It's Memorial Day Weekend - a time for Americans to gather and honor those who died while serving in the military. It also marks the unofficial start of summer, with plenty of beach getaways and barbecues in the forecast. But there's no break in the arts calendar here in New York City. And Steve Smith, WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor, is back with another Weekend Arts Planner. Speaking with Weekend Edition host David Furst, he brings us his latest recommendations.
Steve's picks:
1. Takashi Murakami is one of the most popular and successful artists in the world for his signature "superflat" style – think fields of exuberant grinning daisies in outrageously bright hues. That style is represented in Murakami's big new show at the Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue. But this show also looks backward, with a room full of pale, cool paintings based on an ancient Chinese porcelain vase, and forward, with a street-level gallery filled with manga-style images and sculptures Murakami based on an NFT collaboration he'd created recently. You can interact with a virtual reality simulation of the show at Gagosian.com, but people who visit the show in person can use Snapchat to see what looks like live animations floating in midair around the art and viewers alike. The show is up through June 25, and of course there are limited-edition tchotchkes in the gift shop.
2. "Fat Ham" had its debut online last year, and it recently won a Pulitzer Prize. It just opened at the Public Theater, which is working in collaboration with National Black Theatre. Playwright James Ijames remixes "Hamlet" into a tight, funny story about a young queer Black man named Juicy, who's caught between the ghost of an abusive father and the loud, strutting presence of his uncle, now his stepfather, who detests him. Ijames samples "Hamlet" liberally, he wrings an unforgettable set piece out of a Radiohead song, and he delivers an flamboyant ending. The cast is terrific, and the intimate staging draws you into the action – when I attended, more than a few people felt free to shout their support to this character or that. The fourth wall didn't stand a chance. It's running at the Public Theater through July 3.
3. Eddie Palmieri, the Salsa Spaceman, is a living legend and a genuine New York City icon. Who better to kick off the outdoor music season at Lincoln Center? Palmieri and his orchestra will be performing on Wednesday night, June 1 at The Oasis, a new dance floor installation right smack in the middle of Lincoln Center plaza. The dance floor opens at 6pm, you can get a quick salsa dance lesson at 6:30, and Palmieri gets started at 7:30. Best of all, it's free – make a reservation online starting Tuesday, or just show up.
