I saw Ali Stroker, the only performer in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award, shine brightly in concert Saturday. Ali won her Tony in 2019 as best supporting actress in Oklahoma. She has an incredible story. After a car accident, Ali has been paralyzed from the chest down since she was two. Ali has charm, energy, beauty, and a voice from heaven. …
It seems that people and the media talk up the MOMA and the MET frequently. But, the MCNY does not receive much notice or attention. The Museum of the City of New York has a lot to offer beyond the fabulous building on Fifth Avenue at 103rd st. The museum celebrates all things New York City, The people, the art, the architecture, the music, etc …
The Chinese Winter Olympics unfolded as a bland spectacle. The ratings were the lowest for any Olympics. An average of 11.4 million viewers watched each night as compared to the 19.8 nightly viewers for the Korean Winter Olympics in 2018. The reasons for the drop are varied. The time difference and the lack of fans are obvious. The COVID res …
Football in today’s media landscape is a cultural throwback. The weekly TV broadcasts are perhaps the last remaining events when Americans watch the same TV shows at the same time. And, the Super Bowl is the biggest example of holding a mass audience together. Even the ratings powerhouse, “60 Minutes” showed reruns against the game. This year’s …
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” has sold over $1.6 Billion in tickets worldwide. (without even a China release) It has sold $784 million in tickets in the United States and people are waiting anxiously to see when Spidey will be streaming. I was anxious to see the movie in IMAX before it was relegated to the non premium screen by the “Moonfall” release …
As you may know, I am a big advocate of watching movies in the theaters whenever possible. I was shocked to learn in Costa Rica, that my sister-in-law loves to binge watch her shows on her IPAD. She powered through five seasons of the Spanish thriller, “Money Heist” on her lap while lying on her lounger in the shade. She explained that she loves …
I was fortunate to escape the cold and snow in Costa Rica last week. One surprising dividend in flying on Jet Blue is the wide range of movie choices at your fingertips. I went through the 100 or so selections, surprised by how tempting the old ones are for a re-watch. And, they also have new ones, including the new Bond film, “No Time to Die”. O …
As a Culture Vulture-The Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award Shows have all been non-miss events for me. The ratings for all these shows have been trending downwards. The Oscar and Grammy awards will be postponed due to Covid worries. And, this week the Golden Globe Awards were doled out without being televised. NBC pulled the sh …
Covid has slowed down our attendance of concerts, theater, dance, opera, museums, and movies. But, beyond television and music, books remain a wonderful way to explore the world and examine ourselves in the comfort of home. Recently, the New York Times celebrated the unique Book Review Section that began as a weekly insert of the Sunday Times in 1 …
One of the fascinations of moviegoing, for me, is going to worlds and times that are new. I always try to not know the plot details and I will not provide any spoilers. Three terrific movies provide such an experience. Two of them journey to the American past and the other takes us across the ocean to Italy. Try to stay in the dark about the plot …
For over 40 years, The Kennedy Center Awards have celebrated America’s cultural icons. This year’s cast of honorees are terrific. In alphabetic order they are: the opera singer Justino Diaz, Motown’s creator Berry Gordy, singer-actor Bette Midler, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, and singer Joni Mitchell. Every December, CBS has broa …
My wife and I saw West Side Story (with only 1 other person in the theater) at a Monday matinee on a big screen with great sound, lounging on recliners. I remember being taken to the Robert Wise directed WSS by my parents in 1961 at the “old” huge Syosset Panavision Cinema. I remember enjoying the gang stuff and the fighting. The colors were v …
I have enjoyed Tony Bennett’s singing and his optimistic personality for many years. I saw him perform in person only once, but it was unforgettable. He was so full of joy and so connected to his audience. His deep feeling for the American Standards came through in every word he sang and every move that he made. Bennett was famous for doing a tw …
Stephen Sondheim died last week at the age of 91. His incredible career spanned six decades. He shook up Broadway by breaking the mold of the ‘Happy Ending Musical”. Sondheim was a believer that great art should explore characters and culture in a deeper way. He was never satisfied with his work and always looked at each revival of his many show …
I returned to Broadway last Wednesday, November 17. It was a little more than 20 months since I saw my last show, days before Covid shut down Broadway. I saw The Lehman Trilogy, a deep dive into the 164 history of the famous family business. The crowd was wowed by the 3 plus hour show and the standing ovation was well deserved. It is back on Br …
I am the pinch hitter
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