Summer RW 2017 - Jams

Every year, when Restaurant Week comes around, I always search in vain to see if Barbuto is participating.  For so many years, I've longed to go to Barbuto, because I've enjoyed seeing its chef/owner, Jonathan Waxman, on various cooking shows.  He just seems delightful and the food he prepares on the tv looks amazing. Barbuto is pretty pricey, though, so I'm still waiting to go there.  However, last week I got an email from the Restaurant Week people, reminding me that it was time to make reservations.  I had already made a couple, but I thought, 'what the heck, let's find a place to go on Summer Friday'!  I'll admit I did a search of restaurants that have a 'notable' chef.  When the restaurant Jams came up, I had to look up the website because I hadn't heard of it before. Imagine my happiness when I learned that Jonathan Waxman is the chef!  Woo hoo! Reservation booked!

Jams is located in the 1 Hotel Central Park.  It's nice and airy, with lots of wood and glass. It has a casual feel, which I liked. It was quite loud inside, though.  I guess it's a good thing I went alone.  I don't think I could ever have a business meeting there. I just got my Nook out of my bag and settled in for some yummy food and some summer reading.  I was a little surprised that the menu the server gave me was different from the menu on the Restaurant Week website, but I actually was happier with the appetizer options, so it wasn't an issue for me.  Oh, and my table was near the kitchen, so I also enjoyed looking up occasionally and watching the chefs prepare other dishes.

I opted to start with the heirloom tomato panzanella with parmesan crackers and a champagne vinaigrette.  Boy, was this yummy!  Though I probably could've used a couple more crackers to even out the textures.  But the heirloom tomatoes were ripe and juicy (and I'm not even that big a fan of eating raw tomatoes), the crackers were crunchy and salty and the vinaigrette was tart and wonderful.  Oh, and there were also pieces of basil included which perfumed the whole dish.  This was a terrific starter.

I knew for a fact that I was going to get the Jams chicken for my entree, even though all three sounded amazing.  Jonathan Waxman is quite famous for his chicken dish at Barbuto, so I was thrilled to be able to try it.  Oh, oh good golly, was it worth the wait.  I swear it was the juiciest, most flavorful chicken I've ever had, and the crispy skin was out of this world.  The chicken is served with a salsa verde, which was also delicious.  A little herbaceous, and maybe even a touch bitter, it cut the inherent sweetness of the chicken and the saltiness of the skin beautifully.  Really an amazingly delicious dish.  I need to have it again soon.

I was the tiniest bit disappointed in the changes in the dessert menu (the words 'pretzel ice cream' had caught my eye), but I greatly enjoyed my mascarpone-berry layer cake with a berry sauce.  The cake was sweet, but not cloyingly so, and the mascarpone added a nice richness and creaminess to the cake. I'm not a fan of overly sweet frostings, so this one was perfect for me. And all of the tart berries were the perfect complement.  It was a delightful end to a delightful lunch.  I almost got a cocktail, since Jams' cocktail menu looked terrific, but I decided to stick with iced tea since I was seeing a show later that night (that blog post is coming).  I didn't want to fall asleep after having a three-course lunch AND alcohol.  I'm glad I made that decision, because I ended up meeting my family downtown for a little unexpected sightseeing - it wouldn't have looked good if I showed up tipsy.  

I'm ever so glad I finally heard about Jams and that I got to try Jonathan Waxman's amazing food.  I definitely think Jams will go on my list of special occasion restaurants for those celebrations that take place when it's not Restaurant Week!  Since money is tight, I've only got one other Restaurant Week reservation, but I'm pretty excited about it.  Stay tuned...

Review - The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin

It's been a good year for people who love Kirsten Childs and her musicals (people like me)! Not only did we get to see the wonderful Bella: An American Tall Tale earlier this season (remind yourself of my review HERE), but last night, I was thrilled to be able to relive Kirsten's delightful The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.  I relate the story of my first time seeing that show in the Bella review above, so re-familiarize yourself with my stories and join me when you're through...

