The Best of NYC - Corine's World - where it all began!

CORINE'S CORNER - WHAT'S NEW!

Friday, February 29, 2008

XANADU!

Hello,

Last evening, I bought a pair of tickets to see Xanadu. I saw the show earlier this season and wanted to see how the show was months later. The show is a wonderful time.

Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa shine in this campy musical. It is a must see for anyone that loves brilliant comedy. I do hope that Testa and Hoffman get Tony nominations for this brilliant performance! They steal the show and made me laugh.

Xanadu is a Corine's Pick!

Corine Cohen

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

NEXT TO NORMAL EXTENDS!

Second Stage Theatre’s Production of

NEXT TO NORMAL
A New Musical

EXTENDS THROUGH MARCH 16

* * * * * * * *

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) has announced a one week extension of the new musical Next to Normal, featuring Alice Ripley, Brian d’Arcy James, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jennifer Damiano, Asa Somers, and Aaron Tveit. The musical, which was scheduled to close on Sunday, March 9, will now run through Sunday, March 16.

With music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, and direction by two-time Tony nominee Michael Greif, Next to Normal officially opened on February 13, 2008 at Second Stage Theatre (307 West 43rd street. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Second Stage Theatre Box Office at 212-246-4422 or online at www.2ST.com.

How does an almost average family navigate today’s over-stimulated and over-medicated world? In this darkly funny and haunting new musical, one suburban household confronts its past and its future. With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score, Next to Normal explores how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their world intact.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times says “NEXT TO NORMAL IS OF REAL VALUE TO ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE DIRECTION AND POSSIBILITIES OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL. The show throbs with emotional intensity and is performed by an ace cast led by Alice Ripley and Brian d’Arcy James, who do their best work to date. Both performances stay with you, and they only get better in memory.” Joe Dziemianowicz of the Daily News calls the new musical, “AUDACIOUS AND ORIGINAL. The score is lively, moving and boasts some of the best songs I’ve heard in the past year. Impressively staged by Michael Greif, this gleaming production looks stunning. If you’re looking for something that’ll shake you up, NEXT TO NORMAL IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.” And Bob Feldberg of the Bergen Record raves, “NEXT TO NORMAL ROCKS THE THEATRE.”

Tickets are $80 and may be purchased by phoning 212-246-4422 or 800-766-6048 or online at www.2ST.com. Patrons under age 25 may purchase a limited number of specially-priced $30 tickets in advance. A limited number of student rush tickets are $20 and are available 30 minutes prior to curtain.

Group tickets are available by phoning 212-889-4300 or (800) 331-0472. Box-office hours are Monday, 10:00am – 6:00pm, Tuesday 10:00am – 7:00pm, Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00am to 8:00pm, and Sunday, 10:00am to 3:00pm.

For more information, please visit
www.2ST.com

Corine Cohen Raves About Cougar!


A New Musical Written and Performed by Donna Moore
Cougar! promises to excite and delight you even more than before! Join Donna Moore as she let's the cat out of the bag once again and prowls for young bucks in this funny, new - and sexy - musical exploring the phenomenon of older women and younger men!


Corine Cohen: Prowl, down to the Laurie Beechman room. It is the Cat's Meow and made me want to roar! Donna Moore, is hysterical, charming and a brilliant actress. Cougar is funny, touching and a fabulous cabaret show with a purrfect ending!
This show has a heart and is very entertaining!


Musical Direction by Tracy Stark Music by Mark Barkan and Donna Moore with additional original music by Meryl Leppard, John Baxindine, and Arnie GrossDirected by Robert Brink.
The Laurie Beechman Theater The West Bank Bank Cafe.
This Saturday, March 1st at 9:30 pm
Call for tickets 212-695-6909.

MISCAST 2008- MCC THEATER GALA!

MCC THEATER PRESENTS THE MOST ANTICIPATED
OF SPRING GALAS…

" M I S C A S T 2 0 0 8 "
TO FEATURE UNLIKELY, ONE-TIME-ONLY PERFORMANCES BY
BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES, ALLISON JANNEY,
JESSE L. MARTIN, PATRICK WILSON
& TONY AWARD-WINNER FAITH PRINCE

LYNN REDGRAVE, HONORARY CHAIR
PRODUCERS JEFFREY RICHARDS & JERRY FRANKEL, HONOREES

ONE NIGHT ONLY
MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2008
AT THE HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) is pleased to announce another all star line-up for the company’s annual gala, to be held Monday, March 10, 2008 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues). As in years past, Miscast 2008 will bring together the best and brightest Broadway talent as they perform songs from roles in which they would never be cast. Lynn Redgrave, currently giving a tour-de-force performance in MCC’s production of Grace, will serve as the evening’s Honorary Chair. Broadway’s Phil Reno provides musical direction. MCC has announced that there are a limited number of “show only” tickets now available for $50. All proceeds go directly to MCC’s production, play development, education and outreach programs.

This year’s event honors producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel for their extraordinarily unique commitment to bringing provocative and daring works to mainstream New York theater audiences. Richards and Frankel’s prolific work is currently represented on Broadway by August: Osage County, Spring Awakening, The Homecoming and November.

The roster of performers for this one-of-a-kind theatrical evening includes Brian d’Arcy James, Allison Janney, Jesse L. Martin, Kelli O’Hara, Steven Pasquale, Patrick Wilson and Tony Award-winner Faith Prince, among many more to be announced.

To inquire about purchasing tickets or tables, or for more information, contact Nicole Cardamone, MCC’s Development Associate at 212-727-7722 ext. 233.

The schedule for the evening is as follows:
6:30 p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction
7:30 p.m. Dinner, Awards Presentation & Live Auction
8:45 p.m. Miscast 2008 Performance

MCC’s current production of Mick Gordon and A C Grayling’s Grace, directed by Joseph Hardy, runs through March 8, 2008 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Individual tickets to Grace are priced at $60 and are available through TicketCentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200.

Now in its 22nd season, MCC Theater is one of New York City's leading off-Broadway theater companies, committed to presenting New York and world premieres each season. When MCC Theater was founded in 1986, its mission was simple: to bring new theatrical voices to theater-going audiences. MCC Theater continues to accomplish this yearly through presentation of its mainstage works; its Literary Program, which actively seeks and develops new and emerging writers and its Education and Outreach Program, allowing more than 1,200 students yearly to experience theater, increase literacy and discover their own voices in the arts. Notable MCC Theater highlights include: the 2004 Tony-winning production of Bryony Lavery’s Frozen; Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig; Rebecca Gilman’s The Glory of Living; Marsha Norman’s Trudy Blue; Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer prize-winning Wit; Tim Blake Nelson’s The Grey Zone and Alan Bowne’s Beirut. Over the years, the dedication to the work of new and emerging artists has earned MCC Theater a variety of awards.

For more information about Miscast 2008 and MCC Theater, visit www.MCCTheater.org.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Chaka Khan Photo Coverage Part 2! Hell, Yes!

Chaka reunites with longtime pal Phoebe Snow. (What ABOUT LOVE!) (Hell, YES!)
The Color Purple will close this Sunday and I am very sad about it. If only it could stay open for a few more years. I went five times and it will be missed. Congratulations are in order for everyone involved. I also wanted to wish all of the wonderful cast members the best and hoping that Felicia Fields (The original Sophia who I interviewed 2 years ago and Brandon are well!)
Go and see THE COLOR PURPLE this weekend!
Call 212-239-6200 for tickets!


