Interview Series: Dom Polito, Classic Albums Live

Classic Albums Live brings together powerhouse musicians to recreate iconic rock albums, performed live. They return to Tribeca PAC on October 17 with Led Zeppelin: II, led by guitarist and musical director Dom Polito. Polito is known for performing flawless renditions of albums like Led Zeppelin’s, and in our short interview, he tells us how an album becomes part of CAL repertory, and why you should go to the show: “this is the closest you’ll get to hearing that album live.”

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Interview Series: Tad Emptage, Cirque-tacular Productions

On October 18, Cirque-tacular Productions returns to Tribeca Performing Arts Center with Spooktacular, a high-flying circus of scare. We asked Tad Emptage, the founder of Cirque-tacular, a few questions about the company and his life in the arts.

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Interview Series: “Behind Cry Wolf”

On October 24 and 25, 2025, NVA & Guests presents Cry Wolf, a dance-theater work inspired by the fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Step behind the stage with NVA & Guests artistic director & choreographer Nicole Von Arx. In this interview, we dive into the inspirations, challenges, and creative sparks that brought this evening-length performance to life. 

Part 1, The Artist Behind the Work, introduces us to the vision, philosophy, and personal journey that fuel the storytelling at the heart of Cry Wolf.

Tribeca PAC: What first sparked your journey into the performing arts? Was there a defining moment or influence that set you on this path?

Nicole Von Arx: I don’t think there was one defining moment. I was always immersed in the arts through my family. My brothers and father all play multiple instruments—guitar, piano, bagpipes, drums. My older brother was in a circus group as a teenager. I was too young to join, so I went to dance classes instead. And every summer, from the time I was a toddler, we drove from Switzerland to Avignon, where I was exposed to countless street artists at the Festival d’Avignon.

TPAC: How would you describe your artistic style or philosophy in one sentence? What guides your creative choices, no matter the project?

Nicole: I am an immigrant female storyteller creating collaborative, multimedia dance-theatre that blends physicality, humor, and urgent themes to spark meaningful conversations about our collective human experience.

TPAC: Who are the artists (of any discipline) who have most inspired your work?
Do you draw from dance, visual art, literature, something else entirely?

Nicole: My inspirations have shifted over the years, but the ones that stay with me are often those I’ve had the privilege to work with. Other than that, here are a few that inspire me today: Dora Maar for her ability to depict human emotions through abstract collages; Dimitris Papaioannou for his brilliant stagecraft, polished and clean at first, only to be completely dismantled by the end; Charlie Chaplin for his gift of bringing playfulness and light to difficult themes like poverty, dictatorship, and social injustice.

TPAC: What’s been the most transformative project or performance in your career so far—and why? Before Cry Wolf, what shifted your practice or perspective the most?

Nicole: There isn’t one project, but rather a period of my life… the pandemic. My husband and I were among those who stayed in New York for the entirety of 2020. I had to keep moving and creating within the confinement of our Brooklyn apartment.

I had already explored immersive works and humor as a performer with Company XIV, but being stuck at home pushed me to find freedom in limitations. I missed being surrounded by a vibrant, diverse community, so I sought other ways to connect organizing online classes, rooftop performances, and workshops in parks and playgrounds. It all felt super scrappy, and extremely emotional, and that was okay.

My creativity was buzzing and has been buzzing ever since. Since all access to a dance studio, theatre, costume shop, etc. was not possible, I kept asking myself… How can I create a complex world with the simplest methods? And mostly, how can I connect with my community in the most direct and real way? I used what I had access to… our living room with furniture stacked to one side, the school playground across the street, a donated projector, a few vintage stage lights, a really bad wig, old costumes, my husband’s suit jacket (which made it into my solo show NINE). And from there, each object became something more.

All of this has continued in “Cry Wolf”, where we were donated a 7-foot inflatable silver ball. Which we are currently using as a reflective prop, a shadow and something dancers can climb on.

The Pandemic also made me profoundly lonely, and I realized how much I needed to reach out and check in with others beyond movement. That’s probably why spoken word has taken on a bigger role in my work today.

TPAC: What advice would you give to someone just entering this world of performance and collaboration?
What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?

Nicole: As someone getting closer to the age of 40… I wish I knew that the people giving this kind of advice, those who seem to have it all together, are actually still searching for answers. They just have more years of asking those same questions and experiencing the ups and downs of this beautiful artistic life.

Keep going.

Everything is important, and nothing is important.

Part 2: Inside Cry Wolf

TPAC: What drew you to Cry Wolf specifically? Was it the theme, the team, the timing—or something else?

Nicole: I had explored the themes of truth, lies, and climate change in past NVA & Guests’ works and commissions. These ideas kept resurfacing, and I wanted to create a full evening with the company that wove them together. The fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” dates back to Classical times, but its themes still feel strikingly relevant today, and will in 10, 20, even 40 years. Lying is a deeply human trait, and that complexity is very interesting to me.

