As Destination Chelsea recently reported, The High Line just opened their stairwells to the sky! To celebrate the opening, Friends of The High Line threw a benefit party, complete with CK models, giant pinwheels, and Danny DeVito! Check it out!:

http://www.bizbash.com/newyork/enewsletter.php?newsletter_id=467

The LGBT Center is pleased to announce "As We See It", the 5th annual exhibition by the NYC Photo Club. The exhibition runs from June 11 - September 3, 2008. Free admission. 208 W 13th Street, NY, NY 10011, www.nycphotoclub.com.

"As We See It"

features stunning imagery...

from erotic to political...

from pop art to politically incorrect...

from travel to portraiture...

and everything in between by some of the finest emerging photographers in NYC.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center 208 W 13th Street, NY, NY 10011 212.620.7310 | gaycenter.org

Yelp.com and The Joyce Theater just threw an awesome party at Chelsea Art Museum to celebrate the Yelp Elite - Yelp.com's most respected and frequent bloggers! The Yelp Elite sampled some of Chelsea's favorite food, drink, and art before being given their Yelp New York Passport to Chelsea, a booklet featuring discounts to the neighborhood's must-sees, dos, and eats! Check out photos from the event, as well as what the Yelp Elite really thought...

http://guestofaguest.com/nyc-events/not-quite-the-jet-set-yelp-offers-passport-to-patrons-of-chelsea/

Yelp Official Blog: http://communityblog.yelp.com/2009/06/the-yelp-new-york-passport-to-chelsea-launch-party.html
Talk Thread: http://www.yelp.com/topic/new-york-the-official-thread-for-the-yelp-passport-to-chelsea-kick-off-event
Reviews of the Event: http://www.yelp.com/biz/passport-to-chelsea-launch-party-new-york
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yelp/sets/72157619190073918/

St. Peter’s Church on 20th Street between 8th and 9th avenues is the perfect Chelsea location for the Chelsea Opera’s production of “Suor Angelica” (Puccini) and their presentation of “Women Extraordinaire,” a nice mix of opera classics such as “Flower duet from Lakme,” and more modern operatic choices such as “Things change, Jo” from “Little Women” (Adamo).

It was nice to have to show start with some familiar songs before getting into the lesser-known Puccini opera “Suor Angelica.” The presentation of “Women Extraordinaire” was a great showcase of the people in the company. Soprano Casey Hutchinson and Mezzo-Soprano Kristen Allegri started the night off with grace and beauty. Allegri also showed her talent throughout “Suor Angelica.” All the performers showcased here showed a fantastic understanding of all the components of opera: acting, singing and grace. Performers showcased a range of vocal types and ages. But the most impressive thing about this performance was the wide array of musical selections. I was particularly impressed with the modern selections such as “The Rape of Lucretica”, “Little Women” and “A Street Car Named Desire.” Darcy Dunn (mezzo-soprano) was a vivacious and dynamic performer who filled the whole room up with her stage presence and voice while singing the part of Meg from “Little Women.” She had a strong voice and acting skills to match. Dunn became this character, much as Rachel A. Rinsione did with her interpretation of the character Blanche in the operatic version of “A Street Car Named Desire.” Rinsione embodied the character of Blanche and showed her skill as both an actress and singer in her emotional interpretation of the solo “I want magic.”

In the production of “Suor Angelica” Dulce Manzini portrayed La Zia Principesa beautifully. In her duet with soprano Anya Fidelia (Suor Angelica) she showed a great skill in both her acting and musicality. Her voice is of top quality and both she and Fidelia clearly had a feel for working well together. Their voice, emotions and presences filled the room. The way in which the two women interacted with each other showed off their skill that they have honed over many years of training and performing. Both performers exhibited a mastery of the music and language that is often not present in modern productions.

I was extremely impressed with the impact that the singers and musicians were able to make with such minimal space. Stage director Beth Greenberg certainly has a great understanding for staging an opera in any space, weather it be the main stage and New York City Opera or the small stage at St. Peter’s church. Additionally the orchestra played beautifully under the direction of Carmine Aufiero.

Each part of this production served to strengthen the other. It was clear that all that participated in the performance, as well as the audience, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. When leaving, murmurs could be heard through the audience about how this was a most impressive production, and possibly the best they had ever seen out of the Chelsea Opera in its amazing 5 years of performances. Many of the audience members had seen the company perform this opera before in June of 2004, and seemed to be very impressed with how well and how much the company has grown in these few short years.

This production was great fun, and definitely something to see for both opera aficionados and those who just simply enjoy good music. If you are interested in going to the show it runs until June 7th! Visit the Chelsea Opera’s website at http://www.chelseaopera.org/ for details and to book tickets in advance.

International Print Center New York presents New Prints 2009/Spring – Selected by Polly Apfelbaum in its gallery at 526 West 26th Street, Room 824, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Chelsea. On view from April 23 until May 30, the show consists of sixty-two pieces by fifty-three emerging to established artists, selected from a pool of nearly 2,100 submissions.

