-
Sunday, May 31, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Out of an Abundance of Caution
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
The Brick
Twitch
Free (tips encouraged)
https://www.bricktheater.com/event/out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-volume-eleven/
Some of the leading forces in Brooklyn experimental theater curate a weekly series of stuff from beyond the beyond: enormous fun!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Whist Cocktail: pour 1-1/2 oz. dark Rum, 3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/2 oz. Calvados (I won't tell if you sub in Laird's Bonded) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 31, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Kernis 60th / Beethoven 250th
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020
5:00 PM
The Hudson View Gardens Performing Arts Group
Free
https://www.facebook.com/events/171138190781371/
Celebrating significant birthdays of two great composers, Vienna's Ludwig van Beethoven and New York's Aaron Jay Kernis. Kernis and members of his family will participate in the music-making.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Let's celebrate with French 75s: pour 1-1/2 oz. Cognac and 1/2 oz. each lemon juice and simple syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Top with Champagne.
-
Sunday, May 31, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
-
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Eschaton
PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020 (Weekly)
10:00 PM
Zoom
$10
https://chorusproductions.ticketspice.com/eschaton
An immersive experience in which viewers wander from room to virtual room seeing different variety acts and interacting with them.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: It's late on a Saturday, so I'm going to recommend something strong. Don't blame me for how you feel Sunday morning. Nineteen-Twenty Pick-Me-Up: pour 2 oz. Absinthe, 1 oz. Gin, 1 teaspoon Simple Syrup, and 1 dash each of Angostura and orange bitters into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a wine glass, and fill the rest up with soda water.
-
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TJG Online Lockdown Sessions: Bill Frisell / Hanah Marks / Kasa Overall / Jen Shyu
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020
7:00 PM
Jazz Gallery Live Stream
Zoom
$20
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/lockdown-session-8
Another Jazz Gallery initiative, this one featuring musical segments recorded by the participating artists during the week preceding the stream, and then live chat with the artists afterward. Tonight attention must be paid to guitarist Bill Frisell, one of the best musicians on the planet. Jen Shyu, who combines a mastery of East Asian string instruments and Western classical and jazz piano with a unique theatrical conception. Kasa Overall, a drummer with interesting ideas and backpack rap roots. And Hannah Marks, a bassist I've never heard of.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Now that it's (notionally) Summer, we can have a South Side: muddle 5 mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Pour in 2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. lime juice, and 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup. Add ice, and stir. Strain into chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with another mint leaf.
-
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jennifer Koh: Alone Together
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
ARCO Collaborative
Instragram & Facebook Live Streams; YouTube Video
Free
https://arcocollaborative.net/projects/AloneTogether/index.html
An almost staggeringly well-intentioned initiative (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible) from the fantastic violinist Jennifer Koh. The idea is this: there are active composers who have stable incomes from salaries or grants and other forms of institutional support; and there are active composers who freelance. Koh approached 21 composers have who stable incomes and asked them each to donate a 30-second micropiece for solo violin; in addition, she asked each of those composers to recommend a freelance composer, each of whom will be paid to compose a 30-second micropiece. Koh (who is donating her own considerable services) will premiere a few of the resulting works every Saturday at 7:00 PM on Instagram and Facebook live streams; if you don't feel comfortable exposing your personal data to the Evil Empire of Surveillance Capitalism, the shows will then reside on YouTube as videos. Just beyond great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This is a sort of Improved (or maybe that should be "Reconciled") Modern Cocktail (note that this cocktail originated in the early 20th Century, so this is what somebody thought was "modern" then): pour 2 oz. blended Scotch, 1 oz. Swedish Punsch, 1/4 oz. each of Absinthe and lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Grendine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Artist Relief Tree: Opera Jukebox
OPERA
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020
7:00 PM
Free
https://artistrelieftree.com/opera/
This is kind of mainstream for this List (hosted by David Hyde Pierce and all), but (a) it's for the good cause of artists' relief during The Pandemic, and (b) at least two of the participating opera singers, Jamie Barton and Anthony Roth Costanzo, are secretly non-mainstream. People got to vote on the repertoire in exchange for contributions to the relief fund — that's the "jukebox" aspect — so we'll see what we get.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Silver Cocktail: pour 1 oz. each of Gin and Dry Vermouth and 1 teaspoon of Maraschino liqueur, with 2 dashes of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Carlos Simon, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Brooklyn Youth Chorus
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2020
5:00 PM
Connecting ACO Community
American Composers Orchestra
$5
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connecting-aco-community-carlos-simon-anthony-roth-costanzo-byc-tickets-102120982608
Composer Carlos Simon's music is a little trad, but none the worse for that. He couldn't ask for better performers than the live counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and the pre-recorded Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Three Miller (David Wondrich has pretty much established that the appealingly engimatic name is Harry Craddock's typo for "Three-Miler", i.e., outside what was once the three miles offshore in which Prohibition was enforced): pour 2 oz. Cognac, 1 oz. white Rum, 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 29, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Laura Ornella: At Night Presents . . . Weird Night/Late Night Down the Rabbit Hole
PERFORMANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
Free (R.S.V.P. required) (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/at-night-presents-weird-night-late-night-down-the-rabbit-hole/
Variety: film, music, character pieces.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Frisco Sour: pour 2 oz. Rye, 1 oz. Bénédictine, and 1/2 oz. lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 29, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
CoPA Remote Happy Hour: Darius Jones & Angelica Sanchez
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020
5:00 PM
The New School
Facebook
Free
https://event.newschool.edu/onlinecoparemotehappyhourftda/
Darius Jones is a really good post-avant-gutbucket alto saxophonist. Angelica Sanchez is a tasty pianist who can lean more strictly avant.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Croque Mme. Moger: pour 1 oz. Gin and 1-1/2 oz. Campari into a Highball glass over ice. Top with 4 oz. club soda. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Friday, May 29, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
-
Friday, May 29, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
ETHEL and Friends: Balcony Bar from Home
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020 (Weekly)
5:00 PM
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Facebook
Free
https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ethel-online
The fab alt string quartet ETHEL brings its weekly recitals in the Met Balcony Bar home (theirs and yours). Expect old and new music, and surprise guests (from still more homes).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Start your weekend off (remember weekends?) with a Jasmine: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 1/4 oz. each Campari and Cointreau, and 3/4 oz. lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Friday, May 29, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 26 & 28, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Rolls Royce of a cocktail: pour 1/2 oz. Gin, 1/2 oz. each of sweet and dry Vermouth, and 1/2 teaspoon Bénédictine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. If you're feeling extravagant, garnish with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Zero Boy: The COVID Cabaret
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse
YouTube
Free
http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse
Submit a 4-5 word suggestion, and Zero Boy will turn into into . . . improv comedy!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I'm sure Zero Boy would be happy to be accompanied by a Napoleon: pour 2 oz. Gin and one teaspoon each of Curaçao, Dubonnet, and Fernet Branca into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Mark Morris Dance Group: Dance On!
DANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020
7:30 PM
Zoom
Free (registration required)
https://markmorrisdancegroup.org/event/05-28-2020-dance-on-online-event/
A night of world premieres by the inimitable Mark Morris — all of which were created on the company, rehearsed, and are performed via Zoom. This is as big as big deals get.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Prince of Wales takes a bit of work — but this is Mark Morris we're drinking to: put a 1" cube of pineapple in a cocktail shaker. Pour in 1-1/2 oz. Rye, 1/2 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur, 1/2 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup. Muddle. Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
International Contemporary Ensemble: Aural Explorations: Farrin, Fure, and Messiaen
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020
7:00 PM
YouTube
Zoom
Free
https://www.iceorg.org/events/may28livestream
Wow. A new piece by Ashley Fure in which the audience participates in the music making, using mason jars or large glasses under the direction of the composer. A new piece by Suzanne Farrin, featuring the composer on the eerie ondes Martenot. And then Farrin plays some Messiaen on that, his pet instrument. The concert will be live-streamed on YouTube, followed by a chat with the audience on Zoom.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: One more glass to use, beside the ones in Ashley Fure's piece. Let's fill it with a My Fair Lady: pour 1-1/2 oz. Geneever, 1 oz. dry Vermouth, 1/2 oz. Amaro (CioCiaro by preference), 1 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur, and 3 dashes of orange bitters into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
David McDonald: Ella the Ungovernable
THEATER
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020
7:00 PM
TNC "On the Air"
Theater for the New City Live Stream
YouTube
Zoom
Free (donations requested)
https://theaterforthenewcity.net/?page_id=21639
A teenaged girl escapes from reform school and becomes the greatest singer in the world: a true story.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Ella deserves nothing less than a Tuxedo cocktail: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. Fino Sherry, and 1 dash of orange bitters into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Ivan Forde
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-9
Ivan Forde's talents span printmaking, animation, and sound/music. He's taking telling stories from epic poetry, casting himself as every character. This is going to be great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: More classical material gets another classic cocktail, one quite appropriate to the week after Memorial Day: the Fair and Warmer. Pour 2 oz. white Rum and 1 oz. sweet Vermouth, with a teaspoon of Curaçao, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. A cocktail cherry wouldn't hurt.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Ethan Iverson
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020
5:00 PM
The New School
Facebook
Free
https://event.newschool.edu/performanceandconversationwith/
Ethan Iverson is a fluent jazz pianist who also is fully conversant with classical and indie rock. You may have known him in the past as a member of The Bad Plus, or Mark Morris's music director.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Silver Fox: pour 1 egg white, 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 3/4 ox. lemon juice, and 1/2 oz. Orgeat in a cocktail shaker with no ice. Dry shake. Add ice. Shake again, hard. Pour into a chilled Highball glass. Top off with club soda, and then a float of 1/2 oz. Amaretto. Drink through a (I hope metal) straw.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Lisa Bielawa: Broadcast from Home
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 (Weekly)
3:00 PM
Free
https://www.lisabielawa.net/projects-1
The imaginative and empathetic composer Lisa Bielawa — certainly one of those who have their own sound world that you can recognize immediately — has a coronavirus project in which she's soliciting short testimonies from the public reflecting on coronavirus experiences, writing melodies for them, giving them to singers to record, and then composing backing tracks for them. She'll post a new "chapter" each Thursday at 3 PM (and leave them up), toward the eventual end of their all forming a big piece — which the participants can get together to perform live on The Other Side!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I'm not sure the Parasol actually improves on the Pisco Sour (how can you improve on perfection?). But it's nice to try something a little different every once in a while. Pour 1 oz. Pisco, 2 oz. Aperol, 1/2 oz. each of lemon and lime juice, 3/4 oz. Simple Syrup, and 1 egg white into a cocktail shaker with no ice. Dry shake. Then, fill the cocktail shaker with ice, and shake again. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Add 4 dashes of Angostura bitters and do that connect-the-dots thing with a straw or toothpick.
