Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Browse museums along 5th Avenue for free and more things to do around NYC in the coming week
By
Steve Smith
Published Jun 9, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Steve Smith
Published Jun 9, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Seven Picks a Week is our guide to what’s worth catching in arts, culture and activities during the week ahead, with contributions from reporters throughout the WNYC/Gothamist newsroom and colleagues from WQXR and "All of It."
Enjoy some of the city’s premier museums for free
The Museum Mile Festival happens every June... and this year it's happening on Tuesday, from 6 to 9 p.m. The participating institutions include the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Neue Galerie New York; the Guggenheim Museum; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; the Jewish Museum; Museum of City of New York; El Museo del Barrio and the Africa Center. They’ll all be open free of charge starting at 6 p.m., and many will offer special activities for visitors. In addition, Fifth Avenue will be closed to automobiles from 82nd Street to 105th Street, so you'll also see street performers, vendors and art activities for children. For specific details about what you might see, visit the websites of the participating museums.
– Steve Smith
Watch elite pop stars hold court in Queens
Cultural institutions scrambled over the last few days to postpone or cancel events because of the smoky orange haze that blanketed the city, but it’s full speed ahead for Governors Ball, which runs from Friday night through Sunday at its new location in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Headliners include big names like Lizzo, Odesza and Kendrick Lamar. But if you’re trying to expand your iTunes library with new sounds, check out Brooklyn-based group Phony Ppl, hyperpop rising star Remi Wolf, experimental-rock band Black Midi and indie artist Snail Mail, who are among the weekend’s various offerings. For the full lineup and information about tickets, visit here.
– Precious Fondren
Comedian Catherine Cohen says her new show is an “openly glamorous, decidedly horny musical” that examines life as a 30-something woman.
See live comedy about turning 30, therapy, egg freezing and more
Comedian Catherine Cohen says her new show is about entering your 30s and trying to figure out if and how to settle into the next life phase. “I talk about being in a stable relationship for the first time and freezing my eggs and being in therapy and wanting my dreams to come true and feeling constantly unfulfilled,” said Cohen. She says the show is for “girlies of any gender,” but added “there'll be the occasional boyfriend who gets stuck going” and “ends up loving it.” Come for Me officially opens June 13 and runs through June 30 at Joe’s Pub. Tickets start at $35 and the venue has a two-drink or one food item minimum.
– Kerry Shaw
Catch the final notes of the New Jersey Symphony’s centennial
The New Jersey Symphony brings its centenary season to a rousing close this weekend, playing concerts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark tonight and on Sunday afternoon, and at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on Saturday. Xian Zhang, the orchestra’s dynamic music director, conducts the world premiere of “Farah (Joy),” composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra’s appointed resident artistic catalyst, with words by Marc Bamuthi Joseph sung by Becky Bass. Superstar violinist Joshua Bell performs Max Bruch’s ardent "Violin Concerto No. 1," which was on the bill when a nascent version of this orchestra debuted in 1922, and the evening concludes with Igor Stravinsky’s famously riotous ballet “The Rite of Spring.” (If you can’t attend in person, tune in tonight at 8 p.m. for a live broadcast on our sister station, WQXR, which I’ll be co-hosting.) You can find ticket information here.
– Steve Smith
Buglisi Dance opens its 30th anniversary season on Tuesday night at Ailey Citigroup Theater with a program of new works and favorites.
Steven Pisano
Cheer for a celebrated dance company's 30th anniversary
Founded by dancer and choreographer Jacqulyn Buglisi with Terese Capucilli, Christine Dakin and Donlin Foreman in 1993, Buglisi Dance Theatre is celebrated for preserving and extending traditions and techniques of iconic choreographer Martha Graham. It's also treasured for its annual Table of Silence Project 9/11 performance ritual at Lincoln Center. The company opens its 30th anniversary season with a three-night series featuring new works and old favorites, running Tuesday through Thursday at the Ailey Citigroup Theater; further details and ticket information can be found here.
– Steve Smith
Experience a concerto for amplified bubble wrap
I love the music of Donnacha Dennehy, an Irish-born composer who’s now on the prestigious composition faculty of Princeton University, and Tonia Ko, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Hawaii. Along with composer Dan Trueman, the ace ensemble Contemporaneous reimagines the idea of what a concerto can be with piano, Irish fiddle… and, yes, bubble wrap. If you haven't been to National Sawdust in Williamsburg yet, make an evening of it, partake of the many delicious options in the neighborhood and hear where classical music can go. You’ll find details here.
– Ed Yim, WQXR
Tessa Thompson appears in "The Listener," a new film directed by Steve Buscemi screening during the Tribeca Festival.
Courtesy of Hantz Motion Pictures
See Steve Buscemi's innovative new film about mental health helplines
"The Listener," a new film screening at the Tribeca Festival, follows a helpline operator named Beth, played by Tessa Thompson. The film was directed by actor and director Steve Buscemi, and relies heavily on audio storytelling: Thompson is the only actor you'll see on screen for the film's 94 minutes, but we hear the people who are doing the calling, including some recognizable voices from actors you know. The people who call are going through psychological struggles; Beth says she's "just there to listen," but as the camera stays on her, we can see this work affects her. Buscemi joined us on the air this week to discuss his film, along with psychologist Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, who consulted on the project. "The Listener" is screening on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday nights; details and ticket information are available here.
– Alison Stewart and Zach Gottehrer-Cohen, "All of It"
Tagged
new york city
nyc events
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .