Suki Jefferson

NYC’s Coqodaq, Napa’s Be Bubbly, DC’s Apéro: Top 10 Bars and Restaurants for Champagne from Bureau du Champagne

NYC’s Coqodaq, Napa’s Be Bubbly, DC’s Apéro: Top 10 Bars and Restaurants for Champagne from Bureau du Champagne

From Napa to DC to Manhattan and just 7 other sparkling stops!

Bureau du Champagne, USA today announced its annual list of the Top 10 Bars and Restaurants where Champagne plays a starring role. The list, now in its third year, recognizes establishments that elevate and celebrate the uniqueness of the sparkling wine that comes only from Champagne, France.

Released in advance of Champagne Day 2024, the list showcases Champagne standouts in every U.S. region. It recognizes restaurants and bars that take special care to offer Champagnes from a wide variety of producers, list them properly on their menus, and serve them with élan.

“We received nominations for spectacular bars and restaurants across the country, and selected from them a list of destinations that embody the spirit of Champagne,”

Lori Russo

Director,

the Bureau du Champagne, USA.

“While these restaurants and bars differ in style, spanning the spectrum from fine dining to fried chicken, they all have one thing in common: they understand what makes Champagne special. For that, we couldn’t be prouder to raise a glass to them on Champagne Day and the rest of the year.”

The full list of this year’s featured bars and restaurants can be found below in alphabetical order:

  • ApéroWashington, DC: Apéro’s list of more than 700 wines places special emphasis on Champagne. The intimate setting in DC’s popular Georgetown neighborhood is an ideal spot to explore an extensive list of Champagnes smartly organized by style.
  • Be BubblyNapa, Calif.: In the heart of California wine country, Be Bubbly takes care to showcase Champagne with a menu that includes a map of the region’s five wine-producing districts and a philosophy of Champagne as a celebration of life.
  • Boiler RoomOmaha: The wine list at this terroir-focused restaurant, originally conceived by a Master Sommelier, offers a broad range of Champagnes at varying price points so everyone can join in the celebration.
  • CharlestonBaltimore: The wine program at Charleston emphasizes the special relationship between wine and food. The Champagne list, which spans three pages of its menu, explains the magic of Champagne along with a diversity of tasting profiles.
  • CoqodaqNew York: Proving the versatility of Champagne, Coqodaq pairs the sparkling wine with both caviar and its signature bucket of Korean fried chicken.
  • CoupesDallas: Coupes bills itself as a bar for Champagne. True to its name, its vast menu of Champagnes explains that “Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne.”
  • Fizz Champagne & Bubbles BarSacramento, Calif.: Fizz believes in celebrating everyday triumphs with Champagne. Its menus and events elevate Champagne from France and distinguish it from other sparkling wines.
  • La Vie, Waikiki, Hawaii: La Vie’s emphasizes farm-to-table dining with French flair, so its large selection of vintage and non-vintage Champagnes creates the perfect complement, and the view is special, too.
  • Pops for ChampagneChicago: Known for its special events, tastings, Champagne education and a vast list of Champagnes of every style, Pops has been dazzling Chicago with Champagne since 1982.
  • Sexy FishMiami: The extraordinary interior of this Brickell restaurant is matched only by its extensive list of Champagnes both accessible and rare.

For more information on Champagne Day or to find an event near you, visit champagneday.champagne.fr. More events will be added in the near future, so check back often.

Bureau du Champagne, USA, is the official U.S. representative of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), a trade association representing the houses and winegrowers of Champagne, France. The Bureau works to advance the CIVC’s mission of defending the interests of the Champagne appellation worldwide through education and advocacy. For more information, visit us online at www.champagne.us.

NYC demands a better cocktail, Monkey Shoulder whisky Responds

NYC demands a better cocktail, Monkey Shoulder whisky Responds with Refreshed Bottle, Flavor and Style

Award-winning Monkey Shoulder whisky, the 100% malt whisky made for mixing, is revealing a fresh new look and feel to its bottle, the first major change to the brand’s hero bottle since it started shaking up the traditional whisky category in 2005.

