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The Green Room 42 Invites You for Cabaret and More – New in the Theater District

I have a new favorite place to watch cabaret, Broadway tunes, and all manner of musical entertainment. And it’s all in an intimate yet spacious setting in a hotel, at the edge of the Theater District. The Green Room 42 has given New York City a new option when it comes to great entertainment and dining in a cool setting. Brought to you by Broadway lovers who have analyzed how to create a better burger (you’ll see what I mean later), and, in this case, a better cabaret venue, the Green Room 42 shines with a purple glow with a stage and acoustics just right for a night of song.

On any given night the headliner might be Alice Ripley of Next to Normal and Sideshow fame singing her favorite ballads, or Lillias White of Fela!, The Life, Dreamgirls.  Or maybe it’s the entire cast of Natasha and Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 led by Josh Groban, singing their favorite Broadway and non-Broadway chansons.

Sunday’s bottomless brunch has been host to the Skivvies, the duo who saucily perform a tuneful medley wearing nothing but their lingerie and tighty whities. The menu for both tunes and food is equally evocative.  Think “Out of the Boxers,” a falafel waffle with poached egg, tahini and bacon; and “The Package,” with pita-baked beef, egg salad, tomato coulis and pickles.

But here’s the best part. Well, maybe the second best part. There’s actually no food and beverage minimum at The Green Room 42. Come for the show, grab a drink, have a bite. Do it all or do none of it. This is your evening to enjoy a show as you see fit. Show tickets are reasonable, as well, starting at $15.

On the docket are a Tony’s viewing party on June 11, with open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and entertainment; the music of Nine on May 29; “At This Performance,” a show with Broadway understudies and standbys taking the lead on July 10, and “The New Peggy,” a new musical in concert on July 16 among others. Check the schedule for additions.

But if had my druthers, I’d always come to dine as well.  The Green Room 42 serves dinner nightly (in addition to brunch), helmed by Green Fig’s Chef Gabriel Israel (who is also responsible for the cool graffiti art adorning the walls at the banquettes). Try their offbeat schnitzel burger, with a fried chicken cutlet in place of a traditional hamburger patty, slathered with homemade BBQ sauce and topped with a tangy cranberry-Brussel sprout slaw (now you know what I mean by “a better burger”), shareable items like greenroom mushrooms, falafel bites and tuna tartare; or larger plates including steak frites and Tajin baked beef kebab. A creative cocktail menu is offered along with beer and wine.

You can reserve your tickets at http://www.greenfignyc.com/thegreenroom42 , 570 10th Avenue, 4th floor, Yotel hotel, 646-449-7792.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Last Chance to see “Cagney” Off-Broadway — Closes May 28

You might have forgotten that James Cagney started off in Vaudeville as a song-and-dance man. It was later in life that he developed his “tough guy” persona, becoming one of the Hollywood’s top actors. And you might not even remember some of the songs that made him famous like pretty much everything that George M. Cohan wrote.

You have one more month to see Cagney the Musical, the off-Broadway musical that’s as much a powerhouse as James Cagney was.  Played by Robert Creighton, a Cagney lookalike with matching bravado and appearance, James Cagney dominates the stage as he takes on role after role starting as a chorus girl and rising to the top of the Broadway Vaudeville and Hollywood film scenes. Everyone tap dances in this show, not surprisingly, and it’s wondrous to see this dance form on the stage.  You know the songs: “Give My Regards to Broadway, ““You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

Now you’ll also learn about how this spunky kid from New York City’s Lower East Side won the hearts of the stage and film world too.  The show which chronicles Cagney’s involvement with Warner Brothers over the years and includes both the classic Cohan tunes as well as original music.  Westside Theatre (upstairs), 407 West 43rd Street, Manhattan. For tickets, cagneythemusical.com, 212-239-6200.  https://youtu.be/7s0j_wSwl5w

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Joe’s Pub Presents a Musical Program of Diversity and Hope — May 23 and 24

At a time when both the arts and diversity come under fire, Joe’s Pub has scheduled an event designed to elicit hope and humanity. On May 23 and 24 at 7pm, performer Migguel Anggelo presents his new show, So Close: Love & Hate at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, Manhattan. The show is designed to break barriers on the American stage showcasing works reflective of the multicultural, multilingual, changing dedemographics of our country and times. Migguel Anggelo is a Brooklyn-based performance artist and singer who was born in Venezuela.

Joe’s Pub, part of the Public Theater complex, long a forerunner and ongoing proponent of innovative and compelling theatrical and musical performances, presents this show addressing divisiveness, humanity and hope. Migguel is no stranger to Joe’s Pub. In the past few years, he has presented critically acclaimed shows like I, Immigrant, Between Dreams and Another Son of Venezuela at the iconic venue which Migguel has described as a second home. But unlike his previous productions, So Close: Love & Hate will be a very intimate show. Accompanied by just three musicians rather than his full band, The Immigrants, Migguel will present a rich song cycle including an array of new compositions punctuated by Latin classics, American standards, Broadway, opera and Bjork. The new show is directed and developed by Obie Award winner David Drake (best known as the creator of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) under the musical direction and arrangements of Mau Quiros.