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
-
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 26 & 28, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday Matinees: Gabriel Cabezas
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
7:00 PM
Kaufman Music Center
Facebook
Free
https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/tuesday-matinees-gabriel-cabezas-cello/
Far be it from me to ask why a Tuesday Matinée would take place on a Wednesday night. Anyway, this isn't a live performance. But it is an example of another salutory trend that's popping up in remote musicmaking: this taped recital was directed by an actual stage director — a good one: James Darrah — so the visual component should be as arresting as the musical (and let's face it: the sound quality will be better). Gabriel Cabezas is an up-and-coming NYC cellist who, in terms of the quality of his playing (and programming), is there. He'll be playing music by such contemporary faves as Nico Muhly, Gabriella Smith, and Alyssa Weinberg. And, oh yeah, for a touch of transcendent sublimity, a Bach suite.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Roy Howard: pour 1/2 oz. Brandy, 1 oz. Lillet Blanc, 1/2 oz. orange juice, and 1 teaspoon Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Jason Lindner
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-jason-lindner
Several nights a week, the Jazz Gallery is putting on early evening remote sessions where jazz musicians play and chat with the audience (limited to 15 people per show). I'm recommending them selectively, but check out the website for a full listing. This evening's show features pianist/composer Jason Lindner, one of the stalwarts of the Smalls jazz scene 15 years ago and still a force to be reckoned with.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I'm feeling a Martinez tonight. Let's try Jerry Thomas's original recipe: pour 1 oz. Old Tom Gin (you can use regular Gin if you must), 2 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1 teaspoon of Maraschino liqueur, with two dashes of Angostura or orange bitters (your choice!) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe (or a Nick and Nora glass if you have one).
-
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Caryl Churchill: Mad Forest
THEATER
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
3:00 PM
Theater for a New Audience
Zoom
Free (registration required)
https://www.tfana.org/current-season/digital-programming/madforest
A video-enhanced live reading of Caryl Churchill's gripping account of the overthrow of the Ceaușescus in Romania, enacted by Bard theater students.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: When I was in Bucharest, people were drinking pretty seriously even in the mid-afternoon. So while I'd usually recommend something aperitify for an afternoon performance, for this show I'll give you a solid cocktail that doesn't taste very liquoury, a Ward Eight: pour 2 oz. Rye, 3/4 oz. each orange and lemon juices, and 1 teaspoon Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Wed, May 27, 2020, 2:00 PM – Sat, May 30, 2020, 10:00 PM
Verdi: Lady M
OPERA
WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY, MAY 27 – 30, 2020 (continuing through JUNE 6)
2:00 & 8:00 PM WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY
7:00 & 900 PM THURSDAY
8:00 PM SATURDAY
Heartbeat Opera
Zoom
$20
https://www.heartbeatopera.org/lady-m
Heartbeat Opera was going to give one of their politicized updates to Verdi's Macbeth this Spring, but you know what happened. So instead they're doing a series of "virtual soirées", where a limited Zoom audience will interact with a cast member, who will do a live musical performance and host rehearsal footage and a music video of Lady M's killer Sleepwalking Scene.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A nice Corpse Reviver No. 2 variation! Creeping Death: Pour 3/4 oz. each of Gin, Cointreau, Cynar, and lemon juice, with 1/2 teaspoon of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Berio: Sequenzas
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
12:00 – 4:00 PM
YouTube
Free
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFxkai9pBg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0E_eYVxrSvDy-IYkPf33CsMylHZitpWmmzLtZaH_vitdVKyRfJcrVlIC0
Berio's Sequenzas — a set of 14 pieces, each for a different solo instrument — is a cornucopia, a cabinet of sonic wonders. It will be played this afternoon by young musicians around the world (including, in the very first Sequenza, for flute, our own Louna Dekker-Vargas). It's often observed nowadays how great and amazing it is that music like this, at (or beyond) the very edges of playability at the time it was composed, can now be dispatched by young musicians (who don't know it's unplayable) as if it's Brahms or Mozart or something. What's less often observed is that while music like this, in its time (1958-2002), was considered hard to listen to, it's now enjoyed by even fairly mainstream audiences (and certainly non-classical Alt audiences) for its pure aural piquancy, its constant ear-tickling surprise. This will be both inspiring and enjoyable.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Morning Cocktail: pour 1 oz. each of Brandy and dry Vermouth, and 1 teaspoon each of Curaçao, Maraschino liqueur, and Absinthe, with 2 dashes of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Squeeze a lemon peel into it and garnish with a cocktail cherry.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 26 & 28, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Rolls Royce of a cocktail: pour 1/2 oz. Gin, 1/2 oz. each of sweet and dry Vermouth, and 1/2 teaspoon Bénédictine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. If you're feeling extravagant, garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Crossing Boundaries
DANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
YouTube
Free (donations required)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/crossing-virtual-boundaries-2020-05-26/
New works by choreographers crossing cultural, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Here's a drink that crosses some boundaries: a Glasgow. Pour 2 oz. blended Scotch, 1 oz. dry Vermouth, and 1 teaspoon of Absinthe, with 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Frank J. Avella: Ganymede Revisited
THEATER
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
7:30 PM
The Tank
YouTube
Free
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/ganymede/26
Three classical Greek tales, adapted so as to be set, respectively, in ancient times, now, and in the future, are used to explore queer sexual power.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Classical material gets a classic cocktail: the Savoy Hotel Special No. 1. Pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. dry Vermouth, 1 teaspoon of Grenadine, and 1/2 teaspoon of Absinthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
The Shallow B-Rate Spectacle: Tea Time with Shelton Whimsy
PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
Zoom
Free (R.S.V.P. required)(donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/tea-time-with-shelton-whimsy-05-26-2020/
Shelton Whimsy was a neo-vaudevillian in happier times; now that there are no live performances he's become a video artist. In this performance piece, he holds a tea party where he tells of love, loss, and poetry set against the backdrop of Florence last Summer (when, believe it or not, you could still go there). Expect special guest appearances.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If we're going to think of being in Florence, we're obviously going to be drinking Negronis while doing so. But this week, let's try a White Negroni: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. Lilet Blanc (or my new fave, Kina l'Aéro d'Or), and 3/4 oz. Suze (face up: you've GOT to get some) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Café La MaMa
MUSIC / DANCE / PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/cafe-live-7/
A weekly salon featuring music, dance, and (uh-oh) storytelling. This week's program celebrates Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: It would be extremely disrespectful to specify a Tiki cocktail here — but I'm afraid I'm going to do so. Fogcutter: pour 1-1/2 oz. white Rum, 1/2 oz. each of Gin and Brandy, 2 oz. orange juice, 1 oz. lemon juice, and 1/2 oz. Orgeat into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a Highball glass over ice. Top with 1/2 oz. Amontillado Sherry. Garnish with a mint leaf. Reflect on cultural objectification, appropriation, and blatant misrepresentation.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Lea Bertucci & Bradley Eros
PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-9
Lea Bertucci, a forward-thinking (and often quite noisy) sound artist, teams up with Bradley Eros, an immensely interesting multidisciplinary visual/media/film artist. This can't help but be fascinating.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Quill (OK, this is nothing more than a Negroni with some Absinthe thrown in): pour 1 oz. each of Gin, sweet Vermouth, and Campari, and 1/4 oz. Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
CyberTank Variety Show
THEATER / PERFORMANCE / DANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 (Weekly)
4:00 PM
The Tank
Twitch
Free
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/2020/4/14/cybertank-variety-show-2a6kk-xj86b
Performing artists from around the world share what they've been working on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: An aperitivo-style cocktail perfect for early evening, a Bicicletta: pour 1-1/2 oz. Campari and 2 oz. dry white wine into a highball glass over ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon slice. (Warning: this is bitter!) (But nice!)
-
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 26 & 28, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Monday, May 25, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Bindlestiff Open Stage Variety Show Quarantine Edition
PERFORMANCE
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
YouTube
Facebook
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/bindlestiff-05-25-2020/
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus presents magicians! Jugglers! Aerialists! Performance artists! Trained rats (sometimes)! I can just about promise you'll enjoy this.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I can't top the Monkey Gland as a pairing for this, so I'm gonna keep repeating it (albeit still without any guaranties about um virility). Do the coat-a-chilled-glass (Martini glass or coupe)-with-Absinthe thing. Then pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. orange juice, and 1/4 oz. Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and pour into the Absinthe-coated glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Monday, May 25, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing
THEATER
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020
6:00 PM
Bedlam
Facebook
Zoom
Free (with registration for Zoom) (donations requested)
https://bedlam.org/benefit-reading/
Bedlam has been doing stripped-down interpretations of the classics since its inception, so a Zoomed Shakespeare reading should be mother's milk to it. As for this play, all I can say is this: so enchanted was I by the character of Beatrice that I married the closest IRL cognate I could find (RIP). In keeping with its Memorial Day scheduling, this performance is a benefit for this company's Veterans' programs.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Sigh no more, ladies. Let's all have a Maiden's Blush No. 2: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. Absinthe, and 1 teaspoon of Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. (Those maidens had best be blushing if they're drinking something this strong!)
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Methods Body / Arone Dyer / Anthony Sahyoun / Fadi Tabbal: Virtual Show
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
9:00 PM
Holocene
YouTube
Twitch
Free (donations requested)
http://www.holocene.org/e/virtual-show-methods-body-w-arone-dyer-anthony-sahyoun-and-fadi-tabbal-105897534376/
If you saw Methods Body on Nadia Sirota's Living Music: Pirate Radio on Thursday, chances are you were blown away — at least if you believe that the distance between a certain kind of electronic pop music and a certain kind of contemporary classical is minimal (pun intended), and that a melding of Terry Riley/Éliane Radigue and Aphex Twin, with big blasts of microtonality and polyrhythms, is exactly what you want to hear. Tonight they're celebrating the release of their first album! And they've invited to the party Arone Dyer, Brooklyn's favorite bicycle mechanic/buke player/auronaut; and two great musicians out of Lebanon, exploratory guitarist Anthony Sahyoun, and alt-pop (and I mean really alt) experimentalist Fadi Tabbal.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Modernista would be just the thing: pour 2 oz. Scotch, 1/2 each of oz. Dark Rum, Swedish Pusnch, and lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Absinthe, with a 2 dashes of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Stephen Adly Guirgis: Our Lady of 121st Street
THEATER
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
8:00 PM
LAByrinth Theater Company Live Stream
Free (donations requested) (frequently)
https://labtheater.org/season/ourlady
No one could accuse playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis of being reticent. And nobody could accuse his plays of being boring (nor his dialogue of failing to snap, crackle, and pop). This is a reading of one of Guirgis's Greatest Hits, featuring several members of the original cast — as well as such notable ringers as Bobby Cannavale and Laurence Fishburne. Sadly, Philip Seymour Hoffman is unavailable to return as director.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Try this drinking game: take a drink every time somebody says "fuck". You won't make it through Act One. And here's the drink to do it with: an Expat. Pour 2 oz. Bourbon, 1 oz. lime juice, and 3/4 oz. Simple Syrup, with a dash of Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Out of an Abundance of Caution
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
The Brick
Twitch
Free (tips encouraged)
https://www.bricktheater.com/event/out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-volume-10/
Some of the leading forces in Brooklyn experimental theater curate a weekly series of stuff from beyond the beyond: enormous fun! These shows, along with Nadia Sirota's semi-weekly Living Music: Pirate Radio shows, have been my favorite things during The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Not a Manhattan, but a Manhattan Transfer: pour 1/-1/2 oz. Rye and 1 oz. each of dry Vermouth and Amaro (Ramazzotti by preference), with 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Jeffrey Zeigler plays Yuan-Chen Li
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
5:00 PM
American Composers Orchestra Live Stream
$5
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connecting-aco-community-yuan-chen-li-jeffrey-zeigler-tickets-102114790086
New music from Yuan-Chen Li, a composer who consistently comes up with new sonorities that are almost always pleasing and piquant. Cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, who's playing that music, needs no accolades from me.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The seasonally appropriate May Blossom Fizz: pour 1-1/2 oz. Swedish Punsch (you really have to get some — really), 1/2 oz. lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a rocks glass, neat, and fill with soda water.
