New York, NY

A Jersey Boy ponders the wonders of his neighboring city.

Nothing in the world is scarier than clowns. They’re back. For an extended period of time. I’ll be avoiding Lincoln Center for the next few months.

However, I’ve heard that some people actually like clowns. So this is for them:

The Big Apple Circus is celebrating 30 years in grand style. New York City, your circus is back and better than ever. From October 19 to January 13, Lincoln Center will host clowns and other circus-like things.

I guess this is good for the kids, right? Or for grown ups who like clowns.

New York, NYC, The Big Apple, circus

For more information about venues and such, use the blogroll at the bottom right of the screen.

Happy Birthday Ali and Dad!

10/15 Bad Religion at Nokia Theatre 8 PM
10/17-18 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at MSG 7:30 PM
10/17-22 Jimi Hendrix Experience at The Beacon 8 PM
10/21 The Wiggles Racing To The Rainbow at The Beacon

10/15 Joel Olsteen at B&N 5th Ave 12 Noon
10/15 Robert Caro, Joan Didion, Robert MacNeil, and Jon Meacham at B&N Union Square 7 PM **
10/16 Donald Trump at B&N 5th Ave 1 PM
10/16 Nick Hornby at B&N Union Square 7 PM
10/16 Amy Grant at B&N Lincoln Center 7 PM
10/17 Francine Prose at B&N Park Slope 3:30 PM — Usually I don’t include the burroughs on the readings lists but * so there.
10/17 Mary Jo Salter, Nina Cassian, and James Fenton at B&N Union Square 7 PM– Support poetry!
10/18 Alice Sebold at B&N Union Square 7 PM
10/18 Wally Lamb at B&N 82nd and Broadway 7 PM– if I had a symbol for personal irritance, I’d put it here; however, I know people like Wally Lamb so I’m including him

* denotes personal favorites

NYC, New York City, readings, lectures, concerts, music

Technically, this has nothing to do with NYC. However, it hints at Ellis Island, which you can see from NY.

Today, tomorrow, and the next day, the Dalai Lama is in New York. He will be teaching from the Diamond Cutter Sutra and the 70 Verses on Emptiness. You need to buy a pack to go–no individual sessions are available. But why wouldn’t you go to all three. I mean, come on. It’s the friggin Dalai Lama!

Radio City Music Hall will be the site of the divine teachings of the Buddha. This event is hosted by the Tibetan Center and Healing The Divide.

Tickets range from 80 to 330 bucks so check out Ticketmaster and figure out what’s best for you. This is something different and something special.

Theatre for a New Audience was established in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz. The goal? To keep Shakespeare alive! Figuratively, of course; otherwise, this would be a whole other post.

TFANA presents Shakespeare and other Classic dramas off-Broadway and on tour internationally and nationally. In the city, some performances are at The Duke on West 42nd Street between 6th and 7th Aves. Also, Cherry Lane Theatre on Commerce Street and 7th Ave hosts performances.

The 2007-8 season is: Africa, Europe, America: Exploring the Connections. This season present three main plays:

Ohio State Murders, by Adrienne Kennedy, October 27-November 18 2007

Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn, adapted by Biyi Bendele, February 2-March 9 2008

Antony and Cleopatra, by William Shakespeare, March 22-May 2 2008

TFANA also hosts a reading series called Literary Supplement:

Tower of Evil, by Michael Feingold, January 28 2008

The Self-Tormentor, by Terence, March 10, 2008

The Swamp Dwellers, by Wole Soyinka, April 14, 2008

The season starts soon. Become part of the Classics.

10/10 Maroon 5 at MSG
10/11 The Music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin
10/14 Mary Black at Nokia Theatre

10/9 Ian Klaus at Three Lives and Co. 7 PM
10/11 Peter Cameron at Three Lives 7 PM

10/8-10/12 Shecky’s Girls Night Out! ***
10/12-10/14 The Diamond Cutter Sutra: The Dalai Lama returns at Radio City Music Hall
10/13 Axis of Evil Comedy Tour feat. Ahmed Ahmed (two shows!) at Nokia Theatre

The New York Times has a bunch of events for smart people who have money and dress nicely. I consider myself a smart person; however, I am lacking in funds. Yet, when I go to these Times shindigs, people who have money THINK I have money because I’m there and they treat me nicely.

