Vacation travel to New York City should be filled with activities, and visits to NYC attractions. Our activity planner will help you plan for your New York vacation, or help you schedule a getaway.

Things to do this week in NYC Jan 3-Jan 10: Music (01/03) - Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, or the classics ? New York City venues feature music from all cultures. Whether you're catching an aria at Lincoln Center, or checking out a band at Central Park Summerstage, NYC has a gig you won't want to miss. (read the story...)    ACTIVITY PLANNER    Sign up for Our Weekly NYC Activity Newsletter Email    Find out what's happening in NYC when you're planning to visit. Arrival: Departure: Category: All Activities Auditions Awards Shows/Banquets Cabaret Charity Events Comedy Cultural Arts Film Food and Drink Fun for Kids Galleries Holiday Celebrations Lectures/Debates Literary Marathon Museums Music Nature/Outdoors Parades Sample Sales Scavenger Hunts Shopping Signings/Appearances Sports Street Fairs Theater Tours Trade Shows   Date: Activity: Through 3/01/2009 Show Me the Money: From the Turnstile to the Bank - NY Transit Museum Court and Schermerhorn Streets - 718-694-1600 www.mta.info Price: FREE with museum admission. Every day New Yorkers spend almost $9 million to ride city subways and buses. Ever wonder where that money goes? Show Me the Money: From the Turnstile to the Bank is an exhibition on New York City subway and bus revenue collection and processing.Tuesday through Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday and Sunday Noon-5pm. Through 3/26/2009 Hours: 11:30am Story Museum - Historic Richmond Town 441 Clarke Ave. - 718-351-1611 www.historicrichmondtown.org Price: $3/Child, Adult/FREE Step inside a world of stories, crafts, music, dancing and singing every Thursday morning in the Historical Museum. Through 1/05/2009 Lizards and Snakes Alive! - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: All The squamates return in this popular exhibition showcasing more than 60 live animals representing 27 species from all over the world. Through 5/25/2009 Hours: 10-5:45pm Photography Takes Flight - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $15 adults, $8.50 children This exhibition brings together over 30 photographs by renowned wildlife photographers whose artistry showcases the majesty of birds in flight. These images, many taken in the New York area, represent fleeting moments revealing behavior that even scientists do not usually see. Through 1/06/2009 If Elected: The Game of American Politics - New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th Street - 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org Ages: TE,AD A new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society, If Elected: The Game of American Politics, will examine the history of American presidential elections through campaign objects and artifacts and their effect in supporting candidates and influencing voter opinion. Through 5/01/2009 Hours: 10:30am; 11:15am Gateway Storytime - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Price: Free The Discovery Room invites preschoolers and their parents or caretakers to explore! Each week highlights a topic in natural science or a cultural theme. There is a period of free play followed by a story, song, and visit to a related Museum hall. Monday mornings during the school year starting after Labor Day Through 3/01/2009 Broadway Billboards - Socrates Sculpture Park 32-01 Vernon Boulevard and Broadway - 718-956-1819 www.socratessculpturepark.org Ages: All Families can preview the stage sets and interludes from Lincoln Center's 2009 November performances, designed by artist Robin Rhode. Through 3/01/2009 Curators Select: Recent Acquisitions, 2003-2008 - Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum 2 E. 91st St. (5 Ave.) - 212-849-8400 www.cooperhewitt.org Ages: All International in scope and possessing one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence, the Museum's rich holdings range from the Han Dynasty (200 B.C.) to the present day and total more than 200,000 objects. This exhibition will feature recent acquisitions to all four of the museum's collecting departments: Produc... (more) Through 1/25/2009 Street Art, Street Life From the 1950s to Now - Bronx Museum of the Arts 1040 Grand Concourse Ages: All An examination of the street as subject matter, venue, and source of inspiration for artists and photographers from the late 1950s to the present. This far-ranging exhibition, one of the largest to consider the subject, includes street photography; documentation of performance, events, and artworks presented in the street; works using material from... (more) Through 9/15/2009 Sound Sensations - New York Hall of Science 47-01 111th Street - 718-699-0005 www.nyscience.org Ages: All Price: $11 adults, $8 children Children explore the tools, from audio tape to computers, used to record, play and modify sounds. This fun, interactive exhibit returns to the Hall with a new look, and updated technology. Through 8/09/2009 Royal Porcelain from the Twinight Collection, 1800-1850 - Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Ave. @ 82nd St. - 212-535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org Ages: All The porcelain factories of Berlin, Sevres, and Vienna achieved an extraordinary level of both artistic and technical skill in the first half of the nineteenth century, and the quality of painted decoration practiced at these three factories at that time has never been surpassed. This exhibition brings together approximately seventy-five superb exam... (more) Through 1/07/2009 Drawn by New York: Six Centuries of Watercolors and Drawings at the N-YHS - New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th Street - 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org Ages: All Although the Society harbors one of the earliest assembled public collections of drawings in the U.S., the aesthetic richness and historical value of these assets are surprisingly little known. Attempting to share this vast trove with the public, this exhibition features highlights from the N-YHS collection -- over 190 watercolors and drawings out ... (more) Through 1/05/2009 The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan - Rubin Museum of Art 150 W. 17th St. (6-7 Aves.) - 212-620-5000 www.rmanyc.org Ages: All A groundbreaking exhibition of rare religious Buddhist art with a special focus on ancient ritual Buddhist dances that have been preserved intact in Bhutan. The exhibition will have its only east coast showing at RMA. It comprises 87 works of art in the New York presentation, including intricate paintings and images created using applique and embro... (more) Through 1/05/2009 Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W. 53 St. (5-6 Aves.) - 212-708-9400 www.moma.org Ages: All This exhibition presents new insight into Van Gogh's depictions of night landscapes, interior scenes, and the effects of both gaslight and natural light on their surroundings. Representing all periods of the artist's career, the exhibition will comprise over two dozen works of superlative quality—several of which have never been seen together, even... (more) Through 1/26/2009 Alfred Kubin: Drawings, 1897-1909 - Neue Galerie 1048 Fifth Ave. (86 St.) - 212-628-6200 www.neuegalerie.org Ages: All The first major museum exhibition of Kubin's work ever held in the U.S., focusing on his early drawings, watercolors, and lithographs, which are often nightmarish. Through 1/07/2009 Catherine Opie: American Photographer - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Ave. (89 St.) - 