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YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN

Such Sweet Sorrow:

Romeo Parting With West 22nd Street him a delivery slip, and hold our mail when we went away. His wonderful memory kept all of our schedules straight — and our personal stories as well. But what will be missed the most is his ready smile and ability to pick up the thread of a joke from years ago. On a personal note, when my daughter (who is now 26) graduated high school, we had a party. Along with friends and family, we invited many people who had touched her life: [the late] Claude [Rolls], who lived in his car, Renata from the Empire Diner. Romeo was another one. He and his wife attended, and it was wonderful.

Photo by Jackson Chen

City Council Contemplates Corralling Times Square Characters BY JACKSON CHEN When they’re not fighting crime in their respective comic book universes, the teenage web slinger joins the grizzled protector of Gotham City in entertaining tourists in Times Square with marvelous photo opportunities. Down the way, more flocks of cartoon characters are hanging around the chaotic corners of the Crossroads of the World. As hordes of people course through Times Square, the costume-clad crews connect with the many tourists looking for a goofy photo with an iconic backdrop. After they’ve snapped their shots with the mishmash of pop culture icons, tourists often end their interaction with tips, even though many signs and nearby police officers warn they’re not obligated to. Spider-Man, whose real identity is Abdelamine El-Khezzani, is careful to offer up the preface that he works off tips before striking a pose alongside children, slinging a makeshift Continued on page 6

—Karen Jacob

Since 1996, Romeo Guy has been delivering mail to the 400 block of W. 22nd St. Over the years, delivering mail became more than just a paycheck. Romeo always went the extra mile to assist the residents on his route. Over time, we became “family” to him. Romeo not only brought us the good news and the bad news — he delivered it with a wonderful spirit and enthusiasm. I wish him all the best and know that the residents on his new route will grow to admire and respect him as all of us do.

—Allen Oster

Photo by Allen Oster

What a great “Guy.” Romeo has spent over two decades as a W. 22nd St. mail carrier, where he’s become a valued source of real estate advice, gossip, and jokes.

Romeo Guy is not just our mail carrier. He’s part of the fabric of our block, and has been for over 20 years. It is hard to imagine the neighborhood without him. Though he is not retiring, he has requested a change of route that doesn’t require stairs. His knees have not been happy. Romeo would sign slips for us when packages required a signature, retrieve a package if we gave

When people ask me how I can live in New York City, I usually end up explaining that I live in a village called Chelsea, and it just happens to be in NYC. I point out that I know many people in the neighborhood, and usually start with our letter carrier, Romeo Guy. How long I have known Romeo is a mystery, though I know he has been our mailman for a long time. We often chat, about his family here and in the Philippines, about the origin of his name, and, because I am fascinated by languages, about his native language, Tagalog. When I saw him on W. 21st St. the other day, I was startled, and he stopped to explain the change. The substitute mail people that have been walking his beat are probably tired of me asking “Where’s Romeo?” Now I know. We all will miss him, and he won’t even be that far away — though sometimes in this city, a block is another world.

—Zazel Loven

Continued on page 4 VOLUME 08, ISSUE 12 | MARCH 31 - APRIL 06, 2016

New Space is MCC Theater’s Next Frontier

Rendering by Andrew Berman Architect

The MCC Theater is finally moving to a permanent space in Hell’s Kitchen, where its new home on W. 52nd St. will be accessible through a public courtyard.

March 31 - April 06, 2016

BY YANNIC RACK After three decades of encouraging Off-Broadway actors, writers, and directors to develop their own voices, the groundbreaking MCC Theater has finally broken ground on its new Hell’s Kitchen space. The long-awaited move will provide the nomadic, nonprofit company with a stable home for the first time — and allow its founders to expand both the number of productions and the scope of its community outreach. “I don’t think there’s a better feeling, after all these years,” said Bernard Telsey, one of the company’s artistic directors, after a Mar. 22 ceremony at MCC’s future home in the Avalon Clinton complex on W. 52nd St. (btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For the past decade, the group — which was founded in 1986 by Telsey and its two other artistic directors, Robert LuPone and William Cantler — has rented the 299-seat Lucille Lortel Theatre (on Christopher St., in the Village) for its Mainstage season. But its development and outreach initiatives, including a PlayLabs reading series and a Youth Company after-

school program, have been based at various spots all around the city. “We kind of took the idea of never having a real home for granted, because you just get used to it,” said Telsey. “Now, knowing that this is real and we have the space, it feels like Christmas every day.” When the company moves into its new 27,000-square-feet ground-floor headquarters in time for the 2018-19 season, it will have year-round use of two stages — a 249-seat theater and a 99-seat black box — as well as ample room for rehearsals and workshops. Plans to house the theater in the base of the 27-story residential complex were first explored around five years ago, when the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs announced it would partner with MCC to finance the $35 million project. But the initial developer backed out of the venture and ownership of the building changed three times, which means the original 2013 opening date for the theater was pushed back repeatedly.

Continued on page 12

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March 31 - April 06, 2016

Route Relocated for Romeo Guy, ‘Fabric of Our Block’ would tell me that they didn’t know the name of their postal carrier. I will never forget the small and large favors he did, nor the kindness he extended toward me throughout these many years. Now, on another block, Romeo is delivering the mail to some very lucky New Yorkers. I hope they know how fortunate they are. We miss you, Romeo, and thank you for everything.

—Carla Fine

We have lived on W. 22nd St. since 1987. I don’t know exactly when Romeo Guy started delivering our mail, but we have no memory of any other Mail Carrier. Romeo is the best. He always greets us and knows our names, and seems to know everyone else on the block, too. I saw him one day the other week. When he told me the news, I was sad, but appreciated hearing it from Romeo himself. He’s an important part of the community and we’re really sad that he’s leaving us for fewer steps. We hope his knees appreciate the change. Photo by Karen Jacob

Bad knees accomplished what neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night could do: relocate Romeo Guy from his appointed W. 22nd St. rounds.

Continued from page 1

Having just learned about Romeo’s route change, I’m glad to know that it was at his request. I wish I could be there to wish him well. He used to deliver to my side of the block, and of course I knew him at Dupuys [Dupuys Landing Guest House, a Bed & Breakfast on W. 22nd St.]. He is a treasure.

—Anne Hopkins

I am a lifelong New Yorker and a longtime resident of the 400 block of W. 22nd St. Romeo’s daily presence through harsh winters and beautiful springs, through blackouts and blizzards, through hot, steamy summer days and crisp autumn mornings, was the one constant in our changing Chelsea neighborhood. He was always cheerful, caring, involved, uncomplaining; he was truly a man who loved his job. I became so used to his making our street feel like a small town that I would be amazed when my friends in other parts of the city

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March 31 - April 06, 2016

—Bob Salerno and Margie Skaggs

Romeo was the ultimate street politician: warm, honest, sincere, and a consummate gossip. It goes with being born Filipino, often; it goes with being a mail carrier, sometimes; it goes with being Romeo, always, I found. And we all loved him for his warmth, his “you are special” service, and the fabric that he added to the ever-eclectic human weave on the block. I knew Romeo just shy of 20 years. I have him to blame (read: ceaselessly thank) for the reason I live here. He was the one to tell me what was going on, from his vantage point, in the buying and selling of apartments and buildings on the block and, eventually, the lowdown from the mailbox-eye-view on the place I happily call home. Thanks, Romeo. Your fine, professional service and special joy made our lives easier, warmer, and friendlier. We will miss you sorely, though some lucky block will be happy to have their turn to enjoy your special services.

