Broadway’s Tony Nominated ‘For Colored Girls…’ Announces Extension to June 5
Three weeks are left to experience one of the best reviewed plays of 2022, the critically acclaimed and reimagined Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown (Once On This Island, Choir Boy, co-director and choreographer of Fire Shut Up in My Bones). The production will play its final performance on Sunday, May 22 at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street).
Tickets are on sale for the show’s final weeks at www.telecharge.com. Discounted tickets are now available to students who present a valid Student ID at $25 per ticket.
for colored girls… is Camille A. Brown’s directorial debut on Broadway. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on Broadway in more than 65 years, bringing a reinvented, joyful and celebratory production of Shange’s seminal work back to its original home at the Booth Theatre, where the play premiered in 1976.
for colored girls… has received three Drama League Award nominations including Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Direction of a Play – Camille A. Brown and Distinguished Performance Award – Kenita R. Miller. The production has also received three Outer Critics Circle Award nominations including Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Director of a Play – Camille A. Brown and Outstanding Choreography – Camille A. Brown.
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“From African influence to HBCU stepping, Brown’s choreography is a forensic amalgamation of styles that shows all forms of Black dance should be considered tribal in origin,” described Matthew Allen of The Grio.
“Brown’s staging is so attuned to the words and cadences of Shange’s choreopoem, yet so confident in its own interpretive vision, that the characters blossom into their full vibrancy,” praised Laura Collins-Hughes of The New York Times.
“We are so proud to have brought Ntozake Shange’s brilliant choreopoem back to Broadway after 46 years from its original premiere and to have had the opportunity to share Camille’s vision and masterful work with a sensational ensemble of women on stage at the Booth Theatre each night,” said producers Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton. “As Broadway continues to rebound, we knew it would be challenging and our goal remains to present these voices and introduce a new generation of audiences to the power of theatre and the power of Shange’s words.”
Join the circle as seven women share their stories and find strength in each other’s humor and passion through a fusion of music, dance, poetry and song that explodes off the stage and resonates with all. It’s time for joy. It’s time for sisterhood. It’s time for colored girls.
The cast stars Amara Granderson as Lady in Orange, Tendayi Kuumba as Lady in Brown, Kenita R. Miller as Lady in Red, Okwui Okpokwasili as Lady in Green, Stacey Sargeant as Lady in Blue, Alexandria Wailes as Lady in Purple, and D. Woods as Lady in Yellow. Rachel Christopher, Treshelle Edmond, McKenzie Frye, Kala Ross and Alexis Sims join the company as standbys and understudies.
for colored girls… features set design by Myung Hee Cho, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Justin Ellington, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, and hair & wig design by Cookie Jordan. The show features original music by Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby. Deah Love Harriott serves as the Music Director and Tia Allen is the Music Coordinator. The Production Stage Manager is Bernita Robinson and the Assistant Stage Manager is lark hackshaw. The production features casting by Erica Jensen/Calleri Jensen Davis and production supervision by Hudson Theatricals. Christina Franklin serves as the Associate Director and Maleek Washington and Mayte Natalio serve as Associate Choreographers.
Black girl magic is reborn. Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf is the “landmark of American theater” (The New York Times) that blazed a trail for generations to come. Now, this celebration of the power of Black womanhood returns to Broadway for the first time, reinvented, directed, and choreographed by “a true superstar of theater and dance” (NPR), Tony AwardÒ nominee Camille A. Brown. And her vision is as fearlessly new as it is fiercely now.
For more information, visit www.forcoloredgirlsbway.com.
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Thanksgiving in NYC: the perfect stuffing bread DOES exist – and it’s… [Recipe here]
This Thanksgiving in NYC, the perfect stuffing bread DOES exist – and it’s brioche. As in St Pierre Brioche Thanksgiving Stuffing
No Thanksgiving spread is complete without a hearty stuffing. While add-ins are a matter of preference, choosing the right bread is crucial. One underrated choice is eggy, rich brioche – and with St Pierre Bakery, you don’t need to go to France to get it.
Thanks to its butter and egg content, St Pierre’s Brioche Loaf provides the perfect balance of crisp toastiness while remaining soft and creamy inside, while its lightly sweet flavor adds a decadent quality that can still lean savory. Attached below is an approachable recipe for stuffing allowing for all the craveable crunch for the whole family with minimal effort required.
St Pierre Brioche Thanksgiving Stuffing
By @BrandiMilloy
Ingredients
1 loaf St. Pierre Brioche Bread
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, just the leaves
1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 small apple (granny smith works well), peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut brioche bread into 1” cubes and bake for about 10-15 minutes until toasted.
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Meanwhile, into a pot over medium high heat add butter until melted. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until everything starts to soften, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Into a bowl whisk together the eggs, herbs, apples, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Add your cooked vegetables and mix to combine.
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Pour mixture on top of toasted bread and stir to combine. Bake stuffing for about 45 minutes. If your stuffing starts to get too brown, cover until finished baking. Enjoy!
As America’s favorite brioche brand, St Pierre’s products are widely available via grocery stores nationwide as well as Walmart.
