"Wicked" @ 15

Read more about the backstory to one of the most popular musicals on Broadway ever.

"60 Minutes" in NYC

For the last two weeks, the news magazine 60 Minutes has had two big, extremely interesting stories about big changes taking place in NYC:

The first is about Andy Byford and changes that he's making to the NYC subway system. This is a really great story that's not only about the subways and its problems but also about how it works -- and the people who make sure we get from point A to point B. It's a great look behind the curtain of life in this city.

And the second is about the new conductor for the NY Phil, a guy named JAAP! He's quite a character -- and musical genius. It's clear he'll be taking the country's most prestigious orchestra in a new, wild direction.

"The Romanoffs" in NYC

I was huge fan of Mad Men, the great TV series about the world of advertising in 1960s NYC. I blogged about a lot over the years and it's one of my favorite shows ever. 

Now the creator of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner, has a new show on Amazon -- and it is weird. It's called The Romanoffs, a modern-day globe-spanning anthology series about various people who are (or believe they are) descended from the Romanov dynasty (the family that ruled the Russian Empire for three hundred years, from 1613-1918).

The individual plots for each episode are either boring or bizarre but the "Romanoff" factor gives it a certain je ne said quoi, another layer of psychological intrigue that makes this show wholly original -- and quite fascinating. Many of the reviews I've read either hate this show or don't know what to make of it -- which is usually proof of something groundbreaking.

There are (or will be) a total of 8 episodes, going from Paris, to Ohio, to a cruise ship, to Austria and, eventually, Mexico City (amongst other places). But the latest episode, called "Expectation", unfolds over one whole day here in NYC. So, obviously, this is one I can't wait to see. 

If you loved Mad Men, you'll like this show because it has the same cerebral storytelling and black humor. However, The Romanoffs is totally different and it dares to do something that few shows ever do -- it doesn't pander, it doesn't explain itself, it doesn't care if you like it, and leaves you thinking. It's just brilliant, unconventional storytelling. 

By the way, if you want to learn more about the fall of the Romanov dynasty, there are lots of great books about it -- or you could watch the 1971 movie Nicholas & Alexandra.

Memo from NYC

Sometimes it feels like we're living in a highly bi-polar country. 

On one side, things have never felt more scary and dire: a reality-show tabloid freak show from my childhood is now the President and his ruling party is openly fascistic, their government engaging in outright racism and cruelty, things I never imagined I'd ever see, especially in the 21st century. As a result of this, we're seeing literal BOMBS sent to their political rivals. It's spine-chilling, frightening stuff (not to mention that a hero from my childhood, Bill Cosby, is now a jailed convicted rapist).

And then on the other side ... things have neve been better! The activism we're seeing in response to all this evil stuff is truly inspiring to watch and, at least entertainment wise, things have never been better. Is it sad that I'm super excited that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is coming back for a second season? It stuff like this -- political and social activism, an extremely rich culture -- that make me feel like, in some ways, we're living in the best of times. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald talked about how a genius is someone who can hold two opposing thoughts in his or her head at the same time. Things in this country have never been worse -- or better. So both are true -- and let's hope that the bad stuff (i.e. the GOP in power) goes away soon).

Cuomo & De Blasio on Bomb Scare

Ray Donovan in NYC -- and (almost) my house!

I'm a big fan of the show Ray Donovan, a very entertaining, noirish-crime saga about a Boston-born "fixer" and his extremely dysfunctional family. It stars the great Liev Schreiber and returns for a sixth season on Sunday.

Best of all -- Ray and the gang are in NYC! 

After five seasons exploring the seedy depths of a morally depraved Los Angeles, the show has relocated to NYC and will, presumably, explore our own seedy depths and moral depravity. It'll be amazing to see what kinds of plots the show comes up with here!

And here's an interesting side note: the home of yours truly, Mr NYC, was "scouted" by this show!

That's right, the location scouts for Ray Donovan were interested in filming part of the show in my very own house and a guy came and took lots of pictures. He really liked the exteriors but, apparently, the also needed a basement they could shoot in and ours was (is), well, not exactly user-friendly (it's not finished, low ceilings, no light, very narrow -- although it would've been a great place to dump a body which they do a lot of on that show). This was the notice we got of their interest:

Anyway, I can't wait for the next season to begin -- and I'll be curious to see what house and basement they used! Here's the first episode of Season Six for you enjoyment. 

Bomb Threat! Time Warner Center Evacuated

Free Stuff in NYC

This is just an FYI - TimeOut New York has great info about stuff to do in NYC and, best of all, FREE STUFF to do in NYC.

Definately check this out, it'll open to all the great things this city has to offer and save you money! 

NYC in 1911

Interview: Alexander Zalben, Managing Editor of Decider.com

These days there's more pop culture than ever before -- more movies, more TV shows, more music, more celebrity gossip and cultural trends, that's it's impossible to keep track of it. Thankfully, Alexander Zalben is here to help us make sense of it all!

A professional pop culture junkie and commentator, Alex runs Decider.com, a website that helps all of us fans out there figure out what and what kind of pop culture we want to consume and what shows we want to stream. He's worked at MTV, TV Guide, AMC, and he appears often on TV and radio, as well as at numerous conventions, to give fans the latest news as well as provide commentary about their favorite shows.

