by Stephen Tortora-Lee on June 24, 2010


Marie Antoinette is famous for the saying, “Let them eat cake!”
Whether she actually said it or not doesn’t really matter in the face of history or the minds of the people whose rumor-mill worked overtime and managed to get her head in the guillotine anyway.
Cake (written by Felipe Ossa and directed by Leah Bonvissuto) helps us to imagine what would happen approximately 200 years later if - instead of a monarch – we get someone like Dana Dunnigan (Ramona Floyd) who lives on the conservative right and has a radio talk show where her celebrity and the power of her notoriety among her detractors very well might lead to her beheading too. It’s the glorification by an adoring fan-base, determined to save her, that helps keep her around.
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by Antonio Miniño on June 24, 2010


Whether you think she’s a copy cat or a devilishly inspired vixen, Lady Gaga is giving the fashion industry a helping hand by showcasing the hot and haute in her music videos. Collaborations between music artists and fashion houses is not a new thing, they have helped each other’s awareness since the beginning of MTV in the early 80s.
In her recent video Alejandro, she works with stylist Nicola Formichetti and fab photographer Steven Klein to create her –much too long– but beautifully rendered video.
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by The Happiest Medium on June 24, 2010

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations. The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.
The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival) is finally wrapping up our Planet Connections Q&A! We hope you enjoyed reading all the interesting answers.
Our last post casts the spotlight on two shows which we reviewed here and one show which sounds like a blast (no pun intended) but which we were not able to cover. Read on to see how Aliza Shane (Playwright/Director) & Laura Hirschberg (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) of ARE YOU THERE ZEUS? IT’S ME, ELECTRA. answered our five questions. Then, keep reading to see what Ashley Jacobson, writer of his beauty had to say. And finally, stick around to see what BJ: A Musical Romp has in store for its audiences . . .
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by Antonio Miniño on June 24, 2010

One to one, one at a time, all of the time, thousands of keys will be bestowed by thousands of people on thousands of citizens for thousands of reasons that deserve to be recognized. Keys to cities are traditionally given by a mayor to a hero or dignitary, symbolizing that they can have free entrance to the city.
This new Key to the City belongs to us, and is awarded among ourselves. We will give each other the key to our city for private reasons that exist outside of history. Instead of being acknowledged for landing a plane in a river, we are awarded the key for perfect attendance in school. Instead of receiving an honor for winning the World Series, we receive the key because of the kindness we showed at the hospital. And with this new key, we gain an opportunity to step back and reflect on common space in the city. For not only does the key open up specific sites, but it can also make us aware that the city is a series of spaces that are locked or unlocked.
Curated by Nato Thompson
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by Antonio Miniño on June 24, 2010

Why don’t we talk about fall/winter collections on this horribly hot day? Fashionistas will tell you that it is better to stock up early on the latest trends, and nothing screams more “latest” than a new line with a vintage twist.

AELEIS F/W 2010
AELEIS New York, the new menswear line by designer Philippe Trinh is sure to make you go, “I want that!” So while you stand in line to get yourself another version of the same phone (yes I’m talking to you, dude with the glasses standing in line for your new iphone 4), I’ll be checking out AELEIS’ 1900s inspired collection for when the leaves start turning that perfect shade of rose.
Make sure to swing by the website to check out the look book.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on June 23, 2010


We all dream about making the world a better place. Some people just can’t sit back and dream about it, however – some people have to take action, like the two brothers in A Dream About Sunflowers (written by Jonathan Wallace and directed by Amber Gallery) who start up “Geeks Without Borders” which (much like Doctors Without Borders) uses technology to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
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by The Happiest Medium on June 22, 2010

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations. The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.
The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.
Today we ask one question each of Leah Bonvissuto, director of Cake (written by Felipe Ossa) and Anne Berlin writer of the book and lyrics of Revolution! These two plays both deal with politics but take on the topic in very different ways. Let’s take a look . . .
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by Anne Jordanova on June 22, 2010


Yes, True Blood has resumed, and Futurama and Weeds wait in the wings. But let’s take a moment to hail Showtime’s The Tudors, which took its final bow last night, after four seasons on cable. This spectacular, historical potboiler-running on a relentless energy of sex, death, and Renaissance-era drama — has balanced trashy soap opera with sharp writing and acting, memorable characters, literary sophistication, and enough T&A and bloody executions to keep any unreconstructed fan of The Sopranos on the edge of their seat.
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by Sarah V. Schweig on June 21, 2010

A newly fatherless Electra (Sierra Marcks) stands spotlit and centerstage, dressed to the nines in punk-grunge garb, asking Zeus for help: “Are you there, Zeus?” she says, “It’s me, Electra.” Thus this tragicomedic version of the Greek story of Electra, set in the mid-90’s era of Carmen Electra, written and directed by Aliza Shane, begins.

Zeus is dead. At least, for Electra’s intents and purposes. Not once does his lightning bolt shuffle off anyone’s mortal coil in Electra’s favor, even though she continuously requests his help in her plot to avenge the murder of her father, Agamemnon. Her very own mother Clytemnestra (Cas Marino) had conspired with soon-to-be second husband Aegisthus (James David Larson) to kill Agamemnon. Instead of attaining Zeus’s help in seeking justice, Electra is met with taunting unsolicited advice courtesy of her wonderfully sassy Greek chorus (Felicia Blum, Carley Colbert, Kate Dickinson, Ashley Lovell), four women who at once mock her and cheer for her, like any best frenemies would.
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