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Mon 20
Werther Metropolitan Opera House (at Lincoln Center); 7:30pm; $25–$460
Edward Gardner conducts Massenet's ravishing tragic romance in a production by Richard Eyre. Vittorio Grigolo portrays the hero of the title, with Isabel Leonard as Charlotte and Anna Christy as Sophie.
Woody Allen & the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band Café Carlyle (at the Carlyle Hotel); 8:45pm; $165–$215, bar $120, plus $75 minimum
Woody Allen has always been a better clarinetist than he'd care to admit, which means that his weekly hit with a hot-jazz band isn't just some superstar vanity trip. Cheap, though, it's no.
Lap Dance Saloon HiFi; 9pm; free
Jeffrey Emerson, Jill Weiner and Brian Moran host this weekly night of stellar stand-up featuring a diverse range of comedians, including known names like Matteo Lane and Farah Brook and newcomers like Menuhin Hart and Melissa Diaz. This week, catch Yuriy Mikhalevskiy, Justin Angermeyer, Caitlin McKee, Marisa Riley, Neruda Williams, L. Michelle and Liz Glazer.
Ed Sullivan on Acid Freddy’s Bar; 9pm; free
At this long-running stand-up show, host Calvin S. Cato and guests hailing from BET, Comedy Central, MTV and VH1 serve up free laughs and candy, so you can save your money for more important things, like drinking.
Tue 21
AFROPUNK: The Takeover – Harlem at various locations and times; $24–$179
Harlem shakes things up with a weeklong celebration hosted by cultural movement AFROPUNK. Join in on panel discussions, live musical performances, film screenings and comedy shows taking place throughout the historic neighborhood. Don’t miss: “Unapologetically Black: The African-American Songbook Remixed,” Apollo Theater’s tribute to black protest music, with special guests Jill Scott, Bilal, Toshi Reagon and others (February 25 at 7:30pm, $24–$179).
Fiction by Black Writers: Who Are the Readers? Brooklyn Historical Society; 6:30pm; $10
Does black literature really lack marketability? Author Elizabeth Nunez sits down with Essence book editor Patrik Henry Bass, Random House publisher Chris Jackson, president of the Authors’ Guild Roxana Robinson and editorial director at Akashic Books Ibrahim Ahmad to dissect this assumption.
Lady L’Amour’s Final Bow Duane Park; 7:15pm; $65
Turn up for a titillating murder mystery featuring the burlesque talents of Gal Friday, Pearls Daily, Tanzy, Connor Lyons, Anlami Shaw and The Maine Attraction. The evening includes champagne, hors d'oeuvres, dinner and dessert—and plenty of bare skin.
Tattooed New York New-York Historical Society; 10am; free with museum admission
The New-York Historical Society presents over 250 items, including rare photos, early 20th-century tattoo machinery and designs by tattoo pioneers like Sam O’Reilly and Lew Alberts, documenting the city’s long love affair with body art—oh, and that nearly four-decade period from 1961 to 1997, when tattooing was illegal in NYC.
The Detour: Preview Screening and Discussion The Paley Center for Media; 6:30pm; $32
Get a sneak peek at the second-season premiere of the seriously funny sitcom created by Samantha Bee and Jason Jones at this preview screening. Both Bee and Jones will be present (alongside Natalie Zea, Liam Carroll and Ashley Gerasimovich) for a moderated discussion and Q&A following the screening.
Wed 22
Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater; 7:30pm; $16–$35
Kick off the Apollo Theater’s 2017 season with the always anticipated “Amateur Night at the Apollo.” Past winners include stars like Ella Fitzgerald, the Jackson 5 and Billie Holiday. This year’s winner takes home $20,000 and a chance to jumpstart their career in entertainment. Be good or be gone!
Flight Club Brooklyn Bazaar; 8pm; free
You may say you’re heading to this free screening for the violent postmodernism, but we all know it’s to see a smoking-hot peak Brad Pitt on a big screen. Enjoy the fights, the fur and the fabulous Helena Bonham Carter, all while you nosh on corn dogs and chili Fritos pie from the Bazaar restaurant. Don’t trust any sexy strangers you meet.
For Colored Nerds Live The Greene Space; 7pm; $20
Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings host this live recording of their podcast featuring Black History Month trivia and special guests.
Comedians You Should Know The Gutter Bowling Alley and Bar; 9pm; $5
This weekly showcase began in downtown Chicago in 2008 and has since branched out to West Hollywood and NYC. The theme: local names who are about to make it big. Past guests have included The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. and Comedy Central regular Liza Treyger. This week's lineup includes host Saurin Choksi, Reformed Whores, Mike Recine, Damien Lemon, Tommy McNamara, David Drake and more.
Tove Lo + Phoebe Ryan Hammerstein Ballroom (at the Manhattan Center); 8pm; $35
Rising Swedish pop star Tove Lo (pronounced “TOO-veh loo”) stepped into the spotlight with her unflinching breakup-aftermath anthem, “Habits.” The hook, “You’re gone and I gotta stay high all the time, to keep you off my mind,” ought to give a vague idea as to what “habits” she’s referring to. She plays here in support of her newest release, Lady Wood.
Daniel Sloss: So? SoHo Playhouse; 8pm; $30
One year after bringing his solo show Dark to NYC, the bone-dry Scottish comedian returns for a night of brutal observational humor.
Battle of the Divas Union Hall; 8pm; $8, at the door $10
Local comics Christi Chiello and Matteo Lane host debates, screaming matches, roasts and drag performances to determine the millennium’s one true queen of pop. For the February edition, they welcome Las Culturistas hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rodgers, along with Zeta Jones, Nomi Sass and Molly Austin to answer one of the great questions of the Y2K era: Britney or Christina? You can count on Lane to eviscerate both queens with his spot-on impressions.
Thu 23
A Chamber Music Celebration of Black History Month Brooklyn Historical Society; 7:30pm; $15
Arts organization Groupmuse, which links classical musicians with hosts for living-room listening parties, teams up with the Brooklyn Historical Society to present a blend of classical music with rap and spoken word. Pieces by African-American composers and lyricists, including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Maya Angelou, are accompanied by violin, cello and piano compositions.
Tainted Love: 80s Dance Party with DJ Jane Elizabeth The Bell House; 10pm; free
Every month, DJ Jane Elizabeth revives gems from the annals of synth-pop, new wave, glam rock, old-school hip-hop and more at this party for fans who still want their MTV. This is your chance to tease your hair, paint on eyeliner and dance it out to Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Siouxsie and the Banshees and more.
“Between the Lines: Adrian Miller” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; 6:30pm; free
The author discusses his book The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families from the Washingtons to the Obamas.
Adriana Grande + Little Mix + Victoria Monet Madison Square Garden; 7:30pm; $60–$200
With Dangerous Woman, her third album, Grande proved herself adept at making a range of pop styles her own, from the reggae-pop of "Side to Side" to hazy trap-influenced "Everyday." Whether she's able to anchor a stadium-sized blow out hinges on your fondness for EDM-soaked singles such as “Break Free” and “Love Me Harder.” One thing's for sure: She has the voice for it.