TPAC: What part of the performance are you most excited (or nervous) for audiences to experience? Give us a little peek behind the curtain.

Nicole: Everything! I’ve been building this piece since early 2024, so each element feels both exciting and nerve-racking.

TPAC: The title Cry Wolf suggests themes of trust, alarm, and storytelling—what does it mean to you? How do you interpret the phrase through your role in the piece?

Nicole: I’d answer, but then I’d give away the show. You’ll have to see it live to understand our take. What I can say is that we twist the storyline to uncover multiple meanings.

TPAC: Has working on Cry Wolf changed your own understanding of the story—or yourself? Any personal reflections or discoveries through the process?

Nicole: Absolutely. We’ve redefined the storyline and questioned what it means in today’s world. It was a daunting subject to take on, and we hit creative walls, as one does. But I’m excited by how such a simple tale can be rewritten in countless ways. There are even questions we didn’t touch in this piece…. We’d need an entirely different show to address them.

TPAC: In one sentence, why should people come and see Cry Wolf? Let’s hear your personal pitch to the audience.

Nicole: I’m working with some of New York’s most brilliant, caring, fearless and devoted collaborators, each at the peak of their artistry. You don’t want to miss this.

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2025-26 Season Announcement

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September 2023

For our 40th Anniversary season, there will be special music, family and dance events throughout the season to be announced in the coming months, including the return of the world renowned Pablo Sosa and Mariela Maldonado of Tango Legends. The spectacular Cirque-Tacular company will be returning to Tribeca with another fantastic show, Art of Circus. Tony nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and recording artist, Liz Callaway, will make her Tribeca PAC debut as well with a special concert.  The 2022 DCJazzPrix International Band Competition 1st Place Winners, Julieta Eugenio Trio, will headline our annual Jazz In Progress event. TheaterWorks USA will return with the very popular Magic School Bus: Lost In The Solar System and Rosie Revere Engineer.  More events to be announced very soon.

Tribeca PAC 2022-23 – A Special Season

The longest running performing arts venue in Lower Manhattan, BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, is proud to once again support established and emerging creative artists.  In the fall of 2021, we returned from the pandemic and opened our doors to the New York Comedy Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, the comedy of Max Amini, Lost Jazz Shrines, Classic Albums Live, the fantastic feats of Cirque-tacular, and other high-quality events.

This season, our first full season since the pandemic, brought many live events back to enthusiastic audiences. Helen Sung led her quartet in celebrating the career of Cedar Walton, as part of Tribeca PAC’s Lost Jazz Shrines series.  Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz, New York City’s longest running jazz concert series, celebrated 50 years with an all-star lineup including Sheila Jordan and Russell Malone. Tribeca PAC’s partnership with the CUNY Dance Initiative, which continued during the pandemic with streamed events, entertained live in-person audiences with Sue Samuels’ Jazz Roots Dance, Miki Tuesday’s International Affair Dance Company, and most recently Danielle Diniz and her dance company Signature Steps, which showcased musical theater dance. Classic Albums Live returned to Tribeca PAC for the 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Tribeca PAC’s popular family series returned as well with Cirque-tacular’s production of Spook-tacular and TheaterWorks USA returned with several events such as Click Clack Moo and Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School.  Check out The Magic School Bus: Lost In The Solar System on Saturday, April 1st.

There are many events coming up. The comedy of Mario Aguilar will be presented on April 15 with Ser loca no es facil (translation: It’s Not Easy Being Crazy). The hilarious Doktor Kaboom will delight and inform kids with his zany science experiments both with a public event for Families on Sunday, April 16 and for schools on April 17. Alkistis Protopsalti and Dimitris Mpasis present The Best of Greece, a concert tribute to Greece on April 28. Fantastic recital events from local favorites such as Downtown Dance Factory, Cobble Hill Ballet and Dance With Ms. Rachel are coming up as well.  We are also hosting the Tribeca Festival in June. Next season, there will be special music, family and dance events throughout the season to be announced in the coming months.  There is something for everyone at Tribeca PAC.

 

 

September 24, 2021

Inspiring news!  Congratulations to Tribeca PAC’s Technical Director / Production Manager Mark Goodloe for winning a BMCC Employee Appreciation Award in the “Inspiration” category. This award recognizes an outstanding staff member at BMCC who uses or develops new ways to demonstrate outstanding creativity in addressing challenges that allow BMCC to operate more efficiently and effectively.Check out

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September 12, 2021

Join Tribeca Performing Arts Center and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for a free pre-recorded streamed performance of Arm of the Sea Theater’s ‘City that Drinks the Mountain Sky’ from Oct. 25th to 29th.  Learn about the NYC water supply system through a 55-minute simmering tapestry of poetry, puppetry, and music. This special, free educational performance will premiere for one week only!

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