free things to do in New York City
Free events for Wednesday, 05/23/18
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on May 23, 2018?

53 free events take place on Wednesday, May 23 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out May 23 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of May . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

53 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, May 23, 2018

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc Swing Dance Party
free events nyc Truth Be Told 2018: 12th Annual Documentary Film Festival
free events nyc Metropolitan Opera singers perform The Dinner Party Operas
free events nyc Pieces by Mozart, Verdi and more
More Editor's Picks for 05/23/18
        

Workshop | Boot Camp


The Rise NYC, a community-driven pop-up fitness group, hosts a Boot Camp. Rotations through exercises like crunches, planks, push-ups, burpees, and mountain climbers ensure a mixture of cardio and strength training that will keep you coming back, and seeing results. No equipment necessary; smiles and high fives encouraged. Rain or shine.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 am
Free

City Walk | Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo Tour


This is a 3-hour tour that begins with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of New York City for over 125 years, with spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tour then moves on to a stroll of Brooklyn Heights, America’s and New York City’s first suburb. The tour then explores the neighborhood DUMBO before ending at the Fulton Ferry landing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:30 am
Free

Tour | Downtown Manhattan 3-Hour Tour


The 3-hour walking and subway tour covers the Financial District including Wall Street and the World Trade Center, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. These are neighborhoods that simply can’t be fully appreciated from a bus. There will be one or two opportunities to sample tasty treats.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:30 am
Free

Park Walk | Central Park Tour - Lower Section


Once described as the lungs of the city, Central Park brings a breath of fresh air to New York's crowded urban terrain. What started out as the rocky and desolate northern fringes of a rapidly expanding city is today among the world's most famous and beloved public parks. With over 843 acres of meadows, hills, ball fields and bodies of water, it's impossible not to find something to enjoy in Central Park.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:45 am
Free

Tour | Greenwich Village Neighborhood Tour


Greenwich Village is among Manhattan's most desirable and expensive residential neighborhoods. It's history, however, betrays it's monied status. The Village, with it's quiet, shaded streets, lined with lovely brick and brownstone townhouses, was once the incubating ground of artistic, social and political movements that have helped shape US history. From the Beats to the Folk Movement, from workers rights to gay rights, the Village has often been the center of it all.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:45 am
Free

Tour | SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour


You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:45 am
Free

Park Walk | Park Tour


Walking tour of the park led by members of the executive staff.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Film | Richard Fleischer's Bodyguard (1948):semi-documentary crime film noir


Starring Lawrence Tierney, Priscilla Lane, Philip Reed, June Clayworth, Elisabeth Risdon, Steve Brodie, Frank Fenton, Charles Cane. Soon after L.A. police detective Mike Carter is bounced from the force, the officer who fired him is found dead. Suspect #1: Mike Carter. While the police dragnet draws tighter, Carter scrambles to clear his name, connecting the dots involving Pasadena bluebloods, the meat-packing industry and cop corruption. 1hr2mins.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:15 am
Free

Workshop | Free Benefits Counseling: SNAP, medicare, medicaid and more


Get answers about: SNAP (Food Stamps); Medicare; Medicare Part D; Medicare Savings Program; Medicaid; EPIC, SSI, SSDI, Cash Assistance, HEAP, Phone Discount Programs, Access-A-Ride
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Knitting Circle


All created items will benefit a local charity.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Test your coordination and dexterity with juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Bach at Noon


The keyboard works of Bach offered in 30-minute meditations. Bach at Noon concerts takes place Tuesdays through Fridays, from September 12, 2017 to May 23, 2018.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:20 pm
Free

Talk | Bringing Riverdale High Alive in Graphic Novels


Artist Thomas Pitilli discusses his work for Archie Comics
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Concert | Piano in the Park: Ragtime, Stride, and Jazz


Summertime, and the livin’ is easy... so swing on by for toe-tappin’ performances by New York’s finest, playing ragtime, stride, and jazz to your heart’s delight. Ayako Shirasaki is a virtuoso pianist who performs in and around the New York City area. Her techniques range from a “tender touch” (like the late Tommy Flanagan) to “brisk runs” (like Bud Powell) – which can be heard on her recent solo CD Some Other Time.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Battery Park City Adult Chorus


