FOR THEATER GEEKS
From “The Way We Were” to his score for “A Chorus Line,” Marvin Hamlisch wrote melodies that stick in your head. Monday night, they’ll get the deluxe treatment when the New York Phil presents “One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch.” Airing live on PBS, the show will cover the breadth of the composer’s career, down to offbeat nuggets. “We even do ‘Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,’ which Lesley Gore sang in 1963,” says director Lonny Price.
A starry roster of guests, hosted by Audra McDonald, will take turns at the mike: Kelli O’Hara, Raúl Esparza and . . . Beth Behrs from “2 Broke Girls”? “I was directing an episode of her show, and I was surprised to discover that she loves musical theater,” Price says. “That’s something she wants to do at some point. I think she’s going to surprise a lot of people.” $95-$320; Avery Fisher Hall, Broadway at 65th Street; 212-875-5656.
FOR FAMILIES
No need to book a super-pricey baby sitter if your kids are 8 or older, aren’t overstimulated by loud music and flashing lights, and can stay up well past midnight. Dave & Busters’ annual New Year’s Eve mega bash welcomes families to its mammoth entertainment complex, where children and grown-ups can party cheek-by-jowl playing arcade games or dancing to the beat. Admission — $95 for adults, which includes five hours of an open bar, $85 for ages 8 to 21 — includes a buffet. 234 W. 42nd St.; 917-300-0930.
Arcade too tame for your brood? Try the Big Apple Circus, which is staging a special late-evening performance of its show “Legendarium,” culminating in a countdown to 2013 led by ringmaster John Kennedy Kane. There’ll be goody bags and a Champagne or non-alcoholic sparkling cider toast while you sing “Auld Lang Syne” with the flamboyant cast of clowns, jugglers, acrobats and contortionists. $45 to $175; Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center; 888-541-3750.
FOR ATHLETES
Why not run into the new year instead of dragging yourself into it with a hangover? The Prospect Park New Year’s Eve 5K starts at 11:15 p.m., giving you enough time to catch the midnight fireworks with a cup of free hot chocolate or sparkling cider. “We call it the last race of the year,” says race director Michael Balbos of Brooklyn Road Runners. “It’s a fun, healthy way to celebrate.” Registration: $30 through tomorrow; $40 race day; 10:15 p.m., Ninth Street, inside the park entrance.
FOR MUSIC MAVENS
“I can’t think of any other place than New York City that I’d rather be on New Year’s Eve,” says soprano Joyce DiDonato. This year, she’s going one better: Not only will she be here, but she’s starring in Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda.”
That this is a premiere makes it even more exciting. “Because it’s never been done at the Met before, there’s a real sense of occasion about it,” says DiDonato, who’ll swap her Mary Stuart stage dress for a Carolina Herrera gown at the gala after. For $2,000 and up, you can join her: The show’s at 6:30 p.m., with dinner and dancing at 9:15 and fireworks at midnight. Opera tickets alone start at $20. The thrill of seeing those chandeliers rise in one of the finest houses in the world? Priceless. Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, metopera.org.
For a different kind of diva, there’s Patti LuPone’s back-to-back New Year’s Eve shows at 54 Below. Three courses and two Tony awards worth of music await you at “Far Away Places,” featuring a five-piece orchestra doing a mix of contemporary songs and Broadway numbers, plus cabaret songs of Paris and Berlin. So lift a glass with LuPone, who’ll mark the new year with a countdown and a Champagne toast at midnight. $300 for the 7 p.m. show, $400 for the 11 p.m.; 254 W. 54th St.; 646-476-3551.
FOR SIGHTSEERS
It’s the new year, so why not get a new view of the city? The Zephyr Cruise starts at South Street Seaport and winds its way up the Hudson to take in the Empire State Building, the UN, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. There’ll be hors d’oeuvres, an open bar and a Champagne toast, plus dancing to a DJ and watching the ball drop on 42-inch screens. The real highlight? Seeing the lit-up skyline from the water. $225; 9:50 p.m. at Pier 61, South Street Seaport; 212-742-1969.