Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Play's the Thing ... on Broadway
Interesting article in today's New York Times by Ben Brantley about the "comeback" of dramatic theater on Broadway this year.
A Dramatic Comeback for the Play
It's quite true: this has been a great year not just for plays but for serious, sometimes disturbing drama on Broadway. This year alone I saw "Journey's End", "Talk Radio", "Frost/Nixon" and "Cyrano", "Grey Gardens", none of which were feel good shows. And I still want to see "The Farnsworth Invention", "Rock N' Roll", and "August: Osage County."
If anyone out there has seen any really good plays this year, please let the Mr NYC readers (both of them) know about it.
Let's hope 2008 is as good!
A Dramatic Comeback for the Play
It's quite true: this has been a great year not just for plays but for serious, sometimes disturbing drama on Broadway. This year alone I saw "Journey's End", "Talk Radio", "Frost/Nixon" and "Cyrano", "Grey Gardens", none of which were feel good shows. And I still want to see "The Farnsworth Invention", "Rock N' Roll", and "August: Osage County."
If anyone out there has seen any really good plays this year, please let the Mr NYC readers (both of them) know about it.
Let's hope 2008 is as good!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Review: "Cyrano"
Well it's been a while since Mr NYC went to the theater so it was a quite a joy to go back recently and see Edmund Rostand "Cyrano" at the Richard Rodgers Theater.
First, the plot: written by Edmond Rostand and set in 17th century France, nobleman solider Cyrano de Bergerac is a great wit ("My panache!") and ever greater warrior. He loves the beautiful Roxane but his unusually big nose makes him feel unworthy of her love. Roxane in turn loves Christian, another soldier, a sweet man but not the sharpest sword in the army. Sublimating his own desire, Cyrano helps Christian woo Roxane with beautiful words that Christian himself cannot conjure up. Cyrano's genius helps Christian win Roxane's hand in marriage but then war and personal tragedy intervene. In the end, we see what a tangled web love weaves.
Second, my review: directed by David Leveaux ("Jumpers"), this new Broadway version stars Kevin Kline ("The Big Chill", "A Fish Called Wanda") as Cyrano, Jennifer Garner ("Alias", "Juno") as Roxane, and Daniel Sunjata ("Rescue Me", "The Bronx is Burning") as Christian. It is a fun, rollicking, beautifully-staged production and the performances, including Chris Sarandon ("Dog Day Afternoon") as a scheming Count, are uniformly excellent. While Garner and Sunjata play their roles with great delicacy and respect, this is really Kline's show. It's the kind of big, scenery-chewing performance that he gave in movies like "Soapdish" and that won him an Oscar for "A Fish Called Wanda."
The play is a little long and the production is sometimes over the top but if a show makes you feel spiritually enriched when you're walking out of the theater, then it's a good show. This "Cyrano" does that.
Cyrano on Broadway
First, the plot: written by Edmond Rostand and set in 17th century France, nobleman solider Cyrano de Bergerac is a great wit ("My panache!") and ever greater warrior. He loves the beautiful Roxane but his unusually big nose makes him feel unworthy of her love. Roxane in turn loves Christian, another soldier, a sweet man but not the sharpest sword in the army. Sublimating his own desire, Cyrano helps Christian woo Roxane with beautiful words that Christian himself cannot conjure up. Cyrano's genius helps Christian win Roxane's hand in marriage but then war and personal tragedy intervene. In the end, we see what a tangled web love weaves.
Second, my review: directed by David Leveaux ("Jumpers"), this new Broadway version stars Kevin Kline ("The Big Chill", "A Fish Called Wanda") as Cyrano, Jennifer Garner ("Alias", "Juno") as Roxane, and Daniel Sunjata ("Rescue Me", "The Bronx is Burning") as Christian. It is a fun, rollicking, beautifully-staged production and the performances, including Chris Sarandon ("Dog Day Afternoon") as a scheming Count, are uniformly excellent. While Garner and Sunjata play their roles with great delicacy and respect, this is really Kline's show. It's the kind of big, scenery-chewing performance that he gave in movies like "Soapdish" and that won him an Oscar for "A Fish Called Wanda."
