Pennsylvania Museum Selling a Hopper to Raise Endowment for Contemporary Art

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Hopper’s “East Wind Over Weehawken.”

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is putting up for sale a painting by Edward Hopper from its collection to start an endowment fund to buy contemporary art. The 1934 painting, “East Wind Over Weehawken,” one of two Hopper paintings the academy’s museum holds in its collection, will be sold at auction at Christie’s in New York in December with a presale estimate of between $22 million and $28 million, the academy said.

The academy, in Philadelphia, bought the Hopper painting in 1952 from the artist’s dealer Frank K. M. Rehn for $2,750, and said it was sticking to its collections policy and standard practice in the museum field by dedicating all proceeds from the sale to the endowment to buy new artworks.

Harry Philbrick, the museum’s director, said the new fund also marked a return to a tradition of the museum collecting contemporary art. “We had a very strong tradition of doing that until the 1950s when we pulled back,” he said. “In recent years, we have been trying to be more active.”

The museum will keep its other Hopper painting, “Apartment Houses,” from 1923, which it bought from the artist directly and was the first oil painting by Hopper to enter the collection of any museum, Mr. Philbrick said. “East Wind Over Weehawken” will be the only artwork the museum sells to fund its new endowment. Mr. Philbrick said that if the work fetches its estimate, it will quintuple the funds generated annually for the purchase of art. About 25 percent of the endowment will be dedicated to filling gaps in the collection of historic art, but around three quarters of new investments will be in contemporary art.

The main focus will be American painting and sculpture, Mr. Philbrick said, but “we will be looking to buy significant works across various mediums.” The museum recently added a Bill Viola video installation to its collection. The sale at Christie’s may attract some attention. According to the Artnet price database, only 22 Hopper paintings have come up for sale at auction in the last 25 years. In May, one Hopper, “Blackwell’s Island,” from 1928, sold at Christie’s for $19 million. That painting has been acquired by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., it was announced on Monday.

Soho Rep Announces New Season

Michael Tammaro Marin Ireland

Soho Rep has big ambitions for its small new season. On Tuesday the downtown theater company announced it will mount two full productions in 2013-14: the New York premiere of David Adjmi’s “Marie Antoinette,” and “An Octoroon” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

“Marie Antoinette” (Oct. 9-Nov. 3) is Mr. Adjmi’s (“3C”) modern take on the doomed French queen. The show had its premiere last year at Yale Rep in a coproduction with American Repertory Theater. Reprising their roles from that production will be the actors Marin Ireland as Marie, Steven Rattazzi as Louis XVI and David Greenspan as a sheep. Rebecca Taichman will direct. The play is Ms. Ireland’s first role at Soho Rep since her heralded turn in Sarah Kane’s “Blasted” in 2008. Other cast members include Marsha Stephanie Blake, Karl Miller and Jen Ikeda; additional casting is to be announced. In his review of the show at Yale Rep, Charles Isherwood called it a “cursory comic strip of a play” that echoes the Marie depicted in Sofia Coppola’s anachronistic, punk-infused movie starring Kirsten Dunst.

In the spring Sarah Benson, Soho Rep’s artistic director, will direct “An Octoroon,” Mr. Jacobs-Jenkins’s stage adaptation of “The Octoroon,” a 19th-century melodrama by the Irish playwright Dion Boucicault about interracial romance on a Louisiana plantation. A cast and run dates are to be announced. The piece has been reconceived and rewritten since it was first staged three years ago at Performance Space 122. The show drew attention before it opened when the director Gavin Quinn withdrew after creative disagreements with Mr. Jacobs-Jenkins, who took over as director. Last year Soho Rep mounted a reading of the work staged by the British playwright Mark Ravenhill.

Both productions are larger in scope than those in the past at Soho Rep, which has usually produced three shows per season. A spokesman for the theater said that in addition to a standard creative team, both “Marie Antoinette” and “An Octoroon” will require a wig designer, a choreographer, a fight choreographer and a video designer. In past seasons, a production typically would require only one of these additional artists.

Restored Film of an Ill-Fated Mt. Everest Expedition to Show at London Festival

Prakash Mathema/Agence France-Presse â€" Getty Images Mount Everest, center.

A newly restored version of a film documenting an early attempt to climb Mount Everest will be shown as part of this year’s BFI London Film Festival, the British Film Institute announced on Tuesday. “The Epic of Everest,” directed by the British explorer Capt. John Noel, followed the 1924 expedition led by George Mallory, in which both Mallory and another climber, Andrew Irvine, died.

