Symphony Space Unveils Spring 2024 Programming Featuring George Takei, Judy Collins & More

Symphony Space has revealed additional Spring 2024 programming. The coming months abound with bespoke evenings that offer playful and candid experiences of some of today’s most beloved voices in music, literature, theater, and more. Unlike any other organization in New York, Symphony Space brings artists together in collaborations and dialogues for one-time-only events at an organization known for inviting artists to have fun and explore ideas onstage, making every event this season feel like a unique, ephemeral celebration. 

After a powerhouse Fall 2023 in which Hillary Clinton, Patti LuPone, and Amber Ruffin; Maria Bamford and Phoebe Robinson; Siddhartha Mukherjee; Leslie Jones and Seth Meyers; Ann Patchett; Amanda Gorman; Ken Burns; Patrick Stewart; Neil Gaiman; and James McBride brought electrifying ideas to Symphony Space’s stages, Spring 2024 continues to offer animated, thought-provoking readings and conversations. New additions to Symphony Space’s literary events calendar include previously-unannounced installments of its signature literature-in-performance series Selected Shorts, featuring celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer N. K. Jemisin (February 7); Radiolab’s Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, with an evening of mind-bending short stories (March 6); Jane Kaczmarek and Sarah Thyre, with a selection of works on falling in love—and getting out of it (April 17); humorist Andy Borowitz, with stories tackling presidents and historical figures (May 8); and Meg Wolitzer, with an evening devoted to the games we play (June 5). 

Other literary conversations spotlight some of today’s most compelling new books, including the paperback release of Will Schwalbe’s We Should Not Be Friends, with Schwalbe and Hanya Yanagihara (March 19); the launch event for United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s anthology You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, for which she will be joined by Ilya Kaminsky, Patricia Smith, and Kevin Young (April 1); a celebration of Anne Lamott on the occasion of her 70th birthday and the publication of her 20th book, Somehow: Thoughts on Love (April 10); best-selling author Jane Smiley, discussing her new book, Lucky (April 23); and Rachel Khong, in a Thalia Book Club event surrounding her latest, Real Americans (May 6). Danny Burstein, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Annabelle Gurwitch, Jessica Hecht, Maria Hinojosa, and more come together on February 20 to celebrate the late activist and social critic Barbara Ehrenreich in an evening of commentary and readings from her groundbreaking works; and beloved actor and activist George Takei takes the stage to discuss his decades-long career, from “Star Trek” to Broadway to his brand-new debut picture book, My Lost Freedom (April 16).

Symphony Space’s mashup event Everything But Dancing returns, bridging music and literature, and this season joining novelist Meg Wolitzer, acclaimed mother and daughter musicians Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche, and special guests including Pulitzer Prize finalist poet Evie Shockley, writer, comedian, and actress Negin Farsad, and celebrated writers Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman. 

Captivating musical offerings at Symphony Space continue to add up this season. GRAMMY Award–winning musician Judy Collins, who has mesmerized listeners and audiences with her crystalline vocals throughout a 55-album career, will perform in an intimate engagement at Symphony Space April 20 and 21. The organization’s 2024 gala, meanwhile, will be a star-studded performance of songs from the musical Pippin, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, hosted by Tony winner and three-time GRAMMY nominee Danny Burstein (April 8). Symphony Space also today shares full details of Nona Hendryx’s multi-event residency (March 14 - May 16)  celebrating trailblazer and cult funk singer Betty Davis, featuring programs focused on different aspects of Davis’s life and work and culminating in a concert headlined by Hendryx herself, on May 16. 

The season also features more installments of the popular ongoing film series, NT Live, which presents exquisitely recorded performances from London’s prestigious National Theatre. There will also be new presentations in the Art on Screen film series, which takes audiences behind-the-scenes of top museums and galleries to see how blockbuster exhibitions come together, with curator interviews, close-ups, and context that goes far beyond the wall text of a typical art gallery.

All ticketed programs listed below are currently on sale to the general public. Many programs offer live-streaming options and discounted tickets for those under 30. Please visit SymphonySpace.org for further details on tickets, programs, and accessibility options, and stay tuned for additional program announcements as the season unfolds. 

Symphony Space Spring 2024 Programming

Art on Screen - Borromini and Bernini

Tuesday, January 16, 1pm

This is the story of the most famous artistic rivalry of all time, the one between Borromini and Bernini, but also the story of Borromini’s rivalry with himself: a genius so absorbed by his art that he turns it into a demon that devours him from the inside forcing him to choose death to reach eternity.

