I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Sunday Scoop Week of 8/14/22 Beginning Performances, What's Happening This Week and More

Beginning Performances 
















Down to Eartha

In January 1968 entertainer and activist Eartha Kitt was invited to the White House by Lady Bird Johnson to partake in a women's luncheon to discuss rising crime rates in America. At the luncheon, Eartha stood up and expressed her views that the increase in crime was mostly due to America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Lady Bird was personally insulted by the comment and shortly after, by order of President Lyndon Johnson, Kitt was blacklisted from work in the United States for 10 years. In one act filled with drama and music, DOWN TO EARTHA recounts Eartha Kitt’s memories of that fateful day and her personal journey to reclaim her own power and freedom. 

Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond Street)
Performances Begin 8/18

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  www.downtoeartha.com



















Macbitches

When a freshman acting major is unexpectedly cast as Lady Macbeth, a few upperclassmen invite her over to celebrate. As the Fireball and Svedka flow, the girls interrogate their own sense of ambition as well as the power structures that have shaped their education.

Chain Theatre (312 W. 36th Street, 4th Floor)
Beginning performances 8/19

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit



















Two Jews, Walking 

Starring legendary performers Hal Linden & Bernard Kopell

Two Jews, Talking takes us on a hilarious romp through time! Two one-act plays bring Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship. The show’s humor evokes a sense of nostalgia for simpler times – when comedy was rooted in pure fun.

Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 West 46th St)

Performances begin 8/20

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

www.telecharge.com/ticketsearchresults.aspx?ProductId=13850


What's Happening This Week and More

1) Aaase Yaa Cultural Center Presents
It Was All a Dream: A Musical 20th Anniversary Celebration 8/20

2) AMAS Musical Theatre Lab to Present Stages Readings of Maya
8/22  & 8/23

3) Arts on Site August Performances

4) Bloomingdale School of Music Participates in NYPhilharmonic Summer Practice Challenge
8/22 - 8/26

5) On Location Tours Offers NYC TV & Movie Tour 

6) Two River Theater Single Season Tickets 
on Sale for 2022/2023 Season

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1) Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation Announces
It Was All a Dream: A Musical 20th Anniversary Celebration
August 20, 2022

The Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation has announced the launch of its 20th anniversary celebration, It Was All a Dream: A Musical, will be held August 20, 2022 at 7pm at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St., NYC, following several COVID-related postponements. The event commemorates twenty years of dance, education, and services to local youth and Brooklyn community members. Tickets are available on various tiers, including general admission ($30, $40, $50) and premium gold ($100, $300), which includes a VIP post-show reception and swag bag. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit asaseyaaent.org/it-was-all-a-dream-a-musical-celebrating-20-years or call (646) 468-0710.

It Was All a Dream is a moving story and dance drama inspired by the enduring challenges, unrelenting hope, faith and optimism that has fueled the growth of Asase Yaa from its humble beginnings as a grass roots dance company to a sustainable multi-faceted foundation and cultural arts organization. It is designed to motivate and encourage young artists, families, and our larger community to always dream. And to realize with love, devotion and perseverance that it is possible to fulfill artistic and communal goals and dreams for the advancement of culture and community.

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2) AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE AND
THE AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE LAB
TO PRESENT STAGED READINGS OF
MĀYĀ
A NEW MUSICAL
BOOK AND MUSIC CHEEYANG NG
BOOK AND LYRICS ERIC SORRELS
MUSIC DIRECTION BY MONA SEYED-BOLORFOROSH
DIRECTED BY ARPITA MUKHERJEE

THEATRE ROW (THEATRE 2)
410 WEST 42ND STREET (NYC)

MONDAY, AUGUST 22 @ 6PM
TUESDAY, AUGUST 23 @ 2PM & 7PM

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present staged readings of MĀYĀ, a new musical, with book and music by Eric Sorrels and book and lyrics by Cheeyang Ng. Directed by Arpita Mukherjee, with music direction by Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh, the readings will be held on Monday, August 22 at 6pm and Tuesday, August 23 at 2pm & 7pm at Theatre Row - Theatre 2 (410 West 42nd Street). For reservations, email boxoffice@amasmusical.org. For more information, please call 212-563-2565.

Set in the time of Gandhi’s Non-Violent Independence Movement and the waning British Raj, MĀYĀ tells the story of a female poet’s awakening to the political troubles of India.

