Featured Events in New York in April 2025 (April Updated)

New York is one of the most filmed cities on earth. Generations of moviegoers have seen New York depicted and distorted, celebrated and denigrated, idealized and mocked, built up and demolished over and over again on the big screen. Over the past 100 years, legions of filmmakers have drawn attention to New Yorkers’ joys and struggles, shaping our ideas of what the city is—or could become. You Are Here draws on this rich archive of movies set in New York, combining thousands of cinematic moments across 16 screens. Sources include Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, documentaries, and experimental works. By juxtaposing these multiple visions, the dazzling montages of You Are Here make connections and contrasts that allow movies to comment on each other across time and space. Together, they shed new light on the varied New Yorks of our collective imagination. Sometimes New York stars in these movies; sometimes, a studio set or even another city stands in. In the introductory room, Scenes from the City explores the city as a film set, showing how movies have been captured on location throughout the five boroughs. From there, we invite you to enter the immersive central space, where you can explore a narrative tapestry woven from hundreds of films—one impressionistic storyline that strives to represent the multifaceted realities of our countless New York stories.

What new stories can familiar works of art tell? This exhibition showcases longstanding favorites from The New York Historical's permanent collection alongside recent Museum acquisitions and selected loans. Pointed juxtapositions raise questions, create unexpected resonances, and shift established meanings.Martin Wong’s Canal Street (1992) and Oscar yi Hou’s Far Eastsiders, aka: Cowgirl Mama A.B & Son Wukong (2021) establish a longstanding lineage for queer Asian diasporic artists in New York City. And the juxtaposition of Thomas Cole’s five-painting series The Course of Empire (ca. 1834–1836) with Contact 2,021 (2021) by contemporary Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard exposes the racial and gender politics of the Hudson River School landscape tradition. The groupings aim to center long-marginalized experiences and prompt a rethinking of both American art and the way museums tell history. Curated by Wendy Nālani E. Ikemoto, senior curator of American art.

What new stories can familiar works of art tell? This exhibition showcases longstanding favorites from The New York Historical's permanent collection alongside recent Museum acquisitions and selected loans. Pointed juxtapositions raise questions, create unexpected resonances, and shift established meanings.Martin Wong’s Canal Street (1992) and Oscar yi Hou’s Far Eastsiders, aka: Cowgirl Mama A.B & Son Wukong (2021) establish a longstanding lineage for queer Asian diasporic artists in New York City. And the juxtaposition of Thomas Cole’s five-painting series The Course of Empire (ca. 1834–1836) with Contact 2,021 (2021) by contemporary Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard exposes the racial and gender politics of the Hudson River School landscape tradition. The groupings aim to center long-marginalized experiences and prompt a rethinking of both American art and the way museums tell history. Curated by Wendy Nālani E. Ikemoto, senior curator of American art.

Back to the Future the Musical is an extraordinary event taking place at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York. From now on, immerse yourself in this captivating experience. “Back to the Future: The Musical” is an extraordinary stage adaptation of the beloved 1985 sci-fi masterpiece “Back to the Future”. Transporting audiences through time, this captivating production follows the thrilling journey of Marty McFly. With the aid of a remarkable DeLorean time machine, invented by his ingenious friend, Marty ventures from the year 1985 to the enchanting era of 1955. Along this extraordinary odyssey, he encounters his own parents during their teenage years, facing the pivotal task of ensuring their destined love and unity, ultimately safeguarding his very existence in the future. Experience the awe-inspiring magic of the theater “Back to the Future: The Musical” Secure your tickets on Trip.com now for an unforgettable journey through time and witness the enthralling attractions that await.

The Lion King Show is an exceptional event that takes place in the vibrant city of New York. Held at the renowned Minskoff Theatre, this show promises an unforgettable experience for all attendees. From now on, immerse yourself in the mesmerizing world of The Lion King. Based on the 1994 Disney film and the original book by Roger and Erin, the musical won an Oscar for the song Can You Feel the Love Tonight. This remarkable production showcases the timeless tale of Simba, the young lion prince, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and courage. This visual feast successfully blends animals, puppets and real people seamlessly and is loved by audiences of all ages. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary event, Trip.com offers a wide range of ticketing options. Immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere of the Minskoff Theatre and witness the magic unfold before your eyes. Whether you are a fan of the original animated film or a newcomer to the story, this show guarantees to leave you in awe.

