December 30, 2008
If you're looking forward to the 2009 music calendar and dying to see a great concert you would be well advised to head to the Roseland Ballroom at the end of January. The Pretenders will be performing there to start off their 2009 national tour promoting their latest album "Break Up The Concrete" released through Shangri-La Music this past October 2008. Pretenders front woman Chrissie Hynde sounds as original as ever and very comfortable with the rockabilly flavorings of their most recent CD, which includes the radio hit "Boots of Chinese Plastic". To see the Pretenders live in New York City at a relatively intimate venue like the Roseland Ballroom would be a great way to start the year. With Hynde is guitarist James Walbourne, pedal steel player Eric Heywood, bassist Nick Wilkinson and legendary drummer Jim Keltner (on the album only). Martin Chambers let Hynde work with Keltner as a favor to her for the album but he will be doing the tour.
Tags:
2009, break up the concrete, chrissie hynde, january, national tour, roseland ballroom, shangri la music, the pretenders
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Posted on 12/30/2008
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December 30, 2008
After a promising 8-3 start to the 2008-09 NFL Season, the New York Jets summarily fired head coach Eric Mangini in the wake of the Jets elimination from this year's playoff season. Professional life at the top level in the NFL is admittedly a high pressure cutthroat business, but the immediacy of Mangini's firing following yesterday's loss to the Dolphins is nevertheless astonishing. One would have to assume that this was weeks in the planning, ever since the Jets initial promising season started to take a turn for the worse in week twelve. The Jets went 1-4 in their final five games, losing to Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami, while barely beating the lowly Buffalo Bills at home.
Despite the diplomatic statements made by General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Mangini himself, this has to be a bitter pill to swallow for the 37 year-old coach, who had another year remaining on his contract. Bittersweet too was the revenge of Dolphin quarterback Chad Pennington, who was cut from the Jets roster at the start of this season when the team acquired quarterback Brett Fahre only to return in a Dolphins uniform and lead his team to the AFC East title.
Although Fahre is definitely hurting from a nagging shoulder injury, his league leading 22 interceptions and questionable state of health lead one to also wonder whether he will be the next Jet big to go-- voluntarily, or politely escorted from the locker room with his Green Bay Packers legacy still in tact.
Photo Credit: New York Jets ©2008 All Rights Reserved
Tags:
afc east, brett fahre, chad pennington, eric mangini, fire, loss, miami dolphins, mike tannenbaum, new york jets, nfl, nfl playoffs
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Posted on 12/30/2008
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December 17, 2008
His portrait will not be painted as above for posterity, not unless it's entitled "The Demon In His Cave".
According to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, CNBC, and Bloomberg news sources the number of New Yorkers who have already lost millions due to Madoff's shady dealings is rising by the hour and is beginning to look like a Who's Who of New York business, entertainment, and media personnel. The list below will probably be twice as long in tomorrow's Daily News:
Ira Roth's family (New Jersey resident), Fred Wilpon (co-owner of NY Mets), J. Ezra Merkin (money manager at Ascot Partners New York, Mort Zuckerman (owner of New York Daily News), Ira Rennert (Park Avenue junk bond king), Saul Katz (co-owner of the New York Mets), Yeshiva University, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, SAR Academy(Jewish School in Bronx).
The Loeb Family, Arnold and Joan Sinkin, Joe Sinkin, Eliot Spitzer, Arpad Busson, Uma Thurman, Elle Macpherson . . .
Tags:
arpad busson, bloomberg, boston globe, cnbc, fred wilpon, ira rennert, ira roth, madoff, mort zuckerman, new york times, new yorkers, saul katz, wall street journal
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Posted on 12/17/2008
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December 15, 2008
The closing performance of Judy & Me, the brilliant Off Broadway creation of Peter Mac, who both wrote and starred in the production, closed yesterday and the emotion in St. Luke's Theater was palpable, not only as evidenced in the heartfelt closing speech given by Mac to his audience, but also in the tears that welled up in the eyes of a number of audience members as well.
Judy and Me, produced Dr. John Schafer, had an impressive run of 67 performances in this off Broadway venue, especially considering the fact that Mac and company had to work amidst a host of contingencies— including casting changes, production challenges, and a theater season when Broadway biggies have been folding faster and earlier than expected, and ticket sales have been steadily sliding downward.
