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The Best of 2019 Theatre

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Every year plays take on theme’s. This year it is death or suicide and how we do not know our place in this world. When making my best list, I start at the cut off for the Tony’s, The Drama Desk and The Outer Critic’s, which is in April. Those plays already were honored. My list are plays and musicals that have not been on an awards list yet.

Decky Does a Bronco: by Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell at Royal Family Performing Arts Space was done in September. This wonderfully acted, prolific play has stayed with me since I saw it. Taking on bullying, when the boys learn Decky’s fate they have to deal with their own emotional responses. As innocence is lost and scars are embedded these boys will never be the same.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning: by Will Arbery at Playwrights Horizon. There was a time in this country where you were allowed to have a difference of opinion. In this play just maybe a conversation had been started. You will feel the loss of identity, the feeling of who we were over what we have been taught and where we are at conflict with each other. There is no sympathy, no answer for the suffering, as a disrupted noise just keeps happening. One of the characters claims it’s his generator misfiring, but it sounds like the fear of different sides closing in and of no-one being heard.

Broadbend, Arkansas: Ted Shen’s score to Broadbend, Arkansas, is a cross between Sondehim and Adam Guetell. It was enhanced by Michael Starobin’s orchestrations and gloriously sung by Justin Cunningham and Danyel Fulton. Act 1 by Ellen Fitzhugh tells of a black man working in the south. By accident he joins the Freedom Riders and his journey from there. Act 2 by Harrison D. Rivers, the the cycle has continued for no reason except the color of their skin and hate. We need to start over, but is that possible? Transport Group/Public Theater co-production at Duke on 42nd Street asks these difficult questions.

The Inheritance: Is the only Broadway show that is on this list. Matthew Lopez’s well written and touching play, follows two generations of gay men living in post-AIDS Manhattan. We feel their passions and inhabit their culture and lifestyle. This play hit home and gave it the humanity that this era deserves.

Monsoon Season: by Lizzie Vieh opened at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater straight from the Edinburgh Fringe. This was a demented look at two mid-life crisis. Full of dark humor with multiple twists. I was not able to figure out the ending until the very last second. What a fabulously inspired look at society today.

Dave Malloy’s Octet:  At the Signature stage Octet mixed cappella chamber choir, tarot, internet addiction and the indelible flaws that lurk with in us all. Malloy’s score is glorious, as it transfixes you in its majestic harmonies, as it uses the musical stylings of musical theatre, country, indie-rock, punk, electronica and so much more. If you can face the reality of how the internet is destroying our humanity, this is a show for you!

Original Sound: by Adam Seidel at the Cherry Lane Theatre, took on the music industry and the rights or non rights of artists. Seidel, a former music journalist, knows this world and his dialogue brings us into the world of recording and all the traps the lie beneath wanting to be in the spotlight. This show was refreshing.

Be!!a Be!!a: written and performed by the incomparable Harvey Fierstein at Manhattan Theatre Club at City Center Stage I. Fierstein did not do this in drag, but embodied Ms. Abzug’s mind and spirit. Throughout the play we learn about her advocacy for gay rights, racial justice, opposition to the Vietnam War and President Nixon, but most importantly, how she got women the right to have their own credit cards, in their own names. Not only did I learn, but I was given a terrific day of theatre.

Round Table: Liba Vaynberg’s Round Table, at Fault Line Theatre at 59E59 Theaters, was a look at how we deal with illness and the avoidance of what in this case will be a devastating outcome. What seemed like a chick flick version of this subject, has stayed with me and I realize it was much more deeper than I thought.

Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven: Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play has the worst title, but is infused with whip crackling dialogue, that sizzles and embeds itself into your skin. Guirgis play gives you real life people, in a real life situation and makes you see the humanity in it. You may not want to see this slice of life, but Guirgis lays it bare.

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

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Shani & Rik Are Bringing Woman Together

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Gucci Takes Over Times Square May 16 — And Fashion’s Biggest Stage Gets Even Bigger

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Something enormous is about to hit Times Square. Fashion insiders have been whispering for days, but all signs now point to Gucci staging its highly anticipated May 16 presentation directly in the center of Manhattan’s most electric intersection. Official details remain tightly controlled, but the secrecy itself has only amplified the anticipation surrounding what is expected to be one of the biggest fashion events New York has seen in years.

The show is scheduled for 9 PM EST, and if the rumors are true, Times Square is about to become a living Gucci campaign.

This reportedly marks Demna’s first Cruise collection for Gucci — a creative transition already sending waves through the fashion world. Pair Demna’s instinct for spectacle, tension, and urban mythology with the visual overload of Times Square and this has the potential to become less runway show and more full-scale cultural moment.

Honestly, there may be no more honest location for luxury fashion than Times Square itself.

For decades, fashion houses have tried to position luxury as rarefied, hidden, exclusive. But Times Square is the opposite. It is commerce at full volume. Fantasy projected forty feet high. Desire sold through light, motion, celebrity, and repetition. It is branding as architecture. Performance as economy.

In other words: modern fashion already lives there.

What remains unclear is just how large Gucci intends to go. Industry chatter points toward celebrity-heavy attendance, major digital installations, possible street disruptions, and a production designed not just for invited guests, but for the city itself.

That distinction matters.

The most powerful fashion shows are no longer simply about clothes. They are about domination of attention. Cultural occupation. Turning a city into a temporary extension of the brand’s mythology.

On May 16, it appears Gucci may be preparing to do exactly that.