It remains unknown whether Mallory and Irvine  made it to Everest’s summit before they disappeared â€" if they did, they would have beaten Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by nearly 30 years. The 1924 attempt was the third British-led expedition to Everest. Noel also filmed and photographed the second expedition, in 1922. For the 1924 effort, according to a report in The Times, Noel used four cameras, aiming to capture “the fascination of those secluded, lofty, divinely beautiful mountains of Tibet and the implacable majesty of the supreme mountain herself.”

In a statement, Robin Baker, the film institute’s head curator, said “The Epic of Everest” portrayed “a key moment in the history of mountaineering and remains an enduring monument to Mallory and Irvine.” After the Oct. 18 premiere of the restoration at the festival, “The Epic of Everest” will also be released in British theaters. The restoration includes a new score composed by Simon Fisher Turner, who will perform it live at the premiere. The BFI London Film Festival runs  Oct. 9 to Oct. 20.

Q. & A.: Cassandra Clare Talks About ‘The Mortal Instruments’

Rafy/Screen Gems From left, Jemima West, Robert Sheehan and Lily Collins in “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” adapted from Cassandra Clare’s novel.

“City of Bones,” the film adaptation of the first book in Cassandra Clare’s young adult fantasy series “The Mortal Instruments,” opened last week. In a recent phone interview, Ms. Clare spoke about the film, her forthcoming middle-grade series, writing with Holly Black (author of “Doll Bones” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles”) and what readers can expect from “City of Heavenly Fire,” the final novel in the “Mortal Instruments” series, due  next May. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation:

Q.

Was there any scene or character you were particularly excited to see in the film?

A.

Magnus Bane, who is a trickster figure. I was worried they would cut him. I had to tell them he was a very important character who becomes more important. I was excited to see his scenes in action.

Q.

Are there any specific things you had a say in during the adaption process?

A.

I had a lot of say in casting. They definitely invited me into the casting process and showed me audition tapes, and every person cast was a conversation about the pros and cons and how they fit in with the larger puzzle of the character.

Q.

Would you ever consider a change in career? Or is there something you would really like to do?

A.

Well, one thing I’ve always been really excited to do was write for a slightly younger group and do something that was a little bit more of a coming-of-age story. I wanted to do something that would span a bigger chunk of time. So my friend, the wonderful writer of “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” Holly Black, and I collaborated on a project. The first book comes out next year, and it’s called “The Iron Trial.”

Q.

How do you co-write something?

A.

It’s a very “togethery” process for us. I know people who do it differently. But for us we have to be in the same place and we have one computer and we write into a master document. We wanted to have a really seamless feel, like it was all written by one person. You can’t tell the parts that she wrote or the parts that I wrote.

Q.

Do you have a favorite character that you’ve either written yourself or read in another book?

A.

In my own work, I don’t have favorite characters, but I have characters that I relate to the most. And I relate the most to Simon from “The Mortal Instruments,” and also Tessa from “The Infernal Devices.” They’re more sort of bookish and shy characters. But in other people’s books I tend to love the really daredevil-y characters. I love Finnick from “The Hunger Games.” And I think, probably, my favorite character of all time is Sherlock Holmes.

Q.

Could you describe your writing routine?

A.

I prefer to be out of my house because I find that otherwise I tend to get distracted by mundane details like my cat, things that need cleaning up, the laundry. And in terms of the thing I need to have with me, I would say music. I have specific playlists for different books and characters. So, I need to have those with me. It helps me get into the mindset of the book.

Q.

Anything else you want to share with your fans about the film or the books?

A.

You’re always worried, “Is the movie going to stay true to the book?” But they should remember it’s an interpretation of the books, and I want every reader to feel that their interpretation is the true interpretation.

The last book in the series is coming out next May. I hope that they are excited. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the end of this story with this readership that’s grown over these years since we first started with the characters. I would say for them to look forward to some romance, some adventure and some maybe unexpected deaths.

Blanca Melendez is a Times Scholar and intern at The New York Times Book Review.

Q. & A.: Cassandra Clare Talks About ‘The Mortal Instruments’

Rafy/Screen Gems From left, Jemima West, Robert Sheehan and Lily Collins in “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” adapted from Cassandra Clare’s novel.