The Rise of Mushroom Coffee: A New Era in Health-Conscious Brewing
In today’s health-focused culture, where wellness transcends mere goals to become a lifestyle, mushroom coffee is emerging as a leading trend. This innovative beverage combines the classic energizing effects of coffee with components often linked to the reputed benefits of medicinal mushrooms. Such a blend makes mushroom coffee a more mindful, health-oriented option for daily consumption, resonating especially with those who weave wellness into their daily routines.
Image courtesy of Freepik
The uniqueness of mushroom coffee lies in its ability to enhance the usual coffee experience by potentially offering additional benefits. For those who find regular coffee too acidic, mushroom coffee presents a more stomach-friendly option. Additionally, it incorporates adaptogenic mushrooms, which are believed to help the body better manage stress. This attribute makes mushroom coffee especially enticing to wellness enthusiasts and those seeking a natural way to support their body’s stress response.
The Rise of Mushroom Coffee, Image Courtesy of Freepik
Finding a coffee that delivers on both taste and health promises can be a daunting task. Leading the initiative is More.Longevity & Wellbeing with its Coffee Superfood Blends. These products are meticulously developed, selecting each ingredient for its quality and scientific backing, ensuring they contribute effectively to the blend. Flavors such as Salted Caramel Vanilla and Mocha are designed to mask the natural earthiness of mushroom, making the beverage more enjoyable while enhancing its appeal. The addition of adaptogens and essential vitamins in the blends aims to support overall health by boosting immunity, enhancing energy, and improving mental clarity.
The Rise of Mushroom Coffee, Image Courtesy of More.Longevity & Wellbeing
The company’s commitment to radical transparency ensures that consumers receive a product free from unnecessary fillers and additives, affirming a respect for consumer health and environmental sustainability. This level of honesty and ecological consideration is becoming increasingly important to consumers who prefer products that are both healthy and environmentally conscious.
As the trend continues to carve a niche within the beverage market, consumers are presented with expanding choices. It’s no longer just about picking a brand; it involves selecting a philosophy and a level of quality that resonates with personal health values and taste preferences. The coffee not only invites coffee lovers to rethink their daily mug but also serves as a gateway to a more mindful and intentional morning routine.
Image Courtesy of Freepik
Are NYers falling in love with New Wine? Dancing Wines from Cynthia Russell, Lauren Russell
Are NYers falling in love with New Wine? Dancing Wines from Cynthia Russell, Lauren Russell in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County.
The team at Dancing Wines is developing a collection of sensory brands that celebrate life through taste, touch and aroma – inspiring you to find your inner dance and show the world what truly moves you.
Dancing Wines’ red wine trio includes Old Vine, Duo and Estate — three limited-release wines made from hand-picked grapes that showcase the full breadth of the Dancing estate.
Lauren Russell (L) and Cynthia Russell (R) from Dancing Wines Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Today’s conversation with the dynamic Mother / Daughter team Cynthia and Lauren Russell from Dancing Wines ha been edited for length and clarity.
For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
Joe Winger: What is the most important message you’d like to share today?
Lauren Russell: I think one of them is dancing is art and art is life.
Another is love needs no explanation. I think really the thread between those is we’re trying to create a product and an experience that brings people together and invites them to find their inner dance, which is something we say a lot.
So we want to encourage people to find their unique rhythms. And wine is also really lovely because it is a vehicle that brings people together to enjoy a moment and diverse people together.
I think my Mom [Cynthia] can speak to this as well, but one of the things we thought about when first exploring wine was just how daunting the whole atmosphere is around the consumption of it and the buying and using all the right adjectives.
Especially for my generation I feel like there’s a bit of a learning curve. So I think one thing we really want people to take away from the brand is just like, just enjoy it. Love needs no explanation and you can’t drink wine when your mouth is full of adjectives. We’ve created a great wine just for you to be able to enjoy and to describe however you want and enjoy whenever you want.
Source: WeAreDancing.com
Cynthia: Yeah, I think the measures we created we have a beautiful heritage property that the soil and the climate create this great wine. And me being of an older generation where wine was very intimidating, even though I know a lot about it.
And drinking it for a very long time. I’ve lived in France. I’ve lived in California. It’s still when you order in a restaurant, you’re scared. Do I know enough? I’m going to be embarrassed. Is this the right pairing? And what the good news is that wine making in the world has become so sophisticated that if you are buying wine from a place that is special, including all.
Sonoma or France or Italy, the wines are good, they’re really good and all you have to do is be comfortable with yourself and enjoying it. And so that’s what we’re trying to do is take a product that has thousands of years of history as being a part of our culture and make you comfortable with just having fun, enjoying it and celebrating what wine can do to bring people together.
Source: WeAreDancing.com
Joe Winger: You have a really unique story that you restored a vineyard up in Dry Creek. Can you talk about experience and what you learned from the restoration?
Cynthia: We lucked out. It was a Covid purchase. We spent a lot of time as a family together in very small confined spaces drinking a lot of wine.
We [thought we] might end up needing a place where we have more outdoor space and can be together. So we bought this property more as a farm and then discovered that it was a unique part of the world.
Zinfandel grapes have been growing in this small region for over 150 years.
