Saturday 22 February 2014

Cultural New York and eating out!

I would hate to try to make a comparison between the two theatre capitals of the world. The truth is I rarely get the time to go in London due to work and end up making up for it in my down time in New York! So invariably my experience is one of enjoying Broadway much more. My friends always make sure we have tickets when I visit and this time was no exception .. they really pushed the boat out!  It was an ecclectic mix of entertainment that's for sure!

The first was to the New York City Center to see 'Little Me, Encores!"  In the summer of 2013, City Center launched Encores! Off-Center, a new series featuring seminal Off-Broadway musicals filtered through the lens of today’s most innovative artists. Neil Simon's first musical adaptation for the stage first played on Broadway in 1962 and although it opened to 'mostly rave reviews' it didn't really catch on and disappeared from view.  

All the Encore productions run for a week at a time and I have to say I enjoyed this production immensely. It starred Christian Borle (most recently known for Smash) and he did a phenomenal job as did the rest of the cast!

photo: Joan Marcus
My second outing was to see 'Beautiful - the Carole King Musical' which I think will be running for quite some time.  Bookings are being taken until October 2014 at present.  It tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy award winning singer/songwriter. The show starts with her life before she became famous .. when she was just a 16 year old girl from Brooklyn with a passion for music and songwriting .. right up until she became a star in her own right. I loved it and was amazed at all the songs I knew and who she had actually written for.  Jesse Mueller who plays her did a fantastic job! I'm hoping it will transfer to London - fingers crossed!

I was also privileged to go to a cocktail party at the Salmagundi Art Club which featured Grammy nominated Robert McDuffie playing violin to promote the Rome Chamber Music Festival which he founded and is held every year in Rome

The second weekend I was there marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in New York City. There were various events on and a special TV show from the Grammy theater in LA.  We went along to 'America Celebrates The Beatles All-Star Concert' which sounds as though it would be absolutely fabulous! It boasted a multitude of stars all paying tribute in their own way. I don't like to be negative about anything but this has to have been the worst show I think I have ever been witness to so I will say no more than we stuck it out for as long as we could but left before the end ... and I almost never do that!

Lastly, I feel lucky enough to have been able to attend a performance of 'Carousel' by the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. The entire orchestra, actors and dancers attend the school and it was an absolute triumph! There is a massive talent at the school and I'm sure we'll be seeing them in future theatre, film and television productions.

Mussels in BXL Cafe
I haven't left myself much room to mention the fab restaurants I went to so I'll just list them as recommendations and hope you get the chance to go if and when you visit the city. 

It's also always great fun to dine out in a genuine American Diner .. eggs over easy, pancakes, crispy bacon, bottomless coffee ... etc etc etc


Balthazar Restaurant, 80 Spring Street, New York NY 10012  (French)
Osteria al Doge, 142 West 44th Street, New York NY 10036 (Italian)
BXL Cafe, 125 West 43rd Street, New York NY 10036 (Belgian)
Enoteca Otto Pizzeria, One Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10003 (Italian)
Craft Bar, 900 Broadway, New York NY 10003 (American)
Landmarc Restaurant, Time Warner Center, 3rd Floor, 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019 and Tribeca, 179 West Broadway, New York NY 10013 (French/Italian)
Luna Rossa, 347 East 85th Street | New York, NY 10028 (Italian)

Bon appétit!!

 
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpu
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Show poster
Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.
Ben Brantley
Buy Tickets For Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalBuy Tickets
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Show poster
Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.
Ben Brantley
Buy Tickets For Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalBuy Tickets
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Show poster
Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.
Ben Brantley
Buy Tickets For Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalBuy Tickets
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Show poster
Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.
Ben Brantley
Buy Tickets For Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalBuy Tickets
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom.
- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

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