Whenever I am asked to put my photography into a certain category, I always respond the same way: “My photos are always exactly how I see the world.” I see New York City mostly in black and white. The monochrome is not meant to portray dreariness or melancholy. It’s a homage to a time past, which was simpler and, in my opinion, more honest.
ARTS
A Cold Day on Nostrand Avenue – A Closer Look At Brooklyn
On a cold Wednesday last week, I ventured out to Brooklyn. Admittedly, I have not spent a lot of time there but you can see the appeal as soon as you ascend the subway station stairs. You step out into the charm and angst which make Brooklyn known the world over, even outside of it’s attachment to New York City.
I was fortunate enough to be able to have access to a rooftop looking out towards Manhattan You can see the tip of the Empire State Building and some of the glitzier high rise apartments but it might as well been a world away. These photos, some are heavily edited for a vintage effect, only begin to scratch the surface. I hope to spend more time in the upcoming year exploring and documenting the unique (dare I say quirky?) beauty of Brooklyn.
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Hearst Gallery Opening: The Art of Now
You would expect a publishing company that occupies a massive, eye-catching tower and includes in its portfolio names like Esquire, Town & Country, and Seventeen to boast plenty of visual art within said tower. The Hearst Galleries, just up the stairs from the Hearst Tower’s entrance, do just that, and on January 12th, they opened their contemporary artist showcase, appropriately titled, “The Art of Now.”
Clever and Eclectic: An Interview with Playwright Joe DiPietro
Most playwrights have a collective genre or theme associated with their names. For Neil Simon, situation comedies come to mind. David Mamet possesses a writing style which is unmistakably trenchant and testosterone focused. Paul Rudnick’s forte leans in the direction of comedic gay motifs. Joe DiPietro on the other hand, defies classification.
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Manhattan Digest’s Best of 2015 Theatre
Please excuse me for a moment while I air two gripes. I’ll be back after these messages with my round-up of 2015 theatre.
Can we all stop talking about Hamilton as though it were the only show on the boards right now? I confess that I have not seen it, although I have enjoyed listening to the original cast recording. I’m guessing that it is worthy of the accolades. I suspect that the performances are award worthy. I believe (from what I’ve been told) that the staging is innovative. I’m estimating that words like, “game-changer” and “revolutionary” are appropriate. Yet this I know for sure: 42 other shows opened on Broadway in 2015 and long running shows continue to play to packed and nearly sold-out audiences eight times a week. The coverage that Hamilton received (and continues to receive) is similar to the reporting tactics of our mainstream media outlets: A major news story breaks and each and every headline for weeks following is about that singular occurrence. Meanwhile, other global events occur and are subjected to a two sentence blurb in the news ticker-or even worse-are passed by with total disregard. So, let’s stop acting like Lin Manuel Miranda, talented though he is, is the new messiah of musical theatre. Hundreds of other performers earned their paychecks by turning out fine performances and other stories were were worthy of presentation. There is room at the table for nearly everyone, and there’s more than one entree (Hamilton) on the buffet.
Theater Reviews: NYC Christmas Shows
There is good reason why the stage versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and George Balanchine’s Nutcracker have endured: They are reliable classics that warm the heart and instill a feeling that, as the song goes, “our troubles will be miles away”. Still, they are not the only shows in town which will- figuratively speaking- add some glitter to your holiday balls. Below, you’ll find a variety of options throughout the city which will aid in making your theatrical yuletide merry:
Pledging “ALLEGIANCE”: An Interview with Broadway’s Michael K. Lee & Telly Leung
Michael K. Lee is a big deal in Korea. The refreshingly modest recording artist is also a Broadway star. It’s a much different path for Lee, who began his college education pursuing medicine at Stanford University. After following his bliss, he made his stage debut in a touring production of Miss Saigon. Acting success followed and currently, he’s soaking up the spotlight as Frankie Suzuki, a revolutionary who opposes the United States internment of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the musical, Allegiance.
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Hooked on Corren: An Interview with Stage & Screen Star Donald Corren
Donald Corren is one of the fortunate few. As a perpetually employed actor, he has graced the Broadway stage, making his 1983 debut in Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy. He earned praise from critics who declared his leading performance as Arnold Beckoff “brilliant” and “breathtaking”, and went on to assume the role in the National tour. In 2005, he returned to the Great White Way alongside Judy Kaye in Souvenir. The intimate show about eccentric personality Florence Foster Jenkins was short lived at New York’s Lyceum theatre, but found extended life in theaters all across the country. [Read more…] about Hooked on Corren: An Interview with Stage & Screen Star Donald Corren
NJ Symphony Brings Cheer to the Masses with a Holiday Classic
The movie may have been Home Alone, but the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) was anything but a solitary place on Saturday evening, Dec. 5th. A well attended crowd was treated to a live orchestrated version of the John Hughes classic featuring the original composition by screen legend John Williams. The night proved to be a holiday crowd pleaser for couples and families alike. [Read more…] about NJ Symphony Brings Cheer to the Masses with a Holiday Classic
Watch A Live Orchestrated Screening of Home Alone with the NJSO
Gen X-ers are going to feel like Methuselah after they read this next line: The beloved Christmas favorite from your youth, Home Alone turns 25 this year. Doesn’t it seem like yesterday when you begged your parents to drive you to the Cineplex in the minivan to see John Hughes’ story about an 8 year old who singlehandedly defends his home turf over Christmas? [Read more…] about Watch A Live Orchestrated Screening of Home Alone with the NJSO