Chaka Kahn and Bruce Dimpflmaier

Chaka poses with her painting


Bruce Dimpflmaier and music legend Chaka Kahn



Chaka Kahn and Valerie Smaldone









Producer Pat Addiss





Pat Addiss and Valerie Smaldone





Photos by Richard Pearlman.
Scroll down for part 1 by Mark Rupp.

INTERVIEW WITH ZOE MORSETTE!

Zoe Morsette and her PUMBAA! (It raised $9000 for BCEFA) (PUMBAA from the hit Broadway Show Lion King)
Corine Cohen: How did you get involved with BROADWAY BEARS?

Zoe Morsette: Several of my friends had costumed bears for the first four auctions, and I thought that it would be really fun and a great way to raise money for Broadway Cares. I also felt that it would be a way to honor the many friends I've lost to AIDS, especially Clinton Smith, one of my best friends from college, who really lived his life to the fullest until the day he died, Feb. 3, 1994. Clint would've LOVED the bears.


Corine Cohen That is touching! How many hours did it take to make Pumbaa? How did you choose the Bear you were going to create?

Zoe Morsette: As my collaborator Andrew Benepe said, "It was only a matter of time...." when I suggested that we do Pumbaa. Andrew's studio, ABS Art Effects, has built every Pumbaa body (excluding the wig, shoes and undersuit) since the beginning. We've worked together on many Disney character costumes in his studio over the past several years, especially this one. We spent a total of about 200 hours on the mini version, which is a third scale of the stage costume.

Corine Cohen: 200 hours! No wonder it is so fabulous! How many years have you been making the Bears?

Zoe Morsette: This is my seventh year!

Corine Cohen: Have you made any others? I love the Pumbaa!

Zoe Morsette: I've made King Arthur (Camelot); Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast); Milky White the Cow (Into the Woods), also with Andrew's help; Ruprecht (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels); bear in a cake costume (The Goodbye Girl); and last year the Crocodile from Peter Pan. I've actually worked on most of these shows.

Corine Cohen: That is incredible. Will you design one next year?

Zoe Morsette: Absolutely!


Corine Cohen: Do you have a favorite show on Broadway?

Zoe Morsette: I thought that Spring Awakening was one of the most exciting shows I've seen in a long time. I also like The Seafarer; what an outstanding cast! And for the look of it alone, The Lion King still wins hands down.

Corine Cohen: I agree about Spring Awakening! Loved the Lion King as well! How did you get involved in this business?

Zoe Morsette: I grew up on Cape Cod where I saw many shows with my mom at the summer theatres there. When the house lights went down, I was absolutely transported and knew that I wanted to work in this business, whether it was onstage or backstage. I studied acting and dance from the age of ten, and have a degree in Theatre and Dance from Skidmore College. I've worked in the theatre ever since, as well as TV, film and advertising.

Corine Cohen: Thank you for your time, Zoe! It was a pleasure meeting you at Broadway Bears and thanks for doing the interview!

Zoe Morsette: It was my pleasure!
Interview by Corine Dana Cohen
Photo by: Michael Portantiere.
For more information on how to donate to BCEFA: http://www.broadwaycares.org/

THE COLOR PURPLE/CHAKA KHAN UNVEILING AT TONY'S! HELL, YES!


On Thursday, February 21, 2008, Tony's had a party for the cast of THE COLOR PURPLE and a special celebration for music legend Chaka Khan.
The food was scrumptious and Tony's supplied a great atmosphere for the cast to celebrate Chaka Khan.
Corinescorner was there to talk to the stars and catch all of the fun.
Recording of the event will come soon!
CHAKA PAINTING!



Chaka Khan and Phoebe Snow.


Chaka gets a grande time!



Chaka cuddles with Phobe Snow.




Chaka is interviewed by Valerie Smaldone. The hostess with the mostest.
Valerie Smaldone has a fabulous site: http://www.valeriesmaldone.com/



Chaka with Valerie Smaldone.


Bruce Dimpflmaier
The event was a smashing success thanks to Bruce Dimpflmaier's fantastic hospitality. Everyone always has a great time at Tony's and no one is ever hungry!
For more information on Tony's: http://www.tonysdinapoli.com/
Part 2 coming soon.
Corine Dana Cohen
Photo coverage by Mark Rupp.






HUNTING AND GATHERING. DO YOU HAVE TO BE A PREDATOR TO SURVIVE IN NYC?

Yesterday, I went to 59 East 59th and saw HUNTING AND GATHERING which asks the question do you have to be a predator to survive in NYC? As an apartment dweller, I was touched by this play and would advise all NYC dwellers to see it. It is funny, touching, sad and very interesting. The actors were all incredible. See it soon as it closes March 1!

$20 Advance Tickets for people 35 and under* Use code PS35 at Ticketcentral.com 212.279.4200*Limit 1 ticket per vaild ID. Subject to availability.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

BROADWAY BEARS RAISES $127,000 FOR BCEFA!

Jose Llana from the original cast of Spelling Bee
Photo by Mark Rupp


BROADWAY BEARS RAISES $127,000 for Broadway Cares /Equity Fights AIDS!

Broadway lovers and teddy bear collectors came together on Sunday, February 7, at the BROADWAY BEARS XI auction, which raised a grand total of $127,000! The event was hosted by Bryan Batt with Lorna Kelly reprising her role as auctioneer. Forty specially made BROADWAY BEARS - each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing the theater’s most legendary characters - were auctioned to the highest bidder in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. To date The Broadway Bears have raised almost $1.5 million to benefit Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. Last year’s BROADWAY BEARS raised $130,878.

Top bids for bears were the $17,000 SPAMALOT bear, signed by Clay Aiken and David Hyde Pierce, the $9,000 THE LION KING Pumba bear, signed by Tom Alan Robbins , the $8,000 CYRANO DE BERGERAC bear, signed by Jennifer Garner, Kevin Kline, and Daniel Sunjata, the $5,000 THE LITTLE MERMAID bear signed by Sherie Rene Scott, the $5,000 WICKED bear signed by Idina Menzel, the $4,200 THE LION KING Nala bear signed by Heather Headley, and the $4,000 YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN bear signed by Shuler Hensley and Mel Brooks.

Several Broadway stars dropped by to lend their support to the event including Gavin Lee, Linda Balgord, Stephanie J. Block, Sebastian Arcelus, Jose Llana, Sarah Gettelfinger, Bill Ryall, Peter Gregus, Jennifer Smith, Christine Pedi who along with John Tracy Egan performed the opening number for the event.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it’s founding in 1988, BC/EFA has distributed over $130 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV and other related illnesses.

The Broadway Bears XI is sponsored by
The New York Times, Continental Airlines, and North American Bear Co., Inc.
For more information, please visit the BC/EFA website at http://www.broadwaycares.org/

BILLY STRITCH AT BIRDLAND.




Photos of Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch by Mark Rupp.



