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Casita Maria Center Hosts Cocktail Party for Gala Kickoff – Times Square Chronicles
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Jackie Weld Drake, longtime chair of Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, opened her Upper East Side residence to celebrate the upcoming Fiesta! Gala at The Plaza Hotel on October 10.
Two days of entertainment began with a cocktail party, September 13th, which she hosted with George Corton, Darlyn Portes, and Sissi Fleitas. The next day was a luncheon for the Fiesta! Gala’s junior committee, affectionately called the Pachanga’s.
Guests included Board Members Martha Bograd, Michéle Gerber Klein, Alberto Mariaca, Ben Rodriguez-Cubenas, and Jean Shafiroff, as well as Estrellita Brodsky, Susan Cheever, Anencia Dixon, Lee Fryd, Susan Gutfreund, Ann Nitze, Marc Rosen, Victor Roquette, Daisy Soros, and Barbara Tober, joined by Casita Maria Executive Director Felix Urrutia and Artistic Director Gail Heidel.
Casita Maria creates a safe and welcoming community, enriching and uplifting youth and families towards success, through shared cultural, art and educational experiences and programs. Headquartered in the South Bronx, Casita Maria was established in 1934 by Claire and Elizabeth Sullivan as the first charitable organization to serve Latinos in New York City. Operating from a five-room tenement apartment in East Harlem, the Sullivan sisters, public school teachers who were also relatives of TV personality Ed Sullivan, had a primary mission to offer after school enrichment and recreational activities for the children of newly arrived families from Puerto Rico. Today, Casita Maria remains dedicated to its original mission, delivering services to the mostly Latino youth, and families of the Hunts Point community it serves in the Bronx. In 2009, Casita Maria inaugurated a state-of-the-art facility encompassing performance spaces, exhibition gallery, dance, and music studios, and more on its Simpson Street campus. This 90,000 square foot, six-story educational and cultural facility in collaboration with the Department of Education has enabled Casita Maria to expand its scope and capacities as a beacon of excellence.
Casita Maria’s 89th anniversary Fiesta! Gala will honor Grammy winning producer Nelson Albareda, Dr. Ramon Tallaj, the founder of SOMOS network, and Ambassador David and Jennifer Fischer. For tickets email fiesta@casitamaria.org.
PHOTOS BY ANNIE WATT AGENCY/JOHN SANDERSON
The Glorious Corner
Delmonico’s Revival Honored with Star-Studded Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Best Burger in Hamptons at Union Burger Bar
‘Taylor Swift: Storyteller’ at MAD Celebrated at Splendid Summer Luncheon
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The Argyle Theatre held its Gala, Encore! A Musical Celebration, hosted by Artistic Director Evan Pappas with musical direction by Jeffrey Lodin, on September 22, 2023, at 7:30 PM. Long Island’s premier theatrical showcasing the remarkable talents that ha graced its stages over the past four seasons.
Evan Pappas (Artistic Director and host for tonight)
Evan Pappas
Becca Andrews
Becca Andrews and Elliott Litherland
Becca Andrews
Becca Andrews
The one-night-only special event featured Becca Andrews (The Argyle’s Legally Blonde, Honky Tonk Chicks)
Tyler Bello
Tyler Belo
Tyler Belo (The Argyle’s Spring Awakening, Hamilton National Tour)
Dana Costello
Dana Costello
Dana Costello (The Argyle’s Cabaret, Broadway’s Finding Neverland, Pretty Woman)
Hana Culbreath
Hana Culbreath
Hana Culbreath (The Argyle’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Annie National Tour)
Alex Grayson
Alex Grayson
Alex Grayson (The Argyle’s Spring Awakening, Broadway’s Parade, Into The Woods)
Jack Hale
Jack Hale
Jack Hale (The Argyle’s Rock of Ages)
Elliott Litherland
Hana Culbreath and Elliott Litherland
Hana Culbreath and Elliott Litherland
Hana Culbreath and Elliott Litherland
Elliott Litherland (The Argyle’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Opera North Carousel)
Michelle Mallardi
Michelle Mallardi
Michelle Mallardi
Hana Culbreath and Michelle Mallardi
Michelle Mallardi (The Argyle’s Elf, Footloose, Broadway Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables)
Ellie Smith
Ellie Smith
Ellie Smith (The Argyle’s Grease, Miracle Valley Feature Film)
Ryan Thurman
Ryan Thurman
and Ryan Thurman (The Argyle’s Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Producers).