Hailed by critics as “a dynamic treat” and a mixture of “Mambo meets Andy Kaufman spiced with a pinch of Michael Bublé,” Migguel has taken cues from Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Leguizamo and Cesar Alvarez, using his performances as a vehicle to promote diversity within the theater community. Through music-theater, Anggelo explores issues of heritage, identity, tradition, language and more as a first-generation Latino immigrant, all with the goal of holding a mirror for those that don’t find their story represented on the stage.

Tickets are only $20.  Call 212.967.7555 to order by phone. A full dinner menu is offered.  There is a $12 food or two-drink minimum per person. To learn more, visit https://goo.gl/g25Umi

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Hurry! The New York International Auto Show Ends This Weekend

Schedule your time this weekend to spend at least a few hours of the 2017 version of the New York International Auto Show.  With cars and SUVs set up on the first floor, and trucks and a few SUVs on the lower level, you’ll have a lot of exploring ahead of you. Electric cars, hybrids, new SUV models, concept cars and luxury vehicles are all on display. From now through April 23, this show is a must for any car lover. Show hours: Friday and Saturday, 10am-10pm. Sunday, 10am-7pm.

Among the trends that are apparent this year:

SUVs are big news. Big ones, small ones, crossovers. Everyone seems to have a variety of versions in popular colors like blue and red. Of particular note, Alfa Romeo has joined in with the stylish Stelvio. Who knew that you could  up the raciness quotient started by Porsche’s Cayenne with an Alfa Romeo? The Stelvio is quite striking and will be available in the US in 2018.

Smaller cars are getting a visible style makeover. Just take a look at the Toyota Camry and the Honda Civic, and you’ll see what I mean. Add leather, trim, and some stylized exterior appointments and bright colors, and, poof, you have an affordable alternative to higher-priced BMW 3 series of the Mercedes C-Class. Well, almost.

Speaking of BMW, the all-new 5 Series has a dedicated area so you can decide for yourself whether the changes are significant or not. The styling doesn’t seem all that radically different, but under-the-hood shows the improvements.

Hyundai’s high-end division, Genesis, displays their attractive sedans, soon to be introduced in the US.

The new Lincoln Continental is luxurious as ever but markedly different from the Continental of yore, with sleek door handles and lines.

If you’re not in the market for a new car, or if you have kids in tow, there are plenty of other fun activities as well. Try out the Hyundai racing challenge stimulator or the Nissan interactive GTR Driving Experience.

Virtual reality stations are offered by Jaguar, Ford and Acura.

And, of course, there’s the ever-popular outdoor Camp Jeep off-roading experience. Line up early and put your driving gloves on!

Hungry? Check out Clyde Frazier, Walt Frazier’s massive basketball and sports restaurant around the corner. Cocktails are named after some of Frazier’s signature basketball quotes: “Loosey Goosy,” “Stumbling and Bumbling” and “Moving and Grooving.”  Main courses span the U.S. with mac and cheese, burgers, and blackened Scottish salmon, and add Asian accents with Thai lobster curry with jasmine rice.  While you wait, you can duck into the half court at the end of the bar and shoot hoops in this tribute to one of the Knicks’ greatest players. 485 Tenth Avenue. arkrestaurants.com/clydefraziers/

Where to go:  Jacob Javits Center, 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets, New York City.  Hours:  10am-7pm. http://www.autoshowny.com/.   Tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for children under 12, and can be purchased online or at the show.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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A New England Getaway from New York City: Newport, Rhode Island

Photo By: Gavin Ashworth

Newport, Rhode Island looms large in the lore of 19th-century society. It was where the wealthy vacationed, where they built their summer “cottages,” and where they entertained on a grand scale. The mansions lining Bellevue Avenue offer a taste of the Gilded Age, and they welcome you year-round to explore and imagine life as it was in what has been dubbed “America’s First Resort.”

For those of us who live more modestly, Newport (https://www.discovernewport.org/) holds much appeal beyond this fantasy life of the rich and famous of the 1880s. It’s also the playground of the sailing and yachting set and known for the America’s Cup.

Newport is a walkable town with quaint New England shops, beautiful flowers, stunning buildings, and oodles and oodles of history. It also remains a beacon to what is possible: having a port that early on rivaled that of New York and Boston, and serving as a haven for religious freedom from as early as 1639. And if the fresh ocean air doesn’t capture you with its salty perfume, the friendliness of the locals certainly will. Newport will always be a place to visit again and again.