Coinciding with The Noguchi Museum’s 40th anniversary in 2025, works from the Museum’s original second floor installation will return to those galleries for the first time since 2009. Against Time is curated by Matthew Kirsch, Noguchi Museum Curator and Director of Research. Against Time uses as its basis the catalogue The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987), written by Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) as a guide to works in the Museum in place of traditional wall labels, which was in turn used to define the Museum’s permanent collection after his death in December 1988. This original installation consisted of sculptures that had accumulated before and after Noguchi’s move to his 10th Street studio in Long Island City in 1961. Noguchi considered a number of these to be personal breakthroughs, works that represented significant turns and returns within his cyclical practice over the course of six decades. Against Time could never replicate Noguchi’s exact vision for these galleries, as they have since been repartitioned after renovations in the early 2000s. Rather, this installation is a distillation of various phases from 1985–88, adapted and reimagined according to archival photographs documenting how Noguchi assiduously arranged and rearranged his works in different constellations in the first years of the Museum.

Coinciding with The Noguchi Museum’s 40th anniversary in 2025, works from the Museum’s original second floor installation will return to those galleries for the first time since 2009. Against Time is curated by Matthew Kirsch, Noguchi Museum Curator and Director of Research. Against Time uses as its basis the catalogue The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987), written by Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) as a guide to works in the Museum in place of traditional wall labels, which was in turn used to define the Museum’s permanent collection after his death in December 1988. This original installation consisted of sculptures that had accumulated before and after Noguchi’s move to his 10th Street studio in Long Island City in 1961. Noguchi considered a number of these to be personal breakthroughs, works that represented significant turns and returns within his cyclical practice over the course of six decades. Against Time could never replicate Noguchi’s exact vision for these galleries, as they have since been repartitioned after renovations in the early 2000s. Rather, this installation is a distillation of various phases from 1985–88, adapted and reimagined according to archival photographs documenting how Noguchi assiduously arranged and rearranged his works in different constellations in the first years of the Museum.

Coinciding with The Noguchi Museum’s 40th anniversary in 2025, works from the Museum’s original second floor installation will return to those galleries for the first time since 2009. Against Time is curated by Matthew Kirsch, Noguchi Museum Curator and Director of Research. Against Time uses as its basis the catalogue The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987), written by Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) as a guide to works in the Museum in place of traditional wall labels, which was in turn used to define the Museum’s permanent collection after his death in December 1988. This original installation consisted of sculptures that had accumulated before and after Noguchi’s move to his 10th Street studio in Long Island City in 1961. Noguchi considered a number of these to be personal breakthroughs, works that represented significant turns and returns within his cyclical practice over the course of six decades. Against Time could never replicate Noguchi’s exact vision for these galleries, as they have since been repartitioned after renovations in the early 2000s. Rather, this installation is a distillation of various phases from 1985–88, adapted and reimagined according to archival photographs documenting how Noguchi assiduously arranged and rearranged his works in different constellations in the first years of the Museum.

For the 2024 Genesis Facade Commission, South Korean artist Lee Bul (born 1964, Yeongju, based in Seoul) has created four new sculptures that combine figurative and abstract elements. The Genesis Facade Commission: Lee Bul,Long Tail Halois the artist’s first major project in the United States in more than twenty years and the fifth in the series of contemporary commissions for The Met Fifth Avenue’s facade niches. With a career that spans four decades, Lee is widely recognized as the preeminent artist from South Korea. She is known for her sophisticated use of both highly industrial and labor-intensive materials, incorporating artisanal practices as well as technological advancements into her work. Her sculptures, often evoking bodily forms that are at once classical and futuristic, address the aspirations and disillusions that come with progress. The Genesis Facade Commission is part of The Met’s series of contemporary commissions in which the Museum invites artists to create new works of art, establishing a dialogue between the artist’s practice, The Met collection, the physical Museum, and The Met’s audiences.