212-423-3500 http://www.guggenheim.org Ages: AD This exhibition brings together nearly 200 of the artist's photographs in a major mid-career survey, offering the most comprehensive presentation of her work to date Through 8/03/2009 Identity by Design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses - National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green - 212-514-3700 http://www.americanindian.si.edu Ages: All Fifty-five native dresses from the Plains, Plateau, and Great Basins regions comprise this overview of Native American dresses. Through 5/08/2009 Wall Stories: Children's Wallpaper and Books - Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum 2 E. 91st St. (5 Ave.) - 212-849-8400 www.cooperhewitt.org Ages: TW,TE,AD Exploration of the relationship between wallpaper and books Through 2/22/2009 Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940 - Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Ave. (103 St.) - 212-534-1672 www.mcny.org Ages: All An exploration of not only architecture and design, but also film, fashion, and the performing arts. Styles from Art Deco to neo-romanticism will be examined along with the work of such legendary figures as Helena Rubinstein, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali­­, and Josephine Baker, and lesser-known figures such as costume and set designer Pavel Tchelitch... (more) Through 1/11/2009 New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters - Japan Society 333 E. 47th St. (1-2 Aves.) - 212-832-1155 http://www.japansociety.org/ Ages: TE,AD The first-ever exhibition, outside of Japan, to focus exclusively on non-functional bamboo works of art. Through 3/29/2009 The Seduction of Light: Ammi Phillips | Mark Rothko Compositions in Pink, Green, and Red - American Folk Art Museum 45 W. 53rd St. (5-6 Aves.) - 212-265-1040 www.folkartmuseum.org Ages: All This exhibition includes large-scale canvases from Rothko's classic period of the 1950s and 1960s, when the paintings had already transcended representation and reached a purity of meaning held solely in color, texture, depth, and proportion. Phillips's greatest achievements are surveyed through masterpieces from 1815 through the 1830s. Through 5/25/2009 The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: All Now in its 11th year, this popular wintertime destination flourishes in 80-degree temperatures and features up to 500 hovering iridescent butterflies, blooming tropical flowers, and lush green vegetation. The Butterfly Conservatory transforms the iciest winter day into a magical escape into summer. Shimmering, multicolored butterflies gently flutte... (more) Through 1/18/2009 Andrea Riccio: Renaissance Master of Bronze - Frick Collection One E. 70th St. (5 Ave.) - 212-288-0700 http://www.frick.org Ages: TW,TE,AD The Frick will present the first monographic exhibition ever dedicated to Andrea Riccio (1470-1532), one of the greatest and least-known bronze masters of the Renaissance. Through 4/06/2009 Batiste Madalena: Hand-Painted Film Posters for the Eastman Theatre, 1924–1928 - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W. 53 St. (5-6 Aves.) - 212-708-9400 www.moma.org Ages: AD Batiste Madalena (American, b. Italy, 1902–1988) was hired by George Eastman during the late period of silent cinema to design and hand-paint film posters for his theater in Rochester, NY -- at the time the third-largest cinema in the U.S. Working alone over a four-year period and against deadlines that required as many as eight new posters a week ... (more) Through 2/15/2009 Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 - Whitney Museum of American Art 945 Madison Ave. (75 St.) - 800-WHITNEY www.whitney.org Ages: AD Sculptor Alexander Calder is generally considered one of the most beloved, important, and critically acclaimed artists of the last century, and the Whitney is offering this eye-opening look into his early career. From the ages of 27 to 34, Calder created his first wire drawings in space, invented his signature mobiles, and began to create Cirque C... (more) Through 3/29/2009 Grant and Lee in War and Peace - New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th Street - 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org Ages: All Organized by the New-York Historical Society in collaboration with the Virginia Historical Society, the exhibition explores the most critical decades in American history through the lives of two towering men. By telling the stories of Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), commander of the Union armies and later 18th President of the United States, and of R... (more) Through 8/16/2009 Climate Change: The Threat to Life and A New Energy Future - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: All This major new exhibition will explore the science, history, and impact of climate change, and illuminate ways in which individuals, communities and nations can reduce their carbon footprints. Through 1/26/2009 Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone - New Museum of Contemporary Art 235 Bowery (Prince St.) - 212-219-1222 www.newmuseum.org Ages: AD The first solo exhibition and retrospective of the artist's work in a New York museum. It will include paintings as well as ceramic sculptures and furniture made by the New York-based artist over the last forty years. Through 1/18/2009 Hours: Performance schedules vary and are subject to change; check website for details. Play On! - Big Apple Circus Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center, Broadway at 63rd Street - 212-962-5471 www.bigapplecircus.org Ages: All Price: $28 to $86; children under 3 are FREE when they sit on the lap of a paid adult. This intimate, one-ring circus returns with its 31st show, "Play On!" The show features original classical, soul, and rock n' roll music with talent from 11 countries, including tight wire dancers, trapeze artists, vaulting equestrians, Italian dogs and a quest by two clowns to reconstruct a very special music box. Through January 18. Through 1/07/2009 theanyspacewherever - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Ave. (89 St.) - 212-423-3500 http://www.guggenheim.org Ages: All The Guggenheim has extended an invitation to a core group of artists -- Angela Bulloch, Maurizio Cattelan, Liam Gillick, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Douglas Gordon, Carsten Holler, Pierre Huyghe, Jorge Pardo, Philippe Parreno, and Rirkrit Tiravanija -- to collectively formulate a scenario for an exhibition, one that will reflect and articulate the... (more) Through 2/01/2009 The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions - Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Ave. @ 82nd St. - 212-535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org Ages: AD To celebrate the retiring Philippe de Montebello's years as director of the Met, the Museum's Forum of Curators, Conservators, and Scientists has organized an exhibition of approximately three hundred works of art -- from a total of more than eighty-four thousand -- that were acquired during his tenure. Through 6/01/2009 Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:30am and 12pm; additional 2:30pm performance on Wednesday, and 1pm on Saturday, Sunday Peter Pan and Adventures in Neverland - Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park Central Park at 79th Street and the West Drive - 212-988-9093 www.CityParksFoundation.org Ages: TOD,YE Price: $8; $5 children A new musical marionette production of the children's classic. Reservations are required. Through 1/31/2009 Hours: call, or check website, for times THE POLAR EXPRESS™ 4-D EXPERIENCE - Madame Tussauds 234 West 42nd St. (b/w 7th & 8th Aves.), - 800-246-8872 www.nycwax.com Ages: All Price: call, or check website, for pricing The Polar Express ™ 4-D Experience is based on the film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment, inspired by the beloved Caldecott Medal children's book by Chris Van Allsburg about a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows the w... (more) Through 1/10/2009 Holiday Lights Tour - On Board Tours - 212-277-8019 http://www.onboardnewyorktours.com/bus-from-new-york-to-washington-for-inauguration/ Ages: All During the Holidays, On Board's night tour converts to the best holiday lights show in New York City. On Board will show you the holidays the way New York City does it: From Grand Central Terminal, to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, from the world-famous window displays along Fifth Avenue, to the lights of Times Square. Through 1/25/2009 Hours: 11am;1pm; 4pm; 7pm Dear Edwina - DR2 Theatre 103 E. 15th Street - 212-239-6200 www.dr2theatre.com Ages: YE,TW Price: $29/$39 This fully-staged musical comedy makes its Off-Broadway debut. The plucky heroine, Edwina Spoonapple, tackles a plethora of problems in numbers about everything from birthday party etiquette to the proper way to set a table. Through 3/15/2009 Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. - Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Ave. @ 82nd St. - 212-535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org Ages: All Price: suggested donation Some 900 outstanding examples of medieval art created between the fourth and 14th centuries return to view in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's newly expanded Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art and new Gallery for Western European Art from 1050 to 1300. The new galleries incorporate the recently acquired "Jaharis Byzantine Lection... (more) Through 3/29/2009 The Black List Project: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell - Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn - 718-638-5000 www.brooklynmuseum.org Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $8 adults; children under 12 FREE This exhibition is based on The Black List documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Showcasing 25 portraits by internationally renowned photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and a series of filmed interviews conducted by film critic Elvis Mitchell, it explores being black in America. The film will be presented along with the phot... (more) Through 1/11/2009 Hours: Tues.-Fri.1:30-5:30pm, Sat. and Sun. 10am - 5:30pm Gingerbread Adventures - New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road - 718-817-8700 www.nybg.org Ages: All Price: $20; $7 children 2?12, free children under 2 Explore Gingerbread Town where the gingerbread men and women are hard at work and play. Help to grind spices, plant wheat seeds to make a miniature head of growing wheat hair, and decorate gingersnap cookies. Through 1/18/2009 'Round the World with Flaubert Frog and Le Carrousel Magique - Bryant Park 6th Avenue between 40th & 42nd Streets - 212-768-4242 www.bryantpark.org Ages: All Price: FREE Children of all ages listen to the resident mascot, Flaubert Frog, tell mystical fairy tales every Saturday at 1 pm. On Sundays at 1pm, they can witness magic with New York's famous magicians. Through 2/28/2009 Hours: 12pm Mon-Fri; 11am Sat-Sun and holidays Polar Rink opening - American Museum Of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: All Price: $10 adults; $8 kids ages 3-12; students/seniors $9 The new 150 x 80 foot Polar Rink allows visitors to ice skate around a 17-foot-tall stainless steel polar bear, decorated with twinkling lights and pine boughs. Families learn facts about the bears and the Earth's polar regions and have a great view of the museum's Rose Center for Earth and Space. Located on the Arthur Ross Terrace. Through 1/11/2009 Hours: Sat-Sun 10am; Tues-Fri 1:30pm Holiday Train Show - New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road - 718-817-8700 www.nybg.org Ages: All Price: Children aged 2-12 $10; under 2 FREE; students and seniors $18; adults: $20 Large-scale model trains and trolleys zip through replicas of more than 140 New York landmarks, from the Statue of Liberty to Yankee Stadium, crossing over bridges and through tunnels under twinkling lights. The landmarks are made entirely from plant parts like berries, leaves, and seeds. Through 1/11/2009 Hours: Sat-Sun 10am; Tues-Fri 1:30pm Gingerbread Adventures - New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road - 718-817-8700 www.nybg.org Ages: All Price: Children aged 2-12 $10; under 2 FREE; students and seniors $18; adults: $20 The Everett Children's Adventure Garden is transformed into a gingerbread town, where gingerbread people are at work and play. Children can go inside a larger-than-life model of a gingerbread house decorated with frosting and candy. They'll view other gingerbread creations on display by renowned bakers, explore what plant parts and spices make up ... (more) Through 1/19/2009 NY Transit Museum's 7th Annual Holiday Train Show - Grand Central Terminal 42nd St & Park Ave. - 212-532-4900 www.grandcentralterminal.com Ages: All All aboard for the Transit Museum's 7th annual Holiday Train Show! A magical train layout takes you from Grand Central to the North Pole with stops in between at subway stations, bus stations, gas stations and Santa's workshop! New features include Lionel's brand new models of Metro North's M7 train and New York City Subway's R27. These models will... (more) Through 4/30/2009 Christian Jankowski Living Sculptures: Caesar, Dali Woman, El Che - Doris C. Freedman Plaza Central Park, Fifth Ave. & E. 60th St. publicartfund.org Ages: All Visitors to Central Park's Doris C. Freedman Plaza will come across three sculptures by Christian Jankowski that may require a second look from passersby. New Yorkers and tourists alike are accustomed to seeing the occasional performer on the streets of our city, entertaining crowds with dance, magic or impersonation. When visitors encounter Jankow... (more) Through 2/07/2009 Hours: 10:00am-6:00pm Graffiti: Spirit of an Age @ 40 x 10 - Bronx Council on the Arts Hostos (Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street) - 718-931-9500 www.bronxarts.org Ages: All Participating artists include CES, CEY, DR. REVOLT, EZO, KET, KLASS, MARE 139, REVS, SHARP and SP. The sculptures of REVS and MARE 139 incorporate immediate reference to spontaneity of the lines used in graffiti writing, along with the curves and crevices of the art form. CES and SHARP create Wild Style or intricate, expressive designs with letters... (more) Through 1/11/2009 The Merry Widow - Amato Opera 319 Bowery (1-2 Sts.) - 212-228-8200 www.amato.org Ages: All A country's future is at stake: Who will the wealthy widow marry? Lehar's frothy and delightful operetta. Sung in English. Special New Year's Eve Gala on Dec. 31. Through 3/01/2009 Hours: closing times vary, check website for times Calder Jewelry - Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Ave. @ 82nd St. - 212-535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org Ages: All Price: suggested admission $20 American-born artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976) is celebrated for his mobiles, stabiles, paintings, and objets d'art. This landmark exhibition will be the first museum presentation dedicated solely to his extensive output of inventive jewelry. During his lifetime Calder produced approximately 1,800 pieces of brass, silver, and gold body