City Week: April 30–May 6
Friday, April 30 Play the Park's Central Park becomes a virtual board game for Arbor Day weekend. The â??World Park is an interactive walking tour and trivia contest temporarily installed in the park, and anyone with a web-enabled smart phone can participate. Upon arrival, everyone is given a map of the park with destinations to find, where they can scan â??Parkcodes, small digital trees, for interesting facts, questions and historical tidbits about the park. People can compete against their friends for correct answers with the built-in scorecards. Download the scan reader ahead of time and bring headphones. Also on Saturday. Central Park entrance, 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, 917-520-2892; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Free. Vietnam Views's Lincoln Center presents a free screening of the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. The film traces Ellsberg"s decision to leak 7,000 pages of top-secret government documents on the Vietnam War to the New York Times, risking his life and career to stop a war he helped plan. His son, Robert Ellsberg, who was involved with his father"s work and subsequent indictment, speaks at the event. Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-343-9668; 2:30 p.m., Free. Sing Along's The event â??SING! SING! SING! presents a sing-a-long tribute to lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, â??It Might as Well Be Spring. Co-hosts Anne Phillips, a long-time Upper West Sider, and Michael Shepley provide piano and anecdotal accompaniment and lyric sheets for everyone. Special guest Amy Asch, editor of The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II, joins in the merriment. Tunes from Hammerstein"s collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers (including Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music) round out the set list, as well as a selection of his other work. The Triad, 158 W. 72nd St., 212-786-9064; 7 p.m., $10 cover, plus two-drink minimum, cash only. Saturday, May 1 Island Amble's Join the Shorewalkers for the annual â??Great Saunter, a 32-mile walk around the periphery of the island of Manhattan. Starting at the South Street Sea Port, walkers can take part in all or a portion of the stroll as it makes its way along the city"s outskirts and comes full circle by the evening. Highlights include lunch at Inwood Hill Park, parrots in Washington Heights, and views of New York"s parks and waterways. Meet at Fulton Street at South Street Seaport, 212-663-2167; 7:30 a.m., $20. Elite Homes's The New York Junior League leads a tour of some of New York"s most stylish and extravagant homes as part of its 15th annual â??Spring House Tour. Beginning with breakfast and ending with lunch and cocktails, the self-guided tour takes visitors through elegantly furnished and designed homes and gives a glimpse into the artistic and architectural splendor in some of Manhattan"s most sought-after neighborhoods. All proceeds benefit the league"s community impact programs. New York Junior League, 130 E. 80th St., 212-288-6220; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., $85 in advance, $95 at event. Walking Tour's Writer and tour guide Maria Dering leads the Fitz-Green Halleck & Friends walking tour through the southern part of Central Park. Find out who exactly Fitz-Green is, visit the ghostly band shell, an almost-cemetery, some grand old trees, a refreshing fountain and a wonder dog. Suitable for families. Meet at the southeast corner of West 72nd Street and Central Park West, 646-573-9509; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., $10. Kids" Fair's The Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School presents its spring fair, with rides for kids, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, food vendors, a rummage sale, games and crafts. Rain date May 2. 116th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive, 212-666-4769; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Free. Francophiles's The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, a highly regarded non-professional ensemble, presents a concert of French and French-inspired music, â??Rhapsodie. The program features internationally acclaimed clarinetist Jon Manasse and includes works by Bizet, Debussy and Gershwin. Also May 2 at 3 p.m. All Saints Church, 230 E. 60th St., 917-749-3654; 8 p.m., $20. Moroccan Shakespeare's Theater Ten Ten presents its new rendition of Shakespeare"s Twelfth Night, re- imagined with an Elizabethan/Moroccan flair. Ten Ten is known for its reputation as the city"s longest continuously operating Equity off-off-Broadway theater. Through May 23. 