Category Archives: NYC

Arts, NYC

The Interactive Art of Broadway

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“The Lullaby of Broadway” from the musical 42nd St is one of the most recognizable songs to ever be sung on a theater stage, but in the wake of the digital age, the adaptation of this lullaby is being delivered differently than when the tune was originally written.

 It is fair to say that the internet has become a bit of a conundrum to those in the arts and entertainment field.  Industries like publishing and music have suffered while trying to decipher how to adapt and maximize the new way in which the world receives art and information and ultimately remain profitable.  Broadway has not been exempt in this digital wave, but here to navigate Broadway and off-Broadway productions through vast wilderness of the internet is Art Meets Commerce.

Starting with one client, a small off-Broadway production at the SoHo Playhouse titled Room Service, three years ago Art Meets Commerce has grown into a multi-services company that provides internet marketing, web design, advertising and video packages to an array of Broadway and off-Broadway shows.  Their current client roster includes Fela!, A Little Night Music, Stomp, Rock of Ages and the upcoming revival of Promises Promises.  

The AMC team is comprised of individuals with a wealth of knowledge and experience within the entertainment industry giving them an advantage when crafting exclusive, boutique campaigns designed for needs of each show.   With their deep understanding of internet branding, Art Meets Commerce’s clients are not only exposed to Generation Y, but other generations as well.  Their hands-on approach allows them to cultivate a following for the shows that transfer over when a client takes a show from off-Broadway to Broadway, as was the case for Fela! and Rock of Ages.

“I think it is very important to reach out to new audiences, to get them excited about the shows we work on.  There is a misconception that the internet and social networking is for kids, [but] I completely disagree,” states Jim Glaub, AMC’s interactive creative director, “I think it’s an easy tool to communicate and that’s why people of all ages are grasping on to it. It’s still very new; it’s changed so much from just a year ago.  There are so many things that have changed with how to use social networking [and] the internet.  For me it is about trying to keep on top of the changes and meanwhile test and try new things for each of the clients.”

There is nothing like the experience of live entertainment whether it is a play, a musical or a performance from a dance ensemble or Grammy award-winning artist.  The energy that is shared between the audience and the performers on stage creates a spark of electricity that cannot be duplicated making each performance a unique journey.  It is this exact distinct power that is can be lost when trying to translate live theater to the internet and sites like You Tube, and it is this dynamism that Art Meets Commerce infuses into social networking sites and other client sites.  As a person that has had a lifelong love affair with the arts, it appears to me that Art Meets Commerce is a necessity for any show.  By remaining on the pulse of live theater and the internet, AMC ensures that the lights of off-Broadway and the Great White Way remain luminous for decades to come.

Entertainment, NYC

Making A School

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Recently I asked what realm Diddy will conquer next.  Apparently, the next stop on the Diddy expansion express is school, Sean “Diddy” Combs plans to open a school in the Big Apple to teach aspiring entrepreneurs the secrets behind his success.

The mogul told CNN, “I want to have an academy that’s known for building leaders. I feel that’s one of the things I can have an impact on.”

If anyone can teach people how to turn an endeavor into an empire, it is Diddy.  Besides being one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world, Diddy’s resume reads as the CEO of Bad Boy Records and Sean John Clothing, executive producer of MTV’s “Making The Band” and VH1’s “I Wanna Work For Diddy” and owner of Justin’s restaurant chain.  Along with these achievements and a development deal with Ciroc vodka, Diddy has kept a firm grasp on the corporate and entertainment worlds since the ‘90s all while doing so with impeccable style and panache. 

Nobody does it like Diddy; this new business school will no doubt reflect the “Diddy way” of doing things.  I’m sure that “No Bitchassness” will be written in the Diddy Business School code of conduct.  I also wonder about the selection process for applicants, if Diddy will teach any courses and if there will be campus housing, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  I do have one suggestion; turn it into a television series.  If “Making The Band” and “I Wanna Work For Diddy” has shown me anything, it is that the man knows how to make entertaining reality TV, I’m sure “Diddy U” will be no different.