I had the pleasure of attending Billy Stritch's show on Monday night at Birdland. He has a new CD, singing the music of Mel Torme. After hearing Stritch's show, it made me want to own his new CD! I will have to purchase one this week.
Stritch's romantic and informative picks, put me in the mood for romance. (Sadly, I was alone, a table for one)

Stritch's show was one of the most thrilling evenings. He gave a history of Torme's career and as someone who never got to experience Torme, it was a concert I will cherish.
So enjoy the fabulous food at Birdland and go back in time with a cabaret legend. It was a magical evening. You can also buy Billy Stritch's new CD.




Go here to find out about Billy's upcoming shows: http://www/billystritch.com




In addition the food and fabulous service at Birdland can't be beat. Check out the info below:
I adore the Barbecue Salmon Salad, The burgers and the scrumptious crab cakes.
Corine's favorite: The Barbecue Salmon Salad.

Monday, February 18, 2008

BAD IDEA BEARS STRIKE A POSE! VOGUE!

Bad Idea Bears and BCEFA Executive Director Tom Viola!
Rick Lyon's BAD IDEA BEARS!

Rick Lyon, Corine Cohen and Jennifer Barnhart.


Rick Lyon (creator of the BAD IDEA BEARS) Jen Barnhart.
Both Rick and Jen are original cast members of the hit Broadway show Avenue Q




To see the real Bad Idea Bears go to http://www.avenueq.com/















Maryann Lopinto took these photos of the BAD IDEA BEARS. Hope you like them!




Photo Coverage: Broadway Bears.

Angela Arden from DIE MOMMIE DIE!
Angela poses with Bottari and Case, the creators of the stunning diva.
$1400.




Lion King Pumbaa (Zoe Morsette)
$9000.
Hakuna, Matata. (No, worries!!)


Legally Blonde.....OMG YOU GUYS!!!!
Designed by Sam Bennett.
$1500.



Spring Awakening-
Moritz!
Created by Susan Bolt.
$3400.









Ursula- The Little Mermaid
Janice Kastendieck.
$5000.
Those poor unfortunate souls!




This is part one at the opening party. It was a great time.
Photos by Michael Portantiere.
To make a donation to Broadwaycares: http://www.broadwaycares.org/
Captions: Corine Dana Cohen

Broadway Bears!!


I will post the rest of the photos later. These adorable bears are by Rick Lyon. (AVENUE Q)
I finally made a giant donation to Broadwaycares other than the free advertising and coverage that I have been doing for the past three years. I am very happy. Later, I will post the rest of the photos as well as an article to go with it.
Photo by Michael Portantiere.
To make a donation to BCEFA: http://www.broadwaycares.org/

Sunday, February 17, 2008

THE TOWN HALL 2008 SEASON OF HEADLINERS!

THE TOWN HALL CONTINUES 2008 SEASON OF HEADLINERS
WITH EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY

THURSDAY, MARCH 20 AT 8:00PM


Powerhouse Rock Band Transforming The Classics. Back By Popular Demand!

(February 6, 2007) – The Town Hall, Times Square’s landmark concert venue, continues it’s 2008 season with the powerhouse rock band the East Village Opera Company on Thursday, March 20 at 8:00PM. The popular nine-piece group returns to The Town Hall. Tickets for the show, priced at $40 & $35, are now on sale.

With fresh and bold contemporary “spins” on opera’s greatest hits, the East Village Opera Company is a powerhouse rock band that transforms classic opera opera arias into songs evoking everything from the golden age of rock & roll to hip-hop, makes a triumphant return
to The Town Hall. East Village Opera Company, an outfit comprised of two vocalists, a string section and a rock band, has released two albums. La Donna and Decca/Universal’s The East Village Opera Company. Audiences will thrill to hear the East Village Opera Company’s “take” on classics from La Traviata, Carmen, La Boheme, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Faust, Griselda, Pagliacci and others. Don’t miss the classics revived and electrified!

The East Village Opera Company is an integrated and dedicated band set out to rock opera and electrify the classics, as the ensemble has been doing to spectacular effect ever since its New York stage debut in the spring of 2004. EVOC was co-founded by lead singer Tyley Ross and arranger/multi-instrumentalist Peter Kiesewalter, and since then have assembled a full-on rock band, adding two guitars, bass, and drums to Peter’s keyboard’s, then synched it to a string quartet. A superb vocalist, AnnMarie Milazzo, was recruited for impassioned duets with Tyley Ross and soaring solos. “We have a profound love and respect for opera,” said Peter KIeswalter. “The pomposity of rock and the pomposity of opera, without demeaning or satirizing either form, the East Village Opera Company files where countless other ‘classical-crossover’ efforts have failed.”

“We’re very pleased to announce the return of the East Village Opera Company,“ said Lawrence C. Zucker, The Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. “We’re certain this will be another great show for this terrific company and their ever-growing audience.”



The East Village Opera Company is part of The Town Hall Presents 2008 season, a program that includes Tamango’s Urban Tap, Klezmatics, The Nuyorican Poets Café Third Millennium Celebration, Miles from India, Judy Collins and the Broadway By The Yearâ series.

Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Billie Holiday, Igor Stravinsky, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis have graced the stage. Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including Billy Joel, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, Liza Minnelli, Cyndi Lauper, Norah Jones, Andre Watts, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year® and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.

Tickets for EVOC are priced at $40 & $35 and available now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824. For more information, visit: www.the-townhall-nyc.org

JONATHAN M.TISCH TO STEP DOWN AS CHAIRMAN OF NYC &COMPANY.

JONATHAN M. TISCH TO STEP DOWN AS CHAIRMAN OF NYC & COMPANY

-Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels Expanded City's Tourism Industry and Led Record Breaking Growth-New York, NY (February 17, 2008)-NYC & Company, New York City's official marketing and tourism organization, today announced that Jonathan M. Tisch will step down as Chairman and leave the Board of Directors.

Tisch, who is also Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, has led the City's tourism organization since May 2002. The announcement comes on the heels of New York City's most successful tourism year to date-a record 46.3 million visitors in 2007.

"Travel and tourism is a cornerstone of New York City's bright future. It creates jobs, transforms neighborhoods, and generates millions in tax revenues that support essential City services. It has been an honor to serve as Chairman of NYC & Company over the last six years and I am extremely proud of everything that we have accomplished for the City that I love," said Tisch. "The City's tourism numbers have reached an all-time high, the organization continues to grow, and we are ahead of schedule for reaching our '50 X 15' goal.

The groundwork and personnel are in place to continue moving forward, and I am confident that the NYC & Company team will help lead the City to unprecedented growth and prosperity.

My thanks to Mayor Bloomberg for his extraordinary leadership and to my colleagues at NYC & Company, past and present."

Following his service as Chairman of New York Rising, a task force set up to help rebuild the City by reviving tourism in the aftermath of September 11th, Tisch was named Chairman of NYC & Company in 2002.

Working closely with former New York City Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, he helped expand NYC & Company into one of the world's largest and most effective tourism and marketing organizations, critical to achieving Mayor Bloomberg's goal to attract 50 million visitors annually by 2015.

Since its expansion, which began in 2006, Tisch helped secure an additional $15 million in annual funding for tourism promotion in New York City - funding which helped launch major campaigns including "This Is New York City," the City's first multi-media global campaign, and "Just Ask the Locals," the first-ever marketing program designed to improve the entry process to the U.S. and the overall visitor experience.

The organization has also expanded its presence worldwide to 17 international offices serving 24 markets. Tisch will continue his national leadership role in the travel and tourism industry. Tisch serves on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, and since 1995, has served as Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable. In this capacity, he has played a prominent role in addressing visa and points-of-entry issues and is actively working to pass the Travel Promotion Act in Congress.