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3) Arts On Site announces August Performances


Arts On Site (AOS) announces August performances, featuring dance, music, and film in the heart of the East Village at Studio 3R, 12 St. Mark’s Place, NYC. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at artsonsite.org/tickets.

We Belong Here: AAPI Festival
Program A:
Friday, August 19, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $30

Program B:
Friday, August 26, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $30

We Belong Here: AAPI Festival is a fully presented opportunity for choreographers that identify with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, hosted by Arts On Site as part of their ARTS IN SITE performance series bringing underrepresented artists into view. Note: While we use AAPI, we recognize it is imperfect. We use AAPI to encompass all who identify as part of the Asian diaspora including AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), API (Asian Pacific Islander), APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American), SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African), APA (Asian Pacific American), AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiin Pacific Islander), and more.

For more information, visit artsonsite.org.

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4) Bloomingdale School of Music Participates in
New York Philharmonic’s Summer Practice Challenge
August 22-26, 2022

Bloomingdale School of Music, in partnership with the New York Philharmonic, presents the We Can Do It 2! Practice Challenge from August 22-26, 2022. Student musicians are challenged to take out their instruments for five days of practice in a closed and safe environment. Similar to Practice 30, the social media challenge first launched in August 2020, We Can Do It 2! creates community around the often-solitary act of practice, celebrates music-making, and calls attention to the need for support of music education. To register for the challenge, fill out this form.

For five days, students from Bloomingdale will receive a daily practice challenge from a New York Philharmonic teaching artist on the discussion board software Padlet. The students will then practice, record a short video or audio clip, and post to the group. Over the course of the day, New York Philharmonic teaching artists and staff will provide feedback and commentary on their posts. Students are also encouraged to comment on each other's posts as well while building musical community and companionship. 

For five days, practice mentors will encourage students to:
engage in focused practice
set attainable goals and maintain a practice routine
give and receive constructive feedback from a community of others working toward the same goal
use available tech to aid in their practice

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5) On Location Tours Offers NYC TV & Movie Tour 


On Location Tours is back in full-swing this summer! Their popular NYC TV & Movie Bus Tour is the picture-perfect sightseeing experience for film buffs of all ages, and a great summer experience for families. This 3-hour guided tour through the most filmed city in the world explores locations from over 60 films and series, and lets you follow in the footsteps of your favorite onscreen characters. On the tour, fans can visit their favorite Friends at the iconic Friends apartment building; stop by Washington Square Park, as seen in Girls, The Mindy Project, Glee, Someone Great, and When Harry Met Sally; get a glimpse at popular hotels featured in American Hustle, Ocean’s 8, and Home Alone 2; take a photo in front of the iconic firehouse as seen in the Ghostbusters franchise; see the ‘Original Soupman’ and other locations from Seinfeld, and more! The tour ends at McGee’s Pub, the original inspiration for MacLaren’s in How I Met Your Mother.

This tour explores several different Manhattan neighborhoods, including Midtown/Times Square, Flatiron District, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, and Chelsea. As a result, families and friends often find this experience an ideal way to tour the city! It runs as both a public tour and a private tour. The public tour runs daily and costs $61 for adults and $45 for children ages 6-9. The private tour also runs daily and costs $135/person for up to 22 passengers (3-person minimum required).  Tour guides are local actors and actresses and share behind-the-scenes fun facts and trivia about the different sites. 

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5) SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE AUGUST 16 FOR TWO RIVER THEATER’S 2022/2023 SEASON AT TWORIVERTHEATER.ORG

 

LINEUP CELEBRATES THE POWER OF ART FROM HARLEM AND HAVANA TO FAIR VERONA



Single tickets for Two River Theater’s 2022/2023 season will go on sale Tuesday, August 16. This exciting and thought-provoking theatrical season will feature world premiere work as well as plays by some of the American theater’s most lauded talents.

Wine in the Wilderness, written by the trailblazing playwright Alice Childress, and directed by Obie Award-winner Brandon J. Dirden opens the season in October, followed by a darkly funny world premiere of Living and Breathing by Mando Alvarado, which was part of the 2019 Two River Theater Crossing Borders Festival. 

To accompany the season, Two River’s popular series, “Inside Two River” returns with a batch of exciting events, including book discussions, a Paint and Sip, a Cuban music dance party and much more!

 

Full details on the subscription series can be found below and by visiting tworivertheater.org.

