Music
Givers, Yellow Ostrich
Tonight, 8
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North Sixth St.
$15-$17, 718-486-5400
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Ignoring their home state’s affinity for all things Zydeco, Louisiana indie-rock ensemble Givers instead choose to take their cues from the likes of more afro art pop influences, delivering plenty of dance-driven, hand-clapping tunes.
Theater
“Once”
Showing Through Jan. 15
New York Theater Workshop
79 E. Fourth St.
$75; $25 students, 212-279-4200
Based on the critically-acclaimed film starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (who earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song), this adaptive stage work follows a busking Irish guitarist and songwriter as he develops an unlikely relationship with a piano-playing Czech immigrant, turning their mutual love of music into a complicated romance.
Under the Radar Festival
Through Jan. 15
Various Locations
$20-$25 per show
The eighth annual installment of this citywide festival showcasing new plays from across the country and the globe continues featuring works such as glam-punk production Goodbar, science-horror Chimera, and the avant-garde puppetry of The Table.
“Seminar”
Open run
John Golden Theatre
252 W. 45th St.
$52-$137, 212-239-6200
After ending his tenure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, actor Alan Rickman settles into a teaching position with more comedic tendencies in the world premiere of “Seminar,” starring as an eccentric literary celebrity whose unorthodox educational methods, advice and insults take its toll on four aspiring novelists.
Culture
Jim Henson’s Fantastic World
Through March 4
Museum of the Moving
Image, 36-01 35th Avenue
$6-$12, 718-777-6800
There’s still time to play the music and light the lights. All thing felt, fuzzy and fun continue to be honored at The Museum of the Moving Image with its extended exhibition on the works of Jim Henson, with more than 120 artifacts, including film, photographs, props and puppets.
Eject!
Through Feb. 5
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space
Museum, Pier 86 (46th Street and 12 Avenue)
Make a clean getaway with this new aviation exhibit exploring the use and development of the pilot ejection seat, showcasing models used from the Korean War to the present day.
Film
Castles in the Sky: Miyazaki, Takahata & the Masters of Studio Ghibli
Through Jan. 12
The IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave.
$9-$13, 212-924-7771
Featuring 15 films produced between 1984 and 2009, The IFC Center is presenting viewers with its last chance to the film work of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, the acclaimed anime studio responsible for such animated films as “Princess Mononoke” and the Academy Award-winning “Spirited Away.” Subtitled and English dubbed versions are available for those who need them.
Stage
David Cross
Tonight, 8
The TimesCenter
242 W. 41st St.
$30, 1-888-698-1870
As part of The New York Times’ Arts & Leisure Weekend 2012 taking place through Jan. 8, comedian David Cross is set to discuss his life and career in stand-up, as well as days spent on such popular television shows as “Mr. Show,” “Arrested Development,” and his latest project “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” which he created, stars in, co-writes and produces.
The Professional Bull Riders at MSG
Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.
Madison Square Garden
4 Pennsylvania Plaza
$15-$205; www.pbr.com
Missing the rodeo? The Professional Bull Riders —featuring 40 of the top-ranked bull riders in the world— are heading to Madison Square Garden to kick off their 20th anniversary at the Madison Square Garden Invitation this weekend. It’s hair-raising excitement. No bull.
