Best of Manhattan 2023: Arts & Culture
| 12 Dec 2023 | 12:14
Comedy Cellar (
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McNally Jackson Books (
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BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP
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York Theatre Company
150 E. 76th Street
212-935-5820
If you have any interest in musicals—and, given their immense importance to 20th century American culture, everyone should have at least some—you have to love the York Theatre Company—where musicals come to life. Founded in 1969 by Janet Hayes Walke, York is dedicated to producing new musicals in their Mainstage series and reviving, lost jewels of the past in their Musicals in Mufti series, which are performed in street clothes. Among York’s recent Mainstage productions have been Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road and The Jerusalem Syndrome: A Musical Comedy of Biblical Proportions, with A Sign of the Times opening in February 2024. To bolster the future of the art form, York has both an active Developmental Reading Series for new works and a Musical Theatre Training Program which brings professionals and students together to further each other’s craft.
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New York City Center
131 W 55th Street
212-581-1212
A mainstay of Manhattan cultural life since 1943, the New York City Center continues to offer vibrant ballet, dance, and theater programs to the masses. Fall and winter 2023 saw the Lyon Opera Ballet, a collaboration of Lucinda Childs, Philip Glass, Sol LeWitt; a revival of Rodgers and Hart’s “Pal Joey” co-directed by Tony Goldwyn and Savion Glover; and a month of performances by the Center’s resident dance company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Upcoming in 2024: “Jelly’s Last Jam” about jazz genius Jelly Roll Morton, Flamenco Festival with the National Ballet of Spain, Martha Graham Dance Company.
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La MaMa
66 East 4th Street
212-254-6468
Founded by Black designer Ellen Stewart in 1961, La MaMa is a legendary and justly venerated name in experimental theatre. The legacy of Stewart, who received a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant in 1985, and died in 2011, at the age of 91—carries on with a wide range of multi-cultural, inclusive, boundary-pushing productions. To view their calendar is to gaze upon a world of possibility—and fun— that few others have imagined. Recent shows have included Rafaella Braga: The Birds Told Me Your Lies; Ashley Chen, Unisson, Rush, Distances & more, and Sasha Velour’s The Big Reveal. LaMaMa also offers rehearsal studios and numerous programs for kids.
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BEST LIVE MUSIC
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Tomi Jazz
239 East 53rd Street
646-497-1254
Not just a music venue, Tomi Jazz combines Japanese food, cocktails and of, course, jazz— a musical form which Japan has long held dear. This isn’t just rhetoric, either, as that nation consistently treats American jazz artists with a reverence they are rarely afforded at home. This same passion for excellence suffuses what can only be called the Tomi Experience—which is a good thing since they don’t take reservations and the lines can be substantial. Once you’re in, however, wow! The Japanese curry rice, the yaki udon, the okonomiyaki are all recommended, likewise sake, cocktails or other, non-alcoholic beverages to taste.
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Club Dizzy / Jazz At Lincoln Center
10 Columbia Circle
212-258-9973
Named in honor of trumpet titan Dizzy Gillespie who, in the early 1940s, was one of the architects of the revolutionary modern jazz form called be-bop, Club Dizzy is one of the world’s most scenic jazz venues. Located on the 5th floor of Time Warner Center with giant glass windows overlooking Columbus Circle, its awe- inspiring view is matched by the quality of its booking. Recent performers have included Ulysses Owens Jr Big Band; the Julliard Jazz Ensemble performing the music of Ornette Coleman; and Mary Stallings and the Emmet Cohen Trio. While one should certainly check other venue’s jazz calendars, if anything at Dizzy’s is of interest, go. Food is pretty good too, not something one can always say about jazz clubs.
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Village Vanguard
178 7th Ave South
212-255-4037
Opened by the Lithuanian-born Jew Max Gordon in 1935, and carried on by his wife, Lorraine until her death, at the age of 95, in 2018, the Village Vanguard is a venue of such world-historical importance, calling it ‘storied’ doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Among the artists who’ve recorded legendary albums here are Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Geri Allen—and that’s just for starters. Run today by the Gordons daughter, Deborah, the Vanguard thankfully survived the uncertainties of early COVID closures to thrive again. Recent performers include Christian McBride’s Inside Straight; Kenny Barron Quintet; and the Kris Davis Trio. Every Monday night, unless they’re touring, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra performs. A must-visit for any New Yorker or jazz-inspired visitor.