“City of Bones,” the film adaptation of the first book in Cassandra Clare’s young adult fantasy series “The Mortal Instruments,” opened last week. In a recent phone interview, Ms. Clare spoke about the film, her forthcoming middle-grade series, writing with Holly Black (author of “Doll Bones” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles”) and what readers can expect from “City of Heavenly Fire,” the final novel in the “Mortal Instruments” series, due  next May. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation:

Q.

Was there any scene or character you were particularly excited to see in the film?

A.

Magnus Bane, who is a trickster figure. I was worried they would cut him. I had to tell them he was a very important character who becomes more important. I was excited to see his scenes in action.

Q.

Are there any specific things you had a say in during the adaption process?

A.

I had a lot of say in casting. They definitely invited me into the casting process and showed me audition tapes, and every person cast was a conversation about the pros and cons and how they fit in with the larger puzzle of the character.

Q.

Would you ever consider a change in career? Or is there something you would really like to do?

A.

Well, one thing I’ve always been really excited to do was write for a slightly younger group and do something that was a little bit more of a coming-of-age story. I wanted to do something that would span a bigger chunk of time. So my friend, the wonderful writer of “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” Holly Black, and I collaborated on a project. The first book comes out next year, and it’s called “The Iron Trial.”

Q.

How do you co-write something?

A.

It’s a very “togethery” process for us. I know people who do it differently. But for us we have to be in the same place and we have one computer and we write into a master document. We wanted to have a really seamless feel, like it was all written by one person. You can’t tell the parts that she wrote or the parts that I wrote.

Q.

Do you have a favorite character that you’ve either written yourself or read in another book?

A.

In my own work, I don’t have favorite characters, but I have characters that I relate to the most. And I relate the most to Simon from “The Mortal Instruments,” and also Tessa from “The Infernal Devices.” They’re more sort of bookish and shy characters. But in other people’s books I tend to love the really daredevil-y characters. I love Finnick from “The Hunger Games.” And I think, probably, my favorite character of all time is Sherlock Holmes.

Q.

Could you describe your writing routine?

A.

I prefer to be out of my house because I find that otherwise I tend to get distracted by mundane details like my cat, things that need cleaning up, the laundry. And in terms of the thing I need to have with me, I would say music. I have specific playlists for different books and characters. So, I need to have those with me. It helps me get into the mindset of the book.

Q.

Anything else you want to share with your fans about the film or the books?

A.

You’re always worried, “Is the movie going to stay true to the book?” But they should remember it’s an interpretation of the books, and I want every reader to feel that their interpretation is the true interpretation.

The last book in the series is coming out next May. I hope that they are excited. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the end of this story with this readership that’s grown over these years since we first started with the characters. I would say for them to look forward to some romance, some adventure and some maybe unexpected deaths.

Blanca Melendez is a Times Scholar and intern at The New York Times Book Review.

In Performance: Sarah Lemp of ‘The Cheaters Club\'

“The Cheaters Club,” a new play from Derek Ahonen, is a dark comedy set at a haunted inn run by a mysterious family in Savannah, Ga. In this scene, Mama, played by Sarah Lemp, talks about the ghostly happenings in Room 305. The show, from the theater company the Amoralists, opens tonight at the Abrons Arts Center, and continues through Sept. 21.

Recent videos in this series include Eric Anderson and Amber Iman performing the number “Always With You” from the Broadway musical “Soul Doctor,” at Circle in the Square, and Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez singing the duet “First Impressions” from the new Broadway musical “First Date,” at the Longacre Theater.

Make It Funky: James Brown Biopic Finds Its Leading Man

Hans Edinger/Associated Press The hardest-working man in show business: James Brown.

The producers of a planned biographical film on the Godfather of Soul,  James Brown,  are feeling good - good enough to move forward with the movie now that they have an actor to play Brown and a green light from Universal on the project. Variety reported that the as-yet untitled film will star Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed Jackie Robinson  this year in “42,” as Brown, the pioneering R&B singer who died in 2006.

Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated Press Chadwick Boseman

The biopic, which is being directed by Tate Taylor (“The Help”) and written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (“Fair Game”), will chronicle Brown's life from his impoverished upbringing in the South to his cape-wearing, can't-get-him-off-the-stage heyday. No release date was announced for the film, which is being produced by Imagine Entertainment and Jagged Films, the film company of Mick Jagger, a man who surely knows a thing or two about sweaty stage theatrics.

Cast of ‘Bunheads\' Offers Fans a Farewell Dance

Paradise was regained, albeit briefly, for fans of “Bunheads.” That much-loved ABC Family series was officially canceled last month after months in renewal limbo, but much of the cast reunited recently to perform one last dance to say farewell.