All done?  Good!  Bubbly Black Girl is part of Encores Off-Center this summer - once they announced tickets were on sale, a former co-worker and I pounced.  I was disappointed that there are only two showings of Bubbly Black Girl, when there were four of Assassins, also part of the Encores Off-Center program, and I was doubly disappointed last night to see that the house wasn't full.  The people who were there were thoroughly entertained, though!  I had a great time!  I'm sorry I couldn't get this review done earlier today so you could've bought tickets for tonight's final performance, but work kept getting in the way.

ANYWAY, again, I had a great time at Bubbly Black Girl.  An autobiographical piece about an aspiring dancer (Kirsten was once a dancer in Broadway and tour choruses), the musical is just an effervescent, open-hearted piece of work.  The music is just filled with joy, I don't know how else to describe it.  It's as thought-provoking as it is joyful, though. Even when Bubbly Black Girl tackles tough subjects, which it does - subjects like identity, the subjugation of women, and racism - the musical presents these serious moments with clear-eyed honesty, yet you still feel the affection for these characters and for the life depicted in the show.  I don't know, feeling such happiness and such mournfulness, often at the same time, was just wonderful.

Our lead character is Viveca, also known as Bubbly, who has been told by her father that a smile is the best defense.  So Viveca goes through life, and most of this musical, with a smile on her face that attracts many of the right, and a few of the wrong, people. But the smiles begin to come at a cost.  Once we get to New York (described as the place where f*cked up people end up to make their dreams come true, ha ha) and Viveca starts to see that how she projects herself isn't necessarily how she is seen or wants to be seen, the smiles fade and self-knowledge arrives.

photo credit: Sara Krulwich

Nikki M. James is a delight as Viveca, so so funny and smart. She really captures all of the facets of this young girl full of contradictions.  She IS bubbly, but she's also so much more. Her singing was excellent, too.  But the whole cast is fantastic and really strong in their singing and in their acting.  There were a couple of rough parts last night, but really, how could there not be?  They're doing a full-scale musical, basically, after about a week of rehearsal.  Yes, they use scripts and music stands at times, but they're always built into the choreography!  It's a testament to the miracle of musical theater that they could get anything meaningful onstage at all.

The direction and the choreography are just first-rate; all of the dance numbers just put a smile on my face, most especially the Fosse parody.  Oh, and "The Skate," another number that does double-duty: you groove to the wonderfully melodic music, but you also see what's going on underneath as Viveca wants to see her world as uncomplicated and unified as it is in junior high when kids of all races are dancing together.  The music direction is also terrific - I was especially taken with all the lines in the wonderful music played by the talented flute player. OH, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Julius Thomas III and his oh.so.sexy performance of "Come With Me."  Wow.  I'm not exaggerating when I say I think the lady in front of me may have been having a private moment with herself when he was finished singing.  If you know what I'm saying.  And I think you do.

Again, I'm just the biggest fan of Kirsten Childs, both as a writer and as a person, so I may have been predisposed to enjoy myself.  But I don't think I'm wrong in thinking that Kirsten is one of the most talented, multifaceted, and uniquely interesting creative artists working today.  It's a shame more people won't get to see this irresistible musical, but maybe this production will return the show to the musical theater canon, where it belongs.  As I've said before, musicals written entirely by women, especially by women of color, are few and far between.  These stories need to be told and need to be heard.  I am ready to hear them all.

Summer Fun (and work)

I had a work event last week in Los Angeles and my body clock has been thrown out of whack ever since.  I saw Assassins the night before I left and a new play written by a friend while I was there, but I've been so jet-lagged, I haven't been able to think.  I'll try to put a few thoughts down now.  Well, probably more than a few, since I have three shows and a long-weekend-trip to discuss...

photo credit: Douglas Gorenstein

I figured since Assassins was sold out for the entire run anyway, my review didn't need to happen before it closed.  Well, my reviews probably NEVER need to happen before a show closes, but moving on.  I think I've told you the story of me and Assassins - I didn't live in New York when it premiered, but I was here visiting one week during its run.  I stood in line every day, trying to get a ticket, but never did.  I wore out my cast album cassette, listening to the show over and over and over for years, before finally seeing the Broadway production at the Roundabout.  I've been lucky enough to work over the years with John Weidman, librettist extraordinaire, and I've told him over and over and over how brilliant I think the book scene of John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald in the Texas Book Depository is, and he has been a gracious good sport to listen.  I will insert a gratuitous photo of me and this wonderful writer here, because I can.  :)

The instant single tickets went on sale for the Encores Off-Center concert production of Assassins, I pounced.  I'm glad I did, because the brief run sold out pretty quickly.  I bought my ticket even before they announced the cast, but for me, the show is the star. Of course, once the cast was announced, I was even MORE excited to see it!  What a theater-star-studded extravaganza!  It was almost an embarrassment of riches, but since there were only a few performances, it was probably easier to get people to sign on.