ornaments... (more) Through 4/12/2009 Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM GROWING AND GREENING NEW YORK - Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Ave. (103 St.) - 212-534-1672 www.mcny.org Ages: All Price: suggested admission $9 Growing and Greening New York: PlaNYC and the Future of the City, on view at the Museum of the City of New York December 11, 2008, through April 12, 2009, will make the complexities of greater environmental sustainability in New York City vivid, compelling, and understandable by bringing environmental concerns to life on an individual, human scale... (more) Through 5/03/2009 A New President Takes Command: FDR's First Hundred Days - New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th Street - 212-873-3400 www.nyhistory.org Ages: All Price: Adults $10; seniors (65+) & educators $7; students $6; children under 12 free w/ adult What can America expect of a new President's first months in office? How might the new administration gain support from the public? What social, economic and political forces might be in play as the President frames an agenda and puts it into action? With questions such as these occupying people's minds as America looks ahead to January 2009, the N... (more) Through 2/16/2009 Marlene Dumas: Measuring Your Own Grave - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W. 53 St. (5-6 Aves.) - 212-708-9400 www.moma.org Ages: AD This exhibition of the work of the acclaimed painter includes approximately seventy paintings and thirty-five drawings, providing a comprehensive examination of the work of one of the most thought-provoking and fascinating artists working today. Through 1/11/2009 Hours: Wed through Sat 7pm; Sun 3:30pm A Christmas Carol - 13th Street Repertory Co 50 West 13th St - 212-352-3101 TheaterMania.com Ages: All Price: Adults $18 - Children $15 The classic Christmas tale of the old miser Scrooge, the ghosts who help him transform, and the little child who touches his heart. Set in 1843 London with period costumes & sets. Filled with Christmas music and the carols we know and love! Through 5/31/2009 The Fertile Goddess - Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn - 718-638-5000 www.brooklynmuseum.org Ages: All The oldest sculpture in the Brooklyn Museum represents a woman; it was made by people living in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Syria, or Turkey in the late sixth or fifth millennium B.C.E. Nine such ancient figurines from the Museum's collection are the focus of this third Herstory Gallery exhibition, which explores them as a source of inspiration for ... (more) Through 1/31/2009 Hours: 9am; except Fridays at 5pm Colgate Women's Games - Pratt Institute 200 Willoughby Avenue - 718-638-8173 www.colgategames.com Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: FREE Female athletes from elementary school age through adulthood are eligible to participate in the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest-running amateur track and field series. Events include short and long distance runs, hurdles, high jump and shot put in six different age/grade divisions. Participants get free t-shirts, gym bags and product ... (more) Through 12/31/2009 Hours: 12pm; 10am Sat, closed Mondays and Tuesdays It Happened in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Historical Society 128 Pierrepont Street - 718-222-4111 www.brooklynhistory.org Ages: All Price: $6; $4 seniors and students 12 and over; under 12 FREE This ongoing exhibit highlights key moments in our nation's history and how they played out in Brooklyn. Visitors meet a range of Brooklyn residents through artifacts in the permanent collection of photographs, artworks, and documents. This includes Brooklyn's earliest Native American settlements, the men and women who fought in the Revolutionary W... (more) Through 1/11/2009 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Visits - New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road - 718-817-8700 www.nybg.org Ages: TOD,YE Price: $20; $18 seniors and students, $10 children Meet Thomas the Tank Engine and Sir Topham Hatt. Become certified as an honorary engineer, and take home coloring sheets, stickers, and temporary tattoos of Thomas and his engine friends. Through 1/05/2009 Hours: check website for times NTDTV's Chinese New Year Splendor - Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn - 718-636-4100 http://www.nysplendor.com Ages: All Price: check website for pricing As part of an 80 city world tour, Divine Performing Arts is coming to Brooklyn for the first time ever, bringing its exhilarating and highly acclaimed blend of classical Chinese dance and music. Here's your chance to see the show that has won the hearts of nearly 1 million audience members around the world. Discover for yourself the brilliant chor... (more) 1/05/2009 Thaïs - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD The radiant Renée Fleming plays the Egyptian courtesan in search of spiritual sustenance. Thomas Hampson is the monk who falls from grace. Massenet's sensual score is presented in a production by John Cox that originated at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 1/05/2009 Hours: 7pm Dear Edwina Encores - DR2 Theatre 103 E. 15th Street - 212-239-6200 www.dr2theatre.com Ages: YE,TW Price: $29/$39 Following the January 5th performance,Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, who created the music for the show, perform their own material. It will include songs that never made it to the show. They'll also answer questions from the audience. 1/05/2009 Hours: Every hour on the half hour until 4:30pm Wild Ocean - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: $24; $18 students and seniors; $14 children The IMAX film, Wild Ocean, opens. Produced by the creators of the international sensation STOMP and directors of the award-winning Giant Screen film Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey, the film explores the annual feeding frenzy that takes place in the oceans off of South Africa as billions of sardines migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal Wild Coast. It examines the e... (more) 1/05/2009 Julie Halston In 'Holiday Muffuletta' - Birdland 315 W. 44th St. (8-9 Aves.) - 212-581-3080 www.birdlandjazz.com Ages: AD For one night only, Julie Halston throws caution to the wind and goes crazy with new material, old material and of course new clothes. Don't miss the fabulous comedienne in this one-night-only post-holiday bash. 1/06/2009 - 1/18/2009 Parsons Dance - Joyce Theater 175 Eighth Ave. (19 St.) - 212-242-0800 http://www.joyce.org Ages: All Parsons Dance presents the world-premiere of an all-new, one-act collaboration with the acclaimed rock opera band, East Village Opera Company (EVOC). Program A premieres the all-new, powerhouse work featuring EVOC's two lead vocalists live on stage with Parsons Dance. Program B features the jazzy Parsons Dance hit, Fill the Woods with Light. Both p... (more) 1/06/2009 La Bohème - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD A stunning Mimì and two remarkable Rodolfos will take the stage for Franco Zeffirelli's production of the Puccini favorite. Maija Kovalevska sings the consumptive heroine, and Ramón Vargas and Massimo Giordano share the role of her poet-lover, with Mariusz Kwiecien as Marcello, in what may be the world's most popular opera. 