This groundbreaking exhibition explores the everyday clothing of ordinary women, from worn-out housecoats to psychedelic micro miniskirts and modern suits to the uniforms of fast-food workers. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery and featuring objects from Smith College’s Historical Costume Collection on display for the first time in a museum, the exhibition traces how women’s roles have changed and evolved across race and class over the decades. Each garment holds a rich story about the women who wore it and made it, the materials used, and the context of place and time. Whether homemade or ready-made, many of the garments on display are modest and inexpensive, rarely preserved or displayed in a museum setting. Some are one-of-a-kind pieces; others are examples of clever makeshift pieces, and many were influenced by the popular styles and trends of their day. Visitors to Real Clothes, Real Lives will learn about the "real" women who worked and dressed in America for two centuries.

The story revolves around the fading star Noma Destmond. She lives in her ruined mansion on the legendary streets of Los Angeles and lives a life of the past. When the lighter screenwriter Joe Galius accidentally met her, she saw the opportunity to return to the big screen from him, and then a series of romance and tragedy occurred.

The story revolves around the fading star Noma Destmond. She lives in her ruined mansion on the legendary streets of Los Angeles and lives a life of the past. When the lighter screenwriter Joe Galius accidentally met her, she saw the opportunity to return to the big screen from him, and then a series of romance and tragedy occurred.

Otobong Nkanga has changed the way we understand the Earth and our place in it. “Humans are only a small, minute part of the ecosystem,” the artist has said. “My works connect us to our shared histories, not just through land and geography, but through emotions shaped by events and encounters. These are the cadences of life.” Otobong Nkanga: Cadence presents a new commission by the artist: an all-encompassing environment of tapestry, sculpture, sound, and text that explores the turbulent rhythms of nature and society. Created specifically for MoMA’s Marron Family Atrium, the installation centers on a monumental, multi-paneled tapestry that suggests sprawling ecosystems and galaxies.

Otobong Nkanga has changed the way we understand the Earth and our place in it. “Humans are only a small, minute part of the ecosystem,” the artist has said. “My works connect us to our shared histories, not just through land and geography, but through emotions shaped by events and encounters. These are the cadences of life.” Otobong Nkanga: Cadence presents a new commission by the artist: an all-encompassing environment of tapestry, sculpture, sound, and text that explores the turbulent rhythms of nature and society. Created specifically for MoMA’s Marron Family Atrium, the installation centers on a monumental, multi-paneled tapestry that suggests sprawling ecosystems and galaxies.

While the landscape genre has long been associated with picturesque vistas, Shifting Landscapes considers a more expansive interpretation of the category, exploring how evolving political, ecological, and social issues motivate artists as they attempt to represent the world around them. Drawn from the Whitney’s collection, the exhibition features works from the 1960s to the present and is organized according to distinct thematic sections. Some of these coalesce around material and conceptual affinities: sculptural assemblages formed from locally sourced objects, ecofeminist approaches to land art, and the legacies of documentary landscape photography. Others are tied to specific geographies, such as the frenzied cityscape of modern New York or the experimental filmmaking scene of 1970s Los Angeles. Still others show how artists invent fantastic new worlds where humans, animals, and the land become one. Whether depicting the effects of industrialization on the environment, grappling with the impact of geopolitical borders, or proposing imagined spaces as a way of destabilizing the concept of a “natural” world, the works gathered here bring ideas of land and place into focus, foregrounding how we shape and are shaped by the spaces around us.

Featuring 25 site-specific, newly commissioned installations, Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial explores design’s role in shaping the physical and emotional realities of home across the United States, US Territories, and Tribal Nations. The exhibition is the seventh offering in the museum’s Design Triennial series, which was established in 2000 to address the most urgent topics of the time through the lens of design.

