Theater of the unexpected: These all-out spectacles give traditional shows a run for their money
It's not uncommon to see outlandish costumes, awe-inspiring set design, or otherworldly lighting displays in any of the city's glittering Broadway theaters. But New York's most exciting theatrical entertainment pushes the envelope a step further.
Today: Patti Austin performs at the Blue Note Jazz Festival
Grammy winning R&B; and Jazz music singer Patti Austin made her debut at the Apollo Theater at the age of four. Tonight, over five decades later, she again takes the stage in New York performing hits from a career that's spanned a lifetime.
This week's sample sales and shopping deals: May 31 - June 7, 2011
Sample sale season has officially started. Score new clothes, accessories, and even home goods at discounted prices this week at one of the many designer sales taking place all over the city, and get a sneak peek at sales coming up later this month.
Get outside! New York's parks and gardens are bursting with things to do
Warmer weather in the city means a chance to finally get outside and enjoy some of the city's most beloved parks and gardens. This spring, options for the great outdoors extend well past picnics and nature walks. Here are some of our favorites.
Food for Delivery
Fun for All Ages
A Spring Kids' Festival at Madison Square Park
Kids take over Flatiron's Madison Square Park June 4 for a day of free music, activities and snacks. Listen live music, stretch out with kids yoga, enjoy arts, crafts and face painting, taste snacks from the Treats Truck, and much more.
Upcoming Concerts
Sip and Savor
Enjoy: A Taste of Times Square
Each year, the New York Times Square Alliance offers one of the city's most mouth-watering outdoor food festivals. Sample the best food and drink from dozens of vendors in the area of midtown; admission to the event is free, and tastes are priced affordably at $1-5.
Food & Dining
Upcoming Concerts
Kurt Vile & the Violators
Lo-fi indie rock singer/songwriter Kurt Vile hails from Philadelphia, but his music sounds straight out of Brooklyn. See him perform music from his commercial debut at the Bowery Ballroom.
- The Governor's Ball Music Festival
- Blast from the past: The Monkees
- Mellow songs: An evening with Paul Simon
- She's got soul: Jennifer Hudson at Madison Square Garden
- California girl: Katy Perry at the Prudential Center
- Indie dance music: Ratatat at Summerstage
- Country rock: Keith Urban at the Prudential Center
- Up and coming pop: Selena Gomez at the PNC Bank Arts Center
On and Off-Broadway
'Carson McCullers Talks About Love'
If you're going to wrap a show around a writer's life, it helps to pick an author as colorful as her characters. Suzanne Vega, singer-songwriter and, now, playwright, chose very well.
'The Book of Mormon' on Broadway
The focus on faith is to make a point: Belief systems can be complicated matters. Comical ones, too.
'Knickerbocker,' a new off-Broadway play
Writer Jonathan Marc Sherman showed promise in his 2007 drama about loss and recovery, "Things We Want," especially when it came to nailing how real people speak, but he takes a giant step backward in his labored look at a married boy-man facing a life change.
Things To Do
