Things to do in New York this Friday

Daniel Alexander Jones (Duat) inhabits his longtime alter ego, Jomama Jones—or does she inhabit him?—in a high-concept musical evening that reflects on a shattered mirror of black history. Jomama is a paradigm of R&B-diva grandeur circa 1982, with impeccable posture and elocution that bespeak an old-school black-star dignity. Although the original "Afromystical" songs don’t always rise to the occasion, it’s a pleasure to bask in Jones’s sequined, oracular presence, especially when Jones allows us to see the pain and labor behind the all-but-impervious diva’s self-fashioning.

RuPaul's Drag Race is bigger than ever, and no other queen is exhibiting the potential for an integrated queer future like Sasha Velour. After serving Brooklyn's experimental drag aesthetic to a global audience since her triumphant victory in 2017, Bushwig veteran Velour has continued to hold court at her signature showcase of high drag from around the country, Nightgowns. Earlier in September, Velour took New York Fashion Week by storm with an unprecedented drag performance and fashion collaboration with Opening Ceremony, featuring Christina Aguilera and guests Troye Sivan, Nicki Minaj and Kim Petras. Just when we thought she was slowing down, Velour's ending the month with another massive stunt, this time bringing Nightgowns to the legendary rock concert venue Terminal 5. On hand for the fabulously-curated spectacular are Shea Couleé, Lypsinka, Sasha Colby, Victoria Sin, Vigor Mortis and K James, along with Nightgowns residents Neon Calypso, Untitled Queen and Vander Von Odd. Count on high-standard performance art, killer looks and plenty of poised political commentary from Velour.

Tom and Betsy Salamon’s unique adventure—part interactive theater, part scavenger hunt, part walking tour—draws participants into an amusing web of puzzles and intrigue. You can choose between the three-hour New York tour, which takes participants through various neighborhoods of lower Manhattan, or the two-hour Village tour, which travels through quirky Greenwich Village on Saturdays. Groups of as many as 11 are booked every half hour. 

Can you imagine how grim our world would be without the influence of Jim Henson? For those of us who learned comedy, whimsy and even literacy from Sesame Street and the Muppet franchise, Museum of Moving Image has provided the ultimate treat: a permanent exhibition featuring more than 47 Muppet and puppet characters; 27 screens of archival footage from The Dark Crystal, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and beyond; and stories of how the great genius and his architects brought to life some of our favorite characters.

We are dying to go on this tour of the East and West Village. Discover where paranormal activity once took place, which buildings have had reported ghost sightings and visit murder scenes and burial grounds. This will make you question the very streets you walk on, where people were buried a century ago. You'll also learn what contemporary ghost hunters have to say about their creepy discoveries. All stories told during the tour are true! Due to popularity, advance booking through the company's website is strongly encouraged. Meet at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, Second Ave at 10th St.

Self-billed as "the hardest-working middle-aged man in show business," old-school comedian-singer and nightlife survivor Hill looks like he should be entertaining at an Elks Club dinner in 1958—and that's how he likes it. In his new solo show, directed and cowritten by Scott Wittman (Hairpray), Hill digs into the darker side of his life as a pillar of downtown performance. He is backed by the Early Bird Specials, a swinging combo led by Paul Leschen.

C'Mon Everybody plays host to one of Toronto's greatest queer throwdowns at this outrageous disco night, featuring DJs The Robotic Kid & Kris Steeves. 

The Tony-winning star of Jersey Boys, both the Broadway musical and the Clint Eastwood film, brings his musical highs and puppyish eyes back to Feinstein's/54 Below in a new set that focuses on songs from the Great White Way, including selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Hair and Hamilton.

When the clock strikes midnight at the McKittrick on Fridays, the club kids take over. Enter the sublime nightlife fantasy of downtown icon Susanne Bartsch, at which she welcomes circus performers, drag divas, burlesque stars and beyond to unleash their most avant-garde creations onstage. She's joined by a rotating cast that includes Joey Arias, Amanda Lepore, Shequida, Murray Hill, Dirty Martini and Perle Noire.

Mama Ru's juggernaut culture fest hits Javits Center for a full weekend of panels, pageantry and plenty of shade. Meet your favorite queens, buy merch, and watch the ladies go head to head at after-parties all weekend. The stacked lineup is pretty unbeatable, and continues to grow with alumni and local drag luminaries, including: Alyssa Edwards, Sasha Velour, Tammy Brown, Trixie Mattel, Amanda Lepore, Michelle Visage, Horrorchata and the eternal diva herself, RuPaul. 

