With the summer fast approaching and school ending, there are more opportunities to take advantage of the cultural scene in New York City. From Broadway to museums to outdoor recreation, the city is full of things to do now that everyone is done studying for exams. Here are some of the highlights for the next few months:
- Central Park SummerStage. Every summer, Central Park brings a series of free concerts spanning a variety of genres to Rumsey Playfield. This year, the outdoor venue’s programming for its festival of the arts will include the John Butler Trio, Counting Crows, Beck, Neon Trees, and more music, dance, and theater performances.
- Shakespeare in the Park. This beloved and well-known summer tradition is coming back to Central Park once more. This summer’s productions are Much Ado About Nothing (June 3rd-July 6th), starring Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe, and King Lear (July 22nd-August 17th), starring John Lithgow as the tragic king. Free tickets are available either by waiting in line at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater or by entering a lottery online.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art. One can spend days at the Met without managing to see all of the treasures it offers. But in addition to its permanent galleries, a new exhibition is coming to the Met featuring paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite movement of the nineteenth century, including works by artists such as Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This exhibit opens on May 20th and will remain open until October 26th.
- American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center. ABT returns to the Met Opera from May 12th to July 5th with some classic ballets, including Don Quixote, Cinderella, Giselle, Swan Lake, and more. Rush tickets are available for all of these breathtaking performances, so that even students on a budget can enjoy the beauty of ABT’s ballets.
- Of Mice and Men, Broadway. Based on John Steinbeck’s famous novel of 1937 about two migrant ranch workers who are constantly on the move as they search for new job opportunities during the Great Depression, this show stars James Franco, Chris O’Dowd, Leighton Meester and Jim Norton and is in Longacre Theater until July 27th. Rush tickets are available on the day of the show at the box office.
- Morgan Library & Museum, special exhibitions. The Morgan, a convenient five minute walk from Stern, has constantly rotating exhibits. Some of the highlights this summer will include an exhibit of Romantic Landscape paintings of British and German artists, and a collection of first editions, manuscripts and letters from some of America’s greatest writers, including Henry James, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Allen Ginsberg, Ernest Hemingway, J. D. Salinger, Gertrude Stein, John Steinbeck, and Tennessee Williams.
- Broadway in Bryant Park. Every summer, the casts of New York City’s hottest Broadway and off-Broadway musicals come to Bryant Park with free performances that are open to everyone so you can hear this season’s most popular casts without having to spend a penny. Visit Bryant Park every Thursday from July 10th to August 14th, 12:30-1:30 pm, to get your Broadway fix. Details about who is performing each week will be announced in early June on Bryant Park’s website.
With finals coming to an end soon, take advantage of these and more cultural opportunities, of which there are plenty in New York City. Have fun!