YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN
Hell’s Kitchen Powerhouse Pushed Toward Preservation BY YANNIC RACK The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) cleared a major hurdle in the preservation of a historic powerhouse in Hell’s Kitchen last week, but voted not to consider designating a range of other potential landmarks on the West Side. At a public hearing to address its backlog of 95 buildings across the city, the agency selected 30 sites that will be considered for landmark status by the end of the year, after many of Continued on page 4
Tech Up Gives Teens Digital Direction BY WINNIE McCROY First they cut the ribbon, then they began coding. Elliott-Chelsea and Fulton Houses residents, ages 16–24, now have a local resource to help them train for the 21st century job market. The new Tech Up program is a partnership between Hudson Guild, Jamestown Properties, NYCHA, and media/tech educator The LAMP. “We are just in our first weeks of operation, but the program is intended to operate in cohorts of 20 to 25 kids. We currently have 25 students between our morning and evening sessions, which is a fantastic start to this Continued on page 6
THE SWEET AND SOUR OF SUPER TUESDAY Satirist Max Burbank weighs in on the insults, incompetence, and insanity surrounding Super Tuesday. See page 11.
Photo by Yannic Rack
Allen Hubby and Rozanne Seelen anticipate searching for a new location when the lease is up on its W. 40th St. location, but are confident the Drama Book Shop will celebrate more milestones beyond its 2017 centennial.
Water Damage Can’t Dampen Drama Book Shop’s Prospects BY COLIN MIXSON There are few achievements more admirable than nearing the century mark. The Drama Book Shop, a specialty bookstore that’s served theater artists and enthusiasts since 1917, has persevered through one and a half world wars, a Great Depression, one disastrous experiment in prohibition, 17 US Presidents, a near catastrophic fire, and — most ruinous of all — the introduction of cinema with sound, followed decades later by the rise of an online book vendor with ambitions to deliver their product by drone. Now, in the final stretch before its grand centennial anniversary, the venerable Drama Book Shop has run into a stretch of bad luck that nearly drowned its ambition of surviving to its 100th year — but thanks to the enduring love amongst New Yorkers for theater and the performing arts, and the unsolicited promotion of one wildly successful playwright, this independent book dealer will survive the digital age and beyond, according to the store’s owner.
© CHELSEA NOW 2016 | NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“I still don’t know how to react the way people have come in and helped us,” said owner Rozanne Seelen. “The response has been phenomenal.” The Drama Book Shop, located at 250 W. 40th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) was recently flooded by several thousand gallons of city water after a pipe broke on the cold night of Sun., Feb. 14, turning the pulpy contents of its acting, history, and design sections into so many theater-themed popsicles by the time employees came to open the door the next morning. The near ruinous turn of events has left the store bereft of some of its most popular titles. The loss of its acting material, which accompanies many budding thespians through their tour of Juilliard and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, was an especially hard blow, according to store’s manager and heir apparent. “Rebuilding the acting section is particularly hard,”
Continued on page 2 VOLUME 08, ISSUE 08 | MARCH 03 - MARCH 9, 2016
Photos by Yannic Rack
The acting section was hit hard by recent water damage. “Students need textbooks,” notes Allen Hubby, “and we’re forced to say, ‘Sorry, they drowned.’ ”
From online orders to brick and mortar foot traffic, response to the recent water damage “has been phenomenal,” says Rozanne Seelen.
After Burst Pipe, Broadway Star Helps Book Shop Turn the Tide
All is forgiven: Customers didn’t seem to mind the disclaimer on this sign, posted to acknowledge the bare shelves that were cleared after several thousand gallons of water flooded the store on the night of Feb. 14.
Continued from page 1 said Allen Hubby, Seelen’s nephew. “It’s one of our most popular sections. Students need textbooks, and students come here for books and we’re forced to say, ‘Sorry, they drowned.’ ” So it came as both a blessing, and served as yet another testament to the store’s importance to the theater community, when Lin-Manuel Miranda came to Drama Book Shop’s aid. The creator of “In The Heights,” whose Grammy award-winning musical “Hamilton” is currently Broadway’s most coveted ticket, “saved us,” said Seelen. “I really think he did. He will never have to pay for a book again as long as I live. Any book he wants is free forever.” Having heard of the water damage, Miranda took to Twitter. With a few well-placed hashtags — and in under 140 characters — his words of praise gave the store a much needed boost in sales, helping it produce at least some of the capital needed to finance replacement copies of its waterlogged tomes.
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“We must have gotten 600 orders saying, ‘Lin sent me,’ ” Hubby explained. “We didn’t even ask him, he just did it out of the goodness of his sweet heart.” Miranda’s association with the Drama Book Shop is based on more than just a great retail experience. Its three floors on W. 40th St. once served as his base of operations. “The @dramabookshop is not only the best place to get theater-related ANYTHING, I wrote most of In The Heights there. Pls support. #BuyABook,” Miranda tweeted on Thurs., Feb. 18. Other tweets from that day indicate a bright future in marketing, should he choose a new career path. In addition to praising the Shakespeare section’s comfy chairs, he replied to a Twitter follower’s inquiry about whether the upcoming Miranda-penned “Hamilton: The Revolution” would be available for purchase at the Drama Book Shop. “It will be. And I’ll go sign it there,” Mirada vowed, “But they need your help now so I can go sign it there in April.” Other tweets found Miranda naming his most recent purchases (“When I was last there I got a Noel Coward bio, a King Lear DVD starring Brian Blessed, and the Heathers piano/vo”), and invoking a character from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” who rescues George Bailey from impending bankruptcy and scandal (“If you’re not in NY, you can also purchase items via the site below. BE SAM WAINWRIGHT. HEE HAW”). This latest episode in the long life of Manhattan’s only remaining performing arts bookstore is merely a brief act in an epic play and, when the curtain first rose on the Drama Book Shop in 1917, it revealed a much different set and cast than what you’ll find today. As it was, the Drama Book Shop began less as a bookstore, and more as a bookshelf, located in the Manhattan offices of the Drama League of New York.
Back before video (and, later, the Internet) would come to reign as the supreme source of pulp violence, pornography and off-color humor, theater was the ultimate wellspring of all things unwholesome, and the Drama League helped ardent fans of proper drama sift through the many lewd productions that proliferated during the early 20th century, according to Hubby. “Around the turn of the century, theater had gotten a bad name, because a lot of it was quite tawdry,” he said. “So, this group of people who loved theater formed branches all over the country. The idea was they would recommend plays that were worthy of theater, which basically meant theater that didn’t have sex or violence.” Meanwhile, the bookshelf (or card table, depending on who’s telling the story) was managed by one Marge Siegelman — and, over time, her meager collection of dramas and musicals ballooned, eventually becoming more popular and than the haughty Drama League that birthed it, according to Hubby. So, Siegelman took her catalogue of plays and established the Drama Book Shop on E. 45th St. in 1923, in what was then Manhattan’s Publishing District. From there, the store moved a few times, each time heading further west, until eventually finding its way to W. 52nd St. (btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves.) in 1958, when a group of disparate thespians and theater enthusiasts bought the store. Among them was Arthur Seelen, a former actor, whose enthusiasm for theater craft and the people who love it remains a fond recollection of the shop’s more venerable patrons, even after his death in 2000, according to his widow, Rozanne. “He loved the young people who came into the store, and he loved the books,” she said. “Even all these years later, people come and say how much they miss him. It’s a great credit to him.”