Arts, NYC

Literary World Loses J.D. Salinger

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My question is did we ever really have him?  The facts are well documented; J.D. Salinger was born January 1, 1919 in New York City.  He attended public schools on Manhattan’s West Side.    In 1940, “The Young Folks”, a short story about several aimless youths, debuted in the March-April 1940 issue of Story magazine.   In 1946, we were introduced to the character of Holden Caulfield when “Slight Rebellion Off Madison”, a Manhattan-based story about an embittered teenager with the pre-war willies, was published in The New Yorker.

In 1951, Holden Caulfield’s story was revealed to the world in “The Catcher in the Rye.”  “The Catcher in the Rye” became a tremendous success.  Currently it sells approximately 250,000 copies each year and has been translated into almost all of the world’s major languages.  Along with the success of the novel, Holden Caulfield has become a symbol for teenage defiance.  In 2005, Time Magazine  listed “The Catcher in the Rye” as of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923.  Salinger went on to publish “Nine Stories”, “Franny and Zooey” and “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction.”

Even more famous for his body of work, Salinger became known for retreating from the fame he once sought.  He ordered his agent to burn any fan mail and in 1953 he abandoned Manhattan and the literary world and relocated to a 90-acre compound on a wooded hillside in Cornish, NH.  Ironically, his defiant stance against his own success made him more intruiging.  The idea of a tortured genius hiding from the world is story in itself and there were a few takers wanting to share their accounts with J.D. Salinger including his daughter Margaret, British literary critic Ian Hamilton, and former lover Joyce Maynard.

There have been few public figures that guarded their privacy as fiercely as J.D. Salinger.  Perhaps the reason for this was not because of the success of The Catcher of the Rye, but because of the novel itself.  Salinger once stated in an interview, “My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book … [I]t was a great relief telling people about it.”  Writers often draw from personal experiences to create the alternate worlds that readers transport themselves to in novels and short stories.  It is my belief that with the creation of Holden Caulfield, Mr. Salinger revealed too much about himself.  Maybe J.D. Salinger originally wanted to write the great American novel that would truly make him the real catcher in the rye, saving all the disaffected youth of our society – catching them before the jaded tint of adulthood stains their souls forever.  Maybe the idea of being a modern day Atlas carrying the teen world on his back became overwhelming.  Maybe the only person he ever wanted to save was himself and during his journey to find his truth he left the world with a masterpiece that describes the awkward phase of being a teenager better than any book published in the 20th century, or maybe he just got tired of all the phonies with their meaningless conversations and empty adulation and went on a quest to find something real.  Either way, with his passing J. D. Salinger will forever be a figure shrouded in mystery making him a character we will never forget.

Entertainment, NYC

Diddy Honored by BET

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On Monday BET aired the third annual BET Honors, an award show taped on January 16 in Washington, D.C. recognizing individuals within the black community achieving excellence within their perspective fields as well as exemplifying the mantra “Giving back to give forward.”  Actress Gabrielle Union hosted the event for the second time.

Harlem native Sean “Diddy” Combs received the Entrepreneur Award; an accolade befitting him because more than anyone in the entertainment industry, Diddy is an entrepreneur.  Known for making a way out of no way, Diddy went from being a dancer to a mogul.  His accomplishments are shining examples that affirm if one has a dream and is willing to grind hard to achieve that dream; it will one day become a reality.  Bad Boy, Justin’s, Ciroc (yes the man has his own alcohol) and Sean John – from movies to music to the runway nothing is out of Diddy’s grasp.  He is the true personification of the phrase “Veni, vidi, vici.” What realm Diddy will conquer next, one only knows.  In his acceptance speech, Diddy got personal and thanked his mother Janice Combs.  He told a poignant story of  how she worked round the clock to provide for him and his sister after his father was murdered and mentioned that he wanted to make sure that she never had to work again.  Well, he has certainly managed to attain that task and more.  A famous quote of Diddy’s is “Sleep is forbidden,” this award shows that for him failure is also forbidden.  Former boss and mentor Andre Harrell and Mary J. Blige celebrated him in song.  Considering that Blige was discovered by Diddy and their work defined the genre of hip hop soul, it was a fitting tribute.