The complete artists’ list for New Prints 2009/Spring is as follows: Lauren Abshire, Kamrooz Aram, Richard Artschwager, Tauba Auerbach, AWG, Glen Baldridge, Colby Bird, Michael Bramwell, Noah Breuer, Tamar Cohen, Ann Conner, Ian Cooper, William Criswell, Elizabeth Deasy, Hope Dector, Tomory Dodge, Carroll Dunham, Orna Feinstein, Elise Ferguson, Steven H. Ford, Jesse Gottesman, Joanne Greenbaum, Ann Hamilton, Denise Hawrysio, Adriane Herman, John Himmelfarb, Robert Howsare, Matt Keegan, William Kentridge, Andrew Kozlowski, Jennifer Marshall, Chris Martin, Suzanne McClelland, John L. Moore, Laura Moriarty, Jill Moser, Doris Neidl, Danica Phelps, Adam Pitt, Paula Praeger, Erika Radich, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Susan Rothenberg, Anthony Ryan, Jackie Saccoccio, Alison Sahmel, Phil Sanders, Larry Schulte, Mindy Shapero, Shinique Smith, Joan Snyder, Richard Tuttle, and May Yang.

International Print Center New York is a non-profit institution founded to promote the greater appreciation and understanding of the fine art print worldwide.

Gallery hours are 11- 6 p.m., Tuesday - Saturday. For additional information, call (212) 989-5090 or visit IPCNY's website www.ipcny.org. For further information regarding this exhibition, please contact Kendra Sullivan at kendra@ipcny.org.

I was able to escape the hour and half rainstorm last night by attending Offices at The Atlantic Stage Theater. Besides staying dry, I had an entertaining hour and a half watching these three short one act plays. The rotating set was a great story telling tool. Working in a corporate setting myself, I could not help but laugh and cringe at the scenes before me. Some office experiences I completely identified with and others have never happened before but would not have minded (first play, girl at her desk). I would not say that Offices is a fantastic theater experience but it was definitely entertaining. My companion for the evening was about to fall asleep when the lights went down and he stayed wide awake through the whole show so I would say that is a sign of an entertaining play! I think I was most impressed with seeing F. Murray Abraham live and in such a different role then I have ever seen him in. He is usually so serious and intimidating in his roles yet in this piece he is crass, sarcastic, and completely hysterical. I have always been a huge fan of the Coen brothers films, I think I quote The Big Lebowski on a weekly basis...so I was very excited to see Ethan Coen's writing in a smaller scale. You could definitely see the dark humor he is famous for in Offices. The Linda Gross Theater is a great venue to see live theater..not just because you get to walk on the stage when you have to use the bathroom, but because of the intimate setting. You truly are up close and personal with the actors and therefore feel more a part of the theater experience. This was my second time at this theater. I had seen The Cripple of Inishman there about a month ago and loved it. Offices is playing until May 31. Definitely schedule a time in your Outlook Calendar to check it out! http://www.atlantictheater.org/

Check out our website to view Ice Theatre of New York's latest newsletter, with pictures from past events, information on upcoming performances and much more!

Spring 09 Newsletter

"Theresa" is a performance by cellist Keren Rosenbaum, physical theater artist Cassie Terman, and 2 members of Reflex Ensemble, who transform an empty stage with sound, music and movement to explore a surreal realm of comic dilemma and the pathos of human frailty. Inspired by the writings of Italo Calvino, this performance was developed in the New Art Lab of The Project Room for New Media at Chelsea Art Museum.

Chelsea Art Museum 556 W22nd Street New York, NY 10011

The performance starts at 6pm.

Tickest are $15/$10 students and seniors/ free for CAM members.

For more information: programs@chhelseaartmuseum.org or 212-255-0719 ext 112

On view through next week at

International Print Center New York:

SEEING GOD IN PRINTS

Indian Lithographs from the Collection of Mark Baron and Elise Boisanté

International Print Center New York announces SEEING GOD IN PRINTS: Indian Lithographs from the Collection of Mark Baron and Elise Boisanté, an exhibition of printed images of Hindu gods and goddesses published in India in the 19th and 20th centuries.  Curated by Andrew McCord and Mark Baron, the Exhibition will be on view from March 4th-April 11th, 2009, in IPCNY’s gallery at 526 West 26th Street in Chelsea, Room 824. 

SEEING GOD IN PRINTS is the first formal presentation in the United States of this genre of Indian art.  The Exhibition is comprised of some thirty-one historically significant lithographs of Hindu gods and goddesses printed during the last quarter of the 19th century and through the 1940s.  First printed in Europe, later at Indian-run commercial color presses, these lithographs were produced in large editions and widely distributed to merchants and households across India.  In the words of Mr. McCord, these prints, "as standardized, forward facing icons, give an immediate and portable connection to the divine."

International Print Center New York is located in Chelsea on 26th Street526 West 26th Street, Room 824. Hours are 11- 6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. For additional information, call Kendra Sullivan, Program Manager, at Kendra@ipcny.org or visit IPCNYs website www.ipcny.org.

F. Murray Abraham, Mary McCann and Joey Slotnick are three of 11 performers for Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere of Ethan Coen's Offices, to play April 15-May 31 at ATC's Linda Gross Theater Off Broadway.

Artistic director Neil Pepe directs the three short plays that make up Offices, a workplace triptych.

According to ATC, "Hiring and firing are antisocial acts. Workplace pressures make for nasty competition. And the work itself can be meaningless and alienating. Accordingly, the three short plays that make up Offices are comedies."

Academy Award winner Ethan Coen ("No Country for Old Men") reteams with Pepe (Broadway's Speed-the-Plow), who staged Coen's sold out 2008 run of Almost an Evening, which had a commercial transfer.