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Ka Baird Curates
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
4:00 PM
The Quarantine Concerts
Experimental Sound Studio Live Stream
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
The performance artist/sonic explorer Ka Baird presents an evening of performances; it's a pity she isn't scheduled to perform herself, since I just listened to her most recent album and, I have to say, loved it. So we'll have to console ourselves with such great guests as theorist/beatwise electronic experimentalist DeForest Brown, Jr., and Cellist Of The Future MV Carbon.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Trinadad Sour, a weird but unexpectedly quite delicious cocktail: pour 1/2 oz. Rye, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, 1 oz. Orgeat, and 1 oz. Angostura bitters (yes, you read that right: 1 oz. of bitters) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
-
Sunday, May 24, 2020, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
David Rosenmeyer: Exercises on "The Presence of Odradek"
OPERA
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
8:00 AM, 2:00 & 7:00 PM
Bare Opera Online Performance
Free (with registration) (donation requested)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exercises-on-the-presence-of-odradek-tickets-105597882108
After a hit premiere, a set of reprises (sheduled for a worldwide audienceo) of an excerpted preview of an upcoming opera on Kafka to be presented in full at La MaMa when all this blows over.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If you'd have a cocktail at 8 AM, you're a lot harder core than I am. For the 2 and 7 PM performances, let's use up more Honey Syrup in a Saint-Florent: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 1/2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. lime juice, and 1/4 oz. Honey Syrup, with a dash of Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, Strain into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne, and garnish with a lime wheel. (You know, you really could drink that at 8 AM.)
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Eschaton
PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020 (Weekly)
10:00 PM
Zoom
$10
https://chorusproductions.ticketspice.com/eschaton
An immersive experience in which viewers wander from room to virtual room seeing different variety acts and interacting with them.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Edging deeper into Orgeat, a Fix Me Up: pour 1 oz. Rye, 1-1/2 oz. Amontillado Sherry, 1/2 oz. each orange and lemon juice, and 3/4 oz. Orgeat, with 2 dashes Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a snifter over ice. Top with 3/4 oz. club soda.
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TJG Online Lockdown Sessions: Miles Okazaki / Tineka Postma / Walter Smith III / Luciana Souza
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020
7:00 PM
Jazz Gallery Live Stream
Zoom
$20
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/lockdown-session-7
Another Jazz Gallery initiative, this one featuring musical segments recorded by the participating artists during the week preceding the stream, and then live chat with the artists afterward. Tonight we have Miles Okazaki, a guitarist who manages to be pathbreaking while staying In The Tradition; Walter Smith III, another great young(ish) saxophonist, more of the Lester Young school than Dayna Stephens's Coleman Hawkins school; Luciana Souza, a Brazilian jazz/pop singer who is just a dream; and Tineka Postma, a sax player I've never heard of but who's from the Netherlands.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Let's use still more Honey Syrup. The Stark: pour 1-1/2 oz. Bourbon, 3/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, and 1/2 oz. each of lime juice and Honey Syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled rocks glass, add ice, and give it a generous float of Angostura bitters.
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jennifer Koh: Alone Together
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
ARCO Collaborative
Instragram & Facebook Live Streams; YouTube Video
Free
https://arcocollaborative.net/projects/AloneTogether/index.html
An almost staggeringly well-intentioned initiative (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible) from the fantastic violinist Jennifer Koh. The idea is this: there are active composers who have stable incomes from salaries or grants and other forms of institutional support; and there are active composers who freelance. Koh approached 21 composers have who stable incomes and asked them each to donate a 30-second micropiece for solo violin; in addition, she asked each of those composers to recommend a freelance composer, each of whom will be paid to compose a 30-second micropiece. Koh (who is donating her own considerable services) will premiere a few of the resulting works every Saturday at 7:00 PM on Instagram and Facebook live streams; if you don't feel comfortable exposing your personal data to the Evil Empire of Surveillance Capitalism, the shows will then reside on YouTube as videos. Just beyond great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Let's use some more of that Honey Syrup. Rye Hummingbird Down: Pour 2 oz. Rye and 3/4 oz. each of lemon juice and Honey Syrup, with 1 teaspoon Green Chartreuse, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
CoPA Remote Happy Hour Hang: Joan La Barbara & Gelsey Bell
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2020
6:00 PM
Mannes School of Music, The New School
Facebook
Free
https://www.facebook.com/events/248069166299887/
I'm gonna go all personal on you and say these are two singers/performers/creators I just lovelovelove. Fearless, imaginative, unafraid to be challenging but also unafraid to be enjoyable. Why in the world would you skip this?
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A show like this deserves a REALLY nice cocktail. So, from Harry McElhone himself, a Welcome Stranger: pour 1/2 oz. each of Gin, Cognac or other Brandy, Swedish Punsch (I'm TELLING you you need to get some of this!), Grenadine, orange juice, and lemon juice (or, instead of 1/2 oz. each of the two juices, 1 oz. of Meyer lemon juice if, like me, you're finishing up the end of this year's stash) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
ROOM: Rooms(!): Zeno Baldi / Donald Swearingen / Pamela Z
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020
4:00 PM
Z Programs
Zoom
Free (with registration) (donations requested)
http://www.pamelaz.com/room.html
Two from the Bay Area, one from Verona. Presented by — and featuring — Pamela Z, one of the most interesting, entertaining, and charismatic performers in Alt Classical. Also, Donald Swearingen, who I hope won't get upset when I call his electronic music delightful (it really is!). And another challenging but immensely engrossing electronic composer/performer, Zeno Baldi. A great show!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: It was in Verona that I first learned that there was such a thing as good, non-rotgut Grappa. So let's mix some into a Giannola 38: pour 1/2 oz. each of Grappa, Fino Sherry, lime juice, and Simple Syrup, with 1 teaspoon of Green Chartreuse, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
ReSolute Stays Home
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020
3:00 - 11:00 PM
ReSolute Facebook
Free
https://www.facebook.com/events/709996069761184/
World-class DJing from around the world accompanied by dedicated world-class visuals from around the world.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I think the thing to do here is to make a Punch and then drink it down during the course of this long event. Maybe a Porch Punch: combine 5 liters of boiling water with 12 teabags [30 grams] of Earl Grey tea, 4 teabags [10 grams] of mint tea, and 1 liter of granulated sugar. Let steep for 5-7 minutes, strain, and let cool to room temperature. Add 2 liters of Bourbon, 1/2 oz. orange flower water, and 1 oz. orange bitters. Refrigerate. For each serving, pour 6 oz. into an ice-filled Highball glass, top with 1/2 oz. lime juice, and garnish with with mint sprigs and lemon and lime wedges. This sounds like a lot of work, but most of the work is in advance — and anyway, it's SO good!
-
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Corbett vs. Dempsey Presents: Sequesterfest
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020
2:00 PM
The Quarantine Concerts
Experimental Sound Studio Live Stream
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
The forward-looking Chicago gallery presents a night of experimental music of all sorts from all over, ranging from Steve Berseford to our own Rebekah Heller to Peter Brötzmann to Hamid Drake (and that's just cherry-picking a few).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: OF COURSE this show gets an Augie March: pour 2 oz. Resposado Tequila, 3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/2 oz. Cynar into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
-
Fri, May 22, 2020, 8:00 PM – Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:00 PM
The Tank: Rule of 7x7
THEATER
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 22 & 23, 2020
8:00 PM
Zoom
Free (with registration)
https://thetanknyc.org/rule-of-7x7
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/7x7/virtual/22
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/7x7/virtual/23
Seven playwrights were assembled to each to write a short 10-minute play. Each had to come up with a rule to be followed in writing the plays; and all had to abide by all seven rules the seven playwrights had come up with. The plays are now performed. People have LOVED the past iterations of this (it's now being done every two weeks).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The Tank promises "unlimited booze" ("provided by yourselves"). Let's take them up on that with some Division Bells (if you see a Modern Cocktail with an agave base that looks really good, chances are that like this one, it was created by Phil Ward — even if he's trying to move away from agave at present): pour 1 oz. Mezcal, 3/4 oz. Aperol, 1/2 oz. Maraschino liqueur, and 3/4 oz. lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
-
Friday, May 22, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Downtown Variety
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE / DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/downtown-variety-9/
Each week (except last, for some reason) La MaMa assembles a bunch of experimentalist dancers, performers, actors, media artists, musicians, and what have you, and sees what happens when they live stream.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Memorial Day is approaching, and I am sorry to have to tell you that you need to get some Orgeat, if you don't already have any, for Summer drinking ahead. Let's stick our toe into the Orgeat with a not-particularly-Summery cocktail using it — one introduced by the legendary Jerry Thomas in the mid-19th Century — the Japanese Cocktail: pour 2 oz. Cognac and 1/2 oz. Orgeat, with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Friday, May 22, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Renaissance Society
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020
8:00 PM
The Quarantine Concerts
Experimental Sound Studio Live Stream
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
The Renaissance Society, the great contemporary arts organization associated with the University of Chicago, wouldn't bother to put on a show if it wasn't excellent. And there are two solid List faves on the program: sonic omnivore C. Spencer Yeh, and the always intriguing composer Sarah Hennies (played by Karl Larson, the pianist of Bearthoven).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: An Augie March is even more appropriate to this U of C-associated show than to the last performance I recommended it with: pour 2 oz. Resposado Tequila, 3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/2 oz. Cynar into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
-
Friday, May 22, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Virtual Community Salon
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020
7:30 PM
Contemporaneous
Zoom
Free (with registration)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-community-salon-volume-5-tickets
A virtual salon. Artists and performers can share pieces in whatever stage of completion. Everyone else can comment and converse.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Preakness (not this May, dear): pour 1-1/2 oz. Bourbon, 3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/4 oz. Bénédictine, with 1 dash of bitters (your choice), into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Friday, May 22, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dance Quarantine
DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/dance-quarantine-6-05-22-2020/
Dancers and choreographers react to The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Let's have some more Bamboos, cuz I love them so: pour 1-1/2 oz. each of dry Vermouth and Palo Cortado Sherry, with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Fri, May 22, 2020, 6:00 PM – Sun, May 24, 2020, 11:59 PM
Lower East Side Festival of the Arts
PERFORMANCE / THEATER / MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 (continuing through SUNDAY, MAY 24)
6:00 PM FRIDAY –11:59 PM SUNDAY
Theater for the New City Live Stream
Free
https://theaterforthenewcity.net/?vh_show=lower-east-side-festival-of-the-arts-2020-press-release
A galaxy of LES-associated performing artists, young and old, assemble for a massive festival continuing through the weekend.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I can't think of anything better than a series of Chilcanos: pour 2 oz. Pisco and 1/4 oz. lime juice into a highball glass. Top with 4-5 oz. ginger beer (or the more trad ginger ale), add ice, and stir. Then choose your side in the huge battle over whether or not to shake in some bitters (I say "no").
