Last Minute: 6 Events to Attend this Month

fledermaus1. Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera discusses Die Fledermaus with Jerey Sams, director, and playwright Douglas Carter Beane. When & Where: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m. at The Metropolitan Opera

2. Explore French painting of the 1850s, from Delacrois to Courbet, and how the stage was set for the Impressionist revolution. When & Where: Thursday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m. at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

3. Join curator of the department of drawings and prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as she examines Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and scientist at this after-hours talk and gallery viewing. When & Where: Thursday, Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Morgan Library & Museum

amnh-winter-solstice

© AMNH, R.Michens

4. Get together with astronomers and members of the Amateur Astronomers Association to view the night sky on Winter Solstice. When & Where: Thursday, Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Natural History

5. Learn how to create sparkling Champagne cocktails, just in time for holiday entertaining, with Laurie Davis who has been featured in Food Network Magazine, Cosmopolitan and others. When & Where: Friday, Dec. 20, 6:30 p.m. at Astor Center

6. Join the 35th celebration of Kwanzaa at the Natural History museum when it’s transformed into an international marketplace. Among others, bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker MK Asante introduces his landmark film narrated by Maya Angelou, which is followed by a screening and book signing of his new memoir. When & Where: Saturday, Dec. 28, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the American Museum of Natural History