Directed by Church Street School for Music and Art, the BPC Chorus is open to all adults who love to sing. Learn a mix of contemporary and classic songs, and perform at community events throughout the year.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour


Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Tour times: 1:00pm, 2:00pm. This tour takes place Mondays through Fridays, except bank holidays.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Lunchtime Meditation


Take a mid-day pause to refresh your mind and re-establish your center in the midst of bustling city life. Meditation is a powerful tool to eliminate stress, to heal the body, mind, and brain, and to enhance your personal well-being and positive relationship with the world.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
$10 suggested donation

Workshop | Bond Basics


Introduction to bonds, print and electronic resources for researching bonds and bond mutual funds. Other public web sites are introduced. Seating is limited and is on a first come, first seated basis.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free

Workshop | Adult Coloring Club


Stressed? The latest craze is artistic coloring for adults, and the adult coloring books have more intricate designs and patterns than those designed for children. This program allows adults to create wonderful pictures and offers a fun and unique way to unwind and express creativity. Plus, it can actually lower stress. This program is not a structured program; draw and color at your leisure. All materials will be provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Finding Grants and Scholarships


Learn about two great electronic resources to find funding—from grants for your non-profit to scholarships to support your education. This training will teach fund seekers how to utilize all of the features on the databases, Foundation Grants to Individuals Online and Foundation Directory Online Professional, to effectively find the funding you need. First come, first served.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Tour | High Line Tour


The area around the High Line Park was a vital business district of New York City, supplying fresh fruits, French Cheeses and Russian caviar as well as fresh meats to City markets. The hustle and bustle of the streets induced the City to elevate the railroad trains delivering goods to the commercial buildings. When interstate truck traffic made the railway outdated, it fell into ruin, only to be regenerated as a park.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Film | Hy Averback's I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1969): Nerd Gets Hip


Stars: Peter Sellers, Jo Van Fleet, Leigh Taylor-Young. A thirty-something square falls in love with a hippie and decides to "drop out" himself. 92 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Learn to Play Chess for Adults


Learn to play the most popular game ever: a game of strategy and problem solving. Whether you are beginner or a more advanced player you can learn the strategies that will make you a better chess player.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Tour | Midtown Manhattan Tour


Arguably the world's most valuable, busiest and most crowded pieces of real estate, Midtown Manhattan is what most visitors think of when they think of New York City. Home to some of the city's most iconic architecture, from Gothic to Post-Modern and from Beaux-Arts to Art Deco (lots of Art Deco). it's not difficult to understand why. But just behind the massive facades, lie facinating histories just waiting to be unveiled.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Tour | SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour


You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Figure Al Fresco Outdoor Drawing Class


Challenge your artistic skills by drawing the human figure. Each week a model will strike both long and short poses for participants to draw. Artists/educators will offer constructive suggestions and critique.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Fabrics & Patterns


Learn about different types of fabrics and how to read sewing patterns.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Slide Lecture | National Geographic photographer Ira Block discusses his book Cuba Loves Baseball: A Photographic Journey


Internationally known National Geographic photographer Ira Block will talk techniques, hints and practical approaches to photographing your passion. He spent 2 1/2 years documenting baseball and Cuban culture, combining his passions for both baseball and the Cuban people. He will discuss how you develop a photo project from inception to a finished book. You will also learn how to use all aspects of light from natural, to strobes, to simple flashlights to make your images come alive and reflect the passion that you, as a photographer feel for your subject. Discover how finding the right background can be more important than the foreground and how patience - waiting for an even better image than the one you think you already have- can make the difference between making a good picture and a great one. Ira will talk about gaining the trust of his subjects through respect and familiarity and the importance of researching your subject before you shoot.
   New York City, NY; NYC
4:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Poetry Workshop


No experience necessary. Just bring your love of poetry and your favorite writing implement.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Screening | Hollywood's Studio Era: conversation and film clips


Illustrated conversation with Rick Harris about film on Hollywood's Studio Era with numerous film clips.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:30 pm
Free

Other | Harlem Heights Book Group: The Book of the Unknown Americans


Discuss the book by Cristina Henriquez.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness: Blood Pressure


Learn about signs, symptoms, and treatment of high blood pressure with Dr. Line Malha, a nephrologist with a specialization in hypertension at Weill Cornell Hypertension Center.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Drawing Against Oblivion: Portraits of Young Victims of Nazi Terror