For Offices, the ensemble cast of 11 includes Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham ("Amadeus," Almost an Evening), Daniel Abeles (Behold, the Bowery!), Brennan Brown (Atlantic's Celebration), Aya Cash (From Up Here), John Bedford Lloyd (Some Americans Abroad), Daniel London ("Patch Adams"), Mary McCann (Spring Awakening), Joey Slotnick (Almost an Evening, Lookingglass' Our Town), Greg Stuhr (November), C.J. Wilson (The Voysey Inheritance) and Daniel Yelsky (upcoming film "Meet Monica Velour").

Opening is May 7. Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater is at 336 West 20th Street.

Coen's one-acts collection Almost an Evening in 2008 played at Atlantic Stage 2, the intimate 16th Street space, and then moved to a commercial Off-Broadway run.

Coen has made 14 movies with his brother Joel, including the Academy Award-winning films "No Country for Old Men" and "Fargo," plus "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "Raising Arizona," "Barton Fink," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "The Big Lebowski" and "Burn After Reading."

Offices will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Laura Bauer, lighting design by David Weiner and sound design by Obadiah Eaves.

Offices will play Tuesday-Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM & 7 PM.

Tickets are $65 and available by calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 (ticketcentral.com).

________________________________________________________________________________ 

The final production of Atlantic Theater Company's 2008-09 Off-Broadway season will be the world premiere of Leslie Ayvazian's modern-relationships play Make Me, directed by Atlantic associate artistic director Christian Parker. Casting will be announced shortly.

Make Me will begin previews May 19, officially open May 31 and play a limited engagement through June 14 at the intimate Atlantic Stage 2 at 330 West 16th Street.

According to Atlantic, "In Make Me, six pent-up Americans in three different relationships have reached the end of their ropes. In this naughty comic fugue, Leslie Ayvazian explores what happens when the rules are changed just at the moment when people think they are perfectly comfortable and the lengths to which some will go to be seen, heard and obeyed."

Ayvazian makes her Atlantic Theater Company debut. Her acclaimed Off-Broadway play Nine Armenians won the John Gassner Outer Critics Award, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Kennedy Center's Roger L. Stevens Award. Her film credits include Showtime's "Every Three Minutes" starring Olympia Dukakis.

Atlantic associate artistic director Parker most recently staged the New York premiere of Tina Howe's play Birth And After Birth. Other Atlantic credits include Jeff Whitty's The Hiding Place and 10X20, a festival of newly commissioned ten-minute plays by writers previously produced at Atlantic.

Make Me will feature scenic design by Anna Louizos, lighting design by Josh Bradford and sound design by Jill BC DuBoff.

Ayvazian's second full-length play (after Nine Armenians), Singer's Boy, was produced at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco directed by Cary Perloff. High Dive, her one-woman show about turning 50, premiered at the Long Wharf Theatre directed by David Warren, produced in conjunction with The Play Company, and opened in New York at Manhattan Class Company. It has since received many productions in the U.S. and recently completed a successful run in Poland. Rosemary and I, which was named a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist, received a workshop at New York Stage and Film and a full production at the Passage Theatre in Trenton, NJ, directed by Blair Brown. Her play Lovely Day premiered at City Theatre in Pittsburgh in a production directed by Tracy Brigden, and was produced in New York at The Play Company where it was staged by Blair Brown.

Make Me received workshop productions by the Cape Cod Theatre Festival and the Adirondack Theatre Festival, both directed by Martha Banta. She has received commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory Theatre and Wind Dancer Productions.

Make Me will play Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM, Saturday matinees at 2:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM. All tickets are $40 and are available by calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or by visiting www.ticketcentral.com.

For more information visit www.atlantictheater.org.

The Kitchen Gallery and Performance Space on W. 19th between 10th and 11th offers a plethora of visual, performing and mixed media art presentations. Their current show in the gallery is Elodie Pongs "After the Empire;" an experimental short film in which the artist, Pong, tested the boundaries of the audiences acceptance of the somewhat absurdist structure of popular culture.

 I arrived towards closing time. The gallery staff was fairly amenable to staying open a little later to enable me to watch the video in its entirety. The space was set up nicely with one sculptural exhibit in the main room, and two film installations in the back. The staff was knowledgeable about the pieces, explaining that Pong herself wanted the viewer to walk into watching her film at any point throughout, because even though it had a beginning and an end, it ran in a loop and could be picked up on from any point.

I came in just for the middle of the piece, and must say that watching it from middle to middle was extremely interesting and effective. Pongs idea that people should be able to view her piece from any point was completely valid and worked perfectly.

 The film itself was a series of short vignettes, intertwined with each other. Each vignette had developed and absurdist characters, either reminiscent of a cultural stereotype (an Asian sex addict), or a pop culture icon, all with slightly new spins. She seemed to use only dialogue from other famous movies and songs and speeches; however, the variety of sources and the way Pong connected references that seemingly  had nothing to do with each other was impressive. From Elvis, to Marylin Monroe, to Martin Luther King Jr. and even Batman and Robin, Pong pointed out the comical aspect of many of the popular influences through America. The film had a feeling of a side show at a circus, giving it humor and a sort of melancholy, which after all does play into what seems to be the overall point.

 In this exhibit, Pong poigniantly points out the absurdity of much of our media driven popular culture, and makes the viewer think what will be left of our civilization and culture "After the Fall."

The first time I saw Savion Glover was in Jelly's Last Jam with Gregory Hines. I think I was twelve at the time and he probably was the same age.  For a twelve year old to hold his own with Gregory Hines, that young man had to be someone special. Twenty years later, Savion Glover is not just a special dancer he is spectacular. I must preface this blog by saying I am not a huge fan of tap dancing...maybe it was because I was not allowed to take tap classes as a kid (mom was concerned about the constant sound of tap shoes on her kitchen floor!) or maybe because most muscials with tap in it are pretty cheesy but Savion Glover's show at the Joyce last night was not your typical tap show.  It reminded me more of STOMP then 42nd Street. 

