Highlights this weekend include Francesca Harper‘s homage to the history of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s second company, the return of Jessica Sherr’s powerful one-woman Bette Davis show and a tribute to The Slits.
Plus, the Easter Bunny is coming to Macy’s for the first time.
Dance
Ailey II
The Ailey Citigroup Theater — 405 West 55th St., Manhattan (Midtown)
Through April 6. Various showtimes.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s second company’s new season features two programs that pay homage to the past with a nice nod to the future.
Led by artistic director Francesca Harper, the selected works consist of seven ballets choreographed by Ailey, the late Judith Jamison, Baye & Asa and a premiere of Houston Thomas‘ “Down the Rabbit Hole,” inspired by “The Matrix” film franchise.
Harper pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of Ailey II and the artists who paved the way for future generations with “Luminous.”
“For me, legacy is about carrying something forward with urgency,” the Dance Theater of Harlem alum tells The Daily News. “‘Luminous’ embodies this urgency because it is personal. I’ve lived inside this legacy and have experienced its nourishment. I grew up watching Sylvia Waters lead Ailey II with power and grace, and witnessed dancers transform under her tutelage. It is a continuation of her work, of those who guide us towards courage and grace. Mr. Ailey and Ms. Waters founded Ailey II to continue to tell our stories. ‘Luminous’ is my way of adding to that conversation.”
The 23-minute piece features some of the country’s finest young dancers, including Brooklyn native Corinth Moulterie and Jennifer M. Gerken of Houston, with an original composition and vocals served up by rock & soul trailblazer Nona Hendryx.
“I asked Nona …to create the score because she understands what it means to break boundaries while honoring where you come from,” Harper — whose late mother, Denise Jefferson, directed the Ailey School for over 25 years – shared. “I wanted a sound that felt both ancestral and electric, something that pulses with history but still feels immediate. Nona Hendryx embodies that.
Tickets start at $62.25.
Theater
“Bette Davis Ain’t For Sissies”
Triad Theater — 158 West 72nd St., Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Sun. April 6, 5 p.m.
Jessica Sherr doesn’t just have Bette Davis eyes, she has everything else that embodies the late silver screen queen in her one-woman show directed by Drama Desk Award winner Karen Carpenter (of “Love, Loss and What I Wore” fame).
The actress covers a lot of old Hollywood territory in 90 minutes as she offers up an intimate glimpse into the life of the “All About Eve” star — from her four failed marriages and high profile love affairs, to her unpleasant relationship with her daughter and the upset she suffered at the 1939 Oscars.
With credits including “Claws” and “Blue Bloods,” the San Diego-born Scherr has performed as Davis over 450 times, in 30 states and 3 countries. “I’m having as much fun playing this trailblazer as I did back when I started playing her 12 years ago,” she said. “Bette Davis would have been 117 years old this year on April 5. I’m excited to celebrate this Queen of the Silver Screen on her birthday.”
Tickets are $45 with a two drink minimum.
Film
Reel Wild Film Festival
AMC Lincoln Center 13 — 1998 Broadway, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Fri. April 4 and Sat. April 5, Various times.
The Wildlife Conservation Society is helping to kick off Earth Month with a two-day film festival featuring Academy Award-nominated nature films.
Filmmakers, scientists and explorers will engage viewers about the urgency of protecting the planet with screenings, Q&A sessions, cocktail receptions and special family-friendly events.
The world-premiere of Disneynature’s “Sea Lions of the Galapagos” is among the festival’s 14 films, alongside interactive activities with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros, the co-hosts of Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild.”
Tickets are $50, with discounts available.
Art
The Dumbo Projection Project
Manhattan Bridge and Susan Smith McKinney Park, Brooklyn (Dumbo)
Weds – Sun, Dusk to 11 p.m.
Brooklyn’s expansive video art series returns this spring with large-scale projections onto Dumbo’s famous infrastructures.
“Volume, Five, Space,” which launched Wednesday, focuses on all things space-related: what it means to be in a space, to have a space, to be part of a space, and even to be in space.
The selected works shown throughout the month of April include Colombian American artist Juan José Cielo’s “Runway: From the Mars Desert Research Station” and “Does it work on Mars?” on the Manhattan Bridge, and “Letters to Home II, excerpt, by Lafayette, Louisiana’s very own Leonardo Madriz” on the BQE in Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park.
Free.
Music
“Tribute to The Slits”
David Rubenstein Atrium — 1887 Broadway, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Fri. April 4, 7:30 p.m.
Women’s History Month may be over but the celebration continues with this season’s Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series co-curated by Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and Tamar-kali.
This weekend’s line-up includes a free concert showcasing the music of The Slits, the female-led experimental band formed in London during the late 1970s. Keyanna Hutchinson on guitar, Barbara Duncan on percussion, Flora Lucini on bass, and Elenna Canlas on keyboards and vocals will back up several vocalists as they deliver their takes on the punk pioneers’ discography.
Free.
Family
Easter Bunny Visit
Macy’s Herald Square — 151 West 34th St., Manhattan (Herald Square)
Through April 19. Various times.
Here comes Peter Cottontail! For the first time ever, the Easter Bunny will be visiting Macy’s flagship store.
Visitors are invited to hop up for a chance to get their 15 minutes with the Easter Bunny inside the retail giant’s Toys“R”Us shop.
According to a rep, customers will have the opportunity to purchase photo packages during their visit.
Free, with reservations.
Free
“Stranger Inside”
BAM Rose Cinemas — 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn (Fort Greene)
Fri. April 4. 7 p.m.
“The Watermelon Woman” filmmaker Cheryl Dunye‘s acclaimed 2001 drama centers a young, Black masculine lesbian on a mission to become incarcerated to connect with her mother, who is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison.
Co-produced by REM‘s Michael Stipe, “Stranger Inside” served as a career launching pad for “The Chi” star Yolonda Ross. Davenia McFadden, Rain Phoenix, Ella Joyce, Conchata Ferrell and West Coast gangsta rapper Medusa deliver great turns in this raw and gripping portrait of prison life.
The film is a centerpiece of the 2025 NewFest “Queering the Canon: So Obsessed” retrospective series.
Free.
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 details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.