1010 Park Ave., 212-352-3101; 7 p.m., $25. Sunday, May 2 River Festival's The Parks Department kicks off the 10th annual â??Summer on the Hudson Festival at Riverside Park South with the New York City Irish Dance Festival. The day features live Celtic music and dance, Irish language classes, a singer"s circle and crafts for children. The festival continues throughout summer Wednesdays and Sundays with kids" movie nights, Mamapalooza, yoga and pilates demonstrations and all kinds of music. Riverside Park South, Pier I at West 70th Street, 212-408-0219; 1 to 8 p.m., Free. Charcoal Animation's The Jewish Museum presents South African Projections: Films by William Kentridge, through Sept. 19. Through a process he calls â??Stone Age, acclaimed artist Kentridge renders charcoal drawings, which he revises, erases, redraws and photographs to create short animated films. The Jewish protagonists he illustrates embody the social, political and moral legacy of apartheid as they navigate the uncomfortable ironies of a white Jewish minority holding a privileged position in a racist society. The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., 212-423-3200; 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., $12. Monday, May 3 Broadway on the East Side's Feinstein"s at Loews Regency presents a special night with Broadway star Terri White in her new show, â??Life is Good! White most recently appeared in the revival of Finian"s Rainbow, and is set to play Mama Morton in the Broadway production of Chicago. The new show, which runs at the Regency Hotel, includes Bobby Peaco on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass, and features songs about love, renewed hope, cherished memories and old friendships. 540 Park Ave., 212-339-4095; 8:30 p.m., $40 tickets, $25 food and drink minimum. Tuesday, May 4 Health Workshop's New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College offer free health and wellness seminars. Experts explain how to â??Manage Your Pain: Taking the Ache Out of Aging, followed by a moderated Q&A. Uris Auditorium, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Ave., 212-821-0888; 6:30 p.m., Free. Wednesday, May 5 Lunch and Legacy's The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College hosts a benefit luncheon at the newly restored Roosevelt House, the former home of Franklin and Eleanor. Dr. Blanche Wiesen Cook, a professor of history and women"s studies, leads the discussion â??Eleanor Roosevelt"s Legacy: Affordable Housing, Public Education, Healthcare for All. 47-49 E. 65th St., 212-772-4087; noon, $125. Turn Off the Tube's The Kill Your TV Reading Group discusses the tragic Victorian novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy. The group encourages intellectual debate and stimulating discussion of top-notch literature. Logos Bookstore, 1575 York Ave., 212-517-7292; 7 p.m., Free. Breakthrough Musicians's The Alissa Grimaldi Performance Series mounts its final recital of the season, showcasing mostly opera arias with the occasional musical theater number and a piano accompanist. Alissa Grimaldi is the cofounder of the Singers Studio for Opera, and her series offers performers an opportunity to build experience while providing the audience with access to fresh talent. Christ and St. Stephen"s Church, 122 W. 69th St., 212-679-3461; 8 p.m., $10. Thursday, May 6 Pathways Art Show's The Midtown Arts Common and Saint Peter"s Church host an opening reception to showcase works by members of the Art and Writing Workshop, a program run by the organization Pathways to Housing. Led by artist, writer and filmmaker Rachael Romero, the workshop, in conjunction with Housing First, allows formerly homeless people to participate in and engage with the artistic community. The Doc Wallace Trio performs. Saint Peter"s Church, 619 Lexington Ave., 212-935-2200; 6 p.m., Free. Seismic's The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland has many asking how can we predict when volcanoes will become active? Dr. Stephen Malone, of the department of earth and space science at the University of Washington, explains how scientists use the latest technology to predict volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. American Museum of Natural History, Linder Theater, Central Park West at West 79th Street, 212-769-5200; 6:30 p.m., $10. Benefit Run for Kids's Change for Kids hosts a 5K family fun race to raise money for the fitness and nutrition programs at its partner elementary schools. Competitive and casual runners of all ages are welcome. Riverside Park, 103rd Street Promenade, 212-213-8061; 6:30 p.m. $25 kids, $30 adults. Monster Literature's John Matteson, author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Louisa May Alcott, joins two writers publishing their own supernatural mash-up versions of Alcott"s seminal novel Little Women in â??Monster Throwdown: Vampires, Werewolves & Louisa May Alcott. Lynn Messina (Little Vampire Women) and Porter Grand (Little Women and Werewolves) discuss how they altered Alcott"s classic and whether the Victorian author would approve. A book signing follows. Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, 2537 Broadway, 212-864-5400; 7 p.m., $10. Global Photography's The Arsenal Gallery inside Central Park presents an exhibit of new photography by Leah Oates, Transitory Space, running through June 18. Oates has traveled around the world to photograph abandoned spaces that have been well worn by human existence. Her work highlights the disquieting beauty she has found in Beijing, Newfoundland and New York"s Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay parks. Arsenal Gallery, 830 Fifth Ave., 212-360-8163; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Free.