyla Tharps Golden Section can be seen this weekend. The first night of a revival of Mr. Aileys River is on the Tuesday schedule. Tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8; tomorrow and Wednesday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday at 7 p.m. City Center, 131 West 55th Street, Manhattan, (212) 581-1212, alvinailey.org or nycitycenter.org; $25 to $150. (John Rockwell) * ARIANE ANTHONY & COMPANY (Tomorrow and Sunday) In a shared program with Dance Cedric Neugebauer and the SHUA Group, the ever imaginative Ariane Anthony will present , a work-in-progress with an HTML-inspired name. At 8 p.m., Construction Company, 10 East 18th Street, Manhattan, (212) 924-7882; $15; $10 for students and 65+. (Jennifer Dunning) LEONIDES ARPON AND DAVID KIEFFER (Tonight through Sunday) Mr. Arpon, who dances with Armitage Gone! Dance, will present three pieces, set to music by Zbigniew Preisner, Les Tambours du Bronx and Annie Gosfield. Mr. Kieffer, who has performed with Pascal Rioult, will present works set to Mozart, Vivaldi and Muslimgauze. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 5 p.m., Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, at Chambers Street, TriBeCa, (212) 279-4200, ticketcentral.com; $18; $12 for students. (Dunning) ARTHUR AVILES TYPICAL THEATER (Tonight) Mr. Aviles celebrates the 10th anniversary of his vibrant, category-defying company with a new piece, Ear to the Ground. It is drawn from what was heard and felt by the choreographer and his dancers in the ground rumblings emanating from the concrete of the South Bronx, the floor of the dance studio, the common ground of social realities and other terrains, as Mr. Aviles puts it. At 8 p.m., Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, 841 Barretto Street, near Garrison Avenue, Hunts Point, (718) 842-5223, or bronxacademyofartsanddance.org; $15 and $20. (Dunning) BALLET PRELJOCAJ (Tonight through Sunday) The well-known French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj concludes a return weeklong run. The program consists of an oldie -- his 1989 version of Les Noces -- and a newie called Empty Moves (Part 1), from 2004. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800, joyce.org; $40. (Rockwell) * The Barnard Project (Thursday) Any time you get a chance to see Reggie Wilsons enchanting blend of dance and singing, go, whether the dancers are college students or retirees. Mr. Wilson is among the choreographers in this fine lineup of works in progress stemming from residencies at Barnard College. Others include Gabri Christa, Jeanine Durning and David Neumann. (Through Dec. 9.) At 7:30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 924-0077, dtw.org; $12 and $20. (Claudia La Rocco) ANITA CHENG DANCE WITH RONALDO KIEL (Thursday) In their new Journey, inspired by the ancient Chinese tale Journey to the West, Ms. Cheng and Mr. Kiel juxtapose dancers and four fixed cameras. (Through Dec. 10.) Thursday at 8 p.m., Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 334-7479; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Dunning) * SAVION GLOVER AND MCCOY TYNER (Tomorrow) In an inspired partnering of artists, the tap master Savion Glover will perform with the jazz pianist and composer McCoy Tyner. At 8 p.m., New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, (888) 466-5722, www.njpac.org; $22 to $68. (Dunning) YASS HAKOSHIMA MOVEMENT THEATER (Tomorrow) Mr. Hakoshima joins forces with the Da Capo Chamber Players for a program of mime that includes a new work set to music by Su Lian Tan. At 8 p.m., TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, (212) 220-1460, tribecapac.org; $25; $15 for students and 65+. (Dunning) PATRICIA HOFFBAUER AND GEORGE EMILIO SANCHEZ (Tonight through Sunday) These provocateurs describe their new performance piece, The Architecture of Seeing--Remix, as a fierce crash course in the politics of identity in the new millennium. Go for it. (Through Dec. 10.) Tonight and tomorrow night at 10, Sunday at 5:30 p.m., La MaMa E.T.C., 74a East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 475-7710, lamama.org; $15. (Dunning) KOOSIL-JA HWANG (Wednesday and Thursday) There are actually two live dancers in Ms. Hwangs new multimedia Dance Without Bodies, and not only do they perform but they also create solos each night in response to randomly combined action depicted in three different videos. (Through Dec. 9.) Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m., the Kitchen, 512 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 255-5793, Ext. 11, or thekitchen.org. Tickets: $12. (Dunning) RISA JAROSLOW & DANCERS (Tonight through Sunday night) Risa Jaroslow has often focused on the idea of community in her work, and in Resist/Surrender she explores ideas about masculinity by bringing in a diverse group of nondancers (gay teenagers, New York City firefighters and corporate lawyers) to work with her troupe. Scott Johnson has composed an original score. At 8:30, Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street, East Village, (212) 674-8194, danspaceproject.org; $15; members, $10. (Roslyn Sulcas) * BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY (Tuesday through Thursday) That raggedly handsome old structure you pass on the way to Aaron Davis Hall is now a handsome new theater called the Gatehouse, and Bill T. Jones has created Chapel/Chapter for it. Daniel Bernard Roumain has contributed the score, drawn from sacred and secular Renaissance music and gospel and folk. It includes video by Janet Wong and scenic design by Bjorn Amelan. (Through Dec. 9.) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., the Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue, at 135th Street, Harlem, (212) 650-7100, aarondavishall.org; $150 for the opening gala; $25 for all other performances. (Dunning) KNUA DANCE COMPANY (Tuesday) This South Korean dance company, whose name is the acronym for the Korean National University of the Arts, will make its New York City debut in a program that includes choreography by Hyun Ja Kim, Mina Yoo, Balanchine (Allegro Brillante) and Petipa (the pas de deux from Diana and Acteon). At 7 p.m., TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, (212) 220-1460, tribecapac.org; $25; $15 for students and 65+. (Dunning) * LUIS LARA MALVACÍAS (Tonight and tomorrow night) Twenty-one short sections make up There Is No Such Thing, a new work from this talented Venezuelan choreographer, who tends to approach dance as visual art, and whose work can sometimes seem as much installation as performance. At 7:30, Dance Theater Workshop, 219 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 691-6500, dtw.org; $20; $12 for students, artists and 65+. (Sulcas) Movement Research at the Judson Church (Monday) Nothing goes with exorbitant holiday spending like free experimental dance. This week, check out works in progress by Jennifer Monson, Kathy Westwater and Regina Rocke. At 8 p.m., 55 Washington Square South, Greenwich Village, (212) 598-0551, movementresearch.org. (La Rocco) * MOVEMENT RESEARCH IMPROVISATION FESTIVAL (Friday) This is less a showcase than a freewheeling exploration of the art of physical improvisation, with a roster of strongly individual performers and curators. (Through Dec. 10.) At 8:30 p.m., Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street, East Village, (212) 674-8194, danspaceproject.org; $12. (Dunning) * NEW YORK CITY BALLET (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) George Balanchines prototypical Nutcracker continues until Dec. 30, with eight performances this week alone. It may be hard on its rotating casts of dancers, not to speak of the orchestra and the stagehands, but its magic for the audience. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, tomorrow at 2 p.m., Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m., Tuesday though Thursday at 6 p.m., New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, (212) 870-5570 or (212) 721-6500, nycballet.com; $15 to $110. (Rockwell) The Parsons Dance Company (Tuesday through Thursday) David Parsons brings his high-energy company to the Joyce with two programs performed over a two-week period. Highlights include The Nascimento Project, a new collaboration with the Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento; a revival of Ring Around the Rosie, last seen in New York more than a decade ago; and In the End, set to music by the Dave Matthews Band. (Through Dec. 17.) Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., the Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800, joyce.org; $42. (La Rocco) * STREB S.L.A.M. (Tonight through Sunday) Ms. Streb and her fearless (we hope) high-flying, hard-crashing performers will present a new show, Streb SLAM 8: Extreme Action, complete with popcorn and cotton candy. (Through Dec. 17.) Tonight at 7, tomorrow at 3 and 7 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., S.L.A.M., 51 North First Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (212) 352-3101, strebusa.org; $15; $10 for children 12 and under. (Dunning) TRIBUTE TO BUTOH II (Tonight and tomorrow night) This series, a homage to the Butoh artist Kazuo Ohno on his 100th birthday, continues with dances by Tanya Calamoneri, Leigh Evans, Mana Hashimoto and Akiko Bo Nishijima. At 8, CRS Center, 123 Fourth Avenue, at 12th Street, East Village, (212) 677-8621; $15; $10 for students. (Dunning) JOHANNES WIELAND (Tonight through Sunday) Mr. Wieland, known for his stylish, sleekly hard-charging modern-dance choreography, will present Progressive Coma, a new multimedia piece about the power of images in the media. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8, Sunday at 7 p.m., Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55th Street, Clinton, (212) 868-4444, smarttix.com; $20. (Dunning) ZENDORA DANCE COMPANY (Tonight through Sunday night) Nancy Zendora celebrates 45 years in dance with a program of solos and duets that includes two signature pieces, Shadows and Other Ancestors and The Descent. At 8, Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 334-7479; $15; $12 for students and 65+. (Dunning) PAVEL ZUSTIAK (Thursday) Hold the holiday cheer. Mr. Zustiak and his dance company, Palissimo, will present Le Petit Mort/Now Its Time to Say Goodbye, which he describes as a postmortem ecstasy somewhere between a dream and a memory. Tal Yarden has contributed the video component of this multimedia work. (Through Dec. 10.) At 8 p.m., Performance Space 122, 150 First Avenue, at Ninth Street, East Village, (212) 352-3101, ps122.org; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Dunning) Art Museums and galleries are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of recent art shows: nytimes.com/art. Museums * American Museum of Natural History: GOLD, through Aug. 19. Having delved into pearls, diamonds and amber, the museum applies its time-tested show-and-tell formula to gold. An astounding array of art, artifacts and natural samples, larded with fascinating facts and tales, ranges from prehistoric times to the present. Stops along the way include pre-Columbian empires, sunken treasure, Bangladesh dowry rituals and the moon landing. It turns out that gold comes from the earth in forms as beautiful as anything man has thought to do with it. You are certain to emerge with mind boggled and eyes dazzled. Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5100. (Roberta Smith) BROOKLYN MUSEUM: RON MUECK, through Feb. 4. So intensely lifelike are the fiberglass and silicone human figures made by the Australian sculptor Ron Mueck that you might almost converse with them. Ranging in size from an infant that is 10 and a quarter inches high to a woman in bed more than 21 feet long, they seem to embody, in one way or another, the perils and challenges of the human condition. The most affecting are Dead Dad, a 40-inch rendering of the artists father as a nude corpse, and Man in a Boat, in which a man a little more than two feet high sits naked and hapless toward the prow of a life-size rowboat. But Mr. Mueck stumbles when he gets into really exaggerated scale. The subject has not earned its monumentality, and its size distracts from its emotional intensity. Still, there are moments when you almost believe his subjects have lives. 200 Eastern Parkway at Prospect Park, Brooklyn (718) 638-5000. (Grace Glueck) BROOKLYN MUSEUM: Watercolors by Walton Ford, through Jan. 28. This show assembles more than 50 of Mr. Fords large-scale watercolors of birds, animals, snakes and lushly exotic flora, all produced since the early 1990s. They frequently depict moments in which a wild animal encounters human culture, often to its detriment. Sometimes the threat is overt, as in pictures of animals and birds roped or wounded; in other images you merely sense that some horrible violence has occurred, or is about to happen. Though wonderfully lucid and dramatic, the moralizing of these images can become a little tedious. But this popular artist imparts an environmental message, couched in a lament for the irreversible loss that occurs when a sense of ethics does not govern the treatment of animals. (See above.) (Benjamin Genocchio) * Frick Collection: MASTERPIECES OF EUROPEAN PAINTING FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART, through Jan. 28. This exhibition transcends the usual traveling masterpieces-from genre, with room to spare. The 14 paintings include almost always outstanding works by household names like Velázquez, Caravaggio, El Greco, Turner and Poussin, as well as Annibale Carracci, Francisco de Zurbarán and Andrea del Sarto. But the astute installation makes the most of all this star power, letting the works talk among themselves to a remarkable degree, illuminating their likenesses, differences and collective progress. 