Horse Trade Theater Group will present Less Than Rent Theatre's (2013 Indie Theatre Now People of the Year) World Premiere of LITTLE MAC, LITTLE MAC, YOU'RE THE VERY MAN! written by Sean Patrick Monahan (Diva at the 2013 United Solo Festival) and James Presson (Words, Razors, and the Wounded Heart), April 3-27 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery). The production will be directed by Charlie Polinger (Independents; 'Best Musical' 2013 FringeNYC) and feature Tom Sanchez (Independents, 'effortlessly hilarious'--The New York Times) in the title role with Sarah Daniels (Legally Blonde), Rachel B. Joyce (Desire! A Varsouviana), Cory Asinofsky (Puppet Hamlet), Ben Diserens, Jillian Rorrer, Joseph Flynn, and Alex Kramer among others. Arrangements and original music by Mark Levy of The Academy Blues Project. This production will mark Less Than Rent's tenth full production since its inception in 2010.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act and the Anti-Apartheid Sanctions Act are just two of the landmark laws Warburg was instrumental in helping craft and enact. Warburg started his D.C. political career at 21 as a lowly intern for U.S. Senator John Tunney (D-CA) in 1975. He ended it as a precinct organizer, helping turn out the vote in key Virginia counties for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid. Along the way, he was deeply involved in U.S. policymaking on such issues as Soviet nuclear arms control, Israel aid, and human rights. He spent years working on the Senate floor as the defense, intelligence and foreign policy advisor to Majority Whip Alan Cranston, the California Democrat. Today, he is Professor of Public Policy and Assistant Dean at University of Virginia's Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Tony Kushner's Angels in America is that rare entity: a work for the stage that is profoundly moving yet very funny, highly theatrical yet steeped in traditional literary values, and most of all deeply American in its attitudes and political concerns. Kushner tells the story of a handful of people trying to make sense of the world. Prior is a man living with AIDS whose lover Louis has left him and become involved with Joe, an ex-Mormon and political conservative whose wife, Harper, is slowly having a nervous breakdown. These stories are contrasted with that of Roy Cohn (a fictional re-creation of the infamous American conservative ideologue who died of AIDS in 1986) and his attempts to remain in the closet while trying to find some sort of personal salvation in his beliefs.
Virgin America, the California-based airline already known for its award-winning cuisine and international-grade First Class cabin, today announces a new enhanced First Class menu and service that will launch on its long-haul business flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles to Newark, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) as of March 4, 2014. To supplement the traditional after-takeoff cocktail service, the new menu will include the addition of cocktail hors d'oeuvres of roasted tomato, marinated artichoke heart, olive and mozzarella skewer, served with warmed mixed nuts as well as a choice of two appetizers and three entrees in-flight. The 'cherry on the top' of the new service is the debut of the airline's first custom ice cream flavor, developed in collaboration with San Francisco's cult favorite ice cream maker, Humphry Slocombe. The artisanal ice cream will be hand-delivered daily to the airline's sleek home base at San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) Terminal 2 to be served to First Class guests on the airline's eastbound flights from SFO. Today, the airline is inviting its 'foodie' travelers to help decide the soon-to-be signature Virgin America ice cream flavor by casting their vote via Twitter for one of three exclusive ice cream flavors created for the airline by Humphry Slocombe. Travelers in any cabin can also score a free scoop of Humphry Slocombe's ice cream at either of the outlet's two San Francisco locations (The Ferry Building & Mission) by presenting their Virgin America boarding pass from March 4-June 30th. The airline is also updating its First Class service settings, with hot towel and linen table service available on all flights. Full menu highlights are listed below.
The fiftieth anniversary of John Kennedy's assassination last November turned up an avalanche of books seeking to present new angles or re-hash old ones. Larry Sabato's The Kennedy Half-Century does a bit of both.
Those who read Kennedy literature basically break down in three camps: obsessives (about the presidency, the assassination or both), neophytes (looking to get a handle on the basics) and tweeners (interested and reasonably astute about those basics but not on the verge of giving up their day jobs to learn more). I count myself a member of the third category. While I can't speak for how it would strike those who are a great deal more knowledgeable about the subject, for me, this was an easy and reasonably rewarding read.