Just last month, he stood with the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC to call for the creation of a cabinet-level tourism official and announced plans for a Presidential Forum this spring.Tisch's resignation takes immediate effect, and it is intended that NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta will serve as Chairman on an interim basis. Fertitta was selected by Mayor Bloomberg in 2006, working closely with Dan Doctoroff and Tisch, and charged with spearheading the expansion of NYC & Company-merging it with two existing entities-NYC Marketing and NYC Big Events-to create a world-class municipal marketing and tourism organization."Jon and I have been good friends for 30 years, and over the past two that we have been working together, his guidance and support has been invaluable," said Fertitta. "Jon has been the leader of New York City's tourism efforts and one of the industry's biggest advocates - his shoes will not be easily filled.

"Tisch has long supported several charitable and social causes, including his work with the Welfare to Work Partnership, the Tribeca Film Institute and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University.

In 2004, Tisch published his first book The Power of We: Succeeding Through Partnerships and in 2007 released Chocolates on the Pillow Are Not Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience.

He also is the host of the television program Beyond the Boardroom on CNBC.


About NYC & Company:NYC & Company is the official marketing and tourism organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Advertise On Corine's Corner!


Corine's Corner has been around since May, 2005. I just wanted to report the tremenduous growth since that date. I average 200,000 hits a month and over 500 visitors a day.


If you are trying to reach an educated, upscale cultured person, my site is the place to advertise.

Ads start at $100. If you are trying to reach this affluent, cultured theater buyer, Corine's Corner is the place for you.


Banners, buttons, video ads and more. Please help me continue to bring fabulous content to you.


Corine




Thanks.

CABARET CARES:COLOR PURPLE AND LITTLE MERMAID!

Only two more chances to see a Cabaret Cares performance. On March 24th the final cabaret cares show will take place at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The series which has been a huge success will finish its run with the cast of the Little Mermaid. Cabaret Cares is the ongoing benefit series produced by Joseph Macchia,to raise funds for two AIDS organizations in New York.

The series brings together the best of the Broadway and cabaret community to raise funds for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS and Help Is On The Way Today. Broadway Cares is the nations leading industry based AIDS grant making organization. The Other organization Help Is On The Way Today is a brand new non-for-profit that helps and assists children living with HIV and AIDS.

In 2005 Cabaret Cares raised over $9000.00 for Broadway Cares Producer Joseph Macchia is hoping to see that number grown this year. The series will conclude with a Gala Event on April 7th at the Laurie Beechman Theatre when performers from all the past shows come back to perform. The evening will include a cocktail hour,dinner,show and gift bags for everyone attending


The month of March brings performers from the shows the Color Purple and The Little Mermaid.


Schedule

March 3rd at 9:30p.m. Doors open at 9p.m.
Cast members from the Color Purple

March 24th at 9:30 p.m. doors open at 9p.m.

There is a $25 Cover Charge and $15 food/drink minimum
The Laurie Beechman Theatre
at The West Bank Cafe
for reservations 212-695-6909

Friday, February 15, 2008

Concert For Hillary Clinton. February 18th.

THE LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE

is pleased to present A CONCERT FOR HILLARY CLINTON.

HILLARY, Broadway and Cabaret in Support of the Clinton Campaign.

On Monday, February 18th at 8:00pm (President's Day), voices from the Broadway and Cabaret stages, will join forces to salute Senator Hillary Clinton, playing their part to hopefully elect the next President of the United States.

Scheduled to appear are: CAROL HALL (Composer of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), Lina Koutrakos, Steven Lutvak, Liz McCartney (Broadway's Taboo, Mamma Mia), Phillip Officer (Side Show), Christine Pedi (Forbidden Broadway), Jana Robbins (Broadway’s Little Women, Tale of the Alergist’s Wife), Seth Rudetsky (Broadway's The Ritz) and Gabrielle Stravelli among others. CAROL HALL will perform her song “WAR ON CHRISTMAS DAY” that appears on her new CD, HALLWAYS, The Songs of Carol Hall, which is being released nationally on March 11th. Ray Fellman will serve as Musical Director.

The event is being produced and directed by Phil Geoffrey Bond.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located at 407 West 42nd St., (@ 9th Ave. ) Minimum contribution for this event is $25. In order to attend, please make a reservation by calling 212 695 6909. To gain admittance, please bring a check or money order made payable to HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT, credit cards will also be accepted. There is $15 food/beverage minimum at this event, a full bar, appetizer and dinner menu is available.

THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS NUYORICAN POETS CAFE'!

THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS NUYORICAN POETS CAFÉ
THIRD MILLENNIUM CELEBRATION: ALOUD AND ALIVE AT 35!

SATURDAY, MAY 3 at 8:00PM

Rosie Perez and Flaco Navaja host
Leading Voices in the Poetry and Spoken Word Movement:
Carlos Andres Gomez, Steve Colman, Kirk Nugent,
Quincy Troupe, Mariposa, Sandra Maria Esteves and More
Plus The Music of Yerba Buena

The Town Hall, Times Square’s landmark concert venue, is pleased to present Nuyorican Poets Café Third Millennium Celebration: Aloud and Alive at 35! This special evening of spoken word and music hosted by Rosie Perez and Flaco Navaja features more than a dozen poets and musicians in a celebration from the iconic institution and many of its illustrious and luminary alumni. Tickets for the show, priced at $40 & $35 are now on sale at The Town Hall Box Office and through Ticketmaster.

Sure to be a wild and joyous evening featuring many of the leading voices in the poetry & spoken word movement, including: La Bruja, Sandra María Esteves, Reg E Gaines, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Tato Laviera, Mariposa, Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, Nancy Mercado, Kirk Nugent, Willie Perdomo, Ishmael Reed, Ntozake Shange, Quincy Troupe, joined together for this very special evening, accompanied by the infectious Boricua Roots music of Yerba Buena. Come hear their powerful voices, dance to their music, and celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of a world-renowned literary movement!

Started in 1973 in Loisaida (The East Village), Miguel Algarin and Richard August began hosting regular gatherings of young outcast poets of color in their apartment. Soon that space moved to an old bar on East 6th Street and The Nuyorican Poets Café was born. Allen Ginsburg called the Café “the most integrated place on the planet.” Several generations of novelists, poets, playwrights, musicians and artists have grown up within the walls of their open room. Poetry, the vital sign of a new culture, needed to be heard live. So Algarin rented an Irish bar, the Sunshine Cafe on East 6th Street, which was christened The Nuyorican Poets Cafe. By 1980, the overflow of audiences led the Cafe to purchase an “in rem” building at 236 East 3rd Street to expand its activities and programs. And the rest, as they say is Nuyorican Poets Café history.

“We’re very pleased to have this great collection of artists together for this celebration,“ said Lawrence C. Zucker, The Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. “This program showcases some of the very best in performance, poetry and music on the scene, marking their place in our history.”





Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Billie Holiday, Igor Stravinsky, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis have graced the stage. Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including Billy Joel, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, Liza Minnelli, Cyndi Lauper, Norah Jones, Andre Watts, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year® and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.