The changes include a bold refresh of the label and a lighter bottle – up to 25% in glass reduction – providing an even better cocktail-making experience.

Get ready to party with a new look.

Monkey Shoulder bottle slims down for an easier pour

The new and improved Monkey Shoulder bottle will be implemented across both The Original and Smokey Monkey varieties of the whisky and is more than just a glass reduction.

Refreshingly light, the new look includes a longer neck for an easier pour, for both bartenders and consumers making whisky cocktails at home.

The bottle is perfect for shelf display

The new look matches the liquid within; the new split-label design and the enlarged brand logo oozes premium and is perfect for being displayed proudly on the whisky shelf or back bar. Fans of Monkey Shoulder’s “three monkeys” badge need not fear, as it still features pride of place on the new label.

The innovations to the design were delivered thanks to an AI-powered visual analysis to test key features and label viewability, followed by rigorous consumer testing. This led to a new look bottle and label that not only maintained its premium cues and distinctiveness but was approved by fans of the brand.

Everything remixed but the recipe: Inside the bold new bottles is the same award-winning liquid loved around the world. Made with single malt whiskies from the Speyside region of Scotland, selected in small batches then married together, Monkey Shoulder Original Malt Whisky retains its rich, smooth, and fruity flavour.

Ifan Jenkins, from Monkey Shoulder says: “Just like our cocktails, we wanted to mix things up when it came to our look. The eye-catching, new-look bottle has been designed not only to improve the cocktail-making experience with its glass-reduction, but also stand out from the crowd (just like the liquid inside). It’s with this bold new look that we’re looking forward to shaking up the drinks’ cabinets of Monkey Shoulder fans around the world, as well as grabbing the attention of those starting to explore the world of whisky for the first time.”

The newly packaged bottle will be available in mid-2024 in countries where Monkey Shoulder is sold, available in the best bars and retailers globally.

Monkey Shoulder, the world’s first made for mixing blended malt whisky

In 2005, Monkey Shoulder, the world’s first made for mixing blended malt whisky, burst into the world of whisky, and it has been breaking the conventions of the category ever since. Developed as the ultimate mixing whisky for cocktails, Monkey Shoulder Original Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is blended in small batches of Speyside’s finest single malt whiskies then married together. Rich, smooth and fruity, the original blend is bold enough to be mixed, yet balanced enough to enjoy neat. This unique blend gets its name from when turning the malting barley was still done by hand.

NYers challenge Ice Cream Legends Ben & Jerry: Can they do a Million Scoops on Free Cone Day April 16

NYers challenge Ice Cream Legends Ben & Jerry: Can they do a Million Scoops on Free Cone Day April 16

On April 16, Ben & Jerry’s is throwing its annual Free Cone Day celebration, and while any day free ice cream is involved is a win, the Ben & Jerry’s team behind the annual fan appreciation event, now well past its 40th year, are inviting fans to help make this year’s Free Cone Day the biggest and best yet with 1 million scoops served.

Ben & Jerry Free Cone Day is April 16

 

Ice Cream Legends Ben & Jerry Have a Million Scoop Goal, Can They Do it? Find out on Free Cone Day April 16

Free Cone Day returns after a four-year pause

Last year, Free Cone Day made its highly anticipated return after a four-year pause, and dedicated Ben & Jerry’s fans showed the Vermont-based ice cream maker just how happy they were that the giveaway tradition was back.

“It was nothing short of amazing to see our fans back in our shops in their full Free Cone Day glory,”

Dave Stever

Ben & Jerry’s CEO

…who dished out ice cream at the Scoop Shops in Vermont.

“We gave out over 970,000 scoops across the globe, but we know together with our fans we can break 1 million scoops.” Stever added, “We’re asking our fans to really bring it this year: invite their friends, family, neighbors, and help us beat our goal of 1 million scoops on Free Cone Day 2024.”

