Ah, Geoffrey Rush! What more can I say? Watching him on stage was bliss. He may have descended into madness, but I was lifted watching one of the greatest actors of the late 20th century perform his craft.
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/02/26/oscar-nominated-actor-geoffrey-rush-reprises-madman-one-last-time/.
The theaters of New York City are like my second home. But there is one that I resided in more than any other in 2011. I was at 59E59 Theaters so often that I was thinking of moving in the area, and therefore I had to give the Off-Broadway theater its own category this year.
I viewed myriad shows, from theater companies from all over the country and abroad. Most were gems, a few were cut glass. Out of all the productions I viewed in 2011 my top would be Clifford Chase’s Winkie. I loved the idea of a stuffed animal coming to life and experiencing all the evils of the world and still having the capacity to love. What a lesson we could learn from Winkie!
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click http://famenycmagazine.com/2011/03/25/and-justice-for-winkie/.
The Harry Potter Film series may have come to an end, but before it did the movie magic of Harry Potter made a pit stop at Discovery Times Square. I have yet to see all the films, but even a muggle novice like me can appreciate the lavish details it took to bring the J.K. Rowling series to the big screen. After touring Hogwarts, I wanted to get a wand and cast a spell. Abracadabra!
To view F.A.M.E NYC’s review, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/04/09/gettin%E2%80%99-muggle-wit-it/.
The season of Project Runway All Stars is underway and one of its brightest alums had an awesome 2011. That’s right, can you say…say…Siriano? He may not be New York born, but he’s definitely New York made. Commercials for Pay Less….a great showing at Lincoln Center, this kid is well on his way to becoming a fashion all-star.
To read F.A.M.E NYC’s full article about Christian Siriano, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/11/06/a-siriano-state-of-mind/.
Last year I visited more art shows than exhibit openings. The one I found most interesting was the last. The second annual Contemporary Art Fair NYC was great blending of art in different mediums.
To read F.A.M.E NYC’s full review of Contemporary Art Fair NYC, click https://famenycmagazine.com/2011/11/19/arts-crafts-and-more-at-the-contemporary-art-fair-nyc/.
Happy New Year FAMERS! I hope the first two weeks of 2012 have been marvelous for all of you. And it is my sincerest wish that all the resolutions and goals you have set for yourself are achieved. Last year I was the first time I felt the true speed of time. It seemed as if I had just been toasting the year in when it was time for beach season; I blinked my eye and we were back at the holiday season again. Whew!
As I looked at the posts for 2011, I noticed that I lived in the theatre. Perhaps it was because last year I realized a goal and wrote the first play I intend to put into production (more to come with that little tidbit). And there is no way I could start the New Year without give you my Top of 2011. So, let’s take one last look at 2011 shall we?
The 2011-2012 season of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater marked a new chapter in its vivid, far-reaching history when Robert Battle took the helm. Battle, the second person to become Artistic Director for the company since the passing of its founder in 1989, officially began his tenure in July 2011 after Judith Jamison transitioned to the role of Artistic Director Emerita. Previous to her 21 years of brilliantly preserving Alvin Ailey and AAADT’s legacy, Jamison had indelibly woven her spirit into the fabric of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As Ailey’s former muse and principal dancer, the choice to have one of AAADT’s most famous faces assume the position of Artistic Director was obvious, but Battles roots with Ailey also run deep.
Battle has been a periodic choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999. The works he has choreographed include Anew, The Hunt, Juba, In/Side, Mood Indigo, Love Stories and Takedeme, with The Hunt, In/Side and Love Stories (a collaboration with Judith Jamison and Rennie Harris) included the company’s current repertory. Like Ailey, Battle also possesses a southern background growing up in Liberty City, Florida. He studied dance in high school before entering Miami’s New World School of the Arts and moving on to The Julliard School. He joined the Parsons Dance Company, dancing with them from 1994 to 2001. In 2002, he premiered his own company, Battleworks Dance Company, in Düsseldorf, Germany. Along with the works he created for AAADT, Battle has also created and restaged ballets for Hubbard Street Repertory Ensemble, River North Chicago Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, Introdans, PARADIGM, and Ballet Memphis. In 2005, he was the recipient of the “Masters of African American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Art and received the Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007.
