Music The Constantines’ most recent album, “Tournament of Hearts,” takes their anthemic rock down a notch and exposes a subtler side to this Ontario quintet. Instead of high-octane pop-punk, “Tournament” builds tension through droning guitar chords and whispery vocals in a number of hard-as-nails ballads. It’s a surprisingly passionate album, considering their songs’ subjects—from nurses to hotline operators—are often prosaic. (“Working Fulltime,” in fact, was inspired by that chronicler of working stiffs, Studs Terkel.) See them live Sunday, November 6 at Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. between Bowery and Chrystie (212-533-2111; boweryballroom.com).
Theater An historic and intellectual crossroads recreated as an unlikely bit of comedy, Itamar Moses’ “Bach at Leipzig,” originally performed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, right, turns the stage of the New York Theatre Workshop into 1722 Germany, as seven world-renowned musicians compete for the eminent position of organmaster—one of Europe’s most elite titles. Moses envisions the competition as a riotous, down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred scramble for power between these cutthroat artists as all seven bribe, blackmail and betray each other all in the name of fame and fortune. Tickets $60. Through December 18. New York Theatre Workshop, 79 East Fourth St., between Second Ave. and Bowery (212-780-9037; www.nytw.org).
Film The first annual CinemaEast Film Festival brings features, shorts, and documentaries from Iran, Turkey, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries to the Quad Cinema this week, from November 4-10. The opening night’s film, “I Love Cinema,” pits rigid religiosity against creative freedom as a movie-mad boy in Cairo circa 1966 struggles to see the films his father abhors. Like many of the 50-plus films presented, it sheds light on life in a corner of the world we rarely see beyond the violent images on CNN. Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., between 5th and 6th Ave. (212-255-8800; quadcinema.com).
Comedy Those who’ve been to one of Moonwork’s “Evenings of Original Works” already know the routine: You line up outside the Greenwich Village Center on Sullivan and wait for the doors to open at 8:30, at which point you buy a ticket, walk across the padded playground and up three flights of stairs to a gymnasium where seats, complimentary beer, and the city’s best alternative comedians await (like Tom Shillue, right). The show is actually a “benefit in disguise” that supports Moonwork’s unique, classical adaptations of Shakespeare’s works. Says artistic director Gregory Wolfe, “We do roughly 15 of these evenings of comedy to raise enough money to produce one of our Shakespeare adaptations. We find it takes roughly 15 comedies to make one tragedy.” Saturday, November 5 at 8:30 PM. Visit moonwork.org for more information.
Benefit Westbeth, the non-profit artists residence in the West Village, is hosting “possibly the largest annual indoor flea market in Manhattan” from Tuesday November 8 through the 13th. Resident artists donate everything from artwork to designer clothes, and the proceeds help beautify downtown New York through projects like flower plantings and restoring historic lamps. This year, however, 50% of the proceeds will benefit the hurricane victims from this year’s monster Gulf storms. Westbeth Underground, 55 Bethune St. between W. 12th and Washington St. Call 212-691-1574 for more information.
