WEDNESDAY 12/31 WEDNESDAY 12/31 Around Town Big Apple ...
Around Town
Big Apple Circus: Carnivale Big Top meets Cirque du Soleil in this multi-cultural, multi-dimensional, world-class performance feat. masquerade balls, puppets, confetti & floats; Damrosch Park Bandshell, W. 62nd St. (betw. B'way & Amsterdam Ave.), 212-875-5108; 12:30 & 9:30, $18-$72 [repeats Thurs-Sun. at 12:30 & 4:30, through 1/11].
Free Piano Lesson Last chance to take advantage of Steinway Hall, Frank & Camille's Keyboard Center & the National Piano Foundation's offer of free piano lessons; Frank & Camille's Keyboard Center, 29 W. 57th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-832-8289; call for times, free.
Gingerbread Adventures The Everett Children's Adventure Garden invites you to lead your overstimulated children on a jaunt through a fantasy gingerbread house, where they'll learn all about the sweet from the ground up; New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. (Southern Blvd.), Bronx, 718-817-8747; 10-7, $13, $11 st./s.c., $5 child. 12 & under [repeats Thurs.-Mon. 10-7, Tues. 10-5, through 1/11].
Winter Sale Save big?20-50%-off?on artsy kitsch at the celebrated design store & cross the names of those hard-to-shop-for folks, off your Christmas list. If you can't trek downtown, visit the 44 W. 53rd Street location, that's also boasting a sale; MOMA Design Store, 81 Spring St. (Crosby St.), 646-613-1367; 11-6, free [repeats Sat., Mon. & Tues. 11-8, Sun. 10-7, through 1/19].
Film/Video
Featuring...Prokofiev & His Contemporaries Celebrate the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, Russia's founding w/Russian film screenings. Today, Queen of Mars (Protazanov, 1924, silent)?preceded by a short; Donnell Library Center, 20 W. 53rd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-621-0618; 2:30, free.
Judy Garland Retrospective The little girl w/the big voice returns in The Wizard of Oz?more of Judy's flicks through 1/4, www.movingimage.us; American Museum of the Moving Image, 35 Ave. (36 St.), Astoria, 718-784-0077; 2, free w/adm.
Workshops
Vinyasa Yoga Stretch out after work w/instructor Lynn; Joyous Life Center, 119 W. 23rd St. #700 (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), res. req. 212-352-9910; 7:45, $10.
THURSDAY 1/1
Around Town
New Year's Day Antiques & Collectibles Show Spend the day w/a tradition not seen since the days of the Coliseum?New York's, not Rome's?feat. 100 dealers & their assorted jewelry, Judaica, vintage clothing, paintings, furniture & deco antiques; Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Ave.), www.metropolitanevents.com/antiques; 11-6, $10.
New Year's Day Hike Shorewalkers invites you to explore the hills, parks, historic sites & shorelines along the Harlem River at the North end of Manhattan?maybe the fresh air will fix that hangover!; meet at Port Authority Bus Terminal Information Booth, 178th St. (B'way), 212-330-7686; 12, $3 don.
The New York National Boat Show Explore more than 1,000 luxury & sporting boats?plus, enjoy safety & ladies seminars, boating & fishing exhibits, a touch tank & a warm 26,000-gallon pool, where you can try scuba diving; Jacob Javits Convention Center, 11th Ave. (38th St.), 800-243-9774; 12-8, $15, $6 child. 6-12 [repeats Fri. 12-8, Sat. 10-8, Sun. 11-6].
Norma Kamali Vintage Sample Sale All month long vintage clothing from Kamali's private collection is up for grabs & under $50?cash & cards accepted; Norma Kamali, 11 W. 56th St., 3rd fl. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-957-9797; 10-6, free [repeats Fri., Sat., Mon & Tues., through 1/31].
Film/Video
"Not of This Earth: Sci-Fi Unbound" Lincoln Center's sci-fi fest continues w/The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starring a 1976 David Bowie; Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 212-721-6500; 2 & 7:30, $10, $7 st., $6 s.c. [repeats Fri. at 4:15].
Readings
The Alternative New Year's Day Spoken Word/Performance Extravaganza 150 readers plus bring canned food for City Harvest and/or paperbacks for literacy in jail program Books Through Bars; Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery (betw. Bleecker & Houston Sts.), 212-614-0505; 2 p.m.-12 a.m., free.
30th Annual New Year's Day Marathon Reading Past readings have incl. Laurie Anderson, Spalding Gray, William S. Burroughs, John Cage, Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Rick Moody, Yoko Ono & Lou Reed. A real "New York experience," you can usually count on Patti Smith & Jim Carroll, for better or worse, and that the event will stretch past midnight...for better or worse; Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, 131 E. 10th St. (2nd Ave.), 212-674-0910; 2 p.m., $15, $12 st./s.c.
