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Meet The Former and Present Residents of Manhattan Plaza: Erika Lockridge

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Erika Lockridge is one of the investors of  “Miracle on 42nd Street” as well as the owner of Bahr Productions. Her company is named after her parents who loved American movies. When Erika produced her first movie, “The Dust Factory”, she was thrilled to have MGM distribute the film with the same roaring lion she’d grown up with as a child in Germany. Other producing credits include: “The Forger” which was Lauren Bacall’s last film; “10,000 Days on Syfy”; “The Devil’s Violinist” and “Miracle on 42nd Street”.

T2C: When did you become involved with Miracle on 42nd Street?

Erika Lockridge: Mary Jo and I had already done a few movies together and were out for dinner in LA one night when I asked what she was working on.She was thinking about producing a documentary on Manhattan Plaza where she’d lived in the 70s and raised her son Christian.  I’m not a NY native, so I knew nothing about Manhattan Plaza, but by the end of dinner I was  convinced it would be a fantastic project to raise awareness for this incredible prototype for affordable housing in major cities.

I called Mary Jo the next day and told her “Let’s do it!”  We put together a dinner at my home in Brentwood for the other producers, director,Angela Lansbury and MP General Manager Richard Hunnings to celebrate.  The rest is history.

Angela Lansbury

T2C: What were your biggest revelations?

Erika Lockridge: Visting Manhattan Plaza for the first time.  MJ giving us the grand tour.  Hearing what it was like in Hell’s Kitchen before the neighborhood was transformed.  Meeting Arnold Wilkerson, owner of The Little Pie Company.  I think I tasted a dozen of his pies that day and then bought some for the crew.  The aesthetic when you walk through the entrance, the fresh cut flowers from the local florist.  The Duke Ellington Room!  Feeling the energy and history of it all.  The sense of community and support in the building and neighborhood was a revelation.   

Terrence Howard 

T2C: What drives you to invest?

Erika Lockridge: I’m interested in supporting young people with passion and ambition who have a point of view.  Most of all, a vision for how to improve others lives through the humanities and science.  

Larry David

T2C: What has been your greatest accomplishment?

Erika Lockridge: My wonderful children and grandchildren. I’m a very lucky woman.  

Giancarlo Esposito

T2C: What is your fondest memory of New York?

Erika Lockridge: In addition to my visit to Manhattan Plaza, I’d have to say producing a play Off Broadway in the summer of 2018 with my sons Nikos and Eric.  We were in NY, off and on, from May through August.  What a dream.  It was as close as I’ve come to living in the city.   

Chazz Palminteri

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

Erika Lockridge: Mary Jo created a labor of love for us all.  She lived the dream that is Manhattan Plaza and now she’s sharing the dream with the world.

The documentary Miracle on 42nd Street, is available on Amazon and will soon be available to stream. 

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

Indigenous Climate Warriors in Times Square

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(Photo by Honor the Earth)

On Tuesday September 19, 2023, the Indigenous peoples took to the frontlines of the climate crisis on Turtle Island and took over Times Square painting a giant mural with the message, “No Green Colonialism; Land Back NOW!”

This mural came the day before the UN Climate Ambition Summit, where world leaders are expected to come together and make decisions around the climate crisis.

The Indigenous communities are organizing to push back on the Biden Administration’s push toward solutions to the climate crisis that threaten the lives of Indigenous people across Turtle Island, which they call “Green Colonialism.” “For too long, Native lands and communities have borne the brunt of harm from mining and other extractive industries. As the federal government moves to support clean energy development, this cannot come at the expense of clean water or Indigenous rights. This familiar assault on Native lands and communities is another wave of colonialism, and we will not stand by and allow our lands to be sacrificed,” Krystal Two Bulls,  executive director of the national Indigenous organization Honor the Earth said in a press release.

The mining projects violate treaty rights and threaten clean water and land in places such as Thacker Pass, Oak Flat , and the Talon-Tamarak mine near the Mississippi headwaters.

We should all be fighting this fight!

 

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Broadway

Sunday’s Broadway Forever Concert Postponed Until October 15

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Today, Broadway Forever announced that the Sunday, September 24th concert will be postponed to Sunday, October 15th at 11:00AM due to expected severe weather in New York City. The Sunday, October 15th concert will take place at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx (East 161st Street, Grandview Place).

A complete line up of appearances and performances will be announced soon.