Tickets for The Nuyorican Poets Café Third Millennium Celebration are $40 & $35 and available now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824. For more information, visit: www.the-townhall-nyc.org.
PRINCIPALS FROM ‘AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY’ AND ‘THE HOMECOMING’
TO PARTICIPATE IN DRAMA DESK PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT
‘BROADWAY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES’ AT SARDI’S ON MARCH 7

Author Tracy Letts and Cast Members Amy Morton and Sally Murphy of
‘August: Osage County’ Will Join Cast Members Raúl Esparza, James Frain
and Ian McShane of ‘The Homecoming’ on the Panel

If there is any single thread running through the current Broadway theater season’s acclaimed dramatic works, it probably can be described in two words – “dysfunctional families.” Two of Broadway’s most heralded dramas – the 40th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter’s Tony Award-winning play “The Homecoming” and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of “August: Osage County,” a new play by Tracy Letts, both feature dysfunctional families at the core of their dramatic storylines.


As its second panel of the 2007/2008 theater season, the Drama Desk will present a special luncheon-panel discussion, entitled BROADWAY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES, on Friday, March 7, 2008, at Sardi’s, 234 West 44th Street, in the 4th floor dining room. Drama Desk member Elysa Gardner, Theater Critic for USA Today, will serve as moderator.


The sit-down luncheon will begin at 11:45 AM and the Panel Discussion will take place between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM. Some space is being allotted for non-Drama Desk members interested in the theater. The cost for Drama Desk members is $35 and for non-members $45 (including gratuity and tax). Admission is payable by cash or check. There will be a cash bar. Food choices (salmon, chicken or pasta) are to be designated with RSVPs, which should be e-mailed to wolf@wolfentertainmentguide.com.

“August: Osage County,” which opened this past November for a limited engagement at the Imperial Theater, is directed by
Anna D. Shapiro and features members of the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble. The drama is about a missing patriarch and the
reunion of the Weston clan at their three-story family home in rural Oklahoma where old family wounds are reopened and where new
revelations are revealed.

The revival of “The Homecoming,” directed by Daniel Sullivan, opened at the Cort Theater last December. The play, set in London, concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family presided over by Max (Ian McShane). Living under his roof in his run-down house are his brother Sam (Michael McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Raúl Esparza), the local pimp, and Joey (Gareth Saxe), who is training to be a boxer. Tensions begin to boil over when Max’s oldest son Teddy (James Frain) arrives unexpectedly after six years in America with his new wife Ruth (Eve Best).

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Free Movie Screening For Corine's Corner Readers!

PARTICIPANT PRODUCTIONS, CAMPUS PROGRESS & GENERATIONENGAGE PRESENT FREE ADVANCE SCREENING OF CHICAGO 10, NEW DOCUMENTARY ON 1968 CONSPIRACY TRIAL FOLLOWING DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

~Q&A TO FOLLOW WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR BRETT MORGEN & ACTIVIST KEVIN POWELL~

New York, NY: Join Participant Productions, Campus Progress and GenerationEngage for a free advance screening of the film Chicago 10, which mixes archival footage and animation to look back at the eight anti-war protesters put on trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Set to the music of revolution, Chicago 10 is a parable of hope, courage and ultimate victory—an inspiring and timely story of young Americans speaking out and taking a stand in the face of an oppressive and armed government.
After the screening, director Brett Morgen and writer and activist Kevin Powell will take questions from the audience about the film, the Chicago 10 conspiracy trial, and discuss the importance of social engagement.When: Monday, February 18, at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM.Where: Directors Guild of America, 110 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Take
the 1, A, B, C, D trains to Columbus Circle or F, N, Q, R, W to 57th St.Questions/RSVP: Erica Sackin, esackin@fenton.com or (212) 584-5000 ext 335

You must rsvp by calling to attend this free screening. Mention code Corine's Corner to attend.


GenerationEngage is a nonpartisan youth-civic-engagement initiative that connects young Americans to political leaders, to other civic organizations, and to meaningful debate about the future they will inherit.www.generationengage.org

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

BROADWAY BY THE YEAR! MARCH 3!

Creator and host Scott Siegel
Photo by Maryann Lopinto
PS: Scott's events are always my favorite. Hope to see you there!

THE TOWN HALL’S ACCLAIMED BROADWAY BY THE YEAR SERIES
Kicks Off Its Eighth Season with
THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1947
MONDAY, MARCH 3 AT 8:00 PM

Starring Howard McGillin, Noah Racey, Marc Kudisch,
Christiane Noll, Donna Lynne Champlin, Eddie Korbich
Alexander Gemignani, Kendrick Jones,
Jeffry Denman, Meredith Patterson, Kerry O’Malley and more!

A musical snapshot of 1947 Broadway celebrating
songs and dances from Brigadoon, Finian’s Rainbow, High Button Shoes,
Street Scene, Allegro and more!

Created, written and hosted for The Town Hall by Scott Siegel

(February 13, 2008) Howard McGillin, Broadway’s longest-running Phantom, will star in THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1947, which kicks off the eighth season of The Town Hall’s critically acclaimed Broadway by the Year series. He will be joined by a powerhouse cast that includes two-time Tony nominee Marc Kudisch, and more of Broadway’s great singer/dancers than in any other previous Broadway by the Year concert. Audiences will take a musical journey “back in time” on Monday, March 3 at 8pm, for a full evening of song and dance from Brigadoon, Finian’s Rainbow, High Button Shoes, Street Scene, Allegro and more from The Great White Way of 1947.

This one-night-only concert will also feature a dazzling line-up of Broadway favorites including Eddie Korbich (The Little Mermaid, The Drowsy Chaperone), Noah Racey (Curtains), Donna Lynne Champlin (Sweeney Todd), Marc Kudisch (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Meredith Patterson (42nd Street), Kerry O’Malley (Into the Woods), Kendrick Jones (Encores! Stairway to Paradise), Alexander Gemignani (Sunday in the Park with George, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd), Christiane Noll (Jekyll & Hyde), and Jeffry Denman (The Producers).

Some of musical theater’s most famous songs first came to light in 1947, such as Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The Gentleman is a Dope” (Allegro), Lerner and Loewe’s “Almost Like Being in Love” (Brigadoon), Jule Styne’s “Poppa Won’t You Dance With Me” (High Button Shoes), Burton Lane and E. Y. Harburg’s “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” (Finian’s Rainbow), Kurt Weill’s “Lonely House” (Street Scene) and so many more!

“There is no formula for Broadway by the Year,” said Scott Siegel, the creator, writer and host of the series. “The style and content of each show is dictated by the material from the year we’re highlighting. 1947 offered an unusual amount of fantasy on Broadway: Finian’s Rainbow and Brigadoon are the most obvious – and glorious - examples. There was also a lot of dance that year, so I’ve gone to extra lengths to cast this concert with some of the most incredible dancers on Broadway, including Noah Racey, Kendrick Jones, Meredith Patterson, and Jeffry Denman, who is also going to direct and choreograph the show. We’ll have some surprises, as well,” Siegel also promised.

“We’re thrilled to kick off the first Broadway By The Year of this year with an evening of memorable songs from 1947,” said Lawrence C. Zucker, The Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. “As that year marked the first year for the Tony Awards, we couldn’t think of a better way to showcase these ‘treasures’ from Broadway’s past, performed by some of today’s brightest stage stars.”

