Author Archives: famenycmageditor
Broadway Comes Together for the 2013 Tony Awards
Every year there is always one night that ensures all the stars and legends of The Great White Way are going to be under one roof. Last night that roof was Radio City Music Hall as the 2013 Tony Awards aired live on CBS. The spirit of Bob Fosse was alive and well as the producers of Pippin danced away with the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical; Kinky Boots won for Best Musical and as always Neil Patrick Harris stole the show.
Veteran actor Courtney B. Vance is unsung no more; he won his first well deserved Tony for Best Featured Actor in Play. I became a fan of Patina Miller when I saw her in Sister Act. We can now add Tony Award-winner to her list of growing accolades. The world always knew that Cyndi Lauper could pen a good tune. Her efforts for Kinky Boots were well rewarded with a Tony for Best Original Score.
Judith Light is always a delight to watch and the Tony voters agreed. She won the Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Tom Hanks lost out to Tracey Letts in the Best Lead Actor in Play category. But it was Cicely Tyson who showed grace and humility as she accepted the Tony for Best Lead Actress. Her win proves you are never too old to realize a dream. Indeed, everyone involved in bringing these shows on stage dream an impossible dream that they make come true eight times a week. To all the winners and nominees I would like to thank them for giving me something to write about and aspire to.
For a full list of the winners please check out http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/winners.html.
Dance New Amsterdam Files For Chapter 11
On May 27, Dance New Amsterdam Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The announcement allows DNA to continue its daily operations. Executive and Artistic Director Catherine A. Peila has already initiated a five-year recovery plan which has reduced general operating and programming expenses from $3.6 million to $2.3 million annually. “DNA’s executive team, faculty, and board of directors have worked diligently over the past five years to create strong programs and a business structure that supports DNA’s mission. These efforts, combined with the support of cultural leaders, have put us on the road to recovery,” says Peila. “The decision to file for Chapter 11 reorganization protection provides us with the time to solidify agreements with new partners, increase funding and most importantly, continue to serve the New York City’s vibrant community of performing artists and avid cultural supporters.”
Located in Lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower, DNA is considered the foremost progressive dance education and performance center. Founded in 1984, DNA provides a community hub for dance training choreographic exploration and innovative performance, developing new audiences and bridging communities. It’s a breeding ground and safe haven for aspiring, emerging and established artist, including daily classes, certification courses, commissions and artistic residencies, along with studio and administrative office subsidies. DNA employs over 250 professional faculty members and over 650 artists through commissioned and produced work. The organization serves more than 30,000 students and performers, over 700 dance companies and performing arts groups – offering thousands of audience members access to visual and performing arts through their 130-seat theater, six art studios, gallery and artist administration space. To learn more about DNA and supporting its programs through charitable donations, visit www.dnadance.org.
NYC Get Ready To Dance
Hear ye, Hear ye…get your jazz hands together and prepare to do your best two-step, hustle and freestyle! NYC Dance Week is fast approaching. The festival is in its second year and will be held from June 20-29, 2013. Over 30 NYC’s studios will give New Yorkers the chance to explore the beauty of dance by offering free or discounted classes.
On June 11, Copacabana’s Rooftop Garden will host the first NYC Dance Week Gala. On June 26, Harkness Center of Dance will hold a special workshop to teach people how to prevent injuries and safeguard their bodies.
Ever wanted to learn how to do a plié at Joffery Ballet School, learn the style of Horton at The Ailey Extension or learn how to do a proper capoeira ginga? Now is your chance, just click the following links to register and get a list of participating studios, http://nycdanceweek2013.eventbrite.com/, http://nycdanceweek.org/the-festival/free-classes, http://nycdanceweek.org/the-festival/discounts.
Tickets for the Copacabana dance party are $40 and can be purchased at http://nycdanceweekgala2013.eventbrite.com.
And don’t forget to check Facebook, facebook.com/nycdanceweek, and Twitter, @nycdanceweek, throughout the festival to take advantage of promotions and sweepstakes.
Diesel Sample Sale
Just in time for Memorial Day!
Imaginary Botanicals
The Glass Herbarium of Kathleen Elliot
I’ve always had an affinity for artists who use nature as the subject for their work. After all, the relationship between man and nature is a constant balancing act just as nature invariably teeters between the physical and mystical. If an artist can achieve an accord between these two properties as well as Kathleen Elliot, then they are worthy of acclaim. On May 3, Elliot’s nationwide tour of Imaginary Botanicals landed in Manhattan, taking residency at the Tenri Cultural Institute. Using flamework glass to create sculptures, Elliot manufactures pieces that harmoniously merge the delicate, elegant and resolute beauty of nature.
With Imaginary Botanicals, Elliot infuses human elements into plants turning them into abstract narratives about the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment. Other more literal interpretations of plant life are equally striking. In addition to her exploration of plants and man, Elliot showcases another aspect concerning the continuity of humans and nature with “Questionable Foods”, two sculptures that combine Elliot’s intricate glasswork with stitched logos of food brands fashioned to look like fruit growing from branches. These pieces make the viewer ponder how our choice of food, and food brands in particular, affects Mother Nature. Powerful, yet refined Elliot’s statement about the way in which corporations sometimes shirk their responsibility to the planet comes across as subtle as a tap on the shoulder.
The pieces that resonated with me the most were “Offerings”, glasswork pieces displayed in three palms made of wood and plaster. The appearance of the open palms extending through the walls to humbly hold the glass pieces raised them to a spiritual plane and really highlighted the 3D aspect of the entire exhibit.
Seemingly fragile and muted, the exquisite glassworks of Imaginary Botanicals explode with a soulful presence that fills the Tenri Cultural Institute and vibrates with the same dynamism as a drive through Central Park in the spring. Imaginary Botanicals will be in full bloom at Tenri Cultural Institute until May 25 and definitely shouldn’t be missed.
To learn more about Kathleen Elliot, check out this video.
Photos: F.A.M.E NYC Editor
Video courtesy of Kathleen Elliot
MET Gala 2013
Video courtesy of Associated Press
A Danny Kaye Please…Light On the Mayo
Every holiday season new generations are introduced to stage, screen and comedic icon Danny Kaye through the White Christmas marathon that plays on AMC. Danny Kaye was a performer in a day in age when entertainers were expected to do it all. Not only was Kaye a true artist, he was a great humanitarian and chef. Danny Kay was born on January 18, 1913 in Brooklyn, and to celebrate the centennial of this legendary impresario, famed eatery Carnegie Deli added the Danny Kaye Sandwich to its menu.
On April 29, Dena Kaye, Kaye’s daughter, and widow Sylvia Fine Kaye joined the staff of the Carnegie Deli as for a sandwich cutting ceremony, officially inducting the Danny Kaye Deli Club sandwich onto the menu. The sandwich is part of activities celebrating Danny Kaye’s centennial and shares good company with another famous New Yorker, Woody Allen.
To learn more about Danny Kaye visit, http://dannykaye.com/.
To view Carnegie Deli’s Menu visit, http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php.
Photo: Getty Images for PMK-BNC
F.A.M.E NYC PHOTO GALLERY PRESENTS OSCAR CORRECHER
To follow Oscar Correcher on Instagram click,http://instagram.com/oscarcorrecher/.
F.A.M.E NYC Magazine 