Highlights this weekend include bestselling author Kevin Powell‘s film directorial debut, Harry Connick Jr. singing Cole Porter at The Met and the final days of the Blue Man Group.
Plus, experience an interactive dinosaur zoo in Queens, Lunar New Year in Brooklyn and a new exhibit of Black fashion on Broadway.
Film
“When We Free The World”
AMC Empire 25 — 234 West 42nd St., Manhattan (Times Square)
Through Feb. 6. Various showtimes.
Acclaimed writer and political activist Kevin Powell has turned his 2020 “literary and political manifesto” into a poignant documentary exploring Black manhood.
Featuring 70 male voices from all walks of life across five generations — from teenagers to nonagenarians — the two-hour film aims to spark dialogue about how freedom is defined through the imagination of Black men.
The “Real World” alum, who ran for office in Brooklyn in 2008 and 2010, tells the Daily News that his directorial debut is the “most important work of art I have ever created in my life, in all ways, and it is especially timely given the state of America.”
Co-produced and co-written with Evangeline Lawson, “When We Free the World” also features an original soundtrack featuring all Black male artists.
Tickets are $20.18. Discounts available.
Theater
“Blue Man Group”
Astor Place Theatre — 434 Lafayette St., Manhattan (East Village)
Through Feb. 2. Various showtimes.
It’s the end of an era for one of New York City’s longest-running theatrical productions. The famously wordless, family-friendly “Blue Man Group,” which began in 1991 before playing several cities around the world, will conclude its history-making off-Broadway residency on Sunday evening.
Known for its interactive blend of music, art and theatrics performed by three bald, blue men, Blue Man Group has become a hit with tourists and locals alike since its humble beginnings as street theater performed by creators Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton.
Tickets start at $99.
Music
“Harry Connick, Jr: A Celebration of Cole Porter”
Metropolitan Opera House – 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Through Feb. 2. Various showtimes.
Harry Connick, Jr. kicked off his five-night tribute to Cole Porter at The Met on Wednesday, accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra and modern multimedia production elements. He performs the legendary composer and songwriter’s classics such as “Just One of Those Things,” “Love For Sale” and “Anything Goes” among others.
The Grammy and Emmy Award winner previously performed the show, which he wrote and directed, on Broadway in 2019 with plans to take it on the road before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “This show has been a project that’s incredibly close to my heart…singing the songs of Cole Porter, a quintessential New Yorker, at this preeminent New York institution will be a career highlight for me,” he said.
Tickets start at $35.
Art
“Crafting Excellence: Black Storytellers of Broadway”
The Museum of Broadway — 145 West 45th St., Manhattan (Times Square)
Through March 16. Various times.
Just in time for Black History Month, Broadway’s first permanent museum has a special exhibit focusing on Black creatives who have played an integral part in its success.
More than 40 trailblazers whose original plays and musicals have graced the stage — including Duke Ellington, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, Lynn Nottage and Jeremy O. Harris — are showcased, alongside artifacts from “MJ: The Musical” and costumes from musicals like “The Color Purple” and “The Wild Party.”
Tickets start at $31.57, discounts available.
Comedy
“Live From New York: The SNL50 Experience“
Rockefeller Plaza — 10 West 51st St., Manhattan (Midtown)
Through Feb. 2, 1 p.m. – 9 p.m.
The hottest ticket in town is this a free opportunity to feel what it’s like to host the groundbreaking sketch comedy series, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Feb. 16.
The immersive “Saturday Night Live“-inspired exhibition gives attendees the chance to hear their names announced as they go through the door to hit the stage. They’ll also get to roll their chair up to the “Weekend Update” desk — which has been occupied by legendary anchors like Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin and is currently helmed by Colin Jost and Michael Che.
The experience is filled with surprises and callbacks around every corner to simulate the spontaneous nature that has defined Lorne Michaels‘ series since it debuted in 1975.
Free. Reservations required.
Family
“Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live”
Kupferberg Center for the Arts — 153-49 Reeves Ave., Queens (Flushing)
Sun. Feb. 2, 3 p.m.
New Yorkers get to go on their own Jurassic journey with the interactive theater show that takes audiences on a breathtaking tour of prehistoric Australia with astonishingly lifelike dinosaurs and other creatures.
“During the show we let kids come up and pat them, feed them … and if the kids behave badly, we feed them to the dinosaurs,” joked director Scott Wright.
“Dinosaur Zoo Live” features skilled performers, puppeteers and input from professional paleontologists to create a “very funny but educational” program with over 19 dinosaurs, including the triceratops, T-rex and titanosaur.
Tickets are $35
Free
Lunar New Year Celebration
Albee Square + City Point BKLYN — 445 Albee Square West, Brooklyn (Downtown)
Sat. Feb. 1, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The holiday, which fell on Jan. 29 this year, is still being celebrated in New York City throughout the coming weeks.
On Saturday, Brooklyn gets a chance to commemorate the Year of the Snake with a free event featuring traditional Lion Dances by Choy Lay Fut, Lunar New Year-themed crafts and DJ Boogie rocking the turntables. Festive balloons will adorn the interior of City Point and attendees are encouraged to wear red for good luck — and a chance to win a free gift card to a local business.
Free.
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.