CIRQUE DE SEAPORT
Just around the bend, at the end of Pier 17, awaits an intensely stimulating and peculiar audio-visual affair. Absinthe: Les Artistes de la Clique commemorates the sensual, dangerous, excessive pleasures of a true cabaret circus. Characters include the wandering, sword-swallowing host Miss Behave and David O’Mer, the aerial tumbler who splashes the front row after rising to the air from a bathtub. The daily 8 p.m. performances Tuesday through Sunday (including an extra show at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), however, still scarcely exceed demand, as tickets, at $20-68 a piece, are extremely limited. Call Ticket Central at (212)279-4200 or visit the nearby Box Office ahead of time.
SMOOTH SAILING
Take a trip to the South Street Seaport this Saturday, September 2nd, for “Program Afloat”—a two-hour educational afternoon experience. Sail into New York Harbor aboard the Pioneer, a 102-foot iron-framed schooner, on an ecological exploration led by local museum curators. Originally built in 1885, the sailboat served as delivery trucks do today, transporting heavy cargo like lumber, brick, and oyster shell. Learn of the diverse marine life and listen to more anecdotes about Pioneer’s lengthy history as Manhattan reflects off of the calm, rippling harbor water. Adult tickets are $30, but discounted senior and student prices are available. Call (212)748-8786 for reservations.
FLICK FESTIVAL, FOR FREE
Had enough with double-digit movie ticket prices? Stroll into Rumsey Playfield (East 69th Street, off Fifth Ave.) for a free 8 PM screening at the Fourth Annual Central Park Film Festival under the stars, sponsored by Bloomberg. This year’s festival, spanning from August 29 to September 2, is a “Viewer’s Choice” screening, which presents New Yorkers the special opportunity to choose a film for the final night of the festival. Each of the festival’s films, from the 1987 lustful thriller Fatal Attraction to the animated mouse tale Stuart Little, thematically features Central Park in at least one scene. Rain or shine.
POLLOCK’S CONTINUING TRADITION
For more than 75 years, the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, a free international biannual showcase that wraps around the west end of Washington Square Park, has expanded its tree-shaded display, embracing a multitude of contemporary art forms. This tradition was initiated by artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem DeKooning, two avant-garde Greenwich Village residents, who converted the sidewalks to galleries in order to support their rent costs during the Depression Era. Open from noon to 7 p.m. September 2-4, the exhibitors now display work, from photography to craftwork, so long as it is original, handmade and selected by a jury comprised of fellow artists.
POETRY IN MOTION ON LOWER EAST SIDE
Interested in live lyrical performances with a fresh hip-hop attitude? The Nuyorican Poets Café, located at 236 E. 3rd St. between Avenues B and C, presents a setting so intimate it permits brave audience members to perform during open mic events—the basis for its reputation as a hot bed for new talent. What started in 1973 as a living room salon in the East Village apartment of writer and poet Miguel Algarin, has blossomed into one of the most highly respected non-profit arts organizations in the country—winning acclaim for its innovative poetry, hip-hop, comedy, and theatre. Performances include weekly poetry slams, Latino Jazz Jam Sessions and the screenplay-based Fifth Night Series. Check out “Urban Word,” September 30th, for an impressive night of teen poetry. Tickets are $12 at the door.
