This weekend’s activities include a rooftop pumpkin patch in Long Island City and a costume parade for pets in Manhattan.
Plus Outkast’s Andre 3000 returns to Brooklyn, while comedian Kathy Griffin has a comic take on the roller coaster her life has been the last six years.
Theater
“Drag: The Musical”
New World Stages — 340 West 50th St. Manhattan (Midtown)
Various times
This sassy, saucy and sequin-splattered production tells the story of two gender-bending drag performers who become bitter rivals after breaking up as a couple.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” winner Alaska Thunderf–k and Broadway’s “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” star Nick Adams are at the center of all the madcap conflama (conflict + drama) that ensues — exposing the many facets of the drag scene and the people working the clubs.
“Drag Race” alums Jujubee, Luxx Noir London and Jan Sport as well as drag artist Lagoona Bloo also round out the cast of the show directed and choreographed by Spencer Liff, who previously worked his magic with Broadway’s “Spring Awakening” and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”
And New Kids on the Block crooner Joey McIntyre plays the character described as “the straight man Tom Hutchinson.”
Other star power includes Liza Minnelli, one of the show’s producers. She pops up in the beginning of the show in a taped message revealing the show will be performed in “one unnatural act.”
Tickets start at $47.
Music
“André 3000: New Blue Sun Live In Concert”
Brooklyn Academy of Music — 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn (Fort Greene)
Fri, Oct 25 and Sat Oct. 26. 7:30 p.m.
Despite some backlash to his foray into experimental instrumentation with “New Blue Sun,” André 3000 has been packing houses across the country without rapping on the microphone. 17 years after the release of OutKast’s last full-length album, the Atlanta hip hip superstar returned to music with 87 minutes of flute music described as “new age, ambient jazz, and spiritual discovery.”
For his latest Brooklyn show (he launched his tour at the Crown Hill Theatre in January), the “Hey Ya” rapper will be joined onstage by percussionist and producer Carlos Niño, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, guitarist Nate Mercereau, and drummer Deantoni Park.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello is also on the bill, showcasing her latest album “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin.”
Tickets start at $35.
Film
“Whitney Houston: The Concert for A New South Africa (Durban)”
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn — 445 Albee Square West/City Point building, Brooklyn (Downtown)
Sun. Oct. 27, 1 p.m.
Diehard fans of the late singer can rejoice that her never-before-released concert in Durban, South Africa 30 years ago is coming to the big screen this week in 900 theaters.
Director Marty Callner said this performance was the best of the three concerts held in South Africa to honor President Nelson Mandela. Whitney Houston was the first superstar musician to visit the newly unified, post-apartheid nation.
“There’s something very magical about this… because she’s perfect,” Callner said. “It was like the best performance I ever shot. In my opinion, she really hit a home run. She always hit home runs but this night is beyond.”
Remastered in 4K with newly-enhanced audio, the concert film will include Houston hits “How Will I Know,” “I Have Nothing,” “Greatest Love of All,” “I Will Always Love You,” and her rendition of classics including “Amazing Grace” and “Home.”
Tickets are $17.49.
Dance
“A Night with Sergio Bernal”
The Joyce Theater — 175 Eighth Ave., Manhattan (Chelsea)
Through Oct. 27. Various times
Former Ballet Nacional de España standout Sergio Bernal and his eponymous dance company deliver their first evening-length program of works this week.
Three musicians and award-winning hoofers intertwine ballet and flamenco as they perform Antonio Ruiz Soler and Manuel de Falla’s “The Three Cornered Hat,” Ravel’s “Bolero” and the 34-year-old Madrid native’s very own “Orgia.”
Tickets start at $12.
Comedy
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The PTSD-List
Carnegie Hall — West 57th St. and Seventh Ave., Manhattan (Midtown)
Sat. Oct. 26, 8 p.m.
As Election Day nears, there is no better time for Kathy Griffin to headline Carnegie Hall with her “Life on the PTSD List” tour stop. The Emmy and Grammy-winning funny woman — whose career derailed in 2017 after tweeting an image of herself and what looked like the bloodied head of Donald Trump — covers a lot of ground in her new stand-up show, the title of which is a nod to her hit reality show, “My Life on the D-List.”
Expect the original Bravolebrity to wax poetic about going through hell and back the last six years in which she beat cancer, got divorced, lost her mother, and had half of a lung removed, resulting in a drastic voice change.
Tickets start at $49.50.
Family
Cityside Pumpkin Patch
The Summer Club — 8-08 Queens Plaza South, (Long Island City)
Through Oct. 31. 12 noon to 10:00 p.m.
Considering the unusually warm and dry weather we’ve had this harvest season, a pumpkin patch overlooking the New York City skyline makes the perfect weekend activity. Guests have access to over 10,000 pumpkins spread across the 25,000-square-foot rooftop space. Activities such as the Smash-o-Lantern Zone, Scarecrow Archery, face painting and tarot card reading are among a variety of interactive photo moments along with an array of autumn-inspired treats and beverages.
Tickets start $20 per person. Some packages include free pumpkins.
Outdoors
Halloween Costume Pup Parade
Riverside Park promenade at West 116th St., Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Sat. Oct. 26, 12 Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Pet owners and their fur babies can get in on the festive fun this year with the inaugural Halloween Pup Parade, which will also include a costume contest and other pet friendly activities at Ellington in the Park — located at Riverside Drive and West 105th St.
On Sunday at noon, the beach-inspired outdoor bar and restaurant will host a Halloween Kids Costume Party where kids can enjoy free candy bags while parents are treated to complimentary coffee and hot apple cider. There will also be a costume party with special prizes.
Free. Registration required.
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.
