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Broadway Buzz! “Stars in the Alley” Showcases More Than 30 Shows June 3 in Free Concert in Times Square

Broadway lovers, you don’t want to miss this. From 12:30pm to 2:30pm on June 2, in Shubert Alley on West 45th Street between Broadway and Eighth avenues in New York City, you can enjoy performances and star appearances from more than 30 Broadway shows, accompanied by a live 12-piece orchestra. Free! With the Tony Awards coming up on June 12, this is a great chance to view performances from 2016 Tony Award®- nominated musicals and decide which ones to buy tickets for now. Produced by the Broadway League, this is an annual event that is always packed so arrive early for best seating and viewing.

Hosts for Stars in the Alley are Sean Hayes from An Act of God and Mo Rocca of CBS Sunday Morning.  Also featured emcees are Sierra Boggess and Alex Brightman, the two leads in School of Rock the Musical.

All photos by Meryl Pearlstein, “Stars in the Alley” 2015

Some of the stars performing are Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alfie Boe, John Gallagher Jr., Heather Headley, James Monroe Iglehart, Rory O’Malley, Billy Porter, Max von Essen, with Tony nominees Reed Birney, Danny Burstein, Carmen Cusack, Saycon Sengbloh, Michael Shannon, Jennifer Simard

I’ve seen just about all of these musicals and it’s a great opportunity to hear them again. I encourage you to buy tickets now before the Tony Awards so you don’t get closed out from the ones you want to see most. The participating musicals are: Aladdin, An American in Paris, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Bright Star, Chicago, The Color Purple, Disaster!, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, Fun Home, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan, Paramour, The Phantom of the Opera, She Loves Me, Something Rotten!, Tuck Everlasting, Waitress, and Wicked

There will also be appearances from An Act of God, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Eclipsed, The Father, Fully Committed, Hamilton, The Humans, Long Day’s Journey into Night, School of Rock The Musical, and Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Stars in the Alley information can be found at Broadway.org. The event is produced by The Broadway League. United Airlines is the title sponsor of Stars in the Alley®.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Start Your Memorial Day Eats in Stuyvesant Cove Park

Mark this address and these dates in your foodie calendar: Stuyvesant Cove Park at 23rd and East River). Manhattan is finally capitalizing on its Eastside waterfront with a series of outdoor food parties, beginning Memorial Day weekend (May 28-29).

Pick from “pay-as-you-go” dining or an all-inclusive “Sunset Session” ticket to these events that will tempt you with BBQ stations for both vegetarians and meat lovers, live music, beer/cider, showcase cook-offs, and music. On Saturday, George Motz’s Battle of the Burgers will steal the show, followed by a sustainable-seafood Sea2Table Fish Fry on Sunday.
Saturday (5/28), Day Session (12-4PM); Sunday (5/29), Day Session (2-4PM) – pay-as-you-go ($10 Admission includes one beer or cider drink ticket; children 12 and under free with paying adult)

  • Hard cider and craft beer options (10+ providers), including Sixpoint, Southern Tier, Downeast Ciders, Original Sin and more; wine available for purchase
  • All-American food, including grilled cheese stations, American-style BBQ, vegetarian dogs and portabella burgers, biscuits, lobster rolls from Luke’s Lobster, seafood from Eddie Oysters Raw Bar, Jimmy’s No. 43, Harry Hawk Schnack Burgers, Prawn Shop, Copenhagen Street dogs, ice cream and more
  • Live music from Giant Flying Turtles, Kami Maltz, Food Will Win the War, and other guests with waterfront viewing

Saturday (5/28), Sunset Session (5-9PM); Sunday (5/29), Sunset Session (5-9PM) – all-inclusive tickets (5-6PM VIP Raw Bar included, 6-9PM Raw Bar is pay-as-you-go with all other food/drink included)  Tickets range from $45 to $75.