FRIDAY 1/2
Around Town
Psychology Discussion Group You're finally free from family obligations for a while?give your head a mental release & discuss "gay life" w/other men & women; LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-620-7310; 8, $5.
Film/Video
Delicatessen 1991 Surrealist post-apocalyptic black comedy?like Pluto Nash? Bring a translator or a pretentious NYU freshman, it's in French w/English subtitles; Landmark Sunshine Cinema, 143 E. Houston St. (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.), 212-330-8182; 12 a.m., $10 [repeats Sat.].
Dial M for Murder in 3-D Hitchcock classic's 50th anniversary in its original 3-D form, finally explaining why there are always lamps & shit between the actors & the camera; Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St. (betw. Varick St. & 6th Ave.), 212-727-8110; visit www.filmforum.com for times, $10.
"Not of This Earth: Sci-Fi Unbound" Lincoln Center's sci-fi fest screens Peter Watkins' Privilege (1967), about a rock star used by the man to subliminally numb the masses, eerily foreshadowing J.C. Chasez's rise to fame & Nixon-era insanity, Punishment Park; Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 212-721-6500, www.filmlinc.com ; visit website for times & info, $10, $7 st., $6 s.c. per film [repeats Sun. at 3].
SATURDAY 1/3
Around Town
"Immigrant New York" Join Big Onion Walking Tours & visit the multi-ethnic Jewish East Side, Chinatown & Little Italy feat. stops at the African Burial Ground, Mulberry Bend & other historic sites; Big Onion Walking Tours, meet at S.E. corner B'way (Chambers St.), 212-439-1090; 1, $12, $10 st./s.c.
Museum of Natural Hysteria Hunt Watson Adventures' scavenger hunt leads you through most of the museum, "dinosaurs to diamonds," in just two-hours?that's better than any of our old school trips; American Museum of Natural History, Central Park W. (79th St.), 212-769-5100; 3 p.m., $30 incl. adm.
Prospect Park's 11th-Annual Holiday Tree Recycling Don't leave your old Christmas tree in front of your house for dogs to desecrate?haul it to the park & let the wood chipper do its thing, turning the undecorated tree into valuble mulch, while you sip on hot chocolate. Bring a bag & take some free mulch home; Prospect Park, 3rd St. (Prospect Park W.), Bklyn, 718-965-8999, 311; 10-3, free.
Film/Video
"Not of This Earth: Sci-Fi Unbound" Lincoln Center's sci-fi fest screens Robert Corman's countercultural comedy, Gas-s-s-s (1971), Tobe Hooper's space-vampires-burn-London-flick, Lifeforce (1985) & Mamoru Oshii's 2001 cyber-action stunner, Avalon?let's hope the 2001 technology isn't all obsolete by now, that would be awkward; Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 212-721-6500, www.filmlinc.com; visit website for times & info, $10, $7 st., $6 s.c.
Readings
Spiral Thought The Yeats allusion wins a listing! Monthly reading series (no open mic, fax 718-832-2310 to participate); Shakespeare's Sister, 270 Court St. (Douglass St.), Bklyn, 718-694-0084 ; 7.
Workshops
Beginning Dumbek Rami Elaaser teaches the "basic sounds of dumbek & some traditional middle eastern rhythms"; Tribal Soundz, 340 E. 6th St. (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.), 212-673-5992; 12, $15.
SUNDAY 1/4
Around Town
Champagne Sunday Brunch Screw coffee! MoÎt & Chandon offers unlimited champagne w/fancy three-course meals, so that you can end the weekend just as drunk as you started it; Regent Wall Street Hotel, 55 Wall St. (betw. William & Hanover Sts.), 212-845-8600; 12-3, $39 [through 1/25].
Adopt a Pet Rescue center, Animal Haven lets you adopt the precious dogs & cats that they've worked hard to save?plus, owners can buy pet supplies or sit down for brunch!; Fetch Bar & Grill, 1649 3rd Ave. (92nd St.), 212-289-2700; 11-3, free.
"Electronic Waste Recycling Day" Lost your receipt & can't return that bulky fax? Are you using a computer as an ottoman? The Lower East Side Ecology Center invites you to bring down working & non-working computers, cables, tvs, fax machines, cell phones, etc. for recycling; Union Square Park N., 17th St. (betw. B'way & Park Ave. S.), 212-477-4022; 9-4, free.
Film/Video
"Not of This Earth: Sci-Fi Unbound" Lincoln Center's sci-fi fest continues w/Until the End of the World (1991), that's how long it'll run?five hours incl. two 10-minute intermissions, so remember to pee first?director's cut of epic journey flick w/amazing soundtrack, visit www.filmlinc.com for more info; Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 212-721-6500; 5:15, $10, $7 st., $6 s.c. [repeats Fri. at 4:15].
