On The Town: The Kite Runner

The reason for my whirlwind “On the Town” tour? My friend Beejan Land was in “The Kite Runner” on Broadway; when he alerted me that it was closing on October 30, it was a no-brainer that I would tack on 24 hours in NYC before heading to Philly for Mom’s 90th. Natch, Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) accompanied me, as she loves Broadway/theatre ALMOST as much as she loves Shirley.



Playing at the Hayes Theater on West 44th, I knew very little about “The Kite Runner” (I hadn’t read the book yet). Each time I would mention to someone that I was going to see it, I got the scrunched up face and a deep inhale, followed by “Ooh...that one is a real downer!”



The theater itself was lovely; small and intimate, it is the perfect place to get absorbed in an engaging production. Built in 1912, the neo-Georgian style building has a number of gorgeous light fixtures inside.



I probably could have done without the wacky paint on the walls, but I am guessing (hoping) it is only temporary and was only there for “The Kite Runner.” Apparently, the façade and PARTS of the interior are historic landmarks. How does one pick and choose?



The theater was named after Helen Hayes in 1983 but the current owners dropped “Helen” in 2018. Poor Helen. Lost in the shuffle. I wonder who she honked off?



These are the details I love:



The set for the opening of the play:



My thoughts on the “The Kite Runner”? Yes, the themes and the storyline are dark and heavy, which is not a problem for me as long as there is balance. The idea of redemption and how it occurs always fascinates me. Glimpses of humor are sprinkled throughout, but when one of the few rays of hope occurs at the last minute, it seems a bit out of place. The main fault I found in the production was the lead actor, Amir Arison. His performance lacked subtlety and nuance; he played the role instead of living it. I would love to see the play again with a different actor who understands the needs of an important story such as this one. The rest of the cast was stellar, with special kudos to Eric Sirakian, Faran Tahir, Azita Ghanizada, and Amir Malaklou. One other small gripe is with the trend of having actors perform double roles. I can only guess it is a matter of economy, but at times, it becomes jarring. Eric Sirakian plays one of the leads, yet also has a minor part as a vendor at a market. Was this really necessary? It only serves to pull the audience out of the experience and make them wonder who they are watching.



It was good to visit with Beejan after the play back at the Iroquois. I look forward to seeing what he chooses to play in next.



See more New York City photos at my main website.

On The Town: Carmine's

Whenever I visit New York City, Carmine’s is a must. It’s one of the few restaurant chains that I support, mainly because it has a neighborhood feel. From their website:

Carmine’s is a family style restaurant offering exceptional value to its guests through the many dishes of Southern Italian cuisine. Restaurateur Artie Cutler crafted Carmine’s with a singular vision; bringing his guests “wow-factor” sized portions and making any meal feel like an Italian American wedding feast. Carmine’s first location opened August 14, 1990 at 2450 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The classic decor of this flagship Carmine’s evokes the image of marquee New York restaurants that made this city into what it is today. With elements drawn from America’s “Golden Age”, Carmine’s has the quintessential NYC feel, resonating with its customers and looking like it has always been a part of the Upper West Side- and always will be!

I couldn’t have stated it better. I’ve dined at the Upper West Side location, but the one I typically frequent is near Times Square. It had been over four years since I last dined it, so there was no doubt it would have to be squeezed into my “On The Town” itinerary. Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) and I had tickets for the “Kite Runner” that night, so Carmine’s was the obvious choice for dinner beforehand. Her delightful daughter was able to join us.



Friend, co-author, and good recipient of a lot of ribbing: that’s Melissa in a nutshell. Emphasis on “nut.”



The paintings and photos on the wall really do make you feel like you walked into an old Italian restaurant from days gone by.



Neon!



Unfortunately, I was too overwhelmed with hunger to take photos of the legendary Chicken Parmigiana. Trust me…it was worth the wait! From a previous visit with my friend Christy:



Her smile says it all. This place rocks!



Here’s a shot of my Dad in honor of Veterans Day and for all those who served to protect our country. Gratitude doesn’t even cover what you gave up for our freedom.

See more Carmine’s photos at my main website.

On The Town: Iroquois Hotel

Two things got me hooked me on actor James Dean: the biography The Mutant King by David Dalton and my multiple trips Fairmount, Indiana, where he grew up on his Aunt and Uncle’s farm. This famous shot of Dean by Dennis Stock shows him in Times Square on a very rainy day, circa 1955. Nearby is the Iroquois Hotel, where the struggling young actor lived from 1951-1953 when he first arrived in New York City. Naturally, it has been on my bucket list, and on my whirlwind “On The Town” visit, I was able to check it off my list.