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Award Season Starts with Sam Alter Hair

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Award season is never just about the dress. Before the cameras, before the flashbulbs, before the carefully choreographed entrances—it begins with the hair. The right cut doesn’t just frame the face, it defines the entire look.

Stylist Sam Alter and Dr. Ashley Marcus ready for the red carpet

Enter Sam Alter, a New York City–based stylist whose work feels less like styling and more like quiet alchemy. Known for precision haircutting and dimensional color that reads as effortless rather than overworked, Alter has built a reputation across celebrity, editorial, bridal, and corporate clients for something increasingly rare: hair that actually lives well beyond the moment.

Model Veronika Dash styled by Sam Alter

Every appointment is one-on-one, an intentional experience that prioritizes listening as much as technique. And that distinction matters. In a world where “red carpet ready” often translates to overdone and overstyled, Alter’s approach is refreshingly grounded—creating hair that works in real life, not just in photographs.

Suzanna’s before and after looks from the back

Case in point: I walked in with a very specific vision—60s softness with a Pre-Raphaelite, almost 18th-century romanticism. Not easy to articulate, and even harder to execute without tipping into costume. What I got was exactly that vision, but refined, wearable, elevated…….mine.

Alter’s range is extensive—haircuts, highlights, balayage, extensions, formal styling, blowouts, even makeup and bridal—but what sets him apart is the architecture of the cut itself. There is a particular attention to the back of the head, an often-overlooked detail that he treats with sculptural precision. The result is hair that moves beautifully from every angle, not just the front-facing one designed for cameras.

Men’s looks by Sam Alter Hair

 

Scarlet balayage technique

He offers both in-salon appointments and house calls, a flexibility that feels especially aligned with the demands of award season, where time—and privacy—are everything. And for those who want to take the experience further, Alter has also developed his own skincare line, extending his philosophy of understated, lived-in beauty beyond hair.

A fresh look for new mom Elise Furey

This isn’t about transformation for the sake of spectacle. It’s about refinement. About walking into a room—and onto a carpet—feeling like yourself, only sharper.

Wedding hair and makeup by Sam Alter NYC

And that, ultimately, is the difference between looking styled… and looking right.

To contact Sam reach him through his Website samalterhair.com
Email: samalterhair@gmail.com
Instagram: @samalterhair

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Review – Getting Perfect Eyebrows with New ArchiBrow Pencil

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Anastasia Beverly Hills’ ArchiBrow Pencil was an uplifting experience that shaped my face in the most delightful way.

 The new ArchiBrow Pencil delivers microbladed precision—minus the blade. Designed with an ultra-thin, blade-like tip, this brow pencil creates realistic, hair-like strokes with 12-hour wear and smudge-proof performance for naturally defined arches.

Using it is an easy task and the fact that it is available in nine shades means that it is a perfect fit for everyone.

Architected for hair-like precision, this ultrathin, blade-tipped pencil delivers realistic strokes in a single glide. Smudgeproof performance and long-wearing for up to 12 hours, it gives you control so fine, it looks real.

Anastasia Beverly Hills has created a phenomenal product that provides 12-hour wear with smudge-proof, water-resistant performance with a 1/2mm blade-like tip for ultra-thin, hair-like strokes as it combines the glide of a pencil with the precision of a blade.

The built-in spoolie brush for seamless blending is ideal and gives room for buildable pigment for natural to defined brows. It is also free of fragrance, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, alcohol, talc, gluten, silicone as well as being vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologist-tested.

HOW TO APPLY

  • Only twist out a small amount (1/2mm) before use.
  • The pencil retracts, the lead itself does not, so a little goes a long way.
  • Use featherlight pressure when applying.
  • Hold towards the bottom of the pencil to ensure ease, control, and light pressure.
  • Apply with the tip facing down and hold at a 45-degree angle.
  • Starting at the end of the brow, apply hair-like strokes in the direction of hair growth to get used to the amount of pressure to apply.
  • Apply hair-like strokes starting at the base of the brow and glide upwards.Continue applying hair-like strokes throughout the brow, focusing on sparse areas.
  • Blend as you go for a natural finish.

Raciborz Pencil is available on Sephora.com and AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com.

 

 

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GilletteLabs Spring Break Bash Celebrates New ‘Body’

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Get that shave on in the most spectacular way this Spring Break and beyond thanks to Gillette.

(Courtesy Gillette Body)

Hundreds gathered recently in New York City at Margaritaville Times Square for a very smooth party. 

(Courtesy Gillette Body)

The grand affair celebrated the newly launched GilletteLabs Body. Designed specifically for shaving and trimming below the neck, it gives the user the perfect shave and includes special design elements meant to protect more sensitive and intimate areas.

(Courtesy Gillette Body)

There is long-lasting lubrication thanks to Gillette’s material processing; an anti-ingrown bar that replaces bars 2,3, and 4 as it separates two blades to protect the skin; and an anti-irritation bar with raised “scallops” to release hairs trapped under the skin – which helps prevent nicks and cuts.

(Courtesy Gillette Body)

A fun set-up at the party  helped explain the dynamic new product that is destined to be the best new offering on the market for men looking for a perfect shave. The new handle designed specially for the body when tested demonstrated amazing capabilities. With a high-arch and additional grooves it provides easy angling and secure grips. It also has shorter handle length which helps with maneuverability in hard to reach places,, as well as wider base and narrow neck for maximum control.

Guests at the party enjoyed creative cocktails, hat and bag swag from AGNYC and even tattoos.

Staring April 2, the fabulous new razor is for sale on Apirl 2 at walmart.com

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