I have returned to Newport many times, in different seasons, and have had a wonderfully enriching getaway each visit. The regatta and racing season may not begin until June, but spring is equally delightful in this elegant seaside town. Walking past the historic and architecturally significant International Tennis Hall of Fame (https://www.tennisfame.com/) or stopping at the quirky Audrain Automobile Museum (http://audrainautomuseum.org/) for more dreaming and drooling — this all add to the appeal of the city.

Newport is the home of the oldest synagogue in the United States. The 1763 Touro Synagogue welcomes visitors on a guided tour where you learn about the beginnings of the Sephardic community in the United States and George Washington’s inspirational letter to the Jews of Newport. The letter, written in 1790, is read annually to the congregation and visitors. The synagogue sits on Newport’s Historic Hill with the neighboring Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House dating from 1730 and the 1835 Levi Gale House.

Head back towards Bellevue Avenue for a look at the sprawling campus of Salve Regina College with its magnificent Gilded Age buildings and climb along the paths and rocks of the Cliff Walk for a privileged and intimate look at the back yards of the many mansions overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Preservation Society of Newport (http://www.newportmansions.org/) will provide a list of the openings of the various cottages so you can also explore indoors, generally on a self-guided audio tour. The Breakers, Rosecliff, Château sur Mer, The Elms and Marble House are the only ones currently open, but all will be allowing tours by the end of May. (Insider’s note: the gift shops at the cottages offer some amazing “period” souvenirs that you may decide to keep for yourselves.)

Driving along historic Ocean Drive, one of the country’s most distinguished and beautiful residential roads, leads you to the premier destination for a Newport getaway, The Castle Hill Inn (www.castlehillinn.com/). Built in 1874 as a summer house, the landmark Victorian mansion delivers an experience that conjures up a stay among the society folks of the Gilded Age. With its sloping lawn and Adirondack chairs strategically placed for optimum bay breezes as well as views of neighboring Rose Island and Pell Bridge, Castle Hill Inn regally welcomes you for a classy, peaceful stay. The resort itself has many areas: the main inn rooms and their adjacent Harbor House and chalet accommodations; a main dining room, private dining area; two bars; a spa; a living room; and a line-up of individual beach cottages and houses where you walk across the sand to arrive at your own private house with fireplace and indoor and outdoor sitting areas.

For beach lovers, no matter the season, the Atlantic Ocean-facing cottages should be your choice of accommodation. The morning air and unblemished sand invite you to stroll along the shore while you search for sea glass that frequently washes up here. It’s a short drive up the hill to the main house where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the oceanview dining room, and where a reservation for Sunday’s jazz brunch is de rigueur. If you would prefer to stay in the main inn, the bi-level turret suite with its sweeping views of Narragansett Bay is pure Victorian bliss.

Last spring, I participated in the resort’s cooking school, let by Executive Chef Lou Rossi and Executive Pasty Chef Matthew Petersen. In the Inn’s lawn kitchen which serves guests outdoors during the warmer months, we learned how to make exquisite bakery items. My favorite was twirling the dough around my finger to create a somewhat round bagel. Others were more adept than I, but that was part of the fun. I had never tried anything like that before, and I loved it. I also loved making savory quiches and fruity crepes along with croissants with their many layers and pounds of butter. As we got more inventive, we made mini versions that replicated the larger croissants, just to see if we could. After a day of rolling, pounding and filling doughy, carb-filled creations, it was important to celebrate our successes with a Champagne toast and some wondrous cocktails. Beverage Director Anthony Boi showed us a number of variations on the Bloody Mary, to perfectly complement our brunch menu. The Inn’s specialty, and a riff on a New England standby, uses tomato-flavored vodka and adds clam juice to add a bit of salt-air intrigue.

Castle Hill Inn

Castle Hill Inn  is a shingle-style Relais & Châteaux situated on 40 acres just at the entrance of Narragansett Bay. The original 19th-century Agassiz Mansion has seven guest rooms and suites with stunning views. Outside of the main mansion, you’ll find 26 private, waterfront accommodations in the Harbor House, Chalet, Beach Houses and Beach Cottages. Activities at the inn vary by season, but there are always outdoor exploring, wellness and cooking weekends, spa treatments, champagne brunches, stargazing, bonfires, and beachcombing. The resort has hosted many famous guests over its long history, with perhaps the most celebrated being Grace Kelly who stayed while filming High Society in 1956. The resort’s secluded seaside cove bears her name. 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, RI 02840, 401-849-3800, or 888-466-1355. (http://www.castlehillinn.com/)

Executive Chef Lou oversees the curved oceanview dining room and crafts a changing menu of farm (or sea) to table international and regional choices. The Inn’s Sunday jazz brunch is popular among locals as well as guests and should be booked well in advance. Don’t miss the decadent lobster hash topped with poached eggs as well as any of the baked goods from Pasty Chef Petersen. In addition to offering the perfected Bloody Mary, the bar features a selection of more than 800 wines, acclaimed by Wine Spectator with the “Best of Award of Excellence” for the past 10 years.