-
Friday, May 22, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
ETHEL and Friends: Balcony Bar from Home
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 (Weekly)
5:00 PM
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Facebook
Free
https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ethel-online
The fab alt string quartet ETHEL brings its weekly recitals in the Met Balcony Bar home (theirs and yours). Expect old and new music, and surprise guests (from still more homes).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The great NYC Emilia-Romagnan restaurant Rezdôra celebrated its first anniversary last week (under horrible circumstances). I was there opening night last year, and before dinner I tremendously enjoyed a Paper Plane: pour 3/4 oz. each of Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro (Nonino by preference), and lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM
C4: How Low Can We Go? C4 Goes Low Latency
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
8:30 PM
YouTube
Free (tips requested)http://www.c4ensemble.org/
The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective apparently can match its considerable musical expertise with a high level of computer nerdishness. In their last remote choral concert (which they claim was the first such concert like ever), they tried to surmount the latency problems we've all become accustomed to in remote experiences — the different remote inputs don't exactly synch (and each input's sound and image don't synch, either) — by embracing it, performing music that was asynchronous. This time they're going to bravely attempt to achieve low latency. Good luck, guys! One of the pieces is by List bud Brian Mountford.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If you drink enough Foghorns, you won't care how low C4's latency is: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano, 1/4 oz. Cointreau, and 1-1/2 teaspoons Absinthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Zero Boy: The COVID Cabaret
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse
YouTube
Free
http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse
Submit a 4-5 word suggestion, and Zero Boy will turn into into . . . improv comedy!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I'll admit I've never had a Tailspin (that I can remember) — but boy it sounds exactly like what I like: rinse a Martini glass or coupe with Campari. Pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin and 1 oz. each of sweet Vermouth and Green Chartreuse, with 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into the rinsed glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
SOLOIST: Kelley Barnett
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
8:00 PM
Mise-En_Place Live Stream
Free
https://place.mise-en.org/#live
Flautist Kelley Barnett plays solo pieces by the very unobscure Kaija Saariaho and several more obscure but worthy composers.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Here's a nice one: 202 Steps. Muddle 1/4 of a peeled tangerine in a cocktail shaker. Pour in 2 oz. Bourbon and 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup, with 2 dashes of orange bitters. Add ice. Shake. Strain into a (double) rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a tangerine twist.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The Ladies of Mischief: Puppet Spread
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
8:00 PM
The Tank Live Stream
$5
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/puppetspread21
A variety show. But with PUPPETS!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The Ladies of Mischief would probably like a Merry Widow: pour 1-1/2 oz. each of Gin and dry Vermouth, with 2 scant dashes of Bénédictine, 2 dashes of Absinthe, and 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
On 1 Condition — Quarantine Qitchen
DANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
7:30 PM
Dixon Place TV
Zoom
Free
http://dixonplace.org/performances/on-1-condition-05-21-2020/
A bunch of choreographers have to create short solo pieces — but they all have to do so in accordance with one seemingly arbitrary rule set for them.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Puerto Rican Racer: pour 2 oz. dark Rum, 1/2 oz. Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy, a scant 1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, and 1 teaspoon Grenadine, with 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a rocks glass over ice.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Xavier Cha
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-8
Xavier Cha does rather riotous multimedia art. Here she reads from a guided hypnotherapy text she developed with a clinical hypnotherapist, exploring personal agency and external control (now specifically in the context of distanced, mediated, remote sociality).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If you're lucky enough to have any Suze (or Salers in a pinch), you can make a Terrible Love: pour 1-1/2 oz. Mezcal, 3/4 oz. Suze, and 1/2 oz. St-Germain, with a dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Lisa Bielawa: Broadcast from Home
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 (Weekly)
3:00 PM
Free
https://www.lisabielawa.net/projects-1
The imaginative and empathetic composer Lisa Bielawa — certainly one of those who have their own sound world that you can recognize immediately — has a coronavirus project in which she's soliciting short testimonies from the public reflecting on coronavirus experiences, writing melodies for them, giving them to singers to record, and then composing backing tracks for them. She'll post a new "chapter" each Thursday at 3 PM (and leave them up), toward the eventual end of their all forming a big piece — which the participants can get together to perform live on The Other Side!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Diplomat: pour 1-1/2 oz. each dry and sweet Vermouth, with 1 dash each of Maraschino liqueur and Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into an ice-filled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist or cocktail cherry.
-
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 19 & 21, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Ashley Bathgate
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
8:00 PM
Live@NationalSawdust
National Sawdust Live Stream
Free
https://live.nationalsawdust.org/event/ashley-bathgate
Ashley Bathgate is one stylish and adventerous cellist. And if she does this set in her childhood bedroom, as she did for the Bang On A Can Marathon a couple of weeks ago, you won't believe how nice it is.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I love Daisy cocktails. Here's a particularly nice one (for a particularly nice recital), the May Daisy: pour 2 oz. Cognac, 3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse, 1 oz. lemon juice, and 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a chilled wine glass. Garnish with a mint sprig. Lovely.
-
Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Vijay Iyer
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-vijay-iyer
Pianist/composer Vijay Iyer is one of the best people in music, any genre (not that the concept of genre even applies to what he does).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Oaxacanite: pour 1 oz. each of Blanco Tequila and Mezcal, and 3/4 oz. each of lime juice and Honey Syrup (we made some Monday!), with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a grapefruit twist (yes, not a garnish), into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Hard. Strain into an ice-filled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Claire Chase
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
4:30 PM
Princeton Livestock Exchange
Facebook
Free
https://humanities.princeton.edu/event/princeton-livestock-exchange-claire-chase/
Since flautist Claire Chase can do no wrong, this'll be worth watching no matter what she'll be doing. (Post-performance Zoom reception at a link to be posted in the Facebook comments after the show.)
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: What could be nicer, early evening, than a Garibaldi? Pour 1-1/2 oz. Campari and 4 oz. orange juice into a Highball glass over ice. Stir. Garnish with an orange wedge.
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Emily Wells
MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020
8:00 PM
Live@NationalSawdust
National Sawdust Live Stream
Free
https://live.nationalsawdust.org/event/emily-wells
I like Emily Wells's music, with its canny and listenable blend of electronica, Alt Classical, and pop styles such as hip-hop. I just wish her vocals weren't so singer-songwriter expressive.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Daisy de Santiago: pour 2 oz. white Rum, 1/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, 1 oz. lime juice, and 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a Martini glass or coupe (or a Nick and Nora glass, if you have one). Garnish with some mint sprigs.
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Shallow B-Rate Spectacle: Tea Time with Shelton Whimsy
PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020
7:00 PM
DP TV
Zoom
Free (R.S.V.P. required)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/tea-time-with-shelton-whimsy-05-19-2020/
Shelton Whimsy was a neo-vaudevillian in happier times; now that there are no live performances he's become a video artist. In this performance piece, he holds a tea party where he tells of love, loss, and poetry set against the backdrop of Florence last Summer (when, believe it or not, you could still go there).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If we're going to think of being in Florence, we're obviously going to be drinking Negronis while doing so: pour 1 oz. each of Gin, sweet Vermouth, and Campari into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Pour into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with an orange wheel.
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Café La MaMa: Cope-ah-Pandemic
MUSIC / DANCE / PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/cafe-live-6/
A weekly salon featuring music, dance, and (uh-oh) storytelling. This week's installment is co-hosted by none other than Karen Finley.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: More Honey Syrup (since Karen Finley has been known to use honey in performance herself). New Toronto: pour 1-1/2 oz. Bourbon, 1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth, 1 teaspoon Fernet-Branca, and 2 teaspoons Honey Syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe (or a Nick and Nora glass if you're lucky enough to have one).
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
CyberTank Variety Show
THEATER / PERFORMANCE / DANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020 (Weekly)
4:00 PM
The Tank Theater
Twitch
Free
https://thetanknyc.org/cybertank-calendar/2020/4/14/cybertank-variety-show-2a6kk-xj86b
Performing artists from around the world share what they've been working on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: An aperitivo-style cocktail perfect for early evening, an Adriatique: pour 1 oz. of an orangey Amaro like Montenegro or Averno, 1/2 oz. Aperol, and 1 oz. orange juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 19, 21 & 24, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This early in the day, you'd want a Pimm's Cup: 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1 Cup (you have some, right?) and 3 oz. lemon soda, lemon/lime soda, or ginger ale (I have to say that my own preference is for lemon soda) in a tall glass over ice, garnished with two or more of a cucumber slice, a strawberry, a celery or rhubarb stalk, an orange or lemon wheel, or whatever you have on hand, really.
-
Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 19 & 21, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Mon, May 18, 2020, 7:30 PM – Wed, May 20, 2020, 10:00 PM
Verdi: Lady M
OPERA
MONDAY – WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 – 20, 2020 (continuing MAY 27 – JUNE 6)
7:30 & 900 PM
Heartbeat Opera
Zoom
$20
https://www.heartbeatopera.org/lady-m
Heartbeat Opera was going to give one of their politicized updates to Verdi's Macbeth this Spring, but you know what happened. So instead they're doing a series of "virtual soirées", where a limited Zoom audience will interact with a cast member, who will do a live musical performance and host rehearsal footage and a music video of Lady M's killer Sleepwalking Scene. All slots this week appear to be taken; get tickets for one of the extension dates starting next week ( immediately.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A nice Corpse Reviver No. 2 variation! Creeping Death: Pour 3/4 oz. each of Gin, Cointreau, Cynar, and lemon juice, with 1 dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Monday, May 18, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Bindlestiff Open Stage Variety Show
PERFORMANCE
MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
YouTube
Facebook
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/bindlestiff-05-18-2020/
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus presents magicians! Jugglers! Aerialists! Performance artists! Trained rats (sometimes)! This is quite highly recommended.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I can't top the Monkey Gland as a pairing for this, so I'm gonna keep repeating it (albeit still without any guaranties about um virility). Do the coat-a-chilled-glass (Martini glass or coupe)-with-Absinthe thing. Then pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. orange juice, and 1/4 oz. Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and pour into the Absinthe-coated glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Monday, May 18, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Dayna Stephens
MUSIC
MONDAY, MAY 18, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-dayna-stephens
Several nights a week, the Jazz Gallery is putting on early evening remote sessions where jazz musicians play and chat with the audience (limited to 15 people per show). I'm recommending them selectively, but check out the website for a full listing. This evening's show features Dayna Stephens, a thoroughly modern sax player in the Coleman Hawkins tradition.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A cocktail that mirrors Dayna Stephens's playing, the Black and Gold: pour 2 oz. Bourbon and 3/4 oz. each lemon juice and Honey Syrup (we made some last week, remember?: 3 parts honey to 1 part hot water stirred until well blended), with a drop of sesame oil, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Rinse a Martini glass or coupe with Frangelico. Stir the stuff in the cocktail shaker, and strain into the Frangelico-rinsed glass.