Austrian artist Manfred Bockelmann shows a selection of his large-scale charcoal portraits of children and adolescents who fell victim to Nazi terror. With these works, Bockelmann seeks to create "signposts against forgetting." He desires to "give faces to at least a few names and numbers, lifting a few individuals out of the anonymity of statistics." The exhibition opening features a screening of the documentary Drawing Against Oblivion (2015), which narrates Manfred Bockelmann's development of the not-for-profit exhibition project. A film crew accompanied the artist for 18 months before the project's first presentation at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, capturing his visits to the Auschwitz concentration camp and archives in the United States. The screening will be followed by a Q&A. Born in 1943 in Klagenfurt, Austria, Manfred Bockelmann has presented his work in more than a hundred solo exhibitions in galleries and art fairs around the globe. After an extended period of abstract oil painting, he is now focused on representational drawings using charcoal on canvas. Bockelmann lives and works in Carinthia, Austria and Munich, Germany.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Park Walk | Central Park Sunset Tour


Once described as the lungs of the city, Central Park brings a breath of fresh air to New York's crowded urban terrain. What started out as the rocky and desolate northern fringes of a rapidly expanding city is today among the world's most famous and beloved public parks. With over 843 acres of meadows, hills, ball fields and bodies of water, it's impossible not to find something to enjoy in Central Park.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | From classical to jazz and rock


Ensembles will perform classical, chamber, rock, jazz and original compositions.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | IDACO nyc - Italian DAnce COnnection


Includes a reception, a program presentation, a video screening and a site-specific performance.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Planning and Organizing a Job Search Campaign


Learn the key elements of a job search strategy, and a step-by-step approach to landing the job you want. With: Robert Hellmann Seating is on a first come, first seated
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Settlers of Catan Game Social


Build your empire and trade your way to 10 victory points, all while practicing for two special Settlers of Catan Tournaments on two dates throughout the season (dates TBA). Participants who win a game can enter a raffle to win a valuable prize pack at the end of the Game Social season.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Sunset Yoga


Namaste! Unwind from the day with outdoor yoga. Immerse yourself in this meditative practice surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the bod and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels welcome. Please bring your own mat.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Dancing | Swing Dance Party


This dance party, hosted and produced by Talia Castro-Pozo, includes superb bands and expert dance instruction for extraordinary dancing experiences. Learn the steps from 6pm-7pm and then test out your new moves to live music from 7pm-8:30pm. Svetlana and the Delancey Six make sophisticated, sultry, foot-stomping swing music. Led by exciting young vocalist Svetlana Shmulyian, the band combines swing with pop and songwriter sensibilities to create revelries fit for the 21st century.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Be Jeweled: A Tiny Gem of a Book


It goes without saying that jewels are not just ornaments: precious stones, necklaces, rings help us express our way of being. They remind us of particular moments or special people, sometimes we wear them or offer them as gifts to make a strong impression on others. This book by Patrizia di Carrobio, a tiny gem in itself, is written by an authority on the subject, and her memories, combined with alluring digressions on topics ranging from fashion to style, from history to literature to cinema, tell us about a world of art and beauty, where dreams often turn into scintillating realities.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Screening | Sorry I Missed Your Show: Dance Screening and Discussion


Choreographer Keith Hennessy on the work of Contraband, the legendary San Francisco dance-performance collaborative directed by Sara Shelton Mann. Hennessy will screen and discuss excerpts of a few works including Religare (1986) and The Mira Cycles (1990-96), dialoguing with Pryor about the interests and concerns of the company, how that was reflected in work and life, and how those practices cannot be replicated in the current era. A dance screening and discussion series, Sorry I Missed Your Show highlights dance works from the recent past to explore their canonical historicity and relationship to contemporary practice.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Tour | Sunset Brooklyn Bridge Tour


On May 24, 1883, journalist Montgomery Schuyler said "It so happens that the work which is likely to be our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is a work of bare utility; not a shrine, not a fortress, not a palace, but a bridge." This tour will tell the story of the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge, and examine its ever-present historical, technological, and cultural impact.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Staged Reading | Death Match: Queen vs. Queens: A New Full-Length Play


