PERFORMANCE
TUESDAY - SUNDAY, AUGUST 14 - 19 (continuing through SEPTEMBER 2)*
8:30 PM TUESDAY - SATURDAY
4:00 PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Basil Twist:  Symphonie Fantastique
HERE
145 6th Avenue (entrance on Dominick Street), Hudson Square, Manhattan

$35-$100
http://here.org/shows/detail/1934/

Not to put too fine a point to it, this piece -- premiered at this venue 20 years ago -- is one of the best things I've ever seen.  A miracle of puppetry creates perfectly calibrated first-part-of-Fantasia-style visual effects to Berlioz's unhinged visionary masterpiece.  It's just so apt, so unexpected -- and so much fun -- you can't believe it.  If you haven't seen it, you MUST.  If you've already seen it, you'll want to see it again.  Piano reduction of the score played live by the redoubtable Christoper O'Riley.  While I usually prefer live musical accompaniments on general principle, I actually liked it better when they used to do this piece to an orchestral recording:  so much of the appeal of this weird musical masterpiece stems from Berlioz's tangy, unique, unprecedented orchestration.  But don't let that keep you away!  This is GREAT!!!!!!  (And on Sunday, you can see the [separately ticketed] Cabaret Fantastique later on!)

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT:   You can't have too many restaurants featuring the food of Emilia-Romagna, the best in Italy.  (Well, probably you could -- but we're not close yet.)  So the opening of a new one -- right near HERE, no less -- is certainly something to be happy about.  Meet Nonna Beppa.