Among the various mock combats fought by knights and noblemen in tournaments, the joust was one of the most spectacular. The joust of peace required highly specialized armor that was unsuited to any other use, and usually made by the greatest armorers due to the exceptional metalworking skills required. This special installation features an armor for the joust of peace of Philip I of Castile (1478–1506) on loan from the Imperial Armory, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. A rare example among surviving armors for its refined decoration, it is also remarkable in that it was intended for a teenager. Its owner Philip I became duke of Burgundy, count of Flanders, and the ruler of additional lands, although in name only, upon his birth. He began wearing armor when he was just six years old, and this one was made for training and participating in tournaments around the time that he turned 15, when he was declared ready to rule. Through marriage, Philip became king consort of Castile and the first member of the House of Habsburg to rule over Spanish territories. His jousting armors were key to shaping his public image of a capable leader.

Based on the 1960 film by Roger Corman and featuring a book by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Ashman, Little Shop follows meek plant store attendant Seymour, his co-worker crush Audrey, her sadistic dentist of a boyfriend and the man-eating plant that threatens them and the world as we know it.

The critically acclaimed bestselling novel Water for Elephants comes to vivid life on Broadway in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical. After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age. Directed by Tony Award® nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo), with a book by three-time Tony nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co., Water for Elephants unites innovative stagecraft with the very best of Broadway talent in an authentic and deeply moving new musical that invites us all to give ourselves to the unknown.

In 1969, The Who created a rock opera that changed the course of music history. Some 25 years later,The Who’s TOMMYarrived on Broadway, winning 5 Tony Awards® and pushing the boundaries of what musical theatre can be. This March, the Amazing Journey arrives in a dazzling new production direct from a sold-out, record-breaking, award-winning Chicago premiere. “Broadway has nothing else like this wizardry going on, not this season and nothing I know of for next season. Visually and sonically overwhelming, it’s a prescient masterpiece of a rock opera.”Chris Jones,Chicago Tribune

Join Tony Award® winner James Monroe Iglehart and a talented ensemble cast as they bring Louis Armstrong’s incredible journey to life, from New Orleans to worldwide fame. This full-scale musical features a rich tapestry of characters, including the extraordinary women who helped shape his remarkable life and career. Be captivated by Armstrong’s timeless hits like “What a Wonderful World” and “When You’re Smiling,” performed by a large, dynamic cast. Don’t miss this spectacular celebration of music, filled with vibrant dance numbers, stunning sets, and unforgettable performances. Get your tickets now for an unforgettable night that honors the iconic man who defined an era.

The Jefferson R. Burdick collection of ephemera at The Met contains one of the most distinguished collections of historical baseball cards anywhere in the world. In 1947, Burdick (1900–1963), an electrician from Syracuse, New York, and avid collector of ephemera, began to donate in large batches his holdings of more than 300,000 trade cards, postcards, and posters to the Museum. Included in the donation were more than 30,000 baseball cards dating back to the 1880s. This exhibition features over one hundred dating cards from 1895 to 1956. Produced using a variety of printing techniques and in a range of styles, the cards feature legends of the game from a bygone era.

The Department of Drawings and Prints boasts more than one million drawings, prints, and illustrated books made in Europe and the Americas from around 1400 to the present day. Because of their number and sensitivity to light, the works can only be exhibited for a limited period and are usually housed in on-site storage facilities. To highlight the vast range of works on paper, the department organizes four rotations a year in the Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. Gallery. Each installation is the product of a collaboration among curators and consists of up to 100 objects grouped by artist, technique, style, period, or subject. In 2024, the Museum received a remarkable gift from JoAnn Edinburg Pinkowitz of some three hundred prints by Mexican and other (mainly American) artists who worked in Mexico. This gift builds on JoAnn’s earlier donation of twentieth-century Chinese prints of the modern woodcut movement. JoAnn was raised in a family passionate about collecting art. During the 1960s, as a teenager, she volunteered in the Department of Prints and Drawings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She began collecting prints in 2009 after being inspired by the museum's exhibition Vida y Drama: Modern Mexican Prints. JoAnn was attracted to art that had a strong social and political message. Many of the prints on view were published by the Taller de Gráfica Popular (Workshop of Popular Graphic Art), a printmaking collective founded in 1937 in Mexico City “with the aim of stimulating graphic arts production in the interests of the Mexican people.” In the 1950s, artists from the workshop traveled to China, where they introduced their work to local artists. Artists from both countries treated similar subjects, and this spurred JoAnn to give Chinese prints to The Met. The Pinkowitz material dovetails perfectly with The Met’s outstanding collection of Mexican prints and includes works by artists not previously represented. Prints by American artists in Mexico and mid-century Chinese artists also deepen our appreciation of traditions of democratic printmaking.

