Posts Tagged ‘music’

SummerStage Jubilee Offers a Virtual All-Star Musical and VIP Line-up – September 17 at 8pm

Don’t miss this one. Be sure to tune in Thursday, September 17 at 8pm for this finale to the SummerStage Concert Series.

The SummerStage Jubilee, a free benefit concert supporting CPF’s programs in parks, is an hour-long digital event via livestream. The line-up is amazing: Sting, Norah Jones, Trey Anastasio, Rufus Wainwright, Leslie Odom Jr., Rosanne Cash, Emily King and PJ Morton. The event highlights the various City Parks Foundation programs and will also showcase notable advocates for CPF’s work including sports icon and champion of equality Billie Jean King, television and radio host Ryan Seacrest, television host and musician Jimmy Fallon, musical artist H.E.R., comedian Lewis Black and performer and Late Show bandleader Paul Shaffer.

This digital benefit can be accessed via SummerStage Instagram, SummerStage YouTube, Facebook page as well as through Bowery Presents, Brooklyn Bowl, The Capitol Theatre, FANS.com, iHeart Media’s Q104.3, Live Nation, Live for Live Music, Relix, Time Out New York, and WFUV. New York City and tri-state area residents can watch encore presentations of SummerStage Jubilee on Saturday, September 19 at 7pm on WLNY-TV 10/55 and on Sunday, September 20 at 2pm. The gala can also be viewed nationally on demand on AXS TV for 30 days.

At a time when public programs have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City’s parks have remained open and park programs have been scheduled virtually. The 2020 SummerStage Jubilee Benefit Concert will help support these program and donations will also help ensure SummerStage, New York City’s largest free music festival, and SummerStage Anywhere, its virtual festival, will remain free and available to all.

In addition to the musical performances, a diverse group of celebrities, many of whom are New Yorkers, will share their stories about New York Cityand the City Parks Foundation. More information on this year’s SummerStage Jubilee can be found at http://summerstagejubilee.org/.

Celebrate Bastille Day at the French Institute Alliance Francaise in New York City

The Fourth of July is over, but not the celebration.  On Sunday, July 14, Bastille Day will be commemorated  in the US with as much pomp and joie de vivre as ever.  It’s a wonderful time to bring out those red, white and blue colors again and add a French twist. https://fiaf.org/event/2019-07-14-bastille-day

In New York City, the celebration takes center stage at FIAF, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) with entertainment, food and drink, and kids’ programs.

Some of the wonderful events that day include a screening at 5:30pm in FIAF Florence Gould Hall of thedelightful French comedy C’est la vie!, written and directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, the duo behind the award-winning film The Intouchables. The story involves a wedding planner/caterer who must pull off a magnificent wedding in a 17th-century French château while the celebration and his personal life descend into chaos. It’s a hoot, French-style. (In French with English subtitles).

Tickets are a mere $13.

Another entertainment favorite, renowned French singer Gérard Chambre, with Eric Breton at the piano, will perform French songs made memorable by singers like Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour and my two personal favorites, Jacques Brel and Johnny Hallyday, whose voices have left their mark on France and the world.  The “Si on chantait l’Amour” program takes place at 3pm in FIAF Florence Gould Hall as well.  And heureusement, it’s free!

If you don’t feel like sitting indoors, there will be entertainment all day long outside, and it’s all free, too.

Taking place from 12:35pm until 5pm, there is a line-up of performers sure to please everyone in your group.

On the Main Stage, at East 60th Street and Park Avenue, the music and dance are non-stop:

12:35pm – Can-Can: Joanna Wronska

12:40pm – Music: Chloé Perrier & French Heart Jazz Band

1:10pm – Music: The Love Show

1:25pm – Feather Dance: Joanna Wronska

1:30pm – Music: The Blue Dahlia

2:15pm – Music: The Love Show

2:30pm – Music: Les P’tites Ouvreuses

3:15pm – Music: The Love Show

3:30pm – Music: Rodeo Joe

4:15pm – Zouk Dance Lesson: Franck Muhel

On 60th Street, you’ll find a range from mime to marching bands:

12:50–4:20pm – Mime with Catherine Gasta

12:50–4:20pm – Live Art with COCOVAN

12:55–5pm – Citroën Car Show

3pm – Hungry March Band

Kids won’t be ignored either. If music and dance isn’t their thing, take them to the “Fly Away with Books Workshops for Kids” from 1-4pm in the FIAF Library Booth in front of FIAF. Here, French illustrators and authors will lead three playful and imaginative workshops designed especially for kids. Starting at 1pm, and appropriate for the youngest in your group (ages 4 and up),  there are three age-appropriate sessions with card games and art.

