Here’s What’s Happening (in order of appearance):

Special Meeting of MCB4’s HH&HS Committee / The Trojans / Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America / Live Jazz at Henry & The Lions  / High School of Fashion Industries Public Art Show / Easter Egg Hunt / The Furies at Hudson Guild / Music, Art, & More at Verdi Cannabis  /  UPCOMING EVENTS: Manhattan Borough President Candidates Forum / The Return of Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea / A Town Hall: Fighting the White House Agenda

A Special Meeting of the Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4) Housing, Health, & Human Services (HH&HS) committee: Wednesday, April 9, 6:30pm  | Notes MCB4 District Manager Jesse Bodine, “there will be a special meeting of the Housing, Health, & Human Services Committee to discuss and vote on the changes to the MCB4 Affordable Housing Plan.”  To access the current MCB4 Affordable Housing Plan, Click Here). To attend the meeting via Zoom, Click Here. The meeting will also livestream on MCB4′s YouTube channel. Click Here to watch it in real time on YouTube or access it after-the-fact via an archived recording of the proceedings. Visit the MCB4 website by Clicking Here. ABOUT: HH&HS reviews proposals and monitors the progress of affordable housing commitments made during the Hudson Yards, West Chelsea, and Western Rail Yards rezoning; reviews Low Income Housing Plan Applications as part of the Inclusionary Housing Program; and evaluates tenant complaints re: service issues, co-op conversions, and tenant associations. For CCNews’ roundup of all April MCB4 committee meetings, Click Here.

The Trojans: An 80s Synthwave Musical / Through April 26 at the cell theatre (338 West 23rd St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) | Drama Desk Award-nominated Loading Dock Theatre and Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre present this “original synthwave musical in which warehouse workers re-enact the legendary tales of their home town’s high school glory days. loosely following the mythic heroes and demi-gods of The Iliad. “ The work, its creators tell us was born amidst pandemic-era elements of uncertainty and isolation when “playwright Leegrid Stevens was stuck at home, diving down Youtube rabbit holes and discovering the magic of obsolete 4-track cassette recorders, tape loops, and old soviet-era synthesizers. The music in the show was created using these repurposed vintage machines, resulting in a weathered soundtrack of neon-drenched nostalgia.” Intrigued? Then click here to join the waiting list for a particular upcoming performance (the run is sold out!). Having done that, click here for a video explainer of how the music was created. To learn more about Loading Dock Theatre, click here.

Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America | Thursday, April 10 & Thursday, May 1 at Vanderbilt University (440 W. 21st St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.) | Good news for those greeted with bad news when they tried to register for the at-full-capacity April 10 event from Nashville, Tennessee-based Vanderbilt University: The free event just relocated to a much more spacious venue (The Refectory)–and is once again accepting reservations. (Click here to do so.) Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America, they tell us, “will convene faculty and thought leaders fisor discussions that explore big questions” by highlighting “the dynamic perspectives of what it means to be an American today as our role in the world is shifting.” On March 6, the theme was America and the World. On April 10, American Humor has award-winning authors and Vanderbilt faculty members Lorrie Moore (Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English) and Major Jackson (Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English) exploring the power of humor and storytelling to bridge divides. Moore reads from I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home, and Jackson reads from Razzle Dazzle: New & Selected Poems. Afterward, they’ll discuss humor’s role in society and writing’s cultural power and political impact. The evening begins with a reception from 6pm to 7pm, with the panel discussion/reading from 7pm to 8:30pm. On Thursday, May 1, 7pm-8:30pm, the series closes with Health in America: Challenges and Opportunities. Experts from NYU, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and the American Journal of Public Health will touch upon topics such as health equity, science-based policymaking, and the rise of “healthism” and self-directed health. The April 10 and May 1 events are open to the public, and registration is required. Click here to do so.