-
Sunday, May 17, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Hotel Elefant
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020
8:00 PM
Facebook
Free (support requested)
https://www.facebook.com/hotelelefant.music/posts/2941136839295907
Hotel Elefant is a contemporary classical ensemble that plays Modern, Post-Modern, Alt Classical: the whole gamut. But makes even the abstruse stuff fun, and even the conventional stuff piquant. Tonight, there'll be some live solo and duo playing, both improvised and notated, and a video of the world premiere of a piece by the marvelous-plus Kamala Sankaram in Brooklyn last year.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Chartreuse Gin Daisy would be nice with this: pour 2-1/4 oz. Gin, 1/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Agave nectar, with a dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
-
Sunday, May 17, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Out of an Abundance of Caution
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
The Brick
Twitch
Free (tips encouraged)
https://www.bricktheater.com/event/out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-volume-9/
Some of the leading forces in Brooklyn experimental theater curate a weekly series of stuff from beyond the beyond: enormous fun! These shows, and Nadia Sirota's semi-weekly Living Music: Pirate Radio shows, have been my favorite things during The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Kick back with (at least one) Martica: pour 1 oz. each Cognac (or other Brandy) and dark Rum, 3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur, with 1 dash of Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 17, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Troy Anthony & Jerome Ellis: PASSING NOTESThe Shed: Up Close
PERFORMANCE / MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020
6:00 PM
Zoom
Free (with registration, closing 5:00 PM on SUNDAY, MAY 17)
https://theshed.org/program/155-troy-anthony-and-jerome-ellis
Jerome Ellis's grandfather died on April 4. The inability of holding a live funeral got Ellis (you know him from James & Jerome) and fellow musician/performer Troy Anthony thinking about the uses of Zoom as an interpersonal platform for grieving. This piece ensued.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Come on, you're not going to drink during this. Afterward, make yourself a stiff Martini (that linked recipe is wrong, BTW: the best Martini has a 3:1 Gin/Vermouth ratio, not 4:1).
-
Sunday, May 17, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Constellations Virtual Concert: Reflections in Time
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020
4:00 PM
Constellations Chamber Concerts Live Stream
Free
https://www.constellationsmusic.org/event-details/reflections-in-time
A welcome chance to hear the music of Jonathan Dawe. Dawe is another of those composers who delight in combining Baroque usages with a contemporary idiom, and if his music inclines more to Modernism than to the lighthearted Alt Classical styles of the Balliett brothers or Caroline Shaw, it's none the less provocative for that. The rest of this solo cello/solo harpsichord recital mainly features genuine Baroque music, which of course has its own enormous appeal. Cellist Paul Dwyer and harpsichordist Nadia Lesaulnier play the tunes.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: You know how odd buying patterns during The Quarantine find you stocked with odd things? I have a bunch of end-of-season Meyer lemons that are about to hit their eat-by date, and (don't ask how or why) some spring spruce tips. So when I came across a cocktail that uses both those ingredients, you can imagine my joy (and relief!). Spruce Bringsteen (I don't make up the names; I just report them): pour 1-1/2 oz. Pisco, 3/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, and 1 oz. lemon juice (I'm using Meyer, obvs) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with spruce tips.
-
Sunday, May 17, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 12, 14 & 17, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This early in the day, you'd want a Pimm's Cup: 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1 Cup (you have some, right?) and 3 oz. lemon soda, lemon/lime soda, or ginger ale (I have to say that my own preference is for lemon soda) in a tall glass over ice, garnished with two or more of a cucumber slice, a strawberry, a celery or rhubarb stalk, an orange or lemon wheel, or whatever you have on hand, really.
-
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Eschaton
PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 (Weekly)
10:00 PM
Zoom
$10
https://chorusproductions.ticketspice.com/eschaton
An immersive experience in which viewers wander from room to virtual room seeing different variety acts and interacting with them.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Lawhill: pour 2 oz. Rye and 1 oz. dry Vermouth (yes, dry), with 1 dash each of Absinthe, Maraschino liqueur, and Angostura bitters. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
-
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
-
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
ESS Presents
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020
8:00 PM
The Quarantine Concerts
Experimental Sound Studio Live Stream
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
I'm principally picking this for electronic singer-songwriter Julia Holter at 10:00 PM (performing tonight with Olivia Block, creator of bewitching soundscapes). But there are plenty of other good people on the bill.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Jeyplak: pour 2 oz. Gin and 1 oz. sweet Vermouth, with 1 dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TJG Online Lockdown Sessions: Immaneul Wilkins / Joseph Webb / Samora Pinderhughes / Theo
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020
7:00 PM
Bleckmann
Jazz Gallery Live Stream
Zoom
$20
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/lockdown-session-6
Another Jazz Gallery initiative, this one featuring musical segments recorded by the participating artists during the week preceding the stream, and then live chat with the artists afterward. The biggest deal tonight is the great, totally unpredictable vocalist Theo Bleckmann, never not worth hearing. Samora Pinderhughes I'm not so sure about; I never can decide whether I think his performative conception cancels singer-songwriter lameness or singer-songwriter lameness enervates his performative conception. Immanuel Wilkins is a good saxophonist and a very, very promising composer. I hope it doesn't blow my cred when I admit I don't know who Joseph Webb is — it's not the tap dancer or the quarterback.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Maiden's Blush No. 2: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. Absinthe, and 1 teaspoon Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jennifer Koh: Alone Together
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
ARCO Collaborative
Instragram & Facebook Live Streams; YouTube Video
Free
https://arcocollaborative.net/projects/AloneTogether/index.html
An almost staggeringly well-intentioned initiative (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible) from the fantastic violinist Jennifer Koh. The idea is this: there are active composers who have stable incomes from salaries or grants and other forms of institutional support; and there are active composers who freelance. Koh approached 21 composers have who stable incomes and asked them each to donate a 30-second micropiece for solo violin; in addition, she asked each of those composers to recommend a freelance composer, each of whom will be paid to compose a 30-second micropiece. Koh (who is donating her own considerable services) will premiere a few of the resulting works every Saturday at 7:00 PM on Instagram and Facebook live streams; if you don't feel comfortable exposing your personal data to the Evil Empire of Surveillance Capitalism, the shows will then reside on YouTube as videos. Just beyond great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Yellow Daisy: pour 1 oz. each of Gin and dry Vermouth, and 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier, with a dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass our coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Friday, May 15, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
ETHEL and Friends: Balcony Bar from Home
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 (Weekly)
5:00 PM
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Facebook
Free
https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ethel-online
The fab alt string quartet ETHEL brings its weekly recitals in the Met Balcony Bar home (theirs and yours). Expect old and new music, and surprise guests (from still more homes).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Yolanda: pour 1 oz. Gin, 2 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1 oz. Brandy, with 2 dashes each of Absinthe and Grenadine, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Bill Irwin: In Zoom
THEATER
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
9:30 PM
The Old Globe
YouTube
Free
https://www.theoldglobe.org/in-zoom-thursday/?id=39358
There's nothing Bill Irwin can't do — clowning, Beckett (not that different, actually, insists this entrenched Beckett fan) — so 10 minutes of remote physically comedy, performed with someone in another state via Zoom, should be a snap for him.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I Approve of this cocktail: pour 2 oz. Rye with 2 dashes each of Curaçao and Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker, add ice, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Then, go crazy and garnish with both an orange and a lemon twist.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 12 & 14, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If you happen to have any Sloe Gin laying around, tonight you're going to get to use it — in a McClelland: pour 2 oz. Sloe Gin and 1 oz. Curaçao, with 1 dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Zero Boy: The COVID Cabaret
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse
YouTube
Free
http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse
Submit a 4-5 word suggestion, and Zero Boy will turn into into . . . improv comedy!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Kup's Indispensible Cocktail: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin and 1/2 oz. each of dry and sweet Vermouth, with a dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Alberto Ferreras: Hamlet in Harlem
THEATER
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
7:00 PM
TNC "On the Air"
Theater for the New City Live Stream
Free
https://theaterforthenewcity.net/?vh_show=new-virtual-live-reading-series-tnc-on-the-air
A live reading of a play about a play reading. In Alberto Ferreras's play, a young playwright is giving a table reading of his urban adaptation of Hamlet — then reality begins to melt, taking with it assumptions about cultural appropriation, media stereotypes, gender roles, and the value of the classics.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I don't know why, but I'm in the mood for more 20th Centuries: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin and 3/4 oz. each of white Crème de Cacao, Cocchi Americano, and lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Mariella Haubs
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
6:00 PM
Live@NationalSawdust
National Sawdust Live Stream
Free
https://live.nationalsawdust.org/event/mariella-haubs
Violinist Mariella Haubs plays violin-and-piano rep by list fave Molly Joyce (can't wait to hear it!), whose music tends to the absorbingly ethereal, and two composers we are coming to appreciate as being a lot better than history had given them credit for, Lili Boulanger and Clara Schumann.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Maybe you have some Honey Syrup left over. Bee's Knees: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. lemon juice, and 3/4 oz. Honey Syrup into a cocktail shaker. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Zoë Aqua
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
5:00 PM
Global Klezmer String Project
Zoom
Free
http://www.zoeaqua.com/
The Global Klezmer String Project organized by London klezmer Illana Cravitz reaches Brooklyn's own mod/trad fiddler Zoë Aqua.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I think a Honeysuckle would be nice: pour 2 oz. white Rum and 3/4 oz. each lime juice and Honey Syrup into a cocktail shaker. (Honey Syrup may sound scary, but all it is, is 3 parts honey to 1 part hot water stirred until well blended.) Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lime web.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 12, 14 & 17, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This early in the day, you'd want a Pimm's Cup: 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1 Cup (you have some, right?) and 3 oz. lemon soda, lemon/lime soda, or ginger ale (I have to say that my own preference is for lemon soda) in a tall glass over ice, garnished with two or more of a cucumber slice, a strawberry, a celery or rhubarb stalk, an orange or lemon wheel, or whatever you have on hand, really.
-
Thursday, May 14, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 12 & 14, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Derek Baron: To the Planetarium
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020
8:00 PM
Isolated Field Recordings
ISSUE Project Room Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
https://issueprojectroom.org/event/isolated-field-recording-series-derek-baron-planetarium
It's worth reminding ourselves that ISSUE's so-far-great Isolated Field Recordings series is supposed to comprise just what the name says: field recordings made by artists in isolation, arising out of and reflecting their experienced isolated environment. This one is a durational piece by musician/writer Derek Baron, hunkering down in NoHo. He suggests viewers wander in and out throughout its lengthy duration.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I suppose a durational piece requires a long drink. How about a Horse's Neck? Pour 2 oz. Bourbon (or Brandy if you want to go back to the drink's original formulation) into an ice-filled highball glass. Add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, and top with (about 6 oz.) ginger ale. Garnish with the longest orange twist you are capable of cutting.