The play is a little long and the production is sometimes over the top but if a show makes you feel spiritually enriched when you're walking out of the theater, then it's a good show. This "Cyrano" does that.
Cyrano on Broadway
MTA Metro Card Price Hike
The MTA just announced that the price of the monthly unlimited Metro Card is going from $76 to $81. Let Mr NYC help you with the annual economics of this:
$81 x 12 = $972
$76 x 12 = $912
$972 - $912 = $60
So it's gonna cost us monthly unlimited riders an extra $60 a year - $60 we might otherwise spend on ourselves or those we love (or would like to love).
The regular fare for a single ride will remain at $2 so us NYC residents will basically be subsidizing the tourists.
Welcome to NYC 2008. Egads.
$81 x 12 = $972
$76 x 12 = $912
$972 - $912 = $60
So it's gonna cost us monthly unlimited riders an extra $60 a year - $60 we might otherwise spend on ourselves or those we love (or would like to love).
The regular fare for a single ride will remain at $2 so us NYC residents will basically be subsidizing the tourists.
Welcome to NYC 2008. Egads.
Cheap (Relatively) Japanese Food
NYC being Yuppie central, Japanese food is quite popular here, natch. Problem: it's expensive, very expensive, thus its status an a socioeconomic thingy-mcbob. But there are a couple of places where you can find really good Japanese food at reasonable prices.
Tenzan: located on 73rd and Columbus Ave, this is a busy but pleasant place to get excellent food. The miso soup was incredible and the sushi/sashimi plate I got was really tasty and filling. (My only gripe: for platter dishes, you have to choose between either soup and salad - you don't get both. It costs about $25.) Because it's not expensive and located in a busy area, it's best to make a reservation on a Friday and Saturday night. This has to be the most wooden restaurant I've ever been to and the lighting is rather overdone. But still, this is easily the best deal you'll get for Japanese food on the Upper West Side. It's a real find.
Gowasabi: if you happen to be in Astoria, Gowasabi is your best bet for reasonably priced Japanese food. There are actually two locations and you can get a big sushi and sashimi plate WITH miso soup and salad for less than $22. It's not quite as good as Tenzan but still pretty fair. And on Friday and Saturday nights, they have someone play the piano. It's quite nice.
Tenzan
Gowasabi
Tenzan: located on 73rd and Columbus Ave, this is a busy but pleasant place to get excellent food. The miso soup was incredible and the sushi/sashimi plate I got was really tasty and filling. (My only gripe: for platter dishes, you have to choose between either soup and salad - you don't get both. It costs about $25.) Because it's not expensive and located in a busy area, it's best to make a reservation on a Friday and Saturday night. This has to be the most wooden restaurant I've ever been to and the lighting is rather overdone. But still, this is easily the best deal you'll get for Japanese food on the Upper West Side. It's a real find.
Gowasabi: if you happen to be in Astoria, Gowasabi is your best bet for reasonably priced Japanese food. There are actually two locations and you can get a big sushi and sashimi plate WITH miso soup and salad for less than $22. It's not quite as good as Tenzan but still pretty fair. And on Friday and Saturday nights, they have someone play the piano. It's quite nice.
Tenzan
Gowasabi
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Carvel holiday spots
If you grew up in NYC in the 1980s, then you remember these cheezy, silly, great Carvel Ice Cream commercials. That voice - that memorable, phlegmy voice - is actually old man Carvel himself (who died in 1990 and may have been murdered but that's another story).
Lloyd Lindsey Young - Critter Diner
Oh, what a treat. They just don't have fun weathermen like Lloyd Lindsey Young anymore. Today weathermen/ladies are all blow-dried, smiley, and "safe."
Lloyd, we miss you.
"Because everyone loves New York in his own particular way"
New York Magazine, that weekly bible of cosmopolitan Gotham, has published its annual "Reasons to Love New York" issue. There's some interesting insights and reflections from the ordinary and not-so ordinary citizens of this great burgh. Enjoy.
New York Magazine
New York Magazine
Saturday, December 15, 2007
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