New York City events: March 2012

This year's biennial features offerings that are solidly enjoyable, though not exactly groundbreaking, alongside misfires that aren’t terrible enough to get the blood boiling. The result is a middling muddle, timid and something of a snore. Welcome to the Whitney Meh 2012.

Haring’s energetic street art was a ubiquitous fixture in late-’70s–early-’80s New York, cropping up in subway stations and on buildings in Soho and the East Village. He went on to art-world fame and fortune before his untimely death from AIDS in 1990; this survey recalls the artist’s early career with works on paper, rare videos and archival objects.

Wiley's bling-alicious mix of hip-hop attitude and Old Master portraiture has always been infectious; here he brings it to bear on a multicultural array of young Israelis posing against richly colorful, Judaica-inspired backdrops.

Like its inaugural "Younger than Jesus" survey, this second edition of the New Museum Triennial features a crop of emerging artists born after the mid-1970s, who are dealing with globalism and the continuing cultural fallout from the 1960s. The roster is made up of 34 artists, artist groups and temporary collectives, totaling 50 participants in all.

Last time Gore Vidal's 1960 presidential-campaign drama was on Broadway, the country endured a bizarre, protracted electoral scandal that left us with a Republican in the Oval Office. Let's hope that things end up better with this revival, directed by Michael Wilson and featuring a starry cast that includes Angela Lansbury, Jefferson Mays, James Earl Jones, John Larroquette and Candice Bergen.

Shop for porn, sex toys, fetish wear and more—plus mix and mingle with your favorite adult-film stars—at the behind-the-scenes gathering that'll get you pumped and primed for Rites XXXXII: The Black Party.

The very funny Alec Mapa hosts this awards show—also known as the Hookies—which is presented as part of the Black Party Expo. Head to the website to vote for your favorites in categories such as Best Ass and Best Tattoos, then come out tonight to meet the guys in person. Want to take home one of the nominees? Go to sponsoring site Rentboy.com to check out his stats and rates.

Black Party weekend culminates in this all-night and most-of-the-next day celebration of debauchery. Make sure to dress the part (hint: no sneakers), and be prepared to have your mind blown by sexy-scary performances and DJ sets from Satoshi Tomiie (10pm–3am), Chus & Ceballos (3am–9am), and Hector Romero (9am–3pm).