Music journalist Will Hermes said he first became enamored with the music of Lou Reed (shown above) and the band he co-founded, the Velvet Underground, while a college student. Hermes’s new bio from Picador Press tells all the ups and downs of Reed’s storied and turbulent career. ( Photo: Forest Scholl) Book on Lou Reed Paints the Velvet Underground Founder as The King of New York So many books and stories abound about Lou Reed that you’d be forgiven for believing that nothing else could be said about... City Arts 30 May 2025 | 03:47
A self-portrait of John Singer Sargent, painted in 1886. Aberdeen City Council (Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums collections). ( Photo: Wikimedia Commons) John Singer Sargent: American in Paris Lands at the Met John Singer Sargent, the renowned American expatriate painter, is being celebrated at The Met Fifth Avenue 100 years after... City Arts 22 May 2025 | 02:25
The cast that won best production for the comedy Granny Jackson’s Dead were welcomed by the Irish Consul General Helena Nolan (fourth from right) while Origin Theatre Company artistic director Michael “Mick” Mellamphy (far right) presented the award to playwright Zoe Seaton (second from right). ( Photo: Rory Duffy) Sinéad O’Brien Lands Best Play Honors at Irish Theatre Festival The 17th annual Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival dished out a host of awards, including Best Male Actor to Alan Smyth, Best... City Arts 31 May 2025 | 03:27
An impromptu Irish music session at Mary O’s on Avenue A in the East Village is held every Thursday evening. Each day of the week, the wandering troubadours perform for free in a different Irish pub in Manhattan playing traditional Irish instruments. ( Photo: Claire Leibowitz) Irish Traditions Kept Alive by Free Music Sessions in Manhattan Pubs It’s difficult to move around Mary O’s on a Thursday night. Like any other pub, rounds of Guinness and fish and chips are... City Arts 19 May 2025 | 12:30
Norm Lewis plays Russell Parker, a former vaudevillian who is down on his luck as the proprietor of a failing barbershop in Harlem. The seldom-produced play from 1969 is now enjoying a short-run Off Brosdway revival. ( Photo: Maria Baranova) Norm Lewis Is Back in a Revival of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men People often joke about already knowing the last line of their obituary. Norm Lewis has performed for decades and still one... City Arts 02 May 2025 | 09:58
Hitting the Big Time by Mark Kostabi is one of the many paintings from the downtown icon on display at the Park West Gallery in SoHo through the end of May. Kostabi’s works are also part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. ( Photo: Park West Gallery) Mark Kostabi: Hitting the Big Time, from Gritty East Village Artist to MoMA The Mount Rushmore of Art by Eduardo Kobra hovers over the Empire Diner in Chelsea, depicting four great artists of their... City Arts 09 May 2025 | 10:43
Thomas Crawford conducts the American Classical Orchestra at David Geffen Hall in 2017. He will take the stage for the orchestra’s season finale on May 7 this year at Alice Tully Hall. ( Photo: Chris Lee/courtesy American Classical Orchestra) Manhattan Maestro Brings Sounds of the Past to New Audiences When Thomas Crawford takes the stage at Alice Tully Hall on May 7 for “Magnificently Mozart,” it will cap his 40th year as... City Arts 24 Apr 2025 | 11:41
Zhenya Gershman surrounded by her paintings. ( Photo: Kelly Garreau ) New Exhibition by Activist Artist Shines Human Light on Homeless Zhenya Gershman is an artist who uses her canvas to highlight a wide variety of causes, from the plight of the homeless in... City Arts 26 Apr 2025 | 03:44
Peter Cincotti at the piano. ( Photo: Courtesy Café Carlyle) This NYC Native Always Comes Home to The Carlyle At just 3 years old, Peter Cincotti started tickling the keys of a toy piano, already giving audiences a glimpse into his... City Arts 15 Apr 2025 | 01:44
Robert Dilenschneider, author and founder of the Dilenschneider Group, has just published his 23rd book, Character: Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership. ( Photo: Courtesy Robert L. Dilenschneider) For Author with Long Career in Crisis PR, It All Comes Down to “Character” in Latest Book How often do we describe someone as funny or weird or just a “character”? Now, a serious writer is taking a deep dive into... City Arts 13 Apr 2025 | 08:53
The newest exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York highlights the dance floor as a vital space for creativity, connection, and cultural rebellion. ( Photo: Lorraine Duffy Merkl) Urban Stomp Showcases 200 Years of Dance Moves (and Dancing Is Encouraged Here) They were dancing in the halls. The foxtrot, lindy hop, salsa, hip-hop, hustle, waltz, tango, and voguing are on display starting... City Arts 09 Apr 2025 | 07:15
Saints of Little Faith/Four Way Books ( Photo: Painting of Full Moon Night by Weihui Lu, photographed by Paul Takeuchi) To Feel Less Alone: Interview with the Poet, Megan Pinto, a Rising Star Simply put, Megan Pinto has written perhaps the most moving poetry debut of the year. Titled Saints of Little Faith (2024,... City Arts 07 Apr 2025 | 02:58
Bill Diehl said he met one of his interview subjects, actress Bernadette Peters, while rummaging through the Upper West Side’s Grand Bazaar. She told him she was looking for her jeweler. ( Photo: Courtesy Bill Diehl) Treasure Hunting at the City’s Flea Markets Sparks ABC Journalist’s New Book Upper East Sider Bill Diehl began his foray into flea marketing when COVID hit and he could no longer use ABC’s studios on... City Arts 28 Mar 2025 | 04:42
Opposition Growing Against NYPD’s Criminalization Push for Bike-Traffic Infractions