1 East 70th Street, (212) 288-0700. (Smith) * SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso, through March 28. This show is spectacularly grand and avoids the familiar piety of the standard masterpiece potpourri by virtue of its eloquent installation in the museums loopy ramp. Its carried along on its sheer star power and optical finesse. There are dozens of Goyas and Velázquezes and Zurbaráns and El Grecos and Riberas and Dalís and Picassos, many famous, many not. The shows big point, which has the simple virtue of being self-evident, is that Spanish art did not constantly reinvent itself over time. It was a bubble culture, sustained for centuries by its political and religious isolation and its national loner mindset. Velázquezs painting of a dwarf is alone worth crossing a continent to see. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3500, guggenheim.org. (Michael Kimmelman) * THE METropolitan museum of art: GLITTER AND DOOM: GERMAN PORTRAITS FROM THE 1920s, through Feb. 19. This shows 100 paintings and drawings are by 10 artists, among them George Grosz, Christian Schad, Rudolf Schlichter and Karl Hubbuch, and most conspicuously the unrelentingly savage Otto Dix and his magnificent other, Max Beckmann. In their works the Weimar Republics porous worlds reassemble. We look into the faces of forward-looking museum directors and cabaret performers, society matrons and scarred war veterans, prostitutes and jaded aristocrats who were watching their world slide from one cataclysm to the next. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith) * THE MET: LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY AND LAURELTON HALL -- AN ARTISTS COUNTRY ESTATE, through May 20. Laurelton Hall may have burned to the ground in 1957, but this exhibition does an excellent job of reassembling what remains of this extraordinary house-museum and its gardens, which Tiffany created for himself in the early 1900s. The Gilded Age opulence of the place, which occupied 580 acres overlooking Long Island Sound -- and of the Tiffany residences preceding it -- is conveyed most blatantly by the Temple-of-Dendur-size Daffodil Terrace, in wood, marble and glass. The main events are the glass windows, vases and lamps, where Tiffanys genius for color, love of the exotic and reverence for nature coalesce into an unforgettable mystical materialism. (See above.) (Smith) * Museum of Modern Art: Manet and the Execution of Maximilian, through Jan. 29. This small, gripping, focused show remind us of Modernisms mutinous, myth-scouring origins. And it does so by bringing one of arts great path-cutters, Edouard Manet, onto the scene, wry, politically infuriated and painting like Lucifer. Theres not a lot of him here -- eight paintings, three on a single theme: the death by firing squad of the Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian in Mexico in 1867. But its enough. Manets images, surrounded by a prints and photographs, are electrifying, a new kind of history painting, that turned an art of pre-set ideals into one of mutable and unpredictable realities. (212) 708-9400. (Holland Cotter) * NEUE GALLERY: JOSEF HOFFMANN: INTERIORS, 1902-1913, through Feb. 26. An architect-designer who became an impresario of high taste in turn-of-the-century Vienna, Hoffmann was a believer in the Gesamkunstwerk, or total work of art, orchestrating useful objects with paintings, sculptures and architecture in a composition greater than its parts. His early, intensely 20th-century design program, based on the grid and the square, is evident here in the installation of four interiors he designed for wealthy Viennese patrons, replete with furniture, wall and floor coverings, textiles, lighting, ceramics, glass and metal work. Most impressive here is the dining room he designed in 1913 for the Geneva apartment of the Swiss Symbolist painter Ferdinand Hodler, a large, calm space with furniture that has a pre-postmodern look. Neue Gallery, 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, (212) 628-6200. (Glueck) New-York Historical Society: New York Divided: Slavery and the Civil War, through Sept. 3. This powerful exhibition, focused on the years between Emancipation and Reconstruction and featuring documents, videos, audio dramatizations, books, cartoons and historic objects, shows how divided the city was, even during the years of the Civil War. But it also draws attention to the importance of black abolitionists and to the forces that countered slaverys horrific heritage. It brings to a close the Historical Societys multi-year exploration of slavery in New York. 170 Central Park West, (212) 873-3400. (Edward Rothstein) P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center: John Latham: Time Base and the Universe, through Jan. 8. This retrospective of John Latham, who died this year at 84, suggests a series of nesting time capsules. It spans nearly 50 years of Mr. Lathams work, which is concerned with time, preservation and decay. Among the more idiosyncratic and interesting pieces are a series of Cluster sculptures from the early 1990s, orbs of plaster embedded with books and suspended from the ceiling, which suggest cultural detritus preserved in celestial rock or geological magma. The N-U Niddrie Heart (around 1990), in which The Pregnancy Survival Manual and Vanished Species are cut up and fitted into glass armatures, with sand scattered around their bases, explores human production (and reproduction) and the passage of time. 22-25 Jackson Avenue, at 46th Street, Long Island City, Queens, (718) 784-2084, ps1.org. (Martha Schwendener) Studio Museum in Harlem: Africa Comics, through March 18. Intense is the word for the stealth-potency of this modest-size, first-time United States survey of original designs by 35 African artists who specialize in comic art. The work is intense,the way urban Africa can be intense: intensely zany, intensely harsh, intensely warm, intensely political. The entertainment value is high. We are on familiar Marvel Comics ground with the adventures of the charismatic Princess Wella, a Superwoman with a ceremonial staff and braids, and the schlumpy but wily character named Goorgoolou from Senegal. But more often than not, humor is sugar-coating for varying degrees of disquiet, including images of jabbing violence. 144 West 125th Street, (212) 864-4500. (Cotter) * UKRAINIAN MUSEUM: CROSSROADS: MODERNISM IN UKRAINE, 1910-1930, through March 11. Some of the great names in Modernist Russian art -- Malevich, El Lissitsky, Rodchenko, Archipenko and Exter -- were actually born, or identified themselves as, Ukrainian. And this show of more than 70 works by 21 artists, including many interesting lesser-knowns, informs us that their Ukrainian-ness made an impact on their contributions to the Modernist movements of the 20th century. Discoveries in the show include Vsevolod Maksymovych, a painter drawing on Symbolist sources, heavily influenced by classical themes and the campy erotica of the British graphic artist Aubrey Beardsley; and Anatol Petrytsky, a painter and creator of lighthearted, collagelike sketches for classical and avant-garde opera and ballet. 222 East Sixth Street, East Village, (212) 228-0110, ukrainianmuseum.org. (Glueck) * The Whitney Museum of American Art: ALBERS AND MOHOLY-NAGY: FROM THE BAUHAUS TO THE NEW WORLD, through Jan. 21. This vigorously multimedia show traces the trajectories of two Modernist pioneers who overlapped as teachers at the Bauhaus in the 1920s and went on, separately, to influence postwar art and design in the United States. Ranging through painting, sculpture, film, design, prints and commercial art, it clarifies the Bauhaus debt to Russian Constructivism and includes works that presage the specific objects of the 1960s. Given the peregrinations of young artists among multiple art media, the show could not be more pertinent. The less-known Moholy-Nagy looks especially adventuresome. (212) 570-3676, whitney.org. (Smith) Whitney Museum of American Art: Kiki Smith: A Gathering, 1980-2005, through Feb. 11. Many things fly and float in Kiki Smith: men and women, harpies and angels, birds and beasts, toadstools and stars. And some things fall to earth, or rather to the museums black stone floors, maybe to rise again, maybe not. The whole show, a midcareer retrospective, suggests a Victorian fairy tale, its tone at once light, grievous and dreamlike. But fanciful as it is, Ms. Smiths art is also deeply, corporeally realistic. It wears moral and mortal seriousness on its sleeve, if not tattooed to its wrist. It is about life and death, the essential things. (See above.) (Cotter) Galleries: Chelsea Fred W. McDarrah: Artists and Writers of the 60s and 70s This show of more than 100 photographs by the former Village Voice photographer and picture editor Fred W. McDarrah opens with a shot of Jack Kerouac and some frolicsome women at a 1958 New Years Eve bash. It is hastily grabbed and opportunistic, like much of Mr. McDarrahs work, for he operated independently, rarely working on assignment. There are groupings of artists in their studios (Alice Neel, Philip Guston, Jasper Johns); actors (Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro on the set of Taxi Driver); and musicians (Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan). Mr. McDarrahs best-known image may be his 1965 close-up of Bob Dylan, dressed all in black and saluting, his countenance as earnest as that of a battle-hardened marine. It is an enduring symbol of the eras antiwar protests, rebellion and counterculture. Steven Kasher Gallery521 West 23rd Street, (212) 966-3978, stevenkasher.com, through Jan. 5. (Genocchio) Other Galleries * Political Cartoons from Nigeria Most of the drawn and painted images here are single-panel lampoons of past and present social inequity and corruption in Nigeria. Nearly all are by Ghariokwu Lemi, famous for his 26 superb, incident-filled album covers for Fela Kuti. For the occasion, the artist introduces two younger colleagues, Comfort Jacobs and Lordwealth Ololade, to New York. Without at all resembling him in style, they follow his sharp commentarial lead. Southfirst, 60 North Sixth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-4884, through Dec. 17. (Cotter) Last Chance STEVE MUMFORD: THE WAR IN IRAQ This exhibition of paintings is based on Mr. Mumfords field drawings and sketches done in four trips to Iraq from April 2003 to October 2004. His paintings function differently from news photographs and television images -- they are not so mediated, which is one reason, perhaps, that they are so arresting. Postmasters Gallery, 459 West 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 727 3323 or www.postmastersart.com; closes tomorrow. (Genocchio)
EASTENDERS: SPOILER ALERT - KATHY BEALE returns home to Walford in live.
Thirty years to the day the hit BBC One programme was first aired, Kathy Beale (played by Gillian Taylforth) made her dramatic return in a gripping showdown with her ex-love Phill Mitchell. In true EastEnders fashion Kathy arrived on the banks of the.
EastEnders: see the original Albert Square map published in Radio Times 30.
Ian Beale didnt live on Albert Square at all (he was on the Estate with mum Kathy and dad Pete), while Deals on Wheels was a business called Discount Tyres. Below, you can see a gallery of the coverage of the opening episodes of EastEnders from that .
EastEnders 30th anniversary: The most memorable moments of the hit BBC soap
Gillian Taylforth was probably best known as co-host of childrens show On Safari with Christopher Biggins before being cast as market-stall holder and barmaid Kathy Beale. The Queen Vics landlord and landlady, Den and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson), were .
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Other family members include his mother Betty Richardson, step-mother, Lucille Redmon, his sisters; Kathy Beale and her husband McKim, Sherri Kirwin and her husband Bob, Dr. Julie Redmon and her husband Rich Haugg��.
Celebrity Big Brother 2013: Gillian Taylforth says.
Gillian Taylforth, who of course left the Celebrity Big Brother house last week, has revealed that the bosses of BBC soap EastEnders have ���begged��� her to return to the show, even though her character Kathy Beale died in a��.
Kathy Kelly���Serving Time | Sharon Delgado
Last Spring, on April 18, 2014, Kathy was with us at Beale Air Force Base on Good Friday. She spoke during the prayer service and joined as thirteen of us crossed the line onto base property in a nonviolent direct action��.
