Hispanic Heritage Month continues, October is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, and Carnegie Hall celebrates its opening night!

American Masters presents Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Streaming on-demand now through October 20
Discover how Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winners. Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles, and scenes of the star on set today.
Watch “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It” on PBS

Ailey All Access presents Jamar Roberts’ Holding Space
Streaming on-demand now through October 19 at 7pm
Earlier this year, Jamar Roberts created Holding Space as a dance for film.  Now Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is thrilled to share that you will also be able to see it live on stage at New York City Center this December 3 and 9. Tickets for the live performances will go on sale on October 12 but if you can’t wait, you can watch the film version online right now.
Stream “Holding Space” on Ailey All Access

Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala
Streaming on-demand
Welcome the joyous return of live performances as the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin launches Carnegie Hall’s season with a performance that includes Shostakovich’s rousing Piano Concerto No. 2—featuring superstar pianist Yuja Wang—and Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5. Beethoven’s love of nature inspired Iman Habibi’s Jeder Baum spricht, a powerful reflection on climate change, while Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout honors frontline workers and the human spirit’s resilience in the time of the pandemic. The evening is completed by the ever-popular Overture to Bernstein’s Candide.
Watch Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night

Jazz’n ArtsBash featuring Ravi Coltrane Quartet
Thursday, October 7, 6-9pm
City Square Park, White Plains, NY
ArtsWestchester and Ginsburg Development Companies present the first annual Jazz’n ArtsBash Benefit Concert with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music by the Ravi Coltrane Quartet. The party will take place under the stars and include two sets at 7pm and at 8:15pm. Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader, and composer.
Purchase Jazz’n ArtsBash tickets here

The New Yorker Festival presents Some Very Funny Ladies
Saturday, October 9, 4-5pm
Liza Donnelly, the author of “Very Funny Ladies,” joins Roz Chast, Liana Finck, and Amy Hwang to celebrate the history of women cartoonists at The New Yorker. Moderated by Emma Allen.
This is a free virtual community event.
Join the “Some Very Funny Ladies” event online

The Metropolitan Opera presents Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot
Free Live Audio Stream
Tuesday, October 12, 6:55pm
Armiliato; Goerke, Reyes, Eyvazov, Morris
Access The Met’s live audio streams

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham: Virtual A.I.M Homecoming Night
Tuesday, October 12, 7pm
Gather your friends and family for A.I.M’s Homecoming Night, free to stream on their gala website! Plus, catch up with A.I.M all week October 11-15. 2021 A.I.M Homecoming Week will be a celebration of A.I.M’s resilience, perseverance, and creative tenacity honoring Kristopher Bowers, Emmy Award-winning composer, and Codie Elaine Oliver & Tommy Oliver, Founders of Black Love Inc. & Confluential Films.  A.I.M Homecoming Week will raise critical funds to support A.I.M’s artists and the sustainability of the company. We invite you to join us at any of the events throughout the week!
View the event schedule and show your support for A.I.M. during 2021 A.I.M Homecoming Week

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Culture Picks is a weekly feature celebrating the performing arts. The arts are back and there is so much to take in, both live and virtual. Cultural connoisseur and PAC staff member Coni Guhl is here to help you sort through it all. Each week we will post her curated selection of events featuring the artists you know and love from The PAC Center Series, plus a sampling of stellar local experiences. Enjoy!

All times are EDT unless otherwise noted.

Photo: Ravi Coltrane © Michael Weintrob