Savion is an amazing athlete.  He danced for a good two hours straight with one 20 minute intermission.  The one word to describe his dancing is passionate.  It is mesmerizing to watch him and he rarely moves around the stage...his dancing was contained to a square piece of wood maybe 8X8 feet but he worked his space and the energy exuded all the way out from his fingertips.  Let's also talk about his smile, it is infectious.  He truly looks like he is loving every minute of performing and has a deep admiration and respect for his fellow hoofers and musicians.  This show was not so much a visual performance but a musical performance.  Savion and his fellow hoofers became a part of the band that was on stage and without the tapping, the music would not have been complete.  The show also featured an amazing flamenco dancer and singer.  The idea of tap and flamenco together is so brilliant since they do parallel each other in so many ways.  Great concept.  Did I mention Savion taps on his toes for a good two minutes without ever coming down.  Speaking as a 6 year pointe dancer...holy #$#$!  I was ready to get down on my knees and do the "I am not worthy" right then and there.

I have to admit that I was ready for the show to end and the second act did drag a bit.  The last number felt like it went on way too long and I found myself looking at my watch.  I am going to attribute this to the fact that I am not a huge fan of tap and not a musician.  For those who love this genre of dance and are fans of percussion and latin flavored music, that last number would probably be enjoyable, but for me, at some point it just became noise and I was hoping it would end soon.  At the end of the show, I had a deep respect and admiration for Savion Glover but at the same time I was all tapped out!  

Savion's show plays for another week at the Joyce and his performance should not be missed!  He was a brilliant dancer at age 12 when I saw him years ago, but now years later, he is a gifted master artist and has taken the genre of tap to a performance level you will never see anywhere else. 

 http://www.joyce.org/

This morning, trucks, trailors, extension cords, and lighting equipment took over Peter McManus Cafe and the Northwest corner of 19th St. and 7th Ave!!!

Guess what the shoot was for:

1.) A segment on The David Letterman Show.

2.) An episode of Law & Order.

3.) A new Adam Sandler movie.

We know the truth........:)

Sadly, the corner of 19th St. and 8th Ave. says goodbye to a long standing gem of the block - Galaxy Diner. From greasy eggs and toast to healthy fruit shakes, this place will be missed!! Does anyone know when this place opened?? OR why this place closed??

R.I.P. Galaxy!!!

That’s right! Tickets to all evening performances in Dance Theater Workshop's Bessie Schönberg Theater during February and March are now $10 online and $15 through the box office. To see which shows are included in this limited time offer, click here!

Also visit Dance Theater Workshop to learn more about this great contemporary dance art organization.

Local Chelsea master of baked goods, The City Bakery kicked-off their 17th Annual Hot Chocolate Festival this past Saturday! Widely known for their variety of delicious breakfast pastries, City Bakery also boasts the "best known and most drunk hot chocolate in New York since 1990." For the month of February, City Bakery presents a different flavor of hot chocolate each and every day...thank goodness for us there is only 28 days in this short month!

Learn more about The City Bakery here and pick your hot chocolate day(s) and flavor(s) here!

This Thursday 1/22 at 7pm!!

In conjunction with the exhibition on view ItaliaArabia...

Come see Waiting for Pasolini (2007), selected Best Arabic Film at the 2007 Cairo International Film Festival. Directed by Daoud Aoulad-Syad, it  is a distinctly Moroccan comedy set in Ouarzazate, a Moroccan town used by countless American and European film production companies. The tiny village of Ouarzazate is turned upside down when it is announced that an Italian film crew will be arriving to shoot a film. Waiting for Pasolini will be followed by a brief discussion on the role of art in cross cultural exchange, as it relates to the film and the exhibition.

Chelsea Art Museum – Home of the Miotte Foundation

566 West 22nd Street (at 11th Avenue)

New York, NY 10011

Free with museum admission.

Space is limited. RSVP required by Tuesday, January 20 to:

bookstore@chelseaartmuseum.org or 212.255.0719 x 0

Looking for something to do on this cold holiday weekend?  Look no further than Parsons Dance Company at The Joyce.  There are currently two programs to choose from.  I attended Program B on Tuesday night and all I can say is "Wow!"  I have seen Parsons perform three times and this was definitely my favorite program to date.   Of course they did Caught which is just pure genius...I have seen this piece three times and it never gets old.  I had the good fortune to see David Parsons perform it himself at Jacob's Pillow. which was definitely the best it has ever been performed so it was a little disappointing Tuesday because the lighting was off a little bit.  However, the brilliance of this piece outweighs the minimal lighting glitches that occurred.I really enjoy the way Parsons uses light and shadows in their choreography.  I also would like to know how those dancers danced in the spotlight with their eyes wide open while I could not see a thing everytime they shone the light into the audience. 

The sold out crowd had the good fortune to see an excerpt from Program A: Ebben- a wonderful "duet" to the East Village Opera Company.  Program A is all EVOC and I initially did not go to that program because I am not a fan of opera...however, I am officially eating my words because based on what I saw Tuesday night, I am now dying to see Program A.  My hesitancy to call this piece a duet was because while there were two people on stage, really only one person was dancing.  I noticed a theme last night of the women doing all the work and the men just standing there.  Could not help but smirk about the metaphors going through my head and relate that to my own personal experiences with the opposite sex lately!  I do wonder why they chose so many pieces in this program with that similar composition but in any case, when the men did dance, they were fantastic. 

