Day two in the City is also going great. It’s been such a hectic week at home, that we broke our rule and actually lounged around the hotel room this morning. We had to rest up because we have two shows to see today!
First, we saw Barbara Cook, Tom Wopat and Vanessa Williams in “Sondheim by Sondheim.” It was a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable show at the legendary Studio 54. We’ve seen countless shows in that space and all I can think about whenever we do in is that Liza, Halston, Warhol and so many others had so many decadent nights in that place. I always wonder if one of them passed out– or worse– around where our seats are…
Back to the show…
This show was really like an episode of “American Masters” on PBS. I mean that in a good way. It was a multi-media presentation with pictures and clips of Sondheim as well as Sondheim himself reminiscing and talking about his life and shows. Then you had all these wonderful performers singing his songs.
Barbara Cook is amazing. She sounds as good as she did when we o her in concert a few years ago. She is doing 8 shows a week as a very active part of the ensemble. And she is about 82 years old. For those who don’t know her, she was a big star on Broadway in the 1950’s and 1960’s. She won her first Tony Award as the original Marion in the original cast of the original production of “The Music Man.” She is a phenomenon.
Tom Wopat has come a long ways from the “Dukes of Hazzard.” He is a well established Broadway performer now. We saw him give a great performance in “A Catered Affair” a couple of seasons ago. He is a joy to see on stage.
We also had the unexpected surprise of seeing Lewis Cleale, who we say in “Sunset Boulevard” with Petula Clark a few years ago. He had stepped in for Norm Lewis.
Vanessa Williams is still so beautiful and talented. She has so many talents. She was just wonderful in this show, too. She’s come a long ways from Miss America.
That’s one of the things I love about Broadway. Scott Fitzgerald said “There are no second acts in American lives.” Broadway proves him wrong every season.
Here are some clips from the show:
We had an unexpeted treat on the way to dinner. We saw Christen Chenoweth at the stage door of “Promises,Promises.” That show is also great fun. I saw that about a month ago when I was last up here on business.
We had a great meal at Trattorria Trecolori on W 47th Street. Black linguine with seafood. I had to make reservations a week ago as it has gotten to be entirely too popular. With great Italian food at great prices, with wonderful service in Mid-town, I’m not surprised.
Well, this was just a quick note. We are off to another show and the evening on the town. More to follow….
We are in New York for one of our long weekends of theatre and fun. It has started out wonderfully.
Last night, after dinner one of our favorite little french places, “Pergola Des Artistes”, we went to see the first show of the trip, a new play, on Broadway called “Next Fall”.
I’m a little bit afraid of “highly praised” new plays on Broadway. I’ve been fooled too many times. Two examples being “Pillowman” and “The Shining City”. Both of these plays were critically praised and turned out to be derivative, poorly written and poorly directed crap. I was counting the lighting instruments in the ceiling during “Pillowman” because I was so bored. “The Shining City” was just an absolute mess. After these experiences, I usually lean more towards off-Broadway plays were I have never been disappointed.
I am happy to say “Next Fall” breaks the curse. It was a wonderful play with a lot of heart. It’s probably so good because it started off-Broadway and transferred to Broadway with it’s original cast and director.
“Next Fall” tells the story of a relationship between two gay men, “Luke” a born again Christian, and “Adam” a questioning agnostic, and their family and friends. An accident sets in motion a series of scenes from their past as they try to handle the present situation. It explores how so many people of different faiths and beliefs come together and interact. It is a play about the many levels and types of beliefs. The play is so beautifully written that it draws you in and two and a half hours fly by. It engages you on so many levels-among them emotional, intellectual and spiritual. I won’t tell you more than that. I’ll just urge you to see it!
The show is beautifully acted and directed. I’m convinced the only reason several of the actors are not Tony Award nominees is because they are not “names”. They are simply some of the best actors I have seen on Broadway or anywhere else. The show is nominated for Best Play and Best Director and it would have my vote!
Here is a short video with the cast and director discussing the show and a link to the sh0w’s website:
Thanks to my friend Kirk for sending this to me…link to the entire article is at the bottom.
A haunting 150-year-old photo found in a North Carolina attic shows a young black child named John, barefoot and wearing ragged clothes, perched on a barrel next to another unidentified young boy.
Art historians believe it’s an extremely rare Civil War-era photograph of children who were either slaves at the time or recently emancipated.
