The Arts and Culture Scene
The culture scene is starting in the black. With the buzz for last year’s highlights still peaking — “Big Little Lies,” “Get Out” and “Lady Bird,” Insta-shots of Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Rooms” — the Next Big Things of 2018 are already under way. Here’s a look at what is brewing on the party circuit and in the arts and culture worlds through spring.
ON THE SILVER SCREEN
On Sunday, the Golden Globe Awards — normally a time for film and TV’s biggest stars to parade an opulent mix of designer gowns — will be shrouded in its unofficial dress code: black, an industrywide statement to show support for victims of sexual harassment — although, admittedly, it will still be a sea of designer gowns and eye-popping jewelry. The award season’s final push will include stops at the SAG Awards and British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards before concluding with the Academy Awards on March 4.
In the meantime, murmurs over the runners in next year’s awards race will already be churning, kicking off with the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 18. Highlights to watch include Idris Elba’s directorial debut “Yardie” and Gus Van Sant’s “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Jonah Hill. Following the success of his starring role in the Safdies’ “Good Time” last year, Robert Pattinson will appear in the Zellner Brothers’ Western “Damsel” opposite Mia Wasikowska. Will his second time around with a filmmaking brother duo prove as fruitful?
In the big-box office realm, Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of the popular children’s book “A Wrinkle in Time,” starring Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, will be released on March 9. In May, two popular franchises will get a boost, with “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” But the big summertime flick to watch is “Ocean’s Eight,” out June 8. Will the female-led action film live up to its hype and emerge as the summer’s big blockbuster? — Kristen Tauer
ON BROADWAY
Among the most anticipated shows coming to Broadway early this year is “Three Tall Women” staring Laurie Metcalf, Glenda Jackson and Alison Pill. Jackson, a two-time Oscar winner, makes her return to the stage after 30 years, following a second career in politics as a Member of Parliament in Britain for more than 20 years. Metcalf is up for a Golden Globe for her role in “Lady Bird.” Previews begin Feb. 27. Other highlights include the revival of “Children of a Lesser God” starring Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff, due in March, and “My Fair Lady,” revived on Broadway for the first time in 25 years; the original won six Tony Awards in 1957. “Carousel” returns to Broadway with previews in February, with choreography by the New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck. And, come March, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” makes its way to Broadway from the West End, where it won nine Olivier Awards. — Leigh Nordstrom
ON TV
As much of the U.S. is being held firmly in winter’s chilly grip, there’s no better reason than midseason television premieres to keep you safely on the sofa until spring’s thaw. The much-anticipated second season of Ryan Murphy’s FX true crime anthology series makes its debut Jan. 17 with the fashion world’s much-anticipated “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” controversially exploring the 1997 murder of the Italian designer, with Édgar Ramírez, Penélope Cruz, Ricky Martin and Darren Criss in starring roles.
The 2018 Winter Olympics will capture the world’s attention beginning with the Feb. 9 opening ceremony in South Korea and the Games continuing through Feb. 25. Comedians Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams are bringing their WNYC podcast “2 Dope Queens” to television with their first hourlong HBO special of stand-up and storytelling making its debut Feb. 2. Also coming to airwaves Feb. 2 is Netflix’s much-anticipated future fantasy fictional series “Altered Carbon.” Looking for something more factual? A six-part CNN docu-series titled “The Radical Story of Patty Hearst” premieres Feb. 11, detailing the heiress’ 1974 kidnapping and subsequent criminal activity. Fresh on the heels of Nineties TV reboots like “Will & Grace” last fall, the original cast of “Roseanne” returns to ABC on March 27 — nearly 20 years after its last episode. — Andrew Nodell
IN MUSIC
Mariah Carey’s redemptive New Year’s Eve performance — in all its “they told me there would be tea” glory — set the tone for what is looking to be a promising year for music. First up: the Grammy Awards. The show returns to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28, breaking its 15-year run at the Staples Center, and will honor Brooklyn-bred Jay Z with the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award. Justin Timberlake will return to the Super Bowl halftime show stage the following weekend, and when the cold weather subsides (if it ever does), festival season will pick up.
Beyoncé will lead the Coachella pack one year after dropping out due to her pregnancy. Her fellow headlining acts are The Weeknd and Eminem, who will also front Governors Ball with Jack White. Taylor Swift will return to the big stage with her Reputation Stadium Tour — and if it’s anything like her last, you can expect all her famous friends to join her. As major stars like Ed Sheeran and Demi Lovato map out their touring travels, Lady Gaga will prepare to take up her newly inked residency in Las Vegas. — Alexa Tietjen
IN THE ART WORLD
Have you finally recovered from Art Basel Miami Beach? Good thing, because there’s plenty of more art to see. Gagosian Beverly Hills will present the first solo exhibition of Rachel Feinstein’s work in Los Angeles, “Secrets,” on Jan. 11. In New York, David Zwirner will kick of its 25th anniversary show on Jan. 13, featuring work by many of its roster of artists including Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Chris Ofili, Dan Flavin and Kerry James Marshall. At The Broad Museum, a retrospective of Jasper Johns’ career, sponsored by Louis Vuitton and in collaboration with the Royal Academy in London, will be on display beginning Feb. 10. In March, the Whitney Museum will present “Grant Wood: American Gothic and Other Fables,” which will highlight the iconic painter’s lesser-known depictions of the rural Midwest. Later in the month, Art Basel will start the 2018 rounds in Hong Kong and starting April 15, “82 Portraits and 1 Still-life,” a presentation of portraits painted by David Hockney, will make its only stop Stateside at LACMA. It all leads up to the first Monday in May, when The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute will unveil “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” with its annual fashion-and-celebrity opening night extravaganza. — Kristen Tauer
ON THE FOOD SCENE
Roman and Williams Guild, the store and cafe where you can buy a dining room table, antiques, lunch, wine, flowers and books all in one stop, launched in Manhattan’s SoHo in December from interior design duo Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch. The store has tapped Marie-Aude Rose to helm La Mercerie Café, which began with pastries and coffee but opens into a full-service menu this month. Rose, who is married to Le Coucou chef Daniel Rose and who was previously in the kitchen at Spring, will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. — Leigh Nordstrom
ON THE PARTY SCENE
As awards season gains momentum, there will be no shortage of celebrity soirees in the weeks to come. With the Grammys’ return to New York this year, there are plenty of events surrounding the music awards to fill the calendar including a Recording Academy gala honoring Jay-Z on Jan. 27 and tribute concert honoring Sir Elton John on Jan. 30.
New York Fashion Week unofficially kicks off Feb. 7 with amfAR’s annual fund-raiser at Cipriani with this year’s dinner honoring director Lee Daniels and W editor in chief Stefano Tonchi. The revelry shifts to Europe with the monthlong marathon of fashion-focused celebrations capping off in Paris on March 6.
For those not venturing across the pond next month, Palm Beach winter gala season remains in full force with the standout evening being the 37th Annual The Winter Ball at The Breakers Feb. 9.
New York’s own spring social season will soon be under way with the Audubon Winter Gala, the Save Venice annual masquerade ball, Jeffrey Fashion Cares, the Central Park Conservancy‘s Hat Luncheon and Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink Party. The season reaches its yearly crescendo with the Met Gala on May 7, this year’s theme being “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Then soon on to the balmy gatherings of the Hamptons and beyond — but time flies when you’re having fun, right? — Andrew Nodell
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