The book is broken down into three parts: Kennedy's life and presidency; his assassination; and his legacy.
I'm not sure much new could be said on the first two matters and, for the most part–excepting a few tidbits on the assassination that amount to debunking-of-previous-debunkings-of-previous-debunkings and so on–Sabato makes no real attempt to give any substantially new perspectives or draw any rare conclusions. However, within the bounds of what he clearly did set out to do–i.e., give a summation of those aspects of Kennedy's life and death that would hold the attention of the general interest reader and provide an easy-access overview for at least some newcomers–he delivers very nicely.
The really interesting and, I think, valuable part of the book is the last: a long and fairly detailed look at the effect Kennedy's legacy has had on his nine successors.
This is still relatively fertile ground and, here, Sabato does come to some surprising conclusions and offers solid evidence to back his thesis. If you want to know why and how a conservative Republican like Ronald Reagan was able to channel Kennedy's aura and style more effectively than Lyndon Johnson (who was Kennedy's own vice-president), then this is a good primer on the subject. Same if you want to know how a good-old-boy policy wonk like Bill Clinton could effectively utilize the Kennedy brand–both as campaign style and governing substance–without having much of JFK's rhetorical wit (Kennedy was not exactly long-winded) or having overly warm relations with Senator Ted Kennedy, who was long-established as the family patriarch by the time Clinton reached the presidency.
In addition, Sabato does a fine job of treading on some tricky ground regarding the “real” JFK who actually governed the country for two and half years, and the mythical JFK, whose shadow hung over subsequent issues from Viet Nam to Civil Rights to the Space Program to the basic arguments over the tax code. Turns out, virtually every president since 1963 has tried in some form or fashion to use the aura of the Kennedy mythology–and, in some cases, the assassination mythology as well–to advance his agenda. While some have been far better at it than others, Sabato makes it clear that none have turned down the opportunity to exploit the legacy when the opportunity arose.
The books final third really turns on personalities then, but it avoids most of the common traps. I don't think there is anything here that strains credibility and that's a relief. The tendency to over-reach is all but endemic in the approach Sabato chooses, but–based on interviews I've seen with him and on the even more compelling evidence of the book itself–he seems to be inclined to stick to the facts. For instance, although Sabato seems to side with elite political and historical opinion which consistently tells us that the Bay of Pigs invasion was an unmitigated disaster, he also reminds us that the poll taken immediately after the event gave Kennedy's performance an eighty percent approval rating. It might seem a small thing, but plenty of historians would choose to leave out a little remembered fact that raises questions about their own conclusions. It's to the author's credit that he provides this kind of exemplary even-handedness throughout.
The happy result is a book where Kennedy's real accomplishments are acknowledged, as are the (mostly successful and highly self-conscious) efforts at hagiography carried on by his surviving family (especially his widow) and many of the political allies who served under him.
By the same token, Kennedy's almost incredibly reckless personal behavior is explained without being either rationalized away or reduced to the usual morality lessons. Sabato eschews peep-show licentiousness as deftly as he avoids preaching. I didn't come away thinking either Kennedy's sexual peccadilloes or his often seedy political tactics (this book does not shy away from reminding us that the main difference between Nixon's operatives and Kennedy's where dirty tricks were concerned in the 1960 campaign was that the Kennedy ops were better at it) were less than unsavory–frankly, the man was no saint.
But I didn't feel like taking a bath either. Frankly, the man was a pretty effective president for all his faults and–even more frankly–we're all sinners.
It's a rare Kennedy book that doesn't make me feel like I'm being snowed just a little so I especially appreciated this book's lack of agendas. In Sabato's hands a simple recitation of the facts makes for a good read. I think it's safe to say that most people will find it satisfying–just so long as they aren't after feeding an obsession!
As the United States continues to confront the myriad strategic challenges and controversies that have arisen in the wake of the Arab Spring and the fall of Libyan strong man Muammar Gaddafi, SHOWTIME will premiere the new feature-length documentary MAD DOG: INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF MUAMMAR GADDAFI, an in-depth and provocative look into the tyrannical regime of one of the world's most infamous dictators.