Two Jersey girls were also honored.  The original queen of hip hop, Queen Latifah, and the iconic Whitney Houston were also two of the award recipients.  Both hailing from East Orange, these living legends prove the New Jersey isn’t the “Garden State,” it is the Star State.  Taraji P. Henson presented Queen Latifah with the Media Award as Latifah has placed her mark on every facet of the industry and has the awards to prove it.  Another legend, Patti Labelle and future legend Jasmine Sullivan paid tribute to the Queen Latifah, who’s real name is Dana Owens, in song.  Gracious as always Latifah thanked her mother and father and called people to take action in the effort to bring relief to Haiti.  Pioneer, actress, singer, producer and author, Latifah has shown through tireless hard work why she was given the title of queen and on Friday she and Diddy along with Wyclef and other stars will participate in another telethon to help bring much needed aid to the survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti. 

There are very few that have or will achieve the levels of success that Whitney Houston has, but there were some that had written this legendary vocalist off.  How sweet it is to prove haters wrong, and after being presented with the Entertainment Award by Neo, Whitney is glowing example of what a survivor really is.  In her recent comeback to the spotlight, Whitney has shown the world that her voice was not the only gift she was blessed with.  The other is a strength that I believe may have been unknown to her until it was truly tested.  Whitney says that she stays “prayed up,” and needs nothing more that her God and her child.  Thank God that we will have the pleasure to hear that wonderful voice for many years to come.  Vocal powerhouses Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell tore the walls of the Warner Theatere down with songs befitting a tribute to one the best voices in the entertainment industry. 

Other performers included the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, India Arie, Trey Songz, Maxwell and Take 6.  Neurosurgeon Keith Black received the Public Service Award and educator Ruth Simmons received the Education Award.

Arts, NYC

Behind the Curtain Unveiled

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On the 14th, Raandesk Gallery unveiled its first exhibition for 2010 with Behind the Curtain, featuring artists Jason Bryant and Kevin Cyr.  I was introduced to both these artists in 2009 while visiting separate exhibitions at different galleries; from my initial introduction these two men left an indelible impression.  Although both artists showcase contrasting subjects, the realistic quality that exudes from their work makes them a match in art exhibition heaven. And indeed it was fate that brought these two men together having first met as assistants at Kehinde Wiley Studios where they first discussed the possible collaboration of an exhibit.  Thanks to Jessica Porter and Raandesk Gallery, their idea came to fruition. 

Jason Bryant’s portraits are inspired by pictures of models, actors and various ad campaigns, although at first sight, you would never know.  Removed from the closely cropped images are the eyes, thus removing the souls, but like an individual stricken with sudden blindness whose senses compensate for their lack of sight, other features of the face are highlighted to reveal the essence of the portrait.   A laugh line here, a wrinkle there, the positioning of the lips and check bones reveal a deeper story than the eyes ever could.   The richness of color coupled with the superimposed skateboard graphics gives the portraits a 3-D aesthetic and the earnest quality of the portraits combined with the whimsical effect of the graphics provide each work with sublime balance.

What is more New York than delivery trucks parked on every corner?  We curse them as we navigate through traffic and scramble to find parking. It is our traffic nightmares that provide Kevin Cyr’s inspiration.  Kevin takes the dilapidated delivery trucks and other vehicles and places them on large panels of wood using striking palettes of color.  Jason Bryant removes the eyes.  Kevin Cyr removes the background scenery making the trucks and cars the single focus in his portraits.  By placing the vehicles behind a solid colored background, the trucks become omnipresent – they could be anywhere.  The vehicles’ details seem to be enhanced and give them a new found charm.   

By featuring unconventional subjects, both Jason and Kevin challenge the audience to pay attention to the details – the various fragments within our society and even ourselves that tend to be dismissed.  Each time you peer into their portraits a new layer is exposed, a new detail is revealed and your sense of awareness is heightened.  The exhibit is designed to build on the color and themes of the portraits accomplishing a harmonious synergy against the white and bricked walls and provides a new meaning to the words “parallel universe.”  Bravo to Jason Bryant, Kevin Cyr and Raandesk Gallery for pushing the concept of portraiture into a new, intriguing territory.

Behind the Curtain is currently on display at Raandesk Gallery at 16 W. 23rd Street, 4th Floor until March 12, 2010.  You can also view more of Jason Bryant’s and Kevin Cyr’s work on www.raandeskgallery.com.

Photos courtesy of MyNameIsPhoto.com.