Along with the changes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s have experienced this season, the New York City Center, AAADT’s New York City performing home, has also undergone a reconstruction of its own. This year marked the completion of the most extensive renovation project in the theater’s 70 year history. The alterations included a video gallery located in the orchestra lobby and the restoration of the ceiling and mural designs. The vibrancy that is felt in the new New York City Center definitely resonated on stage as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater passionately placed the exclamation point on Robert Battle’s inaugural season.
This season AAADT presents a intricate mosaic of works which includes the premieres of Battle’s Takedeme, a blistering progression of fast-paced movements and vigorous jumps set to the rhythms of an Indian Kathak dance and a jazz score, Minus 16, choreographed by Ohad Nahirin and Arden Court by Paul Taylor. Along with these company premieres, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater also included the world premiere of Home by Rennie Harris. Home, an inspirational homage to people living or affected by HIV set to gospel house music, was inspired by stories submitted to the “Fight HIV Your Way” contest, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Ulysses Dove’s Episodes, the late choreographer’s visceral tribute to the people that had passed through his life with AIDS, also appeared in this season’s repertory.
Ailey staples such as Cry, Night Creature, Memoria and Revelations also made an appearance this year. Some people go to Paris for inspiration, others the Big Apple. But me, all I need is my annual dose of Ailey. For the first time since I could remember, I felt as if I was watching AAADT with a new set of eyes. Robert Battle’s influence felt extremely tangible and refreshing. I felt his exuberance in every performance I witnessed and especially in Revelations. Each time I view it, another discovery shines through. This time is was the joy; under the directorship of Battle, Revelations was more celebratory than it has ever been. The waves of reciprocity between the company and the audience circle around the theater like a boomerang. By the encore of “Rock My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” all I wanted to do was throw my hands up and say, “Glory hallelujah!” The legacy of Alvin Ailey is in well deserved and capable hands. I am excited to view Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s future with Robert Battle commandeering the most veracious dance company to ever exist.
Photos: Andrew Eccles and Paul Kolnik, Nan Melville
In October2001, a musical made its Broadway debut at the legendary Winter Garden Theatre. It boogied onto U.S. shores in 2000 after conquering London and Toronto, first playing at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre, then moving on to Los Angeles’ Shubert Theatre and lastly playing Chicago’s Cadillac Palace before bursting onto The Great White Way and globe-trotting to theatres all over the world. The musical is based on a Swedish pop/dance group’s songbook, and if you have not guessed which musical I am referring to by now, I am talking about no other than Mamma Mia!, the international smash homage to ABBA.
ABBA, comprised of Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Faltskog, is one of the most successful groups in pop music history. They were consistent chart toppers before disbanding in 1982. The fourth best-selling music artists in the history of recorded music, ABBA sold over 370 million records worldwide and still sell approximately two to three million records per year. Mamma Mia! was first conceived by producer Judy Craymer after meeting Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson in 1982. She believed ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” showcased the theatrical ability of their music. In 1997, Craymer enlisted Catherine Johnson to write the book and in 1998, Phyllida Lloyd signed on to be the show’s director. Mamma Mia! first premiered in the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre on April 6, 1999. In June 2004, it moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre, where it currently plays. Since its London debut, Mamma Mia! has marched through the international theatre community like General Sherman on methamphetamines. It even spawned a 2008 movie starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper and Christine Baranski.
The musical takes place on the Greek Island of Calicos. It is the day before 20-year-old Sophie’s wedding to Sky, her fiancé. Her mother Donna is the proprietor of a taverna. Before guests start arriving for the big day, Sophie confesses to her two best friends and bridesmaids that she has written letters to Sam, Bill, and Harry, the three men whom she believes could have fathered her. She has a longing to know where she comes from, and desires her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is she sent the letters under the guise of her mother and Donna has no idea that the three men will be coming to the wedding. Tanya and Rosie, Donna’s ex-bandmates, are also there to help relieve the shock after Donna’s romantic past leaps off the pages of her journal and back into her life. The wackiness that ensues after Sophie’s potential sperm donors arrive takes everyone through the changes of love and back and ends with a new beginning for Sophie and Donna, but not the one that either of them anticipated. And of course the music of ABBA takes the audience through the journey, telling the narrative better than the characters themselves. At the end of the show, the audience is treated with a super-sized ABBA encore with Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Sam, Bill and Harry performing “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia, and “Waterloo” in ABBA-styled costumes.