The photo, which may have been taken in the early 1860s, was a testament to a dark part of American history, said Will Stapp, a photographic historian and founding curator of the National Portrait Gallery’s photographs department at the Smithsonian Institution.
“It’s a very difficult and poignant piece of American history,” he said. “What you are looking at when you look at this photo are two boys who were victims of that history.”
Just when you think they airlines can’t screw up any worse than they already have….Of course, knowing how incompetent and uncaring the airlines are, who in their right mind would trust their kids to the airlines?
Delta Air Lines blamed a paperwork mix-up for sending two children to the wrong cities as they flew under the airline’s unaccompanied minors program.
Delta said the children were connecting through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Tuesday when they were put on the wrong connecting flights because of a “paperwork swap.”
Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec on Wednesday said a boy ended up in Cleveland instead of Boston while a girl was sent to Boston instead of Cleveland. He would not release information about the children, citing passenger privacy.
I just came across a few snapshots in time. Some “time capsule” moments on YouTube.
I keep looking back because I keep wondering where the energy for change has gone.
It’s hard to believe how much times have changed…for the better– since the early 1960’s. But I never realized how depressing the 1960’s–which I always thought of a as a decade of hope and change– could be…It’s remarkable, given the restrictive society at the time, how much hope was alive then.
I wonder if it still is…
There were so many people afraid of change then– just like now.
Today, the Afghanistan war has just surpassed Vietnam as our longest war. Bush’s personal vendetta/ war or choice in Iraq is still going on. Ghetto’s still exist. The Tea Baggers prove racism is still alive . The old “Silent Majority”, which isn’t either, is still around. Post-feminism wants to return women to the kitchen and subservience, while the Men of the Religious Right still try to take away their right to control their own bodies. I’m almost relieved we haven’t come far enough on Gay Rights to start dismantling them…
I think we need to look back to see “the way we were” to see how far we have come.
Then, maybe, we can gain the courage and the energy to keep moving forward.
They say our pets reflect our personalities. And that over time, we and our pets become more and more alike in our personalities. I like to think we choose our pets and they choose us because of our personalities being both complementary and challenging. Our energy says we belong together.
We have three pets. Our dog is Buckley– as in Betty, not William F.– and our cats are Mr Sloane and Emily. You can see their pictures on my Facebook page. All of them are “rescued” and came to us in their maturity. I know one is not supposed to favor one child over another but, truth be told, Mr Sloane is my favorite. The minute I saw him, I knew he belonged with us.
While he loves our cats and I love our dog, my partner, Steve, is more of a “dog” person and I’m more of a “cat” person. This is probably what makes our relationship work. We are alike enough to get along beautifully, yet different enough to make it interesting. We complement and challenge each other.
Buckley is more like Steve. Wide open, excited about everything, loving and up front. You know where you stand with Buckley and Steve.
I’m more like Mr. Sloane. That is why I say he is my favorite.
I don’t mean to leave out Emily. We love her, but she is different from us both. She is willful, demanding and wide open. She is a slut. She’s anybody’s girl. As long as you scratch her ears, she’s yours. She has to be the center of attention at all times. She’s loving, exasperating and stubborn. She reminds me of some people I used to date. If you read my previous blog on Relationships, she is Category One. But she is a special cat and we love her. She balances the energy in our house.
Back to Mr Sloane.
He came to us as Sloan, the name of his recent foster family. He had to be fostered as he did not get along well in a cage or in a group environment. He was five years old. We had to adjust his name, a little, to reflect his personality. He is definitely a “Mister”. He demands his honorific. He has dignity. We chose his name, also, to make a literary allusion/tribute to the Joe Orton play.
I will readily admit I identify with Mr Sloane- the cat, not the Joe Orton character.
Mr Sloane keeps a certain distance. He is an observer. He choses what he wants to get involved in. You have to gain his trust over time and only then do you get to see his real personality. He is cautious and deliberate. He doesn’t forget or forgive being slighted.
He is a control freak…We once accidentally locked him out on the screened porch overnight. He did not have access to his litter box or his food. He did some things that cost him his dignity, but he got through the ordeal. He has never recovered from that–and I understand.
Mr Sloane dances when no one is looking.
When he becomes fascinated by something, he digs in and gives it his total focus. Nothing else matters. In his case, it’s usually his laser light. I like to think I’m a little more complex.
If you want to be his friend, you have to approach him on his terms. There is a complexity there that it took us over a year to understand. He gives hints, not confessions, as to what he thinks and wants. You have to interpret him.
It takes some effort to get to know him. But it is worth it.