Dylan Perlman
Marty Rubin (General Manager/Director of Sales), Dylan Perlman (Co-Owner and Managing Partner) and Mark Perlman (Co-Owner and Managing Partner)
“It brings me immense joy to celebrate the exceptional talent that has graced our stage over the past four years. Encore! A Musical Celebration is a testament to the dedication and artistry of our alumni, and it’s an opportunity for us to express our gratitude to both the performers and our loyal audience for their unwavering support in creating unforgettable moments.” The Argyle Theatre Artistic Director, Evan Pappas stated.
Jeffrey Lodin
Peter Averso
Hana Culbreath and Michelle Mallardi
Elliott Litherland, Hana Culbreath, Becca Andrews, Dana Costello, Ellie Smith, Jack Hale, Ryan Thurman, Michelle Mallardi, Tyler Belo and Alex Grayson
Tonight’s cast and band-Evan Pappas, Elliott Litherland, Hana Culbreath, Becca Andrews, Dana Costello, Ellie Smith, Jack Hale, Ryan Thurman, Michelle Mallardi, Tyler Belo, Alex Grayson, Peter Averso, Andrew Warren and Jeffrey Lodin
Elliott Litherland and Becca Andrews
Dana Costello and Evan Pappas
Hana Culbreath and Michelle Mallardi
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(Photo by Honor the Earth)
On Tuesday September 19, 2023, the Indigenous peoples took to the frontlines of the climate crisis on Turtle Island and took over Times Square painting a giant mural with the message, “No Green Colonialism; Land Back NOW!”
This mural came the day before the UN Climate Ambition Summit, where world leaders are expected to come together and make decisions around the climate crisis.
The Indigenous communities are organizing to push back on the Biden Administration’s push toward solutions to the climate crisis that threaten the lives of Indigenous people across Turtle Island, which they call “Green Colonialism.” “For too long, Native lands and communities have borne the brunt of harm from mining and other extractive industries. As the federal government moves to support clean energy development, this cannot come at the expense of clean water or Indigenous rights. This familiar assault on Native lands and communities is another wave of colonialism, and we will not stand by and allow our lands to be sacrificed,” Krystal Two Bulls, executive director of the national Indigenous organization Honor the Earth said in a press release.
The mining projects violate treaty rights and threaten clean water and land in places such as Thacker Pass, Oak Flat , and the Talon-Tamarak mine near the Mississippi headwaters.
We should all be fighting this fight!
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Today, Broadway Forever announced that the Sunday, September 24th concert will be postponed to Sunday, October 15th at 11:00AM due to expected severe weather in New York City. The Sunday, October 15th concert will take place at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx (East 161st Street, Grandview Place).
A complete line up of appearances and performances will be announced soon.
For the second consecutive year, NY Forever, in partnership with City National Bank, the New York City Department of Transportation and 161st Street Business Improvement District presents Broadway Forever,empowering New Yorkers across the city to build a better city for all.
Fans will have the opportunity to sign up for future community service opportunities in all five boroughs, which will be coordinated by New York Cares and their partner organizations.
Broadway stars performing throughout New York City celebrate the creativity and resilience that is intrinsic to the city – and provide an opportunity to recognize the volunteers and community organizers who work hard to make New York a better place. The concerts will bring Broadway entertainment to DOT’s Public Space Programming, a city initiative that brings free activities to public spaces.
The events are produced and staged by 6W Entertainment, with additional support from New York Cares and the Times Square Alliance.
For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.
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G.H. Harding
STRIKE END LOOMS — (Via Showbiz 411/Roger Friedman) All the studio chiefs met Wedneday with the Writers Guild and will continue negotiating tomorrow, according to a WGA post.