It was called America’s grape back in the time I think [the] 1850s. Okay, we have these vineyards. They’re really old.
There was one owner at this property for 60 years, an older Italian gentleman. And a lot of the area is multi generation, fourth generation Italian families who came over and cultivated this grape.
We never intended to make wine and yet we were scared to let this history and heritage die.
So we took classes and tried to figure out, can we make wine?
It’d be such a shame to let this history go in this special place.
We made a great discovery, which was that you don’t have to be an expert on wine. You just have to have great soil and a great climate.
Then we launched from there.
Source: WeAreDancing.com
Lauren: We’re always towing the line between the respective tradition and traditional winemaking and the land and all of the old vines and creating something new.
She [Mom, Cynthia] always brings a lens of respect for the older generation and ways of life and what wine has meant to her throughout her life.
I’m always pushing the other direction. We always land somewhere in the middle.
You’ll see that in the brands, it has really playful branding and packaging. But, our winemaking is a bit more traditional. We’re a sustainable vineyard but we have old vines and we respect what the land has to offer and what it’s been offering in that region for a long time.
It creates a better product and brand for us because we get to cater to both audiences.
Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Joe Winger: You have a collection of sensory brands. Can you talk about what that collection is, what inspired the idea, and what we should be looking for?
Lauren: All of the products have been and will be inspired by the backdrop of the vineyard.
When we talk about wine, we talk about this kind of multi sensory experience, whether that’s aroma or where you’re having it, who you’re enjoying it with.
We came into wine knowing that it was going to be not just about taste or smell, but about the holistic experience of what wine could do for someone.
Sort of the thread between all of our products are taste, touch and smell. Again, like finding your inner dance and allowing you to express your personality.
We’re launching a trio of fragrances, which are loosely inspired by the terroir and the vineyard.
Cynthia: We have a fresh perspective on Sonoma. Every time we arrive, we have this nose full of these incredible senses:, the smell of moss, crushed grapes, barrel, fire and oak.
Yeah. So we’re like, wow. Every time we arrive, we’re like, wow, this is really cool.
This is so distinct and unique and just elevates your experience of being there.
We are going to bring more experiences to the brand when we can, like having an artist in residence, creating visually beautiful contributions.
We have an art collection there that inspired us to bring art to the brand. It’s largely from a diverse group of artists from the West Coast who are very colorful and young and also push boundaries. So our idea with the senses is like we’re trying to This is a brand that you enter into our world and you get to experience people and life in a way that’s very unique and bold and
Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Joe Winger: What are both of your backgrounds outside of wine?
Lauren: I was raised in Connecticut and went to Dartmouth for undergrad, was a creative non-fiction writer, so always had that storytelling bent.
After school, I worked at a lot of businesses in marketing. Uber Eats, Refinery29, right before the pandemic, I worked for AB and Bev that was my first kind of foray into alcohol.
Then during COVID, I got my MBA at Columbia. We all got this massive reset of our priorities. I come from an entrepreneurial family. This opportunity arose
Cynthia: We’re a family who really believes in experiences. I have dabbled in many different areas. I went to Scripps college. I actually was a dance major until I was not. I became an international relations major. I lived in France for a while. Then moved to New York City and worked for JP Morgan trading stock, money market securities.
I didn’t find that was my passion, so I went to Harvard Business School and I got a master’s in business. Then I worked for American Express where I started a weekend travel program. It was a little startup within the travel segment of American Express. I got my “sea legs” of starting a business.
I quit that business because I had kids, then I started my own mail order company then I decided again, that maybe I needed a little more education.
I went back and got a doctorate at Columbia in organizational leadership.
I have a consulting firm on the side where I consult leaders and organizations about how to handle complex challenges in a complex world.
So my daughter [Lauren] gets through business school and we decide to marry all these wonderful experiences together and create something really new and unique.
Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Joe Winger: Let’s talk about your wines.
Lauren: We launched with our rosé which is really beautiful. It’s an intentional rosé. From our Primitivo grapes and we harvested them early and intentionally for rosé.
It has this really beautiful distinct, watermelon, almost Jolly Rancher aroma, and it’s really playful and full, but also dry. And it’s been a really big hit so that was a fun debut for us.
We just launched our trio of reds, and what makes them unique goes into the story about the restoration of the vineyard.
We’re still learning our land and learning from it.
We chose to harvest from different blocks and treat the wines in a similar fashion and bottle them separately to see what personalities they expressed.
One is the Old Vine Zinfandel, which is from our oldest head trained vines which is the deepest, moodiest, richest wine. It’s really lovely.
Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Then we have an estate wine, which is actually from Primitivo, a different word for Zinfandel. That one is a bit lighter.
Then we have a third, a duo which is a blend of both. And so it’s really helped us to understand. And they are quite different.
They’re obviously all Zinfandels in their expressions, but they’re all quite different.
People say Zinfandel is like a map of the land and I think that’s really true here. Which is super cool.
But we have two forthcoming sparkling wines because I think it really speaks to our ethos about being playful and to my generation.
Cynthia: It’s really fun for us because being on the East coast, Zinfandel is a really unknown varietal and we think it’s underrated. Californians know it’s been around for a long time. It has a lot of possibilities with food. And so what we’re trying to do is bring to light this really good wine and do it in a slightly different way.
