Noteworthy events to check out this weekend include the off-Broadway premiere of a play about Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a documentary on Jimi Hendrix‘s famed New York City recording studio, and a free music and food festival.
Film
“Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision”
The Quad Cinema — 34 W 13th St., Manhattan (Greenwich Village)
Opens Fri. Aug. 9. Various times.
The day following the street naming ceremony for Jimi Hendrix, a documentary about the Greenwich Village recording studio he built will begin showing nearby at Quad Cinemas.
Directed and co-produced by John McDermott, who also gave us “Music, Money, Madness … Jimi Hendrix in Mau,” the new film follows the creation of the studio that has been graced by artists such as Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, D’Angelo and Adele.
Telling the story of how the bankrupt Manhattan nightclub was transformed into state-of-the-art recording facility, “Electric Lady Studios” include exclusive interviews with musicians Steve Winwood, Buddy Guy, Billy Cox, architect architect John Storyk, and Lithofayne Pridgon, the rumored inspiration behind Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady.”
McDermott and Hendrix’s sister and head of his estate Janie Hendrix will be on hand for a Q&A at the 7pm screenings on Friday and Saturday.
Tickets are $18.19 with discounts available for seniors and students.
Theater
“N/A”
Mitzi Newhouse Theater — 150 W 65th St, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Through Sept. 1. Various times.
Holland Taylor and Anna Villafañe star as groundbreaking congresswomen from different generations, backgrounds and mindsets in the world premiere of Mario Correa‘s masterful play directed by Diane Paulus.
Taylor, a stage and screen veteran last seen on Broadway in the Tony-nominated one-woman Broadway show about Texas Governor Ann Richards, portrays yet another gutsy political — former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — in this tight-knit, surreal two-hander.
Villafañe, who won raves as Gloria Estefan in 2015’s “On Your Feet,” has an uncanny resemblance to the Bronx’s Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But there’s no “SNL” mimicry here.
Inspired by real people and events, “N/A” is an enthralling and enlightening look at the inner workings of Washington politics, progress and power.
Tickets start at $97.50.
Dance
“Bulls and Butterflies“
Joe’s Pub — 425 Lafayette St., Manhattan (East Village)
Through Aug. 10. Various times.
Husband and wife duo Martin Santangelo and Soledad Barrio of Noche Flamenca take inspiration from classic flamenco performances during their four-night engagement this week. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the dance troupe showcases the artistry of some of Spain’s most beloved flamenco dancers, singers, and musicians for scenes from their previous show, “Searching For Goya,” as well as newly choreographed works at the intimate performance venue.
Tickets are $30 and $40 with drink and food minimum.
Music
“J.PERIOD Live Mixtape: Teachers & Storytellers Edition”
Damrosch Park — Amsterdam Ave. and W. 62nd St., Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Fri. Aug. 9, 9 p.m.
KRS-One and Slick Rick will headline a free concert spearheaded by Brooklyn DJ and producer J.PERIOD. Along with surprise guests, the lauded lyricists are on deck for this year’s “audio-biography” celebrating what he refers to as “two of hip hop’s most important and influential emcees.” Bushwick’s very own DJ Evil Dee will perform the opening set. The event will be followed by a silent disco on Lincoln Center’s outdoor dance floor.
Free.
Family
Bryant Park Family Day
Bryant Park — Bryant Park Lawn, Manhattan (Midtown)
Sat. Aug. 10. 10 a.m – 6 p.m.
Bryant Park’s very first Family Day will offer free activities for all ages. Visitors can start the morning off with lessons from The Jose Limón Dance Company and then explore circus arts curated by Monique Martin with the Mocko Jumbie Stilt Walkers before joining aeralist Francis Stallings for hula hoop. Other interactive fun include science experiments, bubble blowing, face painting and craft making with Kelsey Craftz.
Closing out the day, dance companies Ephrat Asherie Dance and Barkin/Selissen Project will perform a show curated by New Victory Theater. And while attendees can bring their own food to enjoy, they can also buy snacks from vendors near the lawn.
Free.
Food, Free
24th Annual Blues BBQ Festival
Hudson River Park — Pier 76 at 408 12th Ave West, Manhattan (Hell’s Kitchen)
Sat. Aug. 10. 1 – 9 p.m.
Plenty of food, folks and fun on deck for the longest-running free blues festival in the New York region.
While Brooklyn-born blues artist Alexis P. Suter kicks off the action on the mainstage, some of New York City’s famed BBQ joints like Mighty Quinn’s, Blue Smoke, and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que will serve attendees a delicious spread of various styles of barbecue.
The Korean-style barbecue spot Kimchi Smoke will also return, alongside the Caribbean-inspired Jase’s BBQ, and Brooklyn’s very own Bark Barbecue, which was founded by the “BBQ King of Brooklyn” Ruben Santana and specializes in Dominican-style Texas barbecue.
Free.
Art
“Auriea Harvey: My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard”
Museum of the Moving Image — 36-01 35th Ave, Queens, (Astoria)
Through Dec. 1. Various times.
A collection of more than 40 works from Auriea Harvey‘s near four-decade career is on view in the first survey of an artist whose mastery of digital art spans photography, sculpture, drawing, and video.
Net-based interactives and augmented reality sculptures are the centerpiece of the Parsons School of Design-educated video game designer whom curator Regina Harsanyi says “possesses a remarkable sensitivity to how the digital revolution of the 1990s spawned a societal shift in the way humans connect.”
The exhibition includes intricate 3D-printed pieces, early works from her handbound sketchbooks and oversized playable projections of Harvey’s video games.
Tickets start at $10.
If you have an upcoming weekend event you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming roundup, please email: [email protected] with the details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.
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