The beloved tradition began in 1979 as cofounders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield survived their first winter – as a tiny, independent, two-person ice cream business – in the frozen tundra of Vermont.

National Weather Service records dubbed it “the brutal winter of 1978-1979” as the average temperature reached a record low of 14.1°F (-10°C) and the winter season snowfall set a record of 52.9 inches (134 centimeters).

The first Free Cone Day in 1979

Today’s traditions are no different than the first Free Cone Day in 1979 as it has always been a way to give back to the community and thank fans for their support.

The only difference is that the once single “mom & pop” shop is now one of the largest, most successful ice cream businesses in the U.S., as well as in 35 other countries around the globe.

New flavors debut on Free Cone Day

Fans can stop by their local shop for a go-to favorite or ask about new flavors like brand-new Scoop Shop exclusive Mango flavor, made of mango ice cream swirled with sweet cream ice cream, or recently debuted Non-Dairy Strawberry Cheezecake.

New additions Impretzively Fudged and PB S’more make great options for the sweet and salty lovers.

Can’t decide?

Flavors may vary based on location but fans are welcome to try any and all available flavors and are encouraged to get back in line as many times as they’d like. Experienced fans understand it’s easiest to jump back in the queue on Free Cone Day with a scoop already in hand.

To find the nearest participating Scoop Shop, visit https://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/free-cone-day.

Ben & Jerry’s is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world’s best ice cream.

The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients.

Ben & Jerry’s is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services.

Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, a fair financial return, and addressing issues of social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe.

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry’s employees, granted $5.1 MM in 2023 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country.

For up-to-date information visit benjerry.com.

Birthday in NYC? Dough Ball Whiskey Launches Newest Flavor: Birthday Cake

Dough Ball Whiskey Launches Newest Flavor: Birthday Cake

Dough Ball‘s newest launch, Birthday Cake Whiskey, is a snackable reminder that you can have your cake and drink it, too!

The fastest-growing, top 12 flavored whiskey brand in the U.S.* first crashed the flavored whiskey category in August 2021, with an award-winning Cookie Dough Whiskey that national media publications have crowned “the best of class flavored whiskey.”

Due to the continued consumer demand for flavored whiskey and rapid success in its first year, Dough Ball is expanding its decadent flavor portfolio with a new and innovative Birthday Cake Whiskey. Blending the mouthwatering nostalgia of sprinkled vanilla cake with a smooth, medium-bodied, 70-proof whiskey, Birthday Cake is perfectly crafted for indulgent cocktails, creamy birthday cake shots and celebrations.

“At Dough Ball,

we’re all about creating fun and innovative whiskeys

that push the boundaries on flavor.

We think we have accomplished that with Birthday Cake,”

Joey Parris, Chief Marketing Officer at Patco Brands

“It’s delicious, nostalgic and makes you feel like every day is your birthday.”

Within a year of launch, Dough Ball Whiskey expanded into over 30 states, becoming the fastest-growing flavored whiskey brand and winner of over a dozen awards, including the Bartender Spirits Awards, SIP Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition and more.

“It’s delicious, nostalgic and makes you feel like every day is your birthday.”

Dough Ball’s new Birthday Cake Whiskey is available at select Total Wine and BevMo! locations, with additional retailers to come throughout 2024, including Ralph’s, Albertsons and Walgreens. The suggested retail price of Birthday Cake Whiskey is $26.99.

Dough Ball’s new Birthday Cake Whiskey is available at select Total Wine and BevMo! locations, with additional retailers to come throughout 2024, including Ralph’s, Albertsons and Walgreens. The suggested retail price of Birthday Cake Whiskey is $26.99.

For more information, please visit DoughBallWhiskey.com or follow along on Instagram @doughball_whiskey.

