Friday, September 12
The theater scene is warming up with many fall openings and previews in the coming week. Here’s three new shows that are open now and worth checking out:
"Almost Home" — This world premiere from the Directors Company sees a young Marine returning home from Vietnam to the Bronx. The Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd St. Midtown.
"Bedbugs!!!" — This wacky sci-fi musical has been compared to both "Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Arclight Theatre, 152 West 71st St., Upper West Side.
"Ndebele Funeral" — Winner of the Overall Excellence Award for Best Play and a Time Out Critic's Pick at Fringe NYC 2013, Ndebele Funeral studies the music, art, and dreams of South Africa's past and present. 59E59 Theater, 59 East 59th Street, Midtown.
¡FUEGO! is a town hall discussion concerning the Burning of the Bronx. The phrase "the Bronx is burning" is falsely attributed to American sports journalist Howard Cosell and has come to refer to the arson epidemic caused by the total economic collapse of the South Bronx during the 1970s. Friday's discussion looks closely at the tragic events of 1977 and includes participation from residents who fought to re-claim their neighborhoods. From 7 p.m. at Bronx Music Heritage Center, 1303 Louis Nine Boulevard, Bronx.
Saturday, September 13
Director Wes Anderson’s stylistic signatures (sibling rivalry, Bill Murray, tan suit jackets, slow-mo shots set to music, etc.) come under the spotlight tonight at Videology, with Wes Anderson bingo, a game to challenge the knowledge of even the nerdiest Wes Anderson aficionado. The film under the microscope tonight is perhaps Anderson’s finest: 2001’s "The Royal Tenenbaums," starring Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller. From 6.30 p.m. at 308 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg. Free.
Brooklyn Museum is presenting a discussion today titled, “Attica: Then and Now,” with stories from incarcerated persons, their families, advocates, and journalists about the history of abuse and mistreatment at New York’s most infamous prison. Sunday’s discussion topic is "What's Age Got to Do with It? Incarcerating Children and the Elderly.” Both discussions are part of the series "States of Denial: The Illegal Incarceration of Women, Children, and People of Color," presented by the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art in partnership with the Correctional Association of New York. From 2 p.m. both days in Brooklyn Museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn. Included with the standard $16 museum entry.
Sunday, September 14
The Paley Center is showing some of the weird and the wonderful unsold television pilots from their extensive media collection right over this weekend in Grounded Pilots. These shows feature many people whose greatest fame was yet to come, including the 1962 pilot “The Laughmakers” written by Woody Allen and a 1966 show “Where’s Everett?” starring Alan Alda. From 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 25 West 52nd Street, Midtown. $10.
Overlooked in the USA upon its release in 1994, Jeff Buckley’s album “Grace” has achieved classic status in the ensuing 20 years. The estranged son of folk singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, he found his voice by playing covers in Manhattan's East Village in clubs like Sin-é. He tragically drowned during an evening swim in Wolf River, Memphis in 1997. Tonight, Classic Album Sundays invites you to sit back and hear the album like you’ve never heard it before, through a pristine, high-end audio system. On hand is one of Buckley’s trusted musical collaborators, Gary Lucas, who co-wrote the first two tracks from the album, “Mojo Pin” and the title track, “Grace.” Lucas will discuss his thoughts on the album, and also perform live. From 4 p.m., Baby’s All Right, 146 Broadway, Williamsburg. $16/$20.