—An adoring, anonymous W. 22nd St. resident

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Pulling No Punches: City Council

Photo by Jackson Chen

L to R: The NYPD’s Times Square Unit Commanding Officer, Captain Robert O’Hare, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, DOT Assistant Commissioner for Intergovernmental and Community Affairs Jeff Lynch, and Executive Director of Citywide Event Coordination Management Michael Paul Carey.

Continued from page 1 spider web at the camera and declaring “Justice is served!” For Spider-Man and his cohorts, however, justice hangs in the balance as the City Council looks at legislation intended to bring some order to the disorganized scene of wandering sightseers and tip-hungry characters. “It’s chaotic, difficult to pass through, and increasingly unpleasant for tourists and New Yorkers alike,” said Councilmember Dan Garodnick, whose

largely East Side district captures a portion of Times Square. “We want to both preserve the quirkiness and edge of Times Square while also allowing people to avoid the chaos if they want to.” Times Square’s pedestrian plaza currently has few regulations and sometimes turns into the unofficial stage for unruly incidents between costumed characters and tourists. Most recently, El-Khezzani was involved in an altercation on Sat., Mar. 26 with a Virginia family on the corner of 45th St. and Broadway. According

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to El-Khezzani, the Virginia family— later identified as Rodney Merrill and Margaretta Patman — walked away without compensation after promising SpiderMan a tip. El-Khezzani said he called the mother — who accuses the costumed character of kicking her — a liar and the father a chicken, and was subsequently punched in the throat by an upset Merrill. After the family walked away, El-Khezzani approached nearby cops to address the situation. Both parties were then charged with assault after disagreements to settle it outside the legal system. According to El-Khezzani, his court hearing is Wed., Apr. 6, and was lumped together with a previous accusation of assault. Since incidents of physical altercations and aggressive panhandling popped up on the media’s radar, becaming a commonplace storyline, a lengthy public task force process has culminated in Councilmember Corey Johnson’s Intro 1109, announced on Wed., Mar. 9. “Times Square is known around the world for its bustling, quirky, and slightly chaotic atmosphere,” Johnson, a West Sider who shares Times Square with Garodnick, said in a written statement. “But when certain individuals cross the line and harass, swindle, and take advantage of pedestrians, the city must take action.” Under Johnson’s bill — co-sponsored by Councilmembers Garodnick, Ydanis Rodriguez from Upper Manhattan, Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, and Brad Lander of Brooklyn — the Department of Transportation (DOT) would be given authority to designate pedestrian plazas through consideration of an area’s need for open space, its ability to be maintained, and its surrounding environment. The bill also gives the DOT’s commissioner, currently Polly Trottenberg, the ability to establish general rules of conduct for pedestrian plazas throughout the city and specific regulations tailored to certain plazas. Times Square is clearly what the bill has in mind in terms of tailored regulations, though it is not named specifically in the legislation. Though overall authority will reside with the DOT as the designating body, community boards, councilmembers, borough presidents, and non-profit organizations can submit proposals for pedestrian plazas. To generate more support for the bill, the area’s business improvement district — better known as the Times Square Alliance — held two rallies that showcased the numerous tweets and testimo-

nials of verbal abuse or inappropriate touching from both locals and tourists passing through Times Square. And shortly after, on Wed., Mar. 30, the council’s Transportation Committee held its initial hearing on the controversial bill, which will either calm the area or endanger jobs, depending on who’s speaking. Kicking off the hearing, the DOT presented a rough draft of the three designated areas of Times Square. According to Commissioner Trottenberg, the agency wants to create “flow zones” that establish a clear path for pedestrians and a general use area for scheduled events and sightseers looking to take in the atmosphere. But it’s the proposed “designated activity zones” (DAZs) that have caught the ire of costumed characters, street performers, ticket sellers and Broadway show promoters. According to Trottenberg, there would be eight DAZs that measure roughly 10 feet by 50 feet and would accommodate the approximately 300 total solicitors. The commissioner added that the DAZs would be subject to some “trial and error” and the agency would make adjustments as needed with help from the NYPD and its Times Square Unit. For tour bus ticket sellers and Broadway show promoters, the zones would corral them into cramped and hostile environments. Many of the ticket sellers, who work solely on commission, said they’d be caged into a small area with competition just a few feet away from each other. The Broadway show promoters, who provide marketing for the various plays nearby, felt they should be exempt from the legislation. According to Tim Wooster, co-founder of the Broadway marketing company theatreMAMA, his 60 employees don’t fall into the category of “financial or commercial action” because they’re offering discounts and advertising for Broadway shows. Wooster’s business partner and co-founder of theatreMAMA, Michelin Hull, agreed with the notion that there needs to be a change for the better in Times Square — but maintained that a bill restricting his employees’ actions was not the answer. “If you take that right away and you take these public sidewalks and make them private,” Hull said, “what’s going to happen is this squishing effect where everyone’s competing.” As for the costumed characters and other performers who fill Times Square,

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A screenshot of video footage documenting a Mar. 26 altercation between Spider-Man (Abdelamine El-Khezzani) and tourists visiting from Virginia.

Continued from page 6 they are similarly worried that the Council effort could compromise their First Amendment rights, along with their livelihoods. “This is a public space, we are free people,” said El-Khezzani, the spirited Spider-Man of Times Square. “We show our freedom of expression in this public space.” El-Khezzani, who’s been a costumed character for 12 years, said regulating a public space where everyone has freedom of speech and expression makes no sense. Joining Spidey, the Times Square’s Dark Knight — aka José EscalonaMartinez — said no new regulations should be able to override his constitutional rights to express himself. “This is a public place which allows any cartoon characters, any tourist to walk freely, dressed in whatever [way] they want to dress,” Escalona-Martinez said. Putting their feud to the side, Batman’s nemesis, the Joker, joined the outcry of costumed characters. “We have a First Amendment right to look the way we want,” the Joker said, whose real identity is Keith Albahae. “Let’s be clear what the real problem is: The real problem is about looking different.” While they’re adamant on protecting their freedom of expression, the comic book heroes and villains acknowledge there have been problems with some costumed characters. According to several news outlets, incidents have ranged from Junior Bishop .com

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Abdelamine El-Khezzani outside the City Council’s chambers before speaking at the Mar. 30 hearing.

— also dressed as Spider-Man, as well as the Incredible Hulk — facing charges of felony assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and aggressive panhandling, to infighting between Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty over tips, and a trio (Minnie Mouse, Cookie Monster, and Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen”) allegedly boxing in a tourist until they paid up. The NYPD’s Times Square arrest records include addresses from the far away Galactic Empire, the friendly Sesame Street, and even Ellis Island, where Darth Vader, Elmo, and the Statue of Liberty were all slapped with charges of aggressive panhandling. “When more characters came into the square, there’s where the problem started to evolve,” El-Khezzani said. “Some characters, they get greedy, then police start getting involved and people get arrested.” He added that the recent visibility of the desnudas, or topless women who

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March 31 - April 06, 2016

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The case to curb Barneys’ loading zone plan To The Editor: Re: “Barneys Bargain Table: When Neighborhood Activism and CB4 Scrutiny Made a Retail Behemoth Blink” (news, Feb. 25, 2016): At a recent CB4 transportation committee meeting, the luxury retailer Barneys made a presentation seeking to have three parking spots on W. 16th St. converted into a loading zone. There was strong opposition from the store’s residential neighbors at the meeting and the committee voted to recommend that the loading zone not be created. However, the issue will not be settled until Apr. 6 — when the full community board puts the issue to a vote. It’s unfortunate that this item is even still on the agenda at all. Barneys stated that they wanted to be friendly to the community and its concerns. The community has spoken, yet Barneys has not withdrawn their request in order to make amends. This is a continuation of bad behavior on their part, and a lost opportunity to mend fences. Some points of note: • B arneys lied, saying the Department of Transportation (DOT) forbade them from loading and unloading via Seventh Ave. The DOT clarified at the meeting they certainly can

load and unload from there, as Loehmann’s (the previous tenant of the space) did. • Cars can barely fit between the curb and the bike lane on W. 16th St. Any loading zone usage with box trucks will, without question, partially block the bike lane on W. 16th. Barneys presented a diagram misrepresenting the location of the bike lane at the meeting. This shows a disregard for the safety of area bicyclists. • The block association presented an agreement they had in an email that said Barneys would not load and unload via W. 16th St. Barneys had no explanation for the misrepresentation. They simply offered they did not want to honor that. • Barneys said their priority is to not damage a marble floor at their entrance on Seventh Ave. The marble floor itself proves Barneys never intended to honor their agreement with the block association. • Barneys claimed that loading and unloading on W. 16th St. will offer better security for their luxury products. The truth is that whether they unload on Seventh Ave. or W. 16th St., they would still need the same amount of personnel to watch the merchandise as it traverses the sidewalk in the open.