We pick ours earlier, trying to have it be less jammy, juicy, heavy; lighter, less alcoholic than some of the more traditional Zinfandels that are on our street.
That’s really trying to address the changes consumer changes.
Our wines are chillable, super easy to eat with most any food, especially ethnic food, spicy food.
2022 was our first vintage. 2023 is already in barrels and we’ll be bottling that in probably in March. But it’s going to be a little different because the climate was different that year.
The rosé was just a fluke. Our winemaker wanted to try a Zinfandel rosé. Most people love it. It’s so distinct and unique.
Our 24 Rosé will come out in March. The reds will come out in the early summer. We’re going to bottle the sparkling in January, but that will be at least a year until you’ll see that. The pétillant naturel will probably be launching at about the same time as the rosé
Credit: https://instagram.com/DancingSonoma
Lauren: What’s fun about having both an early release sparkling and a [second, additional] later release [sparkling wine] one is going to be lighter, more effervescent, maybe geared towards the younger generation and the other will have that toastier champagne flavor.
Joe Winger: Do you have a favorite wine and food pairing?
Lauren: This one’s so hard. Rosé and oysters or any seafood is just awesome. Sparkling wine and a burger is one of my favorites.
In terms of red, when I think of Zinfandel, it’s Thanksgiving foods. It speaks to the hominess in our story. Bringing everyone around the table. Kind of experiential pairing.
Cynthia: Yeah, that resonates with me.
We have a lot of ethnic food, so it holds up really well to spice, to sweet and sour, salty and sweet. So it’s great with Indian food, Mexican food. Apples in your pork chops.
A burgundy is usually killed instantly by those kinds of flavors. It’s too fragile.
[Ours] is not fragile, but it still has so many nice aromas and flavors to enhance whatever you’re eating.
Lauren: It’s great with pizza. Pizza and a nice glass of Zinfandel
Source: WeAreDancing.com
Joe Winger: What’s something magical about Sonoma that you learned through this journey?
Lauren: True of both Zinfandel and Sonoma it always has this underdog energy to Napa. One of the hidden gems, we wake up really early and drive to the Redwood forest to watch the sun rise through the trees.
We eat a burrito because we have terrible burritos in New York.
There’s an amazing food community, 3 Michelin star restaurant, chefs, farm to table.
Cynthia: The distinct part of Sonoma is how important nature is to everyone there. It’s not just about wine. It’s incredible nature.
We both traveled a lot, lived in a lot of places. I’ve never seen such natural beauty in such a small area.
Lauren: That’s what the idea of our products is too. We have to bring people here in some way, differently than just having them taste the wine.
So as many dimensions as we can bring people into that realm to experience [00:29:00] that it’s like definitely the dream.
Joe Winger: Whether it’s social media, website, or other ways, what are the best ways for our audience to find and follow Dancing Wine?
Lauren: We have our website, which is wearedancing.com. We also are on Instagram, which is at DancingSonoma.
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Jérôme Peschard Leads Vietnam Art Renaissance, Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
Jérôme Peschard Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
For the past 60 years, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts has epitomised the essence of French art de vivre across the globe. As 2024 heralds its Diamond Jubilee, commemorated with a series of exclusive events at Sofitel properties worldwide, Sofitel Saigon Plaza, the paragon of French hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City, proudly inaugurated an extraordinary celebration of art.
From Left- Betty Qiffe Pallard, Consul General Daniël Stork of the Netherlands to Vietnam, Nykky Do and Milena Padula- Spouse of Consul General of Italy to Vietnam / photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
On the evening of June 21st, the Sofitel Saigon Plaza was the scene of a glittering event, marking the launch of a collaboration with the internationally renowned French Pop Artist, Jérôme Peschard.
French Pop Artist Jérôme Peschard Portrait / photo courtesy of Stephane Thierry
The hotel’s lobby served as an elegant backdrop for an array of Peschard’s stunning oil paintings on recycled corrugated metal, showcasing his inspiration from French Indochina.
From Left- Tracie May, Milena Padula- Wife of Consul General of Italy to Vietnam, Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel Manager Alistair Minty, Lindsay Nutley, Consul General of Australia to Vietnam Sarah Hooper, Simon Pugh and Michael Hooper // photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
The event attracted an illustrious group of attendees, including Mrs. Sarah Hooper, Consul General of Australia to Vietnam; Mr. Daniël Stork, Consul General of the Netherlands to Vietnam; Mrs. Milena Padula, spouse of Italian Consul General Enrico Padula; and Mrs. Lê Hạnh, CEO of TVHub Vietnam. Distinguished guests also included Michelin Starred Chef/Owner Peter Cong Franklin of Ănăn Saigon, totalling one hundred and thirty of Ho Chi Minh’s leading tastemakers.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
Guests enjoyed a selection of exquisite canapés, fine wines, and champagne while admiring Peschard’s captivating works. Adding to the allure, music by DJ Edge Pamute filled the space, and trendsetters Tracie May and Nykky Domodelled custom-embroidered Áo Dài, the national costume of Vietnam, designed by Peschard and couturière Giao Basson. A pop-up retail store showcasing Peschard’s merchandise collection also opened to the public, featuring a curated selection of home decor, limited edition numbered and artist-signed lacquer replicas of paintings, and an array of gift items. Both the boutique and the art exhibit will grace the Sofitel Saigon Plaza throughout the summer, concluding in early September.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
This premier event highlighted the vibrant intersection of art, culture, and gastronomy, celebrating a unique fusion that will enchant visitors throughout the season, encapsulating Sofitel Hotel and Resort’s world of prestige and luxury.
photos courtesy of Nick Middleton for the Sofitel Saigon Plaza.
