ART

AMERICAN FACES Recent photographs by Burk Uzzle are on display at Laurence Miller Gallery. “Riptide: America on the Flipside” looks at ordinary American scenes, sometimes through a humorous lens. A Vermont lawn is studded with homemade cow mannequins, a dour elderly woman’s wheelchair has a huge sign reading “Frisky, Cool, Ladies,” and a Florida cheerleader poses under a tree draped in toilet paper. Through Friday, December 24,Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Laurence Miller Gallery, 20 W. 57th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-397-3930, free.

BENEFITS

BEARY NICE Comedian Mo Rocca speaks about his book “All the Presidents’ Pets” (Crown) at a benefit for the Teddy’s Bears for Kids program. The Theodore Roosevelt Association program distributes teddy bears to hospitalized children in honor of “the father of the teddy bear.” Tonight, 6-9 p.m., Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, 28 E. 20th St., between Broadway and Park Avenue, 516-921-6319, $50 in advance, $60 at the door (credit cards only).

ANTIQUES APPRAISAL Guests at a benefit for the Youth Service Opportunities Project can have their antiques and collectibles appraised. They may bring up to three items for assessment by representatives from Sotheby’s, Swann Galleries, Doyle New York, and elsewhere. “An Evening of Hidden Treasures” also includes dinner and live and silent auctions. YSOP helps young people find opportunities to volunteer with the homeless. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Ave. at 28th Street, 212-598-0973 ext. 105, $125-$1,000.

BOOKS

GRAPHIC RESPONSE Cartoonist Art Spiegelman signs his recent book “In the Shadow of No Towers” (Pantheon), a graphic recreation of his experiences on and after September 11, 2001. Tonight, 6 p.m., Borders Books Wall Street, 100 S. Broad way at Pine Street, 212-964-1988, free.

EXCUSES, EXCUSES Liz Tuccillo reads from her self-help book, “He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys” (Simon & Schuster). Based on an episode of “Sex and the City,” the book advises women that if their love interest doesn’t bother to call, it’s not because he’s afraid of commitment: He’s simply not interested. Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble Astor Place, 4 Astor Place at Broadway, 212-420-1322, free.

DANCE

DANCE PREMIERES Jeanette Stoner presents a program of premieres with dancers including Chase Booth, Peter Davis, and Akiko Ko. Tomorrow-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 5 p.m., Loft, 83 Leonard St., between Broadway and Church Street, 212-226-1576, $12.

FAMILY

SEUSS TUNES The Great Performers series at Lincoln Center launches the Family Musik series this weekend. The program “Green Eggs and Hamadeus” pairs a piece written by host Rob Kapilow based on a Dr. Seuss classic with Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.” Upcoming programs include “Peter and the Wolf” with the Pickle Shoes dancers (February 5) and another Seuss-inspired work, “Gertrude McFuzz,” paired with Stefan Wolpe’s “Lazy Andy Ant” (March 5). Saturday, 2 and 4 p.m., Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, 65th Street and Broadway, 212-721-6500, $25.

HOLIDAYS

WAX WONDERLAND A new Christmas display opens today at Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. It’s the holidays Times Square-style, with Donald Trump as Santa Claus and fires roaring away on televisions screens. Today through Friday, January 7, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Madame Tussaud’s, 234 W. 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 800-246-8872, $30.40 general, $27.15 seniors, $23.89 children between ages 4 and 12, free for children under 4.

BROADWAY LIGHTS Current Broadway stars Dame Edna Everage and Brooke Shields join cast members from a variety of shows for a lighting of the Broadway Holiday Tree. The ceremony opens with an a cappella “Winter Wonderland” performed by married Broadway stars Carolee Carmello (“Mamma Mia!”) and Gregg Edelman (“Wonderful Town”). Cast members from “Avenue Q” also perform. Today, 5:15 p.m., Father Duffy Square, 399 1871 460 1881Broadway and 46th Street, www.tdf.org for information, free.