Reader Feedback From Facebook Re: Loyal Customers Rally, as Supermarket Faces Lethal Lease (news, Mar. 17, 2016): Under current laws, the owners of commercial properties can charge whatever rents they wish. I may be ignorant,

Barneys still has some time to do the right thing and fully withdraw their request. I hope they will. Joseph Smith

Don’t get me started on Hudson Yards subway stop To The Editor: There are even more problems with new Hudson Yards #7 Midtown Manhattan Westside subway station — including broken escalators and out of service bathrooms, along with water leaks from the ceiling that are even worse. The original cost of the overall project was $2.1 billion and grew to $2.4 billion. Neither New York City nor the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) could find $500 million to pay for the proposed intermediate subway station to be built at 10th Ave. and W. 41st St. that was part of the original project. The trick used by the MTA to complete this project within budget was to drop a portion of the original work. Deletion of this second station kept the project cost at $2.4 billion rather than $2.9 billion. Keeping on schedule was just as bad. Construction started in 2007 with a planned completion date of Dec. 2013. The anticipat-

but my perception is that elected officials have the power to change existing laws and to make new laws to protect the city, its culture and ideals, and its inhabitants. But the city appears, in case after case, to be “giving the store away.” While I understand that a show of support from citizens is helpful in passing laws, it seems to me that the support of the citizenry has not been necessary where the interests of rich and powerful global, international, and corporate entities

ed first opening day slipped several times from this date: first to June 2014, second to Feb. 2015, third to June 2015 and finally to Sept. 13, 2015 — 21 months late! In the rush for final completion, you have to ask if the MTA cut corners in inspection and acceptance — also known as quality assurance and quality control — which may have resulted in the premature opening of the station. Did the MTA hold back release of retainage or final payment to contractors until they fix all these problems? Commuters and taxpayers should expect no less. How will the MTA respond in the future when the same contractor bids on other new construction projects? Larry Penner

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, NYC Community Media, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

are concerned. Indeed, my perception as a plain, non-rich citizen is that large groups of local citizens only get their way when higher-ups were planning to do what these citizens wanted anyway. How do our elected officials see our future? More importantly, how do elected officials analyze the present situation in NYC? And, most importantly, why do the elected officials appear to be protect-

Continued on page 9

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Talking Point

Time to Look at Bigger Picture on Small Businesses BY LINCOLN ANDERSON On the afternoon of Sun., Mar. 13, a crowd of around 100 neighborhood residents, joined by local politicians, rallied outside the Associated supermarket at 255 W. 14th St. after news broke that the market faces a triple rent hike that will price it out of the space. Associated has been a staple at the spot for 27 years and, as a midlevel, affordable supermarket, serving both the Village and Chelsea, is deeply appreciated by a diverse mix of patrons. Seniors in particular, many on fixed incomes, rely on the grocery store in an ever-gentrifying part of Manhattan. And that, of course, is the real issue. Gentrification is driving up rents, especially in Manhattan, particularly in areas like the Village and the rest of Downtown. Our neighborhoods are being radically transformed and our quality of life — our ability to simply live here — is suffering as the retail stores we depend on are being forced out again and again by the lease-renewal process. The politicians at Mar. 13’s rally were sincere in calling for the property’s landlord to meet with them and try to reach terms under which the supermarket could stay. But, of course, any action in that direction — any lowering of the rent to something even remotely affordable for

Associated — would be totally voluntary on the landlord’s part. In short, the steady attrition of beloved local merchants will be an ongoing story — unless there is a dramatic change, and that will most likely include some form of legislation. This loss, if the Associated’s lease is not renewed, would be very deeply felt because of the supermarket’s oversized importance in the community. But even if this store is saved — and we sincerely hope it is — the larger problem of skyrocketing commercial rents still isn’t being addressed. Both Community Board 2 and Councilmember Corey Johnson have organized online petitions to save the store, a terrific idea and more power to that effort. But again, will we be able to do that each and every time a critical store is threatened with being kicked out of its space? Mayor Bill de Blasio, to his credit, has made the “affordability crisis” one of the key issues of his administration. He pulled off a real coup last year when the Rent Guidelines Board voted to approve a rent freeze for one-year lease renewals for rent-stabilized apartments. That vote was a relief to millions of rent-burdened New Yorkers. With de Blasio in the middle of his first term, we expect continued rent freezes — preferably rollbacks, as in a rent reduction. After all, as was clearly documented, landlords had unfairly profited from

Continued from page 8 ing their own power bases at the expense of the life and health of the city? Durham Minerva There is a Gristedes a few blocks north on Eighth Avenue — what’s the problem?‬ John Strauss

exaggerated operating-expense projections for years. Yet, de Blasio, unfortunately, has not been as good on protecting small businesses, a cornerstone of the city’s affordability. The long-stalled Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA) bill has sat idly in the City Council for around 25 years. It’s no secret that the city’s powerful real estate industry doesn’t want it ever to come up for a vote. The SBJSA would create a system of nonbinding mediation and binding arbitration under which merchants would have a far better chance of negotiating fair lease renewals. Previous Council speakers, including Christine Quinn, have blocked the SBJSA from being voted on, despite strong support for it among councilmembers. Now, under a new speaker, support has been building again for the bill — more than two dozen councilmembers are currently sponsors. A year ago, Chelsea Now’s sister publication, The Villager, asked Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito where things stood on the SBJSA and if councilmembers finally would be allowed to vote on it. She said the Council would have a hearing, maybe more than one, about small business survival that would look at all options, including the SBJSA. To date, though, there has been no hearing. We again reached out to

Re: “Changes Coming to Clement Clarke Moore Park (news, Mar. 17, 2016): I live near the park on W. 22nd St. The tall fence must remain tall. The West 400 Block Association and neighborhood residents worked for years to get the fence installed. The fence, which is locked at night, transformed a cesspool of antisocial and dangerous activities into the popular oasis it is today.‬ Joanne Downes‬

I remember when this market opened, just after I moved to the Village in 1989. It has always been a wonderful feature of the neighborhood, with a great variety of stock, excellent vegetables and fruits, and superb, attentive service. If this business also goes under just because the forces of real estate have brought so much greed, it will be a tremendous loss.

The fence was installed for the safety of the park and the homeowners on W. 21st and W. 22nd St. so that people wouldn’t climb into the park at night and over the back fences. Many hours were spent designing the park and security. Maybe someone should dig up the old files and take the history into consideration when making decisions. The Block Association pays for the locking of the park in the evening, so we are committed to the safety of the park and those surrounding the park.

