January can get a bad rap, culture-wise. It’s when winter kicks in, the city quiets down and what can feel like a post-holiday ennui settles in.
New York City, however, rarely settles down.
January begets JanArts NYC, an initiative from the mayor’s office that showcases new works in opera, dance, theater, music and more.
For jazz lovers, there’s Winter JazzFest, a series of shows, talks and screenings dedicated to the genre at various venues across the city.
For dance fans, there’s American Dance Platform at the Joyce Theater, highlighting a range of styles, including tap, Flamenco and contemporary.
Music lovers will enjoy Lincoln Center’s globalFEST, featuring music from around the world, such as Ukrainian folk and French-Moroccan gnawa rock.
And for theater geeks, there’s the Under the Radar festival, now in its 19th edition. The festival celebrates theater “from around the world and down this street.”
This year’s “Under the Radar” kicks off Friday and features 23 performances at 13 venues over three weekends. The festival has found a new home, after a much-publicized end to its 17-year run at the Public Theater due to budget cuts last summer.
Alison Stewart invited Mark Russell, the founder of “Under the Radar,” and Luke Murphy, whose acclaimed show “Volcano” is part of the festival, to discuss their work on a recent episode of “All of It.”
You can hear the whole conversation here; below is an edited version.
Alison Stewart: Luke, your show “Volcano” is one of the pieces in the festival. It starts Jan. 10 at St. Ann’s Warehouse. The website says it’s part theater, part dance, part sci-fi thriller. How would you describe it?
Luke: One of the problems with talking about the show is the narrative is this sci-fi mystery and how it unfolds and gets pieced together over these four episodes — that’s the experience of the show. So when you talk about it, you’re trying to hold as much back while giving something, so it doesn’t seem…
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