Highlights this weekend include Wynton Marsalis’ celebration of Black history and Black women of jazz, Bess Wohl and Whitney White’s critically acclaimed play exploring relationships within the 1970s women’s liberation movement and a free art exhibition paying homage to “black dress.”
There’s also a 24-hour marathon of movies nominated for Best Picture at Sunday’s Academy Awards and Diana Ross returns to Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre.
Music
“Journey Through Jazz Part VII: The JLCO with Wynton Marsalis”
The Appel Room — 10 Columbus Circle, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Feb. 28 and March 1, Various showtimes.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and nine-time Grammy winner Wynton Marsalis are closing out Black History Month and bringing in Women’s History Month with a string of sets showcasing music popularized by legendary female vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Betty Carter, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and Cecile McLorin Salvant.
Led by saxophonists Sherman Irby and Chris Lewis, each performance will feature vocalist Kate Kortum at The Appel Room, an intimate setting with Central Park as its backdrop.
“This is the seventh iteration of the series, which aims to help audiences of all ages appreciate and understand the history of the uniquely American art form of jazz,” Lewis told The Daily News. “We’ll be exploring the impact of what we call the ‘Swing Song Tradition’ — the way that jazz vocalists retained the feeling of the big band in smaller bands.”
Tickets are Pay What You Choose, starting at $20.
Theater
“Liberation”
Laura Pels Theatre —111 West 46th St., Manhattan (Midtown)
Through March 30. Various showtimes.
Tony Award nominees Bess Wohl (“Grand Horizons”) and Whitney White (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding“) have teamed up for a provocative play that is perfectly timed for Women’s History Month.
Starring Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Susannah Flood, Irene Sofia Lucio, Charlie Thurston, Adina Verson and Kristolyn Lloyd, the action centers on what went on behind closed doors during the early days of of the women’s liberation movement in Ohio in 1970.
Seen 50 years later through the eyes of one of the movement’s leaders’ daughters, “Liberation” is a timely production that strikes perfect harmony with strength and passion.
Tickets start at $82, plus fees.
Art
“Black Dress II: Homage”
Pratt Manhattan Gallery—144 West 14th St., Manhattan (Chelsea)
Through March 22. Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
New York Fashion Week may be over but the passion for fashion lives on with this exhibition celebrating famous Black fashion designers and contributions to beauty, journalism and celebrity culture.
“Black Dress II: Homage” expounds upon the renowned art and design college’s groundbreaking “Black Dress” exhibition from 2014.
After a decade of development, Pratt Institute professor Adrienne Jones and her partner Rachelle Etienne-Robinson curated works featuring the likes of the late Patrick Kelly, ’70s trailblazer Stephen Burrows, streetwear pioneer April Walker, “Wicked” costume designer Paul Tazewell and Telfar Clemens, creator of the “Bushwick Birkin.”
Free.
Film
2025 Best Picture Showcase
AMC Empire 25 — 234 W 42nd St., Manhattan (Times Square)
Sat. March 1. Beginning at 12 noon.
Cinephiles who haven’t had the chance to see the Best Picture Oscar nominees on the big screen (or want to see them again) can relish in AMC Theatres’ annual movie marathon.
Leading up to Hollywood’s Biggest Night on Sunday with the 97th Academy Awards, guests can watch 9 of the 10 Best Picture nominees all day long for one price.
Top contender “The Brutalist” kicks off the series followed by Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coming of age story “Nickel Boys.” After a 45-minute break, the theater will screen: Timothée Chalamet’s star turn as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown;” Cinderella story gone bad “Anora;” Demi Moore’s body horror flick “The Substance;” star-studded religious thriller “Conclave,;” sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two;” Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles’ powerful family drama “I’m Still Here” and the wickedly delightful “Wicked.”
Tickets are $35, plus taxes.
Family
“Crankies Take New York!”
Flushing Town Hall—137-35 Northern Blvd. Queens (Flushing)
Through March 2. Various times.
The 19th century art of hand-cranked storytelling can be experienced all weekend with a festival featuring illustrated scrolls inside a box and motioned by hand to create a moving panorama.
Producers describe hand cranking as an “awe-inspiring alternative” in an age dominated by digital screens and modern tech.
“This festival celebrates the timeless power of storytelling, combining traditional techniques with contemporary creativity. Whether you’re new to crankies or a longtime fan, you’ll be transported by the artistry these performances inspire,” Flushing Town Hall artistic chief Ellen Kodadek said.
Tickets start at $15, plus fees. Discounts available.
Dance
“Celebrating Judith Jamison: Fireside Chat with Glenn Allen Sims”
Ailey Citigroup Theater— 405 W 55th St., Manhattan (Hell’s Kitchen)
Fri. Feb. 28, 7 p.m.
Former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member Glenn Allen Sims joins Ailey Extension Director Lisa Johnson-Willingham for a conversation celebrating the legacy of the company’s influential artistic director Judith Jamison, who died late last year at 81.
There’s also a free screening of the eight-part documentary series “Portrait of Ailey,” created by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters with archivist Dominique Singer, immediately following the chat.
Tickets are $15.
Music
“Diana Ross: Celebrating Timeless Classics”
Kings Theatre — 1027 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn (Flatbush)
Feb 28 and March 1, 8 p.m.
If Diana Ross‘ recent sold out show at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is any indication, Brooklyn is in for a treat this weekend when the Queen of Motown puts on a double header this weekend.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who kicked off the opening of the historic theater in 2015, is back to celebrate its 10-year anniversary as part of her “Celebrating Timeless Classics” tour.
Ross, who turns 81 on March 26, will mix the old with the new for a near 75-minute set — performing the No. 1 hits she amassed in the 1960s with The Supremes, and her timeless solo classics of the 70s and 80s, alongside recent music from her 2021 “Thank You” album.
Tickets start at $117.
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 details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.