Continued on page 15 .com
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LPC Prioritizes Powerhouse, Snubs Other West Side Properties Continued from page 1
them have languished on its calendar for decades. “The commission has spent months analyzing testimony and conducting further research on these items,” LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement after the vote. “Our actions today represent an important step in addressing this backlog. While challenging, I believe it was very much needed — the commission’s designation process should be open, fair and reasonable, and this is a necessary step to achieve that goal.” Preservationists across the city rejoiced at the decision to fast-track designation of the former Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse on 11th Ave., but also criticized the agency’s inaction on a majority of the proposed properties. “The powerhouse has been on our wish list for a number of years,” said Kate Wood, the president of Landmark West! “It’s obviously worthy of landmarks designation. It’s a monument of the city,” she added. “I think that, in the end, it was a very open and good process that helped clear up a longstanding concern that the administration had about the backlog,” agreed Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council. “But I would have liked to see many more buildings prioritized for designation,” he added. The LPC’s decision came after more than two dozen residents and organizations testified in favor of the powerhouse’s preservation at a hearing last November — one of several that were set up to specifically address the commission’s backlog throughout the five boroughs by gathering input from members of the public. Stretching for a whole block between W. 58th and W. 59th Sts., the BeauxArts style powerhouse is one of the more ancient additions to the list. It has been in landmarking limbo for over 35 years — the first time it was considered for designation at a public hearing of the commission was in 1979. Since then, the agency has considered the building in 1990 and 2009, but both times decided to delay designation because of opposition from Con Edison, which has owned and operated the sta-
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tion since the 1950s. The plant is currently used as part of the company’s steam system, serving around 1,800 customers in Manhattan — including some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, like the Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal, according to a spokesperson. When it was built in 1904, the building was the largest power station in the world, feeding a total of eight substations to power the signal and lighting systems of the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway — the city’s first underground transit system. But Con Ed is vehemently opposed to landmarking the iconic building, on the basis that designation would make it difficult to operate the powerhouse. “We have a longstanding and productive working relationship with Landmarks staff that has given us the flexibility to maintain and enhance the production of steam and electricity from our 59th Street steam plant,” a Con Ed spokesperson said in a statement after the LPC’s decision. “We would like to continue that relationship with the Landmarks staff while continuing to meet our customers’ energy needs,” he added. At the hearing last fall, representatives for the company made their position more clear. “Our 59th Street steam plant is a living and breathing monument to adaptive reuse,” Gus Sanoulis, Con Ed’s Vice President for Steam Operations, told the LPC commissioners then. “We need the flexibility to make changes to the plant’s interior and exterior that enables the cleanest, most efficient, and reliable production of energy,” he added. But their opponents point out that Con Ed has operated under restrictions for years, while the building has remained on the landmarks calendar (the company has also removed details like cornices and roof tiles from the building, as well as all of the station’s six original smokestacks). Bankoff said he was pleasantly surprised by the commissioners’ “strong statement” on the building, considering that there is no precedent for landmarking an active power plant. “I think that was a tough decision, because Con Ed is not in favor of landmarking — and Con Ed is a very potent force,” he said. “They were very vocal in their opposition.”
Photos by Yannic Rack
The former IRT Powerhouse on 11th Ave. was built in 1904, and is still operated by Con Edison as part of the company’s steam operations in Manhattan.
The Times Square Theatre on W. 42nd St. has stood empty for over a decade. The historic building failed to make the cut for landmarks designation last week.
While the powerhouse will now likely be preserved, most of the properties that were considered did not make the cut. The 65 buildings that were removed from the calendar last week include the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin West, a three-story building on W. 56th St. that is now part of the nearby High School
for Environmental Studies, as well as seven current and former Broadway theaters on W. 42nd St. in Midtown. According to an LPC spokesperson, the theaters were not included on the priority list because they are already sub-
Continued on page 16 .com
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New Local Lab Helps Build Tech Sector Skills Continued from page 1 brand-new program,” said Ken Jockers, Executive Director of Hudson Guild. The new Hudson Guild Tech Lab and Tech Up program (418 W. 17th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.) was paid for by Jamestown Properties, who also footed the bill for the first few years of operating expenses. Jockers said they expect to serve 120 teens a year, in these 20-perclass cohorts, and expects that Tech Up will be integrated into Hudson Guild’s ongoing programming operations for the foreseeable future. “The goal of the program is allowing young people to develop skills and abilities, which for some young people will mean computer science,” said Jockers, adding, “but we recognize that not every young person will take that path, and we want them to get abilities every working person needs in any industry now. Computers and technology are a fundamental part of all of us, and our jobs, no matter what you do. We want Tech Up to be a place where young people develop all the skills they need for potential employers, not just for those kids who
Courtesy Hudson Guild
L to R: William Floyd, Head of External Affairs for Google New York; Minerva Tantoco, Chief Technology Officer of New York City; Tech Up student Priscilla Allen; Miguel Acevedo, President of the Fulton Houses Tenant Association; Michael Kelly, General Manager for NYCHA; Michael Phillips, CEO of Jamestown; Ken Jockers, Executive Director of Hudson Guild.
go into computer science-related fields.” Tech Up students will learn the Adobe Creative Cloud software, video production and graphic design, as well as basic coding and web design knowledge necessary to work in marketing, publishing, the nonprofit sector, media, or anywhere basic digital skills are required.
They’ll also discuss issues such as digital footprints and digital privacy, and examine ways to responsibly manage their own online presence. Students will collaborate on entrepreneurship projects and client-based projects that challenge and showcase their communication and networking
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skills. At the end of the course, they will emerge with a digital portfolio, a resume, interview practice, and be well on their way to landing an internship or job. To that end, Tech Up has assembled a teaching staff that is a combination of
Continued on page 10
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At the podium: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry, Commanding Officer of the 10th Precinct, recounted the capture of a local con artist before giving her monthly summary of crime statistics.