“I’m deeply grateful to Sofitel Saigon Plaza for granting me such a fantastic platform to showcase my art. Although I am French, my heart is Vietnamese, and I’m thrilled to share my homage to Vietnam with their guests and visitors during the 60th Anniversary celebration of Sofitel Hotels and Resorts.” – Jérôme Peschard
“Marking 60 years of exceptional hospitality, we take pride in being a part of a legacy that consistently sets the standard for excellence in Asia, providing a unique experience for all modern travellers to explore Ho Chi Minh City through a French-inspired perspective.” – Mario Mendis, GM, Sofitel Saigon Plaza
ABOUT SOFITEL SAIGON PLAZA:
Sofitel Saigon Plaza harmonises the sophistication of French art de vivre with the vibrancy of local Vietnamese culture, delivering a luxury hospitality experience enriched by genuine heartfelt service. Conveniently located in a tranquil enclave on Le Duan Boulevard, Sofitel Saigon Plaza places you in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s business, cultural, and shopping district. The hotel boasts 286 rooms and suites adorned with refined décor and deluxe amenities, a fitness centre featuring advanced exercise equipment, and an outdoor swimming pool with breathtaking city views. Sofitel Saigon Plaza also features five dining establishments serving local and French cuisine, seven polished meeting rooms, and an opulent ballroom equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the ideal destination for business, leisure, meetings, and gatherings.
ABOUT JÉRÔME PESCHARD:
Dubbed the “Gauguin of Vietnam,” Jérôme Peschard is a self-taught artist whose work reflects a life richly lived and creatively charged. His art bridges the past with the present, blending East and West, while drawing profound inspiration from his adopted home of Vietnam. Characterised by the use of oil on rusted corrugated iron sheets salvaged from local construction sites, his pieces reflect the very essence of Saigon – its history, development, people, culture, and vibrant spirit. Peschard’s unique fusion of Western pop art with Asian influences, inspired by comic book legend Jack Kirby and modern art icons like Basquiat and Warhol, continues to evolve as he explores new themes in his storytelling. In the dynamic energy of Vietnam, Peschard not only found his place in the world, but also his distinctive artistic identity.
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Sarah Paulson Returns to Broadway in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate at Second Stage Theater
Sarah Paulson to Return to Broadway in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate at Second Stage Theater
Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, President and Artistic Director; Lisa Lawer Post, Interim Executive Director) today announced that Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award winner SARAH PAULSON returns to Broadway starring in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ APPROPRIATE, directed by Lila Neugebauer.
This production marks Ms. Paulson’s return to the New York stage since she was last seen co-starring opposite Danny Burstein in Lanford Wilson’s Talley’s Folly in 2013.
Part of Second Stage’s 45th Anniversary Season, APPROPRIATE will begin previews Tuesday, November 28th and will officially open on Monday, December 18th at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater (240 West 44th street).
This production marks Mr. Jacobs-Jenkins’ Broadway debut.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon) and Drama Desk Award winner Lila Neugebauer (The Waverly Gallery, 2ST’s Mary Page Marlowe) invite you to one helluva reunion in the darkly comic American family drama,APPROPRIATE.
It’s summer, the cicadas are singing, and the Lafayette family has returned to their late patriarch’s Arkansas home to deal with the remains of his estate. Toni (Paulson), the eldest daughter, hopes they’ll spend the weekend remembering and reconnecting over their beloved father. Bo, her brother, wants to recoup some of the funds he spent caring for Dad at the end of his life. But things take a turn when their estranged brother, Franz, appears late one night, and mysterious objects are discovered among the clutter. Suddenly, long-hidden secrets and buried resentments can’t be contained, and the family is forced to face the ghosts of their past.
Additional casting and creative team members will be announced in the coming weeks.
Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner SARAH PAULSON last appeared onstage in New York in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Lanford Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Talley’s Folly in spring 2013. Other stage appearances include the Broadway productions of Collected Stories, opposite Linda Lavin, and The Glass Menagerie alongside Jessica Lange; the Mark Taper Forum production of The Cherry Orchard opposite Alfred Molina and Annette Bening; and off-Broadway in Tracy Letts’ critically acclaimed Killer Joe. Paulson received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her portrayal of attorney Marcia Clark in FX’s critically acclaimed miniseries “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” Paulson also received a Golden Globe® Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics’ Choice Award and a Television Critics Association Award for this role. Her many additional TV credits include her performance as Linda Tripp in FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story” (Emmy nomination, also Executive Producer); the title role in the Netflix series, “Ratched” (also Executive Producer), which debuted at number one across 50 countries worldwide and earned Paulson a Golden Globe® nomination; the FX on Hulu Emmy-nominated limited series, “Mrs. America,” opposite Cate Blanchett; Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (Golden Globe nomination); HBO’s “Coastal Elites” and “Game Change” (Emmy and Golden Globe nominations); ten installments of Ryan’s Murphy’s award-winning television series “American Horror Story,” where she also made her directorial debut with the 78-minute crossover episode, “Return to Murder House.” Paulson has received five Emmy® nominations for her roles in the franchise, as well as two Critics’ Choice Awards for her roles in the anthology series. Paulson’s many film credits include Warner Bros.’ Ocean’s 8; Todd Haynes’ critically acclaimed Carolalongside Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, which received an Academy Award® for Best Picture. She has also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s The Post opposite Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep; Aneesh Chaganty’s Run for Hulu; M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Glass for Universal; Netflix’s Bird Box opposite Sandra Bullock; DreamWorks Animation’s Abominable. Other film credits include Martha Marcy May Marlene; Down with Love; What Women Want, The Other Sister. Upcoming, she will executive produce and star in Searchlight’s horror thriller, Dust; will appear in Bruce Norris’ film adaptation of his Pulitzer, Tony, and Olivier award-winning play, Clybourne Park, directed by Pam MacKinnon; and in Bad Robot’s series adaptation of Glennon Doyle’s memoir, “Untamed.”
BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS is a Brooklyn-based playwright and producer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.
BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS is a Brooklyn-based playwright and producer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Recent theatre credits include The Comeuppance, which recently ran at the Signature Theatre; Girls (Yale Rep); Everybody (Signature Theatre), War (Yale Rep; Lincoln Center/LCT3); Gloria (Vineyard Theatre); Appropriate (Obie Award; Signature Theatre); An Octoroon (Obie Award; Soho Rep, Theatre for a New Audience); and Neighbors (The Public Theater).
He was showrunner, executive producer, and writer for HULU/FX’s drama series, “Kindred,” based on Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking novel. He currently teaches at Yale University and serves as Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council and on the boards of Soho Rep, Park Avenue Armory, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Honors include a USA Artists fellowship, a Guggenheim fellowship, the MacArthur fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize forDrama, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.
LILA NEUGEBAUER is an award-winning stage and screen director.
LILA NEUGEBAUER is an award-winning stage and screen director. Broadway: Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery.
Recent Off-Broadway credits include Simon Stephens’ Morning Sun (MTC), Tracy Letts’ Mary Page Marlowe (Second Stage); Annie Baker’s The Antipodes; Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Everybody; Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo: Homelife/The Zoo Story (Signature Theatre); Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves;and Zoe Kazan’s After the Blast (Lincoln Center).
As co-Artistic Director of The Mad Ones: Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie (Ars Nova) and Miles for Mary (Playwrights Horizons), among others. Lila is an alum of the Drama League, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, an Ensemble Studio Theatre member, New Georges Affiliated Artist, and New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. Obie Award, Drama Desk Sam Norkin Special Award, and Princess Grace Award recipient. TV: “Maid” (Netflix), “The Last Thing He Told Me” (Apple TV+), “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” and “Room 104” (HBO Max). Lila’s directorial feature debut Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry (Oscar nomination), is available on AppleTV+.
Second Stage Theater’s programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The Season is supported by a grant from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Second Stage Theater’s 45th Anniversary Season will kick off in November
Second Stage Theater’s 45th Anniversary Season will kick off in November at the Tony Kiser Theater with the world premiere of Guggenheim Fellow Jen Silverman’s (Collective Rage) play, SPAIN, directed by Tyne Rafaeli (The Coast Starlight), off-Broadway at the Tony Kiser Theater (305 West 43rd Street). The season will also include the world premiere of an untitled new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel (How I Learned To Drive), directed by Tina Landau (The SpongeBob Musical) at the Hayes Theater. Additional productions will be announced at a later date.
Single tickets for APPROPRIATE will go on sale at a later date. Currently, Season Subscriptions are available: full season 5 Show packages are $445; 3 Show packages are $350. For those 30 years of age and younger, Flip the Script 5 Show packages are $150. To purchase a subscription, please visit 2ST.com or call 212-246-4422. Subscribers receive early access to a winter festival of plays and readings by new American writers.
SECOND STAGE THEATER operates three New York City venues
Under the artistic direction of Carole Rothman, SECOND STAGE THEATER operates three New York City venues, exclusively dedicated to producing living American playwrights.
Among Second Stage’s 180 productions are the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis; the 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes; Mary Page Marlowe by Tracy Letts; The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown; Dogfight by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Peter Duchan; Dear Evan Hansen by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson; Clyde’s and By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage; Trust and Lonely, I’m Not by Paul Weitz; Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz; Everyday Rapture and Whorl Inside a Loop by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott; Let Me Down Easy and Notes From the Field by Anna Deavere Smith; Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo; Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein; Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl; The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane; Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin; Jitney by August Wilson; Crowns by Regina Taylor; Saturday Night by Stephen Sondheim; Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo’s Greatest Hits by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy; This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan; Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe; A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller; The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry; andTiny Alice and Peter and Jerry by Edward Albee.
