Newsletter 2 - October 1999
We're sorry to say that after June 2000,
because of changes in our service provider's operations and a host
of other circumstances, we were forced to discontinue publication of
what -- we thought -- was a information packed digest. We hope to be
able to resume sometime in the future\
1. Bits and Pieces
2. The Holidays in New York City
3. Holiday Links at Jim's Deli
4. Hostel News
5. Epic Proportions Opens
6. Broadway Buzz
7. Restaurant News
8. Shop New York City
9. New York City Books
I. Bits and Pieces
-It opened in 1932 and after a $70 million
restoration (including a 2,000 pound gold silk curtain), Radio City
Music Hall reopened Oct 4th with a gala benefiting the Lustgarten
Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Scheduled performances by
the Eurythmics, Liza Minnelli, Rosie O'Donnell, 98°, Sting and, of
course, the Radio City Rockettes. Ticketmaster 212-307-7200 or Radio
City Music Hall
-People Magazine's 25th Anniversary Celebration
- Carole King Making Music with Friends. Join Carole King with Boyz
II Men, Chrissie Hynde, Rickie Lee Jones, Reba McEntire, Brian
McKnight, 98°, Mavis Staples, Luther Vondross, Trisha Yearwood and
Paul Shaffer. Oct 14th | The Theater at Madison Square Garden |
Ticketmaster 212-307-7171
-LENA: The Legacy - A four-generation all-star
salute to benefit the Lena Horne Youth Leadership Awards. Featuring
the Boys and Girls Choirs of Harlem, Laurence Fishburn, Alan King,
Jessye Norman, Rosie O'Donnell, Gregory Peck, Hal Prince, Phylicia
Rashad, Diane Reeves, Chita Rivera, Bobby Short, Barbara Sinatra and
Cicely Tyson. Oct 18th | 8:30P | Avery Fisher Hall | Lincoln Center
| CenterCharge 212-721-6500
-He's dropped the Cougar but he still roars.
John Mellencamp's Rural Electrification Tour comes to the City for
one night. Oct 21st | 8:00P | Madison Square Garden | Ticketmaster
212-307-7171
-She's still divine! Bette Midler takes a two
day detour to the Big Apple as she heads into the Millennium. Oct
25th & 26th | Madison Square Garden | Ticketmaster 212-307-7171
-Have $2 million to spend on a dress? If you do,
run over to Christie's on Monday, Oct 27th. Personal possessions of
Marilyn Monroe are being auctioned, including the dress made famous
when Monroe sang a very sultry Happy Birthday to Jack Kennedy at
Madison Square Garden. The 6,000 beads of the dress are expected to
go for at least $333 apiece, plus a couple of grand for the yard or
so of very skimpy, very form-fitting, very flesh-colored material
holding them together. Monroe's flesh supplied most of the color.
-Annie and Dave (you know which one is which),
better known as the Eurythmics have only one East Coast show on
their current tour. Nov 9th | 8:00P | Madison Square Garden |
Ticketmaster 212-307-7171
2. The Holidays in New York City
It doesn't seem possible but it's time to start
making plans for the holidays. The season kicks off with the arrival
of Santa at the end of Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov 25th
and continues throughout December with only-in-New-York-City
traditions: A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden; George
Ballanchine's The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet;
performances of Handel's Messiah throughout the City; and, of
course, the world famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring
the Rockettes.
There's great news for folks who want to spend
part of the holiday in New York City. We've done some upfront work
and found that many hotels have rooms available -- in all price
ranges. So take a stroll on Fifth Avenue, be dazzled by the tree in
Rockefeller Center, bring a gift to the bears in the Central Park
Zoo (Oops! Wildlife Conservation Center), shop 'til you drop and
hope for a bit of snow to slide down a hill in Central Park.
New Year's Eve 2000 is shaping up to be quite a
show in the greatest city in the world. Times Square 2000 will be a
26-hour event celebrating the arrival of a new Millennium (We know
it's actually next year, but what the heck!) in each time zone
around the world. Midnight in New York City will be marked by the
famous Times Square Ball Drop with an estimated 1 million to 2
million spectators. And there's much more to do around the City,
including fireworks in all the boroughs, a midnight run through
Central Park and the New York 2000 gala at the Javits Convention
Center.
Some good news is that many New York City hotels
released rooms for New Year's reservations last week. Again, we've
done some upfront work and have found some good choices. Rates are
sky high, but if you want to celebrate the Millennium in the Big
Apple you can find a place to sleep.
3. Holiday Links at Jim's Deli
Winter
Holiday Event Calendar - Everything to plan your winter
holiday activities in the city. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza
celebrations.