Alex was kind enough to tell Mr NYC about how he came upon this very cool, very unlikely career as well as what pop culture means in 2018 (the Trump effect, #MeToo, etc.) as well as his love for the show Riverdale. 

Tell us briefly about your background and how you managed to forge a career as a professional pop culture junkie/critic/commentator? 

I kind of fell into it by accident! I was working as the Artistic Director of a comedy theater, and started doing a weekly, live talk show about comic books called Comic Book Club, which I still host/produce every week. That led to some comics critic and writing gigs, which led to a full time gig writing for MTV, which is now my whole life! Career paths are weird, man! 

What's Decider.com, the website that you're the Managing Editor for?

Decider is an entertainment journalism outlet focused on TV, and streaming TV in particular. So Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video... But also you can stream anything nowadays, so it's all fair game.

Quickly, what are some of your favorite movies, TV shows, and bands?

Oh boy. I've been into Game of Thrones and Walking Dead for a long time, but recently have fallen in love with Riverdale and The Good Place. My favorite movies are pretty basic, too: Star Wars, Marvel movies, and I had a birthday party screening of Labyrinth last year, so that probably counts. What are these bands of which you speak?

In the "Golden Age of Television" and streaming shows, has TV become more cultural relevant or dominant than movies? Has TV become equal or more prestigious than movies in the pop culture hierarchy?

I'd say they're different. TV definitely had the volume at the moment, but there's still a cachet to doing a movie in a movie theater. The line is eroding - peak TV shows are often encroaching movie length every week anyway. But you can't match the experience of being in a theater with hundreds of people experiencing the same thing. That said, as movies get more expensive, there's more of a "coin" to watching TV... Not everyone has seen every movie, but the availability of Netflix and others means that everyone can easily watch Maniac "opening weekend," for example, where if that sort of thing was in theaters, it would be seen by a fraction of the audience. Short answer, for the time being they're different... But I definitely watch exponentially more TV, than movies. 

In your opinion, how has the Trump presidency affected pop culture? Does pop culture have a role in keeping people sane during an insane time? 

Well these are two opposing questions, in a way. Trump has absolutely affected pop culture, for better or worse. It's frustrating to watch nearly every TV show make the same "fake news" joke, even if it ostensibly takes place in a world different from ours. But that said, I do think people retreat into pop culture regardless of references and thematic ties, because it offers a brief respite. I was talking to a colleague earlier today about Riverdale, arguably the craziest show on television. But what I like about it is that it's a crazy that's enjoyable, that's manageable, and ultimately one that impacts the characters but is thrilling for the viewers. The reality show we're currently stuck in is the opposite of that: it's crazy, but it'll ultimately impact you in the real world, whether you like it or not. I'd prefer to live in Riverdale, all things considered.

Has the politicization of everything made pop culture better, worse -- or just weird? Is it possible to simply enjoy something because it's funny or well-done or does it feel like there's this dark cloud over everything in the culture today?

I don't think there's a dark cloud over everything. There's a need to feel relevant, but that varies by show, and some do it better than others. Don't just do an episode about #MeToo because you think you should... Do it because it fits the context of the show, the tone, the feel. For example, not TV, but a recent X-Men comic tackled border separation, in a shockingly timely and powerful manner. It worked because the X-Men have always been a metaphor for the "other," whatever that other may be. Or on TV, something like The Good Fight that's inherently a political show can dive right into that. But seeing say, Sofia The First's take on international trade would be a weird fit. It's the responsibility of art to mirror the world we live it, and to shine a light on injustice. But it's not the responsibility of everyone to do it, or in the same way. 

Where does pop culture go after Trump? Can it ever be just fun again? 

I'm having a blast, man! Ha ha, just kidding, I'm depressed every day. But there are those pockets of hope that keep us going. I recently watched The Flash premiere, and it was full of fun and good people being good to each other. Or something like Game Night, that has nothing to do with politics and is just a delightful break from the outside world. There's a lot happening, and I think it's okay to take a break for an hour or two and decompress. Going forward, the world will be different, and entertainment will be changed; but ultimately there are fun things that are fun, there are things that are not fun, and there will always be variations between the two. 

Any other thoughts you'd like to share? Is there anything about pop culture in 2018 that most people don't understand?

I don't think people should feel bad about using pop culture as metaphors. Yes, it's a simplification, and not everything can be broken into Harry Potter vs Voldemort. But that's how people process overwhelming emotions and events, through things they do understand. I love fans. I love that people love things, more than anything else in the world. I am a fan of fans! And there's this mass misunderstanding that people can't like what they like. That's what leads to toxic fandoms, versus the understanding that there can be more than one thing, of a thing. Star Wars can be for girls, and boys, y'all! Sometimes even at the same time! That's okay! The world is a burning hellfire and we have maybe 10 years before the climate collapses. Let people enjoy what makes their heart soar, and as long as they're not hurting someone else it's a-okay. They'll let you like the thing you like, too. 

Thanks Alex!