As an Off Broadway venue, Judy and Me did not have the benefit of being in the tailwinds of an active and surging Broadway season this fall, when theater crowds are plentiful and Broadway buzz is humming. Based on the quality of the performances given, especially the ever so charming and ingratiating role of Peter Mac as the ethereal Judy Garland, this show certainly deserved a longer run, and hope remains that the venue might yet tour nationally.
At last night's performance, as Mac explained to the audience prior to the show, all three actressed who had rehearsed for the show to play the young Anthony's mother, were suddenly unavailable, with two shows left. The question loomed large over the entire cast and crew: "Who could they get on such short notice, with no rehearsal time, to play such a big role?" The answer they came up with—Peter Mac's real life mother herself.
Despite being an untrained actress, and having to rely at times on her hand-held script, Mac's mother pulled off both performances with hardly a hitch. Given the autobiographical nature of Judy and Me, which recounts a young boy's coming out story in a troubled family and a homophobic school environment with the spirit of Judy Garland as his guide and fairy godmother, Ms. Mac's performance gave the finale a personal touch that made the troubled life of Judy and Me's young protagonist all the more poignant and authentic. The audience in attendance loved it.
Following the finale performance, Peter Mac treated audiences who were able to stay a little longer, to a few more Garland numbers in an intimate and informal setting as a special bonus-- as if to say if to say this Judy isn't going down just yet, somewhere over the rainbow there's another stage she will play on once in a lullaby.
Tags:
coming out, homophobia, john schafer, judy and me, judy garland, off broadway, off broadway closing, peter mac, st lukes theater
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Posted on 12/15/2008
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December 08, 2008
While the above pic of the wax replica of the Spice Girls at Madame Tussauds definitely seems like a blast from the past at the close of 2008, visitors here might be surprised to discover a whole host of contemporary figures immortalized here, including Jaylo, Miley Cyrus, Brad and Angelina, Beyoncé, George Bush, Stephen Spielberg, Hillary Clinton, and the newest addition, Daniel Craig, standing before a promo for Quantum of Solace. Now that the election's been decided we hear that Barack Obama's figure is in the works.
The range of wax figurines from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and sports at Madame Tussauds is definitely impressive. Visitors here are certain to have a few momentary instances of "That looks just like him/her", even when standing just inches away.
This holiday season at Madame Tussauds also features a 10-12 minute 4D movie experience, in which guests are shown 3D film excerpts from "Polar Express" while experiencing life-life atmospheric effects—a genuine snowfall in the theater, or the sensation of being rocked from side to side as the train makes its perilous journey towards the North Pole.
If you've never experienced the 3D experience, leapfrog to 4D this holiday season. The theater experience adds a nice bonus to your visit to Madame Tussauds this winter holiday season.
Tags:
3d, 4d, daniel craig, holiday, madame tussauds, miley cyrus, polar express, quantum of solace, spice girls, wax museum
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Posted on 12/8/2008
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December 01, 2008
A frequent good bet for a celebrity sighting, the bet's are off tomorrow night because it has been announced that Britney Spear's will be celebrating her 27th birthday party at Tenjune Lounge on December 2nd at midnight. It's not easy to get past the doorman and into this lounge on an average night. Imagine what it will be like when "Ms. Womanizer" graces it with her presence for an evening.
The Tenjune birthday bash event will actually have a double function, since Britney is simultaneously launching her next CD entitled "Circus", which hits the stores on the same day. Following her tell-all MTV documentary which recently aired, and the mini-tour promoting her new CD in Europe before its launch, this party seems just the right send-off for what Britney and Britney fans hope to be a saner, happier new year ahead for her.
Is it just the times and coincidence, or are more and more A-list celebrities, many of whom are known West Coast residents, hanging out for long periods of time and partying in NYC these days? Maybe LA celebrities who can afford the lifestyle probably think of NYC as a place where they can get a break from driving/riding around in cars. During her meltdown this past year, it seemed like Britney was behind the wheel morning, noon. and night on runs to LA pharmacies, gas stations, fast food joints etc. I mean does she really have to drive around LA herself-- that alone showed how lost she was at the time.
It's probably a whole lot smoother to just step out of the hotel, slip into a black Lincoln town car and take a brief little ride to the club, lounge, or restaurant of your choice here-- in Manhattan everything's only a few blocks away.
Happy Birthday, Britney Spears-- still feel like a little girl at the tender young age of 27 (and a mom)?
Photo Credit: Tenjune, All Rights Reserved ©2008
Tags:
27, birthday party, britney spears, circus, december 2, manhattan, new york city, tenjune, womanizer
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Posted on 12/1/2008
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