Just Do Art!

BY SCOTT STIFFLER  |  THE COLLEGIATE CHORALE PRESENTS: GILBERT & SULLIVAN’S “THE MIKADO”
The Collegiate Chorale, under the direction of conductor Ted Sperling, puts their own spin on Gilbert & Sullivan’s much-produced 1885 comic opera gem. Although set in the fictitious Japanese town of  Titipu, it’s really concerned with satirizing British politics and policies. This performance of “The Mikado” doubles as the Chorale’s Spring Benefit.

Tues., April 10, 6:30pm, at Carnegie Hall (881 Seventh Ave., at 57th St.). For tickets to the performance ($25-$145), visit the box office, call 212-247-7800 or purchase online at carnegiehall.org. Also visit collegiatechorale.org. The gala portion of the evening begins before the performance (with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 5:45pm) and continues afterwards with a seated dinner and live auction. Individual tickets are $500-$1,500. For info, and to order, call 646-435-9465. The final performance of their 70th season, “Contemporary Voices,” happens on May 21, at St. Bartholomew’s Church.

DOCUMENTARY: “to be heard” 
Longtime East Villager and community activist Roland Legiardi-Laura sure gets around. The published poet, one of the directors of The Nuyorican Poets Café, founded Words to Go (a traveling troupe of performance poets). He also initiated The Fifth Night — a weekly Nuyorican film development program that’s hosted hundreds of screenplay readings. Now, he’s coming to PBS — and not to shake you down for cash during a pledge break. Airing locally this Sunday (and nationally throughout the month), Legiardi-Laura’s documentary “to be heard” concerns literacy, education and youth empowerment.

Sun., April 8, on WNET (channel 13), at 11pm. For more info, visit tobeheard.org and powerpoetry.org.

FREE WILL AND THE SCIENCE OF THE BRAIN
Cognitive neuroscience researcher and University of California, Santa Barbara professor of psychology Michael Gazzaniga will give the 14th annual Jack & Lewis Rudin/Charles E. Schaffner Distinguished Lecture. His challenge: provide a compelling argument in support of free will. “Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain” counters the notion that our deeds are subject to physical processes. “We are responsible agents who should be held accountable for our actions, because responsibility is found in how people interact, not in brains.” Remember that the next time you find yourself on the losing end of a bitter dispute. Then thank, or curse, Dr. Gazzaniga.

Free. Wed., April 11, 6:30pm, at The Cooper Union — The Great Hall (7 E. Seventh St., btw. 3rd & 4th Aves.). For info, call 212-353-4195 or visit cooper.edu.

DOCUMENTARY: “FIRST GENERATION:
Blair Underwood (currently yelling at Stella in Broadway’s “Streetcar” revival) narrates “First Generation.” Three years in the making, the documentary follows four high school students of diverse backgrounds (inner city athlete, small town waitress, Samoan warrior dancer, daughter of migrant workers) who pursue a college education.

Wed., April 11, 6:30pm, at NYU’s Global Center for Academic & Spiritual Life (238 Thompson St., btw. W. Third St. & Washington Sq. South). Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with filmmakers Adam and Jaye Fenderson. For info, visit firstgenerationfilm.com.

BENEFIT: “THE BELLE OF AMHERST” 
For the benefit of the West Village Chorale (currently celebrating its 40th anniversary), Barbara Dana performs William Luce’s one-woman play “The Belle of Amherst” — about the life and works of poet Emily Dickinson. The evening also features a buffet reception with food and drinks, music from jazz pianist Murray Weinstock, a silent auction and a book signing with Dana (author of the books “A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson” and “Wider Than the Sky: Essays and Meditations on the Healing Power of Emily Dickinson.”).

Thurs., April 12, 7pm, at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South (at Thompson St.). For tickets ($100), purchase at the door or visit westvillagechorale.org. For more info, call 212-517-1776.