*Nielsen, Total US x AOC + Liquor Plus + Conv, Whiskey Latest 52wks thru 12/30/2023

Dough Ball is a flavored whiskey from Patco Brands

Dough Ball is a flavored whiskey from Patco Brands, one of the fastest-growing beverage companies in the United States. Featuring notes of buttery vanilla, chocolate and caramel, smoothed out with hints of butterscotch, Dough Ball exudes flavors of warm cookie dough goodness in a delicious, 70-proof whiskey. Birthday Cake is a new flavor profile to the whiskey category, with notes of nostalgic birthday cake and vanilla buttercream frosting. Unapologetically unique, versatile and approachable, this Cookie Dough and Birthday Cake Whiskey can be enjoyed as a shot, sipped, or mixed in a cocktail. For more info, visit www.doughballwhiskey.com and follow along on social at @doughball_whiskey.

Patco Brands is for innovative premium alcohol beverages


MPL Brands NV, Inc. dba Patco Brands is a privately held import, manufacturing, marketing and sales company for innovative premium alcohol beverages. Dedicated to making award-winning, ready-to-drink wine-based products, tequilas, whiskeys, hard seltzers and other offerings, the Patco Brands mission is innovation, quality and consistency. Patco Brands is also now one of the largest importers of tequila in the U.S.

For more information, please visit www.patcobrands.com.

Tastes for Passover 2024 in NYC: 18th annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience, Feb 26

Taste 1000’s of bottle of wines & spirits to preview to Passover 2024: 18th annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience, Feb 26

Royal Wine Corp, the largest producer of premier kosher wines and spirits kicks off the 18th Annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience (KFWE) Monday, February 26, where it continues to be a leading key influencer in Passover wine trends.

18th Annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience Monday, February 26

This year the Kosher Food & Wine Experience 2024 NY (KFWE) is relocating to New Jersey where it will highlight top notch wines and spirits, exclusively open to members of the trade and media.

Taste nearly 1,000 kosher wines, spirits, beverages

Nearly 1,000 kosher wines, and a plethora of spirits including whiskies, bourbons, vodkas, tequilas, rum, gin, and cordials will be on hand for sampling and tasting.

“At Royal Wine Corp

we continue to support the wineries in Israel,

which are among some of the

top-rated wines in the world.”

Gabriel Geller

Director of PR

Royal Wine Corp

“This year KFWE will feature break out sessions featuring wines from Israel, as well as separate sessions focused on new whiskeys and tequilas, and a look at the Herzog Wine portfolio from our Oxnard, California winery.” says Gabriel Geller, Director of PR, Royal Wine Corp.

“Our portfolio consists of world-class wines

that happen to be kosher.

In the past year alone hundreds of non-kosher restaurants

have put selections of our portfolio on their lists because

they recognize the quality and value of our wines”

Jay Buchsbaum

VP Wine Education

Royal Wine Corp.

 

Highlight of New Wines & Spirits Debuting at KFWE 2024:

Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico, SRP $25, world famous winery producing kosher wine for the first time.

Lovatelli, new line of fine and affordable Italian wines, including a Salento Primitivo, SRP $17 and a Barbera d’Asti, SRP $25, with soon a Nebbiolo, a Super Tuscan and 2 Vermouths.

Cantina Giuliano, fully kosher boutique winery in Tuscany.

Many new wines from South Africa by ESSA and J Folk wineries (Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and more).

Spirits and great liquors and fruit Brandies from Massenez in Alsace, France.

New Kosher cognacs from DEAU and Roland Bru.

Bartenura – new flavored Moscatos in cans such as Peach, Lychee, and Blueberry. 

Preview Passover 2024:

Château Dauzac Grand Cru Classé and Aurore de Dauzac Margaux ’21

 Chateau Roubine Cru Classé Lion & Dragon Red

Des Moisans Deau Cognac Privilege

Herzog Lineage Momentus Rose

J de Villebois Sancerre Pinot Noir

Kamisa Winery – Galilee, Israel

Malbec du Clos Triguedina – Cahors

Shamay Winery Upper Galilee, Israel

Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon, Galilée, Israel

Brio de Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux

Taste 1000’s of bottle of wines & spirits to preview to Passover 2024: 18th annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience, Feb 26.