The Listings: June 15 - June 21
Selective listings by critics of The New York Times of new and noteworthy cultural events in the New York metropolitan region this week. * denotes a highly recommended film, concert, show or exhibition. Theater Approximate running times are in parentheses. Theaters are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of current shows, additional listings, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/theater. Previews and Openings BEYOND GLORY In previews; opens on Thursday. War stories from Stephen Lang form the basis of this solo play, based on the tales of eight veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam (1:20). Laura Pels Theater, 111 West 46th Street, (212) 719-1300. ELVIS PEOPLE In previews; opens on Thursday. Explore the obsessive world of Elvis fans in this new drama about the influence of the King (2:00). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. EURYDICE In previews; opens on Monday. The hot young playwright Sarah Ruhl (The Clean House) gives her spin on the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (1:30). Second Stage Theater, 307 West 43rd Street, Clinton, (212) 246-4422. FALSETTOLAND In previews; opens on Sunday. The National Asian-American Theater company brings back its revival of William Finns musical about a gay man trying to deal with his wife, his lover and the approaching bar mitzvah of his son (1:40). Dimson Theater, 108 East 15th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 279-4200. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: THE ROAST OF UTOPIA Through Aug 22. The master parodists return with an excellent title and new jokes at the expense of Spring Awakening, Mary Poppins and other shows (1:30). 47th Street Theater, 304 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. GONE MISSING In previews; opens on June 24. The Civilians revive this play with music; based on interviews, it revolves around the theme of loss (1:30). Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street, West Village, (212) 239-6200. OLD ACQUAINTANCE In previews; opens on June 28. The Roundabout presents a new revival of John Van Drutens drawing room comedy about two childhood friends who grow up to be very different adults (2:15). American Airlines Theater, 227 West 42nd Street, (212) 719-1300. RADIO In previews; opens on Sunday. A coming of age is paralleled with the growth of the Apollo space program in this new drama in the Brits Off Broadway festival (1:00). 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, (212) 279-4200. ROMEO AND JULIET In previews; opens on June 24. Oscar Isaac and Lauren Ambrose play the star-crossed lovers in this new Shakespeare in the Park production. Michael Greif (Rent) directs. Delacorte Theater in Central Park, midpark at 80th Street, (212) 539-8750. Broadway A CHORUS LINE If you want to know why this show was such a big deal when it opened 31 years ago, you need only experience the thrilling first five minutes of this revival. Otherwise, this archivally exact production, directed by Bob Avian, feels like a vintage car that has been taken out of the garage, polished up and sent on the road once again (2:00). Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Ben Brantley) * COMPANY (Tony Award, best revival of a musical 2007) Fire, beckoning and dangerous, flickers beneath the frost of John Doyles elegant revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furths era-defining musical from 1970, starring a compellingly understated Raúl Esparza. Like Mr. Doyles Sweeney Todd, this production finds new clarity of feeling in Sondheim by melding the roles of performers and musicians (2:20). Barrymore Theater, 243 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) CURTAINS This musical comedy about a musical-comedy murder -- featuring songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Rupert Holmes -- lies on the stage like a promisingly gaudy string of firecrackers, waiting in vain for a match. The good news is that David Hyde Pierce, playing a diffident Boston detective, steps into full-fledged Broadway stardom. Scott Ellis directs a talent-packed cast that includes Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba. (2:30). Al Hirschfeld Theater, 302 West 45th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) DEUCE Back on Broadway for the first time in 25 years, Angela Lansbury is so vitally and indelibly present that she even gives flesh to this flimsy comedy. Terrence McNallys play, about the reunion of two former doubles partners (Ms. Lansbury and Marian Seldes), is a jerry-built shrine to enduring star power. Directed by Michael Blakemore (1:45). Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * FROST/NIXON Frank Langella turns in a truly titanic performance as Richard M. Nixon in Peter Morgans briskly entertaining, if all-too-tidy, play about the former presidents annihilating television interviews with the British talk show host David Frost (the excellent Michael Sheen). Michael Grandage directs with the momentum of a ticking-bomb thriller and the zing of a boulevard comedy (1:40). Jacobs Theater, 242 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * GREY GARDENS Christine Ebersole is absolutely glorious as the middle-aged, time-warped debutante called Little Edie Beale in this uneven musical adaptation of the notorious 1975 documentary of the same title. She and the wonderful Mary Louise Wilson (as her bedridden mother), in the performances of their careers, make Grey Gardens an experience no passionate theatergoer should miss (2:40). Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) INHERIT THE WIND Doug Hughess wooden revival of this worthy war horse, based on the Scopes monkey trial of 1925, never musters much more velocity than a drugstore fan. Be grateful that the cast includes Christopher Plummer, in savory form as a Will Rogers of jurisprudence. An oddly subdued Brian Dennehy plays his pompous adversary (2:00). Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) LEGALLY BLONDE This nonstop sugar rush of a musical about a powder puff who finds her inner power-broker, based on the 2001 film, approximates the experience of eating a jumbo bag of Gummi Bears in one sitting. Flossing between songs is recommended (2:20). Palace Theater, 1564 Broadway, at 47th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) LOVEMUSIK As Lotte Lenya and Kurt Weill, Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris turn in stunningly shaded performances in what is, alas, a sluggish, mixed-up bio-musical. Scored with an eclectic sampler of Weills songs, LoveMusik strives to achieve chilly distance and cozy intimacy in the same breath. Harold Prince directs; Alfred Uhry wrote the conventionally sentimental book (2:40). Biltmore Theater, 261 West 47th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) MARY POPPINS This handsome, homily-packed, mechanically ingenious and rather tedious musical, adapted from the P. L. Travers stories and the 1964 film, is ultimately less concerned with inexplicable magic than with practical psychology. Ashley Brown, who sings prettily as the family-mending nanny, looks like Joan Crawford trying to be nice and sounds like Dr. Phil. Directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne (2:30). New Amsterdam Theater, 214 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) LES MISÉRABLES This premature revival, a slightly scaled-down version of the well-groomed behemoth that closed only three years ago, appears to be functioning in a state of mild sedation. Appealingly sung and freshly orchestrated, this fast-moving adaptation of Victor Hugos novel isnt sloppy or blurry. But its pulse rate stays well below normal (2:55). Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) 110 IN THE SHADE Is it possible for a performance to be too good? Audra McDonald brings such breadth of skill and depth of feeling to Lonny Prices lukewarm revival of this musical about a love-starved spinster that she threatens to burst the seams. Shes an overwhelming presence in an underwhelming show (2:30). Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, (212) 719-1300. (Brantley) RADIO GOLF The final -- and in dramatic terms, the weakest -- of August Wilsons magnificent 10-play cycle about the African-American experience, Radio Golf has the crackle of a bustling comedy. But this tale of getting and spending in the 1990s, directed by Kenny Leon, throbs with a lament for a lost time, a lost culture, a lost language (2:30). Cort Theater, 138 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) * SPRING AWAKENING (Tony Award, best musical 2007) Duncan Sheik and Steven Saters bold adaptation of the Frank Wedekind play is the freshest and most exciting new musical Broadway has seen in some time. Set in 19th-century Germany but with a ravishing rock score, it exposes the splintered emotional lives of adolescents just discovering the joys and sorrows of sex. Performed with brio by a great cast, with supple direction by Michael Mayer and inventive choreography by Bill T. Jones (2:00). Eugene ONeill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Charles Isherwood) * TALK RADIO The most lacerating portrait of a human meltdown this side of a Francis Bacon painting. Playing an abrasive radio talk show host with a God complex, the astounding Liev Schreiber seems to fill the air as inescapably as weather in Robert Fallss gut-grabbing revival of Eric Bogosians 1987 play (1:40). Longacre Theater, 220 West 48th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Joan Didions arresting but ultimately frustrating adaptation of her best-selling memoir about being blindsided by grief, starring Vanessa Redgrave. The tension between style and emotional content that made the book such a stunner does not translate to the stage. The substance here is in the silences, when the focus shifts from words to Ms. Redgraves wry face (1:40). Booth Theater, 222 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) Off Broadway CRAZY MARY Sigourney Weaver and Kristine Nielsen serve their specialties (WASP tartness, madcap madness) with such gusto in A. R. Gurneys comedy that it feels ungallant to point out that their characters are as artificial as hard-plastic dolls. A contrived play that never quite connects its thoughtful mind with its sentimental heart (2:00). Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Brantley) ELECTRA An adaptation of Sophocles play that is more of a spoof of a Greek tragedy than any serious attempt to revive one (1:10). The HAS Theater, 645 St. Nicholas Avenue, at 141st Street, Hamilton Heights, (212) 868-4444.(Wilborn Hampton) ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATER MARATHON 2007: SERIES A Neil LaButes contemporary gloss on a classic tale of Greek vengeance is the highlight of the first round in this annual series of short plays. Dana Delany and Victor Slezak are woman scorned and cad of a hubby in a gruesome drama that packs a visceral punch. Unfortunately, Mr. LaButes play comes last in a mostly unrewarding program (2:00). Ensemble Studio Theater, 549 West 52nd Street, Clinton, (212) 352-3101. (Isherwood) ESCAPE FROM BELLEVUE This showcase for the band the Knockout Drops is less a theatrical experience than a slightly uncomfortable hybrid of a stand-up routine and a rock concert. It is also the agreeable if predictable memoir of the lead singer, Christopher John Campion, who narrates his own story -- heavy substance abuse, a couple of trips to Bellevue, a brave new life -- with a knack for anecdote and an ear for dialogue, like a particularly good storyteller at the corner bar. But ultimately, a rock musical, even one as understated as this, rises or falls with its music; fortunately, this band, though a little stolid, is pretty good (1:30). The Village Theater, 158 Bleecker Street, (212) 307-7171. (Anne Midgette) FROM RIVERDALE TO RIVERHEAD Like a spinoff of the Saturday Night Live skit Bronx Beat, three strident, shallow sisters dominate this road play by Anastasia Traina, which repeatedly strikes the notes of a comedy skit but steadily increases the volume to an uncomfortable level of cruelty. Louise (Angelica Torn), her sisters and her luminous and quirky daughter, Rosie (Bess Rous), are driving to visit Louises son in prison, enduring Louises loud outbursts of self-pity that escalate into hysteria and abuse. The whole play focuses on these four women in the car, evoking the Are we there yet? of a family trip until it finally, in every sense, veers off the road (2:00). Studio Dante, 257 West 29th Street, Chelsea, (212) 239-4500. (Midgette) GASLIGHT The Irish Repertory Theaters revival of Patrick Hamiltons 1938 thriller about a husband intent on driving his wife mad strips away the claustrophobia and ably resists clichéd feminist interpretation. As the impish detective who saves the day, Brian Murray is the plays great leavening agent. He prompts the heroine to whiskey drinking, and you want to raise a glass to him (2:00). Irish Repertory Theater, 132 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, (212) 727-2737. (Ginia Bellafante) HORIZON God is in the curriculum in Rinde Eckerts lively portrait of a theologian, an homage to the Christian realism of Reinhold Niebuhr. But even the fiercest secularist should find pleasure in this engaging performance piece, set in the seminary-without-walls of one mans mind (1:25). New York Theater Workshop, 79 East Fourth Street, East Village, (212) 460-8996. (Brantley) * IN THE HEIGHTS Lin-Manuel Mirandas joyous songs paint a vibrant portrait of daily life in Washington Heights in this flawed but enjoyable show. Essentially a valentine to the barrio -- conflict of a violent or desperate kind is banished from the picture -- the musical contains a host of funny performances and brings the zesty sound of Latin pop to the stage. (2:10). 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Isherwood) IN A DARK DARK HOUSE Neil LaButes latest work, a tale of two badly behaving brothers (played by Frederick Weller and Ron Livingston), is about American adolescence and how it is warped, stolen and willfully extended. Before the double-knotted plot twists take over, its a cold-eyed, absorbing drama that testifies to its authors very real talents (1:30). Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher Street, West Village, (212) 279-4200. (Brantley) * PASSING STRANGE The composer and performer Stew narrates this semiautobiographical show about a songwriter on a journey of self-discovery. Part rock concert, part book musical, it flows smoothly on a strong current of feeling and humor as the Los Angeles-born central character searches for his musical voice in the hash bars of Amsterdam and the cabarets of Berlin (2:30). Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555. (Isherwood) * THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL The Mint Theater Company has unearthed this enthralling Edwardian drama by St. John Hankin about a lazy charmer who returns home to blackmail his wealthy family (2:00). The Mint Theater Company, 311 West 43rd Street, Clinton, (212) 315-0231. (Jason Zinoman) * THE RULES OF CHARITY A man with cerebral palsy and the daughter who cares for him are at the center of this scalding play by John Belluso, which hits none of the familiar notes of the works-about-the-disabled genre but many thought-provoking ones. The performances, by the troupe Theater by the Blind, stick with you, along with the unsettling ideas of the play (2:00). Lion Theater, 410 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200. (Neil Genzlinger) * SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL A disarming collage of selections from the monologues and journals of Mr. Gray, the ultimate stand-up solipsist, who died in 2004. Directed by Lucy Sexton, and read by five performers, none of whom resemble Mr. Gray, with an affection that shrewdly stops short of hero worship (1:30). Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane, Greenwich Village, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Off Off Broadway the house of bernarda alba A first-rate revival in an adaptation that is somewhat abbreviated but maintains the plays tragic claustrophobia. A fine cast that includes a 12-member chorus that dances the flamenco (1:40). Nagelberg Theater, Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue, at 25th Street, (212) 279-4200. (Hampton) TIME FLIES AND OTHERS BY IVES An amusing collection of comic playlets by David Ives embraces the little guy (1:35). Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 868-4444. (Zinoman) Long-Running Shows ALTAR BOYZ This sweetly satirical show about a Christian pop group made up of five potential Teen People cover boys is an enjoyable, silly diversion (1:30). New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) AVENUE Q R-rated puppets give lively life lessons (2:10). Golden Theater, 252 West 45th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Cartoon made flesh, sort of (2:30). Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) CHICAGO Irrefutable proof that crime pays (2:25). Ambassador Theater, 219 West 49th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE COLOR PURPLE Singing CliffsNotes for Alice Walkers Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (2:40). Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE DROWSY CHAPERONE A pasteboard pastiche of 1920s musicals, as remembered by a witty show queen (1:40). Marquis Theater, 1535 Broadway, at 45th Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) HAIRSPRAY Fizzy pop, cute kids, large man in a housedress (2:30). Neil Simon Theater, 250 West 52nd Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) JERSEY BOYS The biomusical that walks like a man (2:30). August Wilson Theater, 245 West 52nd Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE LION KING Disney on safari, where the big bucks roam (2:45). Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street at Broadway, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) MAMMA MIA! The jukebox that devoured Broadway (2:20). Cadillac Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Who was that masked man, anyway? (2:30). Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) RENT East Village angst and love songs to die for (2:45). Nederlander Theater, 208 West 41st Street, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) SPAMALOT A singing scrapbook for Monty Python fans (2:20). Shubert Theater, 225 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200. (Brantley) TARZAN A writhing green blob with music (2:30). Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4747. (Brantley) THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE A Chorus Line with pimples (1:45). Circle in the Square, 254 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200. (Isherwood) WICKED Oz revisited, with political corrections (2:45). Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-4100. (Brantley) Last Chance THE PIRATE QUEEN How to river-dance your way to the bottom of the ocean, courtesy of the songwriters of Les Misérables (2:30). Hilton Theater, 213 West 42nd Street, (212) 307-4100; closes on Sunday. (Brantley) TEA Age-blind casting is a great strength of the Pan Asian Repertory Theaters production of this play about four Japanese war brides who gather in 1968 to clean up the house of a fifth, who has killed herself. But the play itself crams verbiage and melodrama into what feels like a television epic, complete with that most stereotypical of figures, the dead womans ghost seeking liberation into the next world. The whole thing goes down like a long soap opera, though the actresses do their best to bring it all to life (1:30). West End Theater, 263 West 86th Street, (212) 352-3101; closes on Sunday. (Midgette) Movies Ratings and running times are in parentheses; foreign films have English subtitles. Full reviews of all current releases, movie trailers, show times and tickets: nytimes.com/movies. AMU (No rating, 102 minutes, in English, Bengali, Hindi and Punjabi) This ambitious first feature by Shonali Bose, about Kaju, a young Indian-American woman searching for the real India and for her roots, begins as a gentle comedy of cultures clashing. Its true topic, though, is the riots that broke out in Delhi in 1984 after Indira Gandhis assassination. Thousands of Sikhs were killed, and as Kaju learns, justice has been delayed and denied. (Rachel Saltz) * AWAY FROM HER (PG-13, 110 minutes) Sarah Polleys well-observed adaptation of a story by Alice Munro is a quiet tour de force about love and loss, anchored by fine performances by Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie as a couple dealing with the loss of memory and memories of past hurt. (A. O. Scott) THE BOSS OF IT ALL (No rating, 99 minutes, in Danish) To describe The Boss of It All, Lars von Triers acidic corporate comedy, as The Office viewed through the looking glass only scratches the surface of the newest film from one of the foremost tricksters of world cinema. (Stephen Holden) * BRAND UPON THE BRAIN (No rating, 96 minutes) A baroque entertainment with one foot in silent cinema and the other gingerly toeing the sound waves, Guy Maddins latest centers on a man who, in visiting a now-emptied foundling home, journeys deep into his childhood. Its wild! Its weird! Its strangely touching and a total must-see! (Manohla Dargis) BROOKLYN RULES (R, 99 minutes) However authentic and heartfelt this films depiction of life on the meaner streets of the Northeast corridor may be, its story of three friends growing up in a mob-infested Brooklyn neighborhood doesnt begin to match The Sopranos in its epic vision of violence, class struggle and upward mobility in a barbarous culture. (Holden) BUG (R, 102 minutes) In this overwrought psychodrama from the director William Friedkin, Ashley Judds acting continues to surpass her career choices. Playing a shaky Oklahoma barmaid, she convincingly juggles an abusive husband (Harry Connick Jr.) and a newfound lover (Michael Shannon) who sees creepy-crawlies in the mattress and conspiracies everywhere. Though the movies escalating hysteria may strain credulity, Ms. Judd has never been more believable as a woman condemned to attract the wrong kind of man. (Jeannette Catsoulis) CHALK (PG-13, 105 minutes) This loose-jointed ensemble mockumentary about high school teachers is funny in a squirm-inducing way. (Holden) CRAZY LOVE (PG-13, 92 minutes) Love is blind, and so too is Linda Pugach, one of the loony-tuners in Dan Kloress somewhat sickening, mildly gonzo documentary. In 1959 Mrs. Pugach, then 22 and known as Linda Riss, was blinded by her husband-to-be Burton Pugach, a Bronx ambulance chaser who single-mindedly pursued the object of his obsession all the way to the marriage altar. (Dargis) DAY WATCH (R, 140 minutes, in Russian) Picking up a number of years after Night Watch concludes, this second installment in Timur Bekmambetovs bustling supernatural trilogy dazzles and confuses with equal determination. Less coherent than its predecessor, if equally creative, the movie depicts hidden dimensions teeming with beings who swap bodies at will and rewrite destiny with something called the Chalk of Fate. Perhaps the Fickle Finger was otherwise engaged. (Catsoulis) * HOLLYWOOD DREAMS (R, 100 minutes) Filled with movie memories and gender confusion, Henry Jagloms 15th and most accessible film finds him in a gentler, more wistful mood. Using a rabidly fame-smitten starlet (Tanna Frederick) as his fulcrum, Mr. Jaglom muses over the burdens of fame and the price of success. Knowing but never jaded, the movie is driven by Ms. Fredericks no-boundaries commitment to her broken character, a performance thats as startling as it is touching. (Catsoulis) HOSTEL: PART II (R, 94 minutes) A trio of American female students are brutalized and butchered by the rich and twisted in Eli Roths follow-up to his generally odious Hostel. Both installments are driven by the same low motivation: to push the boundaries of exploitative nastiness. (Laura Kern) * KILLER OF SHEEP (No rating, 83 minutes) Largely hidden from view for three decades, Charles Burnetts lyrical film about a working-class family living in a broken-down home in a bombed-out stretch of Los Angeles is an American masterpiece. (Dargis) * KNOCKED UP (R, 129 minutes) Foul of mouth and true of heart, this new comedy from Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) captures the sexual and moral confusion of the present moment remarkably well. Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl are unlikely bedfellows but perfect comic foils as a shlub-babe couple whose one-night stand leans to an unintended but not unwelcome pregnancy. (Scott) MR. BROOKS (R, 120 minutes) Kevin Costner and William Hurt camp it up as a serial killer and his demonic alter ego in Mr. Brooks, a werewolf movie masquerading as a sophisticated thriller. (Holden) * OCEANS THIRTEEN (PG-13, 113 minutes) The gangs all here, looking fighting trim and Hollywood beautiful, at your disposable pleasure. Steven Soderbergh shoots and directs, while George, Brad and the rest hustle and flow. (Dargis) * ONCE (R, 88 minutes) A modest, scruffy movie about two musicians who meet on a Dublin street and sort of fall in love. Charming, touching and true. (Scott) * PAPRIKA (R, 90 minutes, in Japanese) In this gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery, the doors of perception never close. Satoshi Kons mind-twisting, eye-tickling animé isnt greasy kids stuff: its for thinking, interested adults whose sense of wonder remains as alive as their imaginations. (Dargis) * PIERREPOINT: THE LAST HANGMAN (R, 90 minutes) In this meditation on capital punishment and culpability, Timothy Spall, British films quintessential blundering bloke, sinks his teeth into one of the juiciest roles of his career. His character, Albert Pierrepoint, a once-celebrated English hangman, executed more than 600 people (including 200 Nazi war criminals) from the early 1930s to the mid-1950s. (Holden) PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLDS END (PG-13, 167 minutes) This third and perhaps final episode in Gore Verbinskis swishy, swashbuckling saga wisely returns to the high-seas high jinks that made the first film so enjoyable. In service to a typically convoluted plot -- involving British perfidy, pieces of eight and a Godzilla-size sorceress -- all the usual suspects return to lie, swindle and marvel at Keith Richardss longevity, if not his line delivery. Jack Sparrow hallucinates, Barbossa agitates, and Elizabeth Swann is elected Pirate King. Really. Mr. Verbinski knows who wears the trousers in his trilogy. (Catsoulis) SHREK THE THIRD (PG, 93 minutes) The ogre faces impending fatherhood and a career crisis. (Scott) SHOWBUSINESS (PG, 102 minutes) This documentary by Dori Bernstein follows four Broadway musicals from rehearsal through the 2004 Tony Awards: Caroline, or Change; Taboo; Avenue Q; and Wicked. On top of the usual challenges (fund-raising, rewrites, tryouts, marketing), they all had to endure scrutiny by theater critics and gossip columnists. Lively, sometimes cutting but mostly humane, ShowBusiness is packed with telling details. (Matt Zoller Seitz) SURFS UP (PG, 90 minutes) Treading eagerly on the flippers of last years Happy Feet comes this ho-hum, computer-animated comedy featuring birds on boards. As a young Rockhopper penguin (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) heads for his first professional surfing competition, he learns about love, perseverance and that winning isnt everything. Though infused with a friendly, blue-collar vibe, the movie suggests that a moratorium on penguins might be called for -- despite the inevitable anthropomorphic void. (Catsoulis) * TEN CANOES (No rating, 90 minutes, in various Yolngu Aboriginal dialects) There is nothing more enthralling than a good yarn, and the mesmerizing Ten Canoes interweaves two versions of the same Australian Aboriginal fable, one filmed in black and white and set a thousand years ago and an even older one, filmed in color and set in prehistoric times. (Holden) * 28 WEEKS LATER (R, 91 minutes) The virus that killed off most of England -- after turning its population into rabid, flesh-hungry zombies -- seems to be under control at the start of this terrifying sequel to 28 Days Later. But if anything, the horror is deeper, and the social criticism more acute. (Scott) * THE VALET (PG-13, 85 minutes, in French) If you love to hate the superrich, this delectable comedy, in which the great French actor Daniel Auteuil portrays a piggy billionaire industrialist facing his comeuppance, is a sinfully delicious bonbon, a classic French farce with modern touches. (Holden) * WAITRESS (PG-13, 104 minutes) Keri Russell is a small-town waitress in a bad marriage who finds solace in pie-baking and adultery in Adrienne Shellys wry and winning final feature. (Scott) * YEAR OF THE DOG (PG-13, 97 minutes) Mike Whites touching comedy about a woman who loses a dog and finds herself is funny ha-ha but firmly in touch with its downer side, which means that its also funny in a kind of existential way. Molly Shannon stars alongside a menagerie of howling scene-stealers. (Dargis) Film Series TO SAVE AND PROJECT: THE FIFTH MoMA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILM PRESERVATION (Today through Monday) This richly varied series of films recently restored by the Museum of Modern Art and other members of the International Federation of Film Archives comes to an end this weekend, but there are still some remarkable things to see: The 1942 film A Pilot Returns (Friday) is one of the propaganda films made for Mussolinis government by Roberto Rossellini, whose politics changed abruptly (Open City) at the wars end; August Bloms End of the World (Saturday) is an apocalyptic thriller made in Denmark in 1916; A Man There Was (Saturday) is a 1917 feature by Swedens first major filmmaker, Victor Sjostrom. Sunday brings a double feature of experimental films by Hollis Frampton, Zorns Lemma and Winter Solstice, as preserved by MoMA. The festival ends on Monday with Noel Blacks cult favorite Pretty Poison; Mata Hari, a 1931 George Fitzmaurice film featuring Greta Garbos sexiest pre-code performance; and Otto Premingers dark and stately 1947 melodrama, Daisy Kenyon, with Joan Crawford and Henry Fonda. Museum of Modern Art Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, (212) 708-9400, moma.org; $10. (Dave Kehr) THREE BY JAMES BENNING (Today through Thursday) Nothing seems more ordinary than the notion of a landscape photographer, but a landscape filmmaker is something exceptional -- which is just what James Benning is. His work discovers movement and change where others have for so long seen stasis and permanence. The Anthology Film Archives will be screening three of Mr. Bennings recent films in rotation this week, beginning tonight with 13 Lakes and Ten Skies (both made in 2004), and adding One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later, a 2005 revisitation of Mr. Bennings celebrated 1977 film One Way Boogie Woogie. Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, at Second Street, East Village, (212) 505-5181, anthologyfilmarchives.org; $8. (Kehr) Pop Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music. LILY ALLEN (Sunday) A 22-year-old British singer with deceptively sweet, ska-infused pop songs, Ms. Allen is at her wry and snarky best when putting down disagreeable suitors. Smile, a No. 1 hit in England, is pure schadenfreude, and Knock Em Out a catalog of snappy answers to bad pickup lines: Ive got herpes. No, Ive got syphilis. At 8 p.m., Warsaw, 261 Driggs Avenue, at Eckford Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 387-0505, warsawconcerts.com; $25. (Ben Sisario) APOSTLE OF HUSTLE, MEMPHIS (Tomorrow and Monday) More evidence that Canada might have more side projects than actual bands: Apostle of Hustle, featuring Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene, plays dreamy washes of guitar over an easygoing rock pulse, recalling the soft points of U2s Unforgettable Fire. Memphis includes Torquil Campbell of Stars, the superbly urbane indie-cabaret band from Toronto, whose songs are evoked but not equaled by Memphiss delicate melodies and cool dissection of heartbreak. Tomorrow at 9 p.m., Southpaw, 125 Fifth Avenue, near Sterling Place, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 230-0236, spsounds.com; $10. Monday at 9 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $12. (Sisario) * BRAKESBRAKESBRAKES, PELA (Tonight through Sunday) Led by the snarlingly persistent Eamon Hamilton, Brakesbrakesbrakes packs a lifetime of resentment into a taut two-minute power-pop song and turns to wistful country-folk to simmer down. (The band is known simply as Brakes back home in England, but uses the unwieldy triplicate here to distinguish itself from another band named Brakes.) Pela, from Brooklyn, calls its style pastoral punk, which means wide-open skies of bouncy, Pixiesesque basslines and sharp, sparkling guitars. With Electric Soft Parade. Tonight at 9:30, Maxwells, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, N.J., (201) 653-1703, maxwellsnj.com; $14. Tomorrow at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 8 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $12 in advance, $14 at the door. (Sisario) FAB FAUX (Tuesday and Wednesday) There are Beatles tribute acts, and then there are Beatles tribute acts. This one, featuring the bassist Will Lee (of the Late Show With David Letterman band) and the guitarist Jimmy Vivino (from Late Night With Conan OBrien), recreates even the most complex studio work of the later Beatles without breaking a sweat. These two concerts are billed as a full-career Beatles survey: From the Cavern to the Rooftop. At 8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; sold out. (Sisario) * MICHAEL FEINSTEIN (Tonight and tomorrow night) In the final two performances of Celebrating Bobby Short, Mr. Feinsteins funny, touching, meticulously researched tribute to this cabaret legend, who died two years ago, his special guests are Barbara Carroll (tonight) and Charles Cochran (tomorrow). This is the jazziest show of Mr. Feinsteins career, and he confidently stands his ground. At 8:30 and 11, Feinsteins at Loews Regency, 540 Park Avenue, at 61st Street, (212) 339-4095, feinsteinsattheregency.com; $75 cover, with a $40 minimum. (Stephen Holden) ALBERT HAMMOND JR. (Monday) The sunshine of Yours to Keep (Scratchie/New Line), the debut solo album by Mr. Hammond, of the Strokes, shows that crisp guitar classicism need not exist solely in the dark behind Manhattans velvet ropes. With the Dead Trees and Medium Cool. At 8 p.m., Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $20 in advance, $23 at the door. (Sisario) * YUKA HONDA (Tomorrow) The keyboardist half of the fondly remembered 1990s avant-pop duo Cibo Matto -- who sang kitschy and hilarious confections about the infinite bounty of junk food -- Yuka Honda has kept busy as a solo artist and collaborator. Tomorrow, in a show presented by Tonic, she unveils a new project with Petra Haden, whose own ambitions include an a cappella cover of the Whos album The Who Sell Out. Also on hand: Sean Lennon, Cyro Baptista and DJ Olive. At 8 p.m., Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, at Pitt Street, Lower East Side, (212) 352-3101, abronsartscenter.org or tonicnyc.com; $15. (Sisario) LYLE LOVETT, K. D. LANG (Thursday) Lyle Lovett uses the ache in his voice to sound utterly heartfelt even when his songs grow wry and absurd, while his limber band covers the Texas spectrum from swing to honky-tonk to gospel. K. D. Langs big, sultry voice harks back to a bygone era, when pop and country singers knew how to linger over a songs melody. But in the material she writes and chooses, she has a postmodern self-consciousness, embracing lavish emotions without giving in to them entirely. At 8 p.m., Radio City Music Hall, (212) 307-7171, radiocity.com; $45.50 to $101. (Jon Pareles) MASCOTT (Tuesday) If Aimee Mann had fended off cynicism, she might sound like Kendall Meade, the songwriter and singer of Mascott. Ms. Meades serenely tuneful songs turn folk-rock into stately pop, wrapping vulnerability and longing in quietly radiant arrangements. With Graham Smith, Ghosts Ive Met and Twin Thousands. At 8 p.m., Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets, Lower East Side, (212) 253-0036, cake-shop.com; $7. (Pareles) MIDSUMMER NIGHT SWING (Tuesday through Thursday) Lincoln Centers annual outdoor series of low-dipping, high-kicking music and dancing opens on Tuesday with George Gees Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra and David Bergers Sultans of Swing recreating The Count Meets the Duke, the 1961 duel between Count Basie and Duke Ellington. On Wednesday is Charanga Soleil, which mixes salsa with Congolese guitar rumba and Haitian rara drumming; Thursday is a disco party for Gay Pride Week, with Jai Rodriguez as the host. At 7:30 p.m., with dance lessons at 6:30 p.m., Josie Robertson Plaza, Columbus Avenue at 63rd Street, (212) 721-6500, lincolncenter.org; $15. (Sisario) * MIKA (Tonight) A 23-year-old British singer driven identity mad by his pop-culture obsessions -- I tried to be Grace Kelly/But all her looks were too sad -- Mika aims for the glittery pop bombast of Elton John and Queen, and has the gumption to pull it off. With Sara Bareilles. At 8, Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway, at 44th Street, (212) 307-7171, nokiatheatrenyc.com; sold out. (Sisario) ODEATH (Tonight) This raw and ragged New York band draws from the starkness and spiritual purity of Appalachian folk, the menace of punk and the rowdy theatricality of Tom Waits, jumbling sacred and profane. Tonight ODeath celebrates the re-release of its album Head Home (Ernest Jenning). With the Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band and the Super Monster. At 8, Luna Lounge, 361 Metropolitan Avenue, at Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, lunalounge.com; $12. (Sisario) * ONEIDA (Tonight and tomorrow night) Things are best in Oneida songs when the patterns of drums, keyboards and guitar converge into powerful, pulsating drones that seem to summon some primordial rock energy. And though this veteran Brooklyn bands latest album, Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar), also toys with some medieval-ish folk, there is plenty of that eerie, cathartic blare. Tonight at 8, with Dirty Faces, Brass Castle, Repellent and others, at Trash Bar, 256 Grand Street, at Roebling Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718) 599-1000, thetrashbar.com; $7. Tomorrow at 9 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; free. (Sisario) * PANDA BEAR (Monday) Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear, is one of the singers and captains of disorientation in Animal Collective. In that band and on his recent solo album, Person Pitch (Paw Tracks), he sends the sunniest Beach Boys melodies through endless psychedelic transformations, sometimes elegant and sometimes terrifying. With Rusty Santos and Kria Brekken. At 7:30 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; sold out. (Sisario) MACEO PARKER (Sunday) As the alto saxophonist for James Brown in his prime funk years and later for George Clintons Parliament-Funkadelic, Mr. Parker has an impeccable pedigree and the skills to match. At 8 p.m., B. B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 997-4144, bbkingblues.com; $35 in advance, $37 at the door. (Sisario) PEACHES (Wednesday) For Peaches, a former Canadian schoolteacher who became the uninhibited queen of electroclash, sex is everything: liberating force, political stage, social equalizer. Rap-singing over sparse, nervy electronic beats, she is a dance-floor dominatrix who demands pleasure, and demands it her way. (Just one thing I cant compromise/I want to see you work it guy-on-guy.) Guests are promised; expect them to end up entangled with their host in one way or another. At 10 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; $30 in advance, $35 at the door. (Sisario) MADELEINE PEYROUX, JOSH RITTER (Tomorrow) Like Norah Jones, Ms. Peyroux has become a star by pursuing a gentle and sophisticated, jazz-inflected style -- a jazz-folk halfway point between Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline -- that has no place in the mainstream music business but whose honesty and finesse has struck a chord. Also on the bill is Josh Ritter, a songwriter whose guileless, boy-next-door voice belies the depth and ambition of his songs, whether he is confessing a simple crush or following his thoughts on a long, Whitmanesque incantation. At 8 p.m., Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th Street, (212) 307-7171, beacontheatrenyc.com; $35 to $65. (Sisario) A. R. RAHMAN (Tomorrow) Mr. Rahman became king of the Bollywood soundtrack in the 1990s with a candied, Westernized style that borrows some tricks from Andrew Lloyd Webber. No wonder, then, that Mr. Lloyd Webber looked to him to write the music for Bombay Dreams. At 8 p.m., Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, N.Y., (631) 888-9000, nassaucoliseum.com; $35 to $300. (Sisario) IKE REILLY ASSASSINATION (Tonight) An eloquent wiseguy whose songs evoke Bob Dylan and Paul Westerberg, Mr. Reilly, a former bellhop and gravedigger from Chicago, has the kind of high-energy, hook-heavy folk-rock sound that turns every head in a bar, while his nasal vocals are unsparingly sardonic: The friends that you rely on are the train tracks that you lie on. With Band of Thieves and the New York Howl. At 8, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; $15. (Sisario) BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (Monday) This 1960s protest folker and longtime champion of American Indian rights will surely sing Now That the Buffalos Gone and Until Its Time for You to Go, and maybe even Codine, which became a garage-rock standard. But fans will wonder -- and maybe cringe at the thought -- that she will also do her best-known number: Up Where We Belong, the mawkish 1982 smash sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes, which Ms. Sainte-Marie wrote with Will Jennings and Jack Nitzsche, then her husband. With Krystle Warren. At 7:30 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; $30. (Sisario) * TELEVISION, APPLES IN STEREO, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH (Tomorrow) The jam band of the CBGB era, Television proved that bare art-rock need not have any aesthetic limitations, as Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyds guitars wailed in spiky, sinuous counterpoint, and its songs mushroomed into free-form odysseys of melody and noise. Reunited a couple of times since the early 90s, the band doesnt play often enough, but tomorrow it headlines an afternoon at Central Park SummerStage, with Apples in Stereo, a band from Denver that plays power-pop in bright, primary colors; and Dragons of Zynth, which claims to have an auto-physio-psychic approach to noisemaking. At 3 p.m., Rumsey Playfield, midpark at 70th Street, (212) 360-2777, summerstage.org; free. (Sisario) * RICHARD THOMPSON, OLLABELLE (Thursday) From his days as a guitar prodigy in Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson has set his musings on bitterness and romance to subtly virtuosic, Celtic-infused folk-rock. His new album, Sweet Warrior (Shout! Factory), dips into nuts-and-bolts 50s rock for a series of stark tableaus of a world in conflict, from spiteful exes to a terrified, death-haunted young soldier in Iraq. The vocal quintet Ollabelle worships blues, country and gospel with crystalline voices and wide eyes, playing traditional songs like John the Revelator and originals that connect them to classic roots-rock. At 7 p.m., Celebrate Brooklyn, Prospect Park Bandshell, Prospect Park West and Ninth Street, Park Slope, (718) 855-7882, brooklynx.org; $3 suggested donation. (Sisario) MARY TIMONY (Tonight) Mary Timony, who led the band Helium, has kept her tightly wound guitar riffs but has gradually left behind the personality crises of indie-rock to ponder higher thoughts and cosmic forces. At 8, with High Places and Eric Gaffney, at Death By Audio, 49 South Second Street, between Wythe and Kent Avenues, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, toddpnyc.com; $8. (Pareles) TRUE COLORS TOUR (Monday) In the best girls-night-out package tour to come along in years, Cyndi Lauper appears with Debbie Harry, Erasure and a couple of rowdier underground bands: the heavily mascarad, cabaret-goth Dresden Dolls, and the Gossip, a trio that plays bare but potent blues-punk. Also on the bill: Rosie ODonnell and Margaret Cho. At 7 p.m., Radio City Music Hall, (212) 307-7171, radiocity.com; $51 to $205.50. (Sisario) * VOXTROT (Tonight) Like Morrissey or Ray Davies, Voxtrots Ramesh Srivastava uses the small scale, tight script and jangly energy of the three-minute rock song -- as well as a fragile voice perfectly comfortable with its limitations -- to focus emotionally compelling character studies. After a steady stream of singles and mini-albums, this Austin, Tex., band finally released its debut LP last month (Voxtrot, on Playlouder/Beggars), a triumph of angst and gush. With Favourite Sons and Au Revoir Simone. At 6, Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 533-2111, bowerypresents.com; $20. (Sisario) MARY WILSON (Tuesday through Thursday) A Supreme from its founding in 1959 as the Primettes through all the groups post-Diana Ross incarnations, Mary Wilson comes to Feinsteins at Loews Regency for a two-week cabaret engagement. Shes riding a wave of nostalgia in the wake of Dreamgirls, and her show is to feature standards -- in addition, of course, to Supremes hits. At 8:30 p.m., 540 Park Avenue, at 61st Street, (212) 339-4095, feinsteinsattheregency.com; $75 cover, with a $40 minimum. (Sisario) Jazz Full reviews of recent jazz concerts: nytimes.com/music. WESS ANDERSON QUARTET (Tuesday through Thursday) An alto saxophonist with a tart and bluesy sound, Mr. Anderson enjoys support here from the pianist Aaron Diehl, the bassist Kengo Nakamura and the drummer Jaz Sawyer. (Through June 24.) At 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Nate Chinen) PETER APFELBAUM AND NEW YORK HIEROGLYPHICS (Tonight and tomorrow night) Peter Apfelbaum, a multireedist and pianist, has been celebrating the 30th anniversary of this adventurous African-inspired band, with a roll call that includes Abdoulaye Diabate on vocals and Charles Burnham on violin. At 9 and 10:30, Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15. (Chinen) RICARDO ARIAS (Tomorrow) Mr. Arias is a Colombian-born improviser whose instrumental arsenal often includes a cluster of balloons. He presents a new commission, Trying and Erring, for a group that includes the percussionist Sean Meehan and the trumpeter Nate Wooley. At 6 p.m., Bronx River Art Center, 1087 East Tremont Avenue, at West Farms Square, Fordham, (718) 589-5819, bronxriverart.org; $10 suggested donation. (Chinen) MICHAËL ATTIASS TWINES OF COLESION (Monday) A composer with a taste for inquisitive frictions, Mr. Attias presents a group featuring his fellow saxophonist Tony Malaby, along with Russ Lossing on Wurlitzer piano, John Hebert on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) BILLY BANG (Tonight) With his solo violin piece inspired by the Lewis deSoto sculpture Paranirvana, part of a current exhibition, Mr. Bang provides a fitting season finale to the Rubin Museums Harlem in the Himalayas series. At 7, Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, Flatiron district, (212) 620-5000, rmanyc.org; $20. (Chinen) CARIBBEAN JAZZ PROJECT (Wednesday and Thursday) A breezy Latin jazz combo ably led by the vibraphone and marimba specialist Dave Samuels, the Caribbean Jazz Project welcomes a special guest next week: the excellent Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. (Through June 23.