Connect with us

News

COVID – 19 News and Times Square and The Arts

Published

on

The coronavirus continues to have a devastating impact on America’s arts sector. Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released Small Business Pulse Survey data showing three-quarters of responding “Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation” businesses saying the pandemic has had a “Large Negative Effect”—second only to “Accommodations and Food Services.” Unfortunately, by several measures, arts businesses are not getting the same level of relief as other sectors of the economy despite being more severely impacted. 

U.S. Census Bureau Small Business Pulse Survey, April 26 to May 2, 2020

Nationally, financial losses to nonprofit arts organizations are estimated to be $5.5 billion, to date. These organizations and companies have also lost 210 million admissions due to cancelled events, resulting in a $6.7 billion loss in event-related spending by audiences (restaurants, lodging, retail). 

Two-thirds of the nation’s artists are now unemployed, as jobs in the “Arts, Entertainment & Recreation” sector have shrunk by 54.5%.

On a positive note, earlier this month, 140 Chambers of Commerce from 39 states offered support of cultural institutions to Congressional leadership through a joint statement that reads, “These institutions are important to every community, exposing residents to creativity and education and enhancing their quality of life.” We are very appreciative of the Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives (ACCE) for this leadership.

Similarly, a group of 23 mayors have signed on to a pro-arts statement to congressional leaders highlighting their support for the federal cultural agencies, paycheck support and the self-employed and freelance creative workforce. Their advocacy was led by San Francisco mayor London Breed and the local arts alliance.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act which includes substantial funds for state and local governments, school districts, Community Development Block Grants, small businesses and self-employed, and funds for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and museums.

May and June are the most strategic times to increase your advocacy to Congress—Please take five minutes to urge Congress to increase support for pro-arts policies as negotiations continue on this next legislative package of COVID-19 relief. 

Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund will continue to work for increased support for our sector as we deal with this global pandemic. In addition to the continuing damage reports being collected through our national economic snapshot survey and dashboard and our up-to-the-minute COVID-19 Resource Center updates, we continue to produce a series of webinars through our ArtsU platform to present experts and guidance to the field to help navigate through these new federal provisions during this challenging time.

Tomorrow, Friday (5/22) at 6 pm, Gail Brewer will be hosting her monthly Uptown Arts call in partnership with the Arts and Culture Committee of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the Harlem Arts Alliance, and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance. Our topic will be “Innovation in the Arts: Reshaping Our Creative Futures Together.” Register here.

Governor Cuomo has named a new Interfaith Advisory Council to advise on safely bringing back faith services. A list of members (and of all the appointed reopening task forces) is available on Gail Brewer’s website.

The Governor also announced that as of today (5/21) religious services will be allowed to resume statewide provided they include no more than ten people, strict social distancing measures are enforced, and all participants wear masks. We’re seeking clarification about ten people per room, or per building. 

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Cabaret

My View: Barrington Stage Co. on 42nd Street Oct. 30 For Its Gala at Green Room 42

Published

on

The evening of cocktails, dinner, and cabaret show headlined by Billy Stritch celebrates the inaugural season of newly appointed Artistic Director Alan Paul and Managing Director Lynsey Shade.

Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the Julianne Boyd New Works Fund.

Mary Ann and Bruno Quinson are presenting the event which is sponsored in part by Rhoda Levitt.  Eda Sorokoff is Chair with Violet Eagan & Rosita Sarnoff Co-Chairs

Since its inception in 1995, Barrington Stage (BSC) has produced 41 new works, 21 of which have moved on to New York and major regional theatres around the country.

BSC believes that new work is the heart and soul of theatre. If theatre is to thrive and create meaningful and new experiences for audiences, then it is vital to support playwrights and their visions of the world we live in.

BSC’s New Works Fund takes a two-pronged approach – PlayWorks supports the creation of new plays while our acclaimed Musical Theatre Lab develops new musicals. In both of these programs, BSC seeks artists whose unique voices speak to our audiences with relevant new plays and musicals. BSC hopes our new work will ask questions of the world we live in – questions that may not have answers but will begin a dialogue between the artists and our audiences.

 

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

JULIANNE BOYD & BILLY STRITCH

ALAN PAUL & RHODA LEVITT

MARY ANN QUINSON

ALAN PAUL & WILLIAM FINN

MARY ANN QUINSON & JULIANNE BOYD

BILLY STRITCH

EDA SORKOFF & BILLY STRITCH

BILLY STRTICH & STEPHEN SOROKOFF

MARY ANN QUINSON, JULIANNE BOYD, MARITA GLODT, EDA SOROKOFF

 

Continue Reading

Events

T2C Remembers 9/11

Published

on

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th’s terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost and many of the first responders/firefighters who survived the terror attacks still have to fight every year for funding to make sure medical bills are covered. For the heroes of 9/11, money will run out once again in 2025.

A flag has been unfurled at the site each year celebrating the bravery that was on display from first responders as well as countless Good Samaritans who jumped into action that day. Ron DeSantis, Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani, Douglas Emhoff, Mayor Eric Adams, Donald Trump and Melania Trump attended the  in a moment of silence. Joe Biden decided a ceremony on a military base in Anchorage was more important so he send Kamala Harris.