Huntergirl

Eileen McElduff

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Photo by Yannic Rack

Protesters waved flyers and signs at the Mar. 13 demonstration, which took place in front of the store that many of them have frequented for decades.

Mark-Viverito to ask what’s going on, but did not hear back by press time. Maybe the SBJSA isn’t the perfect answer. Maybe it needs some tweaking. Perhaps there are some better options, ones that go beyond the mere tax breaks de Blasio and others mistakenly think will appease the landlords. In short, this is a conversation we desperately need to have, involving all sides. Without addressing this issue, de Blasio’s affordability vision is deeply flawed. Speaker Mark-Viverito, it’s time to show guts and have that hearing you promised — and come up with real long-term solutions. Otherwise, we can only look forward to more desperate rallies and, sadly, a lot more store closings. Lincoln Anderson is editor of Chelsea’ Now’s sister publications, The Villager and the East Villager.

I live across the park and wholeheartedly agree with Eileen McElduff’s comment. To implement the “Parks Without Borders” initiative at Clement Clarke Moore Park flies into the face of the neighboring residents’ safety, which should be the number one priority of any park design. Decreasing the height to four feet will make the fence easily scalable and revert the park to a haven for crimes of opportunity and the pissoir it once was. Those who have been in the neighborhood a long time know this unpleasant history of the park all too well.‬ Maya Hess

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March 31 - April 06, 2016

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POLICE BLOTTER GRAND LARCENY: Caught in the Craigslist crossfire In need of a wingman, or just wanted to show-off? It’s unclear why a 28-yearold woman decided to bring her new Craigslist acquaintance to the W. 26 St. apartment of a friend at around 10:45 p.m. on Thurs., Mar. 24 — but it was certainly a decision they were soon to regret. The pair sat on the friend’s couch and chatted for a bit, until the woman asked her new companion to leave her friend’s home. Shortly thereafter, the gracious host noticed that his wallet — containing various credit cards, IDs, a MetroCard, and $200 cash — had been taken from the area near the couch. Later, a $78 purchase was made with his card at Andy’s Deli (106 Seventh Ave., btw. Grove & Christopher Sts.). This grabby guest just might get caught — as there is video of the incident, and the woman provided police with a photo of the man, taken from his Craigslist ad.

HUDSON GUILD GUILD THEATRE THEATRE COMPANY COMPANY HUDSON

of his slumbering suite-mate, he went to bed, thinking nothing of this brief interaction — until the morning. When his 29-year-old roommate woke up at about 10:15 a.m., he was at a loss as to why his credit card was missing — until the groggy reveler was reminded of his visitor (which, due to his intoxication, the man had forgotten about). Upon further inspection, the pair found that the 27-year-old’s $700 MacBook Air laptop had also been pilfered.

'' THE

ICE MAN

cometh HUDSON GUILD THEATRE COMPANY CRIMINAL MISCHEIF: Automatic teller mayhem

Thankfully, for all those analog, booth-dwelling tellers out there, most banks are closed on Sundays — sparing them from one man’s violent outburst. Instead, their robotic brethren played the victim, at about 7 p.m. on Sun., Mar. 27. That’s when the man approached an ATM at a Western Union Pay-O-Matic location (94 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 14th & W. 15th Sts.), and soon became irate when his debit card wouldn’t work. This anger was then taken out on the poor cash machine, which he handily broke the card swiper A “Heart”-less encounter in the early of, accruing over $250 in damages. While morning of Fri., Mar. 25 might not the hothead fled, he failed to realize that have knocked a patron of Barracuda ATMs usually have heavy surveillance — bar down, down, down, down on his and this one, equipped with cameras, was knees — but the aftermath sure must’ve no exception. In a further stroke of bad burn, burn, burn, burned for a bit. The luck for the man, the 29-year-old employee 36-year-old victim — who was report- who reported the crime informed authoredly sitting at the bar (275 W. 22nd ities that the perp’s personal info was also St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) and available on their computer system — engaged in a conversation at about 3 which, though not accessible at the time a.m. — was approached by a stranger, of the report’s filing, could be provided who proceeded to repeatedly strike him by management, to more easily catch the 441 W. 26th Street in the face. The 25-year-old aggressor criminal. was arrested, while his vexed victim New York, NY 10001 complained of pain and suffered visible Reservations / 212-760-9817 redness to his face. —SEAN EGAN

ASSAULT: After hours ambush

HUDSON GUILD THEATRE

Suggested Donation / $10

GRAND LARCENY: Dame double dips with roomie robbery

PERFORMANCES 2016 THE 10th PRECINCT

Located at8PM 230 W. 20th St. March 25 (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). March 26 2PM While most roomies err on the side Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. of discretion, one man’s highly costly, March 27 2PM Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: forgotten fling on Fri., Mar. 25 may April 1 212-741-8226. 8PMCrime Prevention: very well have prompted an apartment Domestic Violence: April 2 212-741-8226. 2PM meeting about overnight guest policies. Youth Officer: 212April 3 212-741-8216. 2PM Early that morning, at around midnight or so, a 27-year-old man entered his W. 22nd St. apartment and saw an unknown female there within — who quickly left upon the resident’s arrival. Assuming that the woman was a friend

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741-8211. 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 Apr. 27.

HUDSON GUILD THEATRE HUDSON GUILD THEATRE 441 W. 26th Street

THE COMPANY THE COMPANY

HUDSON GUILD THEATRE

Kenneth Adams * Kenneth Adams George Boras * * George Boras *Brooks David-Vincent David-Vincent You-Shin ChenBrooks You-Shin Chen Florence Dent-Hunter Florence Dent-Hunter Gloria Florian PERFORMANCES 2016 Gloria Florian PERFORMANCES 2016 Jim Furlong March 25 8PM Jim Furlong Michele Herman 44126W. 26th Street March 8PM March 25 2PM Michele Theresa Herman Kwechin March 2PM March 26 27 2PM Theresa Kwechin New York, NY 10001 Larry Littman March 2PM April 1 27 8PM Larry Carol Littman Magaro April 12 8PM April 2PM Reservations / 212-760-9817 Carol Magaro April 2 2PM

441 26th Street NewW. York, NY 10001 New York, NY /10001 Reservations 212-760-9817 Reservations / 212-760-9817 Suggested Donation / $10 Suggested Donation / $10

Leon Morgan * Leon Morgan Wayne North * Wayne North Joan Ostroff Joan Ostroff Donna Panton Donna Panton Tasha Partee Tasha Partee Anthony Paul-Cavaretta * Anthony * Megan L.Paul-Cavaretta Peti Megan L. Peti^ Brian Poteat Brian Poteat ^ Stephen Roylance Stephen Roylance Melvyn Stevens * Melvyn Stevens * Juwan Stone Juwan Stone

441 W. 26th Street HUDSON GUILD THEATRE THE COMPA New York, NY 10001 Kenneth Adams * Reservations / 212-760-9817George Boras * Br Suggested Donation / $10 David-Vincent Suggested Donation / $10 You-Shin Chen

April 3 April 3

2PM 2PM

PERFORMANCES 2016

* Company Debut Actors Equity Member *^ Company Debut ^ Actors Equity Member

Florence Dent-Hu Gloria Florian Jim Furlong Michele Herman COMPANY Theresa Kwechin Larry Littman Carol Magaro

PERFORMANCES 2016

March 25 8PM March 26 2PM HUDSON GUILD March 27 March 25 2PM April 1 8PM March 26 2PM April 2 April 3 March 27 2PM

THEATRE 8PM ' 2PM 2PM April 1 8PM April 2 2PM THE COMPANY Kenneth Leon Morgan * April 3 Adams * 2PM