NYC Heartbreak: “Goodbye Pies” for Valentine’s Day with Pizza Hut delivering Spicy News in a Sweet Way

NYC Heartbreak: “Goodbye Pies” for Valentine’s Day with Pizza Hut delivering Spicy News in a Sweet Way

Pizza Hut announces a new Valentine’s Day offering, “Goodbye Pies” with the launch of its new sweet yet spicy Hot Honey pizza.

There’s a misconception that breakups don’t happen around Valentine’s Day, but research shows it’s actually a holiday centered around the most heartbreak with 45% of people agreeing it’s better to do the deed right before the holiday itself*.

There’s even a phenomenon called ‘Red Tuesday’, which is the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day, where people break up most often in the year.**

That’s why starting this Red Tuesday, February 6, through Valentine’s Day, Pizza Hut is launching new, limited-edition Hot Honey “Goodbye Pies” to help deliver spicy news in a sweet way for FREE.

By sending a Goodbye Pie, Pizza Hut will help you break up with your significant other by delivering a personalized, simple message on custom packaging with a sweet and spicy Hot Honey pizza to ease the pain.

The custom Goodbye Pie pizza boxes also leave a space on the top for the break-upper’s name to be added.

To submit for a chance to send a free Goodbye Pie, simply visit GoodbyePies.com starting February 6 to ditch that awkward break-up convo and send a pizza instead.

This offer will be available through February 14 at select locations in the three major U.S. cities notorious for heartbreaks – NYC, Chicago and Miami, while supplies last. Not available in your city?

The website above can also be used to request Pizza Hut instead write a breakup text for you to send, along with a link to a gift card for your future-ex to redeem a free Hot Honey pizza. Limited quantities only available during this limited time.***

“The rising popularity of the sweet-heat flavor profile has led to Hot Honey becoming the most requested test item by our team members and we are thrilled to have it as the newest addition to our menu,” shared Lindsay Morgan, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut.

“With the launch of Goodbye Pies, we are bringing that perfect blend of sweet and heat experience to real life, delivering spicy news in the sweetest way for Valentine’s Day.”

Pizza Hut’s Hot Honey Pizza and Wings can be found nationwide at participating Pizza Hut locations starting at $11.99 for a medium pizza and $5.99 for 6 count boneless wings. Pricing and participation may vary.

  • Hot Honey Pizza: Featuring a pizza crust topped with marinara sauce, a generous layer of cheese, classic pepperoni, a hot honey drizzle made with real honey infused with chili peppers and crispy cupped pepperoni, balancing the honey’s sweet heat with the savory-salty taste of the pepperoni. The crisp pepperoni cups are ideally shaped to hold the hot honey drizzle.
  • Hot Honey WingsAvailable in both bone-in and boneless versions, these wings are coated in Hot Honey and double-dipped in sensational sweet heat flavors.

This new Hot Honey innovation will be spotlighted in a new Pizza Hut campaign, titled “Pizza wHut!?” which will roll out nationally in February bringing to life Pizza Hut’s commitment to flavor innovation as the brand continues to reinvent and perfect everyone’s favorites with new and craveable flavors.

Visit PizzaHut.com for more information.

*According to YouGov.com poll.
**Described on The-Sun.com.


*** AVAILABLE FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST EACH DAY. QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED. Open to legal US residents physically residing in the 50 U.S. and D.C who are 18+ years of age. Offer Recipients must live in select zip codes in New York CityChicago or Miami. Ends at 11:59:59 pm CT on 2/14/24, or when all available Incentives are claimed (whichever comes first). A minimum of 10 Goodbye Pie Incentives and 50 Breakup Text Offers are available each Incentive and Offer Period per Market. Limit one (1) Incentive and Offer per person and per household. Other restrictions apply.