Cutting to the chase, I loved the show.  Of course I did.  But seeing Assassins now, in the current political climate, is almost overwhelming.  It seems even darker and more relentless now, at least to me.  I was holding my breath for nearly the entire show. Thankfully, my crowd didn't stop the show when the Balladeer sang "every now and then the country goes a little wrong" (I've heard that laughter and applause stopped some performances), but there were many rueful and sad chuckles throughout the evening.  I thought Steven Pasquale was sublime as Booth, but it's really probably an actor-proof role, it's written that well.  He sang beautifully, of course, but also commanded the stage throughout his book scenes.  And he and Cory Michael Smith as Lee Harvey Oswald knocked that book depository scene out of the park.  I found the scene even more brilliant and chilling than before - I burst into tears at one point, seeing how one disenfranchised man could change the course of history.  I'm afraid it's going to happen again and again, with the way things are going with our current government.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

The show was brilliantly cast, from top to bottom, with Victoria Clark a riot as Sara Jane Moore, Shuler Hensley as a complex, brooding Czolgosz, and Hand to God's Steven Boyer as John Hinckley.  He is a deadpan, scary, laugh riot, and his "Can I have your autograph?" to Lee Harvey Oswald in the last scene made me laugh and sob at the same time.  But really, everyone was great.  For the first time, I saw the yin and the yang of the Balladeer and the Proprietor, seeing how they were in competition for the souls of the assassins, with the Proprietor winning during "Another National Anthem," another song that is humorous and chilling, all at the same time.  I know some people didn't enjoy Ethan Lipton's performance as the Proprietor, but I found his lounge-lizard characterization very compelling, especially against the all-American appeal of Clifton Duncan's Balladeer.  And having the Balladeer be played by an African-American man highlighted the divide in America even further (hearing John Wilkes Booth call him "boy" made chills run up and down my spine).  I just thought Assassins was expertly done all around and I've had "Everybody's Got the Right" running through my head ever since.  Oh, and the last image of the little boy?  Heartbreaking and just right.

The day after I saw Assassins, I got on a plane and jetted out to Los Angeles for a work event.  I was also fortunate enough to see King of the Yees, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.  I know the playwright, Lauren Yee, a bit and have read a few of her plays over the years, so I was thrilled to see one live. I saw a preview performance (the play has since opened), so I'll only offer a few thoughts. 

Photo credit: Craig Schwartz

I found King of the Yees to be warm, thoughtful, imaginative and a lot of fun.  I enjoyed the meta aspects of the playwright being a character in her own play and I enjoyed the universal search of a daughter trying to understand her father.  I thought the acting was terrific and the direction was fantastic - the Kirk Douglas Theatre is a pretty small space, but it was utilized beautifully to make the show feel as large as its themes.  Francis Jue is a long-time favorite of mine and I thought he was wonderful as the father, making 'dad' jokes and trying to bridge the generations.  Even though I was already tired and jet-lagged, I had a terrific time at this show and look forward to seeing more of Lauren's work.

The L.A. trip was a good one, lots of good work was done, and I enjoyed meeting so many interesting and interested people. It was cool to have one of our events at the Theater at the Ace Hotel - an amazing old theater that's recently been restored.  It was gorgeous.  I also had some good food - after reading about the restaurant Eggslut, I was keen on trying one of their breakfast sandwiches.  I thought the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich was terrific; the soft brioche bun soaked up the yummy runny egg and the chipotle ketchup.  Oh, and their cold brew coffee was delicious, too.  I also enjoyed the skirt steak taco at Public School and the crab cakes with passion fruit buerre blanc at Yard House.  I had a whole list of places I wanted to try, but as usual, there just wasn't enough time.  I'll put some fun photos at the bottom.

