New York City will be hit with a cold front midweek. The high for Thursday, is expected to be 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a chilly event. Here is the parade route, if you want to watch it live on Thursday, or on TV starting at 9 a.m. ET until noon on NBC. The broadcast will be hosted by the Today show hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker.
You can also catch a sneak peek of the balloons by watching them get inflated from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday outside the Museum of Natural History. Viewers should enter at West 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue, according toMacy’s.
For the third year in a row, NBC has teamed up with Verizon to provide those without a cable TV subscription 360-degree live stream coverage of the parade. All you have to do is head over to Verizon’s YouTube channel when the parade is set to begin, and you’ll be able to watch the parade as it happens. You can also watch online by logging onto nbc.com/live or by downloading the Watch NBC app.
The online experience will be hosted by Buzzfeed‘s Keith Habersberger and E!‘s Zuri Hall. And you’ll still get to see all of the floats, balloons, and performances.
This year’s musical acts will include Diana Ross, John Legend, Kane Brown, Martina McBride, Pentatonix, Rita Ora, Sugarland, Barenaked Ladies, the cast & Muppets of Sesame Street, Ashley Tisdale, Mackenzie Ziegler, Jack & Jack, Johnny Orlando and Anika Noni Rose.
From Broadway Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, The Prom, and SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical will take center stage.
The Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen and King Kong will be featured on CBS, which will be broadcast live beginning at 9 AM ET. Kevin Frazier and Knight will host three-hour special The Thanksgiving Day Parade which will also feature portions of the 92nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Waitress alum Erich Bergen (Madam Secretary), Joe Regalbuto from Murphy Brown, and Sela Ward from FBI will also stop by. Emmy Award-winning producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss (The Tony Awards) serve as executive producers; Weiss will also direct.
The parade will also feature 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers, 12 marching bands, 16 giant character balloons, 43 novelty balloons and 26 floats. Pikachu, the Grinch and even Dragon Ball Zee. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also have a float this year.
The parade will help kick off the Christmas season with the Singing Christmas Tree and Santa.
In the mood to volunteer?
West Side Campaign Against Hunger holds its Thousand Turkey Challenge in support of low-income families in the city. To get involved, you can bring a turkey on Monday or Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., or Wednesday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
CityMeals on Wheels hosts a food distribution events. Those interested in delivering meals, participating in a senior chat or pairing with an isolated New Yorker can apply at citymeals.org/holidayvolunteer.
Founded by city residents in 1987, New York Cares hosts numerous events throughout the year to engage volunteers in charitable work. This Thanksgiving, new volunteers can register Tuesday, to join the Thanksgiving Dinner Prep for Seniors at the Clinton Housing Development Company.
Throughout the week leading up to Thanksgiving, God’s Love We Deliver is hosting various events for which volunteers can sign up to help. From baking to meal-kit assembly to delivery, the chain of production and distribution is broken down into sections for easy management.
For their Holiday Meal Campaign, known as Celebrate With a Plate, each Thanksgiving feast is priced at $10. Once you donate, meals go toward New Yorkers with serious illnesses.
Dinner anyone?
NYC has plenty of restaurants ready to save the day.
Virgil’s Real BBQ has take out for 8 at $249.99 which includes an 18-pound smoked turkey with sides like sausage and pecan stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread, sweet potatoes, candied Brussel sprouts and more. . The restaurant will also offer a selection of desserts, like apple, pecan and pumpkin pie.
Green Fig for $49 a person, a Thanksgiving meal with a Mediterranean twist. Pumpkin soup, short rib with apple or cinnamon gravy, turkey, osso buco with mushroom couscous and pork chops, among other things. For dessert, pumpkin cheesecake.
Carmine’s has an 18 pound roasted turkey stuffed with sausage and sage stuffing, along with classic sides like sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows and mashed potatoes with giblet gravy. Carmine’s Thanksgiving meal serves six to eight people and will be offered at $274.95, as well as take-out for $259.95.
Good Enough to Eat has a fixed menu for dine-in and takeout. Their starters include a tomato basil soup and apple stuffing. Main course includes a turkey and sides like maple orange mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts. For dessert, the restaurant is offering their signature homemade pumpkin, pecan, chocolate pecan, or cranberry pies. $59 per person for adults, and $29.50 for children under 12.
With a beautiful view of the skyline, Hudson’s will invite guests to board its yacht this Thanksgiving. Dinner will be served buffet style including roast turkey, sliced shoulder tenderloin and rum raisin glazed smoked ham, along with many other classic Thanksgiving sides. (Prices vary, between 12th Ave and W. 41st St. HudsonsNYC.com)
The American midtown restaurant will be serving Thanksgiving from noon to 9 p.m., offering guests a roasted organic turkey with brioche and biscuit stuffing, sweet potato puree, carrots, turnips and green beans. Signature steaks will also be served from Quality Meats’ family butchers. All guests will leave with a DIY Gingerbread Man decorating kit. ($42 per person, 57 W. 58th St., QualityMeats.com)
Those who are looking for a restaurant with a view of the Hudson River may find themselves at the Jane Hotel for an organic Thanksgiving meal. Old Rose will be offering turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, creamed kale with crispy shallots, and cornbread with lemon honey-butter. For dessert, pumpkin pie is on the menu. ($65 per person, 113 Jane St., OldRoseNYC.com)
The good news is alternate-side parking rules will be suspended.
Broadway’s newest show Appropriate starring Sarah Paulson, at Second Stage’s Hayes Theatre nearly sold out their first week. The play, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and co-starring Elle Fanning and Corey Stoll, opens December 18th.