George Boras * Wayne North David-Vincent Brooks Joan Ostroff You-Shin Chen Donna Panton Florence Dent-Hunter Tasha Partee HUDSON GUILD THEATRE THE COMPANY Gloria Florian Anthony Paul-Cavaretta * 441 W. 26th Street Kenneth Adams * Leon Morgan * New York, NY 10001 George Boras * Wayne North Jim Furlong Megan L. Peti Reservations / 212-760-9817 David-Vincent Brooks Joan Ostroff Suggested Donation / $10 Michele Herman Poteat ^ Panton You-ShinBrian Chen Donna Florence Dent-Hunter Tasha Partee Theresa Kwechin Stephen Roylance Gloria Florian Anthony Paul-Cavaretta * PERFORMANCES 2016 Jim Furlong Megan L. Peti Larry Littman Melvyn Stevens * March 25 8PM Michele Herman Brian Poteat ^ March 26 2PM Carol Magaro Juwan Stone Theresa Kwechin Stephen Roylance March 27 April 1 April 2 April 3

2PM 8PM 2PM 2PM

Larry Littman Carol Magaro

Melvyn Stevens * Juwan Stone Debut * Company

^ Actors Equity * CompanyMember Debut ^ Actors Equity Member

March 31 - April 06, 2016

Life Begins at 30: MCC on a Permanent Home in Continued from page 2

Rendering by Andrew Berman Architect

Two visual art installations by Francesco Simeti have been commissioned for the theater’s new space — seen here is artwork planned for its W. 53rd St. façade, which will be graced by a collage of historic images of New York City “that speak to the cultural and ecological history of the neighborhood.”

Photo courtesy MCC Theater

At a Mar. 22 groundbreaking ceremony, MCC’s leadership toured the raw space, which will open in time for the 2018-19 season. L to R: Artistic Directors William Cantler and Bernard Telsey, Executive Director Blake West, and Artistic Director Robert LuPone.

Rendering by Andrew Berman Architect

A rendering of what the interior will look like at the company’s first permanent home in its 30-year history.

March 31 - April 06, 2016

Now that the move is at last becoming reality, a vision for expanding its annual creative output is already underway: The company expects to increase its Mainstage season from four to six productions, and will also significantly build out its PlayLabs program, as well as a youth education initiative that already serves more than 1,200 public school students throughout New York. “Our plan overall is to expand in every area, but it’s not an expansion that will make this a wildly different or alienatingly large organization,” said Blake West, MCC’s executive director since 2006, who added that the company will also invest more in developing new plays and musicals to build on its current programming. “That’s necessary to help strengthen what we do when we produce six plays on two stages,” he explained. “We feel like [the whole venture] is a natural progression, as opposed to a radical shift of who we are right now.” Street-level space for nonprofit theaters has been part of the Avalon Clinton’s building blueprint since 2003, and the complex will also house office and performance spaces for the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (aka A.R.T. — a nonprofit service and advocacy group; art-newyork.org) and The 52nd Street Project (52project.org), which creates new plays for, and sometimes in collaboration with, Hell’s Kitchen kids. Far from feeling crowded by competing agendas, West thinks the presence of other likeminded organizations will make their new space even more of an asset — both for the theater and the surrounding community. “With all these other partners, that building becomes an even more exciting destination for the whole neighborhood than if it was just one organization,” he said. And with the lively — and rapidly changing — area all around, he also sees potential for partnerships beyond the MCC’s W. 52nd St. walls. “Our experience down in the West

Village has been one that has also included a lot of the local businesses for dinners and receptions and cocktail parties with our artists and audiences,” he said. “There’s a lot of development happening out there [in Hell’s Kitchen], both in terms of residents who will be moving in, and the restaurants in the area that we’re really eager to have partnerships with. So, by the time we move in, there’s going to be even more opportunity for all that.” The space itself will feature a courtyard entrance off W. 52nd St., as well as a visual art installation for the theater’s W. 53rd St. façade — while on the inside, the new MCC is designed to fluidly connect spaces dedicated to performance, behindthe-scenes development and frontof-house. The project’s architect, Andrew Berman Architect, has previously designed the MoMA PS1 Entrance Building and completed the museum’s 2011 gallery renovation, and is also responsible for the National Opera Center on Seventh Ave. Since it is funded by a public-private partnership between MCC and the city, $25.5 million in capital money has already been contributed to the $35 million price tag, which includes the cost of building, equipment and transition costs, as well as some program expansion for the first several years, according to West. A private donor campaign has contributed another $4.5 million to date, and the company now hopes to raise the rest of the money in a public funding casmpaign (to donate, visit mcctheatercampaign.org). For MCC’s founding members, the two years left to wait until opening seems like a short while compared to the years they spent without a permanent space for their theater — especially for Robert LuPone, the artistic director tasked with finding a home prior to the Avalon venture. “For maybe 10 or 15 years, I would be dragging Will and Bernie out to look at spaces. And now I feel like I’m finally getting married, after I’ve been engaged for so long,” he said. .com

Theater Breaks Ground n Hell’s Kitchen &

Rendering by Andrew Berman Architect

In addition to this 249-seat theater (almost the size of MCC’s previous main stage at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on Christopher St.), the company will also have use of a 99-seat black box space in the building.

“What’s wonderful is to finally come to a place where we can rest and do our work,” he continued. “So it’s not only a real accomplishment for the city and this project, but also for us as a theater, to be able to give to our artists a permanent home where they’re not looking over their shoulders all the time.” MCC Theater will stage the world premiere of Halley Feiffer’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecological Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City,” beginning

May 19, at the Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher St., btw. Hudson & Bleecker Sts.). The theater’s annual gala fundraiser, MISCAST, will be held on Mon., Apr. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center (311 W. 34th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.), and will feature an all-star lineup of actors performing songs from roles in which they would never be cast. Proceeds support MCC’s artistic and education programming. For tickets and info, visit mcctheater.org.

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L to R: Brian Hutchinson and Zachary Quinto in MCC’s 2016 production of “Smokefall.” .com

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Trying to Put a Lid on Costumed Panhandling

Photos by Jackson Chen

Spider-Man throws his web for a fan, while the Dark Knight looks on.

Continued from page 7 are costumed in body paint, have stoked demands that the city better regulate behavior in Times Square. With so much rowdiness unfolding in public view, the Council worked with city agencies and the Times Square Alliance to figure out a solution to what was widely seen as a growing menace. Last August, Mayor Bill de Blasio created a task force to address concerns voiced by Times Square stakeholders. In October, the task force released several recommendations, including the creation of a dedicated NYPD detail for the area and empowering the DOT with the authority to regulate pedestrian plazas such as Times Square. According to the Alliance, the task force’s proposed solution is reflected in the DOT’s most recent draft and involves creating three distinct regulatory zones within the zone’s pedestrian plazas. A civic zone would be designated for public events and programming, flow zones would allow for unimpeded pedestrian traffic, and designated activity zones would make space for “constitutionally-protected solicitation for the immediate exchange of money for goods, services, or entertainment.” “We have proposed specific areas for you to be able to pass through Times Square without interference,” Garodnick said, “where you would not encounter tables, chairs, or hawkers of any type.” But the costumed characters and street performers feel the legislation too broadly categorizes them, lumping the bad eggs in with those who obey the law. “There’s no reason, after 16 years, that I have to be plugged in with the char.com

Naked Cowboy, Robert Burck’s alter ego for 16 years, and two admirers in Times Square.

