Summer RW 2019 - Cipriani Wall Street

I know, I know, I am shamefully behind in blogging.  I have a post in my head about the Encores Off-Center series and I've also seen a few other new plays, but I just don't have the time to blog.  I apologize.  All I can do is try to do better.  Which won't happen until later in August...

Anyway, you all know Restaurant Week is my favorite time of the year!  I've been so busy, I've only scheduled one lunch so far, but I'm hoping to choose a couple more spots in the near future.  Last week, for a Summer Friday, I went with an office chum to Cipriani Wall Street.  I've long heard of Cipriani and I've long known that they are a pricey, old-time sort of place.  But the menu looked tasty and I generally enjoy a trip downtown.  



I really need to learn to stop taking my phone's GPS directions as gospel - almost always, when I go way downtown, my Google directions go haywire.  For some reason, I'm continually walking in the opposite direction.  And so it happened last week - thankfully, we caught it in time and arrived only a few minutes late for our lunch reservation.  Most of the customers were seated on the very nice veranda; my office chum and I decided we wanted to stay in the shade (and air conditioning), so we were the only party seated inside for lunch.

Cipriani Wall Street is definitely old-school, country club sort of place.  It's in a landmarked building, which is cool, with a Greek revival facade.  Lunch is served in the less formal area of the building, in Club 55, so we didn't get to see the famed 70-foot ceiling with a Wedgewood dome, but that's ok.  I probably would've felt out of place having a Summer Friday lunch in a place that swanky.

I was a little disappointed that the lunch menu I saw online was not the lunch menu that was offered last Friday.  I had been looking forward to the burrata and the linguine with clams!  But I guess $26 beggars can't be choosers.  I did, however, break the bank and get a bellini.  The Cipriani/Harry's Bar bellinis are quite famous, so I decided I needed to try one.  It was exceedingly delicious, with just the right amount of white peach puree and prosecco.  It was the perfect refreshing beverage for a very hot day.  I'm glad I splurged to try it.

For my appetizer, I chose the prosciutto cotto with provolone.  It was tasty and a pretty big portion.  I prefer prosciutto raw, instead of cooked, but that's ok.  The cheese was also very fresh and tasty.  It went very nicely with the bread basket our server gave us.  I will say that I expected a perhaps fancier plating, but I guess that's not part of their appeal.

For my main course, I got the sea bass with lemon and capers, served with rice pilaf.  Again, the food was delicious and portioned nicely.  And, again, it was rather a dull plating.  But the fish was perfectly prepared, with a crisp exterior and moist interior.  The sauce was perfectly balanced between lemon, butter, and capers, and the rice was perfectly fluffy.  I ate every last bit of it (and ate a little bit more bread to get all that yummy sauce).  There was just nothing exciting about it.  Delicious, but not exciting.  

Our server brought around the dessert tray (you can get an a la carte dessert for an extra cost), and they all looked delicious, but we opted not to get one.  My cocktail was pricey and dessert-y, so I figured that was good for me.  The strawberry shortcake looked amazing, though.  I guess I could go back and give it a try sometime, though, like most restaurants I choose for Restaurant Week, it's not really a 'go back time and again' place.  It's a pricey, special occasion locale, which is just fine.  One thing that's really nice about Cipriani Wall Street is that they have a very Italian notion about their dining service - the servers aren't intrusive and you can be there as long as you like.  That was fun.  I had a grand time chatting and laughing with my office chum, and I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious lunch plus cocktail.  Who needs every meal to be exciting?  I guess there's always room for tried, true, and reliable.  

What You Should See Right Now - recommendations

I have been very fortunate lately to catch moving and complex work that tells stories which are new to me and necessary to the world we live in now.  I'm grateful to brave producers for presenting them and I hope audiences will seek them out.  But, because I am in complete brain freeze at the moment due to work (excuse me, but summer is for regrouping, not working harder than ever!), I'm only going to offer brief recommendations for shows you should GO SEE RIGHT NOW (seriously, go buy tickets right now):

Bar Dykes - presented by TOSOS at the Flea Theater.  This play, written by Merril Mushroom in the 1980s but getting its NY premiere here, tells the story of a lesbian bar in the 1950s.  Well, the story of a lesbian bar but also so much more.  Everything, really, about a group of women you don't see on stage nearly enough. The theater space is small, so it's as if you're in the bar, hearing the lives of these women play out right in front of you.  The cast is absolutely sublime, their stories are funny/sad/heartbreaking and I loved every minute of this theatrical experience.  How far we have come and how far we have to go in recognizing everyone's humanity is presented in a terrifically directed and acted production.  The show runs until August 3, so I mean it, get your tickets now.  You're not going to see a show like this again soon.