This Lower East Side flea hosts one of Manhattan’s best collections of vendors, with more upstarts joining the fray every week. Standouts from recent years that have gotten their start at the fair include Macaron Parlour, Petee’s Pie Company, Melt Bakery, La New Yorkina, Arancini Bros and Cheeky Sandwich.

Tom and Betsy Salamon’s unique adventure—part interactive theater, part scavenger hunt, part walking tour—draws participants into an amusing web of puzzles and intrigue. You can choose between the three-hour New York tour, which takes participants through various neighborhoods of lower Manhattan, or the two-hour Village tour, which travels through quirky Greenwich Village on Saturdays. Groups of as many as 11 are booked every half hour. 

In this captivating original musical, Hello, Dolly! scene-stealer Taylor Trensch now plays the title role of a high school student thrust into social relevance after a classmate's suicide. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's score combines well-crafted lyrics with an exciting pop sound, and Steven Levenson’s book gives all the characters shaded motives. Read the full review.

Hamilton: Theater review by David Cote What is left to say? After Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s prodigious quill scratched out 12 volumes of nation-building fiscal and military policy; after Lin-Manuel Miranda turned that titanic achievement (via Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography) into the greatest American musical in decades; after every critic in town (including me) praised the Public Theater world premiere to high heaven; and after seeing this language-drunk, rhyme-crazy dynamo a second time, I can only marvel: We've used up all the damn words. Wait, here are three stragglers, straight from the heart: I love Hamilton. I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right. A sublime conjunction of radio-ready hip-hop (as well as R&B, Britpop and trad showstoppers), under-dramatized American history and Miranda’s uniquely personal focus as a first-generation Puerto Rican and inexhaustible wordsmith, Hamilton hits multilevel culture buttons, hard. No wonder the show was anointed a sensation before even opening. Assuming you don’t know the basics, ­Hamilton is a (mostly) rapped-through biomusical about an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who came to New York, served as secretary to General Washington, fought against the redcoats, authored most of the Federalist Papers defending the Constitution, founded the Treasury and the New York Post and even made time for an extramarital affair that he damage-controlled in a scandal-stanching pamp

Theater review by Helen Shaw When you walk into Say Something Bunny!, you enter another time. You might not notice that at first, because the brick office space where it takes place is so determinedly ordinary-looking. The small audience sits around a doughnut-shaped conference table, and as Alison S.M. Kobayashi begins her multimedia docuplay, some spectators are already paging through the scripts that have been placed in front of each chair. The text turns out to be the full transcript of a real, unlabeled 65-year-old recording that Kobayashi found hidden in an antique wire recorder: the audio relic of a teenage boy in Woodmere, Queens, enthusiastically taping two dozen family members and neighbors. Kobayashi has listened to the recording hundreds of times and has a seemingly boundless interest in the people whose voices it preserves, including amateur recordist David, mother Juliette and neighbor Bunny. She conducts us through a pair of after-dinner conversations, the first in 1952—she deduced the date from song lyrics mentioned on the wire—and the second in 1954. Aided by coauthor Christopher Allen, she pursues hints and half-heard jokes to determine who these people were and what befell them; she shows us the census records she used to find their old houses. The play unspools unhurriedly, leaving space for Kobayashi to make jokes, play short films and highlight points of historical interest. It takes a while for it to sink in that—of course—many of these vibrant people

One of the more unlikely musicals on Broadway this season, Come from Away is the tense but humane story of an airport in Gander, Newfoundland, where 38 planes and more than 6,000 passengers were forced to land on September 11, 2001. The book, music and lyrics are by the Canadian team Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Read the full review.

Theater review by Adam Feldman. The Al Hirschfeld Theatre (Broadway). Book by Harvey Fierstein. Music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Dir. Jerry Mitchell. With Stark Sands, Billy Porter, Annaleigh Ashford. 2hrs 20mins. One intermission. [Note: The cast of Kinky Boots has changed since this review was first published. Currently, American Idol winner David Cook plays straight man to Wayne Brady's high-heeled Lola.] The kicky crowd-pleaser Kinky Boots is the very model of a modern major musical. Adapted from a 2005 English indie film, Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s fizzy pop tuner tells of Charlie (the capable Sands) and his Northampton footwear factory, Price & Son—a family business in danger of closing down. Hope arrives in the unlikely form of Lola (Porter), a self-possessed drag queen with ideas for a niche product line: knee-high, skin-tight, stiletto-heeled sheaths of ostentatious color, strong enough for a man who’s made up like a woman. (Gay style and consumer dollars to the rescue! The shoe must go on!) Directed with verve by Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots feels familiar at every step, down to its messages about individuality, community, pride and acceptance; it could have been cobbled together from parts of The Full Monty, Billy Elliot and Fierstein’s La Cage aux Folles, and it culminates in a feel-good finale so similar to Hairspray’s (which Mitchell choreographed) that it might as well be called “You Can’t Stop the Boot.” Yet the musical holds up for the same reason