A decade is long time for any production to stay on Broadway, especially considering the time in which the musical premiered. It had only been a month since 9/11 and the theatre community suffered tremendous losses due to the lack of tourists. Somehow, Mamma Mia! survived, perhaps it’s due to the music, which harkens back to an era where people felt free and orange alerts were non-existent. This musical has created a world-wide phenomenon that is rarely seen today; it is safe to say that this light-hearted nod to love and the music of ABBA could be the musical of the first decade of the new millennium – and it is not done yet. With 10 years on Broadway and no end in sight, Mamma Mia! is giving an early Christmas gift to ABBA fans with its first Winter Sale. All orchestra seats have been discounted, ranging from $49 to $79, for performances from January 9 through March 4. The ordering deadline is Christmas Eve so there is still time to take advantage of this opportunity. In addition to the Winter Sale, Two Boots is offering it variation of dinner and a show with its brand new Mamma Mia! pizza. Founded in the East Village by two indie filmmakers in 1987, Two Boots is a staple in New York City. Their Hell’s Kitchen location, 624 9th Avenue, is known for their pizzas named after entertainers, within walking distance of the theatre, Two Boots serves to be a great finishing touch to an ABBA-filled evening.
Mamma Mia! is touted as being the ultimate feel-good show and over 50 million people around the world seem to agree. I must admit it would be hard for anyone to walk into the Winter Garden Theatre with an attitude and not do a 180 upon walking out at the end of the show. You can not help it, one of those ABBA songs is gonna get ya’ and if the music does not do it, then the energy will. The audience is so lively, they will take you on their sequenced, bell bottom jumpsuit journey with them whether you like it or not. Even a disco novice will be clapping by the encore. The hawk approaches swiftly from around the corner; winter is almost here. FAMERS, liven up your winter doldrums with a hot slice of pizza and a cool show.
Photos: Bruce Glikas, Jenny Anderson, Serino Coyne
To purchase tickets for Mamma Mia!, click
http://mammamianorthamerica.com/land/wintersale/
To view Two Boots menu, click
Two years ago, I sat down in my bedroom, grabbed my laptop and decided to embark on a journey that revolved around my beloved New York City. When I started this expedition, I had no clue who would take the ride with me. I hurled posts into the noir void of cyberspace, hoping that someone would read them and enjoy what I had to say. I sacrificed time, relationships and the opportunity to make money for a dream. I guess you can say that like the Man of La Mancha, I was dreaming an impossible dream. But thanks to my FAMERS, my dreams are steadily becoming reality.
F.A.M.E NYC is essentially a grass roots publication. We work on a budget that would not be considered a shoestring. We do not have money to pour into advertising the site nor do we have funds to do giveaways or throw lavish parties. But somehow people have found us and decided to stay loyal. F.A.M.E NYC has grown exponentially within the last year. Each day we acquire new FAMERS, receiving new hits. Thanks to you, F.A.M.E NYC’s numbers have doubled from what they were last year.
For an individual who makes her living with words, there are no words to express my heartfelt appreciation for all the support F.A.M.E NYC has received. When I try to reach out for words in my mind, they escape me. I am overwhelmed with emotion. I cannot help welling up with tears. I have no children, and besides my six-year-old pit bull, F.A.M.E NYC is my baby. The reciprocity I feel from you FAMERS is phenomenal. To know that somewhere there are individuals following F.A.M.E NYC, watching my baby grow, in different places all over the globe is astounding. And to see the ocular proof of our growth is even more amazing.
Two years later and F.A.M.E NYC is still here – still growing. I hope you will continue to grow with us. Last year, I suggested we shoot for the stratosphere; next year lets blast past it. Once again, I promise to keep my pledge to provide you with excellent content and bring you the best that New York City has to offer. I hope you will promise to continue to take this excursion with me and bring a few more of your friends along for the journey. Next year is shaping up to be another great year for F.A.M.E NYC. Also, we have a few surprises coming your way, so stay tuned.
This evening I will be celebrating F.A.M.E NYC’s second anniversary by ensuring I keep my pledge to bring you the best that NYC has to offer. This evening I will be attending a preview of Seminar, the new play starring Alan Rickman. I wish you all could be with me, but one thing is for sure, I will tell you all about it.
F.A.M.E NYC Editor
New York City is has always been a beacon for individuals looking to pursue and fulfill their dreams. In the beginning of the 20th century, Ellis Island played host to millions of huddled masses in search of a better life. Today, those seeking stardom and artistic freedom pass through JFK, LaGuardia, Penn Station and Port Authority to begin their journey in “the city that never sleeps.”
