free things to do in New York City
Free events for Wednesday, 08/15/12
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on August 15, 2012?

56 free events take place on Wednesday, August 15 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out August 15 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of August . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

56 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, August 15, 2012

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Workshop | Sunrise Tai Chi


Tai chi is a Chinese exercise system that uses slow, smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation of both body and mind. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing. Heavy rain will cancel the event.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 am
Free

Concert | Carrie Underwood, Country Superstar


Since winning American Idol in 2005, Underwood has chalked up no less than eleven number one hits on the country chart. Her latest album is Blown Away.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 am
Free

Tour | National Historic Landmark Tour of Governors Island


Join a National Park Ranger and an array of persons from the past as you explore the island's historic landmark district, which features structures dating back to 1794. In seeing the island historical landmarks, you may get a chance to meet the people who lived and worked in them in their heyday! The tour is approximately 1.5 miles walking with little time for breaks. There is no food, water, or restroom access during these tours, so please plan accordingly. Start times: 10am and 2:15pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Screening | Daily Screenings: Arctic Summer, Part I


For their Celebrating American Nations! series, they present three works from Arctic Canada, two animations and a short documentary on the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Start times: 10:30am and 11:45am.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 am
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
$6

Workshop | Citizen Cartography Workshop


Help NYPL build the geospatial library of the future! This workshop will get you oriented with the a set of tools the Library has developed that enables librarians and the general public to add valuable geographic context to old maps. The workshop will focus on the core activity of the website: georectification, or "warping" maps. This means overlaying digital images of historic maps onto a contemporary digital map (similar to Google Maps), transforming them into tiles of a virtual atlas.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Performance | Write Out Front: A Playwright Happening


Watch emerging and emerged playwrights, book writers and lyricists create new work right in front of your eyes. During two hour time slots, a writer or writer's team will write a new play in the storefront window of with a screen shot of their computer projected behind them, visible to the street. See writers create new worlds, find inspiration and try to avoid Facebook (or not). Come see playwrights from shows coming up or currently playing at venues around town including the NY International Fringe Festival.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour


Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Congressman Ron Paul considers the Federal Reserve "both corrupt and unconstitutional" Tour times: 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:15 am
Free

Workshop | Elements of Nature Drawing


Enjoy drawing in the parks and gardens with an artist/educator. Materials provided. For adults.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Dance Performance | Downtown Dance Festival 2012


The 31st Annual Downtown Dance Festival is New York City’s longest-running public dance festival and is Battery Dance Company’s gift to its home community. International highlights this year include Sri Warisan, a 15-member troupe from Singapore that is known for its authentic presentation of Malay ethnic dance, music and theater; Vanaver Caravan, the dance and music ensemble from New Paltz performing a tribute to Woody Guthrie on the legendary American folk musician’s centenary year; Philadelphia-based Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, and ten New York companies showcasing various genres ranging from modern ballet to fusion.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
Free

Park Walk | Garden Tour


Experience the Park's only formal garden with the Garden staff. See exuberant perennial and annual beds, and delight in an abundance of color and fragrance while learning about the Garden's history and design.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Concert | Opera in the Square


A performance by the Opera Collective, whose mission is to make opera accessible and affordable to the general public by presenting engaging events of vocal music, including opera, art song, operetta and musical theater.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
Free

Tour | U.S. Customs House Building Tour


Museum Ambassadors provide a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Tour | National Monument Tour


Get an in-depth look at the two historic forts that compose the Governors Island National Monument. These tours will take you through all the historic nooks and crannies of Fort Jay and Castle Williams. As part of this tour, visitors will be escorted into the interior and to the roof of Castle Williams, which has never before been open to the public. The tour is approximately 2/3 of a mile walking, and there is no food, water, or restroom access available. Please plan accordingly.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:15 pm
Free

Film | Ron Clements & John Musker's Oscar Nominee The Princess and the Frog (2009): Disney Animation


With Anika Noni Rose, Keith David and Oprah Winfrey. A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young woman named Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. 97 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:15 pm
Free

Author Reading | 2 Writers: Katie Kitamura / Hari Kunzru


Perfect author pair Katie Kitamura, NYPL Young Lions fiction finalist and author of Gone to the Forest: A Novel, coupled with hubby Hari Kunzru, Granta Magazine titled "20 Best British Novelists" and his book Gods Without Men. Hosted by Deputy fiction Editor of New Yorker magazine, Cressida Leyshon.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Tour | Grand Central Terminal Tour


Tour of this magnificent Beaux-Arts landmark.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
$10 suggested donation

Jazz | Victor Lin, Jazz Pianist


Victor Lin is a former student of jazz legend Kenny Barron. He is currently a jazz music instructor at Columbia University, Teachers College, and The Calhoun School.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Tour | “The Castle and its Kingdom” Tour


Take a walk around the lands dominated by the Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit the tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature. Tour is approximately one hour.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Infinity of Nations Guided Tour


Emily gives a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
$6

Screening | Daily Screenings: IndiVisible


In conjunction with the exhibition “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas,” they present two documentaries that explore the history, culture and contemporary reality of people who share African American and Native American ancestry. Start times at 1pm and 3pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Jazz | Midtown Jazz