If you, like me , think France…. and Champagne, rosé and macarons immediately come to mind, you’ll be très contente as well with two indoor food and beverage fêtes.

A Champagne, cocktail and jazz party takes place in two sessions in the afternoon in the FIAF Skyroom, with Champagne from Besserat de Bellefon, Delamotte, Laurent-Perrier, Michel Gonet, and Pol Roger; cocktails from Gioffard; and treats from Jacques Torres Chocolate, Ladurée, and Maman. All this is set to music by The Avalon Jazz Band.  1:30pm-3pm and 3:30pm-5pm

Straddling this event is a “Summer in Provence Tasting”, proving that French rosés are equally as wonderful as those from the North Fork.  Accompanied by a tasting of cheese from Président, charcuterie from Trois Petits Cochons, beer from Kronenbourg, and cocktails by Ricard, you’ll sample wines from Château d’Esclans, Château La Gordonne and Château Miraval.  12-4:30pm in the FIAF Tinker Auditorium.

For the shoppers among you, you’ll love the “Côte d’Azur France Village” marketplace on East 60th Street from Fifth Avenue to Lexington Avenue.  Along these three blocks, you’ll find more than 40 booths with all sorts of French food, culture, travel and other items.  “The French Garden” showcases premium French fashion, accessories, food and travel brands as well as treats from Strasbourg.

Captivated by all the wonders of France?  You can sign up for FIAF membership and French classes while you’re there, too, at a special price. And don’t miss your chance to win a trip to Cannes. You can purchase tickets in advance here, and you don’t have to be present to win.

The Green Room 42 Invites You for Cabaret and More – New in the Theater District

I have a new favorite place to watch cabaret, Broadway tunes, and all manner of musical entertainment. And it’s all in an intimate yet spacious setting in a hotel, at the edge of the Theater District. The Green Room 42 has given New York City a new option when it comes to great entertainment and dining in a cool setting. Brought to you by Broadway lovers who have analyzed how to create a better burger (you’ll see what I mean later), and, in this case, a better cabaret venue, the Green Room 42 shines with a purple glow with a stage and acoustics just right for a night of song.

On any given night the headliner might be Alice Ripley of Next to Normal and Sideshow fame singing her favorite ballads, or Lillias White of Fela!, The Life, Dreamgirls.  Or maybe it’s the entire cast of Natasha and Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 led by Josh Groban, singing their favorite Broadway and non-Broadway chansons.

Sunday’s bottomless brunch has been host to the Skivvies, the duo who saucily perform a tuneful medley wearing nothing but their lingerie and tighty whities. The menu for both tunes and food is equally evocative.  Think “Out of the Boxers,” a falafel waffle with poached egg, tahini and bacon; and “The Package,” with pita-baked beef, egg salad, tomato coulis and pickles.

But here’s the best part. Well, maybe the second best part. There’s actually no food and beverage minimum at The Green Room 42. Come for the show, grab a drink, have a bite. Do it all or do none of it. This is your evening to enjoy a show as you see fit. Show tickets are reasonable, as well, starting at $15.

On the docket are a Tony’s viewing party on June 11, with open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and entertainment; the music of Nine on May 29; “At This Performance,” a show with Broadway understudies and standbys taking the lead on July 10, and “The New Peggy,” a new musical in concert on July 16 among others. Check the schedule for additions.

But if had my druthers, I’d always come to dine as well.  The Green Room 42 serves dinner nightly (in addition to brunch), helmed by Green Fig’s Chef Gabriel Israel (who is also responsible for the cool graffiti art adorning the walls at the banquettes). Try their offbeat schnitzel burger, with a fried chicken cutlet in place of a traditional hamburger patty, slathered with homemade BBQ sauce and topped with a tangy cranberry-Brussel sprout slaw (now you know what I mean by “a better burger”), shareable items like greenroom mushrooms, falafel bites and tuna tartare; or larger plates including steak frites and Tajin baked beef kebab. A creative cocktail menu is offered along with beer and wine.

