Tim Anderson “Primo Levi” (2008)
FALLING BODIES The “Reflections” series at the Rubin Museum continues with the NY premiere of “Falling Bodies,” an original work of music-theatre. The show integrates actors (including the superb Bill Camp) and musicians in an imagined meeting between the 17th-century “founder of modern science” Galileo Galilei and the 20th-century Italian poet-scientist Primo Levi. Dropping balls from the Tower of Pisa, watching soccer, the two ponder their own searches for the truth during lives marked by inquisition and despair, the price one often pays for survival, and the restorative power of art. Sunday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. $20 (which includes museum admission). Rubin Museum of Art. 150 W. 17th St. (at 6th Ave.) 212-620-5000 ext. 344, ninecircles.org.
The Judgment of Paris Following the show’s acclaimed stint at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, this marks the NY debut of a play inspired by the Greek myth “The Judgment of Paris.” The piece tells an epic story of lust, love, and tragedy, illustrating the events that led to Paris’s fateful decision to award Aphrodite the golden apple in exchange for Helen of Troy, sparking the Trojan War. Written, conceived and choreographed by Austin McCormick, the performance fuses theater, dance, music, and cabaret, for a wildly bawdy and energetic show. Jan. 8-Feb. 1. Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. & Sun. at 2 p.m. $20-35. Ages 16+. The Duo Theater. 62 E. Fourth St. (betw. 2nd Ave. & Bowery). 212-868-4444, CompanyXIV.com.
Stay Over “Stay Over” is a comedy about what can happen to you when trying to make up after an infidelity. Mark and Michelle, a 30-something couple, are settling in for an affectionate reconciliation on a snowy night in New York. Mark’s a bit of a rake, and Michelle had allowed him an outside affair in the hopes that he would get it out of his system. She relents on her tolerance when Lilly, the younger dancer that Mark had dallied with, bursts into their apartment out of the snow, hoping to stay for the night. January 8-31. $15. Theater for the New City. 155 First Ave. (at 10th St.) 212-254-1109, theaterforthenewcity.net. stayoverplay.com.
PARSONS DANCE/East Village Opera Co. Parsons Dance presents a stunning collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company, featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. David Parsons, Tyley Ross (lead male vocalist and co-founder of EVOC) and Ann Marie Milazzo (lead female vocalist) have created a storyline that connects EVOC’s signature operatic arias (15 songs from the band’s albums) with original choreography. The work is a thoroughly modern re-telling of a classic story of a tragic love triangle, with contemporary dance, aerial dance, live and recorded music, video projections, complex digital lighting, and beautiful visual effects, Jan. 6-18. $19-59. The Joyce. 175 Eighth Ave. (at 19th St.) 212-242-0800, joyce.org.
Courtesy of the Hernández family
Esequiel Hernández, who was killed at 18 by a marine in 1997.
The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez Through the story of Esequiel Hernandez, the first citizen shot by the military on U.S. soil since Kent State, filmmaker Kieran Fitzgerald explores U.S.-Mexico border control. Hernandez, mistaken for a drug runner, was in fact tending to his family’s goats. Narrated by Tommy Lee Jones (whose film “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” was inspired by the Hernández shooting), the film features accounts from marines on the fatal mission; Hernandez’s family and friends; FBI investigators; and defense attorneys. This hour-long movie is followed by a roundtable discussion. This is the third screening in the Museum’s ongoing collaboration with POV Films, and the past two sparked excellent post-screening dialogues, so expect the same here. Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Free. Tenement Museum Shop. 108 Orchard St. (at Delancey). 212-982-8420. For reservations, email events@tenement.org.
