What's new and exciting on Long Island for 2013
From left, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction perform onstage during Z100's Jingle Ball 2012, presented by Aeropostale, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. (Dec. 7, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
Champagne corks have been popped, the new year has been toasted and now it's time to look at what's in store for 2013. It's sure to be an exciting year on Long Island, with reopenings of the Suffolk Theatre and the revamped Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, hot concerts and lots more.
Newsday LI arts writer Steve Parks, exploreLI reporter Stacey Altherr and music editor Kevin Amorim offer a preview of top coming attractions:
'Potted Potter'
Harry Potter alert! "Potted Potter," which first gained attention at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, brings its head-spinning (no, that's not a wizard's trick) theatrics to Tilles Center for its Long Island premiere. All seven of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" blockbusters are covered in an economical 70 minutes. Think "Shakespeare Abridged" without the Elizabethan language, or the Universal Studios ride without the trip to Florida. BTW, the full title is "Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience -- A Parody by Dan and Jeff," created by Olivier Award nominees Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner. So don't take it too seriously, you Harryphiles.
WHEN | WHERE 5 and 8 p.m. Jan. 24 and 25, Tilles Center's Hillwood Recital Hall, Brookville
INFO $42-$77, tillescenter.org, 516-299-3100
Suffolk Theatre opening
The long-awaited reopening of the Suffolk Theatre in downtown Riverhead begins with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting with the usual suspects (VIPs, politicians, press) March 1. But the fun begins the next night with a Prohibition-era grand-opening party featuring music by Grammy-winning Smithtown native Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. Giordano won his award for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire." So the evening's 1930s theme is doubly apt: The Suffolk first opened in 1933 with the James Cagney film "Footlight Parade."
WHEN | WHERE Tickets on sale Jan. 21; 118 E. Main St
INFO suffolktheater.com, 631-727-4343
The Garden City museum unveils some new exhibits in 2013, including "Sound Showers," a multifaceted program that lets kids bang on bongos and immerse themselves in the sounds of a rain forest or an amusement park.
Also coming to the Children's Museum is "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!," a traveling interactive exhibit where kids can learn about bloodsucking insects.
WHEN | WHERE "Sound Showers," a permanent exhibit, opens Saturday; "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" runs Jan. 18 through May 5; 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
INFO $11, $10 seniors, free to members, 516-224-5800, licm.org
A whole new Vanderbilt
The wraps are almost ready to come off the renovated Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, a former Gold Coast mansion that has been undergoing a major makeover and is now administered by the county.
The opening of the new and more powerful planetarium is planned for March, but interim director Lance Reinheimer said to watch the website for updates. When the planetarium is finished, it will be "world-class," he said. Among the updates: a new Konica Minolta GeminiStar III projector replaces one that was installed in 1971.
The museum has also been upgraded, including new energy-efficient furnaces, a fresh paint job and new landscaping.
Some things will remain the same, of course. The Egyptian mummy is still there.
WHERE 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport
INFO 631-854-5579, vanderbiltmuseum.org
The country star, whose 2011 release, "Tailgates & Tanlines," is on track to sell a million copies, brings his "Dirt Road Diaries 2013" tour to Uniondale next month. He's pretty hot right now -- at last month's fan-voted American Country Awards, Bryan took home nine wins, including artist of the year and album of the year.
WHEN | WHERE Feb. 7, Nassau Coliseum
INFO $25.25-$50; 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
The boy-band sensation's shows went on sale in April, which just might be the longest lead time for a Jones Beach show. Ever. The good news: The group is still together. The bad news: Oh, never mind. We are, however, pulling for One Directioner Harry Styles to stay together with Taylor Swift, if only to see her waiting in the wings at the beach, but the chances of that happening are . . .
WHEN | WHERE June 28-29, Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
INFO $39.50-$89.50 (sold out, but check for last-minute cancellations); 800-745-3000, livenation.com