I’m as much of a tech addict as anyone. I do carry two Blackberries, Blog and spend a lot of time on line. I spend my whole day at work on a laptop. But, this makes one stop and think…
Another disturbing article from today’s New York Times. Here is an excerpt and a link to the full story.
When one of the most important e-mail messages of his life landed in his in-box a few years ago, Kord Campbell overlooked it.
Not just for a day or two, but 12 days. He finally saw it while sifting through old messages: a big company wanted to buy his Internet start-up.
“I stood up from my desk and said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,’ ” Mr. Campbell said. “It’s kind of hard to miss an e-mail like that, but I did.”
The message had slipped by him amid an electronic flood: two computer screens alive with e-mail, instant messages, online chats, a Web browser and the computer code he was writing. (View an interactive panorama of Mr. Campbell’s workstation.)
While he managed to salvage the $1.3 million deal after apologizing to his suitor, Mr. Campbell continues to struggle with the effects of the deluge of data. Even after he unplugs, he craves the stimulation he gets from his electronic gadgets. He forgets things like dinner plans, and he has trouble focusing on his family.
His wife, Brenda, complains, “It seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.”
This is your brain on computers.
Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.
And
Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.
These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.
The resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks. And for millions of people like Mr. Campbell, these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life.
While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.
And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain offcomputers.
A compelling article from today’s New York Times about the steep price Chinese workers pay to produce cheap goods.
I’m increasingly disturbed by the situations in these Chinese factories. It reminds me of America and England at the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Something is very wrong in this dynamic. These workers are paying a heavy price to produce cheap products so Americans can have a lot of stuff they don’t need.
Here is an excerpt from the article. I encourage you to click the link, at the bottom, and read the entire article.
The body of a 19-year-old worker named Ma Xiangqian was found in front of his high-rise dormitory at 4:30 a.m. Police investigators concluded that he had leapt from a high floor, and they ruled it a suicide.
His family, including his 22-year-old sister who worked at the same company, Foxconn Technology, said he hated the job he had held only since November — an 11-hour overnight shift, seven nights a week, forging plastic and metal into electronics parts amid fumes and dust. Or at least that was Mr. Ma’s job until, after a run-in with his supervisor, he was demoted in December to cleaning toilets.
Mr. Ma’s pay stub shows that he worked 286 hours in the month before he died, including 112 hours of overtime, about three times the legal limit. For all of that, even with extra pay for overtime, he earned the equivalent of $1 an hour.
I love New York. That’s no secret. I have been there more times than I can count and I never get tired of the City. If I ever win the lottery, the first thing I will do is purchase us a little pied a terre there. I recently did some quick math and realized I’ve seen close to, if not more than, 100 shows in New York-both on and off-Broadway. Not too bad for a little boy from Danville, Va.
I also want to point out that it is a myth that New Yorkers or rude and surly. I find them some of the warmest, nicest people I’ve ever encountered. They know, from living in the City, that we are all in this together and are usually more than willing to help out. It’s the tourists who can be rude and obnoxious.
Since everyone knows I love New York and go there frequently- and summer travel season is upon us- I’m going to make some comments and recommendations for those of you who may be traveling there soon. I’m purposely going to focus on mainstream things as I figure anyone who wants to read this isn’t as seasoned a New York traveler as I/we are. There is nothing too gay or too edgy here. I’m also focusing mainly on Mid-Town Manhattan and the Theatre District. You may also want to go back on my Blog to December and read the day by day recap of our adventures on that trip for some additional ideas.
Restaurants:
First of all, we try to do New York like a New Yorker. We do not eat at chain restaurants-in New York or any where else- or expensive designer or “hot” restaurants. We eat at good, reasonable locally owned restaurants. We are not pretentious “foodies.”
WARNING: Do not eat anywhere near Times Square! I can’t stress this enough. The goal in that area is to soak the tourists. The food is not good and is horribly over priced. If you go over to 8th, or even better, 9th Avenue, you will find much better food at much better prices at the local restaurants.
Here are some of our favorites:
La Bonne Soupe– Great French place for lunch and very affordable. On west 55th Street. (http://www.labonnesoupe.com)
Trattoria Trecolori- One of my favorite Italian places. Wonderful black linguini with seafood. We will eat there next week. 254 West 47th Street. (http://www.trattoriatrecolori.com). Reservations are a must here.