Wimbledon also played a big part in my L.A. trip - I was so happy that Jet Blue had Direct TV on board so I could watch the men's semifinals on the flight out west, it made the trip go so much faster.  And being out west meant I could wake up early and watch my tennis crush, Roger Federer, win again.  I have to admit there was crying; I knew he could win the major titles again, but I had no idea he could come back from his injury layoff this strongly. I'm just trying to relax and enjoy his run while it lasts.  But the anticipation for the US Open could get to be too much as the summer goes on...

I just want to quickly mention that this jet lag has been kicking my butt and I have been a crabby mess since I got back. I'm happy that I had a reservation to see Indecent  again when I got back.  Seeing it again cheered me a great deal - this time, I sat in the mezzanine (both of my other visits had me sitting very close in the orchestra) and I really enjoyed it up there.  I could appreciate the expert direction even more from up there and I could also hear some things I hadn't heard before, since my focus differed.  I loved the show yet again and hope it gets extended one more time (though I doubt it will), I would love to take my mom when she's here for tennis week.  It's been a long time since I've wanted to return to a show multiple times and I'm enjoying the feeling.  I'm also rather excited that my last two and my next three shows are all written by women - I don't know exactly if that's what will cheer me, but I'm certainly optimistic and looking forward to some new points of view...

ABT 2017 - Tchaikovsky Spectacular Spectacular

You're thinking of Moulin Rouge now, aren't you?  Hee hee.  If you aren't, sorry.  I had the good fortune to see ABT's final program of the summer twice this week, so I thought I'd just add another 'Spectacular' for fun.  And fun is what I had, both nights!  Sorry, this will be a bit of a long post - it takes me a long time to talk about eight ballets!

Monday night, I dragged my sorry self off the long-holiday-weekend-couch to see program one of Tchaikovsky Spectacular.  Included that night were four short ballets, all with music by Tchaikovsky (of course) - Mozartiana, Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, and AfterEffect.  It was interesting to see two classic pieces alongside two contemporary pieces, and all with music by Tchaikovsky, perhaps the quintessential ballet composer.

photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

Mozartiana was one of the last ballets choreographed by the great George Balanchine and it is certainly lovely.  Tchaikovsky's music was composed as an homage to Mozart, so the piece as a whole feels like an homage to music and dance.  The curtain opens to a ballerina, surrounded by four young girls, and they proceed to do a very solemn, soulful opening bit.  The lead ballerina Monday was Veronika Part, who I find to be lovely in every way.  There's a little bit of offstage drama here - it was announced over the weekend that Part's contract wasn't renewed, so she's sort of being forced to retire.  Monday was her first performance since that news came out (and Saturday will be her final performance, again in this ballet; I will miss her). I think there were some uber-fans in the audience, because they continually screamed BRAVA for her, whenever she finished a variation. People also threw flowers at her at the end of the ballet, and she was quite visibly moved.

Going back to the ballet, after that first lovely variation, then there was a sprightly solo for Daniil Simkin, who has such lightness and quickness, he charmed everyone, though he did seem a little more serious than usual.  Perhaps he thought that humor wasn't appropriate in a Balanchine piece, because he normally has great joie de vivre when he dances.  After his solo, there was a variation done very nicely by four soloists, then Blaine Hoven came out to dance a final pas de deux with Part.  It was also quite nice, though he seems lacking in personality, but, again, maybe they feel like they need to tamper down their personalities in this ballet.  Hm. Part doesn't tamper anything down, I don't think, she just oozes grace and beauty with each step - she just flows in and out of the movement, which was gorgeous to see.  I was remembering her performance fondly when I saw the ballet again on Wednesday (more on that later).  I think this was the first time I've seen Mozartiana, though I could be wrong, I frequently am, and I enjoyed it very much.  You all know I love pure dance, and it was bittersweet to see one of my favorites for the last time.