This company is so in synch and athletic.  The leaps and turns all are so high, yet the landings so soft it looks like they are floating on stage...timing is impeccable in this company and I have rarely seen unison dancing so perfect!  Lastly, how can you go wrong with a company that dances to Earth, Wind, and Fire.  Come on now!  The audience was dancing in their seats from beginning to the end of that piece.  I know this weekend is going to be miserable and cold but it is worth braving the blustery weather to see Parsons at The Joyce.  Put on the Uggs and down jackets and go see it!!

The Joyce Theater  www.joyce.org

David Parsons Dance Company  www.parsonsdance.org

New York Times critic, Claudia La Rocco recently started a Performance Club. Ms. La Rocco announces Performance Club "happenings" on WNYC's blog.

Her most recent Performance Club blog posting featured two of Destination Chelsea's very own! The Kitchen and Cedar Lake were highlighted for their current shows. 

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) annual NYC conference begins today! To learn more about APAP, click here.

Along with many other NYC venues, Destination Chelsea organizations Dance Theater Workshop and Cedar Lake will present artists and their work throughout the entire weekend!

To find out more about these artists and their work, as well as the organizations who present them, please contact Dance Theater Workshop and Cedar Lake directly.

Enjoy a weekend of great art all over the city, especially here in the neighborhood of Chelsea!

For the past two weekends, Lotus Music and Dance had an open house to showcase the various classes they have to offer.  I stopped by Saturday for about an hour and caught an Odissi presentation.  Four young ladies presented the dance, dressed in tradtional costume and make up.  I was very impressed with the talent in that small studio.  Odissi is a storytelling type of dance with poses and very subtle movements.  Each foot needed to be placed a certain way, hands were held in a distinct manner, and the expression on each dancer drew you into the story.  I think the dancers could not have been more than 12 years old but they had such a mature presence on that stage.  Lotus made quite an effort in this open house to expose its clients to all aspects of the various cultures.  There were food and refreshments representative of the various countries and a raffle for several lovely jewelry pieces.  The narrator of the open house explained each dance and what all the poses meant to prepare the audience for the piece.  I wish I could have stayed longer, but I needed to make it to my own dance class at Broadway Dance Center.  There are so many dance studios in NYC.  What really impressed me about Lotus Music and Dance is the art forms they are exposing their students to.  Not only is the artisrty important but also understanding the culture and history behind each dance form.  Students are not only learning a dance technique, they are keeping cultural traditions alive by exposing a new generation to this technique.

Bravo to Lotus Music and Dance.  Check out a class for yourself at

Chelsea Art Museum offers guided tours every Saturday at 3 pm!

FREE with Museum admission.

Now on view: ItaliaArabia 

Arising out of the life-long commitment of Chelsea Art Museum’s founders to foster cross-cultural dialogue, the exhibition ItaliaArabia juxtaposes 80 works by mid-twentieth century Italian and Middle Eastern artists, revealing the impact that each culture has had on the other. An additional collection of manuscripts, textiles, musical instruments, and cartographic documents span an entire millennium of Italian, Ottoman, Safavid and Qajar cultural traditions, creating a historical frame of reference for the visual and thematic convergences of the twentieth century.  

I attended Pure Vision Arts' Modern Primitive show last week. It was a 6th Anniversary Exhibition and Reception featuring work by self-taught artists with autism and other developmental disabilities. The turn out was fantastic and the presented work even more so.

The showroom, located on the 3rd floor at 114 West 17th Street was crowded with artists and art lovers from all different economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. The smorgasbord of attendees fit well with the wide variety of aesthetics presented. The energy reflected the life of the artwork and inspired many to purchase pieces on display, as well as gift items, such as pillows, stationary, and notebooks. 

With a merry mood filling the air, I enjoyed cheese and wine while viewing work by my favorite PVA artist, Jessica Park. Her use of lines and color is absolutely stunning. 

I cannot think of a more genuine and better cause-related organization in the neighborhood of Chelsea. I urge everyone to check out the next PVA exhibit and learn how to support Manhattan's only studio and exhibition space dedicated to this kind of artist and this kind of artwork; click here. 

I took in a show at the Kitchen when I was in the big city two weeks ago on a business trip (see: birthday weekend). I had not seen a show in that space before was so glad to do so. The Kitchen is a truly amazing space with an incredible history: housing one of the nation's first non-profit institutions for visionary work in dance, music, film, and all kinds of experimental theatre. When I learned of its current board of directors including such notables as Phillip Glass and Laurie Anderson, I knew this show couldn't lose.

When Beth Gill's what it looks like, what it feels like began, I thought to myself- "great, another show where absolutley nothing happens." We, the audience, sat in darkness for a minute or maybe five or maybe it was ten while long sheets of light were shone at the back of the stage. And then I realized this was the happening. The tension between us as the audience was heavy, even before the show "begun."  Gill used time as her partner, making the audience palpably aware of every second that passed, while simultaneously getting lost in time.