  • Saturday: George Motz’s Battle of the Burgers / Sunday: Sea2Table Fish Fry —  sliders from George Motz, Harry Hawk’s Schnack, Fleisher’s Craft Butchery, Jimmy’s No. 43, and Harry Hawk “Schack” burgers, along with vegetarian burgers from Bittergreens and more
  • Outdoor Grilling – including vegetarian options (portabella and veggie burgers, salads and sides) with cooking competitions and celebrity chefs
  • Sixpoint craft beer and hard cider (10+ options)
  • Live music (Tall Pines, Noelle Tannen Band, The Shockwaves) and other entertainment
  • Waterfront dining as you picnic against a backdrop of sailboats and seaplanes

Full schedule information (subject to change) and ticket information is available at http://cookoutnyc.com/memorialday.

Other dates of note:

  • Saturday, June 18 - CookOut NYC “Little Big” BBQ with a ribs cook-off hosted by Blue Smoke and Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois
  • Monday, July 4 – Fireworks on the Water – It’ll be a Southern-style Fourth of July with Georgia chefs manning the helm
  • Saturday, July 16 – Running with the Beef™ & Spanish Fiesta – The best of Spain and New York compete in cider, wine and cuisine with a Danny Mena Mezcal component
  • Saturday, August 6 – CiderFeast™ – Top ciders from more than 30 cider makers come together alongside grilling stations featuring all-American foods
  • Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 – CookOut NYC™ Labor Day Weekend – details coming soon

For the full summer schedule as it unfolds, visit http://cookoutnyc.com/.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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The first-ever survey of Isaac Mizrahi’s boundary-breaking designs brightens the Jewish Museum

Through August 7, fashionistas and non-fashionistas alike can bask in the colorblock glow of Isaac Mizrahi at the Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side.  Designed to admire and explain the inspirations behind the Brooklynite’s provocative and colorful collections, the “Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History” exhibition pieces together sketches, storyboards and fabric swatches from the designer’s 30-year career with footage of models wearing the actual items displayed.  “It’s a rare opportunity to have these two groupings come together in one exhibit. Watching the supermodels strut their stuff in Isaac’s dresses is wondrous enough. But to see the dresses and all on mannequins within inches of you, is truly a rare experience,” explained guest curator Chee Pearlman.

Mizrahi may be most recently known for his performances in the documentary Unzipped and on Project Runway All Stars, or for his QVC and Target collections – especially among younger fans — but it’s the couture items that really turn heads.  Take, for example, two of his earliest “High and Low” dares: mixing a t-shirt fabric top with a taffeta ball skirt bottom, or creating a gown from elevator padding materials.  Or his “The Real Thing” dress made of paillettes from Coca-Cola cans, laboriously beaded together on a 60s silhouette sheath.  There’s also a room with video showing Mizrahi-designed clothes worn by Sarah Jessica Parker on “Sex in the City” and Sarah Bernhard while doing stand-up comedy, as well as unusual costumes created for the Guggenheim Museum’s annual presentation of Peter and the Wolf and the frog attendants in the 18th-century French opera Platée.

The exhibit has been built to be movable, with a limited run at the Jewish Museum.  So why the fuss about a designer who is still alive?  Isaac Mizrahi is the real deal when it comes to New York City. He’s a 21st-century Renaissance man who loves life, embraces everything for what it displays, and re-gifts it in ways that break boundaries and challenge the imagination.  From his humble beginnings as a Yeshiva boy in Brooklyn, to his late 1980s entry into the design world, followed by forays into television, film, dance, and theater, Mizrahi displays a talent for imagination and vibrancy.  You may love some of the designs. You may be puzzled by others. But you will be hard-pressed not to leave with a vivid impression of this multi-talented polymath.

Museum admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7.50 for students from Sunday-Friday (closed Wednesday).  Admission is free on Saturday, and Thursday from 5-8 are Pay What You Wish nights.  The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street.  http://thejewishmuseum.org

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Easter Vacation with the Relatives: Go to the New York International Auto Show Instead

Schedule your time this weekend to see what’s in store on the automotive horizon.  If you love cars, as I do, you’ll find this year’s selection at the New York International Auto Show filled with technological advances that will make your head spin, as well as some other concept cars and prototypes that seem truly space age. Plan on spending a few hours to see nearly 1000 of the latest new cars and trucks. From now through April 3, this show will wow any car lover.