(from the internet, not the cast I saw)

After a lengthy intermission, they performed a new-to-ABT ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, Souvenir d'un lieu cher, choreographed for the Dutch National Ballet in 2012. This was an interesting piece, though a little too 'schticky' for my tastes.  Two couples, Stella Abrera & Marcelo Gomes and Sarah Lane & Alban Lendorf, do simultaneous pas de deux, though on occasion it seems as if they're trying to switch partners, but can't.  The steps are gorgeous and the dancing was even more so, but the miming was distracting to me.  I would've preferred just dance, and no vague acting out of a story that wasn't very clear to begin with, but maybe that's me.  There was some gorgeous movement and they moved through space beautifully - there was one step where the gentlemen were supporting the ladies' pirouettes from behind that was breathtaking; I don't even know how that was possible! But all four dancers were gorgeous and I enjoyed seeing the piece, though I don't think it will become one of my favorites.

After a brief pause, then came Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.  This is a very famous eight-minute piece, choreographed by Balanchine in the 60s.  The music was originally written for Swan Lake, but was lost for many years until Balanchine discovered it.  I've seen it before a few times and it's always fun.  It moves quickly and has a lot of abandon and air in it.  I was glad to see two of my newer favorites, Isabella Boylston and Joseph Gorak would be dancing it. They were fine, better in their solos than in their duets, but their final fishdives were very tentative and lacking any oomph (or abandon), and the last lift, though not disastrous like I've seen previously, was very brief and ended before the curtain came down.  Maybe the partnering is what's keeping Gorak from becoming a principal.  He does seem to struggle with the lifts (and he had an issue on Wednesday night as well, which I'll mention later). But I enjoyed seeing them tackle the piece and hope for more verve from them in future performances.

photo credit: Andrea Mohin

The final piece of the evening was AfterEffect, choreographed by Marcelo Gomes, who I think could have a nice career as a choreographer once his dancing days are over in another twenty years or so (I can't bear to think of him not dancing, he is so sublime).  I have to say I didn't love some of the 'steps,' per se, but I did love the movement, the stage patterns, and the shapes the dancers made on stage.  That huge stage was used beautifully and I think Gomes used the dancers very well, too.  There was also a wonderful theatricality and energy about the whole thing, which I appreciated. The piece seems to be an allegory, with a Man (danced by James Whiteside) who loses his woman (danced by Misty Copeland), but finds hope with another man (Zhiyao Zhang). The storytelling was pretty clear, if a little simplistic, and all of the dancers were totally committed to their roles. I was especially happy to see my ABT MVP, Roman Zhurbin, dance a non-charactery role and he was wonderful.  Strong, powerful, and always interesting.  I'm very intrigued to see what kind of dance Gomes develops next.

I bought a ticket for an additional Tchaikovsky Spectacular because I so wanted to see David Hallberg dance again.  You may remember some of my reviews of past ABT performances starring David - I just think he is a spectacularly beautiful dancer.  I was lucky enough to meet him once, thanks to a wonderful friend, and David was as generous backstage as he is onstage.  He's been injured and he thought perhaps he'd never dance again.  Thankfully, after three years, he's back on stage.  I was thrilled to catch him in a performance.

The program was two of the same pieces as Monday, and two different pieces.  That made for a pleasant evening of compare/contrast and enjoyment.  First up was another Mozartiana, with Christine Shevchenko and David Hallberg as the main couple and Daniil Simkin again as the soloist.  Christine was lovely in the ballet, though I didn't feel the same connection from one step to the next, as I did when Veronika Part danced the role Monday. Christine's steps, to me, didn't flow throughout, but I'm sure that will come when she does the role more frequently.  David was glorious in his solos, not bland at all.  His legs and feet are so elegant, they're just beautiful.  I will admit that it seemed as if he got a little confused with his step sequence in one tiny section, because he seemed to be doing something no one else was doing, but it was quickly fixed and not a huge issue.  I haven't seen any mention of it in any online postings about the performance, so maybe I saw something that wasn't there, but it did look like a bobble to me.  I'm glad to have seen Mozartiana twice in one week and I hope to see it many more times, it's just lovely and pure and transporting, no matter who dances it.  And I'm so thankful David Hallberg is back where he belongs.

photo credit: Jack Vartoogian

After an intermission, there was another performance of Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, only this time with Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside.  Now, these two went for the gusto! There was bold dancing that maybe wasn't as technically 'pretty' as the other pair from Monday, but it was exciting and strong.  I enjoyed them very much.

