With summer's end comes the upswing of the local art and culture scene. Local critics discuss what upcoming productions, shows, and exhibitions they're keeping their eyes (and ears) on this fall.

⇒Deborah Solomon, WNYC art critic, talks about gallery and museum shows:

• Biggest of the Blockbusters: Picasso Sculpture, at MoMA;
• Best Retrospective: Frank Stella at the Whitney;
• Best Show About A Religious Conversion: "Becoming Jewish: Warhol's Liz and Marilyn," at the Jewish Museum;
• Best New Older Artist: Jared Bark, aka Jed Bark, now 70, “the dean of New York framemakers”, is having a show of his "Photo Booth Works: 1969-1976" at the Southfirst Gallery in Williamsburg;
• Best Gender-Themed News News: Chelsea gallery shows by women artists include Dana Schutz at Petzel , Katherine Bernhardt at Venus Over Manhattan,  Anne Truitt at Matthew Marks, Maureen Gallace at 303 Gallery and Isa Genzken at David Zwerner.

Note, Deborah Solomon’s book Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell comes out in a special edition in October.

⇒Sean Rameswaram, host of the Sideshow podcast from Studio 360 and PRI, shares his top comedy picks.

• Pop Up Magazine at BAM (sold out);
• Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival at Brooklyn's Bell House and Union Hall in September;
• Coney Island Pavilion “Warriors” (1979) reunion, esp. the cos-play contest September 13;
• David Sedaris tour comes to Englewood, NJ and Westhampton, NY in October;
• Dave Chappelle at Gramercy Theater in September;
• New York Comedy Festival, including new Daily Show host Trevor Noah, Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho in November;
• Daily Show and Colbert Late Show tapings
• “How Cats Took Over the Internet” at the Museum of the Moving Image

 ⇒David Cote, theater editor for Time Out New York, recommends theater must-sees:

• Revival: "A View from the Bridge" directed by Ivo van Hove in playwright Arthur Miller’s centenary year;
• New Space: St. Anne’s Warehouse in Dumbo and their all-female production of "Henry IV";
• Off Broadway:  "Hir" by Taylor Mac at Playwrights Horizons
• Opera: Alban Berg's "Lulu" at the Met directed by William Kentridge.

⇒Graham Parker, general manager of our sister-station WQXR, suggests several classical music and opera productions:

• Opening night at The Met – Verdi's "Otello"
• Brooklyn offers new work from Julia Wolfe at BAM's Next Wave Festival; LoftOpera in Bushwick; and new Williamsburg venue National Sawdust?
• Goodbye "Avery Fisher" Hall, hello "David Geffen Hall
• Carnegie Hall's "Somewhere Project" builds off the West Side Story ballad;
• Composer (and WNYC softball team member) John Luther Adams tribute at Columbia's Miller Theater in October;
• And the MET Museum, not Opera, is on the list with a couple of concerts at the Temple of Dendur with works by Arvo Pärt and Tan Dun’s Water Passion.  

→ Read more: 20 classical music concerts to watch for this fall, by WQXR's Brian Wise.  

→And Time Out New York's 20 Broadway and Off Broadway shows to catch this fall