A
Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden Theater -
Complete schedule and ticket information
George
Ballanchine's The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet
- Complete schedule and ticket information
Radio
City Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes -
Complete schedule and ticket information
Handel's
Messiah - Schedule of performances around the city
Christmas Hotel Availability -
A sampling of the many hotel rooms and rates available for the
holidays
New Year's Eve 2000 Events Calendar
(old link) - What to do and where to do it
Times Square 2000 (old link) -
Find out all about this 26-hour extravaganza
New Year's Eve Hotels (old
link) - Yes, there is room at the inn. Find out where
4. Hostel News
Want to spend the winter holidays in the City
and need a cheap place to stay? Jazz on the Park, the funky (aren't
they all?) hostel on the Upper West Side will start accepting
reservations for the holiday season 'sometime in late October.' Find
them at Jazz
on the Park
More New York City hostels might take
reservations for the holiday season, we'll keep you posted. In the
meantime, remember that most hostels operate on a 'first-come,
first-served' basis. They will hold a room for you if you call after
arriving in the City. Be sure to print a copy of our New
York City Hostel list and take it along for handy
reference.
And be sure to have your passport or other
documents available to prove that you are traveling.
The Banana Bungalow, one of the better of the
City's hostels, lost its lease and has closed its doors. The
operators are trying to find new space and hope to be back in
operation sometime in the near future.
5. Epic Proportions Opens
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
meets The Ten Commandments as the latest incarnation of this Coen/David
farce, last seen off-Broadway in 1986, takes to the boards of the
Helen Hayes Theater. Ms Hayes would have been devastated to see
Kristin Chenoworth put through this Andy-Hardy-as-Cecil B DeMille-putting-on-a-show
wringer. Ms Chenoworth, one of the few emerging stars of Broadway in
the past few years, deserves better.
The scene is 1930's Hollywood. The show within a
show has the cast and crew filming a Biblical epic in the Arizona
wasteland. Ms Chenoworth's Louise is an assistant director under
Richard B Shull's manic D W DeWitt. Louise is romantically besieged
by two extras, brothers Benny and Phil Bennet. Each try to plight
their troths as the zaniness of filming swirls around them. The
plighting is inept, the zaniness not terribly funny, and in the end
you don't care which brother wins Louise.
The Crane half of the writing team has no
excuses. He knows how to write good, sympathetic television sitcom
characters (Cheers, Friends, Frasier [Crane]). He has seen what
effects misguided concepts can have on some of our most liked actors
(Tom Selleck, Nathan Lane, Mary Steenbergen & Ted Danson). Ms
Chenoworth is a good actress with great potential; Epic Proportions
was to be her breakout role. Instead of recycling a little farce
that didn't make it to Broadway in its doldrum years, he and Coen
should have written a star turn for a future star.
Epic Proportions | Helen Hayes Theater | Tickets
$45 to $65
6. Broadway Buzz
-Woody Harrelson steps into Burt Lancaster's
title role in a revival of N Richard Nash's The Rainmaker. Previews
begin Oct 21st for a Nov 11th opening at the Brooks-Atkinson
Theater. Ticketmaster (numbers below)
-Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Michael
Berresse and Amy Spanger take to the boards of the Martin Beck
Theater is a spirited revival of Kiss Me Kate. The Sam & Bella
Spewack-Cole Porter musical starts previews Oct 25th for a Nov 18th
opening. Telecharge (numbers below)
-Carol Burnett first starred on Broadway in
1959's Once Upon a Mattress. She wrote to a friend, "The
Phoenix Theatre is presenting a musical comedy spoof of the old
fairytale The Princess and the Pea. I auditioned yesterday and got
the title role! (NOT THE PEA!). Carol's back again in the Stephen
Sondheim revue Putting It Together, starting previews Oct 30th for a
Nov 21st opening. Sharing the stage with Ms Burnett are Ruthie
Henshall, George Hearn, John Barrowman and Bronson Pinchot.
Telecharge (numbers below)
-Tony-award winning Side Man, 1998's best play,
vacates the John Golden Theater Oct 31st to start a national tour
-Spalding Gray begins a limited run of Sunday
and Monday evening monologues at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Morning, Noon and Night highlights the tips and tricks, pitfalls and
pratfalls of being a father. Previews begin Oct 31st, the show opens
Nov 8th and continues through Jan 10th. Telecharge (numbers below)
-The hit revival of Arthur Miller's American
classic Death of a Salesman will close Nov 7th. Brian Dennehy, who's
portrayal of anguished Willy Loman earned a Tony Award though 'it
was time to move on,' and the producers were unable to find a
replacement that would bring a comparable presence to the Eugene
Oneill Theater's stage.
-Arthur Miller will only be gone from Broadway
for two days. On Nov 9th a revival of Mr Miller's 1967 play The
Price opens at the Royale Theater. The production, directed by
Broadway veteran James Naughton, features Jeffrey DeMunn, Bob Dishy,
Lizbeth Mackay and Harris Yulin. The producing team is headed by
David Richenthal, who brought Death of a Salesman back to the
Broadway boards.
-Tango Argentina returns Nov 11th. The show put
a bite of chimmi-churi in the town for 6 months back in 1985
(remember Regis taking lessons?). At the Gershwin Theater.