Next was a pas de deux from Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, with Hee Seo and Marcelo Gomes.  This was exquisitely beautiful, though maybe some of the quirky touches didn't work as well out of context of the whole ballet (for example, the part where Hee Seo dances offstage, then peeks at the audience from behind the curtain seemed silly without seeing the scene that happens before the pas de deux).  And I think I saw Seo fall out of a pirouette and Marcelo had to reeeeeeeach over to get her, but it was quick and didn't really mar the beautiful mood they created.  As always, Marcelo was divine and princely and the perfect partner.  The audience went nuts for this piece, which was great to see.

Then, after a very long intermission, we saw Aurora's Wedding from Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty.  I've enjoyed seeing this new Sleeping Beauty, but I'm not sure that seeing this last scene without the build-up of what comes before in the ballet, is entirely successful. I liked each of the little pieces for the storybook characters, but there didn't seem to be much of a build or celebratory quality, since we didn't see what comes before.  I guess this is where my "I like the stories" bias comes in.  But I did enjoy watching the various partners dance their pieces.  Ratmansky has added two bits, one originally choreographed by Nijinska and one by De Valois, which were fun to see, but they both used music that's now used in The Nutcracker, so that took me out of things a bit.  But it was again delightful to see Roman Zhurbin do some dancing and not just wear a crazy costume and do some terrific miming. 

photo credit: Michelle V Agins

Herman Cornejo was supposed to dance the prince, but he is injured, so he was replaced by Joseph Gorak.  He is just a beautiful Prince Desire, but he did almost drop Cassandra Trenery in one of the fishdives at the end of the pas de deux.  Thankfully, he didn't drop all the way to the ground on his knee, but it seemed precarious for a moment.  It was a sad bobble on his part, because the rest of their pas de deux was lovely.  Luciana Paris was a terrific Diamond Fairy and Sarah Lane & Gabe Stone Shayer were terrific in the Bluebird pas de deux.

All in all, I enjoyed myself a great deal, both times, at the Tchaikovsky Spectacular.  I got to see a lot of dancers do a lot of dancing, so that's always a good thing.  I'm already in my post-ballet-withdrawal, though, so I guess it's time to start thinking about making visits to Lincoln Center for the fall season.  I'm also terribly excited to see Matthew Bourne's new ballet at City Center this fall, so there's some great dancing to come, I just have to be patient, which is never one of my strong suits...

Just Another Summer Friday

In my subway station, there are tons of posters advertising the new Center for Women's History at the New York Historical Society.  I've never been to the Historical Society before, so I figured now was as good a time as any to take a look.  Summer Fridays are good for that kind of thing...

First, let me tell you about my bus ride uptown.  It was a little too warm for me to walk the 30-plus blocks to the museum, so I took an uptown bus.  I get on in midtown, near 44th Street. Once I had my seat, a woman hit the 'Stop Requested' button to get off at the next stop.  The bus pulled over, but no one moved.  The driver shouted back, "Didn't someone want to get off?"  A woman replied, "Sorry, I want to get off at 57th Street." So off we went.  When we got near 57th Street, the woman went up to the front of the bus and said, "Well, maybe I want to get off at 74th Street instead."  The bus driver said she could get off wherever she wanted, but she stood there and continued to debate, mainly with herself, whether she should get off at 57th Street or 74th Street.  After her debate, she decided to get off on 61st Street (I don't know where that came into the equation). We get to 61st Street and she says, "Never mind, I'll get off at 74th Street."  So the bus pulls away from 61st Street and starts to move uptown.  She suddenly screams, "Oh my god, I've missed my stop, I have to go back! Go back!"  The driver says, "Yeah, we're not going back, do you want off here?"  She says, "No."  We go a few more blocks and then she gets off the bus.  And way before 74th Street.  It was the craziest thing.

I walked over to the Historical Society - it's really big in there! I'll just say up front that there were so many interesting things to see that I didn't see them all.  Even in the lobby, there was so much to look at.  I should've had lunch before I went, because hunger caused me to miss a few things, but I figure I'll need to go back anyway.  I'll want to see what the Center for Women's History comes up with next!  I certainly felt as if I got my money's worth on this Summer Friday excursion...