For the second consecutive year, NY Forever, in partnership with City National Bank, the New York City Department of Transportation and 161st Street Business Improvement District presents Broadway Forever,empowering New Yorkers across the city to build a better city for all.

Fans will have the opportunity to sign up for future community service opportunities in all five boroughs, which will be coordinated by New York Cares and their partner organizations.

Broadway stars performing throughout New York City celebrate the creativity and resilience that is intrinsic to the city – and provide an opportunity to recognize the volunteers and community organizers who work hard to make New York a better place. The concerts will bring Broadway entertainment to DOT’s Public Space Programming, a city initiative that brings free activities to public spaces.

The events are produced and staged by 6W Entertainment, with additional support from New York Cares and the Times Square Alliance.

For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.

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Entertainment

TerrorVision Opens To Scare You More Than New York Ever Could

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Last night TerrorVision – Live Screaming Your Nightmares, an immersive haunted house flickers to life at Horrorwood Studios, 300 West 43rd. Expect to scream as you go behind the filming of the upcoming TerrorVision Halloween episode. Things go terribly awry, the screen shatters and guests are suddenly cast as the unwitting new star, as gruesome creatures seek to attack around every corner. Snow, wind, giant creatures and special effects will invade your senses. Over 140 actors inhabit the world of TerrorVision, which is over 20,000 square of darkened hallways, haunted rooms, passageways and fright, making it one of the largest theatrical experiences in New York City.


In 2022, TERROR premiered their first horror endeavor, NYC’s largest haunted house, ‘BEDLAM’, in the former Ripley’s Believe it or Not on West 42nd Street, selling more than 20,000 tickets and running for 19 days.

The team behind TerrorVision has designed for the some of the largest horror experiences in the industry, ranging from theme parks to Broadway productions, and large immersive events in NYC and in Europe. Co-artistic directors Will Munro and Katie McGeoch have spent more than two decades as the heads of Six Flags’ Fright Fest.

Tickets, begin at $39, are available at www.facetheterror.com, with early bird pricing available until September 19.

The cool part is you can choose your level of Terror: General Admission – This is the standard level of scary, heart pounding fun. “Chicken” ticket – This allows guests to wear a special amulet to become “invisible” to the monsters. This is perfect for those who do not want to be touched by the ghouls, though still get some residual scares. And the Ultimate Terror – Suited for the most brave guests only, this upgrade will ensure you’re targeted throughout the experience. Bring a change of underwear, you’re going to need it.

***All three levels can also add the RIP/VIP immediate entry upgrade, which skips the general admission line.There is an upcharge for the “Chicken” and Ultimate Terror ticket. Pricing varies nightly.

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Entertainment

The Metropolitan Opera Coming To Times Square

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On September 26, 2023 from 6:oo PM9:25 PM a 17-year tradition continues as the Metropolitan Opera once again partners with the Times Square Alliance to simulcast its season-opening opera, Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, live for free on the iconic screens of Times Square.

American composer Jake Heggie’s masterpiece, the most widely performed new opera of the last 20 years, has its highly anticipated Met premiere, in a haunting new production by Ivo van Hove. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir about her fight for the soul of a condemned murderer, Dead Man Walking matches the high drama of its subject with Heggie’s beautiful and poignant music and a brilliant libretto by Terrence McNally. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for this landmark premiere, with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato starring as Sister Helen. The outstanding cast also features bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as the death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher, soprano Latonia Moore as Sister Rose, and legendary mezzo-soprano Susan Graham—who sang Helen Prejean in the opera’s 2000 premiere—as De Rocher’s mother.

Attendance is free, and no tickets are required. Free seating is available on Duffy Square and the Broadway Plazas between 43rd and 44th Streets and 46th and 47th Streets, respectively.

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Art

Konark Sun Temple Comes To Times Square

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Celebrating India’s 77th Independence Day August 15,  a stone art inspired by The Konark Sun Temple was put on displayed in Times Square. The piece was made by Amaresh Chandra Bindhani and team from Odisha, India and is available to see at 44th Street and Broadway until August 22.

The artwork shows 24 wheels of the Konark Sun Temple, giving a glimpse of the rich Indian heritage and an opportunity to Americans to get an idea of the temple’s architecture. Made of sandstone and was unveiled by Indian celebrity chef Vikas Khanna on Tuesday.

Afterwards it will be installed at Vikas Khanna’s upcoming flagship restaurant in 2024.

 

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