Tickets are $50 & $45 and are on sale now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, http://www.ticketmaster.com/, The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824. For more information: http://www.the-townhall-nyc.org/.

Below is a full list of the upcoming Broadway By The Years shows consecutively:

Monday, April 7 at 8pm – Broadway By The Year - Broadway Musicals of 1954
The series continues with the best of the Great White Way in 1954, featuring music from The Pajama Game, Peter Pan, The Boy Friend, Fanny, The Golden Apple, House of Flowers, and more! The show will be directed by Scott Coulter with musical direction by Ross Patterson.

Monday, May 12 at 8pm – Broadway By The Year - Broadway Musicals of 1965
The series continues with the best of Broadway in 1965. This program will include music from Man of La Mancha, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Do I Hear a Waltz? The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd, Flora, the Red Menace, Skyscraper, and more! The show will be directed by Marc Kudisch with musical direction by Ross Patterson.

Monday, June 16 at 8pm – Broadway By The Year - Broadway Musicals of 1979
The series concludes with a musical travelogue through the best of the Great White Way for the year 1979, featuring the hottest talents in Broadway and cabaret. This program will include music from Evita, Sweeney Todd, They’re Playing Our Song, I Remember Mama, Sarava, and more! The show will be directed by Emily Skinner with musical direction by Ross Patterson.

John Wallowitch Memorial- Photo Coverage.

Elaine Stritch
Margo Astrachan

Mark Nadler


KT Sullivan



Elaine Stritch










Photos by Maryann Lopinto.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

BLUME MEDIA GROUP PRESENTS DINNER WITH AHMED.

BLUME MEDIA GROUP PRESENTS AEA SHOWCASE OF NEW TOPICAL COMEDY,
DINNER WITH AHMED, BY PAUL RAWLINGS

Production Premieres at Sargent Theater – American Theater of Actors (ATA) 314 West 54th Street, on February 22 and Continues Through March 9, 2008

Blume Media Group (Drama Desk Awards presenter) will premiere an AEA showcase production of a new topical comedy Dinner With Ahmed, by Paul Rawlings with direction by Danielle Campbell, at the Sargent Theater / American Theater of Actors, (314 West 54th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues) for a three-week limited engagement from February 22 through March 9, 2008.

The showcase production will be presented for 16 performances as follows: They are 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM; 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays at 3 PM and on Sundays at 5 PM. There will also be one Monday 8 p.m. and one Wednesday 8.pm. performance. All general admission tickets (February 22 – March 9) are $18; however, there are $10 student and senior tickets available, and all Actors Equity Association members are admitted free based upon availability and presentation of their AEA card at the box office prior to curtain-time. Tickets are available via TheaterMania at http://www.theatermania.com/ or by calling 212-352-3101.

The cast includes (in alphabetical order): Joseph Callari*, Amir Darvish*, Ray Durand* Ross Anthony Evans, Scott Glascock*, Alex Herrald, TaShawn (Pope) Jackson, Michael Jaye*, Sue Mathys, Lauren Milberger*, Corinne Palermo* and Rory Wheeler. (* Actors appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association)

Dinner With Ahmed takes place at an interesting, if not typical, Georgetown dinner party for people crusading for liberty and unimpeded rights (even for those who yearn to blow up or otherwise wipe out these liberal idealists along with anyone else). Prominent characters are Washington civil rights activists, a Senator’s widow, a Homeland Security tough guy, a tortured possible terrorist and a Supreme Court Justice.


Playwright Paul Rawlings, former newspaper reporter and US Naval Officer, has had 20 play productions off-off Broadway, in colleges, regional theater and assorted other venues. His four-character musical, Fair Play For Eve played in the Ansonia Hotel Theatre in New York and was reviewed favorably by the New York Times and Daily News in addition to its four subsequent productions around the country.


Director Danielle Campbell recently staged You’re It The Musical by Earl Wilson Jr. at Tony’s Di Napoli Downstairs Cabaret; All My Sons at Watson Theatre; Glass Menagerie at Watson Theatre; and was Assistant Director of Follow Me, The Musical at GT Theatre. She has also served as Production Stage Manager for many off and off-off-Broadway productions.
The Creative team is comprised of Emmy Award winning Set Designer Kevin Lee Allen; Lighting Designer Matthew Miller; Costumer Designer Eric Bergrin; and Broadway (City of Angels) Sound Designer Bernard Fox. General Management is being provided by Felicia M. Lopes/ Five Stone Productions, Inc.

The Producer is Robert R. Blume for Blume Media Group Ltd., current Executive Producer of the annual Drama Desk Awards; Co-Producer of the new Broadway-bound musical, Busker Alley, starring Jim Dale, directed and designed by Tony Walton; and Consulting Producer of the Australian musical Angels, slated to open in New Orleans prior to its Broadway debut during the 2008/2009 season.



“DINNER WITH AHMED” A TOPICAL COMEDY OF DYNAMITE PROPORTIONS. AUTHOR IS PAUL RAWLINGS. DIRECTED BY DANIELLE CAMPBELL. PERFORMANCES BEGIN FEBRUARY 22;

AMERICAN THEATER OF ACTORS’ SARGENT THEATER AT 314 WEST 54TH STREET. TICKETS $18 AND $10 SENIOR/STUDENT DISCOUNT VIA http://www.theatermania.com/ OR 212-352-3101

Monday, February 11, 2008

Natalie Joy Johnson At Therapy!




Natalie Joy Johnson at Therapy
Monday, February 25, 2008
Time:
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Therapy
Street:
348 West 52nd Street

Description
Natalie Joy Johnson, audience favorite in Legally Blonde and Bare: A Pop Opera, debuts an exciting new club act at Therapy after sold out engagements of previous shows at Joe’s Pub, the Cutting Room, Feinstein’s and Ars Nova. Natalie’s new act channels old school show business through a contemporary lens harkening back to a time when the great ladies of stage and screen entertained in rooms all over New York on any given night. She brings her powerful and expressive voice to an evening both irreverent and compelling and completely unlike any other show in town. Musical Direction by Brian Nash, Special Material by John Hill, Directed by Ben Rimalowerno cover/no minimum

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY PERFORMANCE ON VALENTINE'S DAY!


John Freedson (Producer) and Gerard Alessandrini (Writer cuts the cake at the 25th anniversary of my favorite show)

Here is a list of CD signings around town on Valentine's Day:
Idina, Menzel, Betty Buckley, Forbidden Broadway and Legally Blonde!!!! Enjoy!!




Photo by Maryann Lopinto.

"Back at Border's in the Time Warner Center, the take-no-prisoners gang from "Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening" will be tossing out its own satirical, unique take on the Broadway world with a special live performance and original cast CD signing at 5:30 PM.

Don't worry, Broadway: they mean it in a loving way! Borders is a founding corporate sponsor for the charity's annual Bid 2 Beat AIDS celebrity auction, which has raised over $250,000 to date. Visit www.BeatAIDSNow.com for more information.EVENTS BY LOCATION:Manhattan - Columbus Circle10 Columbus Circle212-823-9775Inside the Time Warner Building12:30 PM: Idina Menzel signs "I Sing"5:30 PM: "Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening" Cast Performs and Signs CDManhattan - Park Ave461 Park Avenue212-980-6785(Park & 57th)Noon: Betty Buckley signs "Quintessence" and "Betty Buckley 1967"Manhattan - 32nd and 2nd576 Second Ave.212-685-39383:30 PM: Peter Parnell reads and signs "And Tango Makes Three"5:15 PM: From "Legally Blonde," Orfeh and Andy Karl perform and sign the CD

Saturday, February 9, 2008

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF!