The sudden seriousness of the studios is welcomed as the deadline looms for the 2023-24 TV season. If the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes aren’t resolved by early October, my sources say it will be impossible to put on a season.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, Universal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav were present today for the negotiations, a sure sign that the studios are finally in panic mode.
There are no daytime or nighttime talk shows, no new material on TV, and actors can’t promote the fall and winter movies. The actors have already missed the Telluride, Venice, and Toronto Film Festivals. Now the New York Film Festival looms, as does the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The so-called Fall TV Season has been decimated; the Emmy’s pushed back and just general chaos everywhere. The severity of the strike -142 days in- has hurt almost-every-single below-the-line sector, from caterers to limo drivers to costume houses. It’s reported that it will take up to 10-12 weeks to fully resume everything. That means early-November and let’s not forget come Thanksgiving, the holiday season officially starts. Stay tuned.
Burt Bacharach
LOVE, BURT AT THE CUTTING ROOM — Monday night at Steve Walter’s Cutting Room was the presentation of Love, Burt – celebrating the majesty and memory of Burt Bacharach’s music.
The show really moved me and reminded me of the reason I do what … the music!
The show was just sumptuous – with the assembled group -led by Mike Visceglia- honoring and doing proper justice to a host of Bacharach songs – everything from “Baby, It’s You” to “One Less Bell To Answer,” The Look Of Love” and “Alfie” were all dutifully done. Especially poignant was their rendition of “A House Is Not A Home.”
The fact of the matter is that when these songs were recorded, they were embedded into everyone’s consciousness. These versions were good, but the originals remain standout. You hear a lot about the Great American Songbook, but these songs are the “new” Great American Songbook. Just luscious.
They ended the show was one of my favorite-Bacharach songs, from the 1988 album Burt recorded with Elvis Costello, Painted From Memory. One of the album’s strongest cuts is “God Give Me Strength.” It was simply sensational.Spotted there were Benny Harrison and Maria Milito from Q1043.
The room was packed like never before; what a night!
Micky Dolenz on KTLA
SHORT TAKES — Micky Dolenz headlines the ACE Theatre Friday night in LA, and was a guest on KTLA Wednesday. Here’s a shot of him on-set with Sam Rubin who interviewed him with the KTLA-gang. Sam’s the second from left. Industry stalwarts at the ACE Theatre show include legendary-LA Times writer Randy Lewis; LA Magazine’sRoy Trakin and Goldmine’s Ken Sharp … Roger Friedman reported Wednesday that the pre-sales of Jann Wenner’s upcoming book Masters have been severely impacted by his New York Times interview. Take a read here: https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/09/20/jann-wenners-new-book-the-masters-drops-in-pre-sales-run-on-amazon-almost-off-the-top-2000-after-scandal-erupts And just last night his big presentation at NYC’s 92nd Y with Cameron Crowe was shuttered as well … SIGHTING: Alison Martino at NYC’s Algonquin Hotel …
The Morning Show
When Apple TV’s The Morning Show debuted years ago (November 2019), created and run by Kerry Ehrin, it was a first-rate series certainly of The Sopranos-like and Mad Men-like caliber. Billy Crudup was astonishingly good as were Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell. The second season was basically trash. Three episodes in on a third season -with a 4th already guaranteed- it’s kind of a mixed-bag. I did not care for the first two EPs, but the third was bordering on the edge of greatness – and Witherspoon wasn’t even in this one and there was no explanation why. Jon Hamm has joined the cast as sort of an Elon Musk-figure. To me, he’s still Don Draper, just with an updated wardrobe. Most of the production staff has been replaced and it seemed to me, they’re still finding their way. The trouble is, that with these 8 or so episode-runs, it gets really good at episode 6. Go figure …
Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch to retire per CNBC? More on this next column … Meg Ryan and David Duchovny in What Happens Later – looks cute and Ryan directed it – check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqTZqSglhZo … RIP Roger Whitaker
David McCallum
and Happy Bday David McCallum; Curtis Urbina; and Bill Murray!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Glenn Gretlund; Jodi Ritzen; Leonard Nimoy; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Scott Shannon; Zach Martin; Michelle Grant; Art Rutter; Maria Milito; Joe Lynch; Melinda Newman; Mandy Naylor; Kimberly Cornell; Sam Rudin; Jim Clash; Terry Jastrow; Randy Alexander; Bob Merlis; Andrew Sandoval; Art Rutter; and CHIP!