BY LUCAS ROPEK An opportunity for locals to hear the latest neighborhood crime statistics and voice their concerns, Wed., Feb. 24’s Community Council meeting was a particularly informative edition of the monthly event, held at Chelsea’s 10th Precinct (230 W. 20th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry, the Precinct’s Commanding Officer, reported that a violent con artist discussed at last month’s meeting was now in custody. Accused of “selling swipes” from old MetroCards, officers apprehended the man on Sat., Jan. 30, for tampering with MTA property and attempting to solicit money from riders. “He is behind bars for the moment,” said Irizarry, noting that the perp’s 45 prior arrests and subsequent releases (mostly for various forms of petty theft) was indicative of “some of the deficiencies in our criminal court systems.” The scam was originally brought to the NYPD’s attention at Wed., Jan. 27’s Community Council meeting, when a local resident recounted how she had been assaulted by him at the Eighth Ave. and W. 23rd Street C/E station. The criminal’s scam — which involved taping over one of the swiping kiosks in order to ruin a local’s card, and then selling a few remaining “swipes” off a mostly used card — was foiled by the resident. “I pulled the tape off and went through because my train was coming,” she said, recounting the incident in an interview with Chelsea Now. The formidable woman, .com
who asked to remain anonymous due to the violent nature of her assailant, said that the convict became angry and attacked her after she foiled his scam. “The train doors opened and he hauled off and slugged me in the side,” she said. Luckily, a large crowd was present on the subway platform, and she managed to escape. The resident was present again at last Wed. night’s meeting, and was thanked by Irizarry and other law enforcement officials for bringing the criminal’s activities to their attention. Later in the meeting, Captain Anthony Carter, Commanding Officer of the NYPD’s Transit District 2 gave a short presentation on his unit’s work to keep transit-goers safe throughout the city. “I know we’ve been in the news a lot lately,” said Carter, referencing some of the violent attacks that have occurred in the city’s subway system over the past year. “It seems every time you open the newspaper, there’s some kind of new, shocking crime. These incidents are upsetting and they are something that we are addressing.” While Carter conceded these incidents were disturbing, he also asked that residents look at the “big picture.” Out of the 842 miles of track in the city’s transit system, and the 5.5 million riders that occupy the MTA at any given time, Carter noted that the city’s subways average only six crimes per day.
Continued on page 12
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Talking Point THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Publisher
Jennifer Goodstein
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March 03 - 09, 2016
Mayor de Blasio’s False Dichotomy BY ANDREW BERMAN Executive Director, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Mayor de Blasio’s twin rezoning proposals to reshape development in our city go before the City Council for a final vote in March. The plans purport that letting developers build taller buildings will result in their including more affordable units, and that vastly increasing the number of new market-rate housing units we build, even while building a much smaller number of affordable units, will make our city and our neighborhoods more affordable. But the facts just don’t bear this out. The mayor’s “Mandatory Inclusionary Housing” (MIH) proposal would require 25-30% of new residential developments in certain areas to be affordable. There’s a catch, though: The requirement would only be applied when the city changes zoning rules to vastly increase the amount of new market-rate housing that could also be built. Thus, affordable housing is only provided if a great deal more market-rate housing is also built than would otherwise be allowed. Sound familiar? This is the formula used 10 years ago in Manhattan’s West Chelsea/Hudson Yards neighborhoods, as well as in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg/ Greenpoint neighborhoods. Zoning rules were changed to significantly increase the allowable amount of residential development, with strong incentives for making a fraction of the housing affordable. The result? Quite a bit of affordable housing was built in both areas — more than in any other part of the city, or about 25% of new units on the West Side and 16% in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. But there was also a virtual tsunami of new market-rate housing that utterly transformed those neighborhoods, physically and socio-economically. These formerly diverse areas became among our city’s least affordable and most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, defined by walls of glassy high-rises that resemble Hong Kong or Miami more than New York. This is the model the mayor is seeking to apply across the city. But there’s a less discussed, more pernicious flip side to linking these affordable housing requirements exclusively to massive upzonings. Neighborhoods unwilling to accept vastly increased amounts of market-rate housing get no affordable housing. Case in point: The de Blasio administration has consistently rejected a rezoning
proposal for the University Place/Broadway corridor in Greenwich Village with an affordable housing component, because we were unwilling to accept a vast increase in the allowable amount of market-rate housing along with it. The mayor’s other rezoning proposal, “Zoning for Quality and Affordability” (ZQA), would lift height limits by over 30% in certain parts of the city when new developments include 20% affordable housing. Some might find this a worthwhile trade-off, if it results in more affordable housing. Problem is, it won’t. This part of the mayor’s plan would apply to areas called “Inclusionary Zones” that currently have strong incentives for including affordable units in new developments. According to the city’s own study, in 95% of the cases, they already do. But the city claims existing height limits prevent a higher rate of inclusion — that the caps don’t leave room to “fit” the affordable units, so developers leave them out. Here, again, studies say something different. The affordable housing program’s complicated bureaucracy and require-
ments, comparatively generous tax breaks for building market-rate rather than affordable housing, and the relative inexperience of smaller builders seem to be the main reasons some developments don’t include the affordable units. Unfortunately, the mayor’s rezoning plan would do nothing to address these factors, which actually do inhibit the inclusion of affordable housing in new developments. The mayor’s rezoning proposals create a false dichotomy, claiming if we just allowed more and larger developments, we’d have a more affordable city. At best, evidence indicates the height-lifting approach of ZQA would result in no net increase in affordable housing. At worst, experience shows MIHs vast increases in market-rate housing would likely accelerate gentrification and inflate rents and housing prices. Either way, these plans will undeniably make for more crowded, less livable communities, with services and infrastructure stretched ever thinner. Worse, such approaches divert us from implementing real solutions to New York’s affordability problems. Our neighborhoods, and our city, deserve better.
FORUM ON FIREARMS
Courtesy CRDC
Can we create smart gun regulations without banning guns? Sponsored by the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club (CRDC) and the Village Independent Democrats, this discussion centers around how to improve gun safety while continuing America’s tradition of civilian gun ownership. Moderated by the CRDC’s Joel Vatsky, the panelists include NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, NYS Assemblymember Keith Wright, Richard Aborn (president, Citizens Crime Commission of NYC), a representative from the NYPD, and Leah Gunn Barrett (executive director, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence). Free and open to the public. Wed., Mar. 9, 6:30–9 p.m. at Fulton Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. W. 17th & W. 18th Sts.).
