Sculpture at Asia Society
“U-Ram Choe: In Focus” brings together both sides of Asia Society’s collection. The contemporary Korean-born artist was inspired by the 10th century Indian sculpture of Shiva, the creator and destroyer of the universe, from the Asia Society’s Rockfeller Collection. Choe, renown for his signature kinetic sculptures, created this form of a large seal-like animal to suggest the cycle of birth and death. Also on view now is “Rabindranath Tagore: The Last Harvest,” which presents paintings and drawings by the Indian writer best known for his poetry. Tagore was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, but he did not take up painting until 1924 at the age of 63. His landscapes and portraits are less depictions of actual scenery and persons than representations of the spirit of life in nature inspired by his global travels. Both “U-Ram Choe” and “Rabindranath Tagore” are on view at the Asia Society Museum through December 31th. Finally, don’t miss “The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara” on view until October 30. The exhibition presents sculptures, architectural reliefs, and works of gold and bronze dating from the first century B.C. to the fifth century, including some of the finest examples of Gandharan art ever found.

Krakauer Plays Zorn
Tradition and innovation also come together in the music of clarinetist David Krakauer. He has earned international praise for his ability to play in a range of musical genres with equal parts skill and verve. A leading exponent of Eastern European Jewish klezmer music, Kraukaer is also a major voice in classical music and avant-garde improvisation. Krakauer’s latest concert intersperses his own klezmer-inspired originals and mash-ups with works selected particularly for him by John Zorn of the radical Jewish culture scene. David Krakauer launches DK55, a concert series celebrating his 55th birthday, with “Krakauer Plays Zorn,” on October 2 at drom.

James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies”
James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” returns to Broadway in a new production direct from The Kennedy Center. The 1971 musical tells the story of the former members of the “Weismann Follies” who reunite on the eve of their old theatre’s destruction to recall their younger selves. The current production stars Bernadette Peters and Jan Maxwell as former showgirls in unhappy marriages to former stagedoor johnnies played by Danny Burstein and Ron Raines. The original production received seven Tony Awards, including Best Score, which features some of Stephen Sondheim’s best-known songs. “Follies” will continue in a limited run through the end of the year.

Crossing the Line
The French Institute /Alliance Francaise continues its exploration of transdisciplinary artistic practices from both sides of the Atlantic with its “Crossing the Line” festival, now taking place in venues across the city. Ongoing exhibits explore the art of the found object. Korean-born artist Chong Gon Byun’s installation is accompanied by a whimsical film portrait of the artist. While Brooklyn-based American sculptor Nick von Woert presents newly commissioned works at FIAF’s gallery. Be sure to catch some of the festival’s signature genre defying events including lecture/performances by Jos Houben and Gerald Kurdian, and works of dance, poetry and African politics by Rachid Ouramdane and Faustin Linyekula. Performance events in the Crossing the Line festival continue through October 16.

The New Yorker Festival
The New Yorker Festival is next weekend. Head over to the Howard Greenberg Gallery for a glimpse of some of the magazine’s most interesting faces. Compelling portraits are particularly well represented in “Beyond Words: Photography in the New Yorker.” The exhibit traces the use of photographs in a magazine that only began publishing them in 1992. Staff photographers Ruven Afanador and Mary Ellen Mark along with others brought everyday city life to the New Yorker’s pages. “Beyond Words: Photography in the New Yorker” remains on view through October 22nd.