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $25. (Chinen) CHOURMO (Tonight) The resourcefully subversive guitarist David Torn has a new album on ECM that features his longtime colleagues Tim Berne, on alto saxophone, and Tom Rainey, on drums. This group is more of a collective affair, but potentially no less intriguing. At 9 and 10:30, Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, near Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 suggested cover. (Chinen) ANTHONY COLEMAN TRIO (Tuesday) Anthony Colemans stylistic world contains everything from the early jazz of his fellow pianist Jelly Roll Morton to the earlier nonjazz of classical and Sephardic folk music. He seems likely to lean toward free improvisation in this trio with the saxophonist Michaël Attias and the cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. At 7 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) ALEXIS CUADRADOS PUZZLES QUARTET (Monday) Alexis Cuadrado, a Spanish-born, Brooklyn-residing bassist and composer, leads a rhythm-minded post-bop band with Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, Brad Shepik on guitar and Mark Ferber on drums. At 8 p.m., Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 suggested cover. (Chinen) CARLO DeROSA QUARTET (Thursday) The well-traveled bassist Carlo DeRosa showcases original material in this ensemble with the tenor saxophonist Mark Shim, the pianist Luis Perdomo and the drummer Justin Brown. At 8:30 and 10 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) WAYNE ESCOFFERY QUARTET (Tuesday through Thursday) Veneration (Savant), a new album by the tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, features sharp playing by a group that includes the vibraphonist Joe Locke and the drummer Lewis Nash. Those musicians resurface here alongside the bassist Dwayne Burno and the trumpeter Nicholas Payton. (Through June 24.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway, (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; cover, $30, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen) JOE FIEDLER TRIO (Thursday) Performing music from a forthcoming album, The Crab (Clean Feed), the trombonist Joe Fiedler calls upon the improvisational abilities of the bassist John Hebert and the drummer Mike Sarin. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) SONNY FORTUNE QUARTET (Sunday) Since the 1960s, countless saxophonists have adopted the methodology of John Coltrane, but few have captured his restless spirit. Sonny Fortune, who worked often with the Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones, is chief among them. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 3 p.m., Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, at West 135th Street, Harlem, (212) 491-2206; $20, $16 for members. (Chinen) GODFATHERS OF GROOVE (Tonight and tomorrow night) As their name suggests, the organist Reuben Wilson, the guitarist Grant Green Jr. and the drummer Bernard Purdie bring a wealth of experience to this soul-jazz enterprise. At 8, 10 and 11:30, Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street, (212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com; cover, $28. (Chinen) SCOTT HAMILTON QUARTET (Tuesday) A tenor saxophonist deeply conversant in swing traditions, and specifically the style of Zoot Sims, Scott Hamilton leads a quartet with Norman Simmons on piano, Jay Leonhart on bass and Chuck Riggs on drums. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen) PHOEBE JACOBS -- A LIFE WELL-LIVED: A WORK STILL IN PROGRESS (Thursday) The contortions in the title of this tribute hardly capture the straightforward joy with which Ms. Jacobs, who is now approaching 90, has engaged the world of traditional jazz. Among those paying homage are the singer and pianist Barbara Carroll, the versatile clarinetist Ken Peplowski, the trumpeters Jon Faddis and Randy Sandke, and the ragtime piano specialist Terry Waldo. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, (212) 772-4448, kayeplayhouse.hunter.cuny.edu; $45. (Chinen) * KEITH JARRETT, GARY PEACOCK, JACK DEJOHNETTE (Thursday) The standout jazz piano trio of the past 25 years, this ensemble derives much of its identity from the extemporizations of Mr. Jarrett, which can sound crisp and boppish one moment and fluidly romantic the next. But Mr. Peacock, an agile bassist, and Mr. DeJohnette, a deeply musical drummer, also play defining roles. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, $35 to $90. (Chinen) KOMEDA PROJECT (Sunday) While best known for his haunting soundtracks to Roman Polanski films, the Polish pianist and composer Krzysztof Komeda made plenty of music that commands full engagement. This repertory quintet, led by the saxophonist Krzysztof Medyna and the pianist Andrzej Winnicki, explores that rich musical terrain. At 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) * LEE KONITZ QUARTET (Wednesday and Thursday) Lee Konitz brings his venerable reputation and dry-martini alto saxophone tone to a quartet with the bop-leaning guitarist Peter Bernstein. (Through June 23.) At 8:30 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; cover, $30, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) STEVE LEHMAN QUINTET (Sunday) The saxophonist Steve Lehman pursues an abstract lyricism informed by myriad traditions. He has sympathetic peers in the trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, the vibraphonist Chris Dingman, the bassist Drew Gress and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15. (Chinen) JASON LINDNER BIG BAND (Thursday) The pianist Jason Lindner is best known for this vamp-heavy ensemble, which outfits the big-band tradition with contemporary contours. This is a prerelease party for a forthcoming album, which will be available at the show. (Through next Friday.) At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, at Spring Street, South Village, (212) 242-1063, jazzgallery.org; cover, $15. (Chinen) TONY MALABYS APPARITIONS (Tomorrow) Rhythm and texture are often equal priorities for the tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby, but that would seem especially true in this band, which includes two venturesome drummers -- Tom Rainey and John Hollenbeck -- along with a bassist, Drew Gress. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) * BRANFORD MARSALIS / JOSHUA REDMAN (Wednesday) Among other things, these superb tenor and soprano saxophonists share a nuanced perspective on jazz tradition and innovation. Mr. Marsalis has been the more consistent bandleader over the years, but Mr. Redman has a new album, Back East (Nonesuch), that reconfirms his graceful command. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 307-4100, the-townhall-nyc.org; $50 and $65. (Chinen) JIMMY McPARTLAND CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION (Tuesday) The pianist Marian McPartland presides over this salute to her husband -- the fine cornetist Jimmy McPartland (1907-1991) -- and handpicks a group that includes the bassist Bill Crow, the guitarist Howard Alden and the drummer Eddie Locke. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Kaye Playhouse, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, (212) 772-4448, kayeplayhouse.hunter.cuny.edu; $45. (Chinen) MOUTIN REUNION QUARTET (Thursday) François and Louis Moutin, a bassist and drummer, respectively, lead this trans-Atlantic post-bop band; the groups other half consists of the saxophonist Rick Margitza and the pianist Pierre de Bethmann. At 8 and 10 p.m., Sweet Rhythm, 88 Seventh Avenue South, at Bleecker Street, West Village, (212) 255-3626, sweetrhythmny.com; cover, $15, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) NIGHT OF THE RAVISHED LIMBS (Wednesday) This installment of the smartly programmed Park Slope series features a pair of bands led by broadminded guitarists: the Billy Newman Quintet, with a frontline of Ben Holmes on trumpet and Michaël Attias on alto saxophone; and the Scott DuBois Quartet, with Andrew DAngelo on alto saxophone and bass clarinet. At 8 and 10 p.m., Barbès, 376 Ninth Street, at Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) LUIS PERDOMO TRIO (Tomorrow) Luis Perdomo attacks the piano with focused urgency, and his compositions take unforced yet unexpected turns. As on his strong recent album Awareness (RKM), he plays here with the bassist Hans Glawischnig and the drummer Eric McPherson. At midnight, Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $10, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) PLANET JAZZ (Tonight and tomorrow night) On In Orbit (Sharp Nine), an album released last year, this sextet pursues a hard-bop agenda with gusto, benefiting greatly from the prowess of the tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart, the trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and the guitarist Peter Bernstein, who all appear here. At 9 and 10:30, Smalls, 183 West 10th Street, West Village, smallsjazzclub.com; cover, $20. (Chinen) PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND (Tuesday) The granddaddy of traditional New Orleans revival ensembles, led by the trumpeter John Brunious, performs a concert in Midtown Manhattan with a handful of special guests, including the pianist Alan Toussaint, the violinist Jenny Scheinman and the alto saxophonist Steve Wilson. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, (212) 307-4100, the-townhall-nyc.org; $40 and $55. (Chinen) RAINEY+BERNE+HEBERT (Wednesday) The drummer Tom Rainey assumes a leadership role in this free-improvising group, which includes a regular collaborator, the alto saxophonist Tim Berne, and a sympathetic partner, the bassist John Hebert. Their ranks expand here to include Ingrid Laubrock, a German-born, British-based tenor and soprano saxophonist who performs infrequently in the States. At 9 and 10 p.m., Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2762, tealoungeny.com; $5 suggested donation. (Chinen) RUFUS REID QUINTET (Monday) A stalwart bassist and bandleader, Rufus Reid presents the same group heard on his new release, Live at the Kennedy Center (Motema), with Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Sumi Tonooka on piano and Tim Horner on drums. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway, (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; cover, $30, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen) PETE ROBBINS AND CENTRIC (Tonight) The alto saxophonist Pete Robbins pursues an intimate jazz-rock hybrid with some fellow left-of-centrists: Sam Sadigursky on reeds, Eliot Cardinaux on keyboards, Thomas Morgan on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. At 9 and 10:30, Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, West Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; cover, $10, with a one-drink minimum. (Chinen) TRAVIS SULLIVANS BJORKESTRA / URI CAINES BEDROCK (Tonight) The saxophonist and pianist Travis Sullivan leads the Bjorkestra, a big band with a muse, a method and a roster of good young players. Bedrock consists of the keyboardist Uri Caine, the bassist Tim Lefebvre and the drummer Zach Danziger, three musicians with a fondness for wicked grooves. At 8, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Chelsea, (212) 414-5994, highlineballroom.com; $20. (Chinen) TILT BRASS BAND (Tonight and tomorrow night) Chris McIntyre, a trombonist who has programmed this month at the Stone, is a member of this 10-piece brass ensemble, which will perform new commissions by colleagues like the cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and the saxophonist Charles Waters. At 8 and 10, the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen) * MCCOY TYNER TRIO (Tuesday through Thursday) The rumble and sweep of McCoy Tyners piano playing have quieted a bit over the years, but he can still be a compelling stylist, especially in this trio, with Charnett Moffett on bass and Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums. Special guests for this engagement include the harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans (Tuesday and Wednesday) and the tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano (Thursday). (Through June 24.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $55 at tables, $30 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.(Chinen) * WE REMEMBER RUBY: A MUSICAL SALUTE TO RUBY BRAFF (Wednesday) Irascible and irreplaceable, the cornetist Ruby Braff left a void in traditional jazz when he died in 2003. He would have been 80 this year, one reason for this gathering of kindred spirits, like the cornetist Warren Vaché, the pianist Dick Hyman, the guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and the saxophonists Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen. Part of the JVC Jazz Festival. At 8 p.m., Kaye Playhouse, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, (212) 772-4448, kayeplayhouse.hunter.cuny.edu; $45. (Chinen) CASSANDRA WILSON / OLU DARA (Tonight) A jazz singer by training and temperament, Ms. Wilson takes obvious pleasure in a boundless repertory, a tendency borne out vividly on her most recent album, Thunderbird (Blue Note). Mr. Dara, who has appeared on some of Ms. Wilsons recordings, is a trumpeter, guitarist and singer with a similar connection to Mississippi twang. At 7, Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield, midpark at 70th Street, (212) 360-2777, summerstage.org; free. (Chinen) * VISION FESTIVAL XII (Tuesday through Thursday) Avant-garde jazz culture has no better colloquy in this country than the Vision Festival, which offers a wealth of material in its first few days, including the premiere of a large-scale work by the bassist William Parker (Tuesday); a set by the Sound Vision Orchestra, led by the trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon, who will also receive a lifetime recognition award (Wednesday); and a reading by the poet Jayne Cortez, with musicians associated with her ex-husband, Ornette Coleman (Thursday). At 7 p.m., Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street, near Stanton Street, Lower East Side, (212) 696-6681, visionfestival.org; $30 in advance; $35 on the day of show; $150 for a six-night pass. (Chinen) YELLOWJACKETS (Wednesday and Thursday) After 25 years, this pace car of light fusion has not slowed a bit, thanks to the stewardship of the founding members Russell Ferrante (keyboards) and Jimmy Haslip (bass), and the contributions of Bob Mintzer, an articulate saxophonist, and Marcus Baylor, a whip-smart drummer. (Through June 24.) At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st Street, (212) 582-2121, iridiumjazzclub.com; cover, $35, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) Classical Full reviews of recent music performances: nytimes.com/music. Opera LA BOHÈME (Tonight and Wednesday) A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and an evening of opera: summers annual ritual returns this week in the form of the Met in the Parks. Bohème may lose some of its oomph without the companys perennially popular sets, but this years Parks cast includes some fine singers, including Hei-Kyung Hong (as Mimì on Wednesday) and Mary Dunleavy and Elizabeth Caballero (alternating as Musetta). José Luis Duval and Roberto Aronica are playing Rodolfo; John Hancock and the veteran Dwayne Croft are Marcello. So, yes, come for the voices, even through the mikes. Gareth Morrell conducts. Tonight at 8, Pelham Bay Park, the Bronx; Wednesday at 8 p.m., Cunningham Park, Queens, (212) 362-6000, metopera.org; free. (Anne Midgette) MARGARET GARNER (Tuesday) Members of the New York City Opera visit the Apollo Theaters Salon Series for an evening of excerpts from the recent Richard Danielpour/Toni Morrison opera based on Margaret Garner, a famous figure from black history. At 7:30 p.m., Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street, Harlem, (212) 531-5305, apollotheater.org; $15. (Bernard Holland) * PSYCHÉ (Tonight through Sunday) The artistic directors of the Boston Early Music Festival, Paul ODette and Stephen Stubbs, call this 1671 opera by Lully the elephant in the room: a hugely influential work in its day without a single definitive extant score. They have, accordingly, worked out a performing edition from 35 different sources and chosen to mount the piece, with what purports to be authentic Baroque stage machinery, as the centerpiece of their acclaimed biennial festival. Among the many other events in the festival this weekend are performances by Sequentia and the Ensemble Clément Janequin (tonight), and a 17th-century-based concert by the Royal Wind Music (Sunday). Psyché will be repeated in Great Barrington, Mass., next weekend. Tonight and tomorrow night at 7, Sunday at 3:30 p.m., Cutler Majestic Theater, Emerson College, 219 Tremont Street, Boston, (617) 