November 2009

Life isn’t all fun and games – every now and then you’ve gotta take a swing at someone … even if it’s only in your mind.  And face it, once you’re off the playground, it usually is all in your mind.  (Take THAT Mister Tourist with your 3 kids and your huge knapsack blocking the [...]

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Today, on the 46th anniversary of the death of JFK, there are still two kinds of people in this world – those who believe that John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald who was acting alone, and those who believe that Kennedy’s assassination was a highly orchestrated, multiple-person operative with ties to the [...]

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In today’s desire to escape, there is an urgent need for more magical realism. The term was used within artistic criticism in the visual arts back in the 20s and quickly filtered into literature and theatre mostly for Latin American and European plays to describe works where realistic settings are splashed with elements that are [...]

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Celebrating “Holy Days”

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 19, 2009 Manhattan

Holy Premiering this Friday, November 6th at The Spoon Theater, is their production of Holy Days, a play set in the Great Depression written by Sally Nemeth and directed by Peter Zinn. AM: You come from a theatrical family – your parents (Jack and Rebecca Cunningham) are a dynamic set design duo.  What’s it like [...]

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The Fantastic Mr. Fox Has A Plan

by K. B. Abele November 19, 2009 Film

It doesn’t surprise me that when Wes Anderson decided to take on a Roald Dahl story, he skipped right over some of the darker tales that inspired Alfred Hitchcock for his television series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Instead, he went for a softer, more joyous tale of a fox trying to find his place in the [...]

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Life Isn’t Easy For The Pin Cushion Queen

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 18, 2009 Art

Ever wonder exactly what the skeletal system of a gummy bear is really like?  How do they manage to pick things up with those tiny little hands that just seem to appear on the end of their stubby little arms? Ever wonder what you’re really eating when you pop an unsuspecting little bear into your [...]

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The Seduction Of The 60s Lives On In “The Lesser Seductions Of History”

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 13, 2009 Manhattan

Watching the Flux Theatre Ensemble bring August Schulenburg’s “The Lesser Seductions of History” to life is like watching seasoned acrobats performing an intricate, balletic routine; one which -in order to succeed- relies on trust, timing, and blind leaps of faith … knowing that your fellow performers are exactly where they should be and will deftly [...]

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The Wo(Man) In The Window

by Antonio Miniño November 13, 2009 Art

Name: Carolina Davis Occupation: Choreographer Age: 34 Zodiac: Scorpio Favorite Restaurant: Shake Shack, Upper West Side, NYC Longs for: comfortable stilettos. Fears: foot injury. Beliefs: fashionable women are smarter than you think. Where is she going: shopping ahead for Lady Gaga‘s concert at Radio City Musical Hall. Dress and gloves available at Bergdorf Goodman. The [...]

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In “Penang” The Only Thing That Matters Is The Guy Next To You

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 12, 2009 Manhattan

It’s hard to isolate one simple element of James L. Larocca’s Penang (directed by Donya K. Washington) and point to it as the central theme. Penang unfolds a bit like an autopsy – it is an even, measured, calculated dissection of the life of Tim Riordan (Scott Raker) and an inspection of the elements which [...]

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Said The Whale’s “Islands Disappear”

by K. B. Abele November 11, 2009 Music

The band’s upbeat sound and amazing energy never fails to leave me wanting more…With catchy folk-driven beats, gritty guitar riffs, airy melodies, and wailing woeful ballads like the title track “Islands Disappear,” the album is an entertaining mind-trip into the lives of these musicians, one that is incessantly pleasing to the ear.

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Songs In The Key Of Treble

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 11, 2009 Event

I know what you’re thinking … “oh … another all-girl acapella group”.  And while I’m not going to try and tell you you’re wrong, I’m also going to tell you that Treble is also MY FAVORITE all-girl acapella group … and that makes all the difference. Related Posts:Merry Christmas

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NBC’s Trauma, Best New Show?

by K. B. Abele November 9, 2009 Review

Every Fall the networks begin their usual marketing announcements of “Best New Show This Season” and “Most Exciting Drama.” As audiences, we have grown accustomed to tuning it out. They say it every year about every show. One would think that after over 50 years of television the marketing professionals would finally figure out new [...]

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Sweet Dreams? The Pillowman Comes To Astoria

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 9, 2009 Off-Off-Broadway

If you know nothing at all about The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh you might mistakenly allow the deceptively downy title to lead you to believe this is a play about security and comfort.  However, if The Pillowman brings up recollections of what you know about the Tony Award nominated 2005 Broadway run — and you still can’t resist the [...]

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Peter ~ Wendy Takes Flight

by Karen Tortora-Lee November 8, 2009 Manhattan

If you’re looking for the sanitized, Disneyfied version of J.M.Barrie’s familiar tale of Peter Pan, then by all means, please click on over to Netflix right now and put it in your queue.  If, however, you’re looking to experience the story of Peter Pan and Wendy Darling in a way that explores themes of darkness, [...]

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Interview – Peter Sabri, Co-Star of Penang

by Diánna Martin November 8, 2009 Interviews

Ah, New York is not as big a place as one would think. At least not when it comes to theatre – sometimes, you can meet interesting actors, directors, and producers by walking across the hall in your building. My neighbor and dear friend asked me to join him for an evening of theatre sometime [...]

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State of (The Art): Sentient City

by Stephen Tortora-Lee November 6, 2009 Art

Sentient City almost sounds like science fiction, but it is the opposite actually.  These are actual techniques and devices to help the system of the city (through the people that live within it)  become more aware of the processes within itself through mobile technology and designed in feedback systems in order to make cities more [...]

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The Duchess Of Malfi: Beauty & Horror With The Barest Essentials

by Diánna Martin November 3, 2009 Manhattan

In a time when one goes to theatre and dramatic sets are used to make up for mediocre acting so that something kind will at least be said in the review, the first thought that I had when taking my seat at Folding Chair Classical Theatre’s production of The Duchess of Malfi was one of [...]

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