Borromini deprived himself of everything to pursue a dream: to conquer Rome. It is the story of the architectural revolution of a solitary maestro who changed the appearance of Rome forever, by pushing himself to his limit, but also by battling conventions and prejudices, with the humility to learn from the past to invent the future, with the courage to pursue an idea despite knowing he would pay the price in the end.

Thalia Book Club - E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India 100th Anniversary

Tuesday, January 16, 7pm

Authors Rumaan Alam, Min Jin Lee, and Colm Tóibín come together for a deep dive into one of the great works of the 20th century. E. M. Forster’s sweeping tale, set in colonial India, explores racial tension as the Indian independence movement gains momentum while the country is under the rule of the British Raj. With a reading from the novel by actor Bhavesh Patel (Present Laughter). Produced in collaboration with Penguin Classics.

NT Live - Fleabag

Tuesday, January 16, 7:30pm

Sunday, February 4, 1:30pm

Filmed live on stage in London's West End, this hilarious, award-winning play  inspired the BBC's hit TV series Fleabag. Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Following a box-office record-breaking run in cinemas in 2019, this one-woman show returns to the big screen for encore screenings.

Revelry - Cillian Vallely & Kevin Crawford

Friday, January 19, 7:30pm 

Cillian Vallely, a uilleann pipes and low whistle player from the north of Ireland, and Kevin Crawford, an exceptional flute, whistle, and bodhran player—both members of acclaimed band Lúnasa—join forces for a Gaelic night of Revelry not to be missed.

NT Live - Skylight

Sunday, January 21, 7pm

Bill Nighy (Love Actually) and Carey Mulligan (Maestro) feature in the highly-anticipated production of David Hare’s Skylight, directed by Stephen Daldry (The Audience), broadcast live from the West End by National Theatre Live. 

On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis ( Mulligan) receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant (Nighy), a successful and charismatic restaurateur whose wife has recently died. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires.

Revelry - Queen Esther

Thursday, January 25, 7:30pm 

Queen Esther makes her Revelry debut with lush blues, jazz, and folk sounds, and stunning vocals that earned rave reviews. This gorgeous evening has music for every mood, from ballads, to gospel, to folk, and more.

Revelry - Hazmat Modine

Friday, January 26, 7:30pm

This dynamic, eight-piece band has toured and performed original songs for over 25 years with genre-defying music that is quintessentially New York. World music meets jazz, blues, soul, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and roots.

Exhibition on Screen - Klimt & The Kiss

Wednesday, February 7, 1pm

Klimt & The Kiss is an exquisitely rich film that delves into the detail and passion surrounding Gustav Klimt’s iconic artwork as well as revealing the scandalous life of the artist himself. The film provides a fascinating portrait of the decadent Art Nouveau movement in which Klimt was renowned for and takes the viewer on a shimmering journey through the history behind one of the most reproduced paintings in the world.

Selected Shorts with N. K. Jemisin

Wednesday, February 7, 7pm

“The Most Celebrated Science Fiction And Fantasy Writer of Her Generation” (New York Times) joins forces with Selected Shorts for an unforgettable evening of boundary-pushing short fiction. Actors of stage and screen perform stories including the Ursula K. Le Guin classic “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and Jemisin’s story in conversation with Le Guin’s, “The Ones Who Stay and Fight.” With readings by Catherine Cohen (The Twist …? She's Gorgeous), Jin Ha (Pachinko), and more.

Thalia Book Club - Kristin Hannah, The Women

Thursday, February 8, 7pm

From master storyteller and bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. Hannah shares an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics. In conversation with novelist, editor, and columnist Elisabeth Egan (A Window Opens).

Everything But Dancing

Tuesday, February 13, 7pm

The literary-musical mashup is back by popular demand––just in time for Galentine's Day! Bestselling author Meg Wolitzer and mother-daughter singer-songwriters Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche reunite for a rousing night of music and stand-up, poetry and prose, and conversation and laughter. With special guests, poet Evie Shockley, comedian Negin Farsad, and writers-designers-all-around creative couple Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman.

NT Live - Romeo & Juliet

Thursday, February 15, 7:30pm

Romeo and Juliet risk everything to be together. In defiance of their feuding families, they chase a future of joy and passion as violence erupts around them. This bold film from 2021 brings to life the remarkable backstage spaces of The National Theatre in which desire, dreams and destiny collide to make Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy sing in an entirely new way.

Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose, Judy) and Josh O’Connor (The Crown, God’s Own Country) play Juliet and Romeo. The award-winning cast includes Tamsin Greig, Fisayo Akinade, Adrian Lester, Lucian Msamati, Deborah Findlay.