acters and the new girls who have been here, like, two years,” said Robert Burck, better known as the Naked Cowboy. Burck and El-Khezzani agreed that the NYPD and city officials should be targeting the troublemakers who are relentless in seeking tips, while not punishing people who maintain friendly interactions with people traveling through the area. “Where there’s been problems, just solve the problem where it’s at,” Burck said. “Don’t blame everybody for it.” But Johnson and his fellow Council co-sponsors feel the proposed legislation will create a better functioning, less intimidating Times Square that is fair to all. “It is possible to respect First Amendment rights while protecting pedestrians from scams and aggressive panhandling,” Johnson said. “This common sense legislation is the right fit for Times Square.” March 31 - April 06, 2016

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Rhymes With Crazy

‘Surplus Safety’ Isn’t Worth Risking BY LENORE SKENAZY Why do grandparents and their grandchildren get along so well? They share a common enemy. Okay. Old joke. But the truth is, they share another common enemy that is not a relative. It is risk. When it comes to kids and seniors alike, society’s goal seems to be creating a zero-risk existence. This is as pointless and insulting for the older generation as it is for the younger. “Surplus safety” is what Bill Thomas calls the cosseting that goes beyond being helpful and actually dampens the joy of human existence. Thomas is a Harvard-trained doctor who has always been shocked by the way we treat elders (a term he much prefers to “seniors”). So he’s the guy behind the Eden Alternative, which, among deeper changes, brings plants and animals into nursing homes so there’s something for folks to care for that grows and changes. He is also the author of “What are Old People For?: How Elders Will Save the World.” And he founded the Green House Project — a kind of confusing name, since it has nothing to do with greenhouses. First piloted in Tupelo, Mississippi, but now coming to Manhattan, the project replaces nursing homes with

comfy, shared houses. The residents all live on one floor, with a big, country kitchen in the center. The day revolves around making dinner, with everyone pitching in any way they can, and then eating the meal together, staff and residents. Everyone has a purpose, the day has meaning. It’s so simple, it makes me ill to think of elders wheeled into institutional cafeterias with no one asking anything of them, because they’re not people anymore. They’re more like packages. Which brings us back to surplus safety — the kind that treats old people like antiques to be preserved in climate-controlled comfort where nothing ever changes. Maybe that does lengthen ones’ days on earth. But old people remain humans, and humans crave novelty. Even if it involves a little risk. “Risk is just the probability that things will turn out differently than expected,” Thomas explained over breakfast near Grand Central the other day, when he was down from his home in Ithaca. “Now we use it mainly to mean downside risk — your car might burst into flames.” But the upside of risk is that even when something bad happens (maybe not quite as bad as your car bursting into flames), you are now faced with something new that you have to adjust to. For instance: You got lost? Now you have to find your way home. To do this, you may have to steel yourself to ask a stranger for directions. Once you do, you realize, “Hey — that wasn’t so hard!” For kids, as well as elders, Thomas says, “You need to be exposed to

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risk to grow. You have to be put in a situation where things can turn out differently than you expect. When we make a fetish of the downside of risk, we also get rid of the upside of risk.” Helicopter parents try to remove all risk from their kids’ lives, because “What if?” looms so large: “What if my child gets abducted on the two-block walk to school?” Less recognized is the way we do the same thing to our elders, denying them the joy still left in life, because … what if? “Don’t go to Europe, dad. What if you get sick and you’re away from your doctor?” It isn’t that we deliberately want to stunt our elders. It is that we don’t realize how vital novelty is to the soul at any age. “From a neurological point of view, the nervous system craves novelty,” says Thomas. “It needs novelty. Without novelty, the nervous system can’t make new connections.” So how can we give novelty back to our elders, if only to make sure that

when we grow old no one is saving us from new experiences? The answer is simple: We have to start believing in our elders, the same way helicopter parents have to start believing in their kids. We have to trust our loved ones to roll with some punches. These days Thomas travels around the country hosting a multi-media extravaganza called “The Age of Disruption Tour.” On stage singing (a skill he only mastered a few years ago) and playing guitar (ditto), and sometimes striding on stilts (major ditto), Thomas asks audiences to see growing into elderhood as just another stage of life, not that different from when they grew into adulthood from adolescence. It can be a time of growth, but it’s not without risk. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Lenore Skenazy is a keynote speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com).

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Be a Fool for April Arts

Outside, the cruelest month…inside, pure entertainment! BY SCOTT STIFFLER Complaining about the lingering cold, panicking about the looming IRS deadline, and dedicating the entirety of our arts section to the Tribeca Film Festival for three consecutive weeks: These are the days of our lives, every time April rolls around. And although there’s little to be done about Old Man Winter and Uncle Sam, we’re determined to provide you with a hardly-definitive-but-highly-worthy guide to cashing in on the wealth of A&E riches taking place before, during, and after we lavish attention on that Tribeca fest. A good place to start: three of our favorite silver screen destinations, year in and year out. Currently booked to screen through the seventh day of the month that shares its name with the title character, “April and the Extraordinary World” is garnering rave reviews for its stunning interpretation of steampunk visuals and themes. Set in an alternate universe’s 1941 Paris, the French/Belgian/ Canadian animated film (an adaptation of Jacques Tardi’s graphic novel) has a young girl getting an assist from her talking cat, as she peels back the layers of a far-reaching conspiracy behind the disappearance of her scientist parents. Screenings before 3 p.m. are in English; after, in the original French with English subtitles. At the IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave.; ifccenter.com). Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Ave.; anthologyfilmarchives.org) welcomes an encore event from the KGB Movie Friends, a group of gonzo pals with their own weekly Sun. night screening series at the Kraine Theater (85 E. Fourth St.; text 917-251-4139 for info). On Apr. 14 at Anthology, the “Big Bowie Bash: A Tribute…Redux” features David Bowie clips, videos, performances, footage, interviews, and miscellaneous oddities (space and otherwise) culled from a recent four-plushour “Movie Friends” event. Sundays through June 26, the Film Forum Jr. series plants the seed of cinemania in little sprouts, with clas-

March 31 - April 06, 2016

Photo by Ahron R. Foster

A musical that makes waves, fit for the whole family: Atlantic Theater Company’s “The Pirate La Dee Da” is on deck through Apr. 17.

sics both undiscovered and familiar. On Apr. 3, set the stage for a lifetime’s worth of debating the relative merits of our greatest silent film comedians, as Steve Sterner, live and at the piano, accompanies Charlie Chaplin in “The Immigrant” (1917), Harold Lloyd in “Get Out and Get Under” (1920), and Laurel & Hardy in “Two Tars” (1928). Other screenings include 1941’s “The Wolf Man” paired with a Bugs Bunny short (Apr. 17), 2001’s grumpy green ogre redemption tale “Shrek” (May 29), and a trio of Broadway shows adapted to the big screen. On May 15, 1978’s “Grease” is a great companion piece (or antidote) for those still swooning to the live version on FOX. The series goes into hibernation after June 26’s “1776,” then picks back up on Sept. 11. All seats are $8, all screenings begin at 11 a.m., at Film Forum (209 W. Houston St.; filmforum.org). The Atlantic Theater’s Atlantic for

Photo by Leon Anthony James

Continued on page 19

Choreographer and director Mark DeGarmo’s transcultural dance/theater installation, “Las Fridas,” unfolds at The Flamboyán Theater, Apr. 20–24. .com