[Note: The review below is for a 2014 version of this show, which was then titled The Imbible. A revised version now plays at New World Stages. A different, brunch-theater edition, titled Day Drinking, plays on weekend matinees.] Remember Bill Nye the Science Guy? Great! Now imagine him as a bartender who is deeply interested in the history of ethanol alcohol, really likes wigs and costumes, and just joined a coed barbershop quartet. That description of Anthony Caporale’s The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking may sound far-out, but the show is both educational and entertaining. (It's also a fine showcase for a cappella classics arranged by Josh Ehrlich and performed by a gifted ensemble that includes the show's director, soprano Nicole DiMattei.) Mixing whimsy and information, Caporale makes the story of our relationship with alcohol remarkably compelling. And the show's lessons—on subjects like the drinks served at Prohibition-era speakeasies, the origin of the gin and tonic, and the difference between a cocktail and a mixed drink—can be washed down with complimentary, thematically appropriate beverages. As Caporale says, “Trust me, I get funnier with every sip.” That makes the show a must-see for anyone who enjoys free booze, which is probably nearly everyone.—Amelia Bienstock  

RuPaul's Drag Race is bigger than ever, and no other queen is exhibiting the potential for an integrated queer future like Sasha Velour. After serving Brooklyn's experimental drag aesthetic to a global audience since her triumphant victory in 2017, Bushwig veteran Velour has continued to hold court at her signature showcase of high drag from around the country, Nightgowns. Earlier in September, Velour took New York Fashion Week by storm with an unprecedented drag performance and fashion collaboration with Opening Ceremony, featuring Christina Aguilera and guests Troye Sivan, Nicki Minaj and Kim Petras. Just when we thought she was slowing down, Velour's ending the month with another massive stunt, this time bringing Nightgowns to the legendary rock concert venue Terminal 5. On hand for the fabulously-curated spectacular are Shea Couleé, Lypsinka, Sasha Colby, Victoria Sin, Vigor Mortis and K James, along with Nightgowns residents Neon Calypso, Untitled Queen and Vander Von Odd. Count on high-standard performance art, killer looks and plenty of poised political commentary from Velour.

If theater is your religion and the Broadway musical your sect, you've been woefully faith-challenged of late. Venturesome, boundary-pushing works such as Spring Awakening, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Next to Normal closed too soon. American Idiot was shamefully ignored at the Tonys and will be gone in three weeks. Meanwhile, that airborne infection Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark dominates headlines and rakes in millions, without even opening. Celebrities and corporate brands sell poor material, innovation gets shown the door, and crap floats to the top. It's enough to turn you heretic, to sing along with The Book of Mormon's Ugandan villagers: "Fuck you God in the ass, mouth and cunt-a, fuck you in the eye." Such deeply penetrating lyrics offer a smidgen of the manifold scato-theological joys to be had at this viciously hilarious treat crafted by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, of South Park fame, and composer-lyricist Robert Lopez, who cowrote Avenue Q. As you laugh your head off at perky Latter-day Saints tap-dancing while fiercely repressing gay tendencies deep in the African bush, you will be transported back ten years, when The Producers and Urinetown resurrected American musical comedy, imbuing time-tested conventions with metatheatrical irreverence and a healthy dose of bad-taste humor. Brimming with cheerful obscenity, sharp satire and catchy tunes, The Book of Mormon is a sick mystic revelation, the most exuberantly entertaining Broadway musical in years. The high

This Lower East Side flea hosts one of Manhattan’s best collections of vendors, with more upstarts joining the fray every week. Standouts from recent years that have gotten their start at the fair include Macaron Parlour, Petee’s Pie Company, Melt Bakery, La New Yorkina, Arancini Bros and Cheeky Sandwich.

Halyard's brings you jokes from a bunch of very funny ladies at this free show brought to you by Naomi Karavani, Melissa Stokoski, Shelby Taylor and Erica Spera. 

This annual free block party features live performances, local eats, family-friendly crafts and activites, a silent auction and, oh yeah, thousand of tiny elephants parachuting down onto Washington Street. Adopt a little flyer of your own for $20 and you'll get a keepsake elephant designed by muralist CAM, plus the chance to win an awesome prize like a free pizza or a $500 DUMBO shopping spree.

Ring in a truly dark Black Friday at this divine dungeon rave going down every month at Bizarre. Resident DJ Cyclonus and guest DJ James David spin a lurid mix of ’80s synth, postpunk, death-rock and goth music. While you dance to Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and the Ants and Depeche Mode, you can catch glimpses of horror movies projected on the walls and take your night to the next level with absinthe cocktails. Partygoer beware: you’re in for a scare.