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March 03 - 09, 2016
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Google Helps Some in Search of Tech Savvy Continued from page 6 skilled Hudson Guild employees, members of Girls Who Code, and The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project), a New York City-based nonprofit that “empowers youth to talk back to media.” Founded in 2007, it focuses on “teaching people to think critically about media content.” “The ability to think critically is essential today, given that we’re so saturated with media and technology,” said Alan Berry, Education Director at The LAMP. “It’s not enough just to learn how to use media technologies; you also need to understand why media is created, by whom and for whom, and you should be able to interpret the information being communicated by the media you’re consuming. The LAMP is preparing Tech Up students to be responsible, active world citizens, equipped with the skills to thrive in the modern workplace and beyond.” “The Tech Lab and its Tech Up program is an important step in preparing all New Yorkers for the 1.4 million tech
Courtesy NYCHA
Michael Kelly, General Manager for NYCHA, with Tech Up students Rhen Rodriguez (left) and Victor Liriano.
jobs we expect to see by 2020,” echoed Michael Phillips, Chief Operating Officer at Jamestown Properties. “Jamestown’s collaboration with the Hudson Guild, Google, NYCHA, and NYC’s Chief Technology Officer Minerva Tantoco points to the importance of public/private partnerships to effectuate good progress for New Yorkers,” noted Phillips. The program has also received gener-
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March 03 - 09, 2016
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Courtesy Hudson Guild
L to R: Leroy Williams, Manhattan Community Operations Deputy Director for NYCHA, and William Floyd, Head of External Affairs for Google New York.
ous assistance from nearby media giant Google, who has reportedly paid for all of the technology in the center, including computers and Smart Boards. Jockers said that Hudson Guild expects to work with Google going forward. “Google has been an incredible neighbor since they moved to Chelsea, and have supported our programming on a whole variety of levels,” said Jockers. “They have hosted all sorts of job-related educational activities for participants at the Guild for several years. We have worked with them as part of this new programming, and also talked to them about job shadowing opportunities and other in-place learning possibilities, and are looking forward to doing something with them.” Jockers hoped that Google would offer some internships to graduates of the program, and is also anticipating the possibility that Jamestown Properties and others in the Chelsea Market space can help provide graduates with internships. “Jamestown has committed to work with us, first in getting these teens in our program, and now that it’s starting, we are looking forward to figuring out how they can help with internship possibilities,” said Jockers. Upon completing this intensive Tech Up program, students should have all the digital and media skills they need to be competitive in the modern workplace. The project is also notable in that it serves as an indicator that Jamestown Properties appears to be honoring their pledge to provide resources for local youth — part of the stipulations negotiated when Community Board 4 (after a long period of vocal opposition from some in the community) agreed to a massive vertical expansion of the his-
toric Chelsea Market building. “After I got my diploma through Hudson Guild’s Pathways to Graduation program, I started working, and got really interested in audio production. When I heard about this program, I signed up right away,” said 19-year-old ElliottChelsea Houses resident Victor Liriano. “I’m learning some audio production here, and having the in-house recording studio is great,” said Liriano. “But more importantly, I’m excited to learn about advertising and marketing. It’s so important to have those skills if you want to start your own business, and get ahead in any industry, really. Plus this program is completely free, so how could I turn down this opportunity?”
Courtesy Hudson Guild
Early adopter: A member of Tech Up’s inaugural program, whose classes are taught by Hudson Guild employees, members of Girls Who Code, and The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project).
The Tech Up program meets bi-weekly for two sets of students. There is a bi-weekly morning session and a bi-weekly afternoon session. The free program, open to students ages 16–24, runs from Feb. to June. For information or to register, visit bit.ly/Tech_Up, call 212-367-2372 or email swingert@hudsonguild.org. Also visit thelamp.org. .com
Stump Speech: Election 2016
America Suffers Splitting Super Tuesday Headache
facebook.com/jebbush
facebook.com/hillaryclinton
“I’m not in the race anymore. I don’t have to do your stupid podcast. Leave me the hell alone.”
“You like me! You really like me! Well, you like me enough to vote for me and anything beyond that is irrelevant.”
Design by Michael Shirey
BY MAX BURBANK My, but it’s been an exciting month since the Iowa caucuses! Once-inevitable Republican nominee Jeb! Bush had to turn in his exclamation point and have his mom walk him home. Ultra-conservative wet dream supervillain Antonin Scalia took an allexpense-paid bribe/hunting vacation with his secret society Illuminati pals and decided to multitask by dying. Before rigor mortis could set in, hideous human/turtle hybrid — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — publicly celebrated Scalia’s lifelong commitment to Constitutional Originalism by ignoring it in favor of an unwritten rule of thumb, the “Thurmond Rule,” created by a deceased senator best known for his lifelong dedication to segregation and occupying his senate seat for almost a decade past the point where he could form sentences or chew without assistance. Chris Christie decided he never did say that thing about Trump being unfit to be President, and instead rolled over on his back at Donald’s feet, exposed his belly and peed himself in the most humiliating display of slavish submission since every single moment of Jeb!’s campaign. Then suddenly, without any warning (beyond having been on the calendar for almost four years)…Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… SUPER TUESDAY — the biggest, baddest, .com
national electoral cluster#$@&%! until the actual election! That’s 12 states, or maybe 14, or one of them’s a territory, or 11 if you’re a Replublican, or 15 if you’re a Democrat. Nobody really knows. For sure, there’s Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont; that really cold, far away state you can see Russia from if you’re extra stupid; that state where they filmed “Deliverance”; that other state where everybody thinks the Emancipation Proclamation was just a suggestion; some state I can’t think of right now that has more registered Republicans than teeth; some other horrible backwater states, and… American Samoa! Super Tuesday was originally designed to put enough delegates on the line at one time in order to force candidates to address issues of national concern, weed the field down to one candidate, and stick a collective thumb in the eyes of Iowa and New Hampshire, who think they’re so big. And it worked! Mostly. Kind of. Iowa and New Hampshire both made laws that say they go first no matter what, even if they have to move voting back to before the previous election. As of press time, all the candidates who went in to Super Tuesday are still in. Nevertheless, Super Tuesday did achieve its main purpose: leaving the nation with two clear front-runners. Hillary Clinton is now the inevitable nominee. All major media outlets are using that word — “inevitable.” You know, the way she was inevi-
table until Sanders started drawing enormous crowds and polling better in the general election. Or the way Jeb!–Was–Inevitable! — before other people started running! Pundits love the word “inevitable,” except in the sentence, “Boy, I sure was wrong when I said [insert candidate’s name] was inevitable.” Yes, Hillary won seven states to Bernie’s four, and won more decisively, but Bernie still…Okay look. I can’t do this. I can’t keep calling them “Bernie” and “Hillary,” even though that’s what absolutely everyone does. We are not friends. I mean, I like them fine, but I don’t know them personally. There is absolutely no way I or any other writer, news reader, or for god’s sake, voter, is on a chummy, first-name basis with Clinton or Sanders, which is what I’m going to call them from now on. Hillary and Bernie; what is this, a sitcom? Stop it. You need to stop it. So blah, blah, blah. Clinton is competent and tested, but the money! She’s so political, with the being against gay marriage way after it was cool and crap…and Sanders! I mean, who doesn’t love an irascible old Socialist Jew who wants to tax the crap out of the grotesquely wealthy robber baron class. He’s adorable, but if by some miracle he became president, he would not get a single thing through Congress, not even if he signed off on a bill that said all Republican senators must be addressed as “M’Lord.”