Celebrating Barbara Ehrenreich

Tuesday, February 20, 7pm

Actors and admirers take the stage to honor the late activist and social critic with readings from her groundbreaking books, including the national bestseller Nickel and Dimed. Ehrenreich’s passion for amplifying the voices of America’s disempowered shines through in the pages of her library, which tackles topics such as the labor market, women’s rights, health care, science, love, and communal joy. Featuring: Danny Burstein, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Annabelle Gurwitch, Jessica Hecht, Maria Hinojosa, and more.

Blue Note 85th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, February 23, 8pm

Founded in 1939, Blue Note Records is universally revered as one of the most important record labels in the history of music, with a catalog of albums considered by many to be the holy grail of jazz. This 85th anniversary concert features The Blue Note Quintet, led by six-time GRAMMY Award-nominee Gerald Clayton (piano), with Joel Ross (vibraphone), Immanuel Wilkins (saxophone), Kendrick Scott (drums), and Matt Brewer (bass), performing the work of iconic Blue Note Records artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Thelonious Monk, along with songs from its current roster of phenomenal musicians.

Uptown Showdown - Coffee vs Tea

Thursday, February 29, 7pm

Six comics brew up controversy in this ultimate battle of the beverages. One drink is acrid bean juice; the other is flavorless leaf water. One makes you feel invincible before falling into a twitchy, unrestful sleep; the other makes you feel . . . nothing. So, will tea win this matcha, making coffee's name mud? Or will coffee spill the tea and win by a latte? Hosted by Matthew Love.

Selected Shorts - Down the Rabbit Hole with Radiolab

Wednesday, March 6, 7pm

Known for their ever curious minds, Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser from WNYC’s Radiolab curate an evening of fantastical, imaginative, and inspiring stories.

NT Live - Vanya

Thursday, March 14, 1pm

Andrew Scott (Fleabag) brings multiple characters to life in Simon Stephens’ (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.

Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotions.

Filmed live during its sold-out run in London’s West End.

Nona Hendryx in Residence: A Celebration of Betty Davis

Musical Unicorn

Thursday, March 14, 7:30pm

Funk, rock, and R&B legend Nona Hendryx kicks off her Symphony Space residency exploring the life and legacy of Betty Davis by taking the stage with two people who worked closely with Davis: Greg Errico, Davis’s engineer and producer, and Patrice Banks, who performed as her backing vocalist. As with all other installments of this intimate residency, the conversation will be moderated by Danielle Maggio, and feature a live DJ, music, archival images, video, and more.

Will Schwalbe, We Should Not Be Friends

Tuesday, March 19, 7pm

The bestselling author of The End of Your Life Book Club is joined by Hanya Yanagihara (To Paradise, A Little Life) to celebrate the paperback release of his latest: a warm and funny memoir of an unlikely friendship, a testament to the miracle of human connection, and the joy that's possible if we can get past our preconceptions.

Art On Screen - Titan: The Empire of Color

Thursday, March 21, 1pm

Winning over popes and emperors with his iconic, revolutionary works, Titian succeeded in becoming one of the artists that symbolized the entire Renaissance. Titian was an extraordinary master of color and a brilliant entrepreneur, innovative both in a painting’s composition but also in how to sell it. In only a few years, Tiziano Vecellio became the official painter of Venice and the utmost artist sought after by the richest and most influential Courts in Europe.

From Ferrara to Urbino, from Mantua to Rome, up to the Spain of Carlos V and his son Felipe II, Titian crossed his century illuminating it with his works of art, inspiring future generations of artists. Perfect interpreter of religion and mythology, portrayer of immediate expressive strength, he dominated his time outshining his contemporaries, always abiding by his motto: “Art is more powerful than Nature.”

Revelry - JigJam

Thursday, March 21, 7:30pm

Traditional Irish meets bluegrass in an energy-fueled, foot-stomping evening of music from the heart of the Irish midlands.

You Are Here, with Ada Limón and Friends

Monday, April 1, 7pm

Ada Limón launches her signature project as the nation's Poet Laureate—a joyful and provocative anthology of nature poems commissioned from 50 of the most celebrated American poets. Join Limón for this evening of readings and conversation featuring contributors Ilya Kaminsky, Patricia Smith, and Kevin Young.

Songs from Pippin: A Gala Concert

Monday, April 8, 8pm

Danny Burstein hosts Symphony Space’s annual gala concert with an incredible soon-to-be-announced cast of Broadway’s best as they “spread a little sunshine” and celebrate the magic and mystery of this timeless score.