Adam Taylor/ABC Family Clockwise from left, Emma Dumont, Julia Goldani Telles, Kaitlyn Jenkins and Bailey Buntain in the season finale of “Bunheads.”

The show starred Sutton Foster (who did not take part in the farewell video) as Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl who ends up teaching ballet in the fictional small town of Paradise, Calif. Although it did not develop a large audience, the show made an outsize impression on critics, and its fan base continues to devoutly wish for its revival in some fashion.

Set to Elton John's “Blues for Baby and Me,” the farewell video includes several members of the teen ensemble who formed the show's core: Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey Buntain and Kaitlyn Jenkins (who did not dance because of an injury). A title card at the video's end offers thanks to “everyone who came to play in our sandbox.”

Cast of ‘Bunheads’ Offers Fans a Farewell Dance

Paradise was regained, albeit briefly, for fans of “Bunheads.” That much-loved ABC Family series was officially canceled last month after months in renewal limbo, but much of the cast reunited recently to perform one last dance to say farewell.

Adam Taylor/ABC Family Clockwise from left, Emma Dumont, Julia Goldani Telles, Kaitlyn Jenkins and Bailey Buntain in the season finale of “Bunheads.”

The show starred Sutton Foster (who did not take part in the farewell video) as Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl who ends up teaching ballet in the fictional small town of Paradise, Calif. Although it did not develop a large audience, the show made an outsize impression on critics, and its fan base continues to devoutly wish for its revival in some fashion.

Set to Elton John’s “Blues for Baby and Me,” the farewell video includes several members of the teen ensemble who formed the show’s core: Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey Buntain and Kaitlyn Jenkins (who did not dance because of an injury). A title card at the video’s end offers thanks to “everyone who came to play in our sandbox.”

Make It Funky: James Brown Biopic Finds Its Leading Man

Hans Edinger/Associated Press The hardest-working man in show business: James Brown.

The producers of a planned biographical film on James Brown are feeling good â€" good enough to move forward with the movie now that they have an actor to play the Godfather of Soul and a green light from Universal on the project. Variety reported that the as-yet untitled film will star Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed Jackie Robinson in this year’s hit film “42,” will play Brown, the pioneering R&B star who died in 2006.

Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated Press Chadwick Boseman

The Brown film, which is being directed by Tate Taylor (“The Help”) and written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (“Fair Game”), will chronicle the musician’s life from his impoverished upbringing in the South to his cape-wearing, can’t-get-him-off-the-stage heyday. No release date was immediately announced for the film, which is being produced by Imagine Entertainment and Jagged Films, the film company of Mick Jagger, a man who surely knows a thing or two about sweaty stage theatrics.

Aug. 27: Where the Candidates Are Today

Planned events for the mayoral candidates, according to the campaigns and organizations they are affiliated with. Times are listed as scheduled but frequently change.

Event information is listed as provided at the time of publication. Details for many of Ms. Quinn events are not released for publication.Maps of all campaign events since April »

Events by candidate

Albanese

Carrión

Catsimatidis

De Blasio

Lhota

Liu

Quinn

Thompson

Weiner

Group event

John A. Catsimatidis
Republican

8 a.m.
For the second Tuesday in a row, hosts an invitation-only breakfast “friend-raiser” at the Harvard Club on West 44th Street.

12 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

6 p.m.
Hosts an invitation-only “friend-raiser,” at the Metropolitan Republican Club on East 83rd Street on the Upper East Side.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Bill de Blasio
Democrat

9:45 a.m.
Greets morning commuters with Howard Dean, former Vermont governor and presidential candidate, who endorsed him earlier this year and held a fund-raiser in Brooklyn for him last month, at the 72nd Street 1/2/3 train subway station on the Upper West Side.

12:30 p.m.
Accepts an endorsement for his candidacy from Councilman Brad Lander, on Park Row and Centre Street in Lower Manhattan. The hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons will also be in attendance.

John C. Liu
Democrat

7 a.m.
Greets morning commuters at the Prospect Park subway station, on Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Liu is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

5 p.m.
Greets evening commuters at the Court Street subway station, on Court Street and Montague Street in Brooklyn.