ICE ESCAPADES Drag-king comedian Murray Hill presents a holiday variety show at the loungey basement venue Fez. “Santa Claus” hosts, and Murray Hill performs a figure skating routine that includes less talent but more laughs than the Olympic variety. Tonight, 9:30 p.m., Fez Under Time Cafe, 380 Lafayette St. at Great Jones Street, 212-533-7000, $18.

MUSIC

DEUX ENFANTS The Juilliard Opera Center presents its first main stage production of the year, a French double bill that features Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortileges” and Debussy’s “L’Enfant Prodigue.” Yves Abel conducts and Lillian Groag directs. Tonight and Friday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m., the Juilliard Theater, 155 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-769-7406 for information, 212-721-6500 for tickets, $20.

SINGER SIGNER Soprano Renee Fleming signs her memoir, “The Inner Voice: Notes From a Life on Stage” (Viking), a book Ms. Fleming calls “the autobiography of my voice.” Tomorrow, 12:30-1:30 p.m., the Metropolitan Opera Shop, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway and 65th Street, 212-580-4090, free.

PIXIELAND The Pixies reunion tour stops at the Hammerstein Ballroom this weekend. The late-1980s rock band, led by Frank Black, split acrimoniously in 1993 but is now on a “greatest hits” tour. The Brooklyn band TV On the Radio opens. Saturday, 8 p.m., Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St. at Eighth Avenue, 212-564-4884, $42.

VIRGIL’S VOYAGE The folk opera “Il Viaggio Della Madonna Nera” (The Voyage of the Black Madonna) tells the story of Virgil’s journey in search of true knowledge. The opera is sung in Italian and features Spanish, Brazilian, French, and Portuguese drumming. Alessandra Belloni and John La Barbera’s ensemble, “I Giullari di Piazza,” performs the work at the group’s 25th anniversary celebration. Saturday, 8 p.m., Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-877-3399, $20.

READINGS

LA LA LAND The Moth reading series presents “La La La,” an evening of stories about Los Angeles. Writer Andy Borowitz hosts the event, which features 10 five-minute stories exploring the West Coast wonderland. Readers include Teri Garr, Sue Costello, and Matt McGough. Monday, 6:30 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. reading, Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery at Spring Street, 212-868-4444, $20.

TALKS

RENAISSANCE WOMAN Art historian Patricia Fortini Brown discusses aristocratic lifestyles in 15th- and 16th-century Venice as evidenced by the city’s palaces. She talks about art, furnishings, and floor plans that were typical in Renaissance Northern Italy. A book signing of “Private Lives in Renaissance Venice” (Yale University) follows the talk, which is co-sponsored by the Bard Graduate Center. Tomorrow, 6-7:15 p.m., New York University, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo, 24 W. 12th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-501-3011, $20 general, $15 seniors and students, free for members, reservations required.

SAD CANVASES The director of the Jerusalem Studio School, Israel Her shberg, gives a talk about “paintings that make him cry.” The nonprofit Jerusalem Studio School opened in Israel in 1997 to train students in painting and drawing. Monday, 7:15 p.m., Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street, 646-505-4445, free.

THEATER

FRESH PLAYS Playwrights read from their new works at an event hosted by editors Eric Lane and Nina Shengold. Lisa Kron reads from her one-person show “2.5 Minute Ride” and Aasif Mandvi reads from “Sakina’s Restaurant.” All the readers are contributors to “Under 30: Plays for a New Generation” (Random House) or “Talk to Me: Monologue Plays” (Random House). Friday, 5-7 p.m., Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-944-0595 ext. 417, free, reservations requested.

FLYING FRANKENSTEIN The Flying Machine theater troupe uses storytelling and music to reimagine Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” as a “winter’s fairy tale.” Opens: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Runs: Saturday through Saturday, January 8, Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Soho Repertory Theater, 46 Walker St., between Broadway and Church Street, 212-868-4444, $15. Note: No performances on Tuesday, December 14 and Saturday, January 1, and the week of December 20.

TOURS

PARK PEAKS A walking tour of Central Park’s North Woods, designed after the forests of the Adirondack Mountains, provides an afternoon in natural surroundings for city dwellers. Saturday, 11 a.m., meet at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, inside the park at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, 212-360-2726, free.

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.