Somehow 70: An Evening with Anne Lamott

Wednesday, April 10, 7pm

Symphony Space celebrates Anne Lamott’s 70th birthday and the publication of her 20th book. Somehow: Thoughts on Love draws from her own life to examine how love bolsters us in the face of despair and galvanizes us to believe in tomorrow. Join us as we salute Lamott's latest, as well as seven decades of funny, warm, and wise work.

An Evening with George Takei

Tuesday, April 16, 7pm

Beloved actor, activist, and New York Times bestselling author George Takei takes the stage in a moderated Q&A conversation to discuss his decades-long career, from Star Trek to Broadway to his brand-new debut picture book, My Lost Freedom. 

Selected Shorts - Jane and Sarah’s Guide To Divorce and Happily Ever Afters

Wednesday, April 17, 7pm

“Do you believe in life after love (after love, after love, after love…)?” Hosts and co-presidents of the Ex-Wives Club Jane Kaczmarek and Sarah Thyre ask the question with heartbreaking and hilarious short stories about falling in love, taking the leap, consciously uncoupling, and moving on. With a special musical performance by The DeLorean Sisters. 

Art On Screen - Jeff Koons: An Intimate Portrait

Thursday, April 18, 1pm

This is not just a documentary but an amazing journey inside the mind of the most controversial artist of our time. Jeff Koons is widely regarded as one of the most influential, popular and disputed artists of the last 30 years. This film will show the hidden mechanisms lying behind the person, the artist and the Koons brand. It’s an intimate exploration of Jeff Koon’s consciousness aiming to discover what motivates him and shapes his incomparable vision. With exclusive access to the Koons family home in York, Pennsylvania, the documentary investigates Koons’ roots and everyday life, follows him to New York City to his vast studio where tens of painters, sculptors and graphic designers are based, and then on to Qatar and Europe, to the Greek island of Hydra during his 2021 five exhibitions tour. Koons family members, curators, gallery owners, artists such as Julian Schnabel, will describe the world, the private life and the person that is Jeff Koons.

Nona Hendryx in Residence: A Celebration of Betty Davis

Fashionistas

Thursday, April 18, 7:30pm

As part of her residency focused on Betty Davis, Nona Hendryx sits down with Winona Williams to explore how Davis referenced and influenced the fashions of her time. Williams, a model and fixture of the downtown NYC fashion and music scene, was a close confidant of Davis. As with all other installments of this intimate residency, the conversation will be moderated by Danielle Maggio, and feature a live DJ, music, archival images, video, and more.

An Evening with Judy Collins

Saturday, April 20, 7pm

Sunday, April 21, 7pm

For over 60 years, Judy Collins has been captivating audiences with her bold songwriting, sublime vocals, and radiant presence. A creative force, Collins continues to make art with a focus on social justice that inspires hope and healing. Join us for an unforgettable evening with this icon of folk music performing songs spanning her illustrious career.

Thalia Book Club - Jane Smiley, Lucky

Tuesday, April 23, 7pm

The bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of A Thousand Acres comes to Symphony Space with her soaring, soulful new novel about a folk musician who rises to fame across our changing times. Full of atmosphere, shot through with longing and exuberance, romance and rock 'n' roll, Lucky is a story of chance and grit and the glitter of real talent, a colorful portrait of one woman's journey in search of herself.

Uptown Showdown - Planning It Vs Winging It

Thursday, April 25, 7pm

You can't improvise a heist. Nor can you plan a meet-cute six months in advance. While these truths may be self-evident, it's also true that some of us are Marie Kondo-like masters of organization while others freewheel it like Bob Dylan. In this comic debate, hosted by Matthew Love, we'll find out which is better: to be fastidiously future-focused or casually unconcerned about anything other than the sandwich that fate has placed in front of you.

Purple Rain

Friday, April 26, 7pm

Purple Rain opened in movie theaters in 1984, and helped solidify Prince’s status as artistic virtuoso and major celebrity. Now, 40 years later, the film and album of the same title, still feel just as groundbreaking and complex as they did on opening day, especially when seen on the big screen with an audience. 

Wall to Wall Prince

Saturday, May 4, 3-11pm

FREE

A free, nonstop celebration and exploration of the icon and the work he created, championed, and inspired. Music, film, dance, stories, and so much more, including a special nod to the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain. Electrifying sounds, joyful collaborations, and brilliant performances await. 

