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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 19, 2010
1001 Nights
Sometimes you just need a break from all the Fringe going on all around you. Alternately, maybe you’re just looking for some good guacamole and chips with a side of laughs. Or you just want to hang out with your friends at the bar downing some beers with the cozy feeling of a room full of happy people laughing their butts off in the next room at something you can’t quite hear. Whatever you’re into, I suggest you find the answer at The Creek and The Cave – a surprising find (for me, at least) in the shadow of the Pulaski Bridge in Long Island City, Queens.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 11, 2010
If the name Mae West means nothing to you, then you should come up and see me some time . . . and I’ll fill you in. My knowledge of this woman – her life, her career, her philosophy – is so encyclopedic that a friend once suggested I teach a college course on her.
It’s been thirty years since her death but I can remember the details as if it were yesterday. True, I was just a child, but the effect she’d had on my short life at that point was already indelible and I morned her death on Nov 22, 1980 with as much grief as the rest of the world morned John Lennon just a few weeks later.
But like so many iconic celebrities, Mae West continues to live on and on . . . as evidenced by the stronghold her image still has on pop culture. In fact, there’s going to be a Mae West Birthday Bash happening this upcoming weekend, hosted by The Gaudy Girls! I got a chance to chat about Mae, Sophie Tucker, the joys of celebrating strong women, and the importance of keeping the torch going when I caught up with Maggie Worsdale who embodies Sophie Tucker (”The Last of the Red Hot Mamas!”) and Anne Marie Finnie who channels Mae West. Together, they are The Gaudy Girls.
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by Diánna Martin on May 14, 2010
On Monday, May 17th, the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation will be bringing down the house with a fabulous fundraising benefit at Caroline’s on Broadway – Cabaretion!. There will be food, open bar, and a line-up hosted by Jackie Hoffman that includes Taylor Mac among many other awesome performers; but to top it off, the NYITF is honoring playwright Christopher Durang! That’s some serious fun!
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by Antonio Miniño on April 1, 2010
It’s creeping up, you can tell by the rainy days and not-so-freezing weather. There’s also that mixed fashion I so love in Spring and the month of April; half the population is braving the still somewhat crisp temperatures and taking off the layers and boots, while the other is still hiding behind the winter parkas that will soon be packed in storage boxes or donated to Goodwill.
These are a couple of suggestions of things that make me go Yes! plus places and events you shouldn’t miss out on during the month of April.
April Wear
The most important element that should grace the wardrobe of both men and women in April is a new pair of shades, and by new I mean old. Retro is the fresh look for Spring 2010, from round glasses (Gaga goes googoo over them), retro Ray-Bans (color me 80s), and always in fashion – not leaving us anytime soon – aviator or pilot glasses.
Jeremy Scott Mickey Mouse Glasses
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by Antonio Miniño on January 13, 2010
Developed 3 years ago, The National NewBorn Festival is the flagship program of a non-profit theater company very dear to me, Maieutic Theatre Works; or as we like to call it MTWorks – that way we don’t have to get into the whole “Maieutic is pronounced /meɪˈjuːtɪks/”.
New plays that have yet to receive a New York production are read in a festival setting and free to the general public from Thursday, January 21st through Sunday, January 24th. This year we are showcasing new plays by Barrie Kreinik, Jacqueline Goldfinger, Carol Carpenter, Gwydion Suilebhan and Cody Daigle.
The audience also gets to pick and vote for the recipient of the Audience Favorite Award. The winner receives a second reading on Sunday night after the resident reading of A Song for St. Michael’s by one of the NewBorn creators and Artistic Director of MTWorks, David Stallings.
What I appreciate about festivals is the networking opportunities it creates for dramatists, actors, directors and companies. This week I asked all 6 dramatists some questions about their work and inspirations.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on October 30, 2009
The Man and The Music - Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse isn’t a name that immediately rings a bell with most people the way, say, Andrew Lloyd Webber does. If you say “the great musical composer, Charles Strouse” people don’t go “Ahhhh, right, of course”. But mention some of his iconic songs and right away the “wow, I didn’t know he wrote that“s and “seriously, that was him?“s come rolling in. So, for those of you who don’t know and need me to hum a few bars …
… Once upon a time a girl with moonlight in her eyes / Put her hand in mine and said she loved me so …
No? Not yet? How about
… Grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face! / Brush off the clouds and cheer up, put on a happy face!