-
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
-
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
James Allister Sprang
PERFORMANCE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-7
Performance art from a black radical perspective by James Allister Sprang.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Harry Craddock says the Green Room is "a great favorite with mummers." Live and learn. Pour 1 oz. Brandy and 2 oz. dry Vermouth, with two dashes of Curaçao, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Matt Brewer
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-matt-brewer
Matt Brewer is a good bassist with a good head. Wonder what he'll do?
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Sherman Cocktail: pour 2 oz. Rye, 1 oz. sweet Vermouth, 1/2 teaspoon Absinthe, and 1 dash each of Angostura and orange bitters into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Lisa Bielawa: Broadcast from Home
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020 (Weekly)
3:00 PM
Free
https://www.lisabielawa.net/projects-1
The imaginative and empathetic composer Lisa Bielawa — certainly one of those who have their own sound world that you can recognize immediately — has a coronavirus project in which she's soliciting short testimonies from the public reflecting on coronavirus experiences, writing melodies for them, giving them to singers to record, and then composing backing tracks for them. She'll post a new "chapter" each Thursday at 3 PM (and leave them up), toward the eventual end of their all forming a big piece — which the participants can get together to perform live on The Other Side!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A nice afternoon tipple, the York Special: pour 2-1/2 oz. dry Vermouth and 3/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur, with 1 teaspoon of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 12 & 14, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If you happen to have any Sloe Gin laying around, tonight you're going to get to use it — in a McClelland: pour 2 oz. Sloe Gin and 1 oz. Curaçao, with 1 dash of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Emel Mathlouthi
MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
8:00 PM
Live@NationalSawdust
National Sawdust Live Stream
Free
https://live.nationalsawdust.org/event/emel-mathlouthi
Not many people can say they're both a first-rate popsinger-songwriter and an inspiration for a world-historical political movement. But Emel Mathlouthi can.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Call it Macaroni: Pour 1 oz. sweet Vermouth and 2 oz. Absinthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Jonathan Williger (DC) Presents
MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
8:00 PM
The Quarantine Concerts
Experimental Sound Studio Live Stream
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
A night of really good experimental musicians of various stripes working in the fertile D.C. music scene (with a ringer from NYC).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Yokahama: pour 1 oz. Gin, 1/2 oz. Vodka, 1 oz. orange juice, 1/2 oz. Grenadine, and 1/4 oz. Absinthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Virtual Exposure
DANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
7:30 PM
Dixon Place TV
YouTube
Free
http://dixonplace.org/performances/under-exposed-5-12-2020/
Dixon Place's longrunning Under Exposed dance showcase takes to the internets.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The Chrysanthemum is as lovely as its name: pour 2 oz. dry Vermouth and 1 oz. Bénédictine, with 3 dashes of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a Martini glass or coupe (or a Nick and Nora glass if you're lucky enough to have one). Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Café La MaMa
MUSIC / DANCE / PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/cafe-live-6/
A weekly salon featuring music, dance, and (uh-oh) storytelling.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A Hasty Cocktail: pour 2 oz. Gin and 1 oz. dry Vermouth, with 1 dash of Absinthe and 4 dashes of Grenadine, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
C. Spencer Yeh
MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-7
The Kitchen continues its semi-weekly Tuesday and Thursday series of live streams with C. Spencer Yeh. Yeh is a multidisciplinary artist, an experimental improvising violinist — and occasionally, for shits and giggles, he writes something in song form.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Avenida San Martín, a cocktail named for the main drag in Barranco, my own personal favorite neighborhood in Lima, by two bartenders in Södermalm, my own personal favorite neighborhood in Stockholm: pour 1-1/2 oz. Pisco (Italia by preference), 1/2 oz. Amaro (CioCiaro by preference), 2/3 oz. lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon Ginger Sugar Syrup or liqueur, and two teaspoons honey into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and pour into a rocks glass with ice.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 12, 14 & 17, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This early in the day, you'd want a Pimm's Cup: 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1 Cup (you have some, right?) and 3 oz. lemon soda, lemon/lime soda, or ginger ale (I have to say that my own preference is for lemon soda) in a tall glass over ice, garnished with two or more of a cucumber slice, a strawberry, a celery or rhubarb stalk, an orange or lemon wheel, or whatever you have on hand, really.
-
Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 12 & 14, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Mon, May 11, 2020, 7:30 PM – Sat, May 16, 2020, 8:30 PM
OPERA
TUESDAY – SATURDAY, MAY 11 – 16, 2020 (continuing through MAY 20)
7:30 & 9:30 PM MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
2:00 & 8:00 PM WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY
Heartbeat Opera
Zoom
$20
https://www.heartbeatopera.org/lady-m
Heartbeat Opera was going to give one of their politicized updates to Verdi's Macbeth this Spring, but you know what happened. So instead they're doing a series of "virtual soirées", where a limited Zoom audience will interact with a cast member, who will do a live musical performance and host rehearsal footage and a music video of Lady M's killer Sleepwalking Scene. All slots appear to be taken, but check to see if anything opens up.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Tonite let's drink in London: pour 2-1/2 oz. Gin, 1/2 teaspoon Absinthe, and 1 teaspoon Simple Syrup, with 2 dashes of orange bitters, in an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. (You might throw a 1/2 oz. of chilled water into the shaker if this seems too dauntingly strong.) Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Monday, May 11, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Bindlestiff Open Stage Variety Show
PERFORMANCE
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
YouTube
Facebook
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/bindlestiff-05-11-2020/
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus presents magicians! Jugglers! Aerialists! Performance artists! Trained rats (sometimes)!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I can't top the Monkey Gland as a pairing for this — and it fits in with this week's Absinthe theme — so I'm gonna keep repeating it (albeit still without any guaranties about um virility). Do the coat-a-chilled-glass (Martini glass or coupe)-with-Absinthe thing. Then pour 2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. orange juice, and 1/4 oz. Grenadine into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and pour into the Absinthe-coated glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Monday, May 11, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Alexandra Tatarsky: QUAR HOVEL
PERFORMANCE
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020
7:00 PM
Poetry Electric
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/quar-hovel/
Performance artist Alexandra Tatarsky is stuck alone in her bedroom — where anything can happen.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Weesuer Special: pour 3/4 oz. each of Gin, dry Vermouth, sweet Vermouth, and Curaçao, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of Absinthe, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Monday, May 11, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Orrin Evans
MUSIC
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/orrin-evans-happy-hour-2
Several nights a week, the Jazz Gallery is putting on early evening remote sessions where jazz musicians play and chat with the audience (limited to 15 people per show). I'm recommending them selectively, but check out the website for a full listing. This evening's show features Orrin Evans, a pianist/composer whose stuff is as good to think about as it to listen to.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Tonight we're having Third Degrees: pour 3 oz. Gin, a scant 1/2 oz. dry Vermouth, and 2 dashes of Absinthe into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a cocktail onion.
-
Sunday, May 10, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Out of an Abundance of Caution
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
The Brick
Twitch
Free (tips encouraged)
https://www.bricktheater.com/event/out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-volume-eight/
Some of the leading forces in Brooklyn experimental theater curate a weekly series of stuff from beyond the beyond: enormous fun! These shows, and Nadia Sirota's semi-weekly Living Music: Pirate Radio shows, have been my favorite things during The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Aviation night! Pour 2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, 1/2 Maraschino liqueur, and 1/4 oz. Crème de Violette into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 10, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
David Rosenmeyer: Exercises on "The Presence of Odradek"
OPERA
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020
7:00 PM
Bare Opera Online Performance
Free (with registration) (donation requested)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exercises-on-the-presence-of-odradek-world-premiere-tickets-103593486908
An excerpted preview of an upcoming opera on Kafka to be presented in full at La MaMa when all this blows over.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I guess that with Kafka we should be drinking something austere but unusual. And bitter. Hmmmmm, maybe a .38 Special: pour 2-3/8 oz. blended Scotch and 3/8 oz. each of Yellow Chartreuse and Amaro (CioCiaro by preference) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. (Remember that 3/8 oz. is just a bit less than 1/2 oz., as measured on your jigger.) Stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe and garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Sunday, May 10, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Global Klezmer Fiddle Lockdown Project: Alicia Zvigals
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020
5:00 PM
Zoom
Free (donation requested)
https://ilanacravitz.com/strings.htm
London klezmer Ilana Cravitz has organized a global project where every evening a Klezmer fiddler from somewhere in the world plays a half-hour program of nigunim, wordless Jewish song, here rendered instrumentally. This evening's featured violinist is New York's own Alicia Svigals, who this List never tires of saying is not just one of the best Klezmer musicians in the world, but one of the best musicians, period.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: It would be very hard to avoid recommending David Wondrich's Jewish Absinthe with this: pour 2 oz. Bourbon (preferably Old Williamsburg 101 Proof — cuz it's Kosher and made in Williamsburg) and 1/2 oz. Anisette, along with 8-10 mint leaves, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into whatever kind of glass you'd use to drink Absinthe.
-
Sunday, May 10, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Billie Howard Presents
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020
3:00 PM
Experimental Sound Studio: The Quarantine Concerts
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
Experimental violinist/pianist/composer/sound artist Billie Howard presents an afternoon of like-minded musicians. Howard herself will perform in her noisy Akosuen guise. Among other things, there'll also be a duo set by violinists Leah Asher (a personal fave) and Maya Bennardo (who's in the Mivos Quartet — so you know she's really good), and a set from Dubai by the striking sound/media/performance artist Amanda Gutiérrez.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Erin Williams's "Kill-Devil" is not for the faint of heart: pour 2 oz. Rhum Agricole, 3/4 oz. Chartreuse, and 1/4 oz. Demerara Syrup (just Simple Syrup made with Demerara), with 3-count-'em-3 dashes Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Pegu served it with a fancy flaming garnish, but I'm going to spare us that.
-
Sunday, May 10, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 5, 7 & 10, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I have a friend who despises Aperol. He's wrong. And you could conceivably drink Audrey's beautiful Intro to Aperol even during the early show: pour 1 oz. Gin, 2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup, with 1 dash Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Saturday, May 9, 2020, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Eschaton
PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 (Weekly)
10:00 PM
Zoom
$10
https://chorusproductions.ticketspice.com/eschaton
An immersive experience in which viewers wander from room to virtual room seeing different variety acts and interacting with them.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This cries out for an old cocktail. A Maiden's Blush will do: pour 2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. Triple Sec (Cointreau or such), 1/2 oz. lemon juice, and as much Grenadine as you feel like into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coup.
-
Saturday, May 9, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Virtual Community Salon
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020
7:30 PM
Contemporaneous
Zoom
Free (with registration)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-community-salon-volume-4-tickets-103151089686
A virtual salon. Artists and performers can share pieces in whatever stage of completion. Everyone else can comment and converse.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Can't ignore the great work Kenta Goto did at Pegu. Here's one of his most lovely Pegu cocktails, La Fleur de Paradis: pour 2. oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. St-Germain, 1/2 oz. each of lemon and grapefruit juices, and 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup, with 1 dash orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a Martini glass or coupe. Top with 1 oz. Brut Champagne. For maximum loveliness, garnish with a pansy or other edible flower, if you have any.