In a wake of Michael Brown's death in 2014, Theater of War Productions mounts an ambitious free production of the original political protest play: Sophocles' tale of a Theban woman who, unhappy with the city's ignoble treatment of her dead brother, is confined to a cave by a tyrant who feels she protests too much. Directed and adapted by Bryan Doerries, the piece combines readings from the play by a rotating cast of actors—incuding Samira Wiley, Paul Giamatti, Chris Noth, Tamara Tunie, David Strathairn, Adepero Oduye, Frankie Faison and Kathryn Erbe—with choral music performed by activists, police officers and citizens of New York City and Ferguson, Missouri. Panels and group discussions follow each performance. 

The Museum at FIT unleashes the politics and provocations of the color pink at this stunning exhibition, featuring clothing from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Divided into two sections, the exhibition explores how the color has come to play into eroticism, punk rock, activism and gender politics. You'll explore historical ensembles from Japan, India, Africa, Mexico, Great Britain, the U.S. and beyond that played into the lives of commoners and royals alike; then gag at stunning looks from the vaults of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Moschino and Comme des Garçon. Witness the splendor!

The biergarten kicks off festivities with a ceremonial keg tapping. Loreley keeps the party going all month with Bavarian suds like Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier, as well as 12 kinds of sausages served that the Sausage Fest in October. Rounding out the revelry are beer tastings led by brewmaster Rudi Eilers, a pig roast and a free Halloween bash where you can drink pumpkin beer from mini pumpkin kegs.

Self-billed as "the hardest-working middle-aged man in show business," old-school comedian-singer and nightlife survivor Hill looks like he should be entertaining at an Elks Club dinner in 1958—and that's how he likes it. In his new solo show, directed and cowritten by Scott Wittman (Hairpray), Hill digs into the darker side of his life as a pillar of downtown performance. He is backed by the Early Bird Specials, a swinging combo led by Paul Leschen.

The Tony-winning star of Jersey Boys, both the Broadway musical and the Clint Eastwood film, brings his musical highs and puppyish eyes back to Feinstein's/54 Below in a new set that focuses on songs from the Great White Way, including selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Hair and Hamilton.

When the clock strikes midnight at the McKittrick on Fridays, the club kids take over. Enter the sublime nightlife fantasy of downtown icon Susanne Bartsch, at which she welcomes circus performers, drag divas, burlesque stars and beyond to unleash their most avant-garde creations onstage. She's joined by a rotating cast that includes Joey Arias, Amanda Lepore, Shequida, Murray Hill, Dirty Martini and Perle Noire.

The daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel has been carving out a name of her own as a singer-songwriter. Now she spreads her wings in another two-week run at Manhattan's fanciest nest for songbirds.

The celebrated indie-pop upstarts, who first made our hearts flutter with 2014's dreamily delicious single, "Archie, Marry Me," hit town for a pair of dates behind last year's effervescent and thoroughly satisfying Antisocialites. Catch the Toronto quartet at Greenpoint's Polish-community-center-turned-concert venue for a late-summer dose of starry-eyed melodies that'll carry you far into fall.

The much-lauded lo-fi indie-rock quartet takes the stage at Bowery Ballroom for its final show ever (and a penultimate gig at Baby's All Right). Don't miss the chance to revel in the band's plentiful fuzzed-out guitar licks and singer Dave Benton's muted, deadpan drawl one last time.

BTS, the first K-pop boy band sensation to make a splash in America, is embarking on a massive world tour. Lucky for us New Yorkers, the Bangtan Boys are spending three nights in NYC: two at the Prudential Center in NJ and one at Citi Field. Brush on the seven-piece band's latest, Love Yourself: Answer, before seeing what's sure to be a massive pop spectacle.

Felder has made a career out of solo tributes to famous composers, including Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Leonard Bernstein. His latest is devoted to Great American Songbook legend Irving Berlin, the man behind such standards as "White Christmas," "Always" and "There's No Business Like Show Business." Trevor Hay directs.

Daniel Alexander Jones (Duat) inhabits his longtime alter ego, Jomama Jones—or does she inhabit him?—in a high-concept musical evening that reflects on a shattered mirror of black history. Jomama is a paradigm of R&B-diva grandeur circa 1982, with impeccable posture and elocution that bespeak an old-school black-star dignity. Although the original "Afromystical" songs don’t always rise to the occasion, it’s a pleasure to bask in Jones’s sequined, oracular presence, especially when Jones allows us to see the pain and labor behind the all-but-impervious diva’s self-fashioning.