Warmer? Well you’ve gotta know this one …
… Boy the way Glenn Miller played / Songs that made the Hit Parade / Guys like us we had it made … those were the days
Yeah? Starting to come together? Want the big finish?
… Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, tomorrow! You’ll always a day away!
OHHHHH! THAT’S Charles Strouse! Yes … THAT’s Charles Strouse, writer of musicals such as Bye, Bye, Birdie, Annie, Applause and composer of movie scores and TV scores like “All in the Family”. With writing partner Lee Adams he penned half a dozen musicals, and even after that collaboration ended he went on to create a half dozen more with other lyricists (most notably one of my 2nd favorte Muscial Theatre Stephens after Sondheim — Stehen Schwartz for RAGS).
… Once upon a time a girl with moonlight in her eyes / Put her hand in mine and said she loved me so …
No? Not yet? How about
… Grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face! / Brush off the clouds and cheer up, put on a happy face!
Warmer? Well you’ve gotta know this one …
… Boy the way Glenn Miller played / Songs that made the Hit Parade / Guys like us we had it made … those were the days!
Yeah? Starting to come together? Want the big finish?
… Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, tomorrow! You’re always a day away!
by Antonio Miniño on October 29, 2009
If you’ve been on the other side of the table in an audition room, you know what it is like to see actors use the same monologues over and over and over, and dare I say over again … therefore I encourage any actor to search for new material, and not be afraid of using unpublished work. Not only will you grab our attention, but you will help showcase an unknown playwright. It’s much better to have a casting director say “Where is that from? What a great piece!?”, than “Thanks for your time . . . we’ll let you know“.
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by The Happiest Medium on October 22, 2009
I Like You, Maude
You quite possibly missed the show in August, and chances are you didn’t get a chance to see the one in September. But now you’ve got no excuse.
I Like You, Maude is back again, this Sunday, October 25th and it promises to be as much fun as the first two.
Come out for a night of hilarious tales and plenty of drinking – this month’s theme is “Lost” and performers include:
Comedian/Writer
KUMAIL NANJIANI
(Michael and Michael Have Issues, Jimmy Kimmel Live)
Comedian/Writer/Actress
JESSI KLEIN
(Michael and Michael Have Issues, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, VH1 Best Week Ever)
Comedian/Writer
MARC MARON
(Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theater, WTF with Marc Maron podcast)
Comedian/Actor
TREVOR WILLIAMS
(UCB, College Humor, Channel 101 NY)
Musical Guest: Comedic Musical Duo
STUCKEY & MURRAY
(E! The Chelsea Handler Show, VH1 Webjunk)
–
I Like You, Maude
Sunday, October 25, 2009
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Bar 4 (Park Slope) 444 7th avenue – Brooklyn
Comedian/Writer KUMAIL NANJIANI
(Michael and Michael Have Issues, Jimmy Kimmel Live)
Comedian/Writer/Actress JESSI KLEIN
(Michael and Michael Have Issues, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, VH1 Best Week Ever)
Comedian/Writer MARC MARON
(Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theater, WTF with Marc Maron podcast)
Comedian/Actor TREVOR WILLIAMS
(UCB, College Humor, Channel 101 NY)
Musical Guest: Comedic Musical Duo STUCKEY & MURRAY
(E! The Chelsea Handler Show, VH1 Webjunk)
by The Happiest Medium on October 22, 2009
Unitard (photo credit: Tom Ackerman)
Coming to the rescue in this time of turmoil, like cash for your clunkers or extra-pure heroin, the Unitards (Mike Albo, Nora Burns and David Ilku) will bail you out of your dreary little lives with an evening of humor, wit, song and sarcasm. Following their sold-out evening at Joes Pub, Unitard returns with a brand-new twisted take on life in urbania. Spanning the gamut from Vampires to Burlesque, Hudson to Hindus, and Dungeons to DUMBO, their newest show promises to be brilliant, bawdy and hilarious, of course.
“Go see this!, a satirical triumph with no time to apologize for it’s hipness” – The Boston Globe
Showtimes:
Thursday November 5th at 9:30pm
Thursday November 12th at 9:30pm
Tuesday Novenber 24th at 8pm
Laurie Beechman Theater
WESTBANK CAFE
407 West 42nd Street @ 9th Ave.
Reservations: 212 695-6909
TICKETS: $20