She applies this same concept to space-turning the entire stage floor at The Kitchen into a grid of mirrors. In Part One, the dancers shuffled back and forth, mirroring each other's movements, at a snail's pace. The dancers' movements were excruciatingly calculated (how could they stay in sync, not facing each other, with no music to count to?!) The starkness of it all forced me to take in all of the space around me, including other audience members. While glancing around at my fellow watchers, I noticed some looking right back at me while others couldn't take their eyes off of the stage. I think we were all waiting for the walls to come crashing down, a dancer to start screaming or something, anything to "happen."  At the end of Part One, Gill gave us a little wink and nod about the role of the audience. The dancers, assisted by stage crew members, took apart the mirrors (one by one) and walked them off the stage. They made sure to face the mirrors toward the audience, giving us a full picture of...ourselves.

Part Two came in much differently with a sound installation piece of wild drumming. You could feel the tension in the audience shift as we had grown accustomed to a much softer atmosphere. I half expected the dancers to come running onto the stage yelling tribal chants, but thought better and was relieved when they shuffled on stage again. This time around all of the dancers were onstage at once and engaged in a routine in sync. The piece ended as it started: simple, somber, and with the attention indirectly on the stage.

For more shows that will make you go hmmm:                                                       http://thekitchen.org/

I don't think I could have picked a better way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend then by attending last night's Complexions performance at The Joyce Theater.  I have been a Desmond Richardson fan since I saw him in Ailey and had the opportunity to see him teach a Master Class at Jeanette Neil Dance Studio in Boston, MA several years ago.  This was my first opportunity to see this company and my only negative comment was I was upset it was closing night!  The athleticism and energy on stage was mesemerizing.  The two hour performance did not have one weak moment.  Sure there were times that the unison dancing was not in complete unison, but it so rarely occurred, that any instance was easily forgiveable. 

The first Act- Hissy Fits featured a majority of the company.  While I was not a fan of the costume (come on now, white underwear and black socks...anyone else having images of their grandpa walking around?) the precision and strength of the dancers quickly made me forget about the poor choice in sock color.  What is amazing about Complexions is not the tricks the company does, but the length of their lines, shapes, and purpose of each step they take.  Some of the most amazing moments for me were simply when the dancers moved from a flexed foot, to demi-pointe, and then a full pointed toe.  I have danced for almost 30 years and have never been able to demonstrate such intensity simply by pointing my feet.

The second Act consisted of three pieces, a gospel medley which featured live vocals and dancing to spoken word (very unique and exciting to see S. Epatha Merkerson out of the Law and Order precinct), my favorite piece Surface- a male duet to Debussy- the lighting and choreography were perfection, and finally an intense female trio- while some moments were not as together as I would have liked, the women dancing really were spectacular and committed to the piece.

Complexions ended the night with Rise- a World Premiere piece set to music by U2.  I enjoyed this piece and love when companies try to bridge the old and the new.  Ballet and U2- I never would have put the two together but it totally worked.  The dancers all looked like they were truly enjoying themselves on that stage which made me more invested in the piece, however, I couldn't help feel it was a little too safe.  There were moments in the piece that were really unique and the shapes the dancers created were very striking, but in some ways the piece felt a little commercial and was maybe catering to the crowd that only knows about Desmond and Dwight Rhoden because Katie and Will danced to their piece on SYTYCD. 

Lastly, I can't say enough about the Joyce Theater as an amazing venue for dance.  Besides Jacob's Pillow, I think it is my favorite place to watch a dance performance. There is not a bad seat in the entire theater.   It is a large enough space to accomodate a nice size audience yet intimate enough to hear the dancers breathe.  Take the time to check out a show at The Joyce, you will not be disappointed

http://www.joyce.org/

And for those of you who think ballet is just pointe shoes and tutus, please buy a ticket to Complexions next performance and expand your horizons.

Create your own New York City experience using our CHOOSE CHELSEA, CHOOSE CULTURE guide that includes a coupon and recommended cultural packages:

Click here for a full list of coupon discounts!

→  Download the CHOOSE CHELSEA, CHOOSE CULTURE guide (PDF)

It was a gift to hear music in St. Peter’s Church last evening, a little-known gem located in the heart of Chelsea on 20^th Street between 8^th and 9^th Avenues. I attended Chelsea Opera’s opening night of “The Scarf,” with music by Lee Hoiby and “The Bear,” with music by William Walton, with a diverse mix of opera enthusiasts filling the Church pews.  Both operas are based on works by Anton Chekhov, a writer known for creating dramatic stories rich with intense characters.

Ominous notes from a bassoon opened “The Scarf,” based on Chekhov’s story titled “The Witch,” foreshadowing the dark drama to come. An unhappy young wife Miriam (played by Caprice Corona) argues with her older husband Reuel (played by Anthony Daino) during a fierce winter blizzard, as Reuel accuses his wife of casting spells to lure young men to their home. A knock on the door reveals a Postman (played by Peter Clark) who has lost his way and needs shelter, much to Reuel’s chagrin.  The Postman and Miriam connect as the husband sleeps, but as the night deepens, Reuel awakes and jealously commands the Postman to leave. When the husband exits to ready the Postman’s horse, Miriam and the Postman embrace. She sends the Postman off with a scarf she cast with a spell to bring him back to her. Unfortunately, the scarf returns around her husband’s neck instead, and enraged, Miriam uses the scarf to strangle him to death.

Daino convincingly portrayed the overbearing husband in this story, with expressive grimaces and angry gestures to make any wife wish for a better life. Clark’s dashing Postman with full baritone was the perfect foil to Daino’s careful and harping tenor.  Corona was at her strongest when alone onstage, casting her vocal spell on the scarf, her gaze frightfully direct and impassioned. The opera ended with a striking picture, as Corona pulls the scarf just used to murder her husband taut across space, in a futile attempt to escape her life of unhappiness.