To end winter, treat yourself to a “Retreat to Romance” weekend, filled with the indulgence of a couple’s massage at the Spa and Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Skincare products along with the healthfulness of farm-to-table dining. Stay for two nights and toast the vernal equinox with a bottle of Champagne in your room adorned with flowers. The Inn’s decadently refined Afternoon Tea adds to the romance and rejuvenation.

Families aren’t forgotten either. Castle Hill’s popular Easter Weekend kicks off on Saturday morning April 15 with the annual Easter Egg Hunt on The Lawn and throughout the gardens. Proceeds from this event benefit the Child & Family of Newport County fund. Brunch on Easter Sunday celebrates the bounty of spring in the hotel’s oceanview dining room.  For reservations, call 401-840-3800.

I highly recommend the springtime Castle Hill Cooking Class which reprises this year from May 5-7. Chef Lou Rossi and Pastry Chef Matthew Petersen will again lead guests through a two days of culinary craftsmanship. Also part of this year’s Cooking Class, wine education sessions will be overseen by Beverage Director Anthony Boi. The theme may be different from last year’s brunch focus, but it’s sure to fill your head as well as your stomach with delicious treats. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and learn the secrets of great culinary cuisine. For reservations, dial 888-466-1355.  http://castlehillinn.com/about-castle-hill-inn/social-datebook/

More Events

If you can tear yourself away from the calm and indulgent setting of Castle Hill Inn, Newport beckons with a lively dining scene.  From March 27-April 7, it’s Newport’s Spring Restaurant Week https://www.discovernewport.org/newport-restaurant-week/), a great time to sample local dining at great prices. More than 50 restaurants will be offering a three-course prix fixe lunch for $16 or a three-course prix fixe dinner for only $35.

Two of my favorites are among those participating this year. The bi-level Midtown Oyster Bar (http://www.midtownoyster.com/) is always hopping with its sailing crowd (even in the off-season) and live music at the bar. The crudos, ceviches and oysters from the raw bar are top-notch. Scales and Shells Restaurant and Raw Bar (http://www.scalesandshells.com/) just down the street is another Newport favorite, an all-seafood experience in a comfortable setting. Be sure to order their New England clambake – there’s nothing like a grilled New England lobster, except perhaps a steamed or hot boiled one. The restaurant has an extensive oyster selection that changes daily and great artisanal beers.

Grab a yellow daffodil pin and join the locals and visitors who celebrate the end of winter and the birth of spring with The Newport Daffodil Days Festival (http://daffodillion.com/daffydays/) from April 15-23. This 10-day event coincides with the emergence of half a million daffodils throughout the city. A calendar of events shows parades, bike tours to view daffodil fields, garden visits and a back-in-time lawn party at the historic Bellevue House.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Introducing Broadway Roulette: A New and Affordable Way to Enjoy Theater

Here’s a new way to score Broadway tickets at an affordable price with no hidden service fees and absolutely no hassle. Broadway Roulette is changing the game so that everyone can see some of the best shows in town. Broadway Roulette was created to help broaden the theater audience by making theater more accessible and certainly more affordable. With prices for the newest shows soaring into the $200-$300 range for the hottest tickets, and popular shows often sold out before you can snag a seat, Broadway Roulette is a game you really can’t lose.

The process is simple: pick your desired show date ranging from the next day to three months in advance, cross off up to four shows you’ve already seen or are not interested in seeing, select between musicals or plays, and let the roulette wheel work its magic to send you to a performance based on your preferences. The price is fixed at a maximum of $59 with a minimal $6 service charge per ticket. And it keeps getting better the more you spin the wheel: any shows that you see through Broadway Roulette are automatically excluded from future rounds so you can pick four other shows to eliminate from your selection.

Like the show listings in Playbill, variety is the name of the game and Broadway Roulette delivers with an ever-changing list of shows. You do need to be a bit of a risk-taker. By leaving the show selection to Broadway Roulette, you may not score your number one pick, but you’re guaranteed a great night of theater without standing in a Broadway rush line only to find that your show is sold out.

Finding out what you’ve “won” is simple, too.  On the day of the show, you receive an email and a text with the details of the play or musical, the theater address, and the performance time. You then pick up your tickets at the Will Call window at the theater – no need to search for someone standing outside the theater to hand you an envelope.  But, better still, there’s no need to enter a lottery every day, hunt around to find a possible discount, stand in line for half-price tickets, or rush to the box office to pay full price to see a Broadway show.

Broadway Roulette? I call this The Price Is Right.  Weekday show tickets are a mere $49; weekend prices increase to $59. Fees and handling are $6/ticket. http://www.broadwayroulette.com

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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