WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor Steve Smith always joins us to talk about arts events coming up in New York City. The catch this week is that everything is FREE. He assembled a guide of free things to do in the weeks and months ahead for Gothamist and joins Weekend Edition host David Furst to discuss some of the highlights.
STEVE'S PICKS:
1. The Public Theater's Mobile Unit hits the road
The Public Theater is a trusted name in Shakespeare productions, thanks to its annual Central Park residency. But you don't have to wait until June to get your bard on: Mobile Unit, the Public Theater's traveling company, is presenting Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" right now, in a new bilingual musical version created by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri. The production will visit indoor and outdoor locations in all five boroughs through May 21, and then open on May 25 at the Public Theater, where it runs through June 11.
"The Comedy of Errors" is playing Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m. at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, in the Bronx. On Tuesday, May 9 you can see it at 5 p.m. at The LGBT Community Center in the West Village. And it's playing on Friday evening at Herbert Von King Center in Bed-Stuy. You can find all the locations and RSVP here.
2. "Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers"
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is one of the art world’s top draws, and she's got a big new show opening Thursday, May 11 at David Zwirner. It's called "Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers," and it promises to be one of her biggest shows to date: literally, in that it's going to sprawl across three Zwirner spaces on West 19th Street.
You can count on seeing fresh variations on Kusama's customary motifs: polka dots, pumpkins, and flowers. The show also includes new paintings, and a new Infinity Mirror Room… one of those marvelous cabinets in which you feel like you're glimpsing an entire universe. Now, we have to mention that this show is going to be a huge draw, and you definitely should anticipate substantial lines – but you can register for a chance to skip them on the gallery's website.
3. Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu in Times Square
For some free music we turn to a new project by bassist Richie Goods and percussionist Chien Chien Lu, who'll be playing in Times Square Thursday, May 11.
Most of the big free summer concert series haven't started yet - Bryant Park Picnic Performances, Lincoln Center's "Summer for the City," Celebrate Brooklyn and City Parks SummerStage all kick off in June. But there's already free music happening in the middle of Times Square a few times a week, presented by TSQ Live with producing partners like Carnegie Hall and Pioneer Works.
Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu will perform on Thursday as part of a weekly series booked by Jazz at Lincoln Center. One more nice thing about these free Times Square performances is that they all happen at 5 p.m., so you can actually catch a little something on your way to that fancy dinner or big Broadway show.