On a much lighter and more playful note, Luka (played by Lawrence Long) a young widow’s manservant sets a comedic tone with a very audible and exasperated sigh at the top of “The Bear,” based on Chekhov’s work of the same name. Long, has a rich voice and brilliant comedic timing, inviting the audience in from the moment he stepped foot onstage. As the story unfolds, Popova, the young widow in mourning (played by Julie De Vaere) is unwillingly called upon by Smirnov, (played by Chelsea Opera newcomer Daniel Quintana) a rude acquaintance of her late husband’s looking to collect the debt that he is owed. Needless to say, a humorous struggle (both vocal and physical) ensues between the young widow and the cocky debt collector, leading them to fall in love, despite their best efforts.  Quintana delivered a rich baritone in the evening’s melodramatic comedy, and his humorous facial expressions and gestures as the arrogant Smirnov had the audience laughing. De Vaere’s prim and proper Popova handled the challenging timing of the music with grace, and shared great chemistry with Quintana’s conceited Smirnov. “The Bear” was well cast, and was full of energy, both from the performers onstage and the talented members of the Chelsea Opera Chamber Orchestra, passionately led by Conductor Carmine Aufiero.

From the inspired set designs to the passionate performances, it was an enjoyable evening at the opera in a fantastic neighborhood venue.  You can find Chelsea Opera’s upcoming performances online at www.chelseaopera.org

Destination Chelsea INTERNSHIP

Intern will assist in the planning and implementation of a time-sensitive publicity and community outreach initiative; including audience development and grassroots business member acquisition. A huge focus is geared towards combing the Chelsea neighborhood in search of new business members and increasing local visibility. In addition, the Destination Chelsea intern will be integral in maintaining blog activity along with other web based projects.

Destination Chelsea is a coalition of cultural organizations and businesses located in Manhattan’s Chelsea. Its mission is to increase the public’s participation in, and enjoyment of, Chelsea’s rich cultural and entertainment life. Please see www.DestinationChelsea.org. Send resume and brief note to: destinationchelsea@dtw.org

Responsibilities:

• Creation of Destination Chelsea business membership kits
• Work closely with Manager on creation and execution of route designed to inform all Chelsea neighborhood businesses of membership opportunities
• Assist in maintaining blog content, variety, and traffic.

Qualifications:

Strong writing, organization, and interpersonal communication skills and computer literacy are required.

Compensation:

Free tickets to productions, gallery openings, classes, etc…will be available.

Check out photos of Dana Schmidek and Tyler Ashley with Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan! Such a great event this past Monday. Read more about the gala below in Dana's blog posting titled: 'Definitely not the Ice Capades.'

So Monday night I made my first trip to Chelsea Piers to attend the Fall Ice Theater Gala honoring Nancy Kerrigan.  I am a big fan of watching competitive ice skating, and also being a dancer myself was looking forward to seeing how these two art forms worked together.  I was very glad Moira told me to dress warmly because that was definitely a key factor in enjoying the performance.  I get it...ice, needs to be cold to maintain ice....I am so glad the sweater dress was invented..it was a lifesaver.  The gala performance was a combination of solo and company pieces. My favorite piece was a duet between two women dressed in very plain clothes set to music so quiet you could hear the skate noises as the dancers/skaters weaved and stopped.  It was mesmerizing to watch and something I had never seen in an ice rink...contemporary dancing with no jumps or turns.  Ice skating to me has always been about the tricks and not the artistry but with the Ice Theater, we are seeing skating in a whole new way and I really enjoyed it.  A couple of the pieces at the gala felt like they came right out of Disney on Ice but I am assuming that is because there was an eclectic audience so they wanted to create pieces for all attending.  As I watched, I realized that performing on ice is much more difficult then performing on stage, not because of the skates, but because there is so much more space to have to fill to reach your audience.  The pieces that struck me the most were not the ensemble pieces but the duets where the skaters had to perform with such passion, energy, and emotion (yet not seem over the top) to reach the audience.  They definitely succeeded.  So enough about the performance...What a party!!!!!  The reception was at the Lighthouse, a beautiful space right on the water.  Food- amazing.....drinks continuously flowing, incredible silent auction items up for bid, AND the opportunity to fill up your plate with delectable cheeses and antipasto next to Nancy Kerrigan, Paul Wylie, and Vera Wang.  It was a fantastic party.  I had a mission that night to get a picture with Paul Wylie since a friend from high school was/is obsessed with him and I knew the reaction to seeing the photo would generate some crazy reaction..(which it did, thank you Facebook).  You would think my evening ended there but no, my companion and I left the gala eager for something sweet to end the night...we wound up at Billy's Bakery in search of Red Velvet cupcakes and we were not disappointed.  I have been dreaming about those cupcakes all week now.  But, in true NYC fashion, my night could not end with such a saccharine sweet cupcake,no, no no...I had to have my first fight since I moved to NY where my companion and I were shoved into the counter at Billy's Bakery because someone could not take a joke

Rule #1- boys, whether you are gay or straight---do not hit a girl

Rule #2- if you are seriously going to have a raging fit and threaten bodily harm to someone, please do not make it over a cupcake...no matter how good they are

So in conclusion, The Ice Theater is an exciting combination of two art forms and I look forward to seeing what this season has to offer AND Billy's Bakery has the best cupcakes in NYC, but be forewarned- beware of drama queens when placing your order.