 

2022/23 SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

WINE IN THE WILDERNESS

Oct 15 – Nov 6 / 2022

By Alice Childress
Directed by Brandon J. Dirden

 

As an uprising rocks his Harlem neighborhood on a hot summer night, artist Bill Jameson is more focused on finishing his latest work: three paintings representing three types of Black womanhood. More than his artistic vision is challenged by the arrival of an unexpected muse, who refuses to be bound by his shallow assumptions of all that Black womanhood can be. This reflection on how art truly reflects life is directed by Obie Award-winner Brandon J. Dirden (Director of August Wilson’s Radio Golf and King Hedley II) and features Crystal Dickinson (A Raisin in the Sun, August Wilson’s Seven Guitars). Sponsored by Bank of America.

 

LIVING AND BREATHING

Jan 28 – Feb 26 / 2023

By Mando Alvarado
Directed by Rebecca Martínez

 

The impulsive purchase of some provocative art – a living Latino man who is paid to behave as a statue – shatters a multi-ethnic friend group by sparking questions of commodification, stereotypes, and complacency. While the validity of the artist’s vision might be up for debate, one thing is undeniable: the friendship between these three men is much more fragile than they had realized. Complex, darkly funny, and thought-provoking, this play by Mando Alvarado was part of the 2019 Two River Theater Crossing Borders Festival.

 

ROMEO AND JULIET

Apr 8 – 30 / 2023

By William Shakespeare

In a modern verse translation by Hansol Jung

 

The classic tale of star-crossed love is infused with contemporary vitality by playwright Hansol Jung (Wolf Play, Wild Goose Dreams, Cardboard Piano). Seen in 2020 as part of Two River Theater’s Two River Rising online reading series, this new take on Shakespeare’s ode to young love was originally commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Play On! project. It is produced as part of the NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Company) National Partnership Project.

 

TWO SISTERS AND A PIANO

June 3 – 25 / 2023

By Nilo Cruz

 

Although trapped under house arrest, novelist Maria Celia and her sister Sofia can still hear the rumors of shifting global politics growing in 1990s Havana. As they await changes for Cuba, as well as changes to their situation, it’s uncertain whether freedom will come through government regime change, Maria Celia’s far-off husband, or the charismatic military officer who has begun insinuating himself into the sisters’ lives. A passionate tale of revolution, art, and forbidden love written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics).

 

YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

A LITTLE SHAKESPEARE: ROMEO AND JULIET

Dec 3 – 11 / 2022

By William Shakespeare

 

Celebrating ten years of engaging young theater artists with the work of the Bard! Each season, Two River Theater produces a 75-minute adaptation of a Shakespeare play—directed and designed by theater professionals, and performed and supported backstage by high school students.

 

TICKET INFORMATION

Single tickets are on sale August 16 and can be purchased by visiting tworivertheater.org, calling 732.345.1400 or by visiting our Box Office at 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank. 

 

Three- and four-play subscription packages are available now! Subscribers save up to 25% off regularly priced tickets and enjoy additional benefits. Season subscriptions may be purchased now by calling 732.345.1400 or by visiting our Box Office at 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank. 

 

Adding a donation to your subscription purchase opens the door to extra benefits as part of our Backstage Pass program. Starting now and through the entire 2022/23 Season, subscribers who donate $120, or $10 per month, enjoy a benefits upgrade to the UNDERSTUDY level which includes:

      Free and unlimited ticket exchanges.

      Complimentary tea or coffee from concessions.

      Two vouchers for a complimentary beverage from concessions. (2022/23 Season)

      Two souvenir beverage cups that may be used in the theater. (2022/23 Season)

 

For more information about Backstage Pass and a complete list of all benefits, please visit: https://tworivertheater.org/support/backstagepass/.

 

Plays, artists, dates, and ticket prices are subject to change.

 

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

The safety of our patrons, staff and artists is our number one priority. As such, all guests, regardless of age or vaccination status, are required to wear masks while inside the theater building. Exceptions are only made for patrons eating and/or drinking in designated areas, one hour prior to the showtime.

Providing proof of vaccination will be determined on a show by show basis.

Two River Theater will follow any forthcoming state mandates related to Covid-19. All requirements are subject to change, allowing us to best prioritize the safety of our audience members, artists, staff and community.


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Talking Topics/More Theater Monday will be closed tomorrow. Tune Tuesday for Tips for Tuesday.

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