Among the news that was revealed at the show this year:

The 100th anniversary of BMW will be celebrated in the US in the fall. Stay tuned for big happenings countrywide.

Mercedes-Benz’s 2017 C-class line-up will hit the US in a big way this summer along with facelifted and less-pricey CLA models.

Jaguar is poised to take on its BMW and Mercedes counterparts with a new entry-level model, the stylish XE.  Service is included, as is for BMW, in the pricing.

BMW’s luxe 7 series models include wireless charging stations for your phone, gesture control, and headrest-mounted tablets for back-seat riders.

If your hands are full with bags and groceries, Maserati lets you open the trunk by waving your foot beneath it, provided you have the key in your pocket or bag.

Single-person vehicles designed by Elio Motors (www.eliomotors.com/team) will be manufactured in Shreveport, Louisiana, with a starting price of $6800.  Sunroof extra, of course.  Toyota has a concept car that’s similar.  Both seem very odd to me, and much like a car version of a Vespa. They seat two people, but in tandem.  Projected MPG for the Elio is 84, based on a 3-cylinder version.

The hand-built Dutch Spyker sport car returns to the show this year with the new C8 Preliator.  Only 50 of these cars will be produced worldwide. The car is sold through its first US dealer, Manhattan Motor Cars.

There’s a kids’ play area that might come in handy as you meander through the two floors of cars, trucks, SUVs, and vintage cars.

Where to go:  Jacob Javits Center, 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets, New York City.  Hours:  10am-7pm.  www.autoshowny.com.  Tickets are $16 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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Day Trip to the Bronx: Art, History, Eats and More

The Norwood section of the Bronx is not one that readily comes to mind for an outing in the city.  But if you hop the 4 train to the Mosholu Parkway station, the second to last stop on the line, you’ll discover a world filled with all the authenticity that is the Bronx of today and yesterday.

First stop:  Montefiore Hospital

Right now you’re thinking, start my touristic day at a hospital?  Yes, you should.  Montefiore Hospital is an integral part of the community and has created a setting and programs that invite the locals to share their love of the area.

credit: Meryl Pearlstein

The Montefiore ArtViews gallery at the hospital’s Moses campus in the Bronx is part of the hospital’s curated Fine Art Program and Collection, designed to show off, by theme, all that the Bronx offers.  Consisting of a rotating exhibition space inside the hospital, lined with art, photographs and other hand-crafted pieces, the gallery showcases art by local residents and is designed not only for patients and family members, but for all visitors to enjoy.

Map of the Bronx and Harlem River bridges – credit: Meryl Pearlstein

The current “Connecting People, Strengthening Communities: The Harlem River Bridges” exhibit by urban chronicler Duane Bailey-Castro is a line-up of 26 photographic masterpieces of the little-known bridges covering the Bronx. Some of the bridges, like the iconic High Bridge dating to 1848 which re-opened to pedestrians and bicyclists in 2015, are shown in daytime and evening settings.  Think Monet’s treatment of light over the course of the day with his lily pads or his haystacks.  The quality of the photography is crisp and breathtaking and captures a slice of this up-and-coming borough.  The use of bridges is symbolic as well as thematic.  In their placement along the corridor to the oncology department, one can’t help but think of the bridges that the hospital encourages, from sickness to health. In this case, the photographer’s personal journey from illness to wellness is reflected in his choice of subject matter.  The exhibit closes on April 4 but will be followed by “A Healthy Dose of Rock”, featuring current pediatric oncology patients at Montefiore who have been transformed by makeup and costumes into rock stars.  In June, Bronx photojournalist Marisol Diaz will exhibit from her current portfolio. 111 East 201st Street, Bronx.  Open 8am-5pm, daily.  For more information and scheduling details, visit http://www.montefiore.org/artprogram.