Puttanesca- Another great Italian place. Address is 859 9th Avenue at the corner of 56th. (http://puttanescanyc.com)
Angus McIndoe- I love this restaurant and it’s in the heart of the Theatre District right next to the St James Theatre. Angus used to be the Maitre d at Joe Allen’s before going out on his own. Lots of celebrities eat here and the food is great and very affordable. 258 W 44th St. (http://www.angusmcindoe.com)
Pergola Des Artistes- this is an old New York Restaurant in the Theatre District. Wonderful country French food at very affordable prices. Pre-theatre specials are great. 252 W 46th Street. (http://www.pergoladesartistes.com)
Turkish Cuisine-This is one of our all time favorites. We eat here almost every time we go to New York. 9th Avenue between 44th and 45th St. Excellent food at great prices. Another old New York Restaurant.
Patsy’s- This was Frank Sinatra’s favorite Italian Restaurant. It’s good, but not great. 236 W 56th St. (http://www.patsys.com).
Saigon- 620 Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side. Great Vietnamese food at very good prices.
Cafe Espanol-In the West Village. Another real bargain with great Spanish food. 172 Bleeker St (http://cafeespanol.com)
Smith’s- This is kind of a dive on 8th Avenue at the corner of 44th St. It’s also a real deal for Breakfast or lunch if you want to get a decent meal for a really cheap price in Mid-town.
Zuni-598 9th Ave at 43rd St. Another great Mid-town place. Open late. Great New American Cuisine. (http://www.zuniny.com)
Joe Allen’s- A Theatre District tradition. I’ve seen more celebrities here than anywhere else in New York. Classic American Food. Great grilled calves liver and a great burger. 326 W 46th St. (http://joeallenrestaurant.com/NY_home.html)
The Oyster Bar- 7th Avenue at 53rd Street. Right across from the Sheraton. The food is good, not great, but it’s really an old New York Restaurant. And the prices are great.
Philip Marie- Great New American Cuisine in the West Village. 569 Hudson at 11th St. (http://philipmarie.com)
Hotels:
We don’t normally do fancy Hotels, either. Unless we are staying there for free on my Frequent Guest Points. If that’s the case, then we love the Hilton Times Square. Otherwise, here are some recommendations:
The Hotel Newton- On the Upper West side. 258 Broadway at 95th St. Subway is right outside the door and you can be in Mid-town in less than 10 minutes. This is one of our favorites. Warning: Towels are very thin and pillows can be a little too firm, but it’s a great deal. Lot’s of restaurants close by with great food at great prices. Very nice, very clean. We’ve stayed here countless times over the last 14 years. (http://www.thehotelnewton.com)
The Wellington- The best deal in Mid-town. They have lot’s of specials on their website and it’s a great old hotel. On 7th Avenue close to Carnegie Hall. Around W 55th St, I think. (http://www.wellingtonhotel.com)
The Washington Square Hotel- A lovely little hotel in the West Village. We stayed there again last Christmas, during the snow, and loved it. 103 Waverly Place. (http://www.washingtonsquarehotel.com)
Please note: It is our view that hotels should be safe, clean and comfortable. These are. They may be a little more basic than some others, but if you plan to spend a lot of time in your hotel, you should not be traveling-especially to New York. Hotels are only places to shower, change clothes and sleep. You should be out in the Streets the rest of the time.
Shows:
Some of the best theatre in New York is off-Broadway or off-off Broadway. There is not a lot running right now that I’ve seen that is really good. My advice is to avoid the long running shows. I took a colleague to see “Phantom of the Opera” when we were there on business a few years ago. It’s been running so long, the cast is sleep-walking through it. Same with “Chicago”, which I’ve seen several times. I won’t recommend “Mamma Mia” because I hated it, but most people really enjoy it- especially women.
You should never have to buy full price tickets to a show in New York unless it is a big, big hit or a limited run. My advice is to always go to Playbill.com or TheatreMania.com and use the discounts on those websites. You can purchase tickets over the web, phone or take them to the box office. You usually get the best seats available. The TKTS booths, in Times Square, has discounted tickets for shows the same day. The last few times I’ve gone there, the seats were horrible. Rear balcony, obstructed view, etc. I think the shows dump their worst seats there, so avoid them if you can.
Here are some current shows I do recommend:
“Promises, Promises”- With Kristin Chenowith and Sean Hayes. I really enjoyed this show. It is a flawed show and Ms Chenowith is miscast, but still quite good. It was a very enjoyable night at the theatre. Sean Hayes, of “Will and Grace” fame much deserves his Tony Award nomination. The show has great dancing and a lot of heart. See it. This is one I would like to see again.