Sure, there are big differences here, but both candidates could undergo psychiatric evaluations and not be immediately committed against their will. It’s more fun to write about the Republicans. As of press time, none of the Republican candidates have “officially” dropped out. Kasich and Carson, who collectively garnered well over a dozen delegates all told if you add them together — unless I did my math wrong. I really wasn’t paying much attention, because, seriously? Kasich sated that he was pleased he’d exceeded expectations, so assumedly he’s not concerned that these “expectations” were the kind of low not usually found outside of record-setting limbo contests, and was looking forward to a “home court advantage” in Ohio, which someone should remind him is pretty much just one state. Asked what the hell Carson was thinking by staying in the race, Campaign Chairman Robert Dees responded, “Well, we clearly don’t know,” but that the “opportunity exists” for people to “wake up” — just not “Carson,” because it is “dangerous” to wake someone who is “sleepwalking,” which is what Carson has been “doing” in “lieu” of a “campaign” for “months now.” Shortly afterward, Carson told supporters he will not be in Detroit for the Mar. 3 Fox News Republican debate, that he “did not
Continued on page 20 March 03 - 09, 2016
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Crime Plunges in 10th Precinct Continued from page 7
Furthermore, the violent, confrontational crime characterized by the recently jailed scammer is statistically less prevalent than non-violent crime. “Only 25% of overall crimes are robberies, burglaries, or assaults,” noted Carter, who reported that 75% of the 2,500 reported crimes for 2015 were grand larceny — non-violent incidents where criminals reached into people’s bags or took property off their person. “It’s a very safe system,” reiterated Carter. “We do the absolute best we can to keep everybody safe.” Carter also stressed the role of law enforcement in keeping those numbers low, noting that there are over 2,500 police officers who patrol the city’s 469 stations. District 2 also uses a team of 40 dogs — the largest of any department in the country — to search for narcotics and explosive devices, and help with bag checks. Additionally, plainclothes agents are often present at many stations (several such officers were responsible for nabbing the scam artist at the end of Jan.). After Carter’s presentation, Irizarry reported that the precinct’s crime has decreased 36.5% over the past 28-day period, and is also down 28.2% for the year-to-date period. “I realize it’s February and we’ve
Photo by Lucas Ropek
Captain Anthony Carter, of Transit District 2, gave residents an overview of the work his unit does to keep subway riders safe.
still got 10 months to go. We’re not throwing in the towel yet,” Irizarry said before affirming that the precinct was off to a good start for the new year. “I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to keep these numbers down.” The officers present also asserted the importance
of the public’s cooperation in apprehending criminals and keeping the city safe. “Anytime we get information from the public, we really try to act on it promptly,” said Irizarry, who again thanked the resident for coming forward with her experience about the subway scammer.
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March 03 - 09, 2016
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POLICE BLOTTER RESISTING ARREST: Looking out for No. 1 lands man in No. 2
apartment (nor had anyone with any combination of that name ever lived in the building).
One man’s attempt to turn the W. 14th St. subway station into a makeshift outhouse wound up costing him a trip to the big house. At about 3:15 a.m. on Sat., Feb. 27, an officer observed the man trying to find discreet relief on the southbound platform catwalk — an area enclosed to exclude intruders — where he urinated on the train tracks. When confronted by the officer, the peevish perp ran away, in an attempt to avoid going with the flow. He was pursued, captured, and ultimately restrained — though the bind did not stop him from lying on his hands to avoid being cuffed. This method of defense was unsuccessful, however, and the 25-year-old was arrested.
PETIT LARCENY: Lather, rinse, arrest
PETIT LARCENY: Faux tenant targets house hunter Independent online apartment hunting can help you avoid paying a broker’s fee — but it can also leave you wide open for anonymous Internet scammers, as a 20-year-old W. 31st St. resident found out the hard way. On Thurs., Feb. 25, she went on the website apartments.com and made contact with a woman — named either Christina Lucas or Christina Thomas, according to the victim, whose reason for the confusion was not made clear in the report she filed at Chelsea’s 10th Precinct. “Christina” informed the victim that she needed $950 as a down payment before she could view the apartment — and the victim eagerly complied, via PayPal. Frustrated after being stood up twice for appointments to see the property, she contacted building management, and was told that nobody by the name of Christina Lucas (or Thomas) was leasing out an
Sat., Feb 27 must have been an exceptionally bad hair day — and then some — for one soapy shoplifter. An employee of the wronged Rite Aid (300 W. 20th St., at Eighth Ave.) in question saw the man hide 22 bottles of Pantene and Head & Shoulders shampoo (valued at $74) in a bag at about 4:30 p.m., and then proceed to leave the store without paying. The 30-year-old man was promptly arrested for his hair care crime.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Boozy dude hit the door on the way in Most people prefer to get their foot in the door, figuratively — but on Fri., Feb. 26, a tipsy troublemaker took the expression to literal (and costly) extremes. At about 3 a.m., a witness reported that a man, who appeared to be drunk, intentionally kicked the front door of a building on the W. 300 block of 16th St. Upon causing about $750 in damage to the unfortunate entryway, the man fled eastbound on W. 16th St.
CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY: Jeweler jails Jerseyan When stealing from an establishment, savvy criminals know enough to make a swift getaway, as opposed to lollygagging at the scene of the crime — but apparently no one alerted one would-be-thief at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market (in front of 408 W. 39th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.) about this final, crucial step. At 11:10 a.m. on
YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN WWW. .com
.COM
Sun., Feb. 28, a 46-year-old New Jersey man was observed by Flea Market security to be in possession of property stolen from the booth of a jeweler who had set up shop at the Market. Security alerted the booth’s operator, who was able to identify the property — leading to the out-of-towner’s arrest.
—SEAN EGAN
THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-7418216. Youth Officer: 212-7418211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The next meeting is Mar. 30.
CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawedoff shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.
THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: David Ehrenberg. Call212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-4773863. Youth Officer: 212-4777411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct. The next meeting is Mar. 15.
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Long Shelf Life Likely for Drama Book Store Continued from page 2 Seleen, his partners, and, later, his wife, cultivated a staff similarly devoted to the performing arts, whose knowledge of the craft and their faithfulness to the store is as much a key to the shop’s success as its doting clientele, according to Hubby. “We have an incredibly knowledgeable staff,” he said. “People who come to work here stay for years and years, and they don’t want to leave, even though we pay them next to nothing. We have the best staff in the world.” In fact, the Drama Book Shop has produced at least one stellar addition to the theater world. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane, whose work on “As Bees in Honey Drown,” “The Little Dog Laughed,” “Xanadu” and “The Nance” have made him a (literal) marquee name, worked at the store as a bag checker in the ’80s. But, while the store and its staff are sought-after for their prodigious knowledge of theater, that doesn’t always equate to sales, even if they’re able to help the customer pick out the perfect play, according to Hubby. “It is frustrating when someone says, ‘Thank you so much for your help, I’m going to go to Amazon and order that book,’ ” he explained. And, despite its enormous collection of plays and written material concerning performing arts, many of which is out of print and nearly impossible to come by, the Drama Book Shop is a destination for more than just its wares. In addition to its basement theater, where the store’s resident children’s theater company, The Striking Viking Story Pirates, rehearse and perform, the Drama Book Shop has played host to several high-profile, if impromptu revivals. At one point, cast members from the original production of “A Chorus Line,” invaded the store and collectively belted out tunes from the show. That off-the-books revival was followed up by an unofficial production of “Hair,” when cast members of the show’s original and follow-up productions met up at the shop and gaily broke out in song, according to Hubby. “We’ve had some revivals,” he .com
Photos by Yannic Rack
Although structurally intact, the ceiling sustained significant water damage.