All that being said….

The New York Times is hosting The Great Literary Brunch. See? It’s a brunch. Hip, cool people go to brunch. Hip, cool people with money spend $130 on brunch. It’s worth it though. Here’s why: Alan Alda.

I love Alan Alda. I’ve been about three feet away from Alan Alda several times (at a writers’ conference and at a supermarket) and haven’t said a dang thing to him because I’m so in awe. What would I say, anyway? “Hey, Mr. Alda, I’ve loved you since the day I first watched M*A*S*H with my grandmother.”? I don’t think that’d go over too well.

Anyway, Alan Alda is going to be at The Great Literary Brunch along with some other people whom I’ve never heard of so who cares. It’s Alan Friggin Alda. The brunch is on October 14 from 11 AM to 2 PM. A book signing will follow.

Remember that scene from Moonstruck with Cher at the opera and how she’s near tears? And then later on when she’s outside in the dark dress with the dark make-up and the big poofy hair?

You, too, can have big poofy hair and be just like Cher!

The New York City Opera is a BIG DEAL. According to them, you’ll see Big Drama and Big Divas if you take advantage of the Big Deal.

If you’re 21 to 39, you can become a Big Deal member. The opera is trying to find a younger crowd to fill their houses. The advantage to becoming a member is that you get stuff for cheap and you get access to exclusive parties.

They offer two packages of different prices for memberships. If the opera is your thing or you’ve always been curious to see if it’s your thing, this Big Deal may be for you.

NYMF stands for New York Musical Theatre Festival. I don’t know what happened to the T so don’t ask. It’s really not important anyway. What is important is this: NYMF runs for three weeks only, and we’re in the last week!

The festival features over 30 new musicals throughout the midtown Theatre District. New playwrights present their works, chosen by leading industry people.

Tickets are on sale now. Plus there’s a closing party you may want to check out on October 7. So many choices, so little time.

For more information, click on the venues on the blogroll on the right.

10/3 Bloc Party at WaMu Theatre in MSG
10/7-8 Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony at MSG

10/1 Lydia Davis at 92nd St Y 8 PM **
10/2 Kinky Friedman at B&N Chelsea 7 PM
10/2 Edmund White at Three Lives & Co. 7 PM
10/3 Dorothy Hamill at B&N 5th Ave 1 PM
10/3 Cesar Millan (the dog whisper guy) at B&N Union Square 7 PM
10/3 Chris Matthews at B&N Lincoln Center 7:30 PM
10/4 Bob Newhart at B&N 5th Ave 12:30 PM
10/7 Ethan Hawke and Jesse Harris at Borders Columbus Circle 3 PM

* denotes personal favorite

NYC, New York City, sports, music, concerts, readings

I don’t know why this reminds me so much of home, but it does.

Emeril Lagasse ain’t got nothin on Brooklyn. BAM is the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Brooklyn is in constant renaissance mode, from Red Hook to Billyburg (Williamsburg for all you non-nicknamers). BAM supports art, theatre, music, film, dance, and literature.

Show your support as well during the BAM 25th Next Wave Festival. The festival begins on October 2 and ends December 16.

Expect innovative performances and exhibits by up-and-coming artists. Some events are already sold out, so get your tickets early. Students are in luck–studen rush tickets are available.

I cannot wait to read this book, a collection of up and coming writers who write their stories about New York City. The collection was edited by historians and critics Marshall Berman and Brian Berger.

If you want to check it out before you buy it, go to Barnes and Noble in Chelsea tonight at 7 PM. The editors will be there to chat about and maybe even read from their book, New York Calling, From Blackout to Bloomberg.

The collection includes snippets about rent controlled apartments, gay culture in the city, the art world, and drug-induced years.

What better way to learn about New York than to hear about it first-hand?

NYC, new york city, books