With the reawakening of NYC after the long pandemic shutdown, theatergoers can enjoy a variety of events between shows this weekend, from art exhibitions to a seasonal favorite in the heart of Midtown.
ArtExpo New York – After going digital last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Redwood Art Group’s annual weekend event – presenting over 400 local, national, and international galleries, publishers, and independent artists to the public, buyers, collectors, and the largest international gathering of art trade professionals for more than four decades – is back in the City in its new location at Pier 36 (299 South Street, NYC). Running through 6 pm, Sunday, October 31, as well as online through Tuesday, November 30, the 2021 exposition offers an exciting selection of exhibited works, with styles and media ranging from fiber arts and sculpture to New Modernist photography, Neo-Pop tributes to Andy Warhol, and portraits constructed from repurposed and dyed computer keyboards.
For timed entry tickets, priced from $15-50, click here. In keeping with safety protocol, proof of full vaccination and a valid ID are required upon entry, and all staff, exhibitors, and attendees must wear masks at all times. Cash bars and carts by Pommery Champagne are located inside the venue.
Winter Village at Bryant Park – Get a jump on your holiday shopping and seasonal activities with today’s reopening of Winter Village at Bryant Park, sponsored by Bank of America. Centrally located between 5th and 6th Avenues, 40th and 42nd Streets, the annual winter wonderland is home to a 17,000 square-foot and NYC’s only free-admission ice-skating rink, open-air Holiday Shops in custom-designed jewel-box kiosks with artisans’ goods and gifts from around the world (curated by Urbanspace), and The Lodge Deck by Prime Video, offering an array of rink-side eats and drinks.
The Shops are open Monday-Friday, noon-7 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 11 am-8 pm, through January 2, 2022; the Lodge serves daily from 10 am-10 pm; and the rink’s hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 am-10 pm, and Friday–Sunday (and holidays), 8 am-11:30 pm, through March 6. High-quality rental skates are available ($15-$45). Please note that the Village closes early on New Year’s Eve, at 4 pm; for more information, visit the website.
The Mestizo as Ambassador: José Limón and the Transculturation of American Modern Dance – Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Limón Dance Company, a new installation at the Library for the Performing Arts celebrates Mexican American dancer and choreographer José Limón, one of the most prolific exponents of modern dance in the 20th century. The exhibition explores how Limón’s choreography grapples with humanistic themes that extend beyond borders and identity through his own mestizo cultural lens, underlining the importance of the immigrant voice in the development of modern dance. The show runs through March 5, 2022, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B Cullman Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC.
Brick By Brick, Putting It Together: The Broadway Set Miniatures of Henry Lee – Also at the Library for the Performing Arts and open through December 10, 2021, is a pop-up display showcasing the miniature re-imaginings of set designs built with LEGO® bricks by artist Henry Lee of Lego Broadway Sets. The six set models of the iconic Broadway classics Company, Follies, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, A Little Night Music, and Sweeney Todd are complemented with archival materials from the Library’s collections related to each show, including Boris Aronson’s original set models for Company, A Little Night Music, and Follies, video footage from the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT), set pieces from Evita and Sweeney Todd, and photographs from the Billy Rose Theatre Division’s collection, which illustrate how the sets came to life on stage.
If you’re visiting from out of town, NYC hotels are welcoming back theater-lovers with Broadway Package discounts on Theater District hotel stays and memorable experiences. Crowne Plaza HY36 at 320 West 36th Street is offering guests who book two or more nights and show proof of three Broadway ticket purchases 50% off their final night’s stay, in addition to a curated welcome back, two complimentary Broadway-themed cocktails at the on-site restaurant Burgerology, and optional tours. In further support the local entertainment community, the hotel will donate $10 to The Actors Fund for every package booked. InterContinental New York Times Square at 300 West 44th Street is offering a Broadway is Back package, giving travelers half off their third weeknight stay, a Broadway history walking tour with Broadway Up Close, and a specially curated Broadway playlist.