recounted. The Drama Book Shop has outlived at least five other theater-themed bookshops in the city, and is now one of three remaining niche performing arts bookstores in the western hemisphere, with one in Los Angeles and another in London still chugging along, according to Hubby. But, as the store’s centennial anniversary approaches, several other threats loom over the bookshop’s future. Even after this reporter began work on the article you’re now reading, a second incident subjected the business’s basement offices to more water damage, on Sun., Feb. 28. Fortunately, this one was less catastrophic, and did more to encourage an early spring-cleaning than anything else, according to Seelen. “It’s making us clean up the office,” she said. More ominous, however, is the approaching end date on the business’s current lease, which will almost certainly force Drama Book Shop into yet another period of flux in the face of what’s expected to be an enormous rent hike, Hubby said. “Our lease is up dangerously soon,” he said. “We have a very good relationship with our landlord, but
The Striking Viking Story Pirates (the store’s resident children’s theater company) perform in the basement theater, and use some of the upstairs space to store props and costumes.
we’ll have to move when our lease is up. It will probably triple.” Whatever happens, chances are good that, somewhere in the city, there will be a cozy chair where somebody, from some part of the world, will be devouring a stack of plays curated by the Drama Book Shop. “It is not without its challenges. Every day is an adventure,” said Hubby.
“Our customers are very resourceful. If they need a monologue, they’ll find us.” The Drama Book Shop is located at 250 W. 40th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Hours: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. & Sat. (open until 8 p.m. on Thurs.). Sun., 12–6 p.m. Call 212-944-0595 or visit dramabookshop.com. March 03 - 09, 2016
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Broadway Theaters Denied Landmark Designation Continued from page 4 ject to historic preservation requirements through New 42nd Street, a nonprofit organization that was formed in 1990 to oversee the redevelopment of the historic venues. The spokesperson also noted that the theaters were removed from the calendar by a No Action letter, which allows them to be reconsidered for designation “without prejudice” in the future. But the decision didn’t sit well with Photo by Yannic Rack preservationists like Bankoff, who said that the vote was particularly troubling The Lyric Theatre and New Victory Theater are among the seven historic in light of recent controversy around the playhouses that the LPC decided not to designate anytime soon. Palace Theater on Seventh Ave., which is set to be lifted up 29 feet to accommoThe agency had originally announced landmark status also include three builddate ground-floor commercial space — that it would dispose of its entire backlog ings in Brooklyn’s Greenwood Cemetery, an admission to developers, according to of buildings in 2014, but changed gears the Pepsi Cola sign in Long Island City, preservation groups critical of the plan. after the decision prompted an outcry Staten Island’s Prince’s Bay Lighthouse, “We understand that there already is from preservationists across the city. Immaculate Conception Church in the a mandated role for the commission,” “I find it deeply disturbing that all Bronx and the Bergdorf Goodman store Bankoff said, “but we felt they really 95 of these buildings were going to be in Manhattan. should be designated. If we’re living in de-calendared,” said Wood, of Landmark “Today’s votes mark a real achievea world where theaters in the Theater West! “The fact that 30 of them are sup- ment: The Landmarks Preservation District are seen as ‘in the way,’ I would posedly being moved forward says a lot Commission is clearing its backlog prefer to IMPACThave AD-O.pdf the oversight the about what we could have lost.” through a transparent, public, account1 3/2/2016from 12:14:45 PM Landmarks Commission.” The sites that will be prioritized for able process,” Manhattan Borough
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President Gale Brewer said in a statement after the meeting. Brewer, who testified on many of the properties in her borough, especially highlighted the powerhouse. “The IRT Powerhouse on the West Side and the Loews Theater in Washington Heights are just two of the 30 gems deserving protection,” she said. All 30 buildings prioritized for designation will now be brought back to the commission for an individual vote by the end of the year, and the agency has said it aims to resolve the backlog by the end of 2016. Although Con Ed will likely continue to advocate against the landmarking of the powerhouse, preservationists said they were optimistic about their odds. “I was honestly floored when I saw the powerhouse’s photo up there. It’s long overdue and I’m really happy,” said Alyssa Bishop, who is the president of the Hudson River Powerhouse Group, a non-profit that was founded in 2007 specifically to get the building landmarked. “We’ve come too far not to be optimistic now,” Bishop said. “The initiative that the LPC took at the hearing was too bold a move for them to back down now.”
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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Formerly of ‘Fiddler,’ Finkel, 93, Far From Final Act Living link to Yiddish vaudeville creates a new tradition BY TRAV S.D. Audiences at the Metropolitan Room are about to be treated to a spectacle that is increasingly rare, and destined to become more so. On March 7 and 8, the legendary Fyvush Finkel, 93, will perform a solo show chronicling 84 years in show business — including his beginnings in the Yiddish theater of New York’s Lower East Side, summers as a Catskills entertainer, and 12 years in the national touring company of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Finkel is best known for his Emmywinning portrayal of lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the TV series “Picket Fences” (1992-1996), and for his role as the dybbuk in the Coen Brothers’ 2009 film “A Serious Man.” Finkel, who sings in addition to telling jokes and stories, will be accompanied by his sons Elliott (on piano) and Ian (on xylophone). Stitching it together is the theme of Yiddish vaudeville, of which Finkel may be one of the last true exemplars. Yiddish is, of course, the lingua franca of the Jewish people of Europe. It began in the Middle Ages as a dialect of German, then spread with the migrations of the Jews into Eastern Europe, and finally, around the turn of the last century, to America. The highest concentration of Yiddish speakers in America was on New York’s Lower East Side. It was inevitable that the Yiddish-speaking theater would transplant itself in New York, as well. From the 1880s through the mid-20th century, peaking in the 1920s, there were dozens of thriving Yiddish venues on the Lower East Side presenting stars like Boris Tomashefsky, and Jacob and Sara Adler (parents of Luther and Stella — the famous acting teacher). For a time, Second Avenue was known as “the Yiddish Rialto.” .com
Photo by Lindsay Aikman/Michael Priest Photography
L to R: Merwin Goldsmith, Fyvush Finkel and June Gable in the National Yiddish Theatre – Folksbiene’s 2011 Drama Desk-nominated “Fyvush Finkel Live!” revue.
