For years, The CW has been providing us with the most intense and thrilling plot lines, incredible casts, and the most amazing shows.
Two years after the coronavirus pandemic spread through the United States, we are somewhat getting back to what some would call our normal lives. Parks and museums are open, masks are longer required and we can now enjoy the activities that we used to partake in. With the majority of leisures available, we are happy to share that The National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden concert series is officially back! If you have never been to one of their concerts then you are missing out. After a long week of work, school and adulting overall. Those who have not heard of The National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden are a weekly open concert and picnic hosted at Sculpture Garden Pavillion Cafe in Washington DC. Guests are welcome to bring all their picnic essentials for a great evening with various performances. The first week’s performance was a great way to step into the summer. The talented Nataly Merezhuk and company brought such a positive atmosphere. Nataly is a Russian violinist who has emerged herself in the role of the violin in jazz after her extensive classical training. If you would like to see other talented performers like herself at The National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden, here are a few things you need to know:
- You must reserve tickets to attend the concert series. The tickets are available a week prior to the event.
- Be sure to arrive early. Jazz in the Garden has been missed by many so expect a sea of people ready to have a good time.
- Bring refreshments but remember to leave the booze at home. If you are a sangria lover, be sure to purchase at the concert.
- Be sure to have sunscreen, a blanket, and shades!
We all need a place to unwind and Jazz in the Garden is the perfect place for that. Every Friday you will have the chance to see amazing artists while enjoying the weather with friends and family. If you haven’t been yet, you should certainly add The National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden to your list of Summer activities
Are ya 1? Are ya 2? Are ya 3?…and the extension of the “Happy Birthday” song continues, much to the dismay of those dreading adding another year to their tally. Noah Haidle’s latest play (and Broadway debut), Birthday Candles challenges the negative connotations of the passage of time and ideas associated with getting older, as it focuses on aging as the concept of adding tools to life’s toolkit and wisdom to one’s rhetorical autobiography (and on the amount of goldfish and buttery, vanilla cake one can consume).
But truly, what’s in a lifetime? Time doesn’t end when you go to college. Time doesn’t end when you find love. Time doesn’t end if/when you get married. Time doesn’t end when you have kids, grandkids, and then on. Hell, time doesn’t end if you end a first marriage and pivot the direction of your career at age 48. If anything, time moves on and new opportunities are presented to you. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, and everything in between. Birthday Candles touches a bunch of extremely relatable themes such as mental health, questioning one’s self identity, priorities, boundaries, but most importantly (in my opinion) is that it’s never too late.
We had the remarkable opportunity to sit down with Noah and connect on Birthday Candles.
TK: Firstly, what a BRILLIANT piece of work. Congratulations! Poignant, sophisticated, yet casual, relatable, funny yet emotional. How did you go about approaching a piece that could tap into all of those emotions and more?
NH: I knew if I got this one right it could be a very effective play (as opposed to some of the plays I’ve written which have been complete shit), so I tried to approach it with great caution.
TK: Process wise, how long did this take you to write?
NH: Six years. The first word I wrote for this play was in April of 2016 and the last was a week before opening in April of 2022. With a total of just over 15,000 words, that’s like 6.8 words a day, which is pretty much as many as the list of ingredients of mayonnaise. Pretty slow.
TK: One of the things I love most about Birthday Candles is that it shows that life is not perfect, but it happens. People make mistakes. Sometimes huge mistakes, but it’s never too late to change your mind and revisit prior thoughts. Was this theme based on any event(s) in particular for you?
NH: Yes. More than I would prefer.
TK: Debra Messing. That’s it. The way she portrays Ernestine at every stage, it’s remarkable. Do you have a favorite aged Ernestine of hers?
NH: My favorite is her hunched and surly 107 year old. I don’t know if I’ll be so lucky to make it that long, but if I do, I want to be exactly like Debra’s rambunctious yet open hearted 107, including, of course Debra’s otherworldly sense of comedic timing.
TK: Bravo to you for tackling mental health, aging, divorce, illness in relatable and practical ways – what is one key takeaway you wish for audience members to take away from seeing Birthday Candles? (it can be more than one)
NH: That life is a miracle. (Might as well go big, right?)
TK: How many goldfish have you owned in your life?
NH: One. As a kid. Spot. The idea for the play began when I was telling my wife about Spot and she misinterpreted my reminiscences as an expression of deep longing to own another goldfish and surprised me with a new, unwanted goldfish for my birthday. (If you haven’t seen the play, this anecdote will mean nothing, if you haven’t seen the play, you totally should).
We loved chatting with Noah as much as we loved watching his writing play out on stage. With brilliant direction by Vivienne Benesch, this play is funny, heart-wrenching, emotional at its core – a work for all ages.
P.S. – Debra Messing is truly outstanding in this work! What she is able to accomplish in those 100 minutes is beyond impressive and worthy of a visit to the American Airlines Theatre alone.
Birthday Candles is a Roundabout Theatre Company production and runs thru May 29. You can learn more about the show and ticket information by visiting: https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/
Minx, is the newest comedy series out on HBO Max! The show entails an ambitious feminist named Joyce who works alongside Doug, a chirpy magazine publisher, that team up to create the first-ever erotic magazine for women.
The 10th anniversary of the annual Queerty (Queerties) Awards occurred recently in West Hollywood, CA at the EDEN Sunset.
It is hard to believe Super Bowl was already a few weeks ago. But the time-lapse and recent entertainment news makes us realize the power of the NFL.
On February 12, 2022 Patricia Bondaldi presented her Fall collection, and might I say was definitely worth the wait.
“No Exit”, the newest suspense thriller film, starring Dennis Haysbert and Havana Rose Liu (“May Day”) who plays the leading role as Darby.
Joey King is well known for her iconic roles in The Act, The Kissing Booth, Ramona and Beezus, and many more.
But the star is now adding another title to her lengthy resume; producer. King is now the face behind Paramount Plus’s newest film, The In Between. Centering around teenager Tessa, the film focuses around her journey in an out of the foster care system as a child. When she finally gets adopted as a teenager, she firmly believes that she isn’t worthy of her own love story. But after a chance encounter at a movie theater with the ever so dreamy Skylar, Tessa’s views on love take a full 180. However, her new perspective on love doesn’t last very long, as a horrific car accident thrusts her into a set of circumstances she never could have imagined. Tessa tries her hardest to navigate a world without the love of her life, until she learns of something called the in between, where Skylar seems to wait for her. With the help of her best friend (Celeste O’Connor) Tessa attempts to contact Skylar one last time, and in turn learns that no matter what, the truest of love will never die. This beautiful film gives a new meaning to the concept of eternal love, as it takes viewers on an incredible journey of acceptance. King absolutely shines in her role of both producer and star, providing a can’t miss performance. We sat down with Joey King, Kyle Allen, and Celeste O’Connor to talk all about the film! Check it out below!
Rooted in authenticity, J.R.Clark is changing the hip-hop industry. The rap artist based in Virginia Beach, Virginia is proving that as an independent artist you can deliver an impressive body of work, an original sound, collaborate alongside major artists, and build a huge following — all without the support of a major record label.