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It was a lovely day full of style and compassion.
Fashion 4 Development hosted its 11th Annual First Ladies Luncheon on Tuesday, September 19th during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Evie Evangelou, F4D President and Founder co-hosted with Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, who was announced as F4D’s Goodwill Ambassador for Music.
The annual luncheon well-known event where First Ladies and Royals from around the globe, as well as diplomats, philanthropists, fashion VIPs, and other key influencers celebrate the unprecedented cooperation between diplomacy and fashion. This year’s grand affair honored the late Queen Elizabeth II in partnership with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
Over 32 first ladies were in attendance including First Lady of Paraguay, First Lady of Serbia, First Lady of Albania, Princess of Eswatini, First Lady of Ecuador, First Lady of Malta, First Lady of Cabo Verde, First Lady of Israel, First Lady of Colombia and more. Additional notable attendees and honorees included Fern Mallis, Flaviana Matata, June Ambrose, Chaz Dean, Julia Haart, Preeta Sinha, Jennifer Hanks Allaire, Dr. Inez Hernandez, Aneeta Williams, Bonnie Lautenberg, Monica Elias, Sergio Nicolosi, Amy Shiels, Laine Siklos, Janna Bullock and Sofie Mahlkvist.
Kicking the day off with a green carpet and a cocktail reception, guests networked and mingled as exhibitions from couture fashion designer Stewart Parvin and milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan were on display. Evangelou then welcomed all guests and introduced the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange Video showcasing an initiative that launched in Buckingham Palace and then graced the F4D Global Runway in New York City.
The annual luncheon is also dedicated to honoring those who celebrate the unprecedented cooperation between diplomacy and fashion around the world. Honorees included 2023 Franca Sozzani Award winner, Johannesburg-based designer Thebe Magugu. Sara Sozzani Maino introduced Magugu, honoring him for preserving his South African heritage through fashion and design.
Assembly member Rebecca Seawright introduced philanthropist Jean Shafiroff and presented her with the 2023 Philanthropy Award. “We must work together,” Shafiroff said. “Not just in our countries, not just locally, but globally, because sustainability is a global issue. It’s important for all of us to be involved.” She continued, “We want future generations to have the opportunity to live in a good world, it’s our obligation to work on a sustainable future by creating long and short-term goals, incentives and rewards, and a sense of team work together, this is all achievable and doable.”
Speakers throughout the afternoon included remarks by Naila Chowdhury, the Director of Social Impact and Innovation at UC San Diego, who was just announced as F4D’s Goodwill Ambassador. As an advocate for human rights, she said, “We are at the critical juncture where climate, sustainability, gender equity, human rights, dignity, and zero tolerance of any form of violence has become imperative to address.”
F4D Awards created exclusively by Toye, Kenning & Spencer, founded in 1685 and with a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Toye, Kenning & Spencer is the leading and most diversified craft skills employer in the United Kingdom.
To learn more about F4D, please visit: http://www.fashion4development.com
Photos courtesy Michael Ostuni /PMC
(Cover art features L to R: María De Lourdes Alcivar De Lasso (Ecaudor), Verónica Alcocer García (Colombia), Leticia Ocampos (Paraguay), Evie Evangelou, Débora Katisa Carvalho (Cape Verde), Tamara Vučić (Serbia), Michelle Muscat (Former First Lady of Malta)
Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Dracula: A Comedy Of Terror
The Argyle Theatre Encore! Gala and You Are There
The Innocence of Seduction Will Seduce You
“speaking of sneaking” Spins It’s Queer Folktale Web Fascinatingly at Buddies In Bad Times Toronto
Theatre News: Wicked, The Wiz, Hypnotique, Female Troubles and Love In The Time Of Crazy
White Wine for Summer Send Off
Loving the Love of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at the Stratford Festival, Canada
Sunday’s Broadway Forever Concert Postponed Until October 15
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