Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. The NYC-ARTS top five is your cheat sheet to what's hot before it hits the radar. Get the top five in your inbox every Tuesday and follow @nycarts on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.
This week's top five picks are:
1. Ecstatic Music Festival
Friday, Jan. 25 through Thursday, Mar. 21 at Merkin Concert Hall
All genres -- from rock to classical -- collide in the Ecstatic Music Festival. More than 100 collaborating songwriters, composers and performers from different musical backgrounds have put together 11 concerts of new, surprising sounds.
2. Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers
Wednesday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Sep. 1 at the Museum of the City of New York
If you wanted to see a tiny studio apartment, you'd just stay home, right? The likely difference between your space and the flexibly furnished 325-square-foot apartment on view at MCNY is design innovation. See winners from the city's new-housing competition and view innovative design models by commissioned architectural teams who are working to make small-living... well, livable.
3. Le Comte Ory
Monday, Jan. 21 through Tuesday, Feb. 5 at The Metropolitan Opera
Tenor Juan Diego Flórez once again demonstrates his bel canto mastery in this Rossini gem, revived -- and reinvigorated -- by Bartlett Sher. Maurizio Benini leads the ensemble, which includes Pretty Yende, Karine Deshayes and Nathan Gunn. Learn more about Nathan Gunn (and his role as the raffish Raimbaud) in Thursday's episode of NYC-ARTS on THIRTEEN at 8 p.m..
4. Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert and Powwow
Friday, Jan. 25 through Sunday, Feb. 3 at the Theater for the New City
The troupe celebrates its 50th anniversary with its annual Dance Concert and Pow Wow, which benefits college funds for Native-American students. There will be dances, storytelling and music from a diversity of tribes. Highlights include a hoop dance by Michael Taylor, an Inuit caribou dance, a Hopi buffalo dance and lots more.
5. 20at20: $20 Off-Broadway Tickets
Tuesday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 10
It's back! In the spirit of NYC's Restaurant Week comes 20at20, your chance to see the best of Off Broadway for only $20. Available for 20 days only, $20 tickets are available starting 20 minutes prior to show time. You just have to say the magic words.