Paulson has received an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards in her three-decade career. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 as an understudy in Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosensweig. She later took on the role of Tess Goode in the production. She returned to the stage in two other Broadway productions: 2005’s The Glass Menagerie (as Amanda Wingfield) and 2010’s Collected Stories (originating the role of Lisa Morrison). She also appeared in six Off-Broadway productions between 1994 and 2013, including Crimes of the Heart, Still Life,Colder Than Hereat the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Killer Joeat SoHo Playhouse, Talking Picturesat Signature Theatre andthe Pulitzer-nominated Talley’s Folly with Roundabout Theatre Company.
Paulson is perhaps best known for starring in nine seasons of Murphy’s American Horror Story, first appearing on the show in 2011. Her performances collectively earned nine Emmy Award nominations.
In 2023, after 10 years away from the New York stage, Paulson returns to Broadway as Toni in Appropriate, the Broadway-debut play of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
As we head into the holiday season, The Algonquin Hotel’s December event lineup is open to both hotel guests and New York City locals. The hotel will spread holiday cheer with a variety of festive performances, cocktails, and experiences including:
- Cocoa and Carols Happy Hour: Daily, 5-8PM, Every evening this December, all are invited to enjoy Specialty Cocoa while Christmas carols chime at the Blue Bar. Drinks will include Mexican Hot Chocolate spiked with mezcal
- KT Sullivan Cabaret: December 5th, 12th and 19th, Sullivan will perform her iconic Christmas Cabaret. As noted by The New York Times, Sullivan is a thrilling Off-Broadway performer with over eight published albums
- Rocco Dellaneve’s Rat Pack Christmas: December 7th, 14th and 21st, Rocco Dellaneve will perform iconic songs from the Rat Pack Christmas album with special inclusions of Santa with Sinatra, Rocco of the Snow, Rudolph and the Rat pack
- The Serafina’s and Broadway Vocalists: December 8th, 15th and 22nd, enjoy the high kicking – precision line dancing Christmas tradition around The Algonquin tree. The Serafina’s will be available for pictures and autographs from 6pm to 7pm, followed by special Broadway vocalists
A portion of proceeds from all events will be donated to Toys for Tots.
Beyond the December events, The Algonquin Hotel is located in a prime position nestled in the heart of Times Square and Fifth Avenue, making it the perfect launchpad for a New York City holiday experience. The hotel is a historical jewel that emphasizes the importance of making unique, storied experiences. Since its opening in 1902, The Algonquin Hotel is famous for its timeless style and desire to honor the literary and cultural elite. The distinguished Round Table Restaurant and Blue Bar offer tasteful dining inclusions and curated cocktails that are sure to excite everyone.
Photo credit: The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection
2o days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
Chita & Patrick Pacheco at Drama Book Shop event May 15, 2023 Photo by Merle Frimark
There are a lot of books out there this year but we highly recommend Chita: A Memoir , the critically-acclaimed book is written by the legendary Broadway icon Chita Rivera with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. Chita takes fans behind-the-scenes of all her shows and cabaret acts, she shares candid stories of her many colleagues, friends, and lovers. She speaks with empathy and hindsight of her deep associations with complicated geniuses like Fosse and Robbins, as well as with the mega-talent Liza Minnelli, with whom she co-starred in The Rink. She openly discusses her affair with Sammy Davis, Jr. as well as her marriage to Tony Mordente and her subsequent off-the-radar relationships. Chita revisits the terrible car accident that threatened to end her career as a dancer forever. Center stage to Chita’s story are John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriters and dear friends indelibly tied to her career through some of her most enduring work: Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Visit.
Chita’s love of performing began as a child in Washington, D.C., when her mother enrolled her in a local ballet school to channel her boundless energy. Still a teenager, she moved to New York to attend the School of American Ballet after an audition for George Balanchine himself and winning a scholarship. But Broadway beckoned, and by twenty she was appearing in the choruses of Golden Age shows like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. In the latter, she received special encouragement from its star Gwen Verdon, forging a personal and professional friendship that would help shape her career. The groundbreaking West Side Story brought her into the orbit of Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. After Bye Bye Birdie further burnished her rising star, she reunited with Verdon and her then-husband Bob Fosse to work on the film version of Sweet Charity and the celebrated original Broadway production of Chicago.
Chita: A Memoir was published in English and Spanish and the English audio version of the Memoir was recorded by Chita. A Spanish audio version is also available.
“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward. She has been part of some of the greatest musicals in the history of the form, from Anita in the trailblazing West Side Story through Claire Zachanassian in the underrated masterpiece The Visit, over 60 years later. She is a Puerto Rican Broadway icon and the original ‘triple threat.’ We’re so lucky to be alive in the same timeline as Chita Rivera.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“A frank and fascinating memoir from one of the truly great artists of the American Theater. Lots of stories … Lots of insight … and quite a few caustic statements from Chita’s alter ego, Dolores. An illuminating history and a guaranteed pleasure!” — John Kander
Broadway legend and national treasure Chita Rivera, multi-Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – has taken no prisoners on stage or screen for seven decades. From her trailblazing performance as the original Anita in West Side Story—for which she tapped her own Puerto Rican roots—to her haunting 2015 star turn in The Visit. Chita has proven to be much more than just a captivating dancer, singer, and actress beloved by audiences and casts alike. In her equally captivating and one-of-a-kind memoir, Written with Patrick Pacheco, the woman born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero shares an incomparable life, both on stage and behind the curtain.
By the way this Memoir has won a Gold Medal for “Best Autobiography – English” at the 2023 International Latino Book Awards. https://www.latinobookawards.org/
Click here to buy your copy.
Here is the amazing cast of Spamalot. Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Ethan Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, Nik Walker as Sir Galahad andTaran Killam as Lancelot.
I was so inspired I drew the whole cast.
To read T2C’s review click here.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.