Posh Picnics: Revel In Some Outdoor Dining Pleasure

BRUNCH COCKTAILS

WINE + WANDERINGS ROLL-UP TABLE

DEVIATE AND DELIGHT CHEETAHS & CHEESEBOARDS

DRINK UP

Upgrade your menu with this gamechanging portable grill. Hero Grill offers 60 minutes of grilling and includes everything you need—including convenient pack up when done. Check out their innovative mess-free charcoal pods! Info: fireandflavor.com.

10 Barrel Brewing has mastered the emerging trend of portable mixed cocktails. Their Bloody Mary is the perfect addition to your outdoorsy quiche soiree. Info:10barrel.com.

Picnics needn’t be elaborate. Find a dragonfly speckled pond and hunker down with your favorite rosé and nibbles. The crossbody strap on The White Company’s Willow Drinks Hamper allows hands-free hiking. Info: thewhitecompany.com. The new darling of the picnic brunch? Mayne & Co.’s Modern Mimosa. Packing a picnic necessitates well-planned use of your basket or tote’s space. These elegant, pre-mixed mimosas offer luxury cocktail convenience. Info: maynesip.com.

Pro-picnickers are always hunting for the unicorn of outdoor dining—a truly portable table. Crate and Barrel fulfills our wish with this mahogany picnic-height table that rolls up into its own storage bag. Info: crateandbarrel.com.

Bravo baristas! The folks at Deviation Distilling brought together coffee and whiskey in their line of Barista Spirits. The perfect complement to your outdoorsy brunch. Info: deviationdistilling.com. Endless textile options offer an opportunity to add some picnic pizazz to your outing. The Sling Chair from Society6 is perfect for long days in the park—noshing and reminiscing with friends. Info: society6.com.

Serve up a safari theme. Yvonne Ellen’s melamine plates bring a sense of lighthearted fun to your movable feast. Grab a cheeseboard and head out on an adventure. Info: yvonneellen.com.

The Veranda Series from Fortessa elevates your outdoor drinkware. With the look of hand-blown glass, the line offers shatter-proof drinkware from tumblers to rocks glasses and pitches. Picnic-ready sophistication. Info: fortessa.com. . •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ON STAGE

BroadwayHD: CONTINUING THE TRADITION

By Sara Wiesenfeld till missing the joy of Broadway’s bright lights. Of course, they will return in September, but until that time, BroadwayHD brings spectacular productions from the Great White Way, the West End, and beyond into your home.

BroadwayHD is the premier streaming service for theater lovers everywhere, available on all your favorite streaming devices, including AppleTV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Firestick. When you head to BroadwayHD.com, you can sign up for a 7-day free trial. It’s as easy as logging on to BroadwayHD.com. Now, let’s check out some of BroadwayHD favorites!

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: THE OPERA

Here’s the heart-wrenching tale of ranch hand Ennis del Mar and rodeo cowboy Jack Twist, who meet and fall in love on the fictional Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming in 1963. Based on Annie Proulx’s extraordinary 1997 short story, Brokeback Mountain was subsequently made into an AcademyAward winning film directed by Ang Lee and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger. Composed by master operettist, Charles Wuorinen, this marks one of the ambitious and major works in his long and storied career. Teatro Real’s production is helmed by Tony Award-winning Ivo Van Hove, known for his gritty and ground-breaking direction.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Celebrating 70 years of The Royal Ballet’s landmark production of Petipa’s classic ballet, enter an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers, and magical spells, to glorious music by Tchaikovsky. The masterful score takes ballet music to a height of passion, sophistication, and intensity that arguably has never been surpassed.

GHOSTS

Ibsen’s Ghosts attracted controversy at its premiere for its scathing commentary on 19th-century societal norms. It deals with subjects such as religion, incest, and euthanasia, and most shockingly at the time, venereal disease. This production, captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Trafalgar Studios, was directed by Richard Eyre and Stars Lesley Manville, in a highly praised performance, as Helene Alvina. It won three Olivier Awards: Lesley Manville for Best Actress and Jack Lowden for Best Actor in a Supporting role and Best Revival.

KINKY BOOTS

Inspired by true events, the Tony, Grammy, and Olivierwinning musical Kinky Boots tells the story of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. Charlie (played by Olivier Award nominee Killian Donnelly) is a factory owner struggling to save his family business. Lola (played by Matt Henry, who won an Olivier Award for the role) is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, the unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos, unlike any the world has ever seen! With music by the incomparable Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots is sure to raise you up!

MEMPHIS

The 2010 Tony Award- winner for Best Musical, Memphis stars Tony Award nominees Montego Glover and Chad Kimball. From the underground dance clubs of 1950’s Memphis, Tennessee, comes the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is about a White radio DJ who wants to change the world and a Black club singer ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwave— filled with laughter, soaring emotion, and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll.

FUNNY GIRL

Funny Girl is based on Broadway star, film actress, comedienne Fanny Brice and her tempestuous relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. This classic musical and critically acclaimed production features Sheridan Smith in “an unforgettable star turn” (The Times) and a host of iconic musical numbers including “People,” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade.” Following its record-breaking, sell-out run at Menier Chocolate Factory and London’s West End, Funny Girl was captured at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.

OKLAHOMA!

It’s the quintessential American musical. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is set against the backdrop of the founding of a new state. In a production by National Theatre, London, this revival catches the original’s spirit uniquely and stars an up-and-coming Hugh Jackman.

CATS

Jellicle cats join for a ball where they rejoice with their leader, Old Deuteronomy. One cat will be chosen to go to the Heavyside Layer and be reborn. One of the longestrunning hits in Broadway and the West End’s history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats captures all the music and movement of the original stage production with uncommon intimacy and depth. Starring Elaine Paige.

SHOWBOAT

A true classic of American musical theater, this tale of life on the Mississippi from the 1880s to the 1920s is both a poignant love story and a powerful reminder of racism’s bitter legacy. Director Francesca Zambello’s grand-scale production is “a triumph-a stylish, fast-paced and colorful show that had the capacity audience on its feet, cheering loud and long” (Chicago Classical Review).

CAROUSEL

Kelli O’Hara and Nathan Gunn lead the New York Philharmonic’s glorious concert staging of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical. Time Magazine hailed this classic as “the best musical of the 20th Century.” The musical includes such highlights as “If I Loved You,” “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” •