7 things to do in NYC this weekend: March 6-8

Highlights of events this weekend include family-friendly roller skating lessons, the NYC debut of “Grey Arias” and a colorful Holi celebration.

Family

BCM x 4WRD First Fridays

Brooklyn Children’s Museum—145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn (Crown Heights)

Fri. March 6, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Jennifer Scott, who helped take the Black-owned popup skating rink Roller Wave NYC to the next level in 2023, is on a roll with her latest endeavor: 4WRD Roller Skate.

The Brooklyn-based mobile roller skating organization recently partnered with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum to transport its rooftop terrace into a destination where the entire family can skate their hearts out.

On the first Friday afternoon of every month, a personalized team of experienced instructors are assembled to teach the entire family how to find their rhythm, learn their balance and glide in stride.

“This partnership allows me to bring the skating methodology we’ve developed in public schools into a trusted cultural space,” she told The Daily News on Monday.  “It elevates roller skating and increases visibility for the sport and helps build momentum toward its Olympic future.”

East New York-raised Scott shared that last month’s kickoff was a success: “The response was overwhelmingly positive… the parents appreciated our thoughtful approach to teaching kids how to skate.”

People old and young from every skill set can partake in the activity. Admission includes access to all of the necessary equipment, including rental skates, helmets, skate trainers and wrist guards.

Scott added: “This movement is medicine. Through what I call ‘gentle athletics,’ we build confidence because confident kids become confident adults, both on and off the rink.”

Admission is $15.

Comedy

“Cristela Alonzo: The Midlife Mixtape Tour”

NJPAC—1 Center Street, Newark (Downtown)

Sat. March 7, 7:30 p.m.

Comedian Cristela Alonzo, who first gained national attention on “Chelsea Lately” and later through her ABC sitcom “Cristela” and subsequent Netflix specials, is bringing her stand-up tour to the area this weekend.

Blending her brew of observational humor with personal reflections on family, culture and everyday life, the Mexican-American comic has fresh material that reflects on adulthood and self-discovery for her latest show.

Tickets start at $41.60.

Theater

“Grey Arias“

The Flea Theater—20 Thomas St., Manhattan (Tribeca)

Through March 7. Various showtimes.

The acclaimed collaboration between London cabaret star Le Gateau Chocolat and comedian Adrienne Truscott makes its New York premiere for a strictly-limited engagement. The comedic romp — described by Chocolat as “a throughline that connects Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” “The Little Mermaid”, “Annie” and Radiohead” — explores the real-life decades-long friendship between the white American comedian and the Black Nigerian-English drag performer.

Truscott, who co-created the work, referred to “Grey Arias” as “a little bit downtown and a little bit Broadway” that’s perfect for the New York City theater scene: “It’s sophisticated, and queer and twisty and drag-y and a bit triggering, but also has a bonkers, fun finale, which is, you know, sometimes rare in downtown theater!”

Tickets are $36.

Music

RAEL – The Music of Genesis and Peter Gabriel

Sony Hall—235 West 46th St., Manhattan (Times Square)

Fri. March 6, 8:30 p.m.

The musical legacy of Genesis and Peter Gabriel lives on through the New York City-area based tribute band that reproduces music from the years the “Sledgehammer” singer and lead guitarist Steve Hackett were with the pioneering progressive rock and pop band later fronted by Phil Collins.

Group members Lloyd Gold, Michael LaBuono, Mike Belmonte, Paul Sheehan, Sal Locascio and Elaine Gold perform tracks from Genesis albums “Nursery Cryme,” “Foxtrot,” “Selling England by the Pound,” “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” and  Gabriel’s solo hit “In Your Eyes.”

Tickets start at $29.50, plus $20 food & drink minimum. 

Outdoors/Free

Holi Celebration

The Boathouse—101 East Drive, Brooklyn, (Prospect Park)

Sun. March 8, 2:30-4:30pm

Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, is being celebrated by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Prospect Park Alliance and Mixed Masala with a fun afternoon featuring live music performances led by Indofunk Satish, storytelling and Rangoli artmaking.

Pigment powder packets will be available for sale so the entire family can get fully rainbowed in the festival’s traditional throwing of colors. There will be a bonfire and a parade to the Lincoln Road Playground.

Free, with RSVP.

Art

“Gay Harlem Renaissance”

The New York Historical—170 Central Park West, Manhattan (Upper West Side)

Through March 8. Various times.

There’s still a little more time to take a look at LGBTQ+ culture’s impact on The Harlem Renaissance with the must-see exhibition curated by Allison Robinson, Ph.D.

Household names like the writer Langston Hughes, poet Countee Cullen, and blues singers Ma Rainey and Ethel Waters are featured throughout the more than 200 objects, but there are other noteworthy representations through paintings, sculptures, photographs, books, documents and musical recordings.

The expansive collection also includes Richmond Barthé‘s sculpture of singer and nightclub owner Jimmie Daniels, James Van Der Zee‘s 1926 Gelatin silver print “Person in a Fur-Trimmed Ensemble,” William L’Engle’s 1928 watercolor painting “Harlem,” and a famous photograph of drag king pioneer Gladys Bentley.

“The Gay Harlem Renaissance shows that Black LGBTQ+ life was far more visible, accepted, and integrated into the daily life of 1920s Harlem than most people imagine,” chief historian George Chauncey said of the show. “The exhibition takes visitors to the basement speakeasies, rent parties, and drag balls where ordinary queer and straight people built lives together, as well as to the salons of the cultural elite.”

Tickets are $24, discounts available.

Eats

“Salon du Chocolat NYC”

Center 415—415 5th Ave., Manhattan (Midtown)

Sat. March 7 and Sun. March 8. Various times.

A chocolate lover’s dream returns this year in a new venue with events including a star-studded culinary lineup headlined by “Top Chef” judge Gail Simmons and life-sized, wearable gowns made entirely of chocolate. A range of immersive experiences will be on offer. Attendees can sample chocolate, see a live demonstration of a chocolate creation crafted by Chef Ken Goto of Jacques Torres Chocolate and learn about ancient chocolate rituals from technology futurist and self-proclaimed “Chocolate Shaman” Jamie Metzl.

The largest international trade show dedicated to the chocolate and cocoa industry, previously held at the Javits Center, dates back to 1994 in Paris. “From our spectacular new midtown location to the extraordinary talent on our culinary stage, we’re creating an experience that celebrates chocolate’s artistry, innovation and cultural significance at the highest level,” show manager Sharona Sandberg said.

Tickets start at $29.

If you have an upcoming weekend event you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming roundup, please email: nycevents@nydailynews.com with the full listing details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.