The Blankman List: Things to Do in NYC, April 2024

The Blankman List is a monthly curated list of things to do in New York City. It showcases the full range of what there is to do, for residents and tourists alike.

I especially seek out artistic and cultural events like concerts, plays, and art exhibits, along with anything that is high-quality, notable, and/or free. There is at least one event for every day of April 2024, and no borough or event type is off limits.

Seeing events past the first week requires a paid subscription. All subscribers will receive a free highlights post.

Disclaimer: before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.

Monday, April 1

• Dr. Jane Goodall: Celebrating at 90

  • Public discussion between 89-year-old primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and NPR host Ira Flatow on acting now; 7:30 pm (6:30 pm)

  • $86–$392+

  • Beacon Theatre

  • 2124 Broadway (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

• Rebel Rising: Rebel Wilson

  • Actress Rebel Wilson publicly discusses her recent memoir with tennis legend Rennae Stubbs; 7 pm (6 pm doors)

  • $68

  • Town Hall

  • 123 W 43rd St (Times Square, Manhattan)

Tuesday, April 2

• EPIC Miscast! Spring Cabaret

  • Cabaret of showtunes put on by neurodiverse theater company EPIC Players; 6 & 8 pm (doors open 30 minutes prior)

  • $43–$73, plus 2 drink or 1 food item minimum

  • The Public Theater

  • 425 Lafayette St (Astor Place, Manhattan)

Wednesday, April 3

• Judging a Book by Its Cover: Bookbindings from the Collections of the Grolier Club, 1470s–2020

  • Exhibition on seven centuries of bookbinding; 10 am–5 pm; through Apr 13

  • Free

  • The Grolier Club, Ground Floor Gallery

  • 47 E 60th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

• New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils

  • Regular season NHL [National Hockey League] game; 7 pm (6 pm doors)

  • $160–$642+

  • Madison Square Garden

  • 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Midtown South, Manhattan)

• A Different Man

  • 2023 film about an aspiring actor with severe facial disfigurement; 7 & 7:30 pm; Apr 3–4

  • $18 general / $15 students/seniors

  • MoMA, The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1 (7 pm) and Theater 2 (7:30 pm)

  • 11 W 53rd St (Midtown, Manhattan)

Thursday, April 4

• The Wiz

  • Revival of the 1975 Broadway musical that retells the story of the Wizard of Oz from a more modern Black perspective; 8 pm; previews begin Mar 29; opening night Apr 17

  • $140–$349

  • Marquis Theatre

  • 210 W 46th St (Times Square, Manhattan)

• The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs 25th Anniversary

  • Indie rock concert of the complete three-disc album 69 Love Songs; Apr 3 & 4, Apr 5 & 6; 8 pm (7 pm doors)

  • As of this writing, only tickets remaining are $116–$383

  • Town Hall

  • 123 W 43rd St (Times Square, Manhattan)

• Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen: Darkslides and Secret Tapes

  • Public discussion by two skateboarding legends with video screening and audience Q&A; 8 pm (7 pm doors)

  • $67–$300+

  • Beacon Theatre

  • 2124 Broadway (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

Friday, April 5

• The Poetry Society of New York’s Spring Gala

  • Glamorous fundraiser in support of the NYC Poetry Festival; 7–9:30 pm

  • $166–$322

  • The Players

  • 16 Gramercy Park S (Gramercy Park, Manhattan)

• Club 90s: Justin Bieber Night

  • Late night dance party featuring Justin Bieber music; 11 pm–4 am

  • $26–$40

  • Webster Hall

  • 125 E 11th St (East Village, Manhattan)

• The Writing on the Stall

  • Off-Broadway one-woman play named after bathroom stall graffiti; 9 pm; Apr 3–6, 10–13

  • $47

  • SoHo Playhouse

  • 15 Vandam St (SoHo, Manhattan)

Saturday, April 6

• 64th Annual International Antiquarian Book Fair

  • Renowned book fair sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America [ABAA] featuring rare books and ephemera; hours range between 12–7 pm; Apr 4–7

  • Entry is $32 general / $10 students

  • Park Avenue Armory

  • 643 Park Ave (Lenox Hill, Manhattan)

• New York WILD Film Festival Shorts Program

  • Series of short film screenings on the theme of nature and wildlife conservation; 2–4:30 pm; part of the 10th annual New York WILD Film Festival

  • $26

  • The Explorers Club

  • 46 E 70th St (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

Sunday, April 7

• Daisy Castro

  • Violin-based “Gypsy jazz” (Daisy Castro videos); 10 pm–12 am

  • $20 suggested

  • Barbès

  • 376 9th St (Park Slope, Brooklyn)