A jazz concert for the midtown community. These popular midday concerts feature well-regarded artists. The programming is overseen by jazz pianist Ronny Whyte.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
$10 suggested donation

Workshop | Featured Library Database: Freegal Music


Hands on using wireless laptops. Learn how to download three free songs a week from Freegl Music, which provides access to the catalog of artists in Sony Music Entertainment. All you need are your library card barcode, your PIN number, and a flash drive to save your downloads in.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free

Workshop | Figure al Fresco Drawing


Learn figure drawing outdoors with a clothed model and an artist/educator. Materials provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Stay Well Exercise


Join us for a free Stay Well exercise session. Stay Well volunteers certified by the NYC's Department for the aging will lead participants in a well-balanced series of exercises for seniors of all ability levels. Please wear loose comfortable clothing. Exercise equipment will be provided. All participants are required to sign a personal medical waiver at the beginning of the class.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Tour | U.S. Customs House Building Tour


Museum Ambassadors provide a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Volleyball Clinic


Sharpen your skills with knowledgeable instructors who will cover the fundamentals of beach volleyball in this series of free, public clinics. More advanced techniques including serving, setting, spiking, passing and ball control, and diving and rolling drills will also be reviewed. 3:00 - 4:30 is for children under the age of 16. 4:30 - 6:00 is for adults.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | An Absurd Vice


"Overlove/Underpass" brings energy and wonder to the understated beauty of this architectural thoroughfare. Fruit wielding goddesses oversee the pulse of daily life while fierce improvisers inscribe the splayed space. This new group work includes 12 dancers and envelopes three duets from Catherine Gallant's critically acclaimed meditation on romantic love, "An Absurd Vice." Artist's Bio: Catherine Gallant has been creating dance in traditional venues and alternative sites for more than 30 years. Gallant's work often explores themes of chance, doubt and the body as a source of comfort and torment. She has received funding for her choreography from the Harkness Foundation for Dance, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Trust, among others. She holds a BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory and an MFA from Temple University. Gallant leads workshops for Dance Education Laboratory and is a full time NYCDOE Dance Educator at PS 89 in Lower Manhattan.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Performance | Comedy: Recess


House Team members take a break from the norm. Come and watch as they play and explore new forms during recess.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Daniel Powter performs from his CD Turn on the Lights


Daniel Powter will be performing and signing autographs. People started listening - in the tens of millions - in 2006, when Powter's song "Bad Day" became a worldwide smash, one that Billboard named the top Hot 100 song of that year.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Talk | Summer Career Management: Gearing up for Fall


Win Sheffield shows you how to assess where you are in your career planning and identify steps for moving ahead.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Jazz | The Joonsam Lee Quartet, Jazz Band


Music to start the end of your day Bassist and composer Joonsam Lee teams up with the most creative improvisers and Korean traditional instrumentalists to perform original jazz compositions.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Volleyball After Work


Summer’s here! Time to play! Leave your workday behind and join other adults for good-natured, fun, and cooperative pick-up games of volleyball. Everyone gets to play! Participants can also learn the basic rules and strategies of volleyball. Scorekeeper and volleyballs are provided. No experience is necessary.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Checkmate 101


Brooklyn chess instructor Zebedee Collins is back to teach skills and strategies to help you take your game to the next level! Best for beginning players; limited boards available.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Slide Lecture | Daisy Martinez discusses her book Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night; Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes


Growing up in her mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens, the author became an expert in traditional Latin-American cuisine. In this illustrated lecture, she “Daisifies” those classics and includes a hearty sampling of dishes from her travels across Spain, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Argentina.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Park Walk | History Tour: Harbor Connections


Discover the multitude of ways the park has played a role in the history of transportation to and from this city. From tugboats to underwater subway tunnels, the Bush terminal nearby Pier 35, the park’s footprint has many stories to tell. Guide: Kathleen Hulser, Historian.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Photography: E. Tammy Kim's 11 Allen Street: Chinatown Residents Fighting for the Right to Remain in Their Homes


This exhibit documents the tenants of 11 Allen Street, a building in Chinatown whose landlord is attempting to evict all of the Chinese immigrant tenants from their home of more than 20 years. But the tenants are fighting back against displacement, as these powerful black-and-white photos demonstrate.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Theater | Summer Salon: Laura Caufield's Persepective Coward


Perspective Coward is an original show using Noël Coward's music and words to give a glimpse of his life from his uniquely witty perspective. Featuring Jason Burrow, Matthew Cleaver, Susan Molloy & Ethan Paulini.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Yoga - Evening Salute to the Sun


End your day with relaxing Hatha yoga in a beautiful sunset setting. Suitable for all fitness levels. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring your own mat.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Author Reading | Actress Molly Ringwald discusses her book When It Happens to You


Molly Ringwald mines the complexities of modern relationships in this gripping and nuanced collection of interlinked stories. Writing with a deep compassion for human imperfection, Ringwald follows a Los Angeles family and their friends and neighbors while they negotiate the hazardous terrain of everyday life—revealing the deceptions, heartbreak, and vulnerability familiar to us all.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Concert | Bachata with Henry Santos


Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Henry Santos has helped the bachata group, Aventura achieve phenomenal international success as a singer and composer. His compositions have secured Aventura as one of the most recognizable names in bachata music worldwide, catering to young Latinos in the US as well as audiences across Europe and Latin America.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Book Club: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn


WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Michael Grunwald reads from his book The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era


Journalist Michael Grunwald, George Polk Award-winner for national reporting, makes the case that Obama's stimulus package was pivotal in the short term to saving the economy and in the long term to achieving lasting change.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Film | Rudolph Maté's D.O.A. (1950): Finding His Own Murderer


With Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton and Luther Adler. Frank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why. 83 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | Samuel Popkin reads from his book The Candidate: What it Takes to Win - and Hold - The White House


There are two winners in every presidential election campaign: The inevitable winner when it begins--such as Rudy Giuliani or Hillary Clinton in 2008--and the inevitable victor after it ends. Popkin explains the difference between them.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Screening | Documentary: Macarena Aguiló's The Chilean Building (2010)


It's a story never before documented: While their parents battled the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, a group of children were raised in Europe, safely and communally. The 20 adults who supervised "Project Home" saw over sixty children through to adulthood, children whose mothers and fathers-militant MIR members-fought in their homeland to fight for freedom, many never to be seen again. In The Chilean Building, patriotic duty took another form-childcare rather than warfare-as these adoptive, communal parents assumed responsibility for their charges for years to come. 99 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
$10 suggested donation

Screening | French Cinema: Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy (2010)


In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged British writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. While there, a chance question reveals something deeper. 106 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Koresh Dance Company / BalletX / Dancin’ Downtown at The Joyce Contest Winner


In 1991, Artistic Director Roni Koresh founded Koresh Dance Company (pictured) in Philadelphia. Twenty years later, the company has become one of the city’s most respected dance companies. Roni has developed a vast repertoire of work and has been celebrated locally, nationally and internationally. His Israeli heritage continues to differentiate the company and the raw passion that is infused into his movement leaves audiences dazzled year after year. Philadelphia-based BalletX is recognized locally and nationally as a cutting-edge, contemporary ballet company. BalletX reflects the vision of its award-winning cofounders and artistic directors, Matthew Neenan and Christine Cox, whose shared passion for dance is rooted in classical ballet. Reviewers agree that BalletX brings a contemporary sensibility to the art form, infusing its work with a new vision of athleticism, emotion, and intimacy. Dancin’ Downtown at The Joyce is a collaboration between Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA) and The Joyce Theatre. Dance studios are adjudicated by top names in the dance world with the award winner performing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free

Film | Oscar-Nominated French Film: Sylvain Chomet's TheTriplets of Bellville (2003)


When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him. 80 min. Pack a picnic, bring a friend and settle in. Open Captioned.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Theater | Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine's Into the Woods, the Broadway Smash


A witch's curse condemns the Baker and his Wife to a life without children. They embark on a quest to find the four items required to break the spell: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. Will they succeed? And what happens after "happily ever after?" A masterpiece by musical theater giants Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Into the Woods is a witty and irreverent reimagining of beloved classic fairytales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Featuring Amy Adams, Jack Broderick, Gideon Glick, Cooper Grodin, Ivan Hernandez, Tina Johnson, Josh Lamon, Jessie Mueller, Donna Murphy, Laura Shoop, and Tess Soltau.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Film | Glenn Ficarra & John Requa's Crazy, Stupid Love (2011): Midlife Start-Over


Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore. A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars. 118 min. Movie starts at dusk.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 pm
Free

Performance | Gandhi, Is That You? Comedy Show


Stand-up comedy show (that has been featured on MTV, and that fills to standing-room only each week). The show is produced by Brendan Fitzgibbons (The Onion, McSweeney's) and Lance Weiss (Carolines on Broadway) with comedians from David Letterman, Vh1, MTV, The Onion, and Comedy Central. Free pizza!
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free

Concert | Walker Lukens, Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter


Walker Lukens has spent 2012 on tour bringing the sounds of his Year of the Dog EP all over The United States and western Europe. Using minimal instrumentation (guitar and looped-vocals,) his songs deconstruct rock, folk and hip-hop and represent them in boldly original style. As one reviewer recently put it, YOTD is an unexpected collage of electronic fuzz, spluttering, machine gun beat box, mournfully harmonized vocal loops and primordial guitar riffs." He will be doing several new covers for the shows.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
No cover

Performance | Comedy: Unlikely Allies Live!


Unlikely Allies is a government-sanctioned crime deterrent troop of combat specialists who at some point burned out and started writing sketches. Prior to their CIA inductions they were New York based comedians and role-playing enthusiasts. It’s all very complicated. And scripted in 2-3 minute story beats.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 pm
$5

Performance | Comedy :Improdome


Stretch your improv muscles in the longest running free improv jam in New York! Hosted by the duo of Julia Morales and Oscar Montoya.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 pm
Free
Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Play | Drama with Broadway Actors

Regular Price: $77
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Play | A Play with Tony Nominated Director

Regular Price: $60.55
CFT Member Price: $0.00
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