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May 11
New York African Film Festival; Various locations and times.
This fest highlights movies from filmmakers within the African diaspora, including the feature Love the One You Love about several romantic stories set in modern South Africa.
Something Rotten!; St. James Theatre, Midtown West, 8pm. $37-$142.
Head thee posthaste to the St. James Theatre, where Something Rotten! has established itself as Broadway’s funniest, splashiest, slap-happiest musical comedy in at least 400 years.
American Ballet Theatre 2015; Metropolitan Opera House (at Lincoln Center), Upper West Side, 7:30pm. $20–$200.
In its spring season, ABT offers a wealth of classics, from Romeo and Juliet to Swan Lake and Giselle, along with a program of historic company repertory in keeping with the troupe's 75th anniversary.
Azealia Banks; Irving Plaza, Gramercy, 7pm. $38.
Banks brings her appealing blend of hip-hop, pop and dance music—as well as tons of NYC attitude—for this hometown date. It's sold out so fingers crossed on finding a ticket to tonight's show.
Deep Space; Cielo, Meatpacking District, 10pm. $20, with e-flyer free before 11pm or $12 after.
Dance-music deity François K's weekly Deep Space soiree focuses on dub in all its glorious, echo-drenched forms but extends its reach to all types of underground dance music.
Brooklyn Poets Yawp; 61 Local, Boerum Hill, 7pm. $5.
Think you can’t write poetry? Give instructor Natalie Eilbert one hour for a verse lesson, and your talent might surprise you.
"Gilbert & George: The Early Years"; Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Midtown West, 10:30am. $25.
MoMA delves into its holdings of the early career of the famed Brit "living sculptures" for a show of works completed between 1969 and 1980. Photos, videos, drawings and assorted ephemera are on tap.
Passion Pit + HolyChild; Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, 7pm. $39.50-$45
Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos heads out with a new crew—after separating with his longtime bandmates after touring behind 2012's Gossamer—to support his newest synth-pop opus, Kindred.
The World of Apu; Film Forum, various times. $13.
It's the final film of Satyajit Ray's celebrated trilogy (which begins with Pather Panchali and Aparajito). Award-winning American directors like Wes Anderson or Martin Scorsese have sited Ray as a huge inspiration.
May 12
"Van Gogh: Irises and Roses"; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, 10am. Suggested donation $25.
This show reunites two pairs of still-lifes representing two different versions of two subjects: irises and roses. Van Gogh painted all of these canvases near the end of his stay at an asylum in Saint-Rémy in Provence, France, where he had committed himself in 1889.
Homeschooled: A Comedic Lecture Series; UCBEast, East Village, 9:30pm. $5.
Kara Klenk, Jared Logan and Jim Tews host this show where stand-ups hilariously present completely factual lectures on topics they've chosen to research.
Queens Taste; New York Hall of Science, Queens, 6pm. $15.
Take a gastro trip around the world with Portuguese paella from O Lavrador, berry-mascarpone shortcake from Rudy's Bakery and beef-tartare meatballs from Michelin-starred M. Wells Steakhouse while live Latin-jazz tunes play.
The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek; Pershing Square Signature Center, Hell's Kitchen, 7:30pm, $25–$45.
The great South African playwright-director Athol Fugard presents a new work about a black farm laborer who was an artist in another life.
Tinder Live; Knitting Factory, Williamsburg, 9pm. $10.
The special one year anniversary of the crowd favorite, Tinder profile critique show features Tony award winner Laura Benanti, Jon Friedman (Girl Code, Guy Code), and rapper Awkwafina (Girl Code).
New Release Day with Christian Finnegan; Q.E.D., Astoria, 8pm. $5.
Stand-up and former Best Week Ever cast member Christian Finnegan brings together comics, writers and musicians to perform their newest material for the first time.
'Tis Pity She's a Whore; Duke on 42nd Street, Midtown West, 7:30pm. $60–$80.
Magnificently tasteless (and thoroughly enjoyable), Red Bull’s production of John Ford’s ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore is popcorn entertainment dressed in iambic pentameter.
Gotham West Movie Night; Gotham West Market, Hell's Kitchen, 9pm. Free.
Every Tuesday, this food market plays a popular movie and offers complimentary popcorn. Tonight, see musical rom-com Grease.
May 13
Red Bull Music Academy: Nothing Changes: Raw Sound Transgression; Output, Williamsburg, 10pm, $TBA, advance $20.
Prurient’s Pleasure Ground and Genesis P-Orridge and Wolf Eyes’ Aaron Dilloway perform Psychic TV’s Electric Newspaper. Bring your weirdest self.
Jo Firestone Presents: The Unexpectashow; Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Chelsea, 11pm. $5.
Jo Firestone (Punderdome) finds her favorite local alternate comics to do anything they want on this showcase that fully embraces chaos.
May 14
Harlem EatUp!; Various locations and times.
Explore upper Manhattan during this four-day food fest celebrating Harlem's culture and cuisine, with tastings, cooking demos and celeb-chef appearances (Bobby Flay, Amanda Freitag) at the nabe’s iconic joints.
Wayne Shorter Festival; Various locations, 8pm. $30–$120.
Every local appearance by this 81-year-old legend is a major jazz event, but this festival, featuring a collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, sounds downright unmissable.
John Leguizamo; The Creek and the Cave, Long Island City, 7pm. Free.
The actor reminds us of his stand-up roots with his no-doubt-intriguing curation of a week’s worth of shows at the Creek and the Cave.
Queens New Music Festival; Secret Theater, Long Island City, 8pm. $20, day pass $30, all-access pass $60.
Local composers' collective Random Access Music has compiled an enticing lineup for the return of a fest that brings exciting new sounds to the city's most diverse borough, over several days this week.
Aiko Hachisuka; Eleven Rivington, Lower East Side, 12pm. Free.
This L.A. artist's current show features more of the same, presented as cylindrical or columnar forms meant to suggest sculptures perched atop pedestals.