Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens

A vibrant mix of fashion, theater, film history, and whimsical city wandering defines this week across New York and Long Island. From the International Center of Photography’s sweeping new exhibition “Yves Saint Laurent and Photography,” to the return of Broadway Week’s irresistible 2‑for‑1 ticket program, to MoMA’s century‑spanning celebration of animation, the city is humming with cultural energy. Add in Andrea Peponakis’s serene Cold Spring Harbor daycation, Nicole Freezer Rubens’s delightfully eccentric Candy Land–style adventure in Greenpoint, and two luminous Leslee Warren performances honoring Lena Horne.

Yves Saint Laurent and Photography

Head to the International Center of Photography (ICP) for a fabulous new exhibit. “Yves Saint Laurent and Photography” is a sweeping, nearly 300‑piece exhibition tracing the designer’s four‑decade relationship with the camera — not just as a promotional tool, but as a creative engine that shaped his legacy and the visual language of modern fashion. Organized in collaboration with the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris and the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent, the show pairs iconic images with contact sheets, campaign materials, magazines, and personal photographs to reveal how Saint Laurent built an entire universe through imagery.

The exhibition gathers work from some of the most influential photographers of the 20th century — Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Guy Bourdin, Horst P. Horst, Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Andy Warhol, and many others. Their images chart Saint Laurent’s evolution from Dior protégé to revolutionary couturier, capturing the tension, glamour, and cultural shifts embedded in his designs.

About the International Center of Photography (ICP)

Located on the Lower East Side, the International Center of Photography is one of New York’s most dynamic cultural institutions dedicated entirely to photography and visual culture. Its modern galleries, flexible exhibition spaces, and street‑level presence make it an ideal setting for a show that blends fashion, art, and archival storytelling.

Sept. 8-20. Broadway Week is Back!

Broadway Week 2026 delivers one of the city’s most reliable thrills: 2‑for‑1 tickets to some of the biggest shows on the boards, running September 8–20. With code 241BWSHOW, New Yorkers and visitors can grab half‑price seats to a curated lineup of musicals and plays — from blockbuster franchises to buzzy new arrivals — plus an optional $135 upgrade for premium locations using code UPBWSHOW.

 This year’s roster spans beloved classics, star‑driven revivals, and headline‑making newcomers. Highlights include:

• Aladdin — The long‑running Disney spectacle, still dazzling in Times Square.
• Hadestown — A mythic, Tony‑winning musical with a devoted fan base.
• MJ — The high‑energy Michael Jackson bio‑musical.
• Schmigadoon! — The hit TV parody reimagined as a full Broadway musical.
• Operation Mincemeat — A witty WWII spy caper turned musical.
• School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play — A sharp, funny, award‑winning play.
• Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) — A rom‑com musical with breakout buzz.
• Oh, Mary! — A comedic spin on Mary Todd Lincoln that’s become a sleeper hit.
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — The blockbuster stage sequel.
• Just in Time — Jeremy Jordan stars as Bobby Darin.
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow — A theatrical prequel to the Netflix phenomenon.
• The Lost Boys — Vampires take over the Palace Theatre in a new musical adaptation.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW.

It’s Alive! A Century of Animation from the Collection — MoMA

MoMA’s new exhibition It’s Alive! traces more than 100 years of animation history, celebrating the artists and studios that transformed the medium from hand‑drawn experiments into a defining force of global visual culture. Drawing from the museum’s extensive film collection, the show spotlights over 35 pioneering creators—from silent‑era icons like Felix the Cat, Koko the Clown, and Gertie the Dinosaur to the New York animators who shaped the field through the 20th century. Visitors can follow the evolution of animation across eras: the expressive black‑and‑white line work of early innovators, the arrival of color in the 1930s, and the bold design shifts of the mid‑century that inspired generations of independent artists.

What emerges is a vivid portrait of New York as a creative engine for animation. The exhibition highlights the city’s role as home base for influential figures including John Hubley, Faith and Emily Hubley, George Griffin, Candy Kugel, Jeff Scher, and Michael Sporn—artists who balanced commercial projects for Public Television and MTV with deeply personal filmmaking. Their work, alongside rare archival materials and historic film clips, underscores the diversity, ingenuity, and enduring charm of animation as both art form and cultural touchstone. It’s Alive! runs through Summer 2027 at MoMA’s Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center. GET THE DETAILS.

A Daycation in Cold Spring Harbor

Our Long Island report Andrea Peponokis wraps up her series of wonderful daycations on Long Island with Cold Spring Harbor.  It offers historic charm, independent shops, sweet treats, waterfront dining, and a sunset worth lingering for. From coffee at Sweetie Pies to feeding trout, exploring the Whaling Museum, and ending with dinner by the harbor, this North Shore village blends nostalgia, nature, and slow‑paced joy into one unforgettable summer day. READ MORE.

 A Loopy Trip Through Candy Land

Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens, writes:

Visiting the new Store Called Store located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn is a loopy trip through a Candy Land trail down memory lane. Artist and owner Kelly Adelia opened this specialty shop almost a year ago, at 141 India Street. Its colorful shelves are stocked with ephemera from yesterday and today. Vintage neon troll dolls and figurines sit amongst puppets, Superballs, fads from the past and current trends, lit by that lamp that once adorned your nursery. Plastic Barbie boots and dapper Dressy Bessy circa 1970, welcome all to browse this majestic display of pure joy!

Affordable work by local artisans can always be found, lending a communal and supportive angle to the business. All are invited to meander through this trippy emporium that feels part museum, part gift shop, part antique store, and mostly like a welcoming gathering space.  Look up, down, back in time, and forward. The objects themselves are quite the installation and an inspiration to live a fun-filled, brilliantly animated life.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”

Two Performances: Leslee Warren Tribute to Lena Horne

Leslee Warren, winner of the 8th annual “Tomatoes Got Talent” contest, brings her new show, Light Dark & Stormy – Lena Horne, to Chelsea Table + Stage on Thursdays, September 17 and October 8, at 7:00 PM. This is Leslee’s much-anticipated follow-up to her solo cabaret debut, Me Myself & Eye: Songs of a Near-Sighted Girl, with Musical Director and Arranger Gregory Toroian on piano, Skip Ward on bass, and David Silliman on drums. Directed by Lina Koutrakos.

Light Dark & Stormy – Lena Horne

Thursday, September 17 @ 7:00 PM | Thursday, October 8 @ 7:00 PM |Chelsea Table + Stage

Hilton Fashion District Hotel 152 W 26th St, NYC, 10001 (212) 434-0499 www.chelseatableandstage.com

Tickets: $29-$40 + $25 minimum per person