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BEST COMEDY CLUB
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Comic Strip Live
1568 2nd Avenue
212-861-9386
Opened in 1976 as the Comic Strip, venues like Comic Strip Live is one of the reasons to live in New York City. Nearly every great comic of the last 50 years– Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Gilbert Gottfried, Chris Rock and dozens more—have taken the stage here. Recent performers have included Reg Thomas, Jason Choi, Marla Schulz, Craig Gass, performing a set of jokes all about the legendary New York City rock band, KISS. For aspiring legends, the club offers its well-known Gladys Open Mics, workshops, and comedy classes.
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West Side Comedy Club
201 W. 75th Street
646-973-1300
Run by Felicia Madison, herself both a comic and a manager of comics, the West Side Comedy Club consistently brings the funny to a neighborhood whose hilarity extends well beyond the beloved Seinfeld. Among the club’s recent performers have been Aditya Shankar, Janice Maffei, Sharief Johnson, Linette Palladino, Ophira Eisenberg, and Chase DuRousseau, Houston’s Funniest Person in 2008. (That’s Texas, not downtown Manhattan.) Frequent open mics provide opportunities to catch tomorrow’s jokes today.
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Comedy Cellar
117 MacDougal Street
212-254-3480
Located in a narrow basement in the heart of Greenwich Village, this renowned venue is iconic for a reason– many reasons, in fact, and stands as a beacon for the neighborhood’s historic cutting edge cultural reputation. No promises but unannounced, big-name drop-ins are frequent, while the regularly scheduled performers are the cream of the craft. Reservations are recommended though standby is possible. For further laughs, check the calendars of the Comedy Cellar’s two other nearby venues, Village Underground and Fat Black Pussycat.
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BEST BOOKSTORE
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Corner Bookstore
1313 Madison Avenue
212-831-3554
A beloved Carnegie Hill institution since 1978, The Corner Bookstore is pretty much the ideal independent local bookstore. Besides the abundant praise its customers heap upon the store, another indication of its quality is its long-term employees—that it even has long term employees distinguishes it. If the Corner Bookstore doesn’t have it, they’ll happily order it, and they even offer delivery to doormen buildings from 59th and 110th Street. There are frequent readings and an excellent kids section too.
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Book Culture
536 West 112th Street
212-865-1588
2915 Broadway
646-403-3000
One of New York’s great bookstores is actually two stores, just two blocks apart in Morningside Heights. How did the neighborhood get so lucky? Its proximity to Columbia University helps, of course, but that’s no guarantee. What Book Culture has done so well is foster a wide-ranging bibliophilic mecca that ranges across all interests, ages, and needs, not just academic, though their attention to university press titles rarely stocked by other stores is exceptional. Between the two stores, Broadway is more geared towards Columbia, while 112th Street has a dedicated children’s department.
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McNally Jackson
4 Fulton Street
One of the great success stories in independent bookselling, McNally Jackson has three Manhattan locations (the others are at 134 Prince Street in Soho and 1 Rockefeller Center) and two in Brooklyn—all are great, and all have top notch kids’ sections too. The Fulton Street store has the most exceptional siting, nearly at water’s edge at the South Street Seaport and functions as a much-valued cultural nexus in a neighborhood which is a tourist mecca, commercial center and an increasingly dynamic residential area all-in-one. Seaport-only bonus: Morgan & Enzo’s Batshit Book Club (that’s really its name), dedicated literature that’s “decadent, debased, degenerate” and McNally Jackson After Hours, a book club for readers who can “read, flirt, sip” at the store’s beer and wine bar.
Founded by Black designer Ellen Stewart in 1961, La MaMa is a legendary and justly venerated name in experimental theatre. The legacy of Stewart, who received a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant in 1985, and died in 2011, at the age of 91—carries on with a wide range of multi-cultural, inclusive, boundary-pushing productions. To view their calendar is to gaze upon a world of possibility—and fun— that few others have imagined. Recent shows have included Rafaella Braga: The Birds Told Me Your Lies; Ashley Chen, Unisson, Rush, Distances & more, and Sasha Velour’s The Big Reveal. LaMaMa also offers rehearsal studios and numerous programs for kids.