“Jersey Boys”- Again, not a great show, but lots of fun. I saw the originial cast right after it opened and saw it again on tour. Great fun both times. Not sure how the current Broadway cast is holding up since it’s been running a long time since I saw it in NY. The lead in the Tour was actually better than the guy who won the Tony in New York.
“Our Town”- this is an off-Broadway play at the Barrow Street Theatre down in the Village. The theatre is right at the Christopher Street subway stop, so it’s easy to find. This is an old show that has been beautifully re-imagined. I only saw this because Steve wanted to see it and ended up loving it. Highly recommended.
“Hair”- the revival of the 1960’s hippie musical. I loved it.
“A Little Night Music”- with Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta Jones. This is a magical production and is only this low on the list because it closes June 20th. It’s also hard to get into and you will probably have to pay full price. Even we paid full price and we can usually find a way around that.
Some other shows to consider that have been running a while are:
“Mary Poppins”- we saw this in London and were pleasantly surprised to find we loved it. Amazing dancing and special effects.
“Billy Elliott”- again, we saw this in London, not New York and liked, but didn’t love it.
“South Pacific”- I hesitate to recommend this because it’s closing soon, will be taped for PBS, and the entire cast is different from the one we saw. It was magical when we saw it with Kelly O’Hara. You will probably never have a chance to see a production this good or this big of this show again.
We are heading up there again shortly and I will hopefully have some more current shows to recommend. Also, many of these shows have clips on YouTube if you want to check them out.
Nightspots:
Birdland- This is a great music venue in mid-town. We saw Phoebe Snow there a couple of years ago and it was fabulous. A lot of Broadway people perform there on Mondays when their shows are dark. (http://www.birdlandjazz.com)
The Metropolitan Room- This is the most affordable Cabaret spot in town. We’ve been several times and it’s always been great fun. Lot’s of Broadway and Cabaret stars perform their one person shows here. (http://www.metropolitanroom.com)
Don’t Tell Mama’s- This is located on Restaurant Row and can be fun. It’s gotten a little touristy and “bridge and tunnel”, but it can be lot’s of fun after a show. (http://www.donttellmamanyc.com/)
The Oak Room- At the Algonquin Hotel. This is a little pricy, but still affordable for Cabaret. It’s a historic spot and a taste of old New York.
Some Tourist Stuff That Is Fun:
The Metropolitan Museum- I’ve been countless times and almost always go once each trip to New York. It’s a great place to spend a hot or rainy day. The Egyptian Collection is amazing. The art is incredible. They always have interesting, temporary exhibits also. Check their website for current shows.
Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty: I’ve gone to Ellis Island 3 or 4 times. You go to Battery Park and buy a ticket for the boats to take you there and the Statue of Liberty. There is not much to see at the Statue of Liberty. I was really bored there. But Ellis Island is wonderful. But then, I was a history major. It’s also great just to ride around New York Harbor on the boat.
Macy’s Herald Square- Not as much fun as it used to be, but you have to do it at least once. If you go to Visitor’s Office, they will give you a special discount for an extra 15% off on all your purchases if you show them an out of town driver’s license. I’ve done that several times.
Walk down 5th Avenue.
Visit Rockefeller Center and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Eat a hot dog from a street vendor.
Take the Subway. We always do. It’s very safe and the fastest, cheapest way to get around the City. It will save you a fortune on cabs. It is also very safe, simple and people are always willing to help you out if you have questions. Warning: In the summer it is very hot and smelly.
The Jewish Museum- On Fifth Avenue north of the Met. We always love going there and seeing their changing exhibits.
The Guggenheim Museum- one of the world’s great modern art collections and an architecturally stunning building. Right above the Met. You can do the Met, the Jewish Museum and the Guggenheim in one day if you just want a taste…
Ground Zero- it’s mainly a construction site now, but everyone should go at least once to pay one’s respects.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten some stuff, so I will probably revise this as I go along. Feel free to add your comments on things I’ve missed or things you disagree with.
Most importantly: Go to New York!!! It’s a wonderful town. Explore it on your own so you can give me your recommendations.
Lost in the 21st Century 
Rare photo of slave children found in NC attic
Thanks to my friend Kirk for sending this to me…link to the entire article is at the bottom.
via Rare photo of slave children found in NC attic – Yahoo! News.
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Tagged as history, politics, slavery