Entertainment, Going Out, Music, NYC

Cielo Opens Its Doors To Help Haiti

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As stated in my previous post Help for Haiti, I will report about events going on in the city that are helping raise much needed aid for the Haitian earthquake relief.  Today one of the Meat Packing District’s hottest clubs is opening its doors for an event that is any dancer’s wet t-shirt dream.  Club Cielo, located on 18 Little West 12th Street, is hosting Song, Dance & Love for Haiti.

This event is organized by Joann Jimenez, Jephté Guillaume and Antonio Ocasio and features some of the most legendary DJs and Producers of house music as well as some of NYC’s most talented underground DJs.  Each hour the audience will move, shake, gyrate and produce its best baby powdered foot work to sets spinned by Jellybean Benetiz, Louie Vega, Danny Krivit, Joaquin “Joe” Claussell, Francois K, Josh Milan and Sabine Blazin.

The event is from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. with proceeds being donated to Doctors without Borders in Haiti, $20 is the suggested donation.  The combination of Club Cielo and the line up of DJs signifies an event of epic proportions.  Dance…dance…dance is the theme for this gloomy Sunday.  Before manic Monday morning comes, I suggest all FAMERS get out the house and shake a tail feather for a good cause.

To learn more about Doctors without Borders please visit www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

Entertainment, NYC

Fond Farewell

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Last year we said goodbye to icons, athletes and politicians.  We also said goodbye to a landmark.  On December 31st, Tavern on the Green opened its doors for the last time in Central Park.  Over 1,000 people from across the U.S. came to take part in the closing of NYC history. 

Tavern on the Green opened its doors in 1934 during the Great Depression; it is almost storybook that its saga should end during the Great Recession.   It was known for its grand décor – a restaurant that presented a magical aesthetic for its patrons. 

Like most New Yorkers, Tavern on the Green was not one of my favorite eateries.  In recent years the cuisine developed a subpar reputation and the décor was not as splendid as it was in its heyday.  It had become one of those places in the Big Apple that garnered a lot of attention from tourists and bridezillas, and was not necessarily considered a restaurant that a “real” New Yorker would go to. 

In New York City restaurants come and go.  A hot new eatery springs up and is all the rage one day and it is cold as day old Manhattan clam chowder the next.  Still, when I learned that the iconic restaurant was closing its doors for good I experienced a sudden pang of nostalgia and regret.  Tavern on the Green was as New York to me as Rockefeller Center, The Empire State Building, Saks Fifth Avenue or The Met.  It was just as an important fixture in Central Park as Strawberry Fields or Wollman Rink.  I developed my deep love for the landscape of the city through my father.  When I was a child, we would go on day trips every Saturday, embarking on a new landmark each time.  It was through my father and those day trips that I developed my affinity for music, arts, culture architecture and style.  As an adult, I have left those landmarks to the tourist to gawk over taking them for granted.  Tavern on the Green was one of those places.

After the loss of the World Trade Centers I swore that I appreciate the landmarks that make NYC so spectacular a little more, but I know realize that I haven’t really lived up to that promise.  As much as New York City is a place of history and landmarks, it is also a metropolis for the latest and greatest.  I had been so busy chasing what is new and hot, I had forgotten about the places and sites that make New York one of the most visited places in the world.  With a New Year come new promises, one of mine is to revisit my childhood and make new memories by visiting more city landmarks before they too disappear and become pages on Wikipedia.

Central Park won’t seem the same without Tavern on the Green, sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.  Sure, it may have become a little tattered and torn over the years and the food could’ve been better, depending on your taste buds, but nonetheless it was staple and part of New York history.  Items from the famed restaurant have been liquidated and sold; it has been reported that Jennifer LeRoy, manager of Tavern on the Green, is fighting to retain its name so she can open a new restaurant at a new location.  Only time will tell if Tavern on the Green will ever open its doors again, but for now I bid it adieu.

NYC

Help For Haiti

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Last Tuesday the tiny Caribbean island of Haiti was torn asunder by a 7.0 earthquake.  Since then we have seen images of a landscape in ruins and a nation dealing with unfathomable homelessness, hunger and death.  Indeed the enormity of devastation that has been witnessed can no doubt be compared to the tragedy that happened in 2005 when the levies broke in New Orleans.  What makes the images and reports more tragic is that Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere.  Our Caribbean neighbors have had to combat poverty and subpar living conditions for decades and have been overlooked by all its neighbors, including the U.S.  How much can one small country endure?