The Midtown Manhattan location is out of this world; steps from Times Square and the theatres, I never had to hail a cab/Lyft/Uber.



Designed by Harry Mulliken, the Iroquois opened in 1902 and functioned as both an apartment complex and a hotel. The Wigwam Bar opened at the hotel in 1939 and contained images of the pilgrims and Native Americans. Currently, it is considered one of the luxury boutique properties that are part of the Triumph Hotel brand. The hotel’s website says this: Since its debut in Midtown Manhattan, The Iroquois has undergone renovations to upgrade its luxury accommodations and public spaces, while maintaining its historic roots and architectural integrity.



First, let me say that the staff at The Iroquois was amazing; kind, helpful, and genuine, they were a very large appeal besides the great location. On the negative side, I found the interior of the hotel too sleek. The aesthetic is one that has swept many older properties that are scrubbed clean of their history in order to turn them into something that would appeal to the hipsters with $$. Please keep in mind this is only my opinion; when I travel I prefer to stay in hotels that are clean (which the Iroquois definitely was), but still exhibit nooks and crannies of history. True, one of the rooms off the lobby had some photos of Dean and Marilyn Monroe, but those seemed like manufactured/minimal touches that were shoehorned into the space.



My room delivered exactly what it promised: a view of the Chrysler building. Was it worth the extra money I paid? Probably not, as I could have experienced the same visual just walking along the sidewalk. Being on the eleventh floor did not warrant the experience enough for the $$. My friend Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) also stayed at the Iroquois. She chose not to pay the extra money and she had a view of a brick wall, so I guess I should be grateful!



The room felt spacious, clean, and had everything I needed (including the iron!).



The window with a view, which would have been a great place for me to finish writing my book had I stayed in New York long enough!



The bathroom was good sized and also well-appointed.



Once I settled in, I immediately made my way up to the 8th floor to see room 803, where Dean lived.



There was no plaque acknowledging Dean, which I had seen on multiple websites. The front desk staff told me that CMG Worldwide, the company that manages the James Dean “brand” had told them they needed to pay a licensing fee to use his name, otherwise the plaque had to be removed. I could not believe it. I seriously doubt that Dean’s surviving cousin, Marcus Winslow, is aware of this travesty. Stay tuned I as I attempt to rectify this travesty! 



Call me crazy, but the only time I felt connected to Dean and the history of the hotel was when I took the staircase. This one area exuded the history and probably not-so-glamorous past of the apartment building where the young actor stayed.



Would I recommend the Iroquois as a place to stay? Definitely. Are there other choices more appropriate for those who feel the same way I do? Definitely. It’s all about personal taste. I do regret that because I was there for such a short time that I didn’t explore the hotel more and see their bar, The Lantern’s Keep, or check out the fitness center. Also - the hotel is pet friendly. A huge plus!

One more semi-historic tidbit about the Iroquois: The Clash wrote "Rock The Casbah" while staying here. See more Iroquois Hotel photos at my main website.

On The Town: The Algonquin

I’m dubbing my recent trip to NYC the “On The Town” tour. If you’ve seen the movie, you understand. If you haven’t, just know that I only had 24 hours in the Big Apple, so I had to make every minute count. One of the photography items on my bucket list was the famed Algonquin Hotel. Here’s the 411 on the famed hotel gleaned/edited from the PBS website:

The period that followed the end of World War I was one of gaiety and optimism, and it sparked a new era of creativity in American culture. Surely one of the most profound — and outrageous — influences on the times was the group of a dozen or so tastemakers who lunched together at New York City’s Algonquin Hotel. For more than a decade they met daily and came to be known as the Algonquin Round Table. With members such as writers Dorothy Parker, Harold Ross (founder of The New Yorker magazine) and Robert Benchley; columnists Franklin Pierce Adams and Heywood Broun, and Broun’s wife Ruth Hale; critic Alexander Woollcott; comedian Harpo Marx; and playwrights George S. Kaufman, Marc Connelly, Edna Ferber, and Robert Sherwood, the Round Table embodied an era and changed forever the face of American humor.



It all began with an afternoon roast of the New York Times drama critic, Alexander Wollcott. A number of writers met up at the Algonquin Hotel on 44th street and had such a good time that the event was repeated the next day, and the day after that, until the lunch table at the Algonquin was established as a ritual. The core group of friends was sometimes joined by others who attended for short periods or drifted about the periphery of the group, including such notables as actress Tallulah Bankhead and playwright Noel Coward. The Round Table was made up of people with a shared admiration for each other’s work. Outspoken and outrageous, they would often quote each other freely in their daily columns.