For Incentive and Offer Periods and a list of eligible Zip Codes and full Terms, visit www.goodbyepies.com/terms

RuPaul, World Of Wonder Get ‘Dry and Dirty’ this January with HOUSEOFLOVE Cocktails, Mocktails

RuPaul gets ‘Dry and Dirty’ this January with HOUSEOFLOVE Cocktails,  Canned Mocktails

World Of Wonder and RuPaul Unveil New HOUSEOFLOVE Premium Canned Mocktails AND Cocktails for a ‘Dry and Dirty’ January

World of Wonder and RuPaul, the multiple Emmy-award winning team behind the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” global franchise, are serving up three new flavor additions to the HOUSEOFLOVE premium canned cocktail and mocktail line.

Inspired by RuPaul’s culture-shaping “Drag Race” franchise

Inspired by the culture-shaping “Drag Race” franchise, the new HOUSEOFLOVE cocktails and mocktails are launching this month, January 2024, just in time for Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The new flavors include two low ABV, 100 cal selections alongside a 0% ABV mocktail to serve the growing demands driven by Gen Z and millennial consumers. The non-alcoholic sector is expected to grow to $30 billion in 2025, according to Global Market Insights.

HouseofLove Cocktail Flavors

In true Drag form, the brand is debuting its beverages with a “dry and dirty campaign,” bringing irreverence into the wellness trend with a line up of mouthwatering new flavors.

Vodka Soda Citrus

Vodka Soda Citrus: This perfect vodka soda, bursting with citrusy goodness, is made with premium vodka, lime juice, and natural flavors. (100 cal, 4% ABV)

Passion Fruit Margarita

Passion Fruit Margarita: Made with Authentic Tequila and natural Passion Fruit flavor, this margarita pairs well with tropical vacations, forgetting your ex-boyfriend, and nights out with your best Judys. (100 cal, 4% ABV)

Totally Tropical Mocktail

Totally Tropical Mocktail: This tropical mocktail, featuring natural guava, passion fruit, and citrus flavors, is the one – totally. Best paired with valley girl energy and long walks on the beach. Ru’s new HOUSEOFLOVE fav!

“We are pleased as punch to provide even more delicious offerings from the HOUSEOFLOVE!…”

“…After selling out the product at DragCon LA, we wanted to meet the demand for both mocktails and lower-calorie options. HOUSEOFLOVE pairs best with season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race – cheers!” said World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

HOUSEOFLOVE Cocktail Love

Built on the cult following of the brand, HOUSEOFLOVE  will be debuting and sampling flavors at RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties and bars across NY, NJ, LA, Chicago, Vegas, and available for purchase at local retailers.

HOUSEOFLOVE cocktails and mocktails are available for purchase in fine liquor stores in major markets across the US, and direct to consumer at houseoflovecocktails.com.

About World of Wonder

World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 30 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul’s Drag Race and DragCon.

WOW’s pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted.

Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Banff’s Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.

Broadway Hit ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Tony-Winning Musical Annc’s Spring Closing

Broadway Hit ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Tony-Winning Musical Annc’s Spring Closing

Kimberly Akimbo, winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical, will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, April 28, producers announced today.

Remarkably for Broadway, the entire original company, which has been performing together since the musical’s Off Broadway world premiere in 2021, has continued, and will continue, with the production through its final performance.

The universally acclaimed musical, which finds humor, heartbreak and hope in the tale of a teenage girl with a rare (and fictional) rapid-aging genetic condition that likely will take her life before she finishes her adolescence, opened on Broadway November 10, 2022, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in November 2021.

Upon closing, Kimberly Akimbo will have played 32 previews and 612 performances on Broadway. The musical will kick off a 75-week, 60-city national tour at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts this September. (The touring cast has not been announced.)

