Events this weekend include a family-friendly celebration of Native American culture in Queens, Britton Smith‘s newest musical masterpiece on Little Island, and a screening and dance party commemorating the 40th anniversary of “Purple Rain” under the Brooklyn Bridge (and maybe under the cherry moon, too).
Family
Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Powwow
Queens County Farm Museum — 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens (Floral Park)
Friday through Sun.
The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers will commemorate the 45th Annual Grand Mid-Summer Pow Wow this weekend at the Queens County Farm Museum with a mission to involve New Yorkers of all backgrounds and teach about the traditions of indigenous culture, .
One of the largest powwows in the U.S., the three-day event kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. with inter-tribal Native American dance programs and vendors selling authentic indigenous art, crafts, jewelry and food.
Friday and Saturday evening programs will conclude with a bonfire at dusk where audience members will be welcomed into the dance circle.
Over forty Native American nations — including Winnebago, Cherokee, Kiowa, Lakota, Navajo, Santo Domingo, Taino, Rappahannock, and Choctaw — will be represented at this 3-day program. Dancers from across North America will participate in this event.
“Most people think of Native American culture as a thing of the past,” Thunderbird American Indian Dancers director Louis Mofsie, Director stated. “This Powwow showcases a living, developing culture. This is a wonderfully educational and entertaining cultural event.”
Tickets are $12–$18. Three-day passes are available for $24–$36.
Music
“Mama”
Little Island — Pier 55 in Hudson River Park at W. 13th St., Manhattan (Meatpacking District)
Through July 28. Various times.
Triple-threat Britton Smith and his funk liberation band, Britton & The Sting, debut 13 new songs at the waterfront amphitheater alongside the Hudson River.
Co-directed and choreographed by Emmy-winner Ebony Williams, who has worked with Beyoncé, Doja Cat and Alicia Keys, “Mama” promises to be much more than a typical concert performance. The theatrical hybrid has been described as “a sonic adventure [that] embodies the transformative power of water, life, and connection.”
Tickets are $25.
Art
“Balloon Story”
Park Avenue Armory — 643 Park Ave., Manhattan (Upper East Side)
Through Aug. 24.
This fully immersive and interactive exhibition features sculptures by 200 artists containing over 700,000 eco-friendly latex balloons. “Balloon Story” includes blown-up recreations of landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, alongside installations of an underwater seascape and a tropical jungle. There’s also a balloon maze for all ages, a hands-on ball pit, and a selfie square.
Tickets start at $33.90 and $26.90 for kids.
Inside the whimsical Balloon Story pop-up exhibit in NYC
Film
“Purple Rain 40th Anniversary Celebration”
Brooklyn Bridge Park — Pier 3 Plaza at 334 Furman St, Brooklyn (Dumbo)
Fri. July 26, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.
“Purple Rain,” which made Prince an international superstar, is turning 40 this weekend — and Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is marking the occasion with a free screening and dance party paying tribute to the Purple One, who died in 2016 at 57. Before the rock musical drama lights up the big screen at sundown, a local DJ will spin Prince’s biggest hits.
Directed and co-written by Albert Magnoli, “Purple Rain” — poised to soon become a Broadway musical — tells the story of a Minneapolis-based musician dealing with difficulties at home, musical rivalry and a burgeoning romance.
Free.
Theater
“The Wiz”
Marquis Theatre — 210 West 46th St. Manhattan (Times Square)
Through Aug. 18. Various Times
There are just a few more weeks to catch the Broadway revival of “The Wiz.”
Currently starring in the titular role, Alan Mingo, Jr. replaced Emmy winner Wayne Brady in the role last month and has proved to be an absolute standout since. Filling those big shoes is old hat for the Broadway veteran, who also stepped in for Brady in “Kinky Boots” back in 2016.
Although the latest incarnation of the 1975 “Super Soul Musical” was shut out of the 2024 Tony Awards, “The Wiz” has proven to be a box office success, grossing over $1 million a week. The production is scheduled to resume its national tour at the top of next year.
Tickets start at $79.95, with $45 rush tickets/digital lottery also available.
BROADWAY REVIEW: ‘The Wiz’ revival is cause for celebration
Dance
Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE
Lena Horne Bandshell — 141 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn (Prospect Heights)
Fri. July 26, 7 p.m.
The Brooklyn-based dance company performs a mixed repertoire for the 2024 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival.
The namesake choreographer, who triumphantly returned to the stage earlier this year after suffering a stroke in 2021, will showcase several works blending traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word.
Free.
Free
“Rhapsody for This Land: The American Odyssey in Music”
Emily Warren Roebling Plaza — Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn (Dumbo)
Sat. July 27 at 6 p.m.
NPR’s “Amplify” host and classical pianist Lara Downes (center) has curated an outdoor concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Grammy winners Christian McBride, Rosanne Cash, John Leventhal and Arturo O’Farrill, string trio Time for Three, Orchestra Elena and conductor Aram Demirjian are along for the ride as Downes performs the New York City premiere of Edmar Colón’s arrangement of the 1924 jazz composition.
The event, hosted by former MTV News anchor Alison Stewart, also marks the centennial of New York’s public radio station, WNYC.
According to organizers, the show will also feature music popularized by Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and others “celebrating the long history of hope, protest, and change as expressed through American music.”
Free.
If you have an upcoming weekend event you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming roundup, please email: [email protected] with the details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.