Workshops
Learn to Weave Children "put together bits of an ancient picture"; Children's Galleries for Jewish Culture, 515 W. 20th St. #4E (10th Ave.), 212-924-4500; www.jcllcm.com; 2, $5.
MONDAY 1/5
Film/Video
Monday Night Shorts Weekly screenings showcase shorts from independent filmmakers; Freight Restaurant, Chelsea Market, 410 W. 16th St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), 212-242-6555; 8, free.
Zmani (It's About Time) A story exploring the relationship between Israelis & the value of time; Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St. (5th Ave.), 212-294-8301; 7, $8, $4 st.
Readings
Cause Celeb! "Dramatic readings of celebrity autobiographies...Laugh till you cry with the first-person, jugular stylings of the famous, infamous and almost were"; Fez/Time Cafe, 380 Lafayette St. (Great Jones St.), 212-533-7000; 7:30, $10.
"Celebrating African American Poetry" Series highlights more than two centuries of African-American creativity w/poetry from Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka & Phyllis Wheatley read by actor/playwright Clifford Mason & actress Trezana Beverly?plus, wine & refreshments; South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St. (betw. South & Front Sts.), 212-748-8735; 7, $3 sugg. don.
Dark Matter: Reading the Bones From Publishers Weekly: "After the spectacular Dark Matter (2000), [editor Sheree R.] Thomas offers something of a mixed bag in her second anthology of speculative fiction from the African diaspora"; Barnes & Noble, 2289 B'way (82nd St.), 212-362-8835; 7:30, free.
The Havana Room "One night when Bill arrives home late from a business trip, a devastating accident involving a young boy leads to his ruin. Within weeks he has lost everything: his marriage, family and friends, his home, his job. Alone in New York, he seeks solace and a sense of belonging by frequenting a classic midtown steakhouse"; Half King, 505 W. 23rd St. (10th Ave.), 212-462-4300; 7, free.
Monthly Open This can be the best ticket in town?some of the best & the worst, and both equally entertaining; Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, 131 E. 10th St. (2nd Ave.), 212-674-0910; 7:45, free.
Writing New York reading w/Jonathan Lethem, Colson Whitehead & Edgardo Vega Yunque; 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. (92nd St.), 212-415-5500; 8, $16.
TUESDAY 1/6
Around Town
Tuesday Night Trivia Be proud that you're a geek?you could help your team win $10-$25 bar tabs by answering some pretty wacky & obscure questions; Baggot Inn, 82 W. 3rd St. (betw. Sullivan & Thompson Sts.), 212-477-0622; 7:30, 2 drink min.
27th-Annual Three Kings Day Celebration Parade through the streets of East Harlem reenacts the three journey of the magi to Bethlehem, followed by theater performance of The Bright Star that Guided Three Wise Kings; El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Ave. (104th St.), 212-660-7144, www.elmuseo.org; 10 a.m., $10, $5 s.c./child.
Film/Video
"Filmmakers of Our Times" Today, Therese (1986) by cavalier filmmaker Alain Cavalier?followed by a 1995 documentary about the director; Florence Gould Hall, French Institute, 55 E. 59th St. (betw. Madison & Park Aves.), 212-355-6160; 12:30, 4 & 7:30, $8, $6 st.
"Not of This Earth: Sci-Fi Unbound" Lincoln Center's sci-fi fest screens Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)?see what separates Donald from Kiefer, visit www.filmlinc.com for more info; Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 212-721-6500; 4:15, $10, $7 st., $6 s.c.
South African Films Documentary Aftertaste (2003, 35 mins.), shows labor reform as it affects two wine farms & short Perfect Darkness (2002, 35 mins.) tells the tale of a South African woman who has moved to America; the Tank, 432 W. 42nd St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), 212-868-4444; 8, $7.
Lectures
"Investment Strategies" Business Matters series pres. Wall Street experts Dr. Harld Ehrlich, Madeline Noveck & Claire B. Benenson, discussing "factors affecting the markets" w/Prudential Securities director of technical research, Ralph Acampora; 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. (92nd St.), 212-415-5500; 8:15, $25.
A Time of Our Choosing: America's War in Iraq Times Washington correspondent Todd S. Purdum discusses his new book about the recent events surrounding America's newest conquest; 92nd St. Y's West Side Satellite, 35 W. 67th St. (betw. Columbus Ave. & Central Park W.), 212-415-5500; 11, $15.
Readings
Douglas Brinkley discusses Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War; Barnes & Noble, 2289 B'way (82nd St.), 212-362-8835; 7:30, free.
Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies James Sanders appears; Union Square Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St. (betw. B'way & Park Ave. S.), 212-253-0810; 7, free.
Thaddeus Rutkowski reads plus open mic; Park Slope Poetry Project, 283 Prospect Ave. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), 718-788-2597; call for times & prices.