For someone moving to Manhattan or the other five boroughs, one could feel as if they were Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole – fear, exhilaration and wonder swirl into a stew of emotions propelling a person towards their destiny. For fashion artist Alisha Trimble, New York was a logical stop on her creative odyssey. She was raised in the Midwest and went to school on the west coast (Trimble is a graduate of San Francisco Art Institute). Her bicoastal mentality coupled with her upbringing manifests itself in an aesthetic that uses texture, layering, coloring and unique concepts to manufacture wearable iconography. Alisha’s designs have appeared in Nylon Japan, Time Out New York, Swoon,
Ambassador and Avantoure magazines as well as on shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Real Housewives of New York City.
The changing of the seasons in The Big Apple always brings a zephyr of excitement. In September, all the dandies, hipsters, fashionistas and mad hatters venture out in their best duds to witness the spectacle of Fashion Week. More awe-inspiring than the Queen of Hearts and all her cards, Fashion Week is a designer’s one opportunity to show the world his or her vision – a 15 minutes burst of concentration, chaos and splendor. Before the madness begins, F.A.M.E NYC speaks with one of NYC’s most exciting burgeoning designers to discuss her love of fables, her influences and what makes an Alisha Trimble woman. Alisha also shares with us a revamped version of a classic children’s tale.
You call yourself a Fashion Artist instead of a Designer, why did you choose to define yourself with that moniker?
I came from an artist background, and I give myself more freedom than many fashion designers have. I feel that having a strong conceptual basis for the work drives me to create. Otherwise, it would be so dull.
You grew up in the Midwest and went to school on the west coast. How did these environments influence your style?
The Midwest was great because people were very industrious, especially in the inner city, and the West Coast (specifically the city of San Francisco) was lovely for experimentation and being thoughtful.
How would you describe the Alisha Trimble customer?
My customer loves to dress up, and knows that a thing of beauty is a treasure forever. Moreover, she expresses herself through her clothing and holds herself to a high standard.
Who is your favorite designer?
I loved Alexander McQueen’s shows and was heavily influenced by how intellectual as well as moody his work came across.
It appears you are inspired by fables. What is it about fairytales that inspire you?
Actually, I named my blog “personal fable.” It’s a psychiatric term, here’s a definition I ripped off the internet:
Personal fables are beliefs that a person will be destined to live a heroic or legendary life. People who entertain personal fables often see themselves making a huge stand out in society, be it because of a talent, skill, or service. This can also lead to an imaginary audience.
In a way, I call it that to mock myself a bit, such as to say, “I know only adolescents are prone to believe in themselves this way, but here I am doing it as an adult, shamelessly.”
It’s a lot like Wendy in Peter Pan…
What process did you use to select which pieces to display for this campaign?
The Alice in Wonderland story was a fun side project for me, and a designed a few looks specifically for this shoot, like the crochet pinafore for Alice.
What inspired you to create the Animal Saints collection?
The Animal Saints collection was largely inspired by the Leonard Cohen novel, The Beautiful Losers. One of the main characters is the Iroquois Saint Catherine Tekakwitha.
What can NYC expect from Alisha Trimble in 2012?
Soon I’m publishing my first motion picture editorial, so check my blog for screening dates and the chance to view it online: www.alishatrimble.wordpress.com.
Check out Alisha Trimble’s Alice in Brookland, her imaginative spin on Alice in Wonderland:
Alice in Brookland Photo Credits:
Dresses by Alisha Trimble
Stylist, V Vernard
Photography, Hair & Makeup by DaleAnn Clancy
Hair assistants: Clare Malarkey, Deidre Barrett
Makeup Assistants: Yuli Andrea Sanchez, Swain McCaughrin
Gloves throughout by Patricia Ann Parenti, www.tenderglovingcare.com
Additional Credits:
#1: Alice: Headband & hairbow by Anna Marcell, Wicker heels by zinc
#2: Daisy, dress underneath: Alissa Smith, ring by Anna Marcell
#3: Tiger Lily, cage heels by Tracy Reese for Highline United
#4: Necklace on white rabbit, Diana Warner, cuff on Tweedle Dee by Diana Warner
#5: Rose, Necklace by Alyssa Norton
#6: Doormouse, suede/patent booties by Plenty.
F.A.M.E NYC Magazine 