“Yiddish was our primary language at home,” says Finkel. “Even the dog, Tootsie, only responded if we talked to it in Yiddish.” Finkel grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. His father Harry emigrated from Warsaw and earned his living as a tailor. But the needle and thread were not for Fyvush. “I was nine years old when I started in the theater,” Finkel remembers. “There was an advertisement in the Jewish newspaper The Forward. This was around 1934. They needed a boy soprano to sing ‘Oh Promise Me’ during a wedding sequence. I was hidden in a box seat and I stopped the show cold. I got a dollar a week. So I became a
child star in the Yiddish theater. And I trained for that. I was taught to speak ‘fine Yiddish’ or ‘stage Yiddish,’ which was different from how we spoke at home. Just as they used to have more formal English on stage than people ordinarily spoke. Today, people can talk however they want!” Amazingly (since it’s considered a dead language), Finkel performed in the Yiddish theater for 35 years. “My first show as an adult was ‘Who is Guilty.’ I was in my 20s and I knocked the hell out of that thing. The crowd loved me, and the show was a big hit. There was no TV in those days and no advance ticket sales with a credit card. The box office
had lines around the block. It was at the Hopkinson Theatre, and I got to appear with great Yiddish stars like [the husband and wife team] Julius Adler and Henrietta Jacobson.” Starting in 1938, as so many did in those days, Finkel began to spend his summer playing Borscht Belt hotels in the Catskills. “There were 400 of them back then! I played 50 hotels a summer. I played ’em all!” he reminisces. “They had a emcee, a social director and a second comedian, and that was how I got my start. I was a single, a monologist. Nowadays you’d call it stand-up.
Continued on page 19 March 03 - 09, 2016
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Finkel and Sons Set to Make Metropolitan Room Debut Continued from page 17 And I had them laughing, shrieking! Back then it was all about clean family life. The people didn’t even want dirty material. It’s like Milton Berle said: ‘If you pull your pants down once, it’s funny. But then you have to keep doing it, and it isn’t funny anymore.’ ” True to that philosophy, the Finkels promise a family show at the Metropolitan Room. “It’s probably the world’s funnest and cleanest show,” says his son Ian, who carries on the family tradition with his own xylophone-based vaudeville act. “Fyvush Finkel is the world’s last living link to the Yiddish vaudeville tradition,” says latter-day Yiddish performer Shane Baker. “He has trained generations of younger actors in the styles and techniques both onstage and off. My favorite memory? Strolling with him down 50th Street, someone stopped him to shake hands or get an autograph every three feet. He took time to warmly greet each and every one, offering as an
aside, ‘That’s my public! I work for them!’ — the consummate showbiz professional.” Yiddish scholar and translator Caraid O’Brien agrees: “Fyvush is ‘The Last Confederate Widow’ of the Yiddish stage. When he goes, may it not be soon, our link to an entire generation of Yiddish theater performers is gone forever. He's also part of a grand, inspiring tradition of Yiddish performers who never retire. He's funny and charming, and at this point completely unique, a true Yiddish comedian.” The amazing thing is, when Finkel began to enjoy national success, he’d already been in show business for 60 years. “The older I get, the busier I’m getting,” he marvels. And the lively nonagenarian gives no indication of quitting. He recently wrapped the John Susman film “Game Day,” scheduled for release later this year. Mon., Mar. 7 & Tues., Mar. 8, at 7 p.m. at The Metropolitan Room (34 W. 22nd St., btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves.). For tickets ($35, plus two-drink minimum), call 212-206-0440 or visit metropolitanroom.com.
Photo by Rivka Katvan
Old hat: Fyvush Finkel, having conquered Yiddish theater and TV, plays Chelsea’s famed cabaret room (with sons Elliott and Ian) on Mar. 7-8.
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Super Tuesday Results: Disappointment Wins
facebook.com/donaldtrump
“I just bought this man. I could stick this finger in any opening on Chris’ body, and you know what he’d say to me? Thank you, Mr. Trump.”
Continued from page 11 see a political path forward,” but that he was no quitting, and that he would address his political future on Friday. He then walked face first into a corner and began snoring. Despite retweeting Mussolini and coy refusals to outright decline the support of David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan, anthropomorphic vintage catcher’s mitt/toupee combo Donald Trump swept to victory, crushing all contenders beneath his yugely expensive Italian leather jackboots. This is not to say that the vast majority of Republican voters are unashamed racists physically aroused by the prospect of American Fascism, except that’s pretty much exactly what it is to say. Even though, or more likely because, former governor Sarah Palin endorsed Trump (I think she did, she might have been having some sort of prolonged seizure), Ted Cruz won Alaska. He also won Oklahoma and his home State of Texas, answering the question, “Are the voters of The Great Sate of Texas simply ignorant bigots, or ignorant bigots blindly lining up to buy snake oil and get rich quick schemes from a man whose head resembles a rotting, Ugli Fruit swollen to the point of bursting with the gasses of decay?” About a week ago, Rubio boldly abandoned the high road, trading up from transparently fake reasonable human candidate to insult comic. First, he cracked wise that The Donald requested a full length mirror before
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donaldjtrump.com
“The Liberty Bell is a piece of crap, and I’ll tell you why: It’s broken. I prefer bells that ring.”
the last debate because he needed to make sure his pants weren’t wet — and then, referencing Trump’s admittedly stubby wee hands, he made what may well be the first dick joke in presidential campaign history. Rubio’s platform is now that Donald Trump pees himself and has a tiny wiener. How will Donald Trump combat terrorism, negotiate trade with China and reform our tax code when he is too busy peeing himself with his abnormally small junk? Now at last we have reached the level of discourse the Republican Party has long demanded. Are we ready to call Trump “inevitable?” I mean, you know, for the nomination. ’Cause no way are we crazy enough to make that dude president, right? Right? Come on, say something. You’re scaring me here. .com
Courtesy High Line Open Studios
Photo by Georgia Nerheim
Artisans from the United Nations’ Ethical Fashion Initiative contributed to the costumes in “Elijah Green” — at The Kitchen Mar. 10-19.
Courtesy The LGBT Center
The “Joan Crawford of eldercare,” George Hodgman, reads from “Bettyville” on Mar. 8 — part of The LGBT Center’s Second Tuesday Lecture Series.
