http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/last_chance_for_summer_yYhyTEFIaHIbWQ6JMD745O
BRIAN NIEMIETZ
With Labor Day only two weeks away, it’s time to squeeze in everything you didn’t do this summer. But don’t panic, there are still plenty of outdoor film festivals, baseball games and seaside activities to give your summer a proper send-off.
* Minor League Baseball: When it comes to setting the stage for an all-American dream, it’s tough to beat a ballpark. So take advantage of New York’s two waterfront minor league stadiums — one on Coney Island and the other on the tip of Staten Island.
First, there’s that other first-place baseball team: The Brooklyn Cyclones, a Single-A minor league Mets team that plays at MCU Park (1904 Surf Ave.; 718-449-8497; brooklyncyclones.com). “It’s a great baseball atmosphere and we’re a fun team to watch,” says all-star slugger Darrell Ceciliani.
BRETT MESSENGER
“Body and Pole” performers will spring into aerial action at Warm Up at PS1 on Aug. 28.
Nicely set between Luna Park and the ocean and only $8 to $16 a ticket, MCU Park is a great place to spend the evening, even if the Cyclones weren’t on track to break a team record for wins.
The local cellar dwellers, the Staten Island Yankees, also a Single-A team, may be at the bottom of their division, but they have a winner in their Richmond County Bank Ballpark (75 Richmond Terrace; 718-720-9265; siyanks.com). Buy a ticket ($14 to $16) and watch opposing teams’ home runs disappear into the East River, with Lower Manhattan as a backdrop. Seasons end for both teams on Sept. 5 — and they both have fireworks on Friday nights.
* Restaurant Week: Foodies get a treat as the biannual promotion is extended to Sept. 6, giving diners time to feast at restaurants such as Kittichai, where lunch is $24.07 per diner, and Indochine, where dinner is $35.
“Whoever came up with this had a brilliant idea,” says Jean-Marc Houmard, who owns the two Asian standouts and started out as a waiter at Indochine when it was a hangout for Andy Warhol’s gang in the mid-’80s.
“It makes people want to go out and creates a party-like atmosphere.”
Check out nycgo.com for a complete listing of Restaurant Week’s 250 participants, which also include the iconic ‘21’ Club, tourist fave Mesa Grill and trendy SushiSamba.
* Warm Up: Of course, some people like to party sans snacks, and the Warm Up series at MoMA PS 1 (22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City; 718-784-2084; Ps1.org) has been the place to dance outdoors and splash about in kiddie pools while checking out art indoors. Visitors can get down to upcoming performances from electronic band Holy Ghost and New Orleans deejay Rusty Lazer. At Saturday Soirees, which have their last dance Sept. 4, the good times roll from 2 to 9 p.m., and tickets are $15.
* Water Taxi Beach: The meter is also running on the wildly diverse concerts at Governors Island’s Water Taxi Beach (watertaxibeach.com). Tonight, rappers Diddy and Dirty Money join forces at a dance party that goes from 6 p.m. to midnight (tickets are $49 to $199 at ticketmaster.com). Country crooner John Prine (Sept. 10) and indie act Panda Bear (Sept. 11) also play before the series ends Sept. 12. Ferries float for free from the Battery Maritime Building at Pier 11 at Wall Street.
* Central Park SummerStage: The ambitious summer music festival winds down Sept. 26 with a free afternoon show (3 p.m.) featuring world music acts the NY Gypsy All-Stars, Tescoi Banda and the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble. Bring your dancing sandals, enjoy a slice from Pizza Moto and a beer to cool off. Enter mid-park (Rumsey Playfield, near Fifth Avenue and 69th Street; 212-360-2777; summerstage.org.)
* Films at Bryant Park: For those who like parks but prefer movies to music, the Bryant Park Summer Film Series winds up Monday with the 1967 classic “Bonnie and Clyde.” Starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the film was criticized for its violent content when it first hit theaters. Nowadays, the romantic thriller is a walk in the park — and New Yorkers can cozy up with a picnic on a blanket to watch it for free. The film unreels after sunset at 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue.
* Rock of Ages: Fans of ’80s hair metal and schlock rock — or Journey — won’t want to miss “American Idol” star Constantine Maroulis’ final appearances in Broadway’s “Rock of Ages” at the Brooks Atkinson Theater (256 W. 47th St.; 800-982-2787; rockofagesmusical.com; $45 to $120).
“It’s bittersweet, but by then I’ll have been doing the show for two years, and it’s time to move on,” says Maroulis, who takes his final bow on Sept. 9 and will join the traveling cast as it heads to Chicago. Speaking about his role as aspiring rock star Drew Bowie, Maroulis says, “It’s not the kind of role you get bored of.”
No doubt the Brooklyn-born, Wyckoff, NJ-raised “American Idol” star will miss singing on Broadway. “Sure, there’s a buzz around me leaving — I’m the hometown ‘Idol’ boy,” says Maroulis. “You become a family and you go through a lot and learn a lot about the people around you — sometimes more than you want to.”
Don’t stop believing!
