What They’re Saying: live arts in Brooklyn this week, Dec. 10
Dyker Heights holiday lights. Photo by Paul Frangipane
Comedy @ Lion’s Milk
Stand-Up, Comedy
Lion’s Milk, 104 Roebling St., Williamsburg
Thursday, Dec. 12 @ 7:30 p.m.
One of Williamsburg’s staple coffee shops is extending its hours and opening a comedy and event space, with the announcement of their inaugural stand-up show this Thursday. The café, showcasing Turkish light-bites and an NFT-themed interior, will also have wine and beer available onsite.
This show will feature comedians Pat Burtscher, Mohanad Elshieky, Max Higgins, Daniela Mora and Chloe Radcliffe and will be hosted by Luke Strathmann. Doors open at 7 p.m. and early-birds will be treated to a free drink! Lion’s Milk is also available to book for future events.
“Lion’s Milk Cafe boasts that its coffee is freshly roasted straight from Colombia, and its pastries come directly from Balthazar. So, even if the crypto-themed ambiance does not draw you in, the top-notch coffee and pastries alone make it worth a visit.” — Ayotomiwa Oladotun, BeInCrypto.com
“Lion’s Milk is my go-to for the best Turkish pastries and baked goods in town. Enjoy matcha latte and baklava in a cozy, pet-friendly atmosphere — yes, you can bring your dogs! With the coolest and friendliest owner, the vibe here is absolutely perfect. Come by for a chill hangout with delicious treats and great company!” — Circle
The Hard Nut @ BAM
Dance, Music, Performance
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene
Thursday, Dec. 12 to Sunday, Dec. 22
The Mark Morris Dance Group’s vibrant reimagining of “The Nutcracker” returns to BAM this holiday season, offering a fresh, retro-modern twist on the classic ballet. This production shifts the story from the 1890s to the swinging 70s, complete with raucous parties, dancing G.I. Joes and whimsical costumes.
Mark Morris’ lyrical choreography and Tchaikovsky’s full score will be performed live by the MMDG Music Ensemble, creating a dazzling spectacle recommended for audiences six and older. BAM calls it a “colorful retelling, which playfully preserves the warm spirit of an essential holiday tradition.”
“Set in a cartoonish swinging seventies, it is deliciously tacky and crass, irreverent about traditional gender roles, bourgeois values and much else. But the wit often transforms into wonder; the snowflakes toss their own snow in handfuls, which is at first amusing, then amazing. The musicality and choreographic construction are seriously delightful, and the whole thing radiates holiday warmth and communal love.” — Brian Seibert, The New Yorker
“Waves of happy laughter greet ‘The Hard Nut’ from curtain-up to curtain-down, a tribute to the naughty theatrical brilliance of its choreographer, Mark Morris. His production, which turns 25 next month and which returned on Saturday for the first time in five years to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, feels mint-fresh. I witnessed early performances in 1991; in some ways it’s improved.” — Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times
“Endangered Eating” Experience @ Old Stone House
Reading, Discussion, Food & Drink
Old Stone House of Brooklyn, 336 3rd St., Park Slope
Friday, Dec. 13 @ 6:30 p.m.
Join food historian Sarah Lohman and special guests for an evening of storytelling, history and flavors at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn. In celebration of the paperback release of “Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods,” the event will feature readings from the book, a panel discussion with Lohman, Tonya Hopkins (The Food Griot) and “Gravy” podcast producer Otis Gray.
This event also features an audience Q&A and book signings, with mezcal tastings and snacks inspired by the book, including peanuts, popcorn and a featured dish. With excerpts from “Gravy,” discussions about the revival of foods like the Carolina African Runner Peanut and plenty of opportunities to engage, this evening offers a feast for the mind and palate.
“In ‘Endangered Eating,’ culinary historian Sarah Lohman traverses the country learning about the distinct ingredients at risk of being lost. … [The book] gives readers the tools to support community food organizations and producers that work to preserve local culinary traditions and rare, cherished foods before it’s too late.” — Museum of Science
“Delicious adventures aside, the book is also a somber story of disenfranchised people, especially Native tribes whose food traditions suffered under colonization and westward expansion. Development, agricultural runoff and lakes dammed for recreation have pummeled the northern ecosystems where the Anishinaabeg, the Menomini and the Sioux use traditional methods to harvest the wild rice called manoomin.” — Kim Severson, New York Times
Come As You Are: 90s Alternative Holiday Party
Music, Dance, Community
The Brooklyn Monarch, 23 Meadow St., East Williamsburg
Saturday, Dec. 14 @ 10 p.m.
Get ready to relive the 90s at the Come As You Are party, returning to Brooklyn Monarch’s second room for a night packed with alternative hits. DJs Amazin’ A and Kitty will spin all the classics from Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, Green Day, Soundgarden, Garbage and more — plus a touch of pop for good measure. Requests are welcome, so come prepared to dance to your favorites!
Your ticket also grants access to The Black Parade in the main room, an emo and pop-punk celebration you won’t want to miss. With two parties under one roof, it’s the ultimate throwback night for music lovers.
“Come have an amazing time at an indoor/outdoor venue with state-of-the-art sound and lights with in-house food. The Brooklyn Monarch has become a staple in the New York City music scene with a spacious 1000 capacity for our (Main) Room and 350 capacity for the (Side) Room.” — Brooklyn Vegan
“The venue hosts various types of concerts and dance parties so ones experience may differ. … The service was friendly ,from the security checking in to the bar tenders, food bar and coat check, all good. We felt safe partying here.” — Stacy C., Yelp
“What a great venue! There was no bathroom line or wait at the bar. There’s a ton of space to move around and experience the show in a way that feels comfortable. They also have a great outdoor space in the back.” — Alyssa C., Yelp
Crown Heights Film Festival
Film, Community, Festivals
FiveMyles Gallery, 558 St. Johns Pl., Crown Heights
Sunday, Dec. 15 @ 6 p.m.
The Crown Heights Film Festival returns this Sunday with a lineup of 10 powerful short films from local and international filmmakers. This not-for-profit event fosters connections between NYC audiences and global storytellers, showcasing original works from places like Iran, Argentina, France and right here in Crown Heights.
Free and open to the public, the festival often includes post-screening panel discussions with featured filmmakers and actors, creating an engaging space for dialogue. It’s a rare opportunity to experience impactful indie films and support diverse voices in cinema — all in the heart of Brooklyn.
“The Crown Heights Film Festival is a boutique event hosted in the unique art gallery called FiveMyles. Watching a wide array of short films from all over the world in a gallery set the mood for viewing film as art and not just content consumption. The Crown Heights Film Festival organizers, George and Ruby, did a wonderful job programming thematically diverse films, immersing an audience in joy, thought-provoking revelry, and laughter.” — Ashley Gwen Patrick, Film Freeway
“Splendido! is a documentary short that explores the American Dream, it’s dark underbelly and the generational sacrifices it feeds off. Vinnie’s Italian Iron Works is a relic of Brooklyn’s industrial past. An operational workshop that has stood defiant for 63 years now surrounded by multi-million dollar brownstones in the heart of Cobble Hill as gentrification lurches to its front door. Now, aged 87, and after a lifetime of devotion to iron and his dream, owner Vinnie contemplates letting go.” — Independent Shorts Awards
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