Places to go, people to see...

You're in New York. You really shouldn't lack for something to do at any given moment. But, just in case, here are some ideas...

Last night, Camille A. Brown & Dancers hit the floor at Joyce SoHo and, let me tell you, you don't want to miss the chance to see these performers from the Ailey and Ron K. Brown troupes and other companies. Camille A. Brown, an enormously talented dancer, has dropped onto the dancemaking scene like a whirlwind. If you've seen her solos or the delightful Groove to Nobody's Business ensemble, which is on this program, you know that her work, while intricately detailed, has the power to project to the farthest reaches of an ample space. Well, just imagine that energy up close and personal. In addition to The Groove, Brown is showing the premiere of Matchstick (a men's ensemble piece); 1 Second Past The Future, a work-in-progress collaboration with the wonderful J. Michael Kinsey; and an excerpt from her defining 2007 solo, The Evolution Of A Secured Feminine. Other program highlights include an astonishing performance by Kyle Abraham in his premiere solo, Untitled Mixtape Phase 1 and Francine E. Ott choreographing and at the helm of Need to Be Needed (2009). It's a long show but such a rewarding one, I didn't mind. The run continues through Sunday evening. Curtain times are 8pm all nights in addition to a 3pm matinee on Sunday. Tonight's show will be followed by a Q&A led by Abraham. Tickets, if not already gone, will go quickly. Don't snooze.

Rock of Ages. A guilty pleasure. If you always loved loud, big-hair arena rock--or even if you didn't but you do love a good laugh--you should have fun with this rollicking mashup of Spinal Tap and Hair with nostalgia--or nausea--inducing songs by the likes of Journey, Foreigner, Whitesnake and Pat Benatar. Believe it or not, Chris D'Arienzo's book actually patches these indelible tunes together into a credible, hilarious story, helped mightily by the fantastic performances of Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, Mitchell Jarvis, Adam Dannheisser and James Carpinello, the core group of an entertaining cast. At the Brooks Atkinson Theater.

next to normal is a musical about a dysfunctional family with a mom who's mentally ill. Do I still have your attention? Yes, I said a musical, a gorgeous one. And, dance folks, it's a very movement-driven, physically-expressive thing. You'll see what I mean. Don't argue. Just go order your tickets now. Alice Ripley is God. Seriously. And the rest of the cast ain't bad either. This powerful show will grip you. Take a few tissues. At the Booth Theater.

In the mood for something more on the quiet side? There's Mesa 2.0, a lovely collaboration by Tom Pearson (2008 Bessie Award winner), Louis Mofsie and Donna Ahmadi at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, near the tip of Manhattan at One Bowling Green. As described by its makers, "...this contemporary dance was borne from shared travels in the Southwest and examines what it means to be urban Indians, specifically New Yorkers." Twenty minutes. Performed with heart and beauty. Admission is free. Second and final showing is tomorrow, Saturday, at 2pm.

So that's what you're doing this weekend. Agreed?

Me? I'm seeing Dalia Carella's show tonight at 440 Studios, heading out to Hoboken tomorrow for a friend's art exhibit, and trying to find some clear time to attack the mound of books building up in my reading basket.

Have a good weekend! Hope to see you next Tuesday at DTW!