STEPPING OUT Love sweet as a Celebrating mom on her STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

hose special ladies in our lives deserve a memorable day. Yes, a bouquet of flowers, cards, even that special breakfast, are all certainly welcome. But what could be better than surrounding her with blooms? Old Westbury Gardens is just the place to do that on Sunday, aka Mother’s Day.

By Karen Bloom

are the Walled Garden and the Primose Path.

Many ‘Seasons of Love’ for you

Stroll the 200 glorious acres of wooded walks and those amazing gardens that are displaying vibrant spring color. Explore Westbury House, the estate’s grand Charles II-style mansion, which is filled with art and furnishings. Pack some lunch for a delightful picnic among spring’s many blooms. Or enjoy a bite at the Café in the Woods.

question that’s been at the focus of our collective culture for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, art as a path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.

Some time surrounded by the season’s colors and scents is always uplifting — not just for mom, but for everyone. Perhaps more so than at any time of the year, Mother’s Day — for most people — is all about the flowers when visiting this grand estate.

“We’re really ramping up to almost peak season now,” says horticulture director — and interim director — Maura Brush. “With those warm days in early April, everything just burst forth. The lilacs, the wisteria, all are in full bloom.”

• May 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

“The display in the Walled Garden is really high impact now,” Brush enthuses. There’s plenty to take in there, especially the Allium and tree peonies.

Pat McGann

A new rock musical by then little-known composer-playwright Jonathan Larson first came to the public attention in 1996. What happened next went beyond anything the musical theatre world could have imagined. Loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera ‘La Bohème,’ it tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village in ‘bohemian’ Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. ‘Rent’ became an international phenomenon and a cultural touchstone. Now it’s re-imagined and staged in a concert production at the Madison Theatre, directed by the Madison’s artistic director Angelo Fraboni. The professional cast includes Molloy alum Korina Deming, Danny Bae and Shiloh Bennett, with current CAP21 Musical Theatre Conservatory students.

Saturday May 13, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 14, 3 p.m. $40-$65. Madison Theatre, Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

• For more information and program/events schedule visit OldWestburyGardens.org or call (516) 333-0048

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

“The tree peonies are just not to be missed,” she says. “They are really quite stunning. The blooms can be eight inches across 40 blossoms in size. They look like crushed tissue. The texture and color are outstanding. Also the Primose Path is looking spectacular, and the Cottage Garden is filled with showy perennials and biannuals.”

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

Of course, the tulips are always a favorite. Seeing the tulips here, by the many hundreds, in the Walled Garden and Thatched Cottage Garden — and elsewhere — in myriad varieties and in a rainbow of colors, is almost overwhelming. The colors, the arrangements, are all carefully and creatively designed for maximum appeal.

“So much time is spent curating our bulb display,” Brush says. “Anyone can go anywhere and see a row of tulips. We’re so excited about our display. You won’t see it elsewhere.”

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

The array of colors and blooms extends

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s

Guided tours are available throughout the day (no registration required). Take in the delights of Westbury House, the former home of financier John S. Phipps, his wife, Margarita Grace Phipps and their four children, at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Also examine those glorious blossoms on a garden highlights tour at 2 p.m., meeting at West Porch Beech next to Westbury House. And as an added treat, while supplies last, every woman 18 and older gets to take home a free lavender plant. Make sure to stop by the Plant Shop to obtain your plant.

“It’s such a pleasant way to spend Mother’s Day.” Brush says. “Come join us.”

Photos courtesy Old Westbury Gardens

Top: The magnificent and fragrant tree peonies are among the delights of the Walled Garden.

Bottom: Look carefully and Old Westbury Gardens’ resident fox may make throughout the landscape. Among the highlights an appearance.

The Guess Who and Orleans

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Yarn/Wire

Two great rock bands take to the Tilles Center stage for a great night of music. The Guess Who is a group that’s long connected with popular culture throughout an exultant hit parade spanning 14 Top 40 tunes, including ‘These Eyes,’ ‘Clap For the Wolfman,’ ‘Hand Me Down World,’ ‘No Time,’ ‘Star Baby’ and ‘Share the Land.’ Add in fellow classics and double sided singles like their No. 1 rock anthem ‘American Woman’ and ‘No Sugar Tonight,’ plus ‘Laughing’ and ‘Undun,’ and the Canadian-bred stateside conquerors are among music’s most indelible treasures, eternally entrenched in pop culture history. Together with pop-rockers Orleans, who are forever etched in our consciousness with ‘Still the One,’ ‘Dance with Me’ and ‘Love Takes Time,’ these songs still hold up today.

Friday, May 19, 8 p.m. $70, $60, $50, $40. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions and performances that have made a significant contribution to the canon of experimental works. The quartet features founding member Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer on piano and Russell Greenberg,