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How Are We Coping With Self Isolation: Insight From Around the Country With Melissa Rakiro

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Melissa Rakiro, is an actress, singer and model who hails from Philadelphia. She received her Bachelor’s in Acting  from Temple University and continues to study at the Boyer School of Music in Opera, Jazz and Musical Theater.​ Melissa currently resides in Brooklyn. She has appeared in various off Broadway productions, TV, Film, and dozens of commercial and print ads.

Most recently, Melissa appeared as the lead, Jody, in the short film “Little Things” Directed by Tegan Shohet (CBS’s The Good Fight) Expected release, December 2019. She will also be  appearing  in the second season of Dick Wolf’s FBI on CBS. She also appeared on Luke Cage for Marvel, Netflix.

Melissa on set

T2C: How are you dealing with home containment?

Melissa Rakiro: Like anyone dealing with this crisis, I have  good days and bad days. Being in one of the worst hit cities comes with it’s challenges. I find that establishing a daily routine for myself helps me feel like I am in control and keeps me positive. 

Melissa Rakiro modeling

T2C: What would you say is the difference of being in self lock down between Manhattan and Brooklyn?

Melissa Rakiro: I love New York, because here everyone is hustling all the time. Everyone has things they are constantly working towards. We are the city that never sleeps. Now everything is at a complete stand still and it feels eery like the pulse of the city is on pause. I miss being in the city everyday and I feel a little removed.

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T2C: What have you been able to accomplish in this time?

Melissa Rakiro: The one positive thing about being an actor during this time is the ability to submit yourself via video to casting directors who otherwise wouldn’t have the time to see you perform normally. 

T2C: What has this time stopped you from accomplishing?

Melissa Rakiro: Besides the obvious booking of work, I miss being able to see live theater and being on set. I miss creating with others. 

T2C: What kind of emotions does this time bring out of you?

Melissa Rakiro: Uncertainty, mostly. To be a full time actor is a wonderful thing to achieve but, it’s not something a lot of us can do from home right now. 

T2C: If you were to equate this time to a song or song cycle what would it be? 

Melissa Rakiro: “Sugar, we’re goin’ down” 

https://www.melissarakiro.com?wix-vod-video-id=ff29b24da03246999d413fb80f15df9d&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-k91wcbw6

T2C: What message would you like to give the world right now?

Melissa Rakiro: That we will come out of this eventually, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. 

T2C: What is the first thing you will do when we are no longer self quarantined? 

Melissa Rakiro: I’d like to take my dog to the dog park again and then visit my mom. 

T2C: What are the things that are getting you through this time?

Melissa Rakiro: My boyfriend, my dog, “Better Call Saul” and wine. Lots of wine. 

T2C: What haven’t we asked you that you would like to say?

Melissa Rakiro: That I am grateful for the people who are keeping us going. Grocery store employees, healthcare workers, and many more essential workers. 

To learn more about me go to MelissaRakiro.com 

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

Events

Happy Birthday, Grand Central!

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Today, Wednesday, February 2nd, is Grand Central Terminal’s 109th birthday, and the shops are helping them celebrate. Visit the below stores and eateries in Grand Central to take advantage of one-day-only deals* that either celebrate Grand Central’s age (109 years) or our birthday (1913)!

Café Grumpy: 8oz drip coffee is $1.09
Central Cellars: bottle of Banshee Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2019 or O.P.P. Other People Pinot Noir is $19.13 each
Doughnut Plant: Grand Central–exclusive GCT mini doughnuts are $1.09 each
Grand Central Watch: 18mm nylon straps (in various colors) are $1.09 each
Li-Lac Chocolates: a 9-piece truffle box is $19.13, and caramel squares are $1.09 each
Pescatore Seafood Company: jumbo lump crab cakes are $19.13 for 2 pieces
Spices and Tease: Indian spice trio – 1 pouch of Madras curry, 1 pouch of turmeric, and 1 pouch of Garam Masala – is $10.90

Grand Central Terminal’s construction lasted for ten years (from 1903 – 1913). The building was designed by a Francophile architect named Whitney Warren, who wanted to bring a whole lot of Parisian flair to New York City with his Beaux-Arts style.

Did you know 750,000 people pass through the station every day. That’s almost half the current population of Manhattan. The space occupies 48 acres.

