New York City is packed with amazing culture and inspiring art, but sometimes it’s difficult to break the Morningside-bubble and experience it all first-hand. “Where Art Thou” is a weekly guide to interesting and notable lectures, events, and performances for the literary/musically/theatrically-inclined on campus.
Monday, April 24th
- Hybrid Arts Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble: Spring 2017 Concert, 8:00 PM, 112 Dodge Hall – Free and open to the public
Wednesday, April 26th
- Midday Music featuring Alec Hon and Dean Deng, cello and piano duo, 12:00 PM, Garden Room 2 at Faculty House – Alec Hon and Dean Deng will be performing a program D. Shostakovich: Sonata for Cello and Piano in d minor, Op. 40S and Prokofiev: Sonata for Cello and Piano on C Major, Op. 119 – Free and open to the public
- Marco Fusi: violin, viola, viola d’amore, 7:00 PM, The Italian Academy – “Marco Fusi is an Italian violinist and violist and a passionate advocate for the music of our time. Among many collaborations with established and emerging composers, he has recently premiered works by Billone, Scelsi, Sciarrino, Eötvös, Cendo, and Ferneyhough.” – Free and open to the public
- Klezmer Ensemble: Spring Concert 2017, 8:00 PM, 112 Dodge Hall – Free and open to the public
Thursday, April 27th
- KCST Presents: As You Like It, 8:00 PM, Northwest Corner Building and Pupin Plaza – “Join King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe as they travel from Duke Frederick’s oppressive court into the Forest of Arden. The adventure begins at Pupin Plaza each night!” – Free, no tickets required; additional shows starting at 11:45 PM on April 28th and 8 PM on April 29th
- A Beautiful Country, 8:00 PM, Lerner Black Box – “For its spring production, Columbia Blue Glaze Theatre is proud to present A Beautiful Country, a play written by the Singaporean American playwright Chay Yew. Incorporating tragicomic scenes, video, dance, and first-person testimonials, the play chronicles the turbulent history of Asian America, drifting from the aching memories of Angel Island to the loss and melancholy experienced by the Asian diaspora in the present day. Through the eyes of Miss Visa Denied, a transgender performer who struggles to come to terms with their non-binary identity, Yew dramatizes America’s contradictory messages regarding race, gender, and orientalism. At its core, the play seeks to examine the fundamental questions regarding the immigrant experience—what does it mean to be an American, and what would it take to finally become one?” – Tickets $8 with CUID
Friday, April 28th
- COLAB presents SUITED, 8:00 PM, Glicker-Milstein Theatre – “SUITED draws from Mosko and Silverman’s shared interest in movement, empirical inquiry, and social awareness. Created during a period of transition and uncertainty in the choreographers’ lives and the world around them, SUITED explores the intermingling between structure and disarray. Using playing cards as a set design, the piece examines relationships between organization, chance, and chaos. Simultaneously, it juxtaposes physicality and sensitivity through an investigation of group dynamics in an intimate space. The resulting dance—a piece for six women—uses these concepts to delve into the perceptions and expectations of femininity inside a divisive but also inclusive modern world.” – Tickets $5 with CUID, additional shows at 2 PM and 8 PM on Saturday, April 29th
- The 123rd Annual Varsity Show, 8:00 PM, Roone Arledge Auditorium – “The Varsity Show, founded in 1894, is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University, and certainly its oldest performing arts tradition. Its long list of alumni include such distinguished names as Oscar Hammerstein II ’16, Lorenz Hart ’18, Richard Rodgers ’23, and I.A.L. Diamond ’41. Each year, the Varsity Show attracts some of Columbia and Barnard College’s finest actors and creative talents. Founded as fundraiser for Columbia athletics, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of entertaining performances every April/May. Dedicated to producing a unique full-length show that skews and satirizes many dubious aspects of life at Columbia, the Varsity Show is often written and inspired by a long list of contributors, including the cast, production and creative teams.” – Various tickets available here; additional shows at 8 PM on Saturday, April 29th and 2 PM and 8 PM on Sunday, April 30th
Picture from The 123rd Varsity Show’s Facebook