BOCK & HARNICK: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
At Merkin Concert Hall, Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 11:00am
*special appearance by Sheldon Harnick

New York, NY, 2/07/08—The Theater Wing of the Kaufman Center presents Broadway Playhouse – BOCK & HARNICK: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF on Sunday, February 24 at 11 am at the newly renovated Merkin Concert Hall. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick wrote seven classic musicals, including the immortal Fiddler On the Roof, which tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman in tsarist Russia. By turns both humorous and touching, Fiddler is full of hit songs (“Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man”) and oversized, vibrant characters. Lyricist Sheldon Harnick will make a special appearance to discuss his work and answer questions from children in the audience.
The show will revolve around Fiddler, but will also include songs from Fiorello, The Apple Tree, The Rothschilds and She Loves Me. The company will include Jason Robinson, Kathryn Markey and Erica Schroeder, with Jihwan Kim as musical director.

Broadway Playhouse introduces a new generation to the classics of musical theater in a fun and engaging setting. Hosted by Sean Hartley, the concerts feature sing-a-longs, interactive games, fun facts, musical medleys and a fully staged mini-musical featuring the delightfully zany Broadway Playhouse Players. Concerts are geared toward elementary school children but are sure to delight the whole family.

About Sheldon Harnick
Born and raised in Chicago, Sheldon Harnick began studying the violin while in grammar school. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University School of Music in 1949. Though his focus had been the violin, he eventually decided to try his luck in New York City as a theatrical lyricist.

His first song in a Broadway show, "The Boston Beguine" for New Faces Of 1952, introduced theatergoers to the wry, subtle humor and deft wordplay indicative of a Harnick lyric. Over the next several years he contributed lyrics or whole songs to such vintage revues as John Murray Anderson's Almanac, The Shoestring Revue and The Littlest Revue.

In 1956, Harnick joined up with fellow BMI composer Jerry Bock and the pair began writing their own musicals, resulting in such award winning works as The Body Beautiful (1958), Fiorello! (1959), She Loves Me (1963), and the 1964 musical masterpiece, Fiddler on the Roof.

Other collaborations over the years include A Christmas Carol (1981), Free to Be...You and Me (1974), Rex (1976), Sutter’s Gold (1980) and Dragons (1984). He has provided English-language librettos for classical operas and oratorios like Lehar's The Merry Widow (1977) and Georges Bizet's Carmen (1981), and provided translations for such musicals as La Tragedie De Carmen (1984), Ghetto (1986) and Cyrano (1993). His original opera librettos include Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (1975), Love in Two Countries (1991), and The Phantom Tollbooth (1995).
About Sean HartleySean Hartley is the director of Kaufman Center’s Theater Wing and Artistic Director of Broadway Close Up, Broadway Playhouse and The Poppy Seed Players. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for the Off-Broadway musical Cupid and Psyche, written with composer Jihwan Kim, and won a Spirit Award for Best Book of a Musical for Little Women, written with Kim Oler and Alison Hubbard. His new musical Snow was recently awarded ASCAP’s Harold Arlen Award. His television credits include songs for The Book of Pooh and Bear in the Big Blue House.

Kaufman Center’s 2008 season of BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE continues with the genius of Lerner & Lowe: My Fair Lady on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 11am to end the season.

About Merkin Concert HallRenowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, the recently renovated Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards including Adventurous Programming from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002–03. The Hall is a division of the Kaufman Center, which also includes the Lucy Moses School (a community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children, P.S. 859). A not-for-profit organization founded in 1952, the Kaufman Center occupies its own facility, the award-winning Goodman House, located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square arts district. The Center is an unsurpassed cultural resource where people of all ages can experience the joy of artistic creation, expression and appreciation.

Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 11:00 AM
129 W. 67th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)Single tickets are $20 day of / 3-concert subscription $45 / $15 family rate for 3 or more tix to a single concertCall the Box Office at

212 501 3330
or order at http://www.kaufman-center.org

For All The Creatures Of The Night! Laurie Beechman Room Tonight At 11 PM-2 AM!




Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 11:00pm
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 2:00am

The Laurie Beechman Theatre, downstairs within THE WEST BANK CAFÉ
Street:
407 West 42nd St., @ 9th Avenue
City/Town:
New York


Have one of the fabulous Cosmos and tell them Corine sent you.

Friday, February 8, 2008

TOWN HALL CELEBRATES COLE PORTER'S BIRTHDAY WITH KT SULLIVAN AND MARK NADLER!


THE TOWN HALL CELEBRATES
COLE PORTER’S BIRTHDAY WITH
KT SULLIVAN AND MARK NADLER IN
A SWELL PARTY: RSVP COLE PORTER
WITH LOREN SCHOENBERG

MONDAY, JUNE 9 AT 8:00PM

“…a delirious whoosh of lubricious exuberance” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times“’

(February 6, 2008) – The Town Hall, Times Square’s landmark concert venue, presents KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler in “A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter” Monday, June 9, 2008 at 8:00PM. This special musical evening event, commemorating Cole Porter’s birthday, also features Loren Schoenberg.

A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter, and its stars KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, celebrate the timeless words and music of the supreme sophisticate of the 20th century, whose witty, wicked and romantic songs enthrall audiences as much today as they did when first written. Among the Cole Porter classic selections audiences will hear: It’s Delovely, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Let’s Do It, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, Night and Day, Begin the Beguine, Experiment and Let’s Fall in Love.

“We’re very pleased to celebrate what would have been Cole Porter’s 117th birthday,” said Lawrence C. Zucker, The Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. “Audiences will love the combination of the very talented KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, performing all the best-known Cole Porter classic songs, creating another memorable event for The Town Hall.”

Theatre and cabaret audiences know KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler from their many musical collaborations, including: ALWAYS: The Love Story of Irving Berlin; Sweet & Lowdown: An Evening of Pure GERSHWIN; Everything’s Coming Up Roses: The Music of JULE STYNE; DOROTHY FIELDS: A Fine Romance; Are We a Pair: Words and Music of SONDHEIM; and Make Someone Happy: In the words of Comden & Green. Broadway credits for Ms. Sullivan include Three Penny Opera, Gentlemen Prefer Blonds and for Mr. Nadler Dame Edna: The Royal Tour, The Sheik of Avenue B.

A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter is part of The Town Hall Presents 2008 season, a program that includes East Village Opera Company, Tamango’s Urban Tap, Klezmatics, The Nuyorican Poets Café Third Millennium Celebration, Miles from India, Judy Collins and the Broadway By The Yearâ series.

Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, the stage has been graced by Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Billie Holiday, Igor Stravinsky, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis. Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including Billy Joel, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, Liza Minnelli, Cyndi Lauper, Norah Jones, Andre Watts, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.

Tickets for A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter are $45 & $40 and available now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824. For more information, visit: http://www.the-townhall-nyc.org/.

New York Times Loves IS HE DEAD!

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/theater/reviews/10dead.html?adxnnl=1&ref=theater&adxnnlx=1197295337-ZoSgIGexPlAaYyWRXJpLqw

Corine's Cooking!