-
Saturday, May 9, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jennifer Koh: Alone Together
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
ARCO Collaborative
Instragram & Facebook Live Streams; YouTube Video
Free
https://arcocollaborative.net/projects/AloneTogether/index.html
An almost staggeringly well-intentioned initiative (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible) from the fantastic violinist Jennifer Koh. The idea is this: there are active composers who have stable incomes from salaries or grants and other forms of institutional support; and there are active composers who freelance. Koh approached 21 composers have who stable incomes and asked them each to donate a 30-second micropiece for solo violin; in addition, she asked each of those composers to recommend a freelance composer, each of whom will be paid to compose a 30-second micropiece. Koh (who is donating her own considerable services) will premiere a few of the resulting works every Saturday at 7:00 PM on Instagram and Facebook live streams; if you don't feel comfortable exposing your personal data to the Evil Empire of Surveillance Capitalism, the shows will then reside on YouTube as videos. Just beyond great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Something that stunned a lot of people on Pegu's opening menu was Audrey's Dry Martini corrective, the Fitty-Fitty: pour 1-1/2 oz. each of Gin and dry Vermouth, with 2 dashes orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Saturday, May 9, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TJG Online Lockdown Sessions: Gerald Clayton / Roopa Mahadevan / Secret Mall / Ben Williams
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020
7:00 PM
Jazz Gallery Live Stream
Zoom
$20
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/lockdown-session-5
Another Jazz Gallery initiative, this one featuring musical segments recorded by the participating artists during the week preceding the stream, and then live chat with the artists afterward. The biggest deal tonight is Gerald Clayton, a pianist/composer who is in the tradition but not bound by it (his most recent album, Tributary Tales, is well worth your time and attention). But I personally am also pretty excited to hear Rupa Mahadevan, who takes Southern Indian Karnatic music and runs with it. Ben Williams is a sharp bassist/composer, and neo-fusionoids Secret Mall round out the bill.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: L'il Jig is another good Phil Ward Pegu creation: muddle 3 Thai basil leaves in a cocktail shaker with 3/4 oz. lime juice and 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup. Pour in 1-1/2 oz. Silver Tequila and 1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 8, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Downtown Variety
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE / DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/downtown-variety-8/
Each week La MaMa assembles a bunch of experimentalist dancers, performers, actors, media artists, musicians, and what have you, and sees what happens when they live stream.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: That favorite of favorites, the Corpse Reviver No. 2. As I think we've discussed before, the big issue here is what to use to replace Kina Lillet, an ingredient that stopped being available some time ago. Many recommend Kina Lillet's successor Lillet Blanc in this drink, but I myself far prefer Cocchi Americano for its slightly greater bite. So: rinse a chilled Martini glass or coupe with Absinthe. Pour 3/4 oz. each of Gin, Cointreau or other Triple-Sec, Cocchi Americano, and lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into the rinsed glass.
-
Fri, May 8, 2020, 8:00 PM – Sat, May 9, 2020, 9:00 PM
The Tank: Rule of 7x7
THEATER
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 8 & 9, 2020
8:00 PM
Zoom
Free (with registration)
https://thetanknyc.org/rule-of-7x7
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYeHN-iBjyfjwhHZIy2oxQgwJgpSnhGNyxlLpdwSwVcggitQ/viewform
Seven playwrights were assembled to each to write a short 10-minute play. Each had to come up with a rule to be followed in writing the plays; and all had to abide by all seven rules the seven playwrights had come up with. The plays are now performed. People have LOVED the past iterations of this (it's now being done every two weeks).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The Tank promises "unlimited booze" ("provided by yourselves"). Let's take them up on that with some more Spring Forwards, while ramps are still in season: put 1 ramp (or a Spring onion if you must) at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Pour in 2 oz. Gin and 1 oz. dry Vermouth. Muddle (but not too much lest the allium turn bitter). Fill the shaker with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe and garnish with another ramp (or Spring onion if you must).
-
Friday, May 8, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dance Quarantine
DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/dance-quarantine-5-05-08-2020/
Dancers and choreographers react to The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Yet another fine cocktail developed at Pegu, Raul Flores's Little Witch: muddle some fresh oregano in a cocktail shaker with 3/4 oz. lemon juice. Pour in 2 oz. Blanco Tequila and 1/2 oz. Strega, and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with another fresh oregano leaf.
-
Friday, May 8, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
ETHEL and Friends: Balcony Bar from Home
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 (Weekly)
5:00 PM
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Facebook
Free
https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ethel-online
The fab alt string quartet ETHEL brings its weekly recitals in the Met Balcony Bar home (theirs and yours). Expect old and new music, and surprise guests (from still more homes).
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Audrey's signal contribution to the neighborhood-designated Manhattan riffing that was going on around town in the mid-to-late '00s, the Little Italy: pour 2 oz. Rye, 1/4 oz. sweet Vermouth, and 1/2 oz. Cynar into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with two cocktail cherries skewered on one of those cocktail picks.
-
Friday, May 8, 2020, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
#stillHERE: LEIMAY
PERFORMANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020
1:00 PM
HERE Live Stream
Free
https://here.org/shows/stillhere/
You can't predict what the Brooklyn multidisciplinary duo LEIMAY will be doing. That's a good thing.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Another favorite from Pegu Club's opening menu, Audrey’s Tantris Sidecar: rub the rim of a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a lemon peel and rim with sugar. Pour 1-1/4 oz. Cognac, 1/2 oz. each of Calvados, Cointreau, lemon juice, and Simple Syrup, and 1/4 oz. each of Green Chartreuse and pineapple juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into the rimmed glass. Toss the lemon peel on top. You won't believe how delicious this is.
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 5 & 7, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: My own personal favorite drink on Pegu's opening menu was Audrey's Earl Grey MarTEAni: rim a chilled Martini glass or coupe with sugar. Pour 1-1/2 oz. Earl Grey tea-infused Gin (this is easier to make than it sounds, as you'll see in a minute), 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1 oz. Simple Syrup, along with an egg white, into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake hard for half as long as you wash your hands. Strain into the rimmed glass. Now, here's how to make the Earl Grey-infused Gin: open a full bottle of Gin. Measure in 4 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea (loose, duh). Cap the bottle and shake. Let it sit for two hours at room temperature. Strain into a bowl, rinse out the bottle (to remove loose tea), and funnel the liquid back into the cleaned bottle. (Refrigerated, it lasts forever.) (Well, it doesn't last forever— but that's your doing, not its.) That was easy!
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Zero Boy: The COVID Cabaret
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse
YouTube
Free
http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/virtualplayhouse
Submit a 4-5 word suggestion, and Zero Boy will turn into into . . . improv comedy!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Let's return to the Bijou: pour 1.5 oz. Gin and 1/2 oz. each Sweet Vermouth and Green Chartreuse, with 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Express a lemon peel into the drink and discard it. Garnish with a cocktail cherry or an olive (I personally do NOT like olives in my Bijous).
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Andrew Lampert: Alive in St. Louis
MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
7:00 PM
Isolated Field Recording Series
ISSUE Project Room Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
https://issueprojectroom.org/event/isolated-field-recording-series-andrew-lampert-alive-st-louis
Andrew Lampert is a filmmaker/media artist — but he also makes art-pop music. He insists this livestream of songs should be treated as a CD, with the visuals treated as liner notes. Quaint.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Here's a cocktail that was invented in St. Louis, by that city's cocktail king Ted Kilgore — the Devil's Soul: pour 1-1/2 oz. Rye, 1/2 oz. each of Mezcal and Averna (or other Amaro), and 1/4 oz. each of Aperol and St-Germain into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Flame an orange peel into it, and garnish with the flamed peel.
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Jeanine Oleson
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-6
Multidisciplinary artist Jeanine Oleson, with accomplices, explores the use and usability of the remote online onscreen medium while reexamining language and ideas about subject and alienation.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Another Audrey Saunders favorite, the French Pearl: muddle a spearmint sprig in a cocktail shaker with 3/4 oz. each of lime juice and Cane Syrup (slightly harder to make yourself than Simple Syrup, so feel free to buy some). Pour in 2 oz. Gin and 1/4 oz. Pastis or Absinthe. Fill the shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel and another spearmint sprig.
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Lisa Bielawa: Broadcast from Home
MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 (Weekly)
3:00 PM
Free
https://www.lisabielawa.net/projects-1
The imaginative and empathetic composer Lisa Bielawa — certainly one of those who have their own sound world that you can recognize immediately — has a coronavirus project in which she's soliciting short testimonies from the public reflecting on coronavirus experiences, writing melodies for them, giving them to singers to record, and then composing backing tracks for them. She'll post a new "chapter" each Thursday at 3 PM (and leave them up), toward the eventual end of their all forming a big piece — which the participants can get together to perform live on The Other Side!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: A really good one Phil Ward came up with during his time behind the stick at Pegu, the Cornwall Negroni: pour 2 oz. Gin and 1/2 oz. each of Campari, sweet Vermouth, and Punt e Mes, with 2 dashes orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish, of course, with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 5, 7 & 10, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I have a friend who despises Aperol. He's wrong. And you could conceivably drink Audrey's beautiful Intro to Aperol even during the early show: pour 1 oz. Gin, 2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup, with 1 dash Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Thursday, May 7, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 5 & 7, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Bergsonist: d'Un Fragment à l'Autre
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
7:00 PM
Isolated Field Recording Series
ISSUE Project Room Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
https://issueprojectroom.org/event/isolated-field-recording-series-bergsonist-dun-fragment-%C3%A0-lautre
Multidisciplinary artist/electronic musician The Bergsonist does her fragmentary, critical thing.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Old Friend: pour 1-1/2 oz. Gin, 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice, 1/5 oz. Campari, and 1/4 oz. St-Germain into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. The recipe calls for a lemon twist as a garnish, but I won't tell if you frugally use a twist of the peel of the grapefruit you juiced.
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Living Music with Nadia Sirota: Pirate Radio Edition
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 5 & 7, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
9:00 PM
Facebook
Free (donation requested)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingMusicwithNadiaSirota/
Twice a week, hostess with the mostess Nadia Sirota brings you exactly the kind of musicians this List focuses on.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: My own personal favorite drink on Pegu's opening menu was Audrey's Earl Grey MarTEAni: rim a chilled Martini glass or coupe with sugar. Pour 1-1/2 oz. Earl Grey tea-infused Gin (this is easier to make than it sounds, as you'll see in a minute), 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1 oz. Simple Syrup, along with an egg white, into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake hard for half as long as you wash your hands. Strain into the rimmed glass. Now, here's how to make the Earl Grey-infused Gin: open a full bottle of Gin. Measure in 4 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea (loose, duh). Cap the bottle and shake. Let it sit for two hours at room temperature. Strain into a bowl, rinse out the bottle (to remove loose tea), and funnel the liquid back into the cleaned bottle. (Refrigerated, it lasts forever.) (Well, it doesn't last forever— but that's your doing, not its.) That was easy!
