It's another summer weekend in New York City packed with great outdoor music opportunities - from Mostly Mozart to Kool & The Gang. WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor Smith Smith joins Weekend Edition host David Furst for another edition of our Weekend Arts Planner.
STEVE'S PICKS:
1. Shakespeare in the Park(s)
That's parks, plural. Summertime in New York means all the city's a stage, where Shakespeare is concerned. We tend to think first and foremost about Free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park... and well we should, since that prestigious series is presenting "Hamlet" staged by the celebrated and very busy director Kenny Leon. That's running through August 6.
But there's a lot more to choose from during the week ahead. The Drilling Company is currently presenting "The Comedy of Errors" as its annual Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production, running through July 29 in the parking lot at The Clemente, on the Lower East Side.
Next Thursday, July 27, Hudson Classical Theater Company opens "Margaret," an original work derived from portions of Shakespeare's "Henry VI," Parts I, II, and III. That's going to be playing at The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Riverside Park, and it's free.
And one more presentation you absolutely do not want to miss isn't actually Shakespeare: Classical Theatre of Harlem is staging "Malvolio," a new original sequel to "12th Night," written by Betty Shamieh. The story is set 20 years after the events of Shakespeare's comedy, and it centers on the title character, a prickly domestic steward who's misled and mistreated in the original play. Allen Gilmore is riveting as Malvolio, now a conquering general, and he's surrounded by a brilliant cast. The play is funny and thoughtful, and the dancing and staging are a real delight. "Malvolio" is running free of charge through July 29 -- and Sunday, July 23rd's performance will be interpreted in American Sign Language.
Donations are gladly accepted, but admission to all of these productions is free.
2. Mostly Mozart
It's the return of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra... and also, in a sense, its farewell engagement. The series starts on Tuesday, July 25 with music director Louis Langree conducting Mozart's Mass in C minor.
Louis Langree has been the music director of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra since 2003, and during his 20-year tenure he rejuvenated the orchestra and helped to turn the festival from a sleepy summer series to a must-see proposition. And this year's festival is his farewell... he'll conduct a FREE concert Saturday, July 22 in Damrosch Park, and then the orchestra returns to David Geffen Hall for a dozen more concerts where you can choose what you pay.
The concerts Langree will lead next Tuesday and Wednesday demonstrate how he always tries to makes meaningful connections between the classical tradition and the wider world... he'll pair Mozart's Mass in C minor with a world premiere by Amir ElSaffar, an improvising trumpeter of Iraqi-American descent.
And in a way, this is the orchestra's farewell. The orchestra will be back next year with a new music director, Jonathon Heyward, a charismatic young conductor who'll lead two concerts this year, on August 4th and 5th. But the orchestra will be rechristened with a new name... so, in a sense, this year's series is the grand finale of Mostly Mozart.
3. More music in Queens!
Kool & the Gang scored their first hit single 50 years ago with "Jungle Boogie," and went on to dominate the charts with songs like "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," and of course "Celebration." They've just released a new album, "People Just Wanna Have Fun," and Saturday, July 22 they'll headline a FREE City Parks SummerStage bill in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The show starts at 6 p.m.
Then Sunday night, July 23, in the same location, DJ Rekja revives their popular Basement Bhangra series for a one-night "Bhangra Bacchanal." Among the guest performers is a bona fide legend, Punjabi vocalist Malkit Singh. That show starts at 5 p.m... and it's FREE as well.