Thalia Book Club - Rachel Khong, Real Americans

Monday, May 6, 7pm

The award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin presents her latest, an exuberant multigenerational novel about inheritance—and finally coming home. Real Americansfollows a fractured family from Y2K to the present day, spotlighting their struggles to strive amid conflicts of class, race, and identity.

Selected Shorts - History’s Clown Car with Andy Borowitz

Wednesday, May 8, 7pm

The beloved author and comedian returns to Symphony Space for an evening of short stories about presidents and other vaunted historical figures, inspired by the true, the fake, and the funny. Join us as we present an evening of history as it could have gone, if history had a better sense of humor.

Art On Screen - The Immortals

Thursday, May 9, 1pm

This documentary is a journey among the most beautiful archaeological finds Egypt has left us.

Kha, architect and builder of tombs for the pharaohs, must undertake the journey to the Underworld. Telling us the story of his voyage is Jeremy Irons, in the guise of a narrator. His words take us inside the secret world of Egyptian mythology, religion and funerary culture, interweaving the story with the history of the oldest museum in the world, the Museo Egizio in Turin, founded in 1824 and will soon be celebrating its 200th anniversary. 

Nona Hendryx in Residence: A Celebration of Betty Davis

Politics of Sex

Thursday, May 9, 7:30pm

Nona Hendryx takes a deep-dive into the pre-feminist sexual politics of Betty Davis’ music in conversation with Jessica Care Moore, poet and executive producer of Black Women Rock! and moderator Danielle Maggio. Part of Hendryx’s intimate Symphony Space residency exploring the life and legacy of another fierce trailblazer and cult funk singer, Betty Davis, this event will also feature a live DJ, music, archival images, video, and more.

Nona Hendryx in Residence: A Celebration of Betty Davis

Get Ready for Betty: A Funk-Filled Tribute

Thursday, May 16, 8pm

In the culminating performance of her residency exploring the ferocious funk disrupter and agitator, Nona Hendryx, along with an all-woman band, pays tribute to Betty Davis, whose influence rippled through the decades and is still felt today. Etienne Stadwijk serves as musical director.

Selected Shorts - Keeping Score with Meg Wolitzer

Wednesday, June 5, 7pm

It’s game night at Selected Shorts! Beloved host of the radio show and podcast and formidable Scrabble player Meg Wolitzer returns to the stage to present an entertaining evening of stories celebrating games we play and the tallies that come along with them.

Uptown Showdown - Bears vs Sharks

Wednesday, June 12, 7pm

In an homage to classic playground battles Ninjas Vs. Pirates and My Dad Vs. Your Dad, Uptown Showdown gives this battle the big stage it richly deserves. Climb in the shark cage, prepare the bear spray and cheer on the powerhouse that best reflects your sense of self: Are you a sleek, stealthy undersea creature with a bite, or a hairy, roaring galoot whose hobbies include raiding pick-a-nick baskets? Hosted by Matthew Love. 

Art on Screen - Painting the Modern Garden

Thursday, June 13, 1pm

For many great artists, the garden has long been considered a desirable subject for the expression of color, light, and atmosphere.  This dazzling film takes a magical journey from the gallery to the gardens, to Giverny and Seebüll and to other glorious grounds favored by artists. Here we discover how early twentieth-century artists designed and cultivated their own gardens to explore contemporary utopian ideas and motifs of color and form.

Cha Wa

Friday, June 21, 8pm

New Orleans’ legendary Mardi Gras band Cha Wa blends the sounds of brass bands, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and soul into a unique sound that radiates the energy of the city’s street culture. Don’t miss this special NYC appearance by the GRAMMY-nominated group called “a portable Mardi Gras dance party” by Rolling Stone.

About Symphony Space

Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts center where bold programming, presented in a uniquely warm and welcoming environment, forges indelible relationships between artists and audiences.

Symphony Space's fundamental mission is to connect art, ideas, and community through their performances and their commitment to literacy and education through the arts. Known for an array of ground-breaking programs, including Selected Shorts, their immersive Wall to Wall concerts, and their innovative Global Arts education initiative, Symphony Space presents a full slate of original, affordable (and free) programming within New York City and in communities throughout the country through tours, public radio broadcasts, podcasts, and virtual events. On their stages and in the classrooms they serve, Symphony Space fosters access to the arts through all the disciplines.

Symphony Space was founded in the belief that the arts bring people together, transcend barriers, and celebrate both our similarities and differences. Through adventurous and impactful performances, commissions, and conversations, Symphony Space continues to invigorate these guiding principles, harnessing the power of the arts to engage, inspire, and build community.

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