by LEAH REISMAN-SENES
Super Fly
Get caught up in a manic night
of theater
Pick a spot, any spot, and stand there. That’s
right: There are no seats at Fuerzabruta. Don’t
get attached to where you are, either. Some
very active stagehands will soon begin herding you here, there and everywhere while a
treadmill with a frantically running man whiz-zes into view. At another point, what appears
to be a giant silver foil pancake descends from
the ceiling, a man swinging from one side of
it and a woman from the other. Later, aquatic
sprites materialize overhead, swimming—or
more accurately, water-dancing—in a suspended, clear pool that slowly floats down
within reach of the audience, supported by a
ave
Date
MIDTOWN
the
No, No,
Nanette
May 8-12
Rosie O’Donnell (yes,
that Rosie O’Donnell)
stars in the classic musical, part of New York
City Center’s Encores!
series. 877-581-1212;
nycitycenter.org
MIDTOWN
Ninth Avenue
International
Food Festival
May 18-19
Stroll 37th through 57th
streets for cuisine from
A to Z, including Argentinean, Indonesian, Sen-egalese and Ukrainian,
plus live international
music. 212-581-7217
CITY GUIDE
New York
layer of mylar thin enough to feel and touch
but strong enough to hold in the women
and the water. All the while the dry ice flies
fast and furious, alternating with bursts of
simulated wind and rain, and confetti from
exploding cardboard bricks, entirely set
against a pulsating techno beat.
Fuerzabruta (Brute Force) is the latest
invention from the people behind the off-Broadway smash De La Guarda, and it features
a similar mix of wild, frenetically paced,
colorful acrobatics. Wear comfortable shoes
and check your coat and expectations at the
door as you prepare for an unusual and—at
times—awe-inspiring spectacle. Through
June 29. 212-239-6200; fuerzabrutanyc.com.
Bathing
Beauties
Showcasing all
that is quirky, bizarre and wonderful about New York
is the Mermaid
Parade at Coney
Island. Participants
dressed as mermaids and every
other imaginable
sea creature sport
costumes in a
dazzling, dizzying
array of colors, often with faces and
other extremities
painted to match
or complement.
Floats also arrive
in big, boisterous shapes that
in the past have
included ambitious
undertakings like
the Nautilus from
20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea.
The festivities
are presided
over by a different celebrity King
Neptune and
Queen Mermaid
every year, roles
previously filled by
the likes of Queen
Latifah, David
Byrne and Moby.
The Mermaid
Parade is free and
is suitable for sea
lovers of all ages.
The Mermaid Ball,
which follows, is
for an older crowd
and requires tickets for an evening
of live music, burlesque and sideshow acts. June 21.
718-372-5159;
coneyisland.com.
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Bang on a Can
Marathon
May 31-June 1
Much more than cans, it’s
free, nonstop, contemporary music spanning
all genres, from bagpipes
to hip-hop, at the World
Financial Center Winter
Garden. 718-852-7755;
bangonacan.org
UPPER EAST SIDE
Museum Mile
Festival
June 3
For the 30th year, an evening of free admission to
Manhattan’s finest museums along Fifth Avenue,
lined by street vendors,
artists and performers.
museummilefestival.org
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
JVC Jazz
Festival
New York
June 16-28
The crème de la crème
of annual jazz fests.
New York’s favorite
sound takes over every
venue, from concert
halls to public parks.
festivalnetwork.com