In 1969, The Who created a rock opera that changed the course of music history. Some 25 years later,The Who’s TOMMYarrived on Broadway, winning 5 Tony Awards® and pushing the boundaries of what musical theatre can be. This March, the Amazing Journey arrives in a dazzling new production direct from a sold-out, record-breaking, award-winning Chicago premiere. “Broadway has nothing else like this wizardry going on, not this season and nothing I know of for next season. Visually and sonically overwhelming, it’s a prescient masterpiece of a rock opera.”Chris Jones,Chicago Tribune

Enamel decoration is a significant element of Chinese decorative arts that has long been overlooked. This exhibition reveals the aesthetic, technical, and cultural achievement of Chinese enamel wares by demonstrating the transformative role of enamel during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. The first transformational moment occurred in the late 14th to 15th century, when the introduction of cloisonné enamel from the West, along with the development of porcelain with overglaze enamels, led to a shift away from a monochromatic palette to colorful works. The second transformation occurred in the late 17th to 18th century, when European enameling materials and techniques were brought to the Qing court and more subtle and varied color tones were developed on enamels applied over porcelain, metal, glass, and other mediums. In both moments, Chinese artists did not simply adopt or copy foreign techniques; they actively created new colors and styles that reflected their own taste. The more than 100 objects on view are drawn mainly from The Met collection.

Join Tony Award® winner James Monroe Iglehart and a talented ensemble cast as they bring Louis Armstrong’s incredible journey to life, from New Orleans to worldwide fame. This full-scale musical features a rich tapestry of characters, including the extraordinary women who helped shape his remarkable life and career. Be captivated by Armstrong’s timeless hits like “What a Wonderful World” and “When You’re Smiling,” performed by a large, dynamic cast. Don’t miss this spectacular celebration of music, filled with vibrant dance numbers, stunning sets, and unforgettable performances. Get your tickets now for an unforgettable night that honors the iconic man who defined an era.

From a young age, acclaimed Pop artist David Hockney (British, b. 1937) cemented his reputation as one of the most innovative and experimental artists of his generation. Hockney/Origins: Early Works from the Roy B. and Edith J. Simpson Collection examines the early period of Hockney’s career in depth, from his time as a student at the Royal College of Art in London during the early 1960s to his formative years in the 1970s.

Redwood is a transportive new musical about one woman’s journey into the precious and precarious world of the redwood forest. Jesse is a successful businesswoman, mother and wife who seems to have it all, but inside, her heart is broken. Finding herself at a turning point, Jesse leaves everyone and everything behind, gets in her car and drives... Thousands of miles later, she hits the majestic forests of Northern California, where a chance meeting and a leap of faith change her life forever. With its deeply personal story, refreshingly contemporary sound, and awe-inspiring design, Redwood explores the lengths –and heights– one travels to find strength, resilience and healing.

Redwood is a transportive new musical about one woman’s journey into the precious and precarious world of the redwood forest. Jesse is a successful businesswoman, mother and wife who seems to have it all, but inside, her heart is broken. Finding herself at a turning point, Jesse leaves everyone and everything behind, gets in her car and drives... Thousands of miles later, she hits the majestic forests of Northern California, where a chance meeting and a leap of faith change her life forever. With its deeply personal story, refreshingly contemporary sound, and awe-inspiring design, Redwood explores the lengths –and heights– one travels to find strength, resilience and healing.

The idea of cutting up a medieval manuscript is almost unthinkable today. Historically, however, this practice was relatively common, and it reached a fever pitch in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. People cut up manuscripts for various reasons: Dealers unwilling to pay weight-based import duties on large choir books opted to remove their decorated initials and dispose of the heavy bindings. Art lovers excised pictures from manuscripts and pasted them into albums; many considered this an act of freeing precious artworks from the text-filled books that held them captive. The dismembering of manuscripts was thus regarded not as vandalism but as a tribute to the otherwise hidden illuminations.