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Café La MaMa
MUSIC / DANCE / PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/cafe-live-5/
A weekly salon featuring music, dance, and (uh-oh) storytelling.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Here's an old cocktail that was a smash when revived on the Pegu Club's opening menu, the Jimmie Roosevelt: soak a brown sugar cube in Angostura bitters, and place in the bottom of a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Add ice. Pour in 1 oz. chilled Cognac, then 2 oz. Champagne, then a float of 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse. Not only is this cocktail complex and delicious, but it's pretty as hell.
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
The Blow
MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020
6:00 PM
Kitchen Broadcast
Free
https://thekitchen.org/event/broadcast-week-6
The Kitchen continues its semi-weekly Tuesday and Thursday series of live streams with electro-art-pop duo The Blow, whom Your Compiler just adores.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If the Gin Gin Mule isn't Audrey Saunders's most famous cocktail creation, then the Old Cuban is: muddle 6-8 mint leaves with with 1 oz. Simple Syrup and 2 dashes Angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker. Pour in 1-1/4 oz. aged Rum and 3/4 oz. lime juice. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Top with 2 oz. Champagne (or other sparkling wine), and garnish with another mint leaf.
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 5, 7 & 10, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 11:00 – 1:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: I have a friend who despises Aperol. He's wrong. And you could conceivably drink Audrey's beautiful Intro to Aperol even during the early show: pour 1 oz. Gin, 2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup, with 1 dash Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Metropolis Ensemble: House Music
MUSIC
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 5 & 7, 2020 (Semi-Weekly)
10:00 AM
Free
https://metropolisensemble.org/house-music#house-music-home
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Metropolis Ensemble showcases ace musicians associated with its excellent self, or in any event friends of the ensemble, playing solo contemporary, classical, and newly commissioned pieces from home. I don't think this is live-streamed — I hope they're not making these musicians perform at 10 AM (especially the ones located in time zones west of here!) — but this is such a worthwhile initiative that it would be wrong not to List it.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Coffee.
-
Monday, May 4, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Bindlestiff Open Stage Variety Show
PERFORMANCE
MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
YouTube
Facebook
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/bindlestiff-05-04-2020/
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus presents magicians! Jugglers! Aerialists! Performance artists! Trained rats (sometimes)!
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Perhaps the most famous cocktail invented by Pegu Club proprietor/Libation Goddess Audrey Saunders is the Gin Gin Mule: muddle 10 mint leaves in a cocktail shaker with 1/2 oz. each of Simple Syrup and lime juice. Add 1-1/2 oz. Gin and fill with ice. Shake (gently), and strain into an ice-filled mule mug or highball glass. Top with 2 oz. ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.
-
Monday, May 4, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Jen Shyu
MUSIC
MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020
6:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-jen-shyu
Several nights a week, the Jazz Gallery is putting on early evening remote sessions where jazz musicians play and chat with the audience (limited to 15 people per show). I'm recommending them selectively, but check out the website for a full listing. This evening's show features Jen Shyu, who melds mastery of Asian string instruments with that of Western musical instruments and forms — as well as a fully developed theatrical performance conception. Needless to say, she's always worth seeing.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: As the great great cocktail bar Pegu Club has announced its closure — an event of near crisis proportions for Your Compiler, as you can imagine — this List edition's cocktail recommendations will be dedicated to that superb and immensely important bar. Let's start with the classic cocktail (named for the Rangoon bar where it was invented) from which the place derived its name, the Pegu Club: pour 2 oz. Gin, and 3/4 oz. each of Curacao and lime juice, with 1 dash each of Angostura and orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Sunday, May 3, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Out of an Abundance of Caution
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
The Brick
Twitch
Free (tips encouraged)
https://www.bricktheater.com/event/out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-volume-seven/
Some of the leading forces in Brooklyn experimental theater curate a weekly series of stuff from beyond the beyond: enormous fun! These shows, and Nadia Sirota's semi-weekly Living Music: Pirate Radio shows, have been my favorite things during The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: The COVID Cure: fill a rocks glass with Lysol (or other disinfectant). Drink while exposing yourself to ultraviolet radiation.
-
Sunday, May 3, 2020, 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Bang on a Can Marathon 2020
MUSIC
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2020
3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Bang on a Can Live Stream
Free (donatations $10-$50, or whatever, requested)
https://marathon2020.bangonacan.org/
This year's version of the Bang on a Can Marathon was going to be spectacular, even by their standards: a three-day takeover, to occur this weekend, of the Brooklyn alt classical scene, with attendees wandering from venue to venue — the spots readers of this List frequent all year — to hear a cornucopia of alt classical and related musics. Well, that obviously didn't happen. So instead we get a day of those musicians live-streaming from home: exactly the people this List focuses on; this whole program is like this List come to life. If you're reading this, you need to be watching this.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: You can drink Black Flips all day — and they're Brooklyn based! Pour 2 oz. Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, 1-1/2 oz. Black Strap Rum, 1/2 oz. Brown Sugar Syrup, and a whole egg into a cocktail shaker. Swirl (to flatten the beer), dry shake (without ice), and then put some ice in and shake some more. Strain into a chilled wine glass. Garnish with nutmeg.
-
Sunday, May 3, 2020, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Edward Einhorn: Performance for One
THEATER
TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SUNDAY, APRIL 28 & 30 & MAY 3, 2020 (continuing "as long as interest lasts")
10-minute intervals from 1:00 – 3:00 PM TUESDAY
10-minute intervals from 2:00 – 4:00 PM THURSDAY & SUNDAY
Untitled Theater Company #61
Skype
Free
http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/performance-for-one.html
The Skyped performances of this one-on-one theater piece, which has probably gotten more positive List subscriber feedback than anything I've ever recommended, are continuing indefinitely. When this 10-minute-each-of-two-parts piece, with one actor performing in an enclosed space for one audience member, involving close interaction between actor and audience member exploring memory and the performer-audience relationship, played live around the City last year, it threatened to be a bit precious and potentially more than a bit intrusive . But as a one-on-one Skype experience, it seems perfect — just what all we people ensconced alone in our apartments need right now. Most of the successive 10-minute slots are reserved in advance by email, but a few are left open for virtual walk-ins. Bravo to Edward Einhorn and Untitled Theater Company #61 for a truly timely and extremely well-thought-out enterprise.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: This early in the day, you'd want a Pimm's Cup: 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1 Cup (you have some, right?) and 3 oz. lemon soda, lemon/lime soda, or ginger ale (I have to say that I prefer lemon soda) in a tall glass over ice, garnished with two or more of a cucumber slice, a strawberry, a celery or rhubarb stalk, an orange or lemon wheel, or whatever you have on hand, really.
-
Saturday, May 2, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
-
Saturday, May 2, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jennifer Koh: Alone Together
MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2020 (Weekly)
7:00 PM
ARCO Collaborative
Instragram & Facebook Live Streams; YouTube Video
Free
https://arcocollaborative.net/projects/AloneTogether/index.html
An almost staggeringly well-intentioned initiative (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible) from the fantastic violinist Jennifer Koh. The idea is this: there are active composers who have stable incomes from salaries or grants and other forms of institutional support; and there are active composers who freelance. Koh approached 21 composers have who stable incomes and asked them each to donate a 30-second micropiece for solo violin; in addition, she asked each of those composers to recommend a freelance composer, each of whom will be paid to compose a 30-second micropiece. Koh (who is donating her own considerable services) will premiere a few of the resulting works every Saturday at 7:00 PM on Instagram and Facebook live streams; if you don't feel comfortable exposing your personal data to the Evil Empire of Surveillance Capitalism, the shows will then reside on YouTube as videos. Just beyond great.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Someday we'll be able to go to Newark again (unless you're stuck there now), but for now we can drink the cocktail: pour 2 oz. Laird's Apple Brandy (preferably the Bonded formula), 1 oz. Vermouth, and 1/4 oz. each of Fernet-Branca and Maraschino into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Catalytic Sound
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020
8:00 PM
Experimental Sound Studio: The Quarantine Concerts
$5 suggested donation
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
Catalytic Sound, an artists' collective dedicated to the dissemination of experimental improvised music, shows off its roster. Since that includes some of the most interesting improvisational thinkers around, like pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, trumpeter Nate Wooley, and guitarist Joe Morris (none of them strangers to this List), you can expect a pretty great night.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: We had a Wicked Kiss a couple of nights ago; now let's change it up a little bit for a Shruff's End (see which you prefer): pour 1 oz. each of Laphroig or other peaty Islay Scotch and Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy, and 1/2 oz. of Bénédictine, with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Downtown Variety
THEATER / MUSIC / PERFORMANCE / DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 (Weekly)
8:00 PM
La MaMa Live Stream
Free (donation requested)
http://lamama.org/downtown-variety-7/
Each week La MaMa assembles a bunch of experimentalist dancers, performers, actors, media artists, musicians, and what have you, and sees what happens when they live stream.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Segue into a Si-Güey: Put 3 dashes of bitters, 1/4 oz. of Curaçao, and 2 oz. Reposado Tequila into a rocks glass. Add ice and stir. Top with a float of 1/4 oz. of some Islay Scotch.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dance Quarantine
DANCE
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 (Weekly)
7:30 PM
Dixon Place DP TV
Free (donations requested)
http://dixonplace.org/performances/dance-quarantine-4-05-01-2020/
Dancers and choreographers react to The Quarantine.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Another big personal favorite (if you ever find yourself inviting me over for cocktails): a Bamboo. Pour 1-1/2 oz. each of dry Vermouth and Palo Cortado Sherry, with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Xeno & Oaklander feat. Scott Kiernan: Eau de Nowhere
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020
7:30 PM
Microscope Gallery Livestream
$10
https://microscopegallery.com/eau-de-nowhere/
The charmingly retro synth-pop duo Xeno & Oaklander are accompanied by live visuals performed by multi-media artist Scott Kiernan. Great stuff.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Spaghetti Western: pour 1 oz. Reposado Tequila, 1/2 oz. Mezcal, and 3/4 oz. Amaro (Nonino by preference), with 1 dash of orange bitters, into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir, and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Domenica Feraud: Rinse, Repeat
THEATER
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020
7:00 PM
Play-PerView
Zoom
$5-$50
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/play-perview-rinse-repeat-by-domenica-feraud-livestream-tickets-103070994118
Domenica Feraud both wrote and stars in this play that raises a question that is now very pertinent: does living with your family kill you?
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: If proximity to your family doesn't kill you, a Maurice will: pour 2 oz. Gin, 1/4 oz. each of sweet and dry Vermouth, and a couple of dashes of Absinthe (or Pastis) into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Happy Hour Hang: Melissa Aldana
MUSIC
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020
5:00 PM
Jazz Gallery
Zoom
$15
https://www.jazzgallery.org/calendar/happy-hour-melissa-aldana-2
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana has a unique melodic/improvisational conception — and what's more, she's just plain good to listen to.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Cosmonaut: pour 2 oz. Gin and 3/4 oz. lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Dump in a teaspoon of raspberry preserve. Shake. REALLY shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe.
-
Friday, May 1, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
