SIX AND THE CITY
THIS SPRING BRINGS WITH IT HALF-A-DOZEN CAN’T-MISS EVENTS FROM BROOKLYN TO BROADWAY!
This spring brings with it half-adozen can’t-miss events from Brooklyn to Broadway!
1. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL AT BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
Brooklyn Botanic Garden turns pink—all shades of it—during cherry blossom season, and Japanese culture even has a name, hanami, for enjoying the fleeting moments that these gorgeous flowers are in bloom. in keeping with the spirit of such close observation, the garden’s cherry Watch web page tracks the bloom dates for its 200 trees, and sakura Matsuri, the annual cherry blossom festival, offers more than 60 events and performances. April 29–30 at 990 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, 718-623-7200; bbg.org
2. MARISA MERZ AT THE MET BREUER
the sole woman in italy’s arte Povera movement from the 1960s, Merz breaks down barriers between public and private space, often using nontraditional materials (copper wire, knitting needles, a stool). look for her mid-career installations, at once intimate and massive. the most exquisite thing about her work, suggests ian alteveer,
who curated the exhibition with connie Butler, “is that it has no end in sight.” “Marisa Merz: the sky is a Great space” runs through May 7 at 945 Madison Ave., 212-7311675; metmuseum.org.
3. WAR PAINT ON BROADWAY
theater titans Patti lupone and christine Ebersole go head-to-head in this musical dramatization of the rivalry between two cosmeticindustry powerhouses. “Helena rubinstein and Elizabeth arden were perfect opposites,” says War Paint director Michael Greif, “and the musical’s score exploits the distinct natures of Patti’s legendary belt and christine’s crystalline soprano.” Broadway fans will be queueing up for the song-to-song combat as lupone’s rubinstein and Ebersole’s arden powder up for battle. Previews begin March 7, Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41st St., 877-250-2929; warpaint musical.com
4. WHITNEY BIENNIAL 2017
the seventy-eighth edition of the Biennial is the largest ever, and the range of art—from painting to video game design, installation to performance—is as diverse as the makers. curators christopher y. lew and Mia locks check off the thematic threads: some works, they say, “reflect the turbulence and specific social struggles of our present moment. While others model ways of coming together in the face of a divisive political landscape.” Through June 11 at 99 Gansevoort St., 212-570-3600; whitney.org
5. DER ROSENKAVALIER AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
renée Fleming didn’t become the first lady of american opera by accident. she only brings her finest roles to the Met, and the Marschallin in richard strauss’s gorgeous drama is arguably her best. the work shows off the sumptuousness of her sound and the lyricism of her phrasing even at this late stage in her career. the company is surrounding its superstar soprano with top talent for this new production—conductor James levine, director robert carsen, and costar Elina Garancˇa. April 13 to May 13, Lincoln Center, 212362-6000; metopera.org
6. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AT CHRISTIE’S AND SOTHEBY’S
new york’s two top auction houses put on dazzling displays of gallery-worthy gems. (last year, christie’s set a world auction record when it sold the 14.6-carat oppenheimer Blue for $57.5 million!) rahul kadakia, christie’s international head of jewelry, says they will offer “highly sought-after signed jewels, important diamonds… across all price points,” including a diamond bracelet by Harry Winston (estimate $200,000-$300,000). April 25 at Sotheby’s, 1334 York Ave., 212-606-7000; sothebys.com; April 26 at Christie’s, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-636-2000; christies.com