New York: A Touch of Culture

New York has many embodiments of identity. The New Yorker would call the five boroughs the center of culture and disregard everything west of the Hudson River as a wasteland. The bubble life of small town folk might sneer suspiciously at Manhattan for to them it holds the opposite of their core values. The foreigner conjures images of the green lady that is Statue of Liberty and the dazzling lights of theater central – Broadway. As a Chicago-land resident for most of my life I hold New York against the light of Chicago, perhaps aware that we got the Windy City nickname from a New York World reporter in the Gilded Age (early 1890’s) that referred to our backwards and corrupt Middle-America city. I’d say we make mobsters, food, sports icons, and corruption famous not because they all hold virtuous qualities (murder and theft not being two of them). New York holds these similar icons, foibles and tragedies as well as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Atlanta does – New York City just seems to move on with a chip on its shoulder.

City planners, elected officials, art patrons and patriotic residents of Chicago and New York underwent a revolution of revitalization since the early 1990’s. The image of the decayed, dying and violent city that unfolded in the large inner cities of America from the 1950’s to the 1980’s had many causes, not the least of them the White Flight to the suburbs and classic American industries turning into rusted factories and urban dystopias – a downside of globalization. Though many of those troubled areas of Chicago’s South and West sides and New York’s Bronx and Brooklyn neighborhoods still exist, those forward thinkers knew to save their beloved cities inside and out and have them be a beacon as much as the Statue of Liberty and the Water Tower were they would have to invest. Neighborhoods were transformed, with some controversial moves, such as with the brutality towards homeless and unemployed in the late 80’s within Manhattan’s East Village. Public art, commerce, mass transit and clean-up efforts were robustly funded, earning bright marks with honorable images in T.V and film and ever increasing tourist industries. 

I came to New York to be awe struck by the modern culture of the inner city, creative food destinations and share the experience of a lifetime with my new fiancé. I’ve highlighted specific cultural journeys I took in Manhattan that perhaps you would like to one day see for yourself.

Broadway (2 shows)

“THEY SAY THE NEON LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT ON BROADWAY
THEY SAY THERE'S ALWAYS MAGIC IN THE AIR”

            George Benson knew a thing or two about his Broadway of old. To visit Broadway you are likely to encounter the ADD liquid crystal, ads-a-plenty, tourist trap that is Times Square. Don’t get me wrong, the phenomenon that American’s watch every New Years Eve feels vivid and overwhelming once you step inside the crowded public square, just south of midtown. One could spend hours staring at the ads, get sucked into a chain store nightmare of the multiple stories of a Disney store or Forever 21. The night turned day by the artificial light of man reminds me of Las Vegas, and Vegas’ strip of Times Square.  I am not sure if New York purists wish that the nudie parlors and dangerous street corners of pre-1995 Times Square would return to spite the odd salute to capitalism.

Peter and the Starcatcher at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on West 47^th

Adapted from the Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson trilogy about Peter Pan and the cast of characters before the events of J.M Barrie’s initial Pan story, this five time Tony award winning production brought children into two hours of wonder and adults back into their adolescence, reminding them now and then to laugh with their awareness of maturity. The adaptation is clever in their Minimalist staging, using ropes to simulate waves and dynamic character actors, some of which play up to seven parts, large and small. All we needed was period costumes, the occasional and laugh till you cry over-the-top performance of Matthew Saldivar as Black Stache (Captain Hook) and supporting cast and you have money well spent. Despite some slow beats in the second act and a so-so performance by my standards for Adam Chanler-Beret as Boy (Peter Pan), Celia Kenan-Bolger’s Molly reminds us that she deserved a Tony. My Ally was upset (perhaps still to this day) that we just missed Christian Borle (Broadway actor and co-star on NBC’s SMASH) as Black Stache.

