By Tracy Zwick
It’s Superbowl Weekend! Whether you’re a fan of the Eagles, the Chiefs, Taylor Swift, or Kendrick Lamar, and even if your main interest is the year’s best commercials, let us know in the comments where you’ll be watching. In your non-game time, consider checking out a world-class high school talent show, listening to award-winning jazz at Columbia’s Miller Theater, or sketching at the Wallach Gallery.
Let’s Weekend!
February 7th to 9th, 2025
“Story of Our Lives” – LaGuardia High School for the Arts’ Annual “Rising Stars” Talent Show, February 7th to 9th, 100 Amsterdam Avenue at West 65th Street in the Concert Hall at LaGuardia Arts High School; Friday & Saturday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday at 2 p.m., $30 tickets here
This may be the best high school talent show in the country and you can catch it in evening and matinee performances this weekend. In just the last ten years or so, you could have caught a young performer named “Little Timmy Tim,” who’s now better known as two-time Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet, working out his material in this talent show. Same for Lola Tung, the star of Amazon’s hit series “The Summer I Turned Pretty” who also starred in “Hadestown” on Broadway last year, and Tony and Grammy Award-nominee Michaela Diamond, who starred opposite Ben Platt in “Parade” and will next feature in Ryan Murphy’s new FX series “Grotesquerie.” I’ll be there to check out tomorrow’s stars of stage and screen, and to support this terrific public school. Proceeds go to the school’s hard-working Parents Association.
Wallach Sketch Session, Saturday February 8th from 3 to 4 p.m.; 615 West 129th Street, 6th Floor; free
Last week in this column we discussed the opening of Rubén Ortiz-Torres: Zonas de Colaboración. If you haven’t seen the show yet, don’t fret – it’s up through March 16th. This weekend, the gallery’s offering an opportunity to not only visit the show, but sketch in the galleries. Enjoy an afternoon of observational drawing inside the exhibition. This session is geared towards adults with materials provided on-site. No previous drawing experience is necessary.
Billy Childs Quartet at Miller Theater, Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 p.m.; 2960 Broadway at Columbia University (116th Street); tickets start at $10
Though modest in size with just 700 seats, the Miller Theater at Columbia has had a transformative impact on NYC’s musical culture in the 35-plus years since its opening concert. Whether you’re already a regular or if you’ve never heard of the place, this would be a great weekend to find yourself there. Eight-time Grammy Winner, American composer Billy Childs will be joined Saturday night by a jazz quartet including Sean Jones on trumpet, Matt Penman on bass, and Ari Hoenig on drums.
I’m in for the LaGuardia show if I am quick enough to get tickets. Will they film it for those of us who can’t get in? Please comment. Other than that, a bit of exercise before being the ultimate couch potato for the Super Bowl festivities.
not watching the game
Is the Rising Stars show the same all 4 performances? Or do different kids perform in different shows? They have so many talented students thinking it might be hard to fit them all in at once.