The company’s more than 170 citations include the 2022 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play for Take Me Out, as well as Best Featured Actor in a Play for Jesse Tyler Ferguson; six 2017 Tony Awards for Dear Evan Hansen (Best Musical; Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Ben Platt; Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Rachel Bay Jones; Best Book of a Musical; Best Original Score; Best Orchestrations); the 2009 Tony Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley, Next to Normal), Best Score (Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal), and Best Orchestrations (Tom Kitt and Michael Starobin, Next to Normal); the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed); the 2005 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (Rachel Sheinkin, …Spelling Bee) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dan Fogler, …Spelling Bee); the 2002 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play (Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses); the 2002 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work, 29 Obie Awards, 11 Outer Critics Circle Awards, four Clarence Derwent Awards, 20 Drama Desk Awards, 11 Theatre World Awards, one Dorothy Louden Award, 20 Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Critics Circle Award and 23 AUDELCO Awards.
In 1999, Second Stage Theater opened The Tony Kiser Theater, its state-of-the-art, 296-seat theater, designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. In 2002, Second Stage launched “Second Stage Theater Uptown” to showcase the work of up-and-coming artists at the 99-seat McGinn/Cazale Theater.
In 2018, Second Stage began producing at its 581 seat Broadway home, The Hayes Theater. Originally named “The Little Theater” and built in 1912, the city landmark has been remodeled by David Rockwell of Rockwell Group.
The Theater supports artists through several programs that include residencies, fellowships and commissions, and engages students and community members through education and outreach programs.
For more information, please visit www.2ST.com or follow Second Stage on Twitter: @2STNYC, Instagram: @2stnyc and Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/2STNYC/
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High blood pressure has a tastier solution than even before Thanks to Music Producer Ira Antelis — 120/Life to Help Us All Be Healthier
High blood pressure has a tastier solution than even before thanks to Music Producer Ira Antelis — 120/Life to Help Us All Be Healthier
Have high blood pressure? Over 100 million people do. Music Producer Ira Antelis wanted to do something about it, so he created 120/Life to help himself and others become healthier.
“Your blood pressure’s sky high,” founder Ira Antelis ’s doctor told him. “Get it down in 3 weeks, or it’s surgery.” So Ira went started changing his lifestyle. But also, investigating health.
It turns out, there’s answers out there. And he wanted to know more.
Today I sat down with 120/Life’s Ira Antelis for a conversation about music, creativity, getting healthy and Ira’s inspiring message about following your passion and inspirations.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. The full conversation can be found on our YouTube channel.
So as we just jump right in, Ira, can you give us a little background on you? What did do for a living before 120 life?
Sure. Most of my life has been writing and producing music. A lot of television commercials. The famous one is a Michael Jordan like Mike if I could be like Mike, which was just in the close the closing credits of the “Air” movie, and 30 years later.
Songs from McDonald’s for Disney, artists like Christina Aguilera, Regina Bell, Patti LaBelle, have recorded or sung my music.
The concept of how I got from there to a blood pressure drink is always like mind boggling to many, and including me, because it’s a path I never would have thought would have arisen to be honest, and it came out of a health issue, and it’s funny because you relate to blood pressure and music. There is a relationship because in music, you put things together. So let’s say I create a piece of music on the piano and say, okay, great. So now I’m going to get a, I wrote the music, I’m going to get… The bass player, I’m going to get the drums, I’m going to get the violins, and then I’m going to put it all together. And I’ve been doing that for many years, it’s like putting ingredients together. And a health issue my blood pressure had risen really high, dangerously high. And then we’re like you have to get this fixed.
If not, we’re going to have to do surgery. Because over time, the first thing anybody I think would do is say what if you have high blood pressure. What do you do? What do you eat? What do you drink? And when it came to the drinks, I kept reading about these things that they all have studies.
I was like, wait a minute. Pomegranate juice, I’m reading the studies. You drink it for six weeks. And one day it just struck me. If I take all of these ingredients, I think it’s like mixing a piece of music and putting them all together. I just knew in my mind they would work because I think the music related to the blood pressure and that’s how it all began.
You literally almost produced a beverage in the same way you produce music.
You brought in several elements together, let’s say drums, a guitar, a vocalist, all the elements of a band. You thought of it like that, but you found these superfood ingredients and said, gosh, these ingredients could all work together.
Yes, that’s 100% correct. Now what I was doing is that I think like I’m going to produce this drink like I’m producing music. No, but I’ve had a recording studio for 30 years of my life and I’m making music every day of my life.
It’s just secondhand nature to do things in combinations for me. So when I thought about it later on, I’m like, Oh yeah, that’s why it works. I saw the ingredients, they look the same. I knew I can mix them together. Just from my process of music. I think that’s what happened.
If you’re doing the music every day, do you think you use creativity to solve a health concern?
Yeah, I think on some level that’s what happened. I was looking at things and I saw it, but in a way maybe nobody else saw it. And I think when you’re a creative person, then that tends to be the, where you go first on some level. I’m always thinking of things from a creative standpoint.