Bridge by Duane Bailey-Castro – credit: Meryl Pearlstein

Bridge by Duane Bailey-Castro – credit: Meryl Pearlstein

To enhance the experience, there are dining choices within the hospital, a health-oriented café with sushi, soups, sandwiches and the like to be enjoyed indoors or outdoors in the hospital’s garden area, which is also often decorated as an art gallery, with pieces connected to nature.  The nearby Norwood area shows off its Dominican flair with Latino restaurants tempting with the likes of mofongo, Cuban sandwiches, mamey shakes, and other South of the Border temptations.  Try El Presidente II at 4-10 East 208th Street, or for a Middle Eastern twist, Tasty Picks, 89 East Gun Hill Road.

Tasty Picks

Just down the street, one of the few remaining stone farmhouses that lined the Boston Post Road, the Valentine-Varian House house, built in 1758, currently serves as the Library for the Bronx County Historical Society and is open for visitors on Saturday and Sunday.  A standalone home, in a flower-filled park setting, the house is magnificent in its simplicity and construction.  Behind and through a tunnel, a surprising park offers a sanctuary in the middle of urbanity.  The Williamsbridge Oval recalls the simpler pleasures of outdoor sports and playgrounds, with a walking oval fitting perfectly into today’s fitness craze.

Valentine-Varian House. Credit Meryl Pearlstein

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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3 New Happy Hours to Keep You Toasty this Winter

We sometimes forget how much fun Happy Hour can be.  We work too late.  We begrudgingly meet our friends just in time for dinner, or dinner and a show, or maybe we schedule a late drink.  It’s time to turn back the clock, step out early, and enjoy three new happy hours that will keep you warm this winter.

Brooklyn’s Syndicated, the restaurant/ bar/ independent movie theater in Bushwick, has debuted  hearty, movie-themed food and drink pairings offered during their early-starting happy hour, from 4-7pm, Monday through Friday. Try the Titanic (popcorn fried oysters served with Rockaway Pale Ale); Mary’s Poppins (house-cured corned beef scrumpets, panko-crusted and fried, paired with Kelso Brown Ale); Cloudy with a Chance Of… (bacon-butter meatballs with an Old Fashioned); or the King and Rye (peanut butter-banana sandwich with a shot of rye whiskey).  Pairing prices are $11-16. Happy hour beverages at the bar are discounted as well.  40 Bogart St., Brooklyn, 718-386-3399, www.syndicatedbk.com

Syndicated Bacon Butter Maple Meatballs 1 by Michael Tulipan

In the West Village, Michelin-starred Piora tempts with an ambitious Japanese-style cocktail program, the Lucky 7 Happy Hour. Weekdays from 5:30 – 7pm, Head Bartender Shinya Yamao will offer 7 cocktails for just $7 each, along with $7 glasses of red and white wine selected by Wine Director Victoria James. $6 draft beers are also available. At 6pm, just to confuse you a bit, bar guests will receive a complimentary bar snack such as herb-parmesan cornmeal financiers. Guests at the bar can also play the Lucky 7 card draw – draw a number 7 card to win a free cocktail from the happy hour list, which includes creative libations like the savory Adonis (sherry, sweet vermouth, orange bitters)  or Salary Man (Nikka Japanese whiskey, club soda and lemon, on draft).  Bespoke signature cocktails from Piora’s regular drink list can be enjoyed for a discounted $10 versus the usual $15-18 price. 430 Hudson St., 212-960-3801, www.pioranyc.com

Piora's Salary man Credit: Michael Tulipan

Timna’s new Aperitif Hour is a real bargain, asking only $12 for a drink and food pairing.  At this modern Israeli restaurant, from Tuesday through Friday, 5:30 – 7:30pm, the bar room offers beer and house wines by the glass, paired with a choice of menu selections such as farro and vegetables with warm tahini and dates molasses; Chinatown salad; a mass of glass noodles, green bean tempura, ginger-cilantro pesto and baby radish; or small plates like kubaneh bread accompanied by crushed tomatoes and labaneh cheese or chestnut soup with enoki mushrooms and quail egg yolk. 109 St. Mark’s Place, 646-964-5181, www.timna.nyc

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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