the way she spoke - presented by Audible Theater at the Minetta Lane.  Isaac Gomez has written a powerful piece of theater that explores the trauma of the missing and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico, and also the role of the artist in exposing these traumas.  Kate del Castillo plays all of the roles - a version of herself as an actress called in to read this 'script,' the stand-in for the playwright who reports on how he put the script together, and also other important people in the victims' lives.  There is humor, yes, but also the play is unsparing in its depiction of the tragedy of patriarchy.  Character after character was drawn with empathy and compassion, except for the soldiers, who were depicted with all of their venality and privilege.  the way she spoke has beautiful dialogue telling an ugly story, even while it's trying to consider the way art can heal and help people move forward.  It's moving and unique and special and you should go see it right now.  I was also so lucky to be able to witness the post-show talkback between Isaac and playwright Luis Alfaro.  They were so generous and humble and insightful, talking about their process and their responsibility to their community.  It was an amazing coda to an incredible piece of theater.  I cried the next day when relating the evening to my boss - I was just filled with gratitude that I could be in the room with such people and such stories.  It just crystallized for me THESE are the stories I want; THIS is what I want to talk about and learn about.  

A Strange Loop - presented by Playwrights Horizons.  Yes, I returned for a second visit to Michael R. Jackson's amazing musical.  If anything, it's even more devastating (in the best theatrical way) the more you see it.  The performances have deepened (I am telling you, Larry Owens is giving a performance that will stand the test of time, he is absolute genius in this role) and the storytelling is even more detailed and pure.  The music grabs you and the lyrics stun you.  The book scenes are also gut-wrenching - did I mention the subway scene in my first review?  It's one of the best, most specific scenes of character development with a twist that's currently on stage right now.  I cannot recommend this show highly enough.  It's billed as sold out, but there were a few people there who got onto a standby list and who got into the theater.  They were especially thrilled by the show, but really, everyone was.  It was another great night at the theater and if I could see this show every night, I would.  I'm so excited a cast album is being recorded.

All of these shows are done with skill and grace and insight into parts of the human condition that are not regularly seen on stage.  The audiences were filled with people who were so moved to see themselves and their stories on stage and that moved me.  These are the types of show that move me right now - long may they reign.  And please let there be more brave producers willing to give everyone the chance to be moved.

Review - #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment

I'm very fortunate that every now and then, free tickets to new shows come my way.  Often, they're for shows I wouldn't have seen otherwise, so I'm especially grateful.  I recently received a pair of tickets for the new Off-Broadway show #Date Me: An OkCupid Experiment.  A show title with a hashtag in it wouldn't normally be on my radar, but I thought, why not?  A beautiful gal pal came with me and a good time was definitely had.

We first met at Adella, a very cute little wine bar on the west side.  I had the flatbread with smoked mozzarella, figs, and proscuitto, along with a limoncello fizz (limoncello and proseco).  It was a very tasty treat before the show, which just happened to be in the theater across the street.  It was great to catch up with my beautiful gal pal and get some laughs in before the show.

The press information for the show states: "48 million Americans have tried online dating. #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment is the outrageous, true story of one. Robyn is unlucky in love but determined to understand it better, so she logs on to the world’s most popular dating site: OkCupid. Creating 38 “undateable” profiles as an interactive scientific investigation into online dating, Robyn unwittingly sets in motion the social experiment of our generation. Part improv and character driven, with a central story centering on Robyn, a shy vulnerable comic too embarrassed to sign on as her real self, so she creates imaginary comic characters and makes one conclusive result: there’s no algorithm for love."

Sorry, backstory: I halfheartedly tried online dating a couple of times when I was younger.  Whenever I signed up on Match, it kept matching me with a guy with whom I'd already had an unsuccessful date.  So that didn't really give me a positive attitude towards the whole thing.  On another dating site, I asked a prospective match one of the pre-supplied questions and he decided he didn't want to get that personal.  Uh, ok.  I decided I would rather get rejected the old-fashioned way (to my face) and never tried online dating again.  Interestingly, a version of my previous statement was at the top of this show (I grant it's not an original thought, but it sill made me chuckle).

When you walk into the theater, there are screens everywhere, urging you to sign up for the show's app and create a profile.  I thought about it, but then I remembered the 'part improv' piece of the marketing blurb and I decided I didn't want to be part of the show.  It was probably a wise choice.  The show is set up sort of like a Ted Talk or seminar or something, with presentational storytelling, much breaking of the fourth wall, and lots of video technology.  There are also a couple of fun dance numbers, montages, and audience interactions followed by cast improv.

#DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment was actually really fun.  I was surprised at how much genuine laughter it gave me.  It's silly and goofy and high-spirited; my beautiful gal pal and I had a terrific time.  The performers were all fantastic and the audience members selected for the improv/audience participation portions of the evening were really good sports and lots of fun. One thing that keeps you laughing is that the cast frequently reminds you that the profiles and interactions are from actual people.  Real people said the crazy things that came out of the actors' mouths, which just made me laugh even harder at the weird foibles of today's dating scene (of which I am admittedly not a part).  If the messages weren't real, I would think that the script was crazily delusional!   

photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

The rest of the audience also seemed to be getting a real kick out of the production, so it was rather a fun fest.  My beautiful gal pal and I were sitting next to one of the audience participants and she was really a hoot.  I will say that my bad date story would've made a much better bad date story than the one they chose, but...it WAS my choice to sit out of the app and the merriment, so oh well.  But since you're already here, let me share that story with you:

During my time away from NY, I went to a 'bachelor auction' that was a fundraiser for a children's hospital.  I went as a favor to a friend.  When I was looking through the program, I noticed one auction lot that looked just up my alley:  a date to go see Mikhail Baryshnikov dance (this was obviously a number of years ago), with a special dinner beforehand.  I thought the cost seemed reasonable, so I put in a bid at the minimum level indicated.  And I won!  The gent seemed nice enough and we exchanged phone numbers at the end of the evening.

I mean, COME ON!

A couple of weeks later, Mr. Auction Date (let's call him AD, I've repressed his actual name) called to tell me that Baryshnikov was injured and was being replaced by some guy named Nureyev.  I'm like, uh, hello, RUDOLF NUREYEV?!  AD said yeah, he's old, I don't have any interest in seeing him.  I said, he's a superstar, I think it will be great.  AD said, nah, I exchanged our tickets for a Dan Fogelberg concert.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I tell you that I found Dan Fogelberg (a pleasant singer, sure) no acceptable substitute for Nureyev, let alone Baryshnikov, believe me.  Unfortunately, I was too non-confrontational to argue and so I paid way too much money to see Dn Fogelberg.  I have also repressed the concert.  Along with the special dinner, which I have a vague memory of being something picnic-y that we took with us, but I could be wrong about that.  The whole evening is a blur, but I do remember that AD was just so yucky.  There was no second date, clearly.  Ugh.  It's no wonder dating is never at the top of my to-do list - they never go well for me!

Anyway, I would've loved to see the terrific cast of #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment do an improvisational rap about THAT bad date, but I guess some things might be too much for the universe.  If you go see the show (and if you can get a good discount, I'd recommend it as a fun and silly summer diversion), you have my permission to use my bad date story to see if it gets you on stage.  You never know! 

ABT 2019 - The Sleeping Beauty

Oh, much sadness fills the land because ballet season is over for another year.  At least ABT has announced some very cool stuff for the fall season, so I have that to look forward to.  But knowing that I had ballet every week has been getting me through some trying times in the office.  Hopefully, they will now blow over (though I'm so worn out, this report will probably be a very short one)...

Last night was The Sleeping Beauty; I've missed it since it's been gone!  You may remember that I enjoyed it when they presented this remounting - here are my reviews from 2015 and one from 2016.  I know some people find this version a little less enjoyable because it doesn't really have any bravura dancing, since it's done in late-19th-century style.  But I love it.  I'm such a plot girl, and this version beautifully tells the story of how love can conquer all.  I find the detail and richness of the steps just mine all of the beauty out of Tchaikovsky's score.  The miming throughout is also delightful, not overdone at all.  I wish I had more energy (and cash) to be able to see it again this week before it vanishes for another season.  Oh, and before I forget, the seat neighbor who declared me 'perfect' wasn't there last night, darn it.  The house was really sparse, yet again.  I wish I knew what ABT could do about these dwindling audiences.  

photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

I was very happy to see that my regular subscription night's cast was the divine Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo.  They are my absolute favorite pair at the moment, I think, and they did not disappoint last night.  Lane was exquisite, just beautifully silky and smooth, with gorgeous footwork and amazing balances.  Her Rose Adagio was fantastic, so secure, though one of her balances was marginally shorter - what made it delightful, though, was that one of her suitors was danced by her real-life husband and they just nodded at each other, secure in each other's arms, and moved forward.  It was really lovely.  And Cornejo is just a prince.  A bit aloof, but kind, he then falls desperately in love with the vision of Aurora.  His solos were amazing, so strong and controlled, and their pas de deux were lovely.  You can just see their chemistry and connection in every step.

from the Met webpage

Everyone was terrific last night - Christine Shevchenko was a beautiful Lilac Fairy, the sparkling Skylar Brandt was a fun and flirty Canary, and Devon Teuscher was airy perfection as the Diamond Fairy.  My MVP Roman Zhurbin was again playing the King and he was regal and wonderful.  Blaine Hoven (who may be becoming an MVP, I'll have to keep an eye on him) was delightful as the Bluebird.  All of the kids from the ballet school were really grand and I may have again noticed that young boy who will be an absolute star.  I've got my eye on him, too.

I think this version of The Sleeping Beauty really gets the best out of the dancers - it's not about how high they can jump or how long they keep their leg extended above their head, but how the steps relate to the music and the story.  It's storytelling through movement and I really love it.  I hope they bring it back for years and years to come.  And I hope the warmth of my ballet joy lasts throughout the summer.