6 p.m.
Attends the Reducing Gun Violence Summit, an open forum to discuss how to reduce neighborhood tensions and violence, as part of the second annual Brooklyn Community Week, sponsored by the Brooklyn Center for Quality Life and the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Joseph J. Lhota
Republican

10:30 a.m.
Meets privately with the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, on Kingston Avenue in Brooklyn.

12 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7:30 p.m.
Attends the monthly City Island Civic Association Meeting, at the City Island Community Center on Fordham Road in the Bronx.

8:45 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Christine C. Quinn
Democrat

8 a.m.
Campaigns with State Senator Brad Hoylman at 16th Street and First Avenue in Stuyvesant Town. Mr. Hoylman was one of two people slapped by an anti-Quinn protester at a news conference he held on Ms. Quinn’s behalf last week.

Some of Ms. Quinn’s events may not be shown because the campaign declines to release her advance schedule for publication.

William C. Thompson Jr.
Democrat

7 a.m.
Greets morning commuters at the Grand Army Plaza 2/3 train subway station, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

11:45 a.m.
Accepts an endorsement for his candidacy and his plans for improving graduation rates from Councilman Lew Fidler, outside the Midwood Center for Active Adults on Avenue I in Brooklyn.

12:10 p.m.
Alongside Mr. Fidler, visits with senior citizens at the Midwood Center for Active Adults, on Avenue I in Brooklyn.

12:40 p.m.
Continues with Mr. Fidler to meet with more senior citizens, this time at Marine Park Active Adults, on Fillmore Avenue in Brooklyn.

1:10 p.m.
Finishes his campaigning with Mr. Fidler with a visit to the Mill Basin Neighborhood Center at Temple Shalom, on East 68th Street in Brooklyn.

2:15 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Thompson is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

4 p.m.
Holds a news conference to receive the endorsement of Jewish community leaders, on Rodney Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Anthony D. Weiner
Democrat

11:45 a.m.
Greets senior citizens at the New York City Housing Authority’s Fort Washington Senior Center, on Fort Washington Avenue in Upper Manhattan.

12:30 p.m.
Visits with senior citizens for the second time on the day, this time at the Center at the Red Oak, on West 106th Street on the Upper West Side.

1:30 p.m.
Continues with his “Keys to the City” tour by discussing his plans for improving education, outside P.S. 234 on 29th Street in Queens.

6 p.m.
Greets evening commuters at the Forest Hills-71st Avenue subway station, on Continental Avenue and Queens Boulevard in Queens.

7:15 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Sal F. Albanese
Democrat

7:30 a.m.
Greets morning commuters with his wife, Lorraine, at the 15th Street - Prospect Park F train subway station, in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Albanese is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

7 p.m.
Greets concertgoers at “Irish Night on Shore Road,” featuring music by John Rafferty and the Canny Brothers Band, presented by the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade group, on 79th Street and Shore Road in Brooklyn.

8:30 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Adolfo Carrión Jr.
Independent

11 a.m.
Visits the Evelyn Douglin Center for Serving People in Need, a nonprofit helping those with developmental disabilities, on 37th Street in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Carrion is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

6:30 p.m.
Attends the 100th anniversary celebration for LatinTRENDS Magazine, at Stage48 in Midtown West.

George T. McDonald
Republican

12:30 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Erick J. Salgado
Democrat

12 p.m.
Though he claims via text message that he may not be able to see the ball, Mr. Salgado is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Aug. 27: Where the Candidates Are Today

Planned events for the mayoral candidates, according to the campaigns and organizations they are affiliated with. Times are listed as scheduled but frequently change.

Event information is listed as provided at the time of publication. Details for many of Ms. Quinn events are not released for publication.Maps of all campaign events since April »

Events by candidate

Albanese

Carrión

Catsimatidis

De Blasio

Lhota

Liu

Quinn

Thompson

Weiner

Group event

John A. Catsimatidis
Republican

8 a.m.
For the second Tuesday in a row, hosts an invitation-only breakfast “friend-raiser” at the Harvard Club on West 44th Street.

12 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

6 p.m.
Hosts an invitation-only “friend-raiser,” at the Metropolitan Republican Club on East 83rd Street on the Upper East Side.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Bill de Blasio
Democrat

9:45 a.m.
Greets morning commuters with Howard Dean, former Vermont governor and presidential candidate, who endorsed him earlier this year and held a fund-raiser in Brooklyn for him last month, at the 72nd Street 1/2/3 train subway station on the Upper West Side.

12:30 p.m.
Accepts an endorsement for his candidacy from Councilman Brad Lander, on Park Row and Centre Street in Lower Manhattan. The hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons will also be in attendance.

