The Brooklyn Museum is celebrating its bicentennial

James Ijames has three genres in mind “Good bones” Directed by Saheem Ali. First, it's a haunted house thriller: Aisha (Susan Kelechi Watson) walks through her new home – a restored mansion wrapped in architectural plastic – and is disturbed by eerie laughter. Second, it's a relationship drama: Aisha flirts with her contractor Earl (Khris Davis) and argues with her wealthy husband Travis (Mamoudou Athie). After all, it's a game of ideas in which Earl and Aisha argue about gentrification. Oddly, Ijames switches between genres rather than mixing them, so a reveal in one mode (e.g. Aisha desires Earl) has no bearing on the next. The handsome set, designed by Maruti Evans, cannot hide the fact that significant renovation work is still required.—HS (Public Theater; until Oct. 27)

Classic

For Mahler, writing a symphony meant “constructing a world.” His Third Symphony, the longest of the nine completed, is not only a world of its own, but also an examination of creation itself. The piece flirts with natural themes – Bacchanalian horns, rumbles of summer thunder, floral harp blossoms – but goes beyond the physical. Existential questions are heard with a setting of Nietzsche's “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” and reflections on angels, love and the cyclicality of life. The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to Carnegie for this meta-masterpiece. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts, with vocals from mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and members of three Philadelphia choirs: the Girls Choir, the Boys Choir and the Symphonic Choir. The audience will sit for more than an hour and a half without a break. It will probably still feel too short.—Jane Bua (Carnegie Hall; Oct. 15)

Films

Photo courtesy of Icarus Films / OVID

The letter in the title of the 1973 documentary film by Charles Belmont and Marielle Issartel, “Stories of A”, stands for avortementthe French word for abortion, which was illegal in France at the time. The film – which was also banned in France at the time – is an examination of the activism for the legalization of the procedure. Secret groups of medical volunteers still performed abortions, and some worked with the filmmakers to publicize their activities—as in a scene in which a woman has an abortion in an apartment. Belmont and Issartel interview women who planned or were unable to have an abortion and film controversial meetings where activists discuss strategy. Above all, the filmmakers place abortion in the larger context of social and economic change—women's control not only of their bodies but also of their lives.—Richard Brody (Streaming on OVID.tv.)

Soul

In the late nineties, the Philly singer was Bilal fell under the spell of neo-soul collective Soulquarians and left the New School Jazz Conservatory to pursue a major label career under the leadership of Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors. Bilal's debut LP “1st Born Second” (2001), an overlooked classic of modern R. & B., combined hip-hop and blues with support from Dr. Dre, J Dilla and Raphael Saadiq; Its equally hyped follow-up, the funk-fusion fever dream “Love for Sale,” didn't have a proper release but gained a cult following in 2006. The singer was always keen to experiment and remained a trailblazer on the fringes. and his atmospheric new album “Adjust Brightness,” his first in eight years, once again places his nasal wail at the forefront of soul music's endless expansion.—Sheldon Pearce (Music Hall of Williamsburg; Oct. 10)

Bar tab

Rachel Syme lounges in a new piano bar.

Illustration by Claire Merchlinsky

The best thing a piano bar can be is that it's worn out. The room should feel creaky and sticky from spilled vodka bites; The ghosts of past singers should be heard on the walls. Still, someone has to open new cabaret clubs if we ever want to have old cabaret clubs and their owners So & So's, Hidden behind a plain blue door on West Fifty-second Street – with an additional entrance in the lobby of the Romer Hotel – they did just that. The room was designed as a meeting place for “show people” to listen and sing music. It's a little bit 54 Below, a little bit Marie's Crisis, a little bit cheesy cruise bar. (The venue books Broadway performers and jazz trios to keep the keys tinkling.) The look is '70s loch, with velvet banquettes and swirled carpets, the drink menu eccentric. (One variation of a martini includes blood-red beetroot juice.) The cocktail menu was created by Phil Collins, a former backup dancer for Rihanna and Lady Gaga who is now pursuing a second career in mixology; A standout drink is the Bodega Cat, an opaque tequila blend of coconut milk, cherry and cinnamon that comes in a classic coffee cup that reads “We Are Happy to Serve You.” It's over-the-top and over-the-top sweet, but it's reminiscent of old Manhattan. When I visited on a Friday evening, an affable lounge singer, Jacob Khalil, was belting out sunny pop covers – ” . . “Baby One More Time,” “Wonderwall” – on a piano. A woman called for a song about the city; She moved “upstate” to Westchester, she said, and was homesick. Khalil began with Billy Joel's “New York State of Mind,” and perhaps against their will, everyone sang along, becoming, at least for one song, old friends in a new place.

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