New York Hits The High Note with Musical Venues (c) By Polly Guerin

The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts
Music, Music everywhere at distant shores, French musical singers in the garden, Haitian dancers and artists' talks headline events with last chance to see Picasso. August opens on a high note of entertainments. Here’s the scoop!!!

THE DISTANT SOUND…Franz Schreker’s opera with the American Symphony orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein takes center stage at the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College and what a performance!!! The lush, sumptuous music introduces a riveting Venetian bordello with 1930’s style Vegas showgirls and Grete the star courtesan with a huge orchestra, sizable chorus and large cast. It tells the tragic story of Fritz, a composer who forsakes Grete, his beloved, for the sound that is a distant echo of her presence. Leaving her she ascends as the star of the bordello, only to descend into the depths of despair as a streetwalker. Wednesday August 4 at 3pm or August 6 at 7pm. Tickets 845.758.7900 www.fishercenter.bard.edu.
HEAR FRANCE AT MOMA

Summer nights a la Francaise begin Thursday, Aug. 5. In celebration of the exhibition Matisse; Radical Invention, popular song-writers draw on various aspects of the “Chanson” heritage with a strong emphasis on literate lyrics. Mocke and Armelle Pioline are the headliners this Thursday and are sophisticated purveyors of the new French genre. Aug. 12th Pascal Parisot and Fredda’s music mixes classical French songs, Latin Beats and Brazilian harmony. In the Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture garden in two sets 5:30 and 7 p.m. but do arrive early to get a seat, these are very popular venues. www.moma.org.
HAITIAN RHYTHMS

Art and entertainment celebrates Brooklyn’s Haitian community Saturday, August 7th , a FREE Target First Saturday event. The performances run all day with the Peniel Guerrier and Tabboula dance troupe, Le Troupe Makandal’s Haitian drumming represents Haiti’s history and Pierre Francillon’s artist talk responds to the works in the exhibition Andy Warhol. Films and a dance party light up the night. www.brooklynmuseum.org
ONLY 3 WEEKS REMAIN:

To see the exhibitions Picasso and American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity both on view through August 15th at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The American Woman is a show within a show, an extraordinary review of fashions with spectacular illustrated backgrounds with images of each era and film clips to augment the fashion images and movie star icons. Not to be missed!!! PICASSO, offers an unprecedented opportunity to see one of the most important collections in the world of the artist’s work. www.metmusuem.org.
Ta Ta darlings!!! I think I’ll go to France via MOMA’s garden and listen to “Chanson.” Fan mail always welcome pollytalk@verizon.net. Check out my Blogspot Blogs: http://www.womendeterminedtosucced.blogspot.com and for fashion fans http://www.thefashionhistorianpollyguerin.blogspot.com.