John C. Liu
Democrat

7 a.m.
Greets morning commuters at the Prospect Park subway station, on Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Liu is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

5 p.m.
Greets evening commuters at the Court Street subway station, on Court Street and Montague Street in Brooklyn.

6 p.m.
Attends the Reducing Gun Violence Summit, an open forum to discuss how to reduce neighborhood tensions and violence, as part of the second annual Brooklyn Community Week, sponsored by the Brooklyn Center for Quality Life and the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Joseph J. Lhota
Republican

10:30 a.m.
Meets privately with the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, on Kingston Avenue in Brooklyn.

12 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7:30 p.m.
Attends the monthly City Island Civic Association Meeting, at the City Island Community Center on Fordham Road in the Bronx.

8:45 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Christine C. Quinn
Democrat

8 a.m.
Campaigns with State Senator Brad Hoylman at 16th Street and First Avenue in Stuyvesant Town. Mr. Hoylman was one of two people slapped by an anti-Quinn protester at a news conference he held on Ms. Quinn’s behalf last week.

Some of Ms. Quinn’s events may not be shown because the campaign declines to release her advance schedule for publication.

William C. Thompson Jr.
Democrat

7 a.m.
Greets morning commuters at the Grand Army Plaza 2/3 train subway station, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

11:45 a.m.
Accepts an endorsement for his candidacy and his plans for improving graduation rates from Councilman Lew Fidler, outside the Midwood Center for Active Adults on Avenue I in Brooklyn.

12:10 p.m.
Alongside Mr. Fidler, visits with senior citizens at the Midwood Center for Active Adults, on Avenue I in Brooklyn.

12:40 p.m.
Continues with Mr. Fidler to meet with more senior citizens, this time at Marine Park Active Adults, on Fillmore Avenue in Brooklyn.

1:10 p.m.
Finishes his campaigning with Mr. Fidler with a visit to the Mill Basin Neighborhood Center at Temple Shalom, on East 68th Street in Brooklyn.

2:15 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Thompson is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

4 p.m.
Holds a news conference to receive the endorsement of Jewish community leaders, on Rodney Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Anthony D. Weiner
Democrat

11:45 a.m.
Greets senior citizens at the New York City Housing Authority’s Fort Washington Senior Center, on Fort Washington Avenue in Upper Manhattan.

12:30 p.m.
Visits with senior citizens for the second time on the day, this time at the Center at the Red Oak, on West 106th Street on the Upper West Side.

1:30 p.m.
Continues with his “Keys to the City” tour by discussing his plans for improving education, outside P.S. 234 on 29th Street in Queens.

6 p.m.
Greets evening commuters at the Forest Hills-71st Avenue subway station, on Continental Avenue and Queens Boulevard in Queens.

7:15 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Sal F. Albanese
Democrat

7:30 a.m.
Greets morning commuters with his wife, Lorraine, at the 15th Street - Prospect Park F train subway station, in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Albanese is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

7 p.m.
Greets concertgoers at “Irish Night on Shore Road,” featuring music by John Rafferty and the Canny Brothers Band, presented by the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade group, on 79th Street and Shore Road in Brooklyn.

8:30 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Adolfo Carrión Jr.
Independent

11 a.m.
Visits the Evelyn Douglin Center for Serving People in Need, a nonprofit helping those with developmental disabilities, on 37th Street in Brooklyn.

12:30 p.m.
After playing in the hotly contested Old Timers Stickball Game on July 14, Mr. Carrion is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

6:30 p.m.
Attends the 100th anniversary celebration for LatinTRENDS Magazine, at Stage48 in Midtown West.

George T. McDonald
Republican

12:30 p.m.
Is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Erick J. Salgado
Democrat

12 p.m.
Though he claims via text message that he may not be able to see the ball, Mr. Salgado is one of eight mayoral candidates to participate in the New York City Candidate Stickball Challenge, sponsored by City & State, an online publication, and AM 970 radio, at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.

7 p.m.
Participates in the Bay Terrace Community Alliance’s 14th Annual Candidates Forum, at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Queens.

Why Walk 30 Feet When You Can Text?

Dear Diary:

On a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, I passed a 20-something woman standing in the doorway of an apartment building in Kips Bay.

About 30 feet away, an older man, sitting on a motorcycle with the engine off, said something to her.

Looking quite annoyed, the young woman responded: “I can’t hear you. Text me.”