Just Do Art BY SCOTT STIFFLER
THE SECOND TUESDAY LECTURE SERIES: GEORGE HODGMAN’S “BETTYVILLE” The life-altering tale of gay New Yorker George Hodgman’s trip to Paris happens not in the City of Light, but in a city of little more than 1,200. Disorienting curves along the road Hodgman is forced to navigate are played for laughs in “Bettyville,” a memoir that begins as the unemployed fiftysomething magazine editor takes a challenging new assignment: return to Paris, .com
Missouri, and become the primary caretaker for his aging mother. Wit is the North Star throughout this tale of secrets and silences in a small southern town, as forced familiarity breeds a new level of understanding between mother and son (that is, if the self-professed “Joan Crawford of eldercare” doesn’t snap and go from “Terms of Endearment” to “In Cold Blood”). Find out for yourself, when the author reads from “Bettyville” and discusses life since it hit the bestseller list — as Hodgman takes his place in the pantheon of presenters who’ve stood behind the podium of
The LGBT Center’s Second Tuesday Lecture Series. Running since 1985, its guests have represented the arts, academia, and politics. Of particular note: Larry Kramer’s March 1987 appearance, during which he spoke about the AIDS Crisis. “Thus beginning,” notes The Center, “ACT-UP, the largest direct action AIDS organization in the world.” The Bureau of General Services — Queer Division (a bookstore based at The Center) will on hand to sell copies of “Bettyville,” making a heartfelt author inscription an easy score. Tues., Mar. 8, at 7 p.m. at The LGBT Center (208 W. 13th St., btw. Seventh & Greenwich Aves.). Suggested donation: $10. To RSVP (suggested, not required), visit gaycenter.org/second-tuesday or call 212620-7310. Also visit secondtuesday. org and bgsqd.com.
ANDREW ONDREJCAK’S “ELIJAH GREEN” With a narrative inspired by Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s early 20th century work “A Dream Play” and a visual aesthetic that recall Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel’s lush scenes of peasant village life, multi-disciplinary artist Andrew Ondrejcak's “Elijah Green” has a divine spirit observing the unremarkable but interconnected lives of contemporary mortals. Along with choreography by John Jasperse, writer/director Ondrejcak’s visual language for “Green” is driven by costumes created in collaboration
Get inside their heads — or at least their workspaces — when you take Mar. 5 & 6’s High Line Open Studios Tour.
with Alba Clemente and artisans from the United Nations’ Ethical Fashion Initiative. The resulting pieces include Maasai beaded neckpieces (Kenya), mud-dyed fabrics (Mali), hand-forged metal jewelry (Haiti), and woven textiles (Burkina Faso) — all combined with donated fabrics from brands such as Carolina Herrera and Vivienne Westwood, as worn by a multi-generational, international cast of 12, ranging in age from 11 to 72. Thurs.–Sat., Mar. 10–12 & 17–19, at 8 p.m. at The Kitchen (512 W. 19th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For tickets ($20, $15 for students, seniors), visit thekitchen.org or call 212-2555793, x11.
HIGH LINE OPEN STUDIOS TOUR They’ve already done their spring cleaning, and managed to put some new stuff up on the walls — now it’s your chance to go from casual looky-loo to serious art collector, and give your own thinkspace an aesthetic upgrade. This self-guided tour of the West Chelsea arts district gives participants the rare chance to gain insight into the creative process of over 40 artists, while providing the opportunity to purchase work directly from their studio. Free. Sat., Mar. 5 & Sun., Mar. 6, 12-6 p.m. Self-guided tours begin at the West Chelsea Arts Building (526 W. 26th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.), where you can pick up a map that identifies all participating studios. Maps also available at the Westbeth artists building (55 Bethune St., corner of Washington St.). For more info, visit highlineopenstudios. org. Also visit westbetharts.org. March 03 - 09, 2016
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.com
Rhymes With Crazy
Discover Tut’s Gold and Glories BY LENORE SKENAZY On Nov. 26, 1922, Howard Carter took out the little chisel his grandmother had given him on his 17th birthday when he, an English lad, was already obsessed with ancient Egypt. Now pushing 50, Carter — a middle-aged archeologist who had seemed promising, then washed up, then possibly promising again — was standing in a hole in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, sweating. Hoping against hope, he tapped his childhood chisel on the underground doorway of what looked like it could be a tomb, or at least some kind of repository. Once he finally made a hole, he poked a candle through. “Can you see anything?” asked his companion and benefactor, George Herbert. “Yes,” Carter replied. “Wonderful things.” And I just saw them, too: the gold and glories — and tchotchkes — of King Tut’s tomb. At The Discovery of King Tut, a Midtown exhibit that faithfully recreates exactly what Carter saw when he became the first human in 3,000 years to lay eyes on Tut’s tomb, you wander through room after room of amazing artifacts, with the special excitement of seeing them just the way they were when first discovered. The room full of “amazing things” that Carter saw looks exactly like the attic of an eccentric aunt. There are beds shaped like animals, wheels leaning against each other like a bunch of ancient bike tires, trunks,
stools, vases and — oh yes — a baby throne made out of gold. It is sitting in the back, abandoned as any highchair you’d put in your attic once your child-king outgrew it. Weirdest of all are the dozens of egg-shaped containers slightly larger than footballs. These held food for the afterlife — the sacred lunch boxes of their day. As you wind your way through the exhibit, chock-a-block with dazzling golden coffins and surprising hieroglyphics (including a whole wall done in a baboon motif), your audio guide informs you of the fact that Carter had been searching for King Tut’s tomb ever since he learned that the statue of a later pharaoh once actually had another name on it: “Tutankhamun.” The later pharaoh had chiseled Tut’s name off the front and replaced it with his own — missing Tut’s name on the back. An ancient cup also inscribed with Tut’s name made Carter increasingly certain that history had not accounted for King Tut, and neither had archeologists. But who was Tut? There was no other trace of him. If he had ruled, where was he buried? Why had no one found him yet? Carter convinced Herbert, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, to fund his search, and spent years digging fruitlessly, searching for Tut’s tomb. Carnarvon was about to call it quits when Carter begged him for one more season of funding. Reportedly worried that Carter would finally find the tomb just when he pulled
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out, the Earl signed another check. (Weirdly enough, you can see how the Earl could have afforded this hobby if you watch Public Television: “Downton Abbey” is filmed in his modest little home.) But back to Egypt: At around the time of this final, funded season, one of Carter’s minions — a boy who brought jars of water to the workers — dug into the sand to make a little hole to hold one of the jars. He always did this, to make them stand upright. But this time, his hand hit a smooth, flat surface. It was the top of a long-buried staircase. The rest is ancient history. But the exhibit is so vibrant, this history doesn’t feel that far removed. In an era when ISIS is blowing up monuments because it wants to erase the past, Tut’s successor chiseling his name off of statues seems familiar. And once you learn the soap opera of Tut’s family — his grandfather was a great and beloved ruler, his dad reversed everything the grandpa had done (even changing the country’s religion and capital), and then Tut changed all it back — the young king doesn’t seem so unreachable. You see the tiny coffin that contained his stillborn daughter. You learn there were flowers still on his casket when Carter uncovered it. Then you exit back to the modern kingdom of New York City, dazzling, magnificent, invincible. And you wonder: Who will wander the exhibit about us? “The Discovery of King Tut” is
on view through May 1, at Premiere Exhibitions (417 Fifth Ave., at W. 37th St.). Hours: Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults; $17 for children, age 5–11; $22 for seniors, college students, AAA, military; $15 on Museum Mondays; and $65 for a “Family 4 Pack” (two child minimum). To order, visit tutnyc.com. Lenore Skenazy is a keynote speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com).
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