DON’T MISS!: KEYS TO THE CITY
A custom-painted upright piano is an unlikely thing to find in a public space. But starting tomorrow, New Yorkers will discover 88 such keyboards in parks and other outdoor spots throughout the boroughs, left around the clock to be played by Thelonious Monk or Billy Joel wannabes.
The installation is the work of Sing for Hope, a community-focused arts group that did similar installations in 2010 and 2011. The hope is that the pianos — each painted by a different artist — will “serve as a focal point for the community,” says executive director Bobby Kean.
Each piano is matched with a designated neighbor or group who’ll cover the piano during rain. At the end of the run, they’re donated to schools and community groups. “We’ve had some that were water-damaged, but surprisingly few,” says Kean. “We’ve been overwhelmed by how wonderful the communities are in taking care of them.”
The pianos will be out through June 16; for a map of locations, see singforhope.org.
— Chris Erikson
Lekha Singh
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CHECK IT OUT!: SIZZLING BACON
With “Diner,” “Footloose,” “Apollo 13” and even “Animal House” on his acting resume, Kevin Bacon has earned a following. Coincidentally, his first prime-time TV series, just renewed for a second season, is called “The Following” — he plays FBI agent Ryan Hardy.
“It’s great, I love it,” says New Yorker Bacon about working on the series shot in the area. “I can count on one hand the amount of times that I’ve actually gone to work and slept in my own bed.”
Bacon will spill about his show and career (and maybe about the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, which he’s turned into a Web site, sixdegrees.org, for charitable work) Tuesday evening at the Paley Center for Media.
In the meantime, we asked the actor to reveal something about himself that might surprise people. “I ride the subway every day,” he says. “To me, it’s like the only way to get around.”
6:30 p.m. at 25 W. 52nd St.; 212-621-6600, paleycenter.org; $35.
— Billy Heller
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WATCH IT!: BITING SATIRE
It’s a given that Mel Brooks is a genius — he came out with two of the greatest film satires, “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” in one year (1974). But he was also ahead of his time. Long before vampires rose from the dead with the likes of “Buffy” and “Twilight,” Brooks spoofed bloodsuckers with “Dracula: Dead and Loving It.” The 1995 film, his last one, is getting a rare screening this weekend at the IFC Center.
Brooks, in the film as vampire fighter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, picked Leslie Nielsen for the title role. “I was too short,” Brooks, now 86, told The Post when the film opened. “Dracula has to be 6 feet. That’s the requirement.”
As for Nielsen, the filmmaker said, “He’s one of the few guys who can wear a cape. Who the hell in Hollywood can wear a cape? No one.”
Today, tomorrow and Sunday at 11 a.m. 323 Sixth Ave., at Third Street; ifccenter.com.
— B.H.
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STEP RIGHT UP!: PONY, NO BALONEY
Jump-ropes, Dr. Zhivago and gunfire. All of these are part of Yvonne Meier’s “This Is Not a Pink Pony,” Parts 1 and 2.
Part 1, first done in 2008, is an improvised love triangle set in an imaginary wartime. The new second section is more structured, but no less absurd. Creating it was a “complete ‘Muppet Show’ ” jokes dancer Arturo Vidich. “We’re free to take extreme liberties with whatever she gives us.”
Vidich, who’s known for taking risks, says, “I broke my own nose with my knee in rehearsal attempting to jump rope. Yvonne’s face went blank before she told me, ‘You’re bleeding.’ ” Luckily, the gunfire is only on the soundtrack, so the performance should be less bloody.
Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $20 at Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand St.; 212-598-0400, abronsartscenter.org.
— Leigh Witchel
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LISTEH TO THIS!: CUTTING EDGE
Forget Guitar Center, because if it’s musical instruments you desire then you could do worse than hitting up the local hardware store. The 10th Annual Musical Saw Festival will be held in Queens tomorrow and over the past decade, it’s an event that has expanded to include workshops for beginners looking to get a slice of the action. “You can get specially made saws for playing, but I always tell beginners not to spend too much money,” explains festival founder and performer Natalia “Saw Lady” Paruz. “If you have one in your toolbox, just use that.” The festival has also been expanded to include musical-saw-inspired art exhibits and poetry readings, but the big draw remains the musical saw itself. “A lot of people think that it will sound like a saw cutting a piece of wood,” laughs Paruz. “But it’s more like a woman’s soprano voice — it’s angelic and otherworldly.”
Tomorrow, 2 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 31-18 37th St., Astoria; musicalsawfestival.org ($10).
— Hardeep Phull
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