 For more information on the Ice Theatre of New York go to:

http://www.icetheatre.org/

Billy's Bakery:

Check out some snapshots of our Fall 2008 Launch Party! We would like to thank everyone that attended, donated food and beverages, and gave wonderful prizes to our culture raffles. We must also acknowledge Chelsea Art Museum for their gracious help in hosting this event. Cheers!

For more information regarding our party or Destination Chelsea, please email: DestinationCheslea@dtw.org

Braved the monsoon of Saturday night to attend the final peformance of Blue Liz at The Kitchen.  I really am loving the NYC performance spaces.  I grew up coming to NYC to see Broadway shows and marvelling at the theaters, however, I am so impressed with the intimate theater settings around Chelsea.  It is such an exciting way to see a show where you really feel part of the performance.  I have taking dance classes and performed for the last 29 years so I was really excited to see a dance premiere.  Wow!  While I did not understand some of the piece there were moments that were so amazing and the dancers all performed with such conviction that I could not help but be impressed.  The first and last section of the piece was the best part for me.  The speaking sections I frankly did not understand and preferred to just watch the movement and listen to the music.  The lighting was fantastic and really set the tone.  Who would think walking could be so moving but the first section requiring the dancers to continuously walk in sync all the while interchanging each other's clothes was so unique and mezmerizing to watch.  The last section of dancing in and out of the silvery curtain drew me in and the final picture was brilliant.

So now let's talk about the nudity....dancing in the nude...okay, I am trying to be open minded about this....yeah, I think I understand why the nudity was there although for me, I am all about dance and when someone is dancing around me naked (and in such close proximity)I tend to no longer focus on the movement of the dance because I am too busy saying, okay, there is a flacid penis in front of me right now.  Call me immature...but it's the truth. Again, a standing ovation for the performers who were so dedicated and committed to this piece.  Any woman that can dance without a sports bra or a man without a dance belt deserves my ovation.  

I appreciate theaters like The Kitchen who foster edgy, unique takes on common art forms.  It was worth the drenched clothes and water logged shoes I had last night from walking there in the hurricane that was Saturday night.  Things are cooking in The Kitchen and I look forward to going back there for another meal! 

www.thekitchen.org 

With the beautiful weather this past weekend I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to check out The Chelsea Project, three public installations designed to enliven the Chelsea area and celebrate the history and culture of the Chelsea neighborhood.  Remember when you had projects in school and you always started with a great idea but it never turned out exactly the way you planned?  I got that same feeling walking around last night.  The concept of The Chelsea Project is fantastic but the execution was not that impressive.  I started at 14th and 9th and worked my way up.  First stop: Sleeping Monter Producted by Reason, a stark white sculpture made up of a variety of heads and body parts of cartoons and real people....in the words of Tom Hanks in Big " I don't get it."  I will admit that I am not a fine arts person so this is just one girls' opinon but I would appreciate someone explaining to me the point of the piece as well as the title.  Next stop was 17th and 10th at the Fulton House Playground: AWGTHTGTTWTA was supposed to be a video installation yet my friend and I walked to every playground in that area (there were three) and could not find it anywhere.  I was actually excited to see this piece and was disappointed that we could not locate it.  Last stop was Neighborhood, a black and white photography spread along 23rd and 10th.  I was really impressed with this piece.   Loved that it was posted along the blue construction walls!  Very unique idea to take old photographs of young people around Chelsea and place current day teens and children holding up signs of what part of the city this picture was shot in.  I really thought it was a great concept and the pictures repeated themselves so if you were a less observant person, eventually the photos would capture your attention as you walked down the block.  

As a new person to NYC (I officially have been living here a year October 10th) I really loved the concept of The Chelsea Project.  I liked that the installations were in parts of the city you would not normally encounter a piece of art and blended into the day to day of the city.  What a great way to explore the neighborhood, see all the great restaurants and shops that are in the area (my friend and I ate at The Park- food was fantastic and the venue was so unique), check out the architecture and salivate over the goregous brownstones you wish you could afford to live in, and just people watch in general.  Despite my disappointment in the art I saw and did not see, I liked that I had a motivation to walk the neighborhoods and appreciated what the artists were trying to do- create a unique visual experience in a place you would never expect to find it.  I hope the Chelsea Project enlists more artists to do installations around the neighborhood. I only explored about seven streets last night and I know there are a lot more blocks of Chelsea to see!

Spain, Really; France, Sort Of

“In Chelsea, a Paean to Paella,” by Frank Bruni

Dining Briefs, by Julia Moskin

Thursday night, straight off a plane from Minnesota I made my way to the Atlantic Theater Company production of "Whats that Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling." A show about a talk show where an avid theater fan interviews his musical theater idols even if they are completely unknown to the rest of the world and famous in only about two pairs of eyes. So was it worth taking that whiff? Absolutely, although I think if you are not a theater person a lot of the meaning will be lost on you. Let me first say the theater itself is a fantastic venue to see a show. I am a huge fan of intimate theaters where you feel you are a part of the show. The show itself, definitely entertaining and the five actors really embraced their characters, especially David Pittu and Peter Bartlett. As much as I did personally enjoy the show, I do think this is a show for a particular audience. I consider myself an avid theater fan and many of the jokes were over my head and appeared to make many references to industry people and places that I had never heard of. The majority of the audience was laughing out loud so apparently they got the jokes that I was missing. I hate to be boring and use the word clever but that is the best word to describe this show..it makes fun of musical theater at the same time embracing it. David Pittu does a spectacular job of keeping a straight face as h