RENT

Consider the art forms that so influence their field that they change the direction of theater, music, art and film forever. RENT by Jonathan Larson brought youthful exuberance back to theater in 1996 with sympathetic characters, social issues such as AIDS, and a soundtrack that fed off of the alternative rock music craze that I still hold affection for in that decade. Having lived at Broadway’s Nederlander Theater from 1996 to 2008, making RENT the 9^th longest running show in history, it faded away from Broadway for two years to open up productions of any college, small theater or high school who wished to run the show. Re-opening at Off-Broadway at the New World Stages in 2010, I was excited to see RENT in small, intimate theater, much like it would have been in 1995/96 before it became a cultural phenomenon. I enjoyed RENT so much more the second time around, having discussed the characters, the short life of tortured artist/waiter Jonathan Larson and tripped over solo renditions of Seasons of Love and La Vie Boheme in my car. I could have done without a few of the hipster touches to the show and the need I say bad acting but good singing of the Roger. RENT has energy, off the wall humor (especially with this rendition of Over the Moon by the Maureen understudy) and enough heart to remind the audience how important compassion, expression and community can be if we put down the financial ledger for two seconds.

Rockefeller Center

Ally could sense the tickling anticipation I held, ever the Humanities professor, as we walked from our hotel west on 50^th to the brilliant civic project that is Rockefeller Center. Home to NBC studios where the Today Show and SNL are filmed, the center bears the name of the oil rich history and unbridled wealth of the Rockefeller family. Given the task of managing the adjusted for inflation 256 billion dollars made by his miserly, Mr. Burns-like father, John D. Rockefeller Jr, his wife Abby and son Nelson, decided to use a small portion of their wealth in a series of skyscrapers adorned with Art Deco. This was all in place of the original idea of a simple opera house, which eventually became Radio City Music Hall.

Ally and I took a one-hour art tour of the complex, gathering enough interesting material by my estimation to teach an entire lesson. Next time in New York we will take the NBC studio tour. We had our Community, Office and other NBC legendary shows fulfilled with a trip to the studio store, across the way from the glass windows of The Today Show.  

Go up 87 stories to the Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Center) and some of the greatest views of Manhattan are within the palm of your hand. If Ally hadn’t reminded me that we had other things to see to, including our tummies that ached for Bouchon Bakery pastries, I would have stared at the architecture of Manhattan all day from that great height below a cloudless sky on that early Saturday afternoon.

Birdland

Named for the famous Bebop Jazz virtuoso Charlie Parker, Birdland closed down and then moved from the original location on West 52^nd Street to the current location in the Theater District. Once a famous hangout for Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, our last night in New York was spent at Birdland for what was referred to as the ‘Gold Standard of open mic nights.’ Jim Caruso’s Cast Party has been running on Monday evenings for nine years at Birdland, allowing Broadway stars and incredible amateur vocal and musical talent of all ages (we saw a 15 year old Jazz singer and a 17 year old violinist) to perform with a three-piece jazz backup for a packed house. Ally delighted in seeing stars from one of her favorite shows Jersey Boys perform on stage and playfully heckle the hilarious and loose MC Jim Caruso. Though a night at Birdland can be expensive, and the food and drinks in my experience were decent at best, those performances are worth the price at the door.

Ellis Island

Though Ally and I stepped off on Liberty Island to get a look at the lovely copper lady, I could not report much for the majority of the 125 year old structure is under maintenance. She’s an old broad after all. The real treat was Ellis Island for I knew my history resided within those walls that saw millions of immigrants come through its doors from 1892 to 1927. 

Past the gymnasium-like rooms of the entry centers you will find the Family Information room. Here you pay a flat $6 fee to search through registries with help from Ellis Island historians for your ancestors. With an honest tear in my eye I found my Great-Grandfather Stephano’s (I’m named after him) original entry information from 1910 and when he came back in 1920. Letting them take my credit card for a ride with $50 dollars in fees to acquire personal copies of the registry to bring home, I printed out a copy of Stephano’s 1910 manifest as well as the 1921 manifest of my Aunt Anita and Great-Grandma Assuta when they came over in 1921 from Italy. There is a price to pay to know where we come from.  However I am assured that what we do with that information can remind us of the American Dream we make for ourselves much like my ancestors did when they saw the fading copper of the Statue of Liberty and were allowed to pursue their own happiness when they were stamped for entry into the United States.