Compiled by Scott Stiffler
Scott@thevillager.com
Music
WEST VILLAGE CHORALE
West Village Chorale (whose members may still be shivering from the December, 2009 Caroling Walk you see in the accompanying photo) has a remedy for the January chill. Their winter concert celebrates choral music of the American South. The featured work will be the world premiere of Music Director Michael Conley’s Appalachian Requiem — a tribute to the region’s lost glories and the enduring spirit of its people. Also featured will be spirituals, gospel, and other short choral pieces by contemporary Southern composers. 8:00 p.m. on Sat, Jan 23, at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields (487 Hudson St., one block south of Christopher St.). Tickets are $25 at the door; $20 for seniors (62+) and students. Advance sale available at www.westvillagechorale.org. For more information, call 212-517-1776.
Music
AVI WISNIA
When he’s not performing music that riffs on, and reimagines, Brazilian bossa nova (or holding funky music/art/performance events in Union Square), Avi Wisnia somehow finds time to book a gig at Pianos. Said gig, which features special guest The Alan Cohen Experience, should be a reliable showcase for Wisnia’s varied singer/songwriter abilities. Wisnia (who’s been called “the male Nora Jones”) will perform his own music alongside unexpected arrangements from artists like Bjork, Wilco and The Cure. Sat., Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.; $10 (21+ show). At Pianos (158 Ludlow St.). For info., call 212-505-3733 or visit www.pianosnyc.com. For all things Wisnia, www.aviwisnia.com.
Theater
InGENIUS SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL
Manhattan Theatre Source is currently celebrating its 10th year. They’re also about to embark on year #2 of the InGenius Short Play Festival (poised to become an annual event). The two-week showcase features veteran actors and playwrights from the Off and Off-Off Broadway world. This year’s themes? Race, the economy and death. Rest assured, however, that we’ve been assured those heavy topics will be confronted with humor and poignancy — and in less than 20 minutes per play! An Audience Choice Night on Feb. 6 gives you a say in the matter. Jan. 21-31, at Manhattan Theatre Source (177 MacDougal St. btw. West 8th and Waverly). For the performance schedule (which is way too rich and varied to do justice to here), visit theatresource.org. For Tickets ($18), visit theatermania.com or call 866-811-4111.
Art
NO LONGER EMPTY
No Longer Empty — that nonprofit cadre of advocates, curators and artists who orchestrate public art exhibitions in vacated NYC storefronts and properties — has occupied the cavernous former site of Tower Records. There, you’ll find “Never Can Say Goodbye” — a fictional record store whose premise is equal parts parody, nostalgia and commentary on what we lose when the economy tanks and downloading makes retail record stores utterly irrelevant. The imaginative exhibit contains way more hits than misses — plus one utterly pretentious entry that will tempt you to run screaming from the faux store. Stay for awhile, though, and you’ll be richly rewarded. Tues., Jan. 26th, the panel discussion “Discs to Downloads” gathers music industry representatives to discuss how the Internet has impacted contemporary music production, listening and consumption. Through Feb. 13. Free; at the former Tower Records (Broadway and 4th St.). For a schedule of hours and info. on participating artists, visit www.nolongerempty.com.
Music
IL MONDO DELLA LUNA
What do you get when you combine the considerable talents of Gotham Chamber Orchestra with the American Repertory Theater — then throw into that already eclectic mix an unlikely performance venue? We’re not sure, but we’re almost certain it won’t be business as usual. “Il mondo della luna” (The World on the Moon) is a 1777 opera by Joseph Haydn involving a stubborn nobleman, his lovelorn daughters and a shifty astronomer. To tell that tale, the Hayden Planetarium will be transformed into an intimate opera house, with the 180-degree dome featuring visualizations developed by the American Museum of Natural History. 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 20 and 25 through 28; at the Hayden Planetarium in the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History. For tickets ($30-$125), visit ticketcentral.com or call 212-279-4200. Also visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.