You can reserve your tickets at http://www.greenfignyc.com/thegreenroom42 , 570 10th Avenue, 4th floor, Yotel hotel, 646-449-7792.

Bach in the Subways: Free Classical Music Concerts in New York on March 21

Celebrate the birthday of one of the world’s great composers with a program of free concerts happening all over the city. Bach in the Subways happens internationally on March 21, with a program of 13 concerts throughout New York City.  This wonderful gift to straphangers was created by cellist Dale Henderson in 2011 in celebration of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday and is presented free in subways and public spaces around the world.

Tips are not expected, as this is a gift from the creator to encourage more people to access classical music.  Henderson notes that the subway is a perfect place to reach all types of people and has applauded the MTA’s receptiveness to his program.

Dale Henderson

Dale, himself, will be playing at Columbus Circle (59th Street subway station) from midnight (when the program kicks off) until 1am and at Washington Place and 6th Avenue from 8pm-9pm.

Other New York City performances include:

Brian L. Thompson (viola) – 8:30am-11:30am, Park Place and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn

Jude Ziliak (Baroque violin) – 9am-10am, West 181st Street at Fort Washington; 4:30pm-5:30pm, West 59th Street at Broadway

Kay Lugh/Goldberg Variations (piano) – 10am-3pm, 5 Metro Tech Center, Bern Dibner Library, Ground floor lobby

Emily Trask (cello) – 10:30am-11:30am, 125th Street Subway, A/B/C/D

Lorenzo Sandi (double bass) – 10:30am-11:30am, Times Square

Robert Duncan and Mayumi Miyaoka (accordion duet) – 11am-5pm, Fulton Street

David de la Nuez (oboe) – 3-4pm, West 175th Street and Fort Washington Avenue

Sylvain Leroux (flute, chromatic tambin) – 11am-1:30pm, First Avenue and 14th Street

“Young Musicians’ Open Mic” (violin, cello) – 1pm-4pm, Grand Central Terminal

John Mark Rozendaal (violoncello) – 5:30pm-6:30pm, Dyckman and Broadway

For more information, visit http://bachinthesubways.com

Free Bulgarian Concert Evenings Offer Classical Music on Upper East Side

With the leaves changing colors and the temperatures cooling down, it feels like the time to cozy up indoors with some wonderful classical music. If you’ve ever imagined yourself at one of the famous student gatherings held in the home of composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, you have a chance to experience something similar in New York.  In Saint Petersburg, Rimsky-Korsakov gave protégés like Igor Stravinsky the opportunity to share their musical talents with others. In Manhattan, it’s the American Foundation for Bulgaria who is inviting you for an intimate evening of music.

Svet Stoyanov

Svet Stoyanov

The Bulgarian Concert Evenings are free to all, in performance at the Bulgarian consulate, 121 East 62nd Street, on the Upper East Side.  These musically filled evenings celebrate the talents of more than forty Bulgarian artists along with other musicians of international acclaim. The entire program is managed on a volunteer basis by the Bulgarian musicians, demonstrating their love for their art.

In true salon fashion, seating is limited. While concerts are free, a $20 donation is suggested to help further this wonderful program.  Ten concerts are scheduled from October through May. The first concert is scheduled on Monday, October 20, at 7pm.  The full schedule and information about donations can be found at www.bceny.org.

Carnegie HallTo kick off their season, there’s a gala at Carnegie Hall’s Weil Recital Hall on October 16 for a modest price (tickets are only $40, $30, or $20 for the concert). The evening’s program features works by Bela Bartok, Antonin Dvorak, Emil Tabakov, and Rafael Piccolotto de Lima. Accompanying musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra will be violist Dov Scheindlin, cellist Joel Noyes, violinist Georgy Valtchev, percussionist Svet Stoyanov, and pianists Anna Stoytcheva and Lora Tchekoratova.  154 West 57th Street. Tickets and information at www.carnegiehall.org, or 212.247.7800.

August Festivals and Cultural Events Continue through End of the Month

While only a few more weeks of summer remain, there’s still plenty to do before the season is over. Several outdoor festivals are taking place throughout Manhattan in August, so you can shop and eat your way through various cultural hubs and make the most out of these last few weeks of warm weather. These street festivals offer hundreds of great exhibits, which include local arts and crafts, antiques, jewelry, and authentic foods.  

More on August Festivals and Cultural Events Continue through End of the Month

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