1/06/2009 Diseny On Ice: A Disneyland Adventure - Nassau Coliseum 1255 Hempstead Turnpike - 631-888-9000 www.nassaucoliseum.com Ages: All Price: $20-70 Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters on the ice. Families relive the Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean. They'll swing with Baloo through the Jungle Cruise, fly like a space ranger through Space Mountain with Buzz Lightyear and accompany Snow White and Cinderella du... (more) 1/06/2009 Three Kings Day Parade - Ages: All The most cherished Latino holiday tradition of the year. The 32nd Annual Three Kings Day Parade marches through El Barrio along with kings, camels, floats and lively music. Parade viewing along the route begins on 106th Street near 3rd Avenue. 11am. 1/06/2009 Science & Society: The How and Why of Climate Change and What it Means for the Future - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $15; $13.50 students This introduction to climate change describes some of the possible impacts and explores potential solutions. 1/06/2009 Virtual Universe: Stories of Motion - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: $15; $13.50 students The Hayden Planetarium has assembled the world's largest cosmic atlas, extending from Earth to the greatest distances yet charted by astronomers. Families uncover the stories that can be told about our universe by measuring the motions of distant stars and galaxies. 1/07/2009 La Rondine - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD Opera's charismatic real-life duo, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, provides the star power to deliver this ravishing romance from the world's most popular opera composer. Gheorghiu plays the kept woman who gambles on true love, and Alagna is the man who makes her question the cost of her glittering existence. Nicolas Joël directs the new produ... (more) 1/07/2009 Ballerina & Ballets Russes - Walter Reade Theater 70 Lincoln Center Plaza - 212-875-5600 Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $11 adults; $7 children This documentary follows five stars and rising stars of the Kirov Ballet. Each ballerina reveals her personal hopes and dreams, as well as the misfortunes that can interrupt a brilliant career. The film is comprised of informal archival footage of the Ballet Russes frolicking on the beach in Sidney, Australia. 1/07/2009 19th Century Classic: Coppélia - New York City Ballet David H. Koch Theater, Columbus Ave. & 63rd St. - 212-870-5570 www.nycballet.com Ages: All Coppélia shares common ground with Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake as one of the great 19th-century classics, but it stands alone as a comedic masterpiece. Based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Coppélia presents the young romance of Franz and Swanilda and the curious workings of inventor Dr. Coppelius. ... (more) 1/07/2009 Opening Reception: Brooklyn Redrawn - Brooklyn Historical Society 128 Pierrepont Street - 718-222-4111 www.brooklynhistory.org Ages: All Price: FREE Celebrate the grand opening of the newest public perspectives exhibit from the artists of Brooklyn Redrawn. The exhibit draws upon Brooklyn's past and present urban structures and conveys the visual complexity of competing Brooklyn commercial, architectural, and real estate interests. 1/07/2009 - 2/04/2009 Hours: check website, or call for times 2009 CULTUREMART - HERE ARTS CENTER 145 Sixth Ave. - 212-352-3101 www.here.org/see/now/culturemart09 Ages: AD Price: $15.00-20.00 The OBIE-winning HERE Arts Center's annual CULTUREMART festival is set for January 7 – February 4, 2009, this year featuring 17 works that blur the lines between dance, theatre, music, new media, puppetry and visual art. Reflecting a core philosophy that it's not possible for any one art form alone to convey the flood of images, data and sound b... (more) 1/08/2009 Thaïs - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD The radiant Renée Fleming plays the Egyptian courtesan in search of spiritual sustenance. Thomas Hampson is the monk who falls from grace. Massenet's sensual score is presented in a production by John Cox that originated at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 1/08/2009 Goodbye Picasso's The Book of Aylene - Ars Nova 511 W. 54th St. - 212-352-3101 www.arsnovanyc.com Ages: AD Goodbye Picasso, Audience Favorite winner of A.N.T. FEST 2008, returns for an encore performance of The Book of Aylene, a modern-day song cycle spanning a man's relationship with Aylene, "the one who got away." Led by singer-songwriter Chris Dreyer, the band's smoldering indie folk rock inspired dancing in the Ars Nova aisles last time around. 1/08/2009 Hours: 10:30am; 7pm Disney On Ice: A Disneyland Adventure - Nassau Coliseum 1255 Hempstead Turnpike - 631-888-9000 www.nassaucoliseum.com Ages: All Price: $20-70 Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters on the ice. Families relive the Haunted Mansion, "It's a Small World" and Pirates of the Caribbean. They'll swing with Baloo through the Jungle Cruise, fly like a space ranger through Space Mountain? with Buzz Lightyear and accompany Snow White and Cinderella... (more) 1/08/2009 Hours: 1:30pm Ballerina & Ballets Russes - Walter Reade Theater 70 Lincoln Center Plaza - 212-875-5600 Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $11 adults; $7 children This documentary follows five stars and rising stars of the Kirov Ballet. Each ballerina reveals her personal hopes and dreams, as well as the misfortunes that can interrupt a brilliant career. The film is comprised of informal archival footage of the Ballet Russes frolicking on the beach in Sidney, Australia. 1/08/2009 Hours: Rink opens at 8:30am. Kate's Corner at Wollman Rink Giveaway - Prospect Park Third Street and Prospect Park West and The Park Circle at Prospect Park Southwest and Parkside Avenue - 718-287-3400 www.prospectpark.org Ages: All Price: $5 for ages 15 and up; $3 for children 14 and under and seniors; skate rental $6.50 The first 50 people to spend $15 or more receive a fleece hat with Prospect Park logo. Hot chocolate, coffee and snacks available. 1/08/2009 - 1/11/2009 The New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend - 526 W. 26th St. (10th & 11th Ave.) - 212-946-1548 Ages: All Join New York Times journalists and some of today's most celebrated talent and thinkers from the worlds of art, television, music, literature, media, dance and politics -- from Glenn Close to Keith Olbermann, Vampire Weekend to the ladies of "The View," Salman Rushdie to Lewis Black and much more. Visit website for tickets and more info. 1/08/2009 From the Field: Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: $15; $13.50 students Donald R. Prothero illustrates how the fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution. He takes visitors on a grand tour that sheds light on such subjects as invertebrate transitions; the reign of the dinosaurs; and the leap from chimpanzee to human. A book signing follows. 1/09/2009 - 1/11/2009 Professional Bull Riders 2009 Invitational - Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza - 212-465-6741 www.ticketmaster.com Ages: All The Toughest Sports on Dirt returns to Madison Square Garden with unique sights and sounds: 700 tons of dirt, the top 45 bull riders, and the rankest 2,000-pound bulls in the world. 1/09/2009 Orfeo ed Euridice (Orpheus and Eurydice) - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD Mark Morris's acclaimed production returns. This complete vision for Gluck, with choreography by Morris and costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, features the artistry of Stephanie Blythe in the title role. The alluring Danielle de Niese is Orfeo's adored wife, Euridice, who inspires the hero to face the underworld for her sake. Music Director James Levine co... (more) 1/09/2009 - 1/10/2009 Johnny Gallagher - Ars Nova 511 W. 54th St. - 212-352-3101 www.arsnovanyc.com Ages: AD Come watch the Spring Awakening star unleash his relentless, rootsy singer-songwriter talents in these two special performances. He won't need much more than his guitar and unmistakable voice to make each show unforgettable. 