Then she quickly disappeared into the building.

Trying to be obedient, the motorcycle man started to type the first few letters of a text, then stopped. Exasperated, he threw his hands up in the air, looked at me, shook his head and said: “Text her? Why didn’t she come over to me? This younger generation … I just don’t know.”

Read all recent entries and our updated submissions guidelines. Reach us via e-mail diary@nytimes.com or follow @NYTMetro on Twitter using the hashtag #MetDiary.

In Performance: Sarah Lemp of ‘The Cheaters Club’

“The Cheaters Club,” a new play from Derek Ahonen, is a dark comedy set at a haunted inn run by a mysterious family in Savannah, Ga. In this scene, Mama, played by Sarah Lemp, talks about the ghostly happenings in Room 305. The show, from the theater company the Amoralists, opens tonight at the Abrons Arts Center, and continues through Sept. 21.

Recent videos in this series include Eric Anderson and Amber Iman performing the number “Always With You” from the Broadway musical “Soul Doctor,” at Circle in the Square, and Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez singing the duet “First Impressions” from the new Broadway musical “First Date,” at the Longacre Theater.

New York Today: Candidates Take a Swing

Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times Can the mayoral hopefuls measure up? Here’s how stickball was played back in the day.

At lunchtime on Tuesday, a bunch of wealthy, successful, but ultimately indoors-y people, likely in inappropriate footwear, will try to hit a small ball with a thin stick.

Among them will be several contenders for the city’s highest office.

At the Candidate Stickball Challenge in Brooklyn, an assortment of mayoral hopefuls will compete to whack the ball furthest in this classic urban pastime.

Candidates expected to take part include Joseph J. Lhota, John C. Liu and William C. Thompson Jr.

If they whiff after repeated attempts â€" as is highly likely â€" they can use a tennis racket.

For politicians, showing sporting prowess has obvious upsides for connecting with voters.

Except when events go dreadfully wrong.

President Obama, during the 2008 campaign, was mocked for his ineffective bowling technique. (He did not help matters by comparing his performance to “the Special Olympics.”)

“I mean, listen, it’s hard,” said Andrew Holt, an organizer of the stickball event, which is sponsored by City & State, a politics and policy Web site.

“But I imagine they wouldn’t let their candidates come out here without some hope,” he said.

Here’s what you need to know for your Tuesday.

WEATHER

Highs in the mid-80s, but with a breeze to cool you down. Chance of rain in the afternoon and evening. Click here for more information.

TRANSIT & TRAFFIC

- Mass Transit Click for latest M.T.A. status.

- Roads Click for traffic map or radio report on the 1s.

Alternate-side parking is in effect.

COMING UP TODAY

- Christine C. Quinn, the Democratic mayoral candidate, attends a vigil for Islan Nettles, a transgender woman who died after a brutal attack in Harlem last week.

- Scott M. Stringer, running for comptroller, will also attend, as will Representative Charles B. Rangel. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell on West 148th Street.

- Mr. Thompson releases a plan to create “multiple pathways to high school graduation,” then is endorsed by Jewish leaders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

- Several candidates for city office take part in a forum at Bay Terrace Jewish Center, in Bayside, Queens, at 7 p.m.

- Otello, Verdi’s opera, screens in high definition at Lincoln Center Plaza at 8 p.m. [Free]

- Two titans of hip-hop, Pete Rock and DJ Premier, will battle it out on the turntables at 7 p.m. in East River Park on the Lower East Side. [Free]

- Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives, is a wonderfully named reading from 14 pioneering female suspense writers at BookCourt in Brooklyn at 7 p.m. [Free]

- The 90’s classic Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead screens at Valentino Pier in Red Hook at 8:30 p.m. [Free]

IN THE NEWS

- A baby snow leopard was born at the Bronx Zoo. You’ll likely read more important stories, but none will feature pictures of a baby snow leopard, so just click and get it over with. [New York Times]

- Get ready for speed cameras in school zones. [New York Daily News]

- A police officer was indicted on charges of lying about his reasons for arresting a news photographer. [New York Times]

- Prince showed up at a gig at 3 a.m. and proceeded to perform until sunrise. [Gothamist]

- Think your apartment is bad? The Queens district attorney is accusing an Astoria landlord of scamming tenants into uninhabitable places. [New York Daily News]

- The iconic St. Mark’s Bookshop will move. But apparently, it’s staying in the East Village. [Bedford and Bowery]

- TK from tabloids in the morning.