This reading of a play by Lydia Blaisdell is part of Youngblood's annual reading series of brand new full-length plays.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Antonio Monda discusses his book Unworthy


A Catholic priest struggles with memories of an illicit romance in 1970s New York in Antonio Monda's powerfully intimate novel of faith and doubt, guilt and love. Restrictions may apply. Call store for details.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Artist Tony Cokes discusses his exhibition On Non-Visibility


A conversation between media artist Tony Cokes, philosopher Christoph Cox, and curator Sohrab Mohebbi. Organized in conjunction with Cokes's debut solo exhibition at Greene Naftali, On Non-Visibility, the conversation addresses the exhibition's titular theme, its place as a central concern in Cokes's thirty-plus-year-long practice, and the ways in which Cokes's videos address and subvert popular rhetorics of power.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Famed performance artist Laurie Anderson discusses her book All the Things I Lost in the Flood: Essays on Pictures, Language and Code


A conversation between world-renowned artist and composer Laurie Anderson and Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Hilton Als. The event is on the occasion of Anderson’s recently published book—part meditation, part monograph and heralded as the “most comprehensive collection of [Anderson’s] artwork to date.”
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Screening | Truth Be Told 2018: 12th Annual Documentary Film Festival


Each work is the result of a year of intensive study in documentary cinema -- production, history and theory -- by students from around the world. This year’s class includes students from South Africa, Iran, India, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Lebanon, Scotland and the U.S. The festival is hosted by Deanna Kamiel, director of the Doc Studies program. Screenings will be followed by a faculty-led Q&A with the filmmakers.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Ensemble performs Stravinsky and more


Program Nielsen (1865-1931) Wind Quintet, Op. 43 (1922) Stravinsky (1882-1971) Suite from L'Histoire du soldat (1918) About the Progtam Danish musician, conductor and violinist Carl August Nielsen was widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Nielsen maintained the reputation of an outsider during his lifetime, both in his own country and internationally. It was only later that his works firmly entered the international repertoire, accelerating in popularity from the 1960s through Leonard Bernstein and others. L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. The piece was conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz based on a Russian folk tale (The Runaway Soldier and the Devil) drawn from the collection of Alexander Afanasyev. About the Performers Ensemble Connect, part of The Academy—a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute—is a two-year fellowship providing the finest post-graduate musicians with performance opportunities in New York at the same time they are teaching in the city's public schools.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Opera | Metropolitan Opera singers perform The Dinner Party Operas


The Dinner Party Operas are eleven original mini-operas inspired by Judy Chicago's iconic feminist installation The Dinner Party, a multi-media work housed in the Brooklyn Museum. Six of the operas are performed in this concert. The works are written and composed by students in the NYU Tisch GMTWP Opera Lab. Performers Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Krasovec (Metropolitan Opera), mezzo-soprano Yoojin Lee (Metropolitan Opera), countertenor Jordan Rutter (Chicago Opera Theater), baritone Nathaniel Sullivan; Mila Henry, piano About the Art Work The Dinner Party, an important icon of 1970s feminist art and a milestone in twentieth-century art, is presented as the centerpiece around which the Brooklyn Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is organized. The Dinner Party comprises a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Film | Oscar nominated Wonder (2017): drama with Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson


A 10-year-old boy with a facial deformity attends school for the first time when he begins the fifth grade. With the support of his parents, he learns how to make friends and adjust to his new environment. Directed by Stephen Chbosky. Arrive before 7:30 p.m. to get your spot. Feel free to bring a blanket to sit on, although there will be a limited supply of chairs available. Bottled waters are OK, but no glass. First come, first served.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Pieces by Mozart, Verdi and more


Soprano and pianist Sue Hassel will perform works by Mozart, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Donizetti, as well as arias by Giacomo Carissimi, Luigi Rossi, Marcantonio Cesti, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and songs by Gabrielle Faure and Robert Schumann.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free

Staged Reading | Carthage: A New Full-Length Play


This reading of a play by Andrew Massey is part of Youngblood's annual reading series of brand new full-length plays.
   New York City, NY; NYC
9:00 pm
Free
Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Play | Broadway Actors in a Modern Adaptation of The World Classic

Regular Price: $59
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Concert | Christmas Concert

Regular Price: $55
CFT Member Price: $0.00
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