1/09/2009 Disney On Ice: A Disneyland Adventure - Nassau Coliseum 1255 Hempstead Turnpike - 631-888-9000 www.nassaucoliseum.com Ages: All Price: $20-70 Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters on the ice. Families relive the Haunted Mansion, "It's a Small World" and Pirates of the Caribbean. They'll swing with Baloo through the Jungle Cruise, fly like a space ranger through Space Mountain� with Buzz Lightyear and accompany Snow White and Cinderella... (more) 1/09/2009 No 'Shhhh' Shabbat Dinner for Families - 92nd Street Y 92nd Street at Lexington Avenue - 212-415-5500 www.92Y.org Ages: TOD,AD Price: $25 parent; $5 child Friday night marks the beginning of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest,and the beginning of a day of contemplation and renewal. This dinner allows parents to sit around the edge of the room while kids play in the center. The Y?s parenting experts provide creative programming for the kids and give mom and dad a well-deserved chance to socialize, eat a... (more) 1/09/2009 Cranked - The New Victory Theatre The Duke at 42nd Street - 646-223-3010 www.newvic.org Ages: TW,AD Price: $17.50 This award-winning spoken word play by Green Thumb Theatre uses hip-hop to shed light on the teen epidemic of crystal meth addiction. 1/09/2009 Marshall Crenshaw - Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn - 718-636-4100 http://www.nysplendor.com Ages: All As if penning upwards of fifteen critically acclaimed albums weren't enough, power pop legend Marshall Crenshaw has also played Buddy Holly in the motion picture La Bamba, starred as John Lennon in the off-Broadway play Beatlemania, authored a book, and written the title track for the film Walk Hard. His gig at BAMcafé Live is not to be missed. 1/09/2009 Ensemble ACJW - Carnegie Hall 154 W. 57th St. (7 Ave.) - 212-247-7800 www.carnegiehall.org Ages: All Ensemble ACJW performs works by Wagner and Schoenberg with Lucy Shelton, Soprano. 1/09/2009 - 1/11/2009 Hours: Jan. 11 at 1pm MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INVITATIONAL - Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza - 212-465-6741 www.ticketmaster.com Ages: TE,AD Price: $10.00, $15.00, $30.00, $35.00, $45.00, $50.00, $95.00, $195.00 The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) will kick off the New Year with a return engagement of their elite Built Ford Tough Series with the Madison Square Garden Invitational, January 9-11, 2008. The PBR returns to New York City and Madison Square Garden after last year's successful VERSUS Invitational January 2008 where PBR Brazilian sensat... (more) 1/09/2009 - 1/18/2009 Gallim Dance - Joyce SoHo 155 Mercer St. (Prince-Houston Sts.) - 212-334-7479 www.joyce.org Ages: All Gallim Dance, a vibrant emerging company led by Andrea Miller, returns to Joyce SoHo with two programs. In I Can See Myself in Your Pupil, bundles of outrageously combustive energy connect seven vignettes that expose the fantasy, humor and awkwardness interwoven in the search for community and need for intimacy. Blush guides the audience through an... (more) 1/10/2009 Opera in Brief Family Series: The Magic Flute - Amato Opera 319 Bowery (1-2 Sts.) - 212-228-8200 www.amato.org Ages: All These abbreviated versions of the operas are fully costumed and feature the musical highlights. The interwoven narration helps you to further enjoy the story. Each performance in 90 minutes long. Kids' seats, $15; adults, $20. 11:30am. 1/10/2009 La Bohème - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD A stunning Mimì and two remarkable Rodolfos will take the stage for Franco Zeffirelli's production of the Puccini favorite. Maija Kovalevska sings the consumptive heroine, and Ramón Vargas and Massimo Giordano share the role of her poet-lover, with Mariusz Kwiecien as Marcello, in what may be the world's most popular opera. 1/10/2009 La Rondine - Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera House, Amsterdam Ave. & 64th St. - 212-362-6000 www.metoperafamily.org Ages: AD Opera's charismatic real-life duo, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, provides the star power to deliver this ravishing romance from the world's most popular opera composer. Gheorghiu plays the kept woman who gambles on true love, and Alagna is the man who makes her question the cost of her glittering existence. Nicolas Joël directs the new produ... (more) 1/10/2009 Bringing Jazz to Paris: A Musical Celebration of Josephine Baker - Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Ave. (103 St.) - 212-534-1672 www.mcny.org Ages: YE,TW,AD Price: $9 adults; $5 seniors and students; children ages 12 and under FREE. $20 per family This family event introduces listeners to the creativity of the Harlem Renaissance and the music heard in the jazz clubs of Paris. Somi, a New African Jazz vocalist, performs the songs of legendary entertainer Josephine Baker. The concert is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940. 1/10/2009 Shababa Mornings at the Y: Family Shabbat Experience - 92nd Street Y Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street - 212-415-5500 www.92y.org Ages: All Price: FREE Every Saturday a Jewish Sabbath program is offered, featuring challah and cookies, arts and crafts, music, and stories. Karina Zilberman hosts an interactive, intergenerational Shabbat experience through music, storytelling and informal discussions for the adults. 1/10/2009 Pajama Havdalah - 92nd Street Y Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street - 212-415-5500 www.92y.org Ages: All Price: FREE Parents and kids come dressed in their PJ?s to a Shabbat good-bye party. They'll smell the spices, enjoy cookies and milk, watch the candle shine, and sing with Karina Zilberman. 1/10/2009 19th Century Classic: Coppélia - New York City Ballet David H. Koch Theater, Columbus Ave. & 63rd St. - 212-870-5570 www.nycballet.com Ages: All Coppélia shares common ground with Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake as one of the great 19th-century classics, but it stands alone as a comedic masterpiece. Based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Coppélia presents the young romance of Franz and Swanilda and the curious workings of inventor Dr. Coppelius. ... (more) 1/10/2009 Behind the Scenes Tour - New York Aquarium Surf Avenue and West 8th Street - 718-265-3474 www.nyaquarium.com Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: $24 Families go behind-the-scenes to see how things work at the aquarium, such as feeding coral reef fish. For children ages 6 and up. Reservations required. 1/10/2009 The Sippy Cups - Symphony Space 2537 Broadway and 95th Street - 212-864-5400 www.symphonyspace.org Ages: All Price: $25 advance tickets; $15 children; $27 day of show; $17 chidlren day of show This kid-rock band performs a high-energy show that combines comic stunts, puppets, and exciting visuals with original rock tunes and covers from The Beatles, early Pink Floyd, David Bowie, the Who and The Ramones. 1/10/2009 Hours: 1pm; 3pm Meet the Author Series: Grace Chang and Jin Jin the Dragon - Brooklyn Children's Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue - 718-735-4400 www.brooklynkids.org Ages: All Price: $7.50; children under 1 FREE The author reads her enchanting story, about a creature that doesn't know what it is and embarks on a journey to find out. Illustrated in Chinese watercolor, children learn about dragons in Chinese culture and how they differ from Western interpretations. They'll also learn Chinese writing, and a pictorial history of 13 Chinese characters. 