Mark your calendars for an epicurean adventure in just two weeks at the Washington, DC International Wine and Food Festival for tastings, food pairings and wine education. In its fifteenth year, the Festival returns for DC's oenophiles and gastronomy enthusiasts to enjoy three days of signature events, master classes and wine dinners. Guests can look forward to opportunities to sample highly rated wines, artisanal cocktails and craft beer while sharing in the art, culture and fun of food and wine.
Tony Kushner's Angels in America is that rare entity: a work for the stage that is profoundly moving yet very funny, highly theatrical yet steeped in traditional literary values, and most of all deeply American in its attitudes and political concerns. Kushner tells the story of a handful of people trying to make sense of the world. Prior is a man living with AIDS whose lover Louis has left him and become involved with Joe, an ex-Mormon and political conservative whose wife, Harper, is slowly having a nervous breakdown. These stories are contrasted with that of Roy Cohn (a fictional re-creation of the infamous American conservative ideologue who died of AIDS in 1986) and his attempts to remain in the closet while trying to find some sort of personal salvation in his beliefs. Scroll down for a first look at the Angel in The Ringwald's upcoming production of ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES!
Raoul Wallenberg's epic journey will be brought to life in a multi-media staged reading of Wallenberg, A New Musical Drama. The production will take place at Lynn University's Wold Center for the Performing Arts on February 12th and 13th only. With book and lyrics by the 2006 Kleban Award-winning team of Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman, and music by Benjamin Rosenbluth, Wallenberg, A New Musical Drama recounts the fascinating and uplifting story of one of the greatest heroes of the twentieth century.
On Valentine's Day 2007 a love of Romeo and Juliet proportions was unveiled in the United States. This love followed the quickest way to one's heart: via the stomach. February 14, 2007 was the official launch date of Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream ice cream
The winners of the 64th annual ACE Eddie Awards were announced last night, February 7, 2014. In the category of one-hour drama for commercial TV, BREAKING BAD nearly swept the nominations, receiving four out of the five, and winning the award for Best Edited One-Hour Series. Scroll down for the full list of winners and nominees in the TV categories.
Nominations for the 64th annual ACE Eddie Awards have been announced. The Eddie Awards divide films into drama and comedy categories. Among the nods for drama were Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' and Ethan and Joel Coen's “Inside Llewyn Davis.”
Tony Kushner's Angels in America is that rare entity: a work for the stage that is profoundly moving yet very funny, highly theatrical yet steeped in traditional literary values, and most of all deeply American in its attitudes and political concerns. Kushner tells the story of a handful of people trying to make sense of the world. Prior is a man living with AIDS whose lover Louis has left him and become involved with Joe, an ex-Mormon and political conservative whose wife, Harper, is slowly having a nervous breakdown. These stories are contrasted with that of Roy Cohn (a fictional re-creation of the infamous American conservative ideologue who died of AIDS in 1986) and his attempts to remain in the closet while trying to find some sort of personal salvation in his beliefs.
In 'One Man In His Time: A Memoir' (published by AuthorHouse), author William C. Prentiss inspires readers with his insightful new memoir detailing the many triumphs and struggles of his daily life which took him from a small town in Illinois to the White House.
FULTON, Mo., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ The special relationship between world leaders President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is explored in a new exhibit at the National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College. The exhibit, which opened in January, will be open on President's Day, Feb. 17, 2014 and runs through March 9.
'Dreamgirls' star Jennifer Holliday stopped by ABC's THE VIEW and performed a song from her new solo album, 'The Song is You.' Check out the appearance below!
The Bay Area Discovery Museum announced today that its Center for Childhood Creativity has been selected to receive the Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Museum Education Competition, recognizing outstanding achievements in museum programs that serve K-12 students and/or educators.
Mark your calendars for an epicurean adventure in just two weeks at the Washington, DC International Wine and Food Festival for tastings, food pairings and wine education. In its fifteenth year, the Festival returns for DC's oenophiles and gastronomy enthusiasts to enjoy three days of signature events, master classes and wine dinners. Guests can look forward to opportunities to sample highly rated wines, artisanal cocktails and craft beer while sharing in the art, culture and fun of food and wine.