661-1812, bemf.org; $30 to $250. (Midgette) Classical Music AMERICAN COMPOSERS ALLIANCE (Wednesday and Thursday) The American Composers Alliances Festival of American Music kicks off with the premiere of John Eatons Pumped Fiction, with a libretto by Estela Eaton, his daughter. Beth Greenberg directs the Pocket Opera Players in the work, a fable about the worlds leading patenter-distributor of penis pumps. On Thursday a number of New York premieres will be presented, including Christopher Adlers Signals Intelligence for solo marimba, Elizabeth Bells Soliloquy for solo cello and Lewis Nielsons Iskra for flute, cello and percussion. At 8 p.m., Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $25 on Wednesday; $15 on Thursday. (Vivien Schweitzer) BARGEMUSIC (Tonight through Sunday, and Wednesday) This floating concert hall on the Brooklyn side of the East River is open all year, but it is at its best in the spring and summer, when the sun sets late, and its warm enough to have an intermission stroll on the deck. The program this week is varied as always: tonight Hartmut Rohde, a violist, and Mykola Suk, a pianist, play works by C. P. E. Bach, Liszt, Toch, Bloch and Hindemith. In a lunchtime piano recital tomorrow, and again in the evening, Jenny Lin plays Shostakovich preludes and fugues and works by Chopin. Sunday is devoted to Beethoven chamber works, including the Horn Sonata (Op. 17), a cello and piano arrangement of the Opus 3 Piano Trio, and the Septet (Op. 20). And on Wednesday Modiano and Ralsk, a multimedia duo made up of Yael Archer (Modiano) on flute and electronics, and Kurt Ralsk, a video artist, will offer a concert of its recent works. Tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday nights at 8, tomorrow at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m., Fulton Ferry Landing next to the Brooklyn Bridge, (718) 624-2083, bargemusic.org; $35; $20 for students; $30 for 65+ tonight and Thursday. (Allan Kozinn) CONNECTICUT EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL (Tonight through Sunday) New Londons annual three-weekend feast of early music, slightly spare yet charming in the best New England tradition, continues with celebrations of three composers. Tonight is Mr. Purcell at Home, with songs and trio sonatas by that English master; tomorrow its Bach at Zimmermanns Coffee House, offering light fare like the Coffee Cantata; and on Sunday four Haydn symphonies take the stage in the original orchestration the composer conducted at Esterhaza. Tonight at 8, Mystic Art Center, Mystic; tomorrow at 6 p.m., the Velvet Mill, Stonington; Sunday at 6 p.m., Evans Hall, Connecticut College, New London, (860) 444-2419, ctearlymusic.org; $20 to $26. (Midgette) * EMERSON STRING QUARTET (Sunday) In its Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall, this superb ensemble has been exploring all the Beethoven string quartets, with works by his predecessors and successors to provide a broad historical and musical context. In this final installment the group plays Beethovens Quartets in F (Op. 135) and C sharp minor (Op. 131). Between them, the musicians give the premiere of a work composed for the series by Kaija Saariaho, Terra Memoria. A preconcert recital by Jessica Lee, violinist, includes Ms. Saariahos Nocturne for Solo Violin and Beethovens Sonata for Violin and Piano in G (Op. 96), with Ieva Jokubaviciute. At 8 p.m. (preconcert recital at 6:45), (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $32 to $79. (Kozinn) KATYA GRINEVA (Tomorrow) Ms. Grinevas piano recital at Carnegie Hall brings along a gallery of familiar musical faces: Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel. Also featuring music by Ernest Bloch. At 8 p.m., (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $25 to $95. (Holland) JUPITER SYMPHONY CHAMBER PLAYERS (Monday) In the adventurous spirit of its founder, the conductor Jens Nygaard, this chamber ensemble typically juxtaposes familiar works with lesser-known scores. This time the resident players are joined by Xiao-Dong Wang, a violinist, and Inga Kapouler, a pianist, for a program that includes Mozarts Piano Trio No. 4 (K. 542), Czernys Fantasia Concertante, Kreutzers Clarinet Quartet in E flat and Dvoraks String Quintet (Op. 97). At 7:30 p.m., St. Jamess Church, Madison Avenue at 71st Street, (212) 799-1259, jupitersymphony.com; $10 to $25. (Kozinn) JOHN KAMITSUKA (Tuesday) Mr. Kamitsukas traditional program of memorable composers for the piano acknowledges the Three Bs (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms) and then adds the Big S (Schubert). At 8 p.m., Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $35. (Holland) * MAKE MUSIC NEW YORK (Thursday) New Yorks inaugural Make Music festival, an all-day affair inspired by Fête de la Musique in France (first held in 1982), features hundreds of free musical events around the city. The lively classical lineup ranges from the New York Consort of Viols playing Renaissance music on the Upper West Side to a performance of Terry Rileys In C in the middle of Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village. Other events include Greg Zuber, the Metropolitan Opera principal percussionist, playing contemporary music in the financial district; Bargemusic musicians playing Vivaldi in Brooklyn Borough Hall; and members of the New York Philharmonic playing chamber works by Mozart and Steven Gerber at Lincoln Center Plaza. Schedule and information: makemusicny.org. (Schweitzer) MUSIC MOUNTAIN (Sunday) A benefit concert with Peter Serkin opens the 78th year of this Connecticut chamber music festival, which has a special focus on string quartets. The Bard Festival String Quartet will offer the Shostakovich 11th Quartet and Beethovens Opus 132 in A minor before being joined by Mr. Serkin for the Brahms Piano Quintet. At 3 p.m., Gordon Hall at Music Mountain, Falls Village, Conn., (860) 824-7126, musicmountain.org; $25 to $200. (Midgette) NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC (Tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday) Riccardo Mutis conducting is a balance of elegance and power, and the Philharmonics response to it has been satisfying. To conclude his two-week visit with the orchestra, he leads Rossinis Semiramide Overture, Schuberts Symphony No. 3 and Dvoraks Symphony No. 5. Then Lorin Maazel is back with a program that includes a group of Strauss songs, to be sung by Deborah Voigt, and Mahlers sprawling Symphony No. 7. Tonight at 8, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, (888) 466-5722, njpac.org; $28 to $94. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 721-6500, nyphil.org; $56 to $96 tickets remaining tomorrow, $28 to $94 for Wednesday and Thursday. (Kozinn) NORFOLK CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Tomorrow) The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival kicks off its summer series with an unusual lineup of guitar, played by Benjamin Verdery; theremin and shakuhachi, played by Elizabeth Brown; and percussion, played by John Marshall. The program includes Ravi Shankars Aube Enchantée (The Enchanted Dawn); Michio Miyagis Haru No Umi (A Sea in Springtime); Ingram Marshalls Soepa ; and works by Mr. Verdery and Ms. Brown. At 8 p.m., Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate, Routes 44 and 272, Norfolk, Conn., (860) 542-3000, yale.edu/norfolk; $10. (Schweitzer) * St. LukeS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (Tomorrow and Sunday) Unleashed is the final program in the St. Lukes chamber festival celebrating female composers. The women here have dealt with the stigma of being female -- evidently still something of a handicap in a field that remains overwhelmingly male -- by blazing their own trails: their own kinds of music, their own kinds of career. Joan La Barbara, Julia Wolfe, Pamela Z and Eve Beglarian share the afternoon with a young composer named Erin Watson, whose Lullaby for Cy Twombly, commissioned for the festival, will have its first performance. Tomorrow at 2 p.m., Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd Street; Sunday at 3 p.m., Dia:Beacon, Beacon, N.Y., (212) 594-6100, oslmusic.org; $20. (Midgette) Dance Full reviews of recent performances: nytimes.com/dance. * AMERICAN BALLET THEATER (Tonight, tomorrow and Monday through Thursday) Its all Kenneth MacMillan this weekend and next week. Manon will be danced by Diana Vishneva, Marcelo Gomes, Gennadi Saveliev and Michele Wiles (tonight); by Julie Kent, Jose Manuel Carreño, Jesus Pastor and Carmen Corella (tomorrow afternoon); and by Xiomara Reyes, Angel Corella, Ethan Stiefel and Stella Abrera (tomorrow night). Then comes Romeo and Juliet, with the tempestuous lovers danced by Ms. Vishnevar and Angel Corella (Monday); Paloma Herrera and Mr. Gomes (Tuesday); Gillian Murphy and David Hallberg (Wednesday afternoon); Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky (Wednesday night), and Ms. Reyes and Mr. Carreño (Thursday). Tonight at 8; tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m.; Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p.m.; Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m. Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, (212) 362-6000, abt.org; $24 to $110. (Jennifer Dunning) IAN SPENCER BELL (Thursday) Mr. Bell will perform his new solo, Floating Hold, set to the songs of Glenn Miller, in the small formal drawing room of the Morris-Jumel Mansion, a favorite place. Through next Friday. At 7:30 p.m., Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum, 65 Jumel Terrace, at 160th Street, Washington Heights, (212) 923-8008; $10. (Dunning) ALEXANDRA BELLER (Thursday) In Ms. Bellers new us, directed by Kristin Marting, a woman on the verge of breaking up with her lover embarks on a journey of reconciliation, substituting her country for her life partner. (Through June 24.) At 8:30 p.m., Here Arts Center, 145 Avenue of the Americas, at Dominick Street, South Village, (212) 352-3101, here.org; $50; $20. (Dunning) CEDAR LAKE CONTEMPORARY BALLET (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) The company will perform Decadance, a suite of excerpts from dances created since 1985 by Ohad Naharin, director of Dance Company, in Tel Aviv. (Through July 1.) Tonight, tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8; Sunday at 7 p.m., Cedar Lake Theater, 547 West 26th Street, Chelsea, (212) 868-4444, cedarlakedance.com; $40; $30 for students and 65+. (Dunning) CHIMAERA PHYSICAL THEATER (Thursday) Birds, fire and logarithms are among the themes woven together in Reading by Lightning, a collaboration between Mollye Maxner, a choreographer, and Kathy Couch, a designer. (Through June 24.) At 8 p.m., Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, (212) 334-7479, joyce.org; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Jack Anderson) COVENANT DANCE THEATER (Tonight and tomorrow) Marla Hirokawa, the company director, celebrates two decades of choreographing and teaching with a program of repertory pieces danced by alumni and performers who have appeared with Jennifer Muller, Philadanco and the Ballet Theater of New Mexico. Tonight at 7:30, tomorrow at 2 p.m., Kingsborough Community College Performing Arts Center, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, (718) 891-6199, covenantdance.com; $20; $17 for 65+ and children 12 and under. (Dunning) DANCE THEATER OF HARLEM (Tomorrow and Sunday) A recent lecture-performance at the Guggenheim Museum revealed that the advanced students at this school will be ready to go once the company resumes performing after a long hiatus because of financial problems. They will perform here, along with children -- adorable, of course -- from all levels of training. At 5 p.m., Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall, West 135th Street and Convent Avenue, (212) 650-7100, harlemstage.org; $25. (Dunning) DANCEMOPOLITAN AT JOES PUB (Tonight) Villains and Heroes, the 100 most influential people who (n)ever lived, is a suite of dances inspired by the favorite villains and heroes of the choreographers who are performing. The dancers are former members of Stephen Petronios company, and Mr. Petronio himself is the evenings host. At 9:30 p.m., Joes Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com; $20. (Dunning) FULL FORCE DANCE THEATER (Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday) Works by Katie Stevinson-Nollet and Lisa Race include a collaboration with Robert Black, a bass player who will move like a Pied Piper among the dancers; a portrait of an Alzheimers patient; a comically sinister mystery story; a duet inspired by Salvador Dalí; and a male trio inspired by photographs of fallen soldiers. At 8, Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, (212) 334-7479, joyce.org; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Anderson) * SAVION GLOVER (Tuesday through Thursday) A tap virtuoso turns his two tapping feet into a percussion ensemble. (Through July 14.) Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea, (212) 242-0800, joyce.org; $44 (Anderson) * SHANNON HUMMEL/CORA DANCE (Tonight and tomorrow night) Ms. Hummels dances are like short stories, economical and eloquent. Now, at the start of her second decade as a choreographer, she has become a mother. The program includes repertory dances, a work in progress and a conversation about finding the balance between being an artist and being a parent. At 8, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, 421 Fifth Avenue, at Eighth Street, Park Slope, (718) 832-0018, bax.org; $8 to $15. (Dunning) * INVENTION: MERCE CUNNINGHAM & COLLABORATORS (Tuesday through Thursday) This free exhibition focuses on Mr. Cunninghams collaborations with artists including John Cage, Jasper Johns and Nam June Paik. Manuscripts, computer-generated choreography, costumes, set pieces and posters are among the materials on view, culled from the Cunningham archives, the John Cage Trust and the holdings of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. A dance created by Mr. Cunningham for the exhibition will be performed during the shows run in the librarys lobby, and there will also be performances by Nurit Tilles of music by Cage for prepared piano. (Through Oct. 13.) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m., New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 111 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 870-1630, nypl.org. (Dunning) JACOBS PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL (Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday) The festival opens its 75th-anniversary season tomorrow night with a sold-out gala featuring performers from two major companies, Nina Ananiashvilis State Ballet of Georgia and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, that are appearing at the festival this summer. The season proper opens with the Georgians in the third act of Petipas Don Quixote, George Balanchines Mozartiana and Trey McIntyres Second Before the Ground. Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m., Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, George Carter Road, Becket, Mass., (413) 243-0745, jacobspillow.org; $58. (Dunning) KATHAK ENSEMBLE (Tonight and tomorrow night) Janaki Patrik and her company will present a Kathak dance travelogue that takes the audience from the forms origins in the Indian countryside to the royal courts of a Bollywood movie set. At 8, Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55th Street, Clinton, (212) 868-4444, smarttix.com; $20; $15 for students and 65+. (Dunning) VALENTINA KOZLOVAS DANCE CONSERVATORY COMPANY (Tonight) This program includes a new piece by Margo Sappington and excerpts from The Pharaohs Daughter and Raymonda. Many of the performers are Ms. Kozlovas students, though the dancers also include Reyneris Reyes of the Boston Ballet. But to watch these young dancers perform is to see solid, inspired training and the handing down of tradition in three dimensions. At 8, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $30; $20 for 65+ and children under 12. (Dunning) MIRO MAGLOIRES NEW CHAMBER BALLET (Tonight and tomorrow night) Mr. Magloire specializes in presenting dances, here created by himself and a guest choreographer, Constantine Baecher, that are intimately connected to their musical scores, which are performed live. At 8, City Center Studio 4, fourth floor, 130 West 56th Street, Manhattan, (212) 868-4444; $20. (Dunning) * NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION (Wednesday and Thursday) Young dancers, ages 17 to 24, from around the world, compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. Competition rounds continue through June 23 at 8 p.m.; the gala performance is June 24 at 7 p.m., Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, (212) 721-6500, nyibc.org. Competition rounds: $27.50; $17.50 for students and 65+; $70 for the gala. (Anderson) NOCHE FLAMENCA (Tonight through Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday) Its back, with a new piece called Aldaba and the company star, Soledad Barrio, she of unfailing fire. (Through July 29.) Tonight and Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8; tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 5 p.m., Theater 80, 80 St. Marks Place, at First Avenue, East Village, (212) 352-3101, theatremania.com; $55. (Dunning) NOTES IN MOTION (Tonight through Sunday night) Interiors, a new piece by the companys director, Amanda Selwyn, takes the audience on a journey through five rooms and spaces, in order to question concepts of public and private realms. At 8:30, Danspace Project, St. Marks Church, 131 East 10th Street, East Village, (212) 674-8194, danspaceproject.org; $25; $20 for students. (Dunning) JODy OBERFELDER (Tonight through Sunday) Ms. Oberfelder, known for her acrobatic, high-energy dance mixed with glints of humor, will present her new Heavy Light, inspired by Horace Walpoles notion that life is a comedy for thinkers and a tragedy for those who feel, and The Title Comes Last, in which performers travel from a workaday world into a land of vibrancy. Take us with you. Tonight and tomorrow night at 7, Sunday at 3 p.m., the Flea Theater, 41 White Street, TriBeCa, (212) 352-3101, www.theflea.org; $20; $12 for students and 65+. (Dunning) * OUT LIKE THAT! FESTIVAL (Thursday) The festival, which celebrates gay pride in the Bronx, opens with Shes Got Moves, a program of dance by fierce, feisty, ferocious female choreographers who include Alethea Adsitt, Sharon Estacio and Faye Driscoll. (Through June 23.) At 8 p.m., the Bronx Academy of Art & Dance, 841 Barretto Street, South Bronx, (718) 842-5223, bronxacademyofartsanddance.org; $15. (Dunning) SENS/NOÉMIE LaFRANCE (Tonight and tomorrow) Ms. LaFrance, known for visually dramatic site-specific dance, will present performances of a work in progress called Rapture, in which dancers travel across stainless-steel roofs and walls in a response to the architectural design of Frank Gehrys Fisher Center. At 8 p.m., Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., (845) 758-7900, fishercenter.bard.edu; free. (Dunning) STREB S.L.A.M. (Tonight through Sunday) High-flying, wall-crashing thrills and chills, and popcorn besides. Tonight at 7; tomorrow at 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m., Streb Laboratory for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (212) 352-3101, strebusa.org; $20; $10 for children. (Dunning) * 33rd ANNUAL DANCE CRITICS ASSOCiATION CONFERENCE (Tomorrow and Sunday) This years topics -- Katherine Dunham and Lincoln Kirstein -- are of general interest, and the conference sessions, which include screenings of rare films and a lecture-demonstration of the Dunham technique, are open to the public. David Vaughan will be honored for his critical writing and service as an archivist to the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, with the award presented by Mr. Cunningham. Participants include Martin Duberman, Kirsteins recent biographer, and Robert Gottlieb, the editor and dance writer. Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, at Chambers Street, TriBeCa, dancecritics.org. (Dunning) VISION FESTIVAL XII (Tuesday) The festival, whose goal is to promote collaborations between choreographers, musicians and visual artists, begins on Tuesday with a program featuring work by Marlies Yearby and Cooper-Moore. (Through June 24.) At 9:30 p.m., Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street, at Stanton Street, Lower East Side, (800) 838-3006, brownpapertickets.com; $35; $30 in advance. (Dunning) WORKS AND PROCESS AT THE GUGGENHEIM: PILOBOLUS AND INBAL PINTO (Monday) Pilobolus will perform repertory and excerpts from a new piece choreographed collaboratively by Pilobolus and Ms. Pinto, with Avshalom Pollak, who, like Ms. Pinto, is an Israeli choreographer. They will also discuss the collaborative process. At 7:30 p.m., Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3587; $24; $15 for students. (Dunning) Art Museums and galleries are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of recent art shows: nytimes.com/art. Museums * AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM: THE GREAT COVER-UP: AMERICAN RUGS ON BEDS, TABLES AND FLOORS, through Sept. 9. The more than 60 rugs in this extraordinary show count among the best pictorial art of 19th- and early-20th-century America, which means that quite a few of the women who made them qualify as great, if unidentified, artists. Densely textured, gloriously colored, boldly scaled and exuberantly frontal, they provide something of a history of the American handmade rug, from mostly yarn-sewn to the popular hooking technique. Their intuitive intelligence, where space and composition are concerned, proves once more that modern form is not a modern invention and flattens the always provisional distinction between art and craft. 45 West 53rd Street, (212) 265-1040, folkartmuseum.org. (Roberta Smith) THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: IMPRESSIONIST AND EARLY MODERN PAINTINGS:THE CLARK BROTHERS COLLECT, through Aug. 19. The Met examines the lives and collecting habits of two feuding brothers, heirs to the Singer sewing machine fortune, who were among the leading 20th-century art patrons. Sterling Clark was founder of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass. His younger brother Stephen was a trustee of both the Met and the Museum of Modern Art (and established the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.) The brothers shared a love of Renoir, Degas and Americans like Winslow Homer, but Sterling drew the line at Cézanne and considered Matisse and Picasso bad painters and fakers. Tracking their taste and how they dispersed their collections is interesting -- and perhaps instructive for contemporary collectors. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Martha Schwendener) MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: Richard Serra Sculpture: 40 Years, through Sept. 10. This retrospective is a landmark by a titan of sculpture. At 67, Mr. Serra is still nudging the language of abstraction, constructing ever more awesome mazes of looming Cor-Ten steel. His Torqued Ellipses and Torqued Toruses and other recent works like Band and Sequence have their origins in pieces he did 40 years ago in rubber and lead, as this retrospective handsomely affirms, but these are nonetheless unprecedented variations on the theme of dumbfounding spirals and loops. These shapes and experiences are new. Thats about the best, and the rarest, compliment you can give to any artist. (212) 708-9400, moma.org. (Michael Kimmelman) MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK: NEW YORK RISES: PHOTOGRAPHS BY EUGENE DE SALIGNAC, through Sept. 4. This exhibition makes a case for adding Eugene de Salignac, the official photographer for the New York City Department of Bridges, Plant and Structures from 1903 to 1934, to the canon of American photographers whose images are forever linked with the city. He captured the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Queensboro Bridges just as construction was completed and the subways tracks were being laid. In some of his moving, eye-catching images, he exhibits his appreciation for New Yorks work force. 1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1673, mcny.org. (Bridget L. Goodbody) Galleries: Uptown CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY: 1964-1989 There are no surprising names in this intriguing show of one or two works by nearly 30 artists from several generations and countries. But the works themselves are often unusual, especially on the early end, as is the richness with which various subjects and techniques ricochet among them. Zwirner & Wirth, 32 East 69th Street, (212) 517-8677, zwirnerandwirth.com, through June 23. (Smith) Galleries: Chelsea Art & Language, Stephanie Brooks, Helen Mirra, Ian Wilson In a four-artist show that is, to say the least, spare, the Minimal-Conceptual veterans Art & Language and Ian Wilson join forces with the relative newcomers Stephanie Brooks and Helen Mirra. For the most part, Art & Language sets the terms, first with Index 003 (1973), a kind of teaser about the impossibility of saying nothing, which reads in this context as a defense of the work on view. In addition, everyone else here takes lots of language into their art. Peter Blum Chelsea, 529 West 29th Street, (212) 244-6055, peterblumgallery.com, through June 23. (Smith) Kathe Burkhart: The Liz Taylor Series: Selections from 1983-2007 The term post-feminism gains significance when looking at Kathe Burkharts Liz Taylor Series paintings. Unlike 1970s feminist artists, Ms. Burkhart doesnt just celebrate famous women; she inhabits one. Ms. Taylor serves as a doppelganger for the artist in paintings that combine movie stills and tabloid images with collaged elements and text. Only a few of the 125 paintings in the series appear here, but they demonstrate how feminism can be retooled for every generation. Alexander Gray Associates, 526 West 26th Street, (212) 399-2636, alexandergray.com, through June 23. (Schwendener) In Defense of Ardor For most of the 2000s, art pundits have campaigned to replace kvetchy postmodernism with a New Sincerity. By why an either/or proposition? Cant irony be ardent? Cant ardor be critically self-aware? Cant passion and reason coexist? In this group show they often do. Bellwether, 134 10th Avenue, between 18th and 19th Streets, (212) 929-5959, bellwethergallery.com, through June 30. (Holland Cotter) Galleries: Other * MARTIN KIPPENBERGER: PREIS bilder Seven canvases from two series of paintings rarely exhibited in this country play on the double German meaning of preis (price and prize), some variation of which appears on each surface. They show this famous bad-boy sculptor conveying his usual sarcasm in surprisingly beautiful terms that couldnt get much flatter. Hard-edged and brushy techniques contrast the main tactics of formalist painting while converting the Modernist grid into designs redolent of drapery and checked tablecloths. A preponderance of hot pink argues for the pleasure principle. 1018 Art, 1018 Madison Avenue, near 78th Street, (212) 537-0453, 1018art.net, through July 27. (Smith) * The Museum of Crime and the Museum of God Put together by the writer Luc Sante from material from his own collection, this assemblage -- with holy cards and vintage mug shots; protective amulets and 1930s crime novels; photographs of murder scenes and of river baptisms -- is essentially about his life and makes a transfixing show. Apexart, 291 Church Street, between Walker and White Streets, TriBeCa, apexart.org, through June 23. (Cotter) The Price of Everything: Perspectives on the Art Market Marcel Duchamp, who tried to redefine art as an active tool for thinking rather than a passive object of looking, hovers like a damaged angel over this think-piece of a group show organized by the 2006-7 Helena Rubenstein Curatorial Fellows of the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program. The Art Gallery, City University of New York Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th Street, gc.cuny.edu, through June 24. (Cotter) Christian Tomaszewski: On Chapels, Caves and Erotic Misery The Polish-born, New York-based artist Christian Tomaszewski breaks down films fourth wall by inviting viewers to enter his version of David Lynchs Blue Velvet. Installed in the SculptureCenter are re-creations of locations and dollhouse-size models of objects from the movie, as well as other tableaus. Problems arise when he tries to merge the Blue Velvet angle with aspects of Kurt Schwitterss Merzbau to explore the collision of Postmodern and Modern aesthetics. Mr. Tomaszewski might be over-reaching, but he offers plenty to think about: memory, representation and America as seen through both his eyes and Mr. Lynchs. The SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves Street, Long Island City, Queens, (718) 361-1750, sculpture-center.org, through July 29. (Schwendener) Last Chance * Beneath the Underdog This ultra-cool, downtown-comes-uptown affair is one of the better gallery shows of the year. And full credit goes to its artist-curators, Nate Lowman and Adam McEwen. Theyve turned Gagosians six-room space into a mini-museum of objects that speak of the base, the gross, the fallen, the ruined, the failed. A second show, Mafia (or One Unopened Packet of Cigarettes), is tucked inside. Gagosian Gallery, 980 Madison Avenue, between 76th and 77th Streets, gagosian.com; closes tomorrow. (Cotter) CROSSCURRENTS: DURER TO PICASSO A show of prints and drawings that makes imaginative pairings of older works with those of 20th-century artists who are sometimes cued by their contemporaries as well as their ancestors. The evidence is keen in, for example, Hieronymus Boschs Temptation of St. Anthony (1561), a fervidly drawn scene of grotesque beings and fantastic doings placed near two later Surrealist renditions: a biomorphic figment by Andre Masson, The Genius of the Species (1942), and Salvador Dalís etching Landscape in the Manner of Arcimboldo (1934), a biomorphic-geometric vision. A beguiling show. David Tunick, 19 East 66th Street, (212) 570-0090, tunickart.com; closes today. (Grace Glueck) * LOUISE KRUGER: SCULPTURE, 1950s TO THE PRESENT This 21-work survey of mostly carved wood sculpture supplies another chunk in the history of postwar American art. Influenced by folk art and trained for a year by a shipbuilder, Ms. Kruger developed her art sculpture by cutting woodblocks for prints, as an enormous example here attests. Her life-size figures, portrait busts and political asides are in step with other artists of her generation, including Bill King and Marisol. But her works have their own formal quirks, telling abbreviations, lustrous finishes and quiet, watchful force. Lori Bookstein Fine Art, 37 West 57th Street, (212) 750-0949, loribooksteinfineart.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith) * JIM LEE: ALTAMONT This young artist takes tips from lots of approved sources -- Robert Ryman, Richard Tuttle and Ellsworth -- but has some ideas of his own about the art and craft of building paintings and the play between the literal and the visual. The smaller works tend to be better because they are more complicated, but on the whole, and as a whole, the show is a beautiful start. Freight & Volume, 542 West 24th Street, Chelsea, (212) 989-8700, volumegallery.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith) CLAUDE MONET (1840-1926): A TRIBUTE TO DANIEL WILDENSTEIN AND KATIA GRANOFF This exhibition of nearly 60 paintings by one of the most beloved painters in the world feels a little like having dinner with a celebrity. It allows you to experience afresh the momentum and innovations of Monets astounding trajectory, up close and in detail. It should not be missed. Wildenstein & Company, 19 East 64th Street,(212) 879-0500, closes today. (Smith) NICK Z./KAI ALTHOFF: WE ARE BETTER FRIENDS FOR IT The latest variation on the collaborative trashed-gallery convention is a strikingly beautiful, if funky, cavelike environment punctuated by artfully messy tableaus in stark white containers. These suggest crash pads, childrens bedrooms and studios, but also function almost like paintings. Gladstone Gallery, 515 West 24th Street, Chelsea, (212) 206-9300, gladstonegallery.com; closes tomorrow. (Smith)
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