After paying my entrance fee, which included a ticket to a movie about New York they show every half hour, and a coupon for 10% off a purchase at the book store.  I was happy to use that discount, because there was much for me to purchase there!  But first, I went to the fourth floor and the Center for Women's History.  I figured since it was the thing I wanted to see most, I should start there.  This is from their website: "Our new Center for Women’s History—the first of its kind in the nation within the walls of a major museum—reveals the untold stories of women who have shaped and continue to shape the American experience. As a hub for scholarship and education, the new Center demonstrates how women across the spectrum of race, class, and culture exercised power and effected change before they could even access the ballot box. Guided by a committee of distinguished historians and informed by the latest research, the Center features permanent installations, temporary exhibitions, and a vibrant array of talks and programs, enriching the cultural landscape of New York City and ushering in a new era of historical discovery."

Interesting stuff.  I started at "Saving Washington," the first exhibition in the new gallery. This exhibit celebrated the contribution of women to the formation of this country - the main focus was Dolley Madison and her influence over Washington D.C., but there were other aspects about the female experience in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as well.  There were a lot of interactive pieces, with voice-overs, readings and computer renderings, along with found objects, such as silver and china.  The exhibit was just filled to the brim with interesting artifacts and information I didn't previously know. I was in that exhibit for quite some time, which I think freaked out the security guard.  He just started following me around; I don't know if he thought I was going to steal something or if he was just stunned I was there for so long.  I practically had the gallery to myself the entire time, most everyone else was in the Tiffany lamp exhibit, which was exquisite (I had no idea most of the designs were executed by a woman AND she was from Ohio!) and I spent a lot of time there myself (I'll put photos below), but I don't know why people were skipping the "Saving Washington" exhibit.  I found it fascinating.  Oh, and you know, Alexander Hamilton was everywhere.  Would I have noticed without the musical? Or would it have even been there without the musical?  I did ponder these questions as I walked around...

The fourth floor hallway also had a lot of wonderful stuff to experience - there was a small exhibit dedicated to Billie Jean King - I saw two of her rackets, a tennis dress, and some fun stuff from her match with Bobby Riggs.  Very cool. There was also a multimedia installation called "Women's Voices," which had a bunch of different notable women speaking about equality. Very interesting.  Further down the hallway, there was a beautiful stretch of American silver, including the oldest teapot made in New York, various trophies and pieces from Tiffany, and a sword dating around Civil War-time.  Lovely stuff. Further down the hallway was an exhibit called "Objects Tell Stories," which I'll admit I sort of raced through because of the hungry thing and there was SO MUCH TO LOOK AT, I got overwhelmed.  There was a bit about 9/11, which made me sad, so I guess I'll just have to go back and check out this exhibit another time.

Jane Peterson, "Red Cross Work Room 5th Avenue, NYC during the War"

I went downstairs to find the coffee shop, got lost, never found it, then decided to see the New York movie, "New York Story," narrated by Liev Schreiber, which (according to the website) "illuminates the story of the nation by exploring the story of New York and its rise from a remote outpost to a city at the center of the world, through immersive video projection, moving scenic elements, theatrical lighting, and surround sound."  It WAS pretty cool, especially the way the screens moved in and out, making the film almost look 3D. After the movie, I wandered into the exhibit "World War One Beyond the Trenches," which took a look at American artists' renderings of what was happening during WW1. There was some powerful art in there - maybe too powerful.  It just made me sad, so I didn't linger. I did get a couple of pictures of amazing art, which I'll include at the bottom. The one at left I got from the internet.

Finally, I went back up to the third floor to wander through the JFK photo exhibit, the Thomas Jefferson exhibit with many of his architectural renderings and gardening elevations, and then the highlights of the permanent collection, which had some delightful paintings, but most excitingly included a magnificent theater curtain, painted by Pablo Picasso for a 1919 ballet, Le Tricorne. Apparently, this curtain had been used as a tapestry at the Four Seasons restaurant, but since I have never been there, I have never seen this piece before.  It's glorious - enormous and vibrant (not in color, but in design and movement).  There was even a little video of the ballet alongside, so that was a treat.  Again, there was no one in this room, but there were crowds of people talking about JFK and Jackie outside the hall.  Oh well.  Those photos WERE cool, but still.  I spent about three hours at the museum and didn't see everything - I have to go back soon.  I highly recommend your taking the time to check out the NY Historical Society, too!

treat for myself from the book store!