News stations have dedicated countless time to report on the aftermath of the earthquake and the relief efforts that have been initiated to help aid the people of Haiti.  CNN has become “earthquake central” with constant updates regarding the conditions of Haiti and its people following the earthquake as well as the stream of support both nationally and internationally.  It is shameful to believe that it took a catastrophe of this magnitude to shine a spotlight on Haiti, but now that Haiti has the world’s attention, it is imperative that we do what we can to ensure that this nation can finally rise from the deplorable conditions that Haitians have been living in even before the earthquake.

We have read and seen countless celebrities donate their time and money to help in the relief effort.  On Friday George Clooney, Anderson Cooper and Wyclef Jean, Grammy award winning diplomat and Haiti’s biggest champion, will team up to host the “Hope for Haiti” telethon, which is set to air commercial-free on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT on at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The telethon will be hosted by Clooney in Los Angeles, Jean in New York and Cooper in Haiti. All donations will directly benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF and Wyclef’s Yele Haiti Foundation.   Yele Haiti has already raised $2M in text donations.  I urge all FAMERs to watch and donate whatever they can, even a donation as small as $5 can collectively make a huge difference if we all contribute.

New York City is known as a Mecca for Fashion, Art, Music and Entertainment, but I say it is also a microcosm for our global community and an epicenter for the most creative, resilient citizens on the planet.  In an effort to help in the relief effort, there are plenty of events going on in the Big Apple that are donating proceeds to various charities such as Yele Haiti, the Red Cross, etc.

On Wednesday, Soulgasm, one of NYC’s most successful underground parties, is having their weekly party at Sin Sin, located on 2nd Avenue.  They will be taking up a cash collection with the proceeds going to Americares.   On Saturday, S.O.Bs will host AYITI DEPLOGE: Special Earthquake Benefit Show with proceeds from ticket sales going to UNICEF and the Red Cross.  On the 28th Libation, held at the Sullivan Room, will open its doors to Urban Sanctuary to help raise money and supplies for the earthquake relief, I urge everyone to attend at least one event in the city that is donating proceeds to help aid the people of Haiti.

As I learn and attend events like these, I will continue to share them with you.  Now more than ever we are becoming one global village.  It is up to each of us to ensure that as citizens of the world we do all we can to assist each other as we move forward into the next decade of this millennium.

Photos of Haiti courtesy of AP and Getty Images

NYC

Times Square 2009

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“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…”  Fair to say about any city, New York in particular, Times Square is Manhattan’s busiest bee hive of activity and one of the reasons this town never sleeps.  With its gigantic screens, Times Square is one of the best places for New Yorkers to gather to hear the news that shape and affect our world. Two events that brought New Yorkers together at Times Square are the Inauguration of President Obama and the memorial service for Michael Jackson. 

New Yorkers stood in the crispy January air to witness history as the first Black president took the oath of Commander in Chief.  Whether you voted for Obama or not, no one could dispute the importance of the day.  For those who couldn’t get to D.C., Times Square was the next best thing.  Standing in the cold gave a sense of unity as New Yorkers stare into the face of war and recession, but staring into the faces of those that were shivering beside one another, New Yorkers also received a dose of hope as change had come to Washington D.C., America and the world.

When news that Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital, my jaded journalist mind thought it was a publicity stunt.  Or maybe I just wanted it to be a publicity stunt as some human beings seem immortal.  When I heard that he had actually passed away, I refused to believe it was true until I saw a member of the Jackson family confirm it.  Once Jermaine made a statement, I knew the horrible news was true.  Again, Times Square played host as the jumbo screens showed the memorial service in L.A.  People wore his t-shirts, danced like Michael, sang his songs and dressed like him.  It was a day filled with somber celebration and Times Square offered a place for so many people close to Michael’s music a place to go and mourn.

Times Square has seen it share of memorable events over the decades and will see many more.  Each year people from all over the world choose Times Square as the place to shed the old skin of the past year and welcome the possibilities of the New Year.  As the editor of F.A.M.E NYC I hope every FAMER has a bountiful, healthy 2010.  As we cross the threshold into a new decade let our past help to shape our present as we create the mold for the future. 

The slate is clean and I can’t wait to share with you the goings on of NYC for the next year.