AND FINALLY…

On the topic of politicians in awkward positions: here are some images of Colin Powell, who appears to be doing the funky chicken alongside Jamie Foxx, the singer-producer Pharrell Williams and (of all people) Ellen DeGeneres at a music event in the Hamptons.

Seldom has the Washington uniform of a dark blazer and beige slacks been wielded with such intent. [Gawker]

Nicole Higgins DeSmet contributed reporting.

We’re testing New York Today, a morning roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till about noon.

What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, e-mail us at nytoday@nytimes.com or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. Thanks!

New York Today: Candidates Take a Swing

Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times Can the mayoral hopefuls measure up? Here’s how stickball was played back in the day.

At lunchtime on Tuesday, a bunch of wealthy, successful, but ultimately indoors-y people, likely in inappropriate footwear, will try to hit a small ball with a thin stick.

Among them will be several contenders for the city’s highest office.

At the Candidate Stickball Challenge in Brooklyn, an assortment of mayoral hopefuls will compete to whack the ball furthest in this classic urban pastime.

Candidates expected to take part include Joseph J. Lhota, John C. Liu and William C. Thompson Jr.

If they whiff after repeated attempts â€" as is highly likely â€" they can use a tennis racket.

For politicians, showing sporting prowess has obvious upsides for connecting with voters.

Except when events go dreadfully wrong.

President Obama, during the 2008 campaign, was mocked for his ineffective bowling technique. (He did not help matters by comparing his performance to “the Special Olympics.”)

“I mean, listen, it’s hard,” said Andrew Holt, an organizer of the stickball event, which is sponsored by City & State, a politics and policy Web site.

“But I imagine they wouldn’t let their candidates come out here without some hope,” he said.

Here’s what you need to know for your Tuesday.

WEATHER

Highs in the mid-80s, but with a breeze to cool you down. Chance of rain in the afternoon and evening. Click here for more information.

TRANSIT & TRAFFIC

- Mass Transit Click for latest M.T.A. status.

- Roads Click for traffic map or radio report on the 1s.

Alternate-side parking is in effect.

COMING UP TODAY

- Christine C. Quinn, the Democratic mayoral candidate, attends a vigil for Islan Nettles, a transgender woman who died after a brutal attack in Harlem last week.

- Scott M. Stringer, running for comptroller, will also attend, as will Representative Charles B. Rangel. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell on West 148th Street.

- Mr. Thompson releases a plan to create “multiple pathways to high school graduation,” then is endorsed by Jewish leaders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

- Several candidates for city office take part in a forum at Bay Terrace Jewish Center, in Bayside, Queens, at 7 p.m.

- Otello, Verdi’s opera, screens in high definition at Lincoln Center Plaza at 8 p.m. [Free]

- Two titans of hip-hop, Pete Rock and DJ Premier, will battle it out on the turntables at 7 p.m. in East River Park on the Lower East Side. [Free]

- Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives, is a wonderfully named reading from 14 pioneering female suspense writers at BookCourt in Brooklyn at 7 p.m. [Free]

- The 90’s classic Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead screens at Valentino Pier in Red Hook at 8:30 p.m. [Free]

IN THE NEWS

- A baby snow leopard was born at the Bronx Zoo. You’ll likely read more important stories, but none will feature pictures of a baby snow leopard, so just click and get it over with. [New York Times]

- Get ready for speed cameras in school zones. [New York Daily News]

- A police officer was indicted on charges of lying about his reasons for arresting a news photographer. [New York Times]

- Prince showed up at a gig at 3 a.m. and proceeded to perform until sunrise. [Gothamist]

- Think your apartment is bad? The Queens district attorney is accusing an Astoria landlord of scamming tenants into uninhabitable places. [New York Daily News]

- The iconic St. Mark’s Bookshop will move. But apparently, it’s staying in the East Village. [Bedford and Bowery]

- TK from tabloids in the morning.

AND FINALLY…

On the topic of politicians in awkward positions: here are some images of Colin Powell, who appears to be doing the funky chicken alongside Jamie Foxx, the singer-producer Pharrell Williams and (of all people) Ellen DeGeneres at a music event in the Hamptons.

Seldom has the Washington uniform of a dark blazer and beige slacks been wielded with such intent. [Gawker]

Nicole Higgins DeSmet contributed reporting.

We’re testing New York Today, a morning roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till about noon.

What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, e-mail us at nytoday@nytimes.com or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday. Thanks!