Though the production grossed a big $720,330 for the holiday week ending December 31, figures have been up and down in recent months as the show began to lose some of its original Broadway steam: While once routinely filling more than 90% of seats at the Booth Theatre, more recent figures hover in the 70%-80% range.

Among its many accolades, Kimberly Akimbo scored a Best Actress/Musical Tony for star Victoria Clark, who delivers one of the great stage musical performances in recent memory. As Kimberly, Clark, who began playing the 15-year-old character when she was 62, captures, simultaneously, the nuances of both adolescence and middle age in one astonishing achievement.

In addition to the Best Musical and Leading Actress wins, the production also took Tonys for Bonnie Milligan (Featured Actress/Musical), David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori (score) and, for Lindsay-Abaire, Best Book. The show made Tony history with Tesori’s win, the first time a female has won two Tonys for Best Score (she won with Lisa Kron in 2015 for Fun Home).

In addition to Clark and Milligan, the cast includes Tony nominees Justin Cooley and Steven Boyer, Alli Mauzey, Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan, Michael Iskander and Nina White.

The musical is produced by David Stone, The Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, and Aaron Glick.

Patchogue Theatre March 22: An Evening with Judge Reinhold and a Screening of ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ March 22

Patchogue Theatre March 22: An Evening with Judge Reinhold and a Screening of ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ March 22

JUDGE REINHOLD has been in over seventy-five motion picture and television roles and enjoys a 35-year relationship with an international audience of all ages.  His films include STRIPES, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, RUTHLESS PEOPLE, and Christmas franchise, THE SANTA CLAUSE 1,2,3. BEVERLY HILLS COP 1, 2, 3 play continually internationally, making Judge a familiar presence worldwide.  FAST TIMES and BEVERLY HILLS COP were recently voted by the American Film Institute as two of the “Top 100 American Comedies.”

Judge received an Emmy nomination for his performance as “The Close Talker” on Seinfeld, and his guest-star appearances in Seinfeld and Arrested Development received two of the highest ratings on both series. Judge most recently co-starred with Eddie Murphy in the highly anticipated fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise to be released in 2024.

Judge has been an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1987.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available that include the best seats in the house along with a post-show meet & greet
Judge Reinhold at  Patchogue Theatre March 22.

First Look: ‘How To Dance in Ohio’ opening this Sunday December 10 

First Look: ‘How To Dance in Ohio’ opening this Sunday December 10

First look photos have been released from the new musical How to Dance in Ohio inspired by Alexandra Shiva’s Peabody Award-winning documentary of the same name which is set to open this Sunday, December 10 the Belasco Theatre (111 W. 44thSt). With book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik (she/her), music by Jacob Yandura (he/him), choreography by Mayte Natalio (she/her), and direction by Sammi Cannold (she/her) – all making their Broadway debuts – How to Dance in Ohio began previews on November 15, 2023.

Tickets are on sale at Telecharge.com.

Reprising their roles on Broadway from the world premiere engagement at Syracuse Stage, the cast was heralded by The Syracuse Post Standard as, “both reflecting and respecting neurodivergence, with every single actor onstage delivering a distinguished, joyous, jaw-dropping performance.” In the parts of the real-life autistic young adults featured in the HBO documentary, are a cast of seven autistic actors, all making their Broadway debuts: Desmond Edwards (he/they) as Remy, Amelia Fei [Yi-Hsuan Fei] (she/her) as Caroline, Madison Kopec (they/she) as Marideth, Liam Pearce (he/him) as Drew, Imani Russell (they/them) as Mel, Conor Tague (he/him) as Tommy, and Ashley Wool (she/her) as Jessica.