The April Arts You Need, Come What May Continued from page 18 Kids series has extended its run of the new musical “The Pirate La Dee Da,” a loony tale about a princess who’s had it with the obligations of her royal role — so she runs off into the night, hops on a ship, and applies her gift for exceeding expectations to the goal of becoming “the most feared pirate on The Seven Seas.” Through Apr. 17, Sat. & Sun. at 10:30 a.m., at the Linda Gross Theater (336 W. 20th St.; atlantictheater.org). That’s not the only notable wave Atlantic is riding these days. The treasured Chelsea theater — which recently presented works by David Mamet (“Ghost Stories”) and Billie Joe Armstrong (“These Paper Bullets!”) — just announced they’ve commissioned new plays from an aesthetically diverse group of scrappy creative types. Some have longstanding ties to the Atlantic, and others will be making their maiden voyage: Jocelyn Bioh, Jennifer Haley, Paola Lázaro, Qui Nguyen, Heidi Schreck, and Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel. We’re especially interested to see what Nguyen will cook up. A co-founder of the famed Vampire Cowboys troupe, his signature blend of comic and pop culture geekspeak, martial arts moves and weaponry, gallons of splattering hemoglobin, and sword-sharp satire has made him an enduring favorite of this publication (likeminded Nguyen connoisseurs should also be on tenterhooks for his play “Vietgone,” which begins previews Oct. 4 at Manhattan Theatre Club). Choreographer and director Mark DeGarmo’s transcultural dance/theater work, “Las Fridas: A Movement Installation and Offering,” is a “love letter to Mexico and an offering to Frida Kahlo” that weaves sun/moon, mother/child, sacred/secular, and ancient/current imagery throughout its Mesoamerican mandala structure. Educational theorist Maxine Greene and Living Theatre co-founder Judith Malina make appearances through ghostly video projections, while Kahlo’s gender fluidity is acknowledged by having her .com

Photo by Jacob J.Goldberg

Actor Jesse Hawkes (left) is multi-hyphenated artist Robert Hieger, in a monologue that’s part of Metropolitan Playhouse’s “East Side Stories,” Apr. 12–May 1.

Photo by Paula Lobo

Celebrating 45 seasons of great leaps, Ballet Hispanico touches down at the Joyce Theater, Apr. 5–10. Seen here, the signature work “Club Havana.”

role played by Marie Baker-Lee and Luis Gabriel Zaragoza at, respectively, evening and matinee performances. Apr. 20–24 at The Flamboyán Theater, The Clemente (107 Suffolk St.; lasfridas. eventbrite.com and markdegarmodance. org).

The bread and butter of Metropolitan Playhouse may be resurrecting largely forgotten works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but they’re also heavily invested in generating new material that will stand the test of time. One such effort is the annual “East Side

Stories” series, which chronicles the life and lore of its East Village neighborhood. This year, installment #12 presents eight new plays and six new solo shows. Immigrant identity, xenophobia, authoritarianism, gentrification, and artistic freedom are among the themes touched upon (or tackled, as the case may be). Colorful characters of past and present are represented (Tammany Hall’s Boss Tweed, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal), along with historical events (the 1863 draft riots, the Great Rent Strike of 1908). The “Players” program has actors performing monologues culled from interviews with neighborhood residents, including Living Theatre collaborator Robert Hieger and improv comedian Athos Cakiades. Apr. 12–May 1, at Metropolitan Playhouse (220 E. Fourth St.; metropolitanplayhouse.org). Located on the western outskirts of Chelsea since 1971, The Kitchen has seen the neighborhood go from sketchy to trendy, then clubby to crowded with High Line traffic. One thing that hasn’t changed: The nonprofit performance space remains a wild and untamed destination for highly disciplined raw talent in the fields of dance, music, performance, theater, video, film, and art. The Kitchen’s Apr. 6–June 11 spring season kicks off with an Apr. 6–8 run of “They Come to Us Without a Word II.” Video footage of artist Joan Jonas’ work that appeared at last year’s 56th Venice Biennale will be accompanied by live performances of compositions by her longtime collaborator, jazz pianist Jason Moran. “My work involves the question of how the world is so rapidly and radically changing,” says Jonas, who implies those ideas travel “poetically through sound, light, and the juxtaposition of images of children, animals, and landscape.” Apr. 13–May 14, in The Kitchen’s gallery, artist Ed Atkins’ “Performance Capture” presents new work that uses live bodies and animated surrogates to explore “how contemporary technologies of representation mediate our lives.” The hypnotic music composed by Angelo Badalamenti to fill David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Pacific Northwest mill town with simmering sexuality, existential dread, and supernatural possibility gets a fittingly surreal interpretation, when Jamie Stewart (musician)” Jamie Stewart’s experimental band Xiu Xiu plays the music of “Twin Peaks” on Apr. 30. “Dance

Continued on page 20 March 31 - April 06, 2016

Aww, Some April Arts

Photo by Justin Plowman

Photo by Bob Pileggi

Radio on TV: “A Dysfunctional Variety Hour” brings post-World War II pep, and dread, to the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater, through Apr. 2.

Fluid and flawless: Amy Driesler as Lucentio, left, and Little Sweetie Doll as Bianca in The Queen’s Company’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Apr. 16–May 1 at the Wild Project.

Continued from page 19 and Process,” May 6–7, features the results of a 10-week process during which choreographers Karen Bernard, Benjamin Van Buren, Niall Jones and Ander Mikalson helped one another develop new work. All events take place at The Kitchen (512 W. 19th St.; thekitchen.org). Ballet Hispanico celebrates its 45th season with a program that includes the New York premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Flabbergast,” and the troupe’s signature work: “Club Havana,” by Cuban-American choreographer Pedro Ruiz). A Sunday “En Familia” matinee takes kids on a funfilled journey through Latin American dance and culture, via excerpts from the troupe’s diverse repertory (and a Q&A with the dancers). Apr. 5–10 at the Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave.; ballethispanico.org). NYC’s all-female classical theater troupe, The Queen’s Company, promises an “unexpected redemptive ending”

March 31 - April 06, 2016

to their take on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” which calls into question the role of obedience in matters of courtship, love, and marriage. Founding Artistic Director Rebecca Patterson vows a celebration of “the poly-cultural American voice,” while maintaining the company’s unyielding approach to the classics, in which “male characters are performed as written — that is as Renaissance men, who move through the world quite differently from contemporary men — transcending gender. They are complete in their humanity and can be played equally well by either male or female actors.” Apr. 16–May 1, at the Wild Project (195 E. Third St.; queenscompany.org). Dysfunctional Theatre Company mines the pep (and percolating unease) of post-World War II America, in an evening of short plays, songs, and swing dancing. Their “Treasure Trove of Transmitted Theater” takes you behind the scenes, as the WDYS radio variety hour makes its very first (and possibly last?) broadcast on the new medium of television. Through Apr. 2 (no

show Mar. 31), at the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th St.; dysfunctionaltheatre.org). LABA, a creative forum that uses classic Jewish texts as the basis for performances, public events and gallery shows, is in the midst of a season whose commissioned works explore the intersection of beauty and equality. To that end, dancer Rebecca Margolick and composer/graphic artist Maxx Berkowitz’s “Bird Sing a Pretty Song” uses movement and interactive media to explore how technology impacts states of being, such as solitude and chaos. Apr. 7 and 9 at the Theater at the 14th Street Y (344 E. 14th St.; labajournal. com/calendar). A fast-paced, streamlined production of “The Iceman Cometh,” from Hudson Guild Theatre Company, puts an emphasis on the plot’s comedic and heartbreaking elements, while drawing a connection to playwright Eugene O’Neill’s formative experiences and the 1895 origins of Hudson Guild, which began as a settlement house assisting those in economic need. Director Jim

