Goodnight Moon: A Lullaby for Soprano and Orchestra
Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park; 5/9 at 3:30 p.m.; Fifth Ave. at 72nd St.
In honor of author Margaret Wise Brown’s 100th birthday, the InterSchool Orchestra of New York will accompany opera star Laura Flanigan in a live concert based on Brown’s bestselling children’s books Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. If mom would rather be indoors, the excellent troupe Musicians from Marlboro will perform chamber works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Emerson String Quartet is joined by pianist Jeffrey Kahane at Lincoln Center.
Oprah’s Live Your Best Life Weekend
Various Locations; 5/7-5/9; check official website for details
Spend the weekend with Ms. Winfrey herself when she celebrates O, The Oprah Magazine’s tenth anniversary here in New York. Events kick off Friday with a welcome reception at Gotham Hall, and then continue Saturday with motivating “Lifeshop” sessions led by experts including Dr. Oz., Nate Berkus, and Suze Orman. Saturday night Winfrey hosts a one-woman show at Radio City, and the weekend culminates on Sunday with a charity walk with the whole gang (including Gayle!) benefiting 10 charities. If mom’s an Oprah fan, it’s safe to say she’ll flip out over this one.
Spirit Mother’s Day Cruise
Chelsea Piers; 5/9 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Pier 61, West Side Hwy. at 23rd St.; 212-336-6666
They’re predicting sun on Sunday, so the scene should be just right for a floating celebration. Spirit Cruises is doing two and three-hour harbor jaunts with a buffet and DJ, along with a complimentary mimosa or bloody mary for mom, and soda or juice for the kids. If the little ones require a tad more supervision there’s also the Kiddie Cruise on the Queen of Hearts, an activity-filled boat ride with crafts, music, a healthy lunch, and, best of all, a “Princesses and Pirates” theme.
Mother’s Day Weekend at Wave Hill
Wave Hill; 5/8-5/9 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; W. 249th St.at Independence Ave., The Bronx; 718-549-3200
Wave Hill in the Bronx is hosting a Mother’s Day Weekend, where among the activities is a Family Art Project where kids can design a bouquet to give to mom. Also offered is a prix-fixe brunch ($28). Across boroughs, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is throwing a spring fling on the newly-opened Pier 1, with crafts, musical guest AudraRox, and author and illustrator Betsy Lewin reading “Click, Clack, Moo,” and offering a drawing demo.
Cirque Du Soleil
Grand Chapiteau on Randall’s Island Park; 5/9 at 1 p.m.
Circuses can be hit or miss, but with Cirque du Soleil you’ll always get something interesting. Their show Ovo (Portuguese for “egg”) on Randall’s Island trades on the usual fantastical story line, this time as an immersion into the world of insects told from the view of a bug. Another option (currently in previews over at The Beacon Theater), “Banana Shpeel” promises crazy humor and intense choreography as viewers are thrust into the the world of Schmelky, an ambitious producer attempting to assemble a variety show.