Live Jazz at Henry & The Lions (405 West 23rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.), Fridays, 6:30pm-8:30pm | Henry & The Lions, whose culinary relaunch we covered in this February 2025 “Support Small Businesses” profile, continues to expand its offerings with a free live performance from the Al Cohen Trio every Friday, 6:30p-8:30pm beginning on April 4.  For more info, click here to visit their website. You can also call 212-888-7779 or send an email to info@henryandthelions.com. (Special thanks to the West 400 Block Association’s March 28 newsletter, where we first heard of this.)

High School of Fashion Industries Public Art Show: Friday, April 11, 4pm-6pm at 225 W. 24th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.) | Admission is free and the public is welcome, at this showing of work from the High School of Fashion Industries’ senior class. The event fearures an Artwork unveiling, raffle, and refreshments after a presentation in the auditorium.

UPDATED ON FRIDAY, APRIL 11 |  Due to the rain and cold weather expected on Saturday, April 12, the Easter Egg Hunt has been moved to Sunday, April 13, 10am at Chelsea Green Park (140 We. 20th St. btw. 6th/7th Aves.) | “Hop on over to Chelsea Green Park for an egg-citing Easter Egg Hunt,” beckons te event sponsor, NYS Assemblymember Tony Simone–who promises “a morning of fun, candy, and friendly competition. We’ll have two hunts—one for the little bunnies and one for the bigger kids (5th grade cutoff, no loopholes!). Plus, strike a pose at our festive photo station with fun props! Don’t miss out—this will be egg-straspecial!” For more info, call 212-807-7900 or send an email to simonet@nyassembly.gov.

The Furies (a contempory adaptation of The Oresteia): Through April 13 at the Murray Haber Theatre at Hudson Guild (441 W. 26th St. btw. 9th  & 10th Aves.) | See the below flyer for more info, and click here to order tickets ($12 general admission).

Events at Verdi Cannabis (158 W. 23rd St. btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) | Having recently celebrated its first full year since setting up shop on West 23rd Street, legal cannabis distributor Verdi Cannabis offers free arts programming via gallery-style displays of artwork on their walls, and a live Thursday night music series called The Green Room, whose performances typically take place in the 6:30pm to 9pm time period.

On April 10, The Green Room presents Marcos Varela. The following week, on April 17, High-Fi4 appears as part of Verdi’s “420 Week” programming. On April 24, it’s EXTRAJERO–and on May 1,  3 Day Weekend kicks off that lusty month’s musical performance calendar. Through April 12, the featured artist is Dina Freeman, whose work appears, gallery-style, on Verdi’s walls (and is available for purchase). “My art,” says Freeman, “is created under the influence of music.” To access a broad array of her work, click here. April 12 through May 3, Alexandraa DeMatteo is the featured artist whose work is on the walls. To keep up with what else is up with Verdi, click here to visit their website. To visit the EVENTS page of their website, click here.

UPCOMING: NEXT WEEK AND THE WEEK AFTER, IN & AROUND CHELSEA

Manhattan Borough President Candidates Forum: Wednesday, April 16, 6pm via Zoom | The City Club of New York joins forces with Village Preservation, Friends of the Upper East Side, Historic District Council, Landmark West!, and New York Landmarks Conservancy to present this forum, for which Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Keith Powers are confirmed participants. The forum’s focus is devoted to the issues of preservation and development. Why does your choice for Manhattan Borough President (MBP) matter? Because, event organizers note, “This pivotal role helps shape the borough—from advising on land-use decisions (ULURP) to appointing a key member of the influential City Planning Commission. The borough president has the power to hold hearings.” Additionally, the MBP “can also introduce legislation in the City Council” and “appoints all 50 members to all 12 Manhattan community boards.” To register for this Zoom-held event, click here. To submit a question, click here.

Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea is almot back! It will take place every Saturday starting April 19, 9am to 2pm, West 23rd St. off 9th Ave.  For more info, click here.

A Town Hall: Fighting the White House Agenda: Monday, April 21, 6pm-7:30pm at the Society for Ethical Culture (2 West 64th St. btw. CPW & Broadway) | Congressman Jerry Nadler and State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal present this conversation featuring Neera Tanden, CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund and former Director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council. To RSVP, click here or call 212-633-8052.

—Listings compiled by Scott Stiffler

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