Furlong notes how the tale of skid row drinking buddies was “based on O’Neill’s real life experiences circa 1912 while spending many hours in a dive bar called Jimmy the Priests, located at Fulton and Church Streets.” The characters who fight addiction and poverty, notes Furlong, “were part of the same community for which the Guild was providing services at the time. Thus, the play connects directly with the history of Hudson Guild and its work of helping to improve the lives of people existing in difficult socioeconomic circumstances.” Film actor Brian Poteat (“The Bourne Legacy”), as traveling salesman Hickey, heads the 14-member company — many of whom have appeared in previous Hudson Guild productions. Through Apr. 3, at Hudson Guild Theatre (441 W. 26th St.; hudsonguild.org). A “Spring Forward” program from the Greenwich Village Orchestra has Barbara Yahr conducting works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Bruch. Grammy-nominated violinist Andres

Continued on page 21 .com

Awesome April Arts! Continued from page 20 Cardenes is the guest. A reception with the musicians follows the concert. Apr. 10, at the Church of the Incarnation (209 Madison Ave.; gvo.org.). Grammynominated pianist Fred Hersch, percussionist Rogério Boccato with vocalist Jean Rohe, singer/songwriter Becca Stevens, and the Afro-Colombian folkloric ensemble La Cumbiamba eNeYé will perform, at The Middle Collegiate Church and Buddhist Global Relief’s fifth annual “Concert To Feed The Hungry.” Proceeds will help support efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition, in NYC and around the world. Apr. 9, at Middle Collegiate Church (112 Second Ave.; concerttofeedthehungry. org). On view through Apr. 16, Ji-Wan Joo’s “Cardboard Room” installation uses reconfigured cardboard to create a labyrinth (a visual and thematic motif the artist has long explored). “I’m fascinated with harmonies, proportions, division of line and space,” she says of her room’s puzzle piece design. “I think that there is no more beauty than simplicity, and the plainness of geometric shape and line as time goes by.” Conduct your own search for meaning (or at least clarity) by interacting with the artist, and her work — at an Apr. 7 reception, 5–7 p.m., at Noho-M55 Gallery (530 W. 25th St.; nohogallery.net). Twisting paths that challenge one’s navigation skills also come to mind — always in name, and often in post-curtain conversation — when it comes to works by the Labyrinth Theater Company. Their spring benefit is built around a staged reading of “Texas Red,” company member Jonathan Marc Sherman’s adaptation of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” Participating guest artists (subject to continuing availability) include Paul Dano, Peter Dinklage, and Laura Linney — alongside Labyrinth members including Bobby Cannavale, Chris Chalk, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Yul Vázquez, and Ethan Hawke. Speaking .com

of the project’s origins and possible future, Hawke recalls, “A few years ago, I did a production [of ‘Orchard’] as part of the Bridge Project, which Richard Linklater and Jonathan Marc Sherman came to see.” A conversation later that night found the trio proposing an adaptation “set in modern day Texas. So often in Chekhov, the issues of race and class are lost on audiences unable to fully grasp the nuances of Russian culture, and there is no play where Russia’s history of serfdom is more potent than in ‘The Cherry Orchard.’ Jonathan set about writing an adaptation that would make these themes come alive for a modern audience. Our dream is that one day this will be a film. We are inviting you to witness the beginning of our journey.” Earlier this week, Labyrinth announced a continuation of the journey for its current production. Extended through Apr. 10, Mona Mansour’s “The Way West” finds two daughters staging a financial intervention when mom’s dysfunctional money management patterns keep snowballing long after she files for Chapter 11. The

Continued on page 23

Photo by Don Spiro

Trav S.D. presents a benefit for the upcoming revival of the Marx Brothers musical, “I’ll Say She Is” — Apr. 20 at The Slipper Room. Pictured: Noah Diamond and Melody Jane. March 31 - April 06, 2016

March 31 - April 06, 2016

.com

What’s in Store for April Arts Continued from page 21 one-night-only “Texas Red” event happens at 5 p.m., Sun., Apr. 24, at Bank Street Theater (155 Bank St.; labtheater.org; $500 ticket includes post-reading talk back and reception with the cast). Patrons of the arts who enjoy an actual live performance in exchange for their generosity (as opposed to the fleeting endorphin rush one gets from making a crowdfunding donation) are in for a treat — several of them, in fact, in the form of these upcoming benefits: Migrant youth, LGBT refugees, and survivors of gun violence are some of the marginalized communities whose stories are told in the Off-Broadway stage productions and post-performance discussions of Houses on the Moon Theater Company. Their fourth annual benefit, “AMPLIFY 2016,” will honor three philanthropic women: Laura Welch, whose Laura Welch & Associates connects social justice and youth development nonprofits with high-profile music artists, to produce fundraising events; Judy Sennesh, founder of the TransParents Project, a support group that serves families with transgender or gender variant loved ones, as a part of PFLAG NYC (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People); and law professor/litigator Lenni Benson, to be honored for her work as founder of the Safe Passage Project, which fights for the rights of indigent immigrant youth. Bookending the podium speeches and presentations are cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a dessert bar, live music by the Latin/jazz/world music-influenced Juancho Herrera Trio, and a performance by Houses on the Moon artists. Tickets are $150–600. Mon., Apr. 18, 6:30 p.m. at Gotham Comedy Club (208 W. 23rd St.; housesonthemoon.org). Taking its name from the 1978 debut album from ParliamentFunkadelic’s Bernie Worrell, an all-star roster of musicians will do their thing under the banner of .com

Photo by Earl Douglas Jr.

An all-star lineup will help raise funds for legendary keyboardist Bernie Worrell, at Apr. 4’s “All the WOO In The World” concert at Webster Hall.

“All the WOO In The World” — a benefit concert held to help defray health care and living expenses for legendary keyboardist Worrell, who is battling Stage 4 lung cancer, prostate, and liver cancer. So far, the list of talent includes Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Meryl Streep, Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band, and the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door, $100 for VIP. Mon., Apr. 4, 8 p.m. at Webster Hall (125 E. 11 St.; blackrockcoalition.org). Bustling burlesque venue The Slipper Room is the jam-packed scene of intersecting passion projects and showbiz milestones — when this publication’s longtime theater columnist, Trav S.D., presents “The Night of 1,000 Vaudevillians,” a stellar collection of Downtown talent. The bill, far too packed to mention in its entirety, includes chameleonic chanteuse Tammy Faye Starlite; dynamic cabarettist Molly Pope; sound and mime vocal cartoonist Zero Boy; sweet, offbeat ventriloquist Carlo Rhodes and sassy, taffy-loving Cecil Sinclair; and the cast of “I’ll Say She Is.” The

evening functions as a fundraiser for the upcoming revival of this lost Marx Brothers musical — lovingly restored with scholarly precision and screwball flair by Noah Diamond, whose impeccable Groucho gives the production (which had a 2014 FringeNYC run) its comedic glue. Joining Diamond will be longtime Trav S.D. foil Robert Pinnock, a journeyman percussionist and firstrate physical comic who supplies “I’ll Say She Is” with a pitch-perfect Chico. As for the intersecting interests this write-up teased you with at its outset: many of the performers presented by Mr. S.D. are veterans of his American Vaudeville Theatre series, which is nearing its 20th year of hooking Downtown audiences on the densely packed variety show format that had Lower East Side audiences swooning, in the days before radio and television were all the rage. A final point of note: Trav is about to pen his 1,000th vaudevillian profile, on the Travalance blog (travsd.wordpress.com). The “I’ll Say” benefit happens on Wed., Apr. 20, 7:30 p.m., at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard St.; slipperroom. com). Tickets are $10 general, $25 for preferred seating. That’s all, folks. This Way to the Egress! March 31 - April 06, 2016

NON-SURGICAL FOOT & ANKLE SERVICE

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not this

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Dr. Rock Positano, DPM, MSc, MPH, Director 519 East 72nd Street New York, NY 10021 212.606.1858

March 31 - April 06, 2016

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