The station has very few stairs, relying on a network of ramps. There are 2,500 stars painted on the ceiling; roughly sixty electric bulbs add to the twinkling effect of the stars. The constellations, with the exception of Orion, are painted backwards. The star-spangled ceiling  is 125 feet high.

During the filming of a scene in The Fisher King (1991), 400 extras waltzed around the main concourse from the evening until the first trains arrived at 5:30 the following morning.

Grand Central is the setting for the opening scenes of Gossip Girl.

In Alfred Hitchcock’s classic North by Northwest, Cary Grant makes an amazing escape through the terminal. Like The Fisher King, this scene was filmed at night to prevent disruptions to train service.

In Superman (1978), Clark Kent battles Lex Luthor, whose hideout is located under the terminal.

At the very end of Francis Ford Coppola’s Cotton Club, Richard Gere and Diane Lane escape their mobster lives through Grand Central.

Fire Power, starring Sophia Loren, was also filmed in Grand Central.

 

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Happy Chanukah or is it Hanukkah? Day 1

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Tonight Chanukah starts at sundown. The word Hanukkah means ‘rededication’ and commemorates the Jews’ struggle for religious freedom when, according to legend, the leaders of a Jewish rebel army called the Maccabees rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt of 167 BC (BCE).King Antiochus had taken over the Second Temple in Jerusalem and soon after ordered an altar to Zeus to be erected. Judaism was prohibited, circumcision was banned and pigs were ordered to be sacrificed at the altar.The Jewish rebellion that followed was led by Judah Maccabee, (or Y’hudhah HaMakabi, meaning “Judah the Hammer”).The uprising spanned three years until the Maccabees gained control of Jerusalem.They wanted to rededicate the desecrated temple, but could find only one container of the sacred oil they needed which had the seal of the high priest still intact.Judaism’s central text the Talmud, dictates only pure olive oil with the seal of the high priest can be used for the Hanukkah. The candelabrum is required to burn throughout the night every night but although there was only enough oil for one day, the candles miraculously stayed alight for eight days – the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah. This event became known as ‘the miracle of the oil’ and is now marked  with an eight-day festiva

l.

Is it Chanukah or Hanukkah? In Hebrew, Hanukkah is pronounced with the letter ‘chet’. The letter “H” makes the closest sound. So both names work.

We here at T2C wish you a holiday of lights, hope and health.

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Events

Get Ready for NYC Hotel Week & Fourth Annual NYC Winter Outing

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Get ready for something big in the Big Apple!

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC & Company has officially launched NYC Hotel Week with the start of reservations available at nycgo.com/hotelweek.

“I am thrilled to announce the return of NYC Hotel Week, offering deals of a lifetime to an array of hotels across the City,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “NYC Hotel Week kicks off the start of NYC & Company’s NYC Winter Outing Program, combining NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and NYC Hotel Week. Whether you want to catch one of our world-class attractions, dine at the finest restaurants or unwind at our luxurious hotels, New York City has it all right here in our backyard, across all five boroughs. Our city is open for reservations, so book yours today!”

Returning for its second year, NYC Hotel Week will run from January 3 through February 12, 2023, offering 23% savings off standard room rates at more than 140 hotels across all five boroughs, with additional properties expected to join.

Presented by preferred payment partner Mastercard, NYC Hotel Week 2023 participating hotels include Hard Rock Hotel New York; Lotte New York Palace; The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel; The Hoxton, Williamsburg; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue; New York Marriott Marquis; The William Vale; Radio Hotel; The Opera House Hotel, The Rockaway Hotel; Hilton Garden Inn New York/Staten Island and more.

“NYC Hotel Week offers the best values of the year for travelers looking to visit the five boroughs or for New Yorkers treating themselves to staycations,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company.”

Hard Rock Hotel New York

The start of NYC Hotel Week reservations marks the countdown to the return of NYC Winter Outing, NYC & Company’s annual citywide value program. NYC Winter Outing, now in its fourth year, celebrates the City’s winter season with offers from NYC & Company’s signature programs: NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and for the second year, NYC Hotel Week. NYC Winter Outing, which will run from January 17 through February 12, 2023, will combine deals across all five boroughs on dining, Broadway shows, attractions, museums, tours, performing arts and hotels. Bookings for NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week will open to the general public on January 10 at nycgo.com/winterouting.

New York City – there is simply no where better to be in the world!

 

 

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