Broadway veteran Caesar Samayoa (he/him; Come from Away, Sister Act) stars as renown psychologist Dr. Emilio Amigo and Cristina Sastre (she/her; Legally Blonde at The Muny) plays his daughter Ashley Amigo. Also featured in the cast are Broadway veterans Haven Burton (she/her; Shrek the Musical, Violet) as Terry, Darlesia Cearcy (she/her; Shuffle Along, Once On This Island) as Johanna, Carlos L Encinias (he/him; Les Miserables), Nick Gaswirth (he/him; …The Great Comet of 1812), and Melina Kalomas (she/her; Young Frankenstein). Completing the cast are Jean Christian Barry (they/them; Stranger Sings), Collin Hancock (he/him), Hunter Hollingsworth (he/him), Marina Jansen (they/them), Martín Solá (he/him; On Your Feet!). Ayanna Nicole Thomas (she/her), and Marina Pires (she/her; Aladdin, On Your Feet!).

How to Dance in Ohio is a heartfelt and poignant new musical about the desire to connect and the courage it takes to put yourself out into the world. As a group of seven autistic young adults prepare for their first ever formal dance—they face a challenge that breaks open their routines as they experience love, stress, excitement, and independence. How to Dance in Ohio is a story about people on the cusp of the next phase of their lives, facing down hopes and fears, ready to take a momentous first step…and dance.

The musical was originally developed with the late, legendary Broadway director Harold Prince and is dedicated to his instrumental work on the project.

The full creative team includes Tony Award nominated scenic designer Robert Brill (Ain’t Too Proud, Thoughts of a Colored Man), Tony Award nominated costume designer Sarafina Bush (For Colored Girls…), two–time Tony Award winning lighting designer Bradley King (Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812) and sound designer Connor Wang (The Cher Show – assist). Orchestrations are by Tony Award winner Bruce Coughlin (The Light in the Piazza), Music Direction is by Lily Ling and Scott Rowen (Hamilton) is the production stage manager. The production is cast by Benton Whitley, CSA & Micah Johnson-Levy of Whitley Theatrical. General management is by ShowTown Theatricals, Music Consultation is by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Production counsel is Doug Nevin/ Klaris Law and the Production Manager is Bethany Stewert (What the Constitution Means to Me).

How to Dance in Ohio played its World Premiere engagement at Syracuse Stage in the fall of 2022 with The Syracuse Post-Standard declaring it “an exhilarating, groundbreaking, celebratory musical. You’ll walk out of the theater wiping your eyes. You’ll pause in the lobby to catch your breath, clear your head, and see if anyone else is as giddy as you are. How to Dance in Ohio is the musical you’ll talk about for the rest of your life.”. The News House calls the show “joyful and uplifting …celebrating the trials and tribulations of human connection,” and The Ithaca Times says, “tender, funny, and charming in the best sense, How To Dance In Ohio offers a fresh look at the musical genre.”

Through a dedication to authentic autistic representation, the musical’s creators adhere closely to the documentary’s narrative and spirit, offering a visible platform for autistic actors in a way that has never happened before in a new musical, either on or off the stage. Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt (she/her) serves as the production’s Autistic Creative Consultant with Becky Leifman (she/her) as the Director of Community Engagement. The Accessibility Team also includes Jeremy Wein (Associate Producer) and Nicole D’Angelo (Assistant Music Director).  The How to Dance in Ohio production has also been developed to be inherently sensory-friendly (an environment accommodating to individuals with sensory sensitivities), and the team is working on several elements in the theater to ensure an experience that is accessible for as many audience members as possible. Elements that have been implemented and are being developed include: advance information (videos & maps) about the theater experience, sensory tool kits, cool-down spaces, and a performance sensitivity list. Updates and announcements regarding accessibility will be posted on the show’s website and social media pages. In addition to guidance from the show’s Accessibility Team, the production uses the resources found here.

Tickets and Performance Schedule: Tickets for How to Dance in Ohio are now on sale via Telecharge.com. The ticket range is $39-$179. The regular performance schedule is: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays @ 7pm; Wednesday & Saturdays @ 2pm & 7:30pm; and Sundays @ 3pm. Holiday weeks may vary, check howtodanceinohiomusical.com for the most up to date schedules.

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