1/10/2009 Three Kings Day Celebration - El Museo Del Barrio 1230 Fifth Ave. (104 St.) - 212-831-7272 www.elmuseo.org Ages: All All are welcome to join El Museo's exciting Three Kings Day Celebration. This holiday presentation at El Museo's Teatro Heckscher will feature live parrandas by Eddie Alicea y Su Trio de Epoca, and theatre play inspired by the Mexican tradition of pastorelas. 3-5pm. 1/10/2009 Hours: 11:30am; 3pm New Year's Lanterns - Brooklyn Children's Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue - 718-735-4400 www.brooklynkids.org Ages: YE,TW,TE Price: $7.50; children under 1 FREE Children read about a family's Chinese New Year celebration and learn about lanterns, lion dances and the lunar connection. They'll make their own holiday lantern to take home. 1/10/2009 City Farmers - Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1000 Washington Avenue - 718-623-7220 www.bbg.org Ages: YE,TW Price: $75/90 Second through seventh graders work in the greenhouses and garden outside in cold framers and under row covers. They'll create winter-related crafts, participate in cooking projects and conduct science investigations. If it snows, they might even make a few snow-gardeners. 1/10/2009 Discovery Workshop: Winter in the Garden - Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1000 Washington Avenue - 718-623-7200 www.bbg.org Ages: TOD,YE,TW Price: FREE Children explore how plants and animals keep warm and survive all winter long in this drop-in workshop. They'll learn about winter from a plant's perspective and make a birdfeeder to take home. 1/10/2009 Score - Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Brooklyn College, Campus Road & Hillel Pl., Brooklyn - 718-951-4500 www.brooklyncenter.com Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $25 Australia's Expressions Dance Company performs this multi-media dance theater piece, inspired by Mikhail Fokine's ballet "Petrushka" and reality television. The fairground puppeteer is transformed into a TV host with dancing puppets as contestants in a glitzy, reality TV competition. The ultimate prize is a partner for life, the ballerina. 1/10/2009 Mulchfest 2009 - Prospect Park Third Street and Prospect Park West and The Park Circle at Prospect Park Southwest and Parkside Avenue - 718-287-3400 www.prospectpark.org Ages: All Price: FREE Families can bring their holiday tree to Prospect Park, where it will be turned into mulch for healthy ground cover. 1/10/2009 Hours: 10am; 1:30pm Dear Mr. President: NYC Children Write Letters about Their Future - Children's Museum of Manhattan 212 West 83rd Street - 212-721-1234 www.cmom.org Ages: YE,TW,TE Children from all five boroughs particpate in workshops in which they'll write down ideas for what they would like to see in their neighborhoods, schools, the country and the world. Selected hopes will be compiled into a letter that will be sent to President Obama and collaged onto a large-scale mural that will be displayed in the museum and on ... (more) 1/10/2009 Takka Takka + Tamar Eisenman - Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn - 718-636-4100 http://www.nysplendor.com Ages: AD New York-based band Takka Takka has flourished over the last few years, touring with DIY indie sensation Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and landing a song on the soundtrack to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The band's meticulous sound references everything from African polyrhythms to Balinese gamelan, all set up beforehand by the "hip rock" o... (more) 1/10/2009 Expressions Dance Company in SCORE! - Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Brooklyn College, Campus Road & Hillel Pl., Brooklyn - 718-951-4500 www.brooklyncenter.com Ages: AD This Australian company performs the New York City premiere of Score!, a new multimedia dance-theater piece inspired by Michel Fokine's ballet Petrushka and set in the insanely competitive world of reality TV. Packed with strikingly physicality, Score! incorporates live footage, video projections, and spoken word into this gripping tale of two cont... (more) 1/10/2009 - 1/17/2009 DD Dorvillier / human future dance corps - Dance Theater Workshop 219 W. 19th St. - 212-924-0077 www.dtw.org Ages: All Choreography, a Prologue for the Apocalypse of Understanding, Get Ready! features music by composer Zeena Parkins, lighting design by Thomas Dunn, and texts and choreography by DD Dorvillier in collaboration with Heather Kravas, Amanda Piña, Joaquim Pujol, and Elizabeth Ward. No performances 1/12-13. 1/10/2009 Hours: 2pm; 7pm Cranked - The New Victory Theatre The Duke at 42nd Street - 646-223-3010 www.newvic.org Ages: TW,AD Price: $17.50 This award-winning spoken word play by Green Thumb Theatre uses hip-hop to shed light on the teen epidemic of crystal meth addiction. 1/11/2009 Hours: doors open; shows begin 7pm 6th annual globalFEST - Webster Hall 125 E. 11th Street worldmusicinstitute.org Ages: AD Price: Until November 30th, all tickets $35 (general admission) $40 Beginning December 1 CALYPSO ROSE - The legendary Queen of Calypso CHICHA LIBRE - Psychedelic surf cumbia from Brooklyn FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force - Afrobeat rebel torchbearer HOT 8 BRASS BAND - New Orleans street party KAILASH KHER'S KAILASA - Bollywood's Sufi pop idol LA TROBA KUNG-FÚ - Barcelona's rumba catalana mestizos L & O - Swinging French chanson... (more) 1/11/2009 Hours: 2pm; 3pm and 4pm Exhibition Tours in English and Spanish - Queens Museum of Art NYC Bldg in Flushing Meadows Corona Park - 718-592-9700 www.queensmuseum.org Ages: TE,AD Price: FREE Teens and adults can enjoy this one-hour tour of the Panaroma of the City of New York exhibit as well as other changing exhibits of art. 1/11/2009 Hours: 2pm Bluebird - Walter Reade Theater 70 Lincoln Center Plaza - 212-875-5600 Ages: All Price: $11 adults, $7 children This silent film fantasy features allegoric overtones combined with lavish sets, camera effects and naturalistic performances. Two children are joined by the fairy Berylune in a quest for the elusive Blue Bird of Happiness. Reminiscent of ?The Wizard of Oz,? this ?Blue Bird? has its own distinct Old -World charm. 1/11/2009 Special Second Floor Viewing - Lefferts Historic House Prospect Park, the Children's Corner, inside the Park?s Willink entrance, Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard - 718-789-2822 www.prospectpark.org Ages: YE,TW,TE,AD Price: FREE Guided tours every Saturday and Sunday of the new exhibit showcasing objects from 19th century family life. Objects include engraved silver spoons, the Lefferts Bible with birth, marriage and death records. A 19th century bedroom is also on view. 1/11/2009 19th Century Classic: Coppélia - New York City Ballet David H. Koch Theater, Columbus Ave. & 63rd St. - 212-870-5570 www.nycballet.com Ages: All Coppélia shares common ground with Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake as one of the great 19th-century classics, but it stands alone as a comedic masterpiece. Based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Coppélia presents the young romance of Franz and Swanilda and the curious workings of inventor Dr. Coppelius. ... (more) 1/11/2009 Pre-K Planet Ocean - New York Aquarium Surf Avenue and West 8th Street www.nyaquarium.com Ages: TOD,AD Price: $24 Parents and children investigate the animals of the ocean planet with several "get wet" workshops. In "Penguin Parade," parents will role-play being a penguin parent and examine feathers and eggs. With "Sharks and Fish," families compare shark skin with fish scales and toothy jaws. Families also learn about marine mammals in "Walruses, Seals and S... (more) 1/11/2009 Early American Crafts & Games - Lefferts Historic House Prospect Park, the Children's Corner, inside the Park's Willink entrance, Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard - 718-789-2822 www.prospectpark.org Ages: YE,TW,TE Price: FREE Children make arts and crafts the old fashioned way. 1/11/2009 Discover Tours - Prospect Park Audubon Center Lincoln Road & Ocean Avenue or Flatbush Avenue & Empire Blvd. (Willink entrance) - 718-287-3400 www.prospectpark.org Ages: TE,AD Price: FREE Families learn how to look for birds and explore the secrets of nature on this expert-guided walk through the park's scenic landscapes. 