The museum will also be closed to the public throughout the day, open only for the families of 9/11 victims.

At 3 p.m, the Memorial Plaza opens to the public, where people can view the Tribute in Light, which is lit until midnight. The tribute can be seen for 60-miles.

The Empire State Building, will light up in blue that evening to mark the anniversary of the attacks.

The NYC Fire Museum at 278 Spring Street had a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m. It will take place in the museum’s permanent memorial dedicated to the 343 FDNY members who lost their lives on 9/11.

The museum also features a new exhibition, One Day in September, recognizing the courageous efforts of first responders on 9/11 through a portrait series, personal artifacts, and short interviews with first responders’ family members. The exhibition is on view until Oct. 2, 2022.

We honor the life of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11 after he ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center with 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back.

Today we think back and never forget those we lost and those who so bravely fought to save lives.

Continue Reading

News

Migrants Are Still Pouring Into NYC and Are Causing a Strain on New Yorkers, Police and The System

Published

on

There were over 2,300 new migrants that came into the city seeking shelter last week alone. So far the total is over 100,000, who are overwhelming a shelter system designed to hold tens of thousands people not hundreds of thousands..

A shocking new report say at the Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th Street more than 41 migrants have been arrested and of course let go to thanks to DA Alvin Bragg lenient policies. A lot of these abuses are domestic violence or crimes against the police.

Daniel Hernandez Martinez, an immigrant from Venezuela has committed 14 crimes in his first two months in New York City. The 29-year-old has been booked and arrested 6 times by the police. Daniel arrived in NYC on June 27, 2023, and committed his first crime the same day. Following on, he has randomly attacked at least 3 strangers and two cops and has gotten arrested and released consequently at least 6 times. “He’s been wreaking havoc,” said a cop who has been on the force for more than 20 years. The officer continued on how the migrant influx was causing a lot of crimes in the state, most of them being violent. “This is not an isolated incident. These migrants are getting arrested quite often here, and we really don’t know who they are. They really don’t have ID. They’re not being vetted properly, but some of them are committing some of the most violent crimes here.”

Besides at The Roosevelt.

A 20-year-old migrant woman was arrested Thursday for allegedly slapping an NYPD officer who was attempting to confiscate her unregistered motorbike in front of the Stratford Arms Hotel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The woman — who also had been arrested in July for allegedly attacking her boyfriend — was freed without bail the next day, as per state law.

Did you know New York City has a unique court-ordered obligation to provide emergency shelter to anyone who asks for it?

Another staggering statistic is that 1.2MILLION US born workers lost their jobs during between July and August, and have been replaced by 688,000 foreign born staff as migrants flood across the border. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, foreign-born people are those residing in the United States who were not US citizens at birth, and do not have parents who are U.S. citizens.

If we are not careful American born citizens are going to lose much more than our jobs.

Continue Reading

Ken Fallin's Broadway

Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Escape To Margaritaville

Published

on

Jimmy Buffett, the singer, songwriter, author, sailor and entrepreneur whose roguish brand of island escapism on hits like “Margaritaville” and “Fins” made him something of a latter-day folk hero, especially among his devoted following of so-called Parrot Heads, died on Friday. He was 76.

His musical, Escape to Margaritaville, opened at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway on March 15 under the direction of Tony winner Christopher Ashley. The production closed on July 1 after 29 previews and 124 regular performances. A national tour launched in Providence, Rhode Island, in the fall of 2019.

Of the over 30 albums Buffett released, eight are certified gold and nine are certified platinum or multiplatinum.

Aside from his career in music, Buffett was involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best-known songs; he owned Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant chain.

After entering hospice care just five days prior, Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, at the age of 76 from skin cancer (diagnosed in 2019) that had turned into lymphoma.

Continue Reading

Broadway

Broadway For Biden Stars Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr. and More With The President Attending

Published

on

On Monday night, September 18, Broadway is having a fundraising concert for President Joe Biden. A whose who of Theater’s biggest stars including; Josh Groban, Annaleigh Asfrord, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Erivo, Aaron Tveitt, Leslie Odom Jr.,Laura Benanti, Josh Gad, Alex Edelman, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles and Andrew Rannells will be performing. The president himself will be in attendance.

This one-night-only concert fundraiser is being hosted by Broadway producers and supporters Jeffrey Seller, Thomas Kail, Luz & Luis Miranda, Bruce Cohen & Gabe Catone, Tom Healy & Fred P. Hochberg, Barbara Marcin & Orin Kramer, Stacey & Eric Mindich, Karen & Gary Rose, Janet & Marvin Rosen, Alexandra & Eric Schoenberg, Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante, Henry Tisch & Sean Walsh.

Broadway for Biden is being described by organizers as both a celebration of Biden’s political career and “a call to action, emphasizing the importance of his reelection in 2024.”

Though the theatre has not been announced, tickets range from $250 for rear mezzanine seats to $7,500 for orchestra center front.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 Times Square Chronicles