Is there a life lesson at all in here for people, using creativity and trial and error and the confidence to try new things.
Yeah, it’s funny because I did this music project with music from the Holocaust. And we, I wrote the Carnegie Hall and we sold it out, beyond the most successful thing in my life. And I was sent to somebody, if I had to write a book about my life, I would title the book, “Everybody Says No”. And I think that’s the way, the mission of my life don’t ever let anybody stop your ideas. Ever.
If you are passionate about anything, go figure out a way to do it. And I think it’s a life lesson about creativity. What it is, go do it.
So from a step by step process, you have a doctor’s meeting, you’re told you have a health concern, can you just walk us through what those next steps were?
So the first thing somebody tells you, you have extremely high blood pressure. It has to come down. And most of the people I’ve ever met would say we know what high blood pressure can do.
But my question was not that. My question is what is causing the high blood pressure? What is it? My dad was a pharmacist; he knew about strokes and heart attacks. I was trying to figure out what it is and how do you stop it?
And the truth is even though the doctor is a friend of mine that they will basically go figure it out.
First thing I learned is to cut your salt. That was stop number one. Most studies show if you cut your salt, it will lower your blood. I’m just doing everything I can do, even taking medication. I’m going on a salt free diet for three weeks. So you have fruit, vegetables, but not just salt. Every cookie that has sodium, I’m not eating.
That was like step number one.
Then I’m Googling what are the best foods to eat? What are the best things to drink? And that began the process. Reading about these did lower my blood pressure to the point where they didn’t have to operate.
But you get stuck or passionate about some things. So every day I’m on the computer, looking up drinks for high blood pressure. Many of the same things come up, beet juice or beet powder, lowers your blood pressure. Hibiscus tea lowers your blood pressure. Pomegranate juice
I’m reading the studies. Then one day It just dawned on me. Wait a minute if all of these lower your blood pressure a little bit. Together, maybe it will lower it a lot.
I figured, somebody had done it. Not only was that not there. Even to this day, there was nothing there. Zero.
There’s 110 million people that have high blood pressure. And there’s nothing, there is not a drink out there with these ingredients.
Yeah. But that began the journey.
So on this journey you had different levels of support. You have a nutritionist in your life, Susan Schachter, talk about her involvement
So as I’m making this drink, [I’m thinking] what’s the best way for people to try it? So I kept thinking, okay, I’m going to make these jugs that contain 112 ounces. And I would give it to people that I knew had high blood pressure and say try it for two weeks. I’m doing that because one of the people I gave it to is my cousin who at the time was the sole distributor for Keurig the coffee machines and the K cups. I’m thinking okay I need to get him to distribute this drink.
So I gave it to him and said look if your blood pressure lowers from this drink, you got to promise me you’ll distribute it. He said, ‘Okay’, because he’s very skeptical and he thought there’s no way.
And sure enough, his blood pressure lowered 30 or 40 points. He said, ‘Okay, I’ll distribute it. But, what do you know about this stuff?’
My childhood friend Susan Schachter has a Master’s in nutrition. I sent her the drink. She made some tweaks and that’s how I got her involved.
Can we go through all six natural ingredients?
Let me start with beets; the superfood for athletes so I knew I was going to have beets in my drink.
Hibiscus tea has been around for years and have said a multitude of studies. even in the Middle East about lowering your blood pressure. I think some of the qualities are in medical terms that can act like an ACE inhibitor.
The third ingredient is pomegranate juice. It can act as a beta blocker. It has a lot of antioxidants. So I think those three were the really big things in the drink.
Susan added magnesium and potassium. It relaxes your blood vessels.
Through the studies, I was reading about cranberry juice and tart cherry juice, which has been used for recovery for athletes for soreness of muscles.
I enjoyed the taste. I’m always worried health products will “taste like science” Your drink doesn’t. What does it taste like to you and how do you recommend drinking it?
The most important thing is it can probably really help you. Some people really like how it tastes.
I say mix it with cranberry juice or put it in your smoothie, especially now we have a powder. So there are different options. I think the point is that high blood pressure is not something to mess around with. Too many bad things could happen.
Is there anything that you want to talk about?
We’re in a society where people age out, we become disposable after a certain age in so many industries, so I’m inspired by my own story, 60 years old rather than retiring or doing something I had the wherewithal to say, I’m going to do this, it’s never too late in life if you want to do things.
And I think that’s a message for a lot of people. Most people do not start a business at 60. But my thought is like, you have this passion, you have this dream, go for it. I’m very thrilled to just be a part of it. I let my CEO run it.
The second thing is that I, we always say to people, Susan always says, know your numbers. Be responsible with your health. Drink 120 life. Pomegranate juice. Beet juice, Hibiscus tea, Cut your salt. That’s my message.
Please tell us how can we help you. Please tell us how to find your website and where to browse your products
Ira: If you want to try 120 life, www.120life.com
If you want to try it for two weeks, purchase it. But if you’re unhappy for any reason, money back guaranteed.
So thank you so much for your time. Thank you for discovering this health idea.
Thank you. You have a great day.
Heard really good things about the show. Havent seen it 🙁