1/11/2009 Hours: 11:30am; 3pm New Year's Lanterns - Brooklyn Children's Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue - 718-735-4400 www.brooklynkids.org Ages: YE,TW,TE Price: $7.50; children under 1 FREE Children read about a family's Chinese New Year celebration and learn about lanterns, lion dances and the lunar connection. They'll make their own holiday lantern to take home. 1/11/2009 Hours: 1:30pm; 3pm Special Performance: UpBring Dance Company's Dancing through the Decades - Brooklyn Children's Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue - 718-735-4400 www.brooklynkids.org Ages: All Price: $7.50; children under 1 FREE Dances from the 1940s through today are performed by UpBring Dance Company, featuring kids ages 2 to 15. Music includes big-band classics, divine disco, songs from the 1980s and current pop hits. Many different kinds of dance are represented, including African, hip hop, jazz, Latin, modern, swing, and theatrical. 1/11/2009 Eating Local in the Big Apple - Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1000 Washington Avenue - 718-623-7220 www.bbg.org Ages: TE,AD Price: $44 Expert locavore Leda Meredith gives tips about how to live a greener life and eat more local foods in 2009. She'll share her 250-Mile Diet Plan (eating only foods grown or raised within a 250-mile radius of her Brooklyn apartment). Families will learn where to source local ingredients, how to eat local on a budget, and how to handle time and space... (more) 1/11/2009 Mulchfest 2009 - Prospect Park Third Street and Prospect Park West and The Park Circle at Prospect Park Southwest and Parkside Avenue - 718-287-3400 www.prospectpark.org Ages: All Price: FREE Families can bring their holiday tree to Prospect Park, where it will be turned into mulch for healthy ground cover. 1/11/2009 Hours: 11am 4th grade-5th grade; 1:30pm 6th-7th grade Climate Change Sunday: What is the Difference between Climate and Weather? - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: TW,TE Price: $30 In conjunction with the new exhibition, this hands-on workshop introduces young audiences to the science of climate change and potential solutions. Kids learn the difference between climate and weather. They'll use fun activities to compare their differences and similarities and learn why climate is so important. 1/11/2009 Hours: 10am; 1:30pm Dear Mr. President: NYC Children Write Letters about Their Future - Children's Museum of Manhattan 212 West 83rd Street - 212-721-1234 www.cmom.org Ages: YE,TW,TE Children from all five boroughs particpate in workshops in which they'll write down ideas for what they would like to see in their neighborhoods, schools, the country and the world. Selected hopes will be compiled into a letter that will be sent to President Obama and collaged onto a large-scale mural that will be displayed in the museum and on ... (more) 1/11/2009 Hours: 3pm; 4pm Author Series: Linda Sue Park, Bee-bim Bop - Children's Museum of Manhattan 212 West 83rd Street - 212-721-1234 www.cmom.org Ages: YE Price: $10 Linda Sue Park, award-winning author of young readers and picture books, reads from her new book, "Bee-bim Bop!" about a young girl who helps her mother shop for and cook a traditional Korean meal. Kids make their own artistic version with model magic, colored tissue paper and corrugated cardboard. 1/11/2009 The Suzi Shelton Band - 92nd Street Y Tribeca 200 Hudson Street - 212-601-1000 www.92ytribeca.org Ages: All Price: $15 Suzi Shelton performs her award-winning first solo release for kids, Simply Suzi. 1/11/2009 The MET Chamber Ensemble - Carnegie Hall 154 W. 57th St. (7 Ave.) - 212-247-7800 www.carnegiehall.org Ages: All Performing works by Dallapiccola, Elliott Carter, Wagner, Strauss. 1/11/2009 Cranked - The New Victory Theatre The Duke at 42nd Street - 646-223-3010 www.newvic.org Ages: TW,AD Price: $17.50 This award-winning spoken word play by Green Thumb Theatre uses hip-hop to shed light on the teen epidemic of crystal meth addiction. 1/11/2009 New York Philharmonic members perform at Richmond County Orchestra benefit - Campus Hall Performance Center/Wagner College 631 Howard Avenue www.richmondcountyorchestra.org Ages: TE,AD Expect beautiful music to be made when members of the New York Philharmonic lend their talents in support of Staten Island's Richmond County Orchestra at the Campus Hall Performance Center at Wagner College. Philharmonic members Charles Rex, violin, Fred Zlotkin, cello, and Elizabeth Pridgen, piano, will perform sonatas and trios by Beethoven, Brah... (more) 1/12/2009 Hayden Planetarium Lecture: Is God a Mathematician? - American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th St. - 212-769-5100 www.amnh.org Ages: TW,TE,AD Price: $15; $13.50 students A workshop that explores what gives mathematics such power. For centuries, mathematical theories have proved to be uncannily accurate at describing?and predicting?the physical world. Mario Livio attempts to answer this question in his new book, Is God A Mathematician? 1/12/2009 Hours: 7pm Dear Edwina Encores - DR2 Theatre 103 E. 15th Street - 212-239-6200 www.dr2theatre.com Ages: YE,TW Price: $29/$39 Following the January 12th performance,Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, who created the music for the show, perform their own material. It will include songs that never made it to the show. They'll also answer questions from the audience. 1/12/2009 Composer/Lyricist Scott Alan Returns to Birdland - Birdland 315 W. 44th St. (8-9 Aves.) - 212-581-3080 www.birdlandjazz.com Ages: AD Composer and lyricist Scott Alan will be celebrating the release of his latest CD offering, "Keys: The Music of Scott Alan," with the help of many of his friends. Some of today's brightest Broadway stars will join him to sing his original songs, including Lisa Brescia, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jenn Colella, Erin Davie, Sutton Foster, Hadley Fraser, Nik... (more) 1/12/2009 A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC: A Gala Concert Reading - Studio 54 254 W. 54th St. - 212-719-1300 www.roundabouttheatre.org Ages: AD Roundabout Theatre Company presents a once-in-a-lifetime gala concert reading of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Tony Award-winning masterpiece musical A Little Night. The cast of 15 stars Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Victor Garber, Christine Baranski, Laura Benanti & Marc Kudisch, directed by Scott Ellis. Not seen on Broadway i... (more) 1/12/2009 Anders Holst Live - Feinstein's at Loew's Regency Regency Hotel, 540 Park Ave. (61 St.) - 212-339-4095 www.feinsteinsattheregency.com Ages: AD Anders Holst is an adult contemporary songwriter and vocalist whose music incorporates smooth and jazzy elements -- much in the vein of Boz Scaggs, Leonard Cohen, and Michael Buble.