-We do our best but we can't keep Jackie Mason
away from Broadway. His latest one-man show Much Ado About
Everything opens at the John Golden Theater Nov 16th. Telecharge
(numbers below)
-Loading into the Eugene O'Neill is the David
Horson comedy Wrong Mountain. Starring Ron Rifkin, the show is
scheduled for a Dec 14th opening with previews starting Dec 3rd.
Telecharge (numbers below)
Ticket Phone Numbers
Telecharge 212-239-6200 | Outside NY Metro Area
800-432-7250 | Groups 212-302-7000 / 800-677-1164
Ticketmaster 212-307-4100 | Outside NY Metro
Area 800-755-4000 | Groups 800-223-7565 / 212-398-8383 /
212-575-1044
7. Restaurant News
-The city sibling of Jerry Della Femina's
self-named East Hampton country dining room has opened. Along with
brining the same light and airy ambience of the Island meeting place
to Midtown, Della Femina offers the refined American fare of Chicago
chef Kevin Penner. We only miss the Jimmy Weston signature New York
saloon, once the gem in his string of eateries (and Jimmy). You can
visit Della Femina's outpost in the City at 131 E 54th Street |
212-752-0111
-He said he wouldn't do it, but he did. When
Warner LeRoy bought the fabled Russian Tea Room (it seems like so
many years ago), he insisted he would just put a little polish on a
tarnished icon. After completely gutting the interior, leaving only
the facade, the totally rebuilt dining landmark is due to open
sometime in October. 150 W 57th Street
8. Shop New York City
-Bridgemarket has been in the works for more
than 20 years. The hotly disputed food market located in the
cavernous vaults under the Manhattan anchorage of the 59th Bridge
finally opens in October. We'll have a complete report next month.
59th Street at 1st Avenue
-To cater to his customers in the very toney
10021 and 10028 ZIP codes, architect Richard Mishaan opened a branch
of his retail store Homer. The shop features Mishaan-designed home
accessories and furniture and includes exclusive pieces from
exclusive antiquities monger Florence Lopez. If you have to ask the
price . . . 939 Madison Avenue | 212-744-7705
-Need a very special piece of furniture for one
very special spot. If you want a 20th century collectible there's
nothing like Golden Oldies, a huge warehouse filled to the rafters
(literally, there's stuff hanging from the ceilings) with pine,
mahogany, oak and rosewood pieces -- and more! Most of the items are
20s and 30s American, English and Continental pieces. Armoires,
breakfronts, secretaries, sideboards, hutches, bookcases, chests of
drawers, bedsteads, sofas, chairs, frames -- all in a dizzying array
of sizes, materials and finishes. Prices aren't cheap, but do
include needed cleanup and polishing to make the piece more than
presentable. Further restoration and alteration is available at an
additional fee and, their craftsmen, located in the warehouse across
the way, will tackle any job you bring them. The mammoth shop also
carries new pieces crafted from period materials and a mish-mosh of
knick-knacks (can't quite call them objets d'art) and accent pieces,
with the usual take-me-home-I'm-cheap assortment of odds and ends
laying around.
Golden Oldies runs quite a few promotions
throughout the year and provides transportation from Manhattan. We
went out there a couple of weeks ago and shared a van with two
younger women and a young couple with a toddler. The van was
spotless, the driver was on time and pleasant and our fellow
travelers were friendly -- a nice start to a day. Upon arrival we
were greeted by a magician, a tarot card reader, a face painter and
a Brooklyn-Bronx swami team who appeared to have last played a
bowling alley lounge. Through in free burgers and hot dogs and you
have a pretty nice New York City Sunday afternoon. Neither the young
women or us found anything we needed or couldn't live without, but
the couple with the kid dropped quite a few bucks on 'just what we
were trying to find.'
Golden Oldies | 132-29 33rd Avenue | Flushing |
718-445-4400 | Call ahead for hours and transportation
9. New York City Books
Two great new memoirs by two New York City
masters have recently arrived on the bookstore shelves. The Play
Goes On by master wordsmith Neil Simon chronicles his ups and downs
from the time of his first wife's death in 1973, through his
romance, marriage and breakup with Marsha Mason, his despondency,
war with writers block and his rising from the ashes with the
successes of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Broadway
Bound. A must read for anyone with an interest in Broadway over the
past 40 years.
For the past 60 years Isaac Stern has been a
master fiddler and master of life. The man who might best be known
as the savior of Carnegie Hall teams up with another master, Chaim
Potok, to review the 79 years of an immigrant's success. My First 79
Years is a truly good story told with a touch of disbelief.
You can order The Play Goes On and My First 79
Years through our affiliation with Barnes and Noble at our New
York City Books pages.
Our listings include a large selection of New
York City guides, guides for kids, museum guides, food guides and
more. Check it out!
Hope you enjoyed our newsletter. See you next
month!
Susie and Jim
|