Good morning, darlings!

I am starting a new series on my blog called Corine's Cooking. I know, I am not Rachel Ray, but you would be surprised at what a good cook I have become. Yesterday, I cooked the most incredible meal and I had to tell you about it. It sounds gross but it was one of the best meals I have ever tasted!


I will call it salmon marinated with cherries. I marinated a wild salmon filet in marishino cherries and juice. A bit of fresh ginger and a tablespoon of horseradish sauce and two tablespoons of ginger marinade. I marinaded it for four hours and then steamed the salmon and served it with asian snow peas, waterchestnuts and assorted chinese veggies. I served it with fresh cherries.


It was surprising how sensual this dish was. It was so good I am making it for lunch.


Next time I want to add fresh pineapple juice to this recipe.


Thursday, February 7, 2008

HI. DO ME A FAVOR! SAVE IS HE DEAD!


Hello,


Do you like farce? Want to laugh so hard that tears will run down your face? Pick up the phone and buy a ticket to IS HE DEAD! I have heard that it will close soon if people don't buy more tickets. I have nothing to gain from this. I just loved this show and I hope you will too!


Don't make NORBERT CRY. Call now!
Tickets
Now in Performances!
Lyceum Theatre 149 West 45th StreetNew York, NY 10036
Tickets now on sale.Click here to purchase tickets orcall 212.239.6200 / 800.432.7250 (outside NY)For groups of 10 or more, click here.
Box Office HoursMon-Sat 10-8:30Sun 12-6
Performance Schedule:Tue-Sat at 8, Wed & Sat at 2, Sun at 3.
IS HE DEAD is a Corine's Pick. (Fun, laughs and good times for the whole family)
PS: I adore this production. I will cry if it closes. Don't make me cry. Buy a few hundred tickets now. ;-)
Fabulous photo: Joan Marcus.

Valentine's Day Plans?


call 212-868-4444 for tickets.
Tell them code Corine!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!







Happy Chinese New Year to all! As many of you know, I love everything Chinese.









I live for the food, the clothing, the dance and the people.






Love,



Corine

IN CITE ARTS FESTIVAL

Boston University College of Fine Arts presents
InCite Arts Festival
March 9-15, 2008


New York, NY – The Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is pleased to present the first annual InCite Arts Festival, taking place March 9-15 in New York City. Conceived to showcase the dynamic artistic strengths and synergy of the College’s schools of Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, each school is offering new and interdisciplinary programming that boasts an eclectic and compelling combination of titles and artists.

The InCite Arts Festival will feature an exhibition of works by MFA painting and sculpture students from the BU School of Visual Arts, a chamber orchestra concert featuring a world premiere and three New York premieres of works by composers with close affiliations with the BU School of Music, a performance of Tom Stoppard and André Previn’s rarely performed Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, a new play by recent CFA alumna Nitzan Halperin about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Michael Nyman’s one-act opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and a showcase of senior actors from the BU School of Theatre.

Led by a Host Committee of prominent Boston University alumni and New-York based arts supporters, the festival will also feature a series of educational and social events hosted by Committee members. Host Committee members include Broadway producer Stewart Lane, director Nicholas Martin, painters Pat Steir and Andrew Raftery, and SungEun Han-Anderson, President of the Anderson Family Foundation. The Host Committee is designed to reach out to the 50,000 members of the BU community in the Tri-State area, to engage alumni, parents, prospective students, and other supporters through this all-encompassing one-week celebration of the Boston University College of Fine Arts.

The Boston University College of Fine Arts was created in 1954 to bring together the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts. The University’s vision was to create a community of artists in a conservatory-style school offering professional training in the arts to both undergraduate and graduate students, complemented by a liberal arts curriculum for undergraduate students. Since those early days, education at the College of Fine Arts has begun on the B.U. campus and extended into the city of Boston, a rich center of cultural, artistic and intellectual activity.

Festival Schedule


Master of Fine Arts Exhibition
Juried by João Ribas, critic/curator at The Drawing Center in New York and head of the MFA Thesis Committee at New York University
Sunday, March 9 – Saturday, March 15
Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 11, 6:00-9:00pm
Robert Steele Gallery

Theatre Showcase
Tuesday, March 11, 6:00pm
Wednesday, March 12, 3:00pm and 6:00pm
West Bank Café
Laurie Beechman Theatre

These Worlds In Us: Chamber Orchestra Concert
Boston University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Cornell
Featuring soloists Simon Estes, baritone; Na Sun, violin; Todd Palmer, clarinet; and Elsbieta Brandys, flute
Includes the world premiere of Three Songs of Nature by Martin Amlin, the New York premieres of These Worlds in Us by Melissa Mazzoli, Tracer by Richard Cornell with digital video of images by Deborah Cornell, and Concertino by Jonathan Newman; plus The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind by Osvaldo Golijov.
Thursday, March 13, 8:00pm
The Town Hall

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Written by Tom Stoppard
Music by André Previn
Jim Petosa, Director
Neal Hampton, Conductor
Friday, March 14, 8:00pm
The Town Hall

The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat
Music by Michael Nyman
Libretto by Christopher Rawlence and Michael Nyman, assisted by Michael Morris
Based on the book by Oliver Sacks
William Lumpkin, Conductor
Jim Petosa, Stage Director
Monday, March 10, 7:00pm
Wednesday, March 12, 7:00pm
Helen Mills Theater

Sow and Weep
By Nitzan Halperin
Jason McDowell-Green, Director
Monday, March 10, 9:00pm
Wednesday, March 12, 9:00pm
Helen Mills Theater


Ticket and Venue Information


Tickets:





Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 212-307-4100 for events at The Town Hall.
Visit www.bu.edu/cfa/incite for box office information regarding events at Helen Mills Theater.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Bamboo 52!


Hello guys,


I just wanted to write and tell you to go to Bamboo52 and try my favorite cocktail.

Try the homemade sangria with red wine (not sake) ask Alex to make you my favorite Bamboo drink.


Stay tuned for more exciting parties at Bamboo 52.


(Photo of the sake sangria. Ask them to replace the sake with red wine. It is delish!)

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

DIVA PALOOZA- LAURIE BEECHMAN ROOM.

Robert H. Fowler
Terrell Baker

David Colbert (Who is famous for Hedwig among other things)

Photos by Maryann Lopinto.

On Superbowl Sunday, I attended a wonderful benefit at The Laurie Beechman Room.
The event was hosted by Joseph John events, to benefit two wonderful charities:
BCEFA and Help Is On The Way Today. The evening was a special concert of men singing great Diva songs of Broadway. It was a very entertaining evening with some very talented singers.



Comments: Corine Dana Cohen


David Colbert- Big. Blonde and the 9 incher.



David Colbert-




David Colbert gave new meaning to "BIG. BLONDE. BEAUTIFUL"





He had me gasping for air in his hysterical number from HAIRSPRAY!





Dr. John Schaefer






Peter Mac







Steven Ray Watkins








Andrew Cheng- Who did a number from Millie!









Tom Gamblin










Joseph Macchia- The Producer and founder of the event.



The event was a lot of fun and benefited two wonderful charities.


Broadway Cares and Help Is On The Way. To make a donation to either charity:










Next event: March 3rd: The cast of the Color Purple.