Round Tabler Edna Ferber, who called them “The Poison Squad,” wrote, “They were actually merciless if they disapproved. I have never encountered a more hard-bitten crew. But if they liked what you had done, they did say so publicly and whole-heartedly.” Their standards were high, their vocabulary fluent, fresh, astringent, and very, very tough. Both casual and incisive, they had a certain terrible integrity about their work and boundless ambition. Some of the most notable members of the Round Table came together to work on significant collaborative projects.



By 1925, the Round Table was famous. What had started as a private clique became a public amusement. The country-at-large was now attentive to their every word—people often coming to stare at them during lunch. Some began to tire of the constant publicity. The time they spent entertaining and being entertained took its toll on several of the Algonquin members. Robert Sherwood and Robert Benchley moved out of the hotel in order to concentrate on and accomplish their work. In 1927, the controversial execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, whose case had divided the country and the Round Table for six years, seemed to cast a pall over the group’s unchecked antics. Dorothy Parker believed strongly in the pair’s innocence, and upon their deaths she remarked “I had heard someone say and so I said too, that ridicule is the most effective weapon. Well, now I know that there are things that never have been funny and never will be. And I know that ridicule may be a shield but it is not a weapon.”



As America entered the Depression and the more somber decade of the 1930s, the bonds that had held the group together loosened; many members moved to Hollywood or on to other interests. “It didn’t end, it just sort of faded,” recalled Marc Connelly. A decade after it began, the Algonquin Round Table was over. Not forgotten, the Round Table remains one of the great examples of an American artists’ community and the effects it can have on its time.



A mural by Carl Purcell hangs overhead in the hotel lobby, showing some of the Roundtable members. Dorothy Parker is seated on the left and Harold Ross is in the middle reading a copy of the New Yorker. Woollcott is leaning over Ross and I am guessing that Harpo Marx (sans wig) is the one directly above Ross with the large bow tie.

Although I didn’t stay at the Algonquin, I did stop by for breakfast and (of course) photos.



I was able to see the most famous resident of the hotel, Hamlet. From their website:

Almost 40 years have passed since the hotel housed a Hamlet. He is the 8th Hamlet following three Matildas. Hamlet is named after famed resident John Barrymore, in honor of his greatest stage role. Daily brushing, birthday parties, fashion show benefits. From Rags to Riches, Hamlet was found in a feral colony on Long Island and now delights fascinated guests of the Algonquin.



I was told by the staff that Hamlet used to have free rein of the hotel until somebody “ratted him out” (oooh, that hurts, but that’s what they said) to the Board of Health. Now he is confined to the lobby desk area.



The lobby area and restaurant were bustling with activity, and although they had obviously been remodeled over the years, still maintained a number of historical touches.



I probably should have stayed here instead, but that story is for another post.



See more Algonquin Hotel in New York City photos at my main website.

Friday with Fonda

This color image from 1967 shows Jane Fonda filming “Barefoot in the Park” in New York City. While many of the exteriors and all of the interiors were filmed on the soundstages at Paramount Studios, there is quite a bit of footage that takes place on location. The star can be seen going under the Washington Square Arch in Greenwich Village as she attempts to find her drunk husband (Robert Redford). Naturally she finds him walking barefoot in the park.

Here’s a vintage 1949 image from my collection of Washington Square:

…and one that I took myself back in 2011. Jane Fonda decided not to meet me there.

See more photos at my main website.

Sherry for the New Year

The Sherry-Netherland Hotel was the tallest hotel/apartment building when it opened in 1927. Today’s first image shows MGM actress and singer Jane Powell standing in front of the hotel as the bellman hails her a cab. Judy Garland used the hotel for a little get together with reporters in 1945 to promote her dramatic film “The Clock.”

Here she is again at the Sherry with Sid Luft on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1952. She was in town to sing at Ann and Jack Warner’s party for their daughter Barbara, held at the St. Regis Hotel. The private New Year’s Eve party at The Sherry was given by “Friends of Charlie Cushing,” and guests included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Duke and Judy harmonized at the piano; that must have been something to witness in person!

Judy’s February 1964 stay at the Sherry was not quite as pleasant; she slipped in her three-room suite, resulting in a mild concussion which required a hospital check-up. Here’s a contemporary exterior view from 2016 that I shot during one of my visits to NYC:

Scrolling through ebay, I found a few vintage promotional items, like this ashray:

A matchbook:

This delightfully vintage advertisement. Don’t you love the pretentious alliteration? “Distinctive Domiciles for People of Distinction.”

See more Sherry-Netherland Hotel photos at my main website.