Magic Man
A look at the life of Houdini
Long after his death on Halloween in 1926,
Harry Houdini remains a source of fascination and mystery. Attempting to pull back the
curtain on this enigmatic man is “Houdini:
Art and Magic” at the Jewish Museum. It is the
first major art museum exhibition to explore
Houdini’s life, death and legacy.
Though he earned his greatest fame as
an escape artist, Houdini’s most significant
escape may have been from his own roots. Born
ave
Date
UPPER EAST SIDE
Nueva York
the
Through
Jan. 9
In conjunction with
the New York Historical
Society, El Museo del
Barrio presents an
unprecedented exploration of the impact of
Latinos on New York
City from 1624 through
World War II and
beyond. elmuseo.org
TIMES SQUARE
WhiskyFest
Nov. 9
More than 200 kinds of
whisky at the Marriott
Marquis hotel, with tast-
ings, demonstrations
and seminars—and
water, coffee, tea and
soda to keep you from
total inebriation.
800-514-3849;
maltadvocate.com
CITY GUIDE
New York
For additional event, attraction,
restaurant and hotel information,
visit arrivecityguides.com
Ehrich Weiss to a Jewish family in Hungary,
Houdini would later claim his birthplace was
Appleton, Wis., where he spent his early years
and where his father served as a rabbi. Eventually, Weiss would change his name and successfully reinvent himself as an American icon.
The exhibit contains some of the many
contraptions from which Houdini made
his stunning exits, including a milk can, a
straitjacket and a packing trunk, as well as
a re-creation of his legendary water torture
cell. Rounding out the picture are posters,
silent film footage and diaries never before
displayed publicly. Also included are works of
various modern artists, inspired by Houdini’s
genius, such as Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 5:
The Ehrich Weiss Suite, featuring live pigeons.
Through March 27. 212-423-3200;
thejewishmuseum.org.
Restoring a Classic
The McKim build-
ing, the jewel in
the considerably
impressive crown
of the Morgan
Library & Museum,
has just undergone
a restoration befit-
ting its stature
as one of the Big
Apple’s architec-
tural wonders. New
lighting enhances
every room in
the more than
100-year-old build-
ing, all the better
to see the East
Room’s spectacu-
lar ceiling mural
and the McKim’s
breathtaking
marble rotunda.
The North Room
has been opened
to the public for
the first time and is
now a showplace
for the Morgan’s
earliest holdings.
New display cases
throughout enable
the museum to
house rotating
exhibits of its vari-
ous treasures. The
period furniture,
fixtures and décor
all have been
lovingly restored
to much of their
former glory.
212-685-0008;
themorgan.org.
CHELSEA
Eco-Fashion:
Going Green
Through Nov. 13
There’s still time to
check out this thought-provoking exhibit,
which uses contemporary, eco-friendly standards to analyze more
than 100 garments, past
and present, spanning
the past 250 years.
212-217-4558; fitnyc.edu
ROCKEFELLER CENTER
Tree Lighting
Ceremony
Nov. 30
Even the Rockefeller
Center tree has gone
green, using energy-
efficient lights and
deriving some of its
power from solar pan-
els. After the holidays,
the tree’s lumber will
be given to Habitat
for Humanity.
rockefellercenter.com
UPPER WEST SIDE
The Magic Flute
Dec. 21–Jan. 6
Another great holiday
tradition is Julie Taymor’s accessible, family-friendly production of
Mozart’s opera at the
Metropolitan. It’ll make
even the biggest Scrooge
crack a smile.
metoperafamily.org
