The Ninth Avenue Food Festival was started in 1973 and is one of the longest-running and better street fairs that New York City has to offer. This year’s fair is scheduled for the weekend of May 15-16, 9:30 am – 6:30 pm and is slated to run from 57th Street to roughly 37th Street. Depending on the number of vendors, the fair might begin around 40th Street, but it varies from year to year.

Many of the restaurants lining 9th Avenue set up tables and offer samples of their cuisines, the origins of which span the world. Along with the enticing aromas, music can be heard from a stage,  and there are plenty of buskers performing on corners too. Street vendors also set up booths so if you’re looking for generic cheap sunglasses, socks, tee-shirts, etc., you’ll find a large selection here, but it’s not all junk, so keep your eyes open for rare and unusual bargains.

Having attended this annual fest since the late 1970’s, I’ve seen the forces of gentrification at work. Years ago, one had only to look up and see the fire escapes of Hell’s Kitchen filled with folks dancing and hanging out watching the action on the Avenue below. It was a giant party atmosphere, especially if the weather was cooperative and the sun was shining. Nowdays, many of these older buildings have been replaced by sleek, modern glass buildings without visible fire escapes, and the dancing crowds are less in evidence. It’s a shame that that that part of New York is gone, but it is not forgotten.

In summary, if you find yourself in NYC on the weekend after Mother’s Day, head over to Ninth Avenue and come with an appetite!

Above is one of my paintings ‘March Watch’, an oil painting inspired by photography portraits of people watching past festivals.

Sharon is Metrotwin’s resident New York theatre buff.  Last October she wrote about the Fall Season on Broadway, and just last month we wrote a joint post on our transatlantic theatre picks. Today Sharon casts her eye over the upcoming Spring Season on Broadway.

The Spring season on Broadway has heated up and the some new shows previewing and recently opened on Broadway are definite contenders for nods when the TONY awards take place in June.

A revival of August Wilson’s ‘Fences’,  now playing at the Cort Theater proved to be a riveting night of drama. Denzel Washington steps once again onto a Broadway stage and along with the always wonderful Viola Davis does a marvellous job in bringing the play, set in 1957, to life. There is a good supporting cast and the audience is definitely involved, judging by the ‘call and response’ to some of the lines. A happy crowd exited the theater the night I attended.

Musicals do not get short shrift this season with ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at the Nederlander and  ‘American Idiot’ at the St James rocking the house. In MDQ one hears the music of the famous Sun Studios and on one night we visit Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash as they sing some of their well-known songs and reminisce with Sam Phillips on the importance of t

his recording studio to them all. There is an outstanding performance by Levi Kreis who portrays Jerry Lee Lewis, this is one performer definitely to keep an eye on – those piano keys were smoking! On the other end of the spectrum is the band Green Day’s offering of ‘American Idiot’, a punk rock opera that dazzled. High, high energy, innovative staging and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are familiar with the music, you’ll be carried along throughout the performance.

American audiences are now lucky enough to see two new British imports as well. ‘Red’ st the St John Golden Theater and ‘Enron’ at the Broadhurst offer up thoughtful looks on the artist Mark Rothko and the financial shennanigans that brought a once solid multi-national corporation crashing down. I found ‘Enron’ fascinating, with pop-culture icons interspersed with fine performances telling the tale of the rise and subsequent ruin of the now infamous energy company. As for ‘Red’, as an artist myself, I especially enjoyed this play. The opening scene of the artist sitting quietly in an armchair contemplating his painting truly captures what it is to be a painter, with all that goes along with the job description. There are  fine performances too, by Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne.

All in all, it’s not a bad season at all on the Great White Way – now off to see several Off-Broadway productions next week!

Photos by feastoffools and kamikazecactus used under a Creative Commons License

Sharon Florin, renowned painter of New York ’s urban landscapes (and terrific Metrotwinner!) is also a keen theatre-goer;   we have harnessed her passion and expertise and convinced her to write the below review on the plays you simply must see this Fall on Broadway.

The Fall season on Broadway is off  to a terrific start. Wonderful productions to be seen this year. Carrie Fisher’s “Wishful Drinking” is funny, poignant and insightful. She delves into her wild Hollywood childhood with her famous parents, her early stardom in “Star Wars”, marriages, addictions and how she has gotten to this point in her life. Staged in the old Studio 54, the show wi ll leave you laughing and shaking your head at the same time.

Jude Law in “Hamlet” was a real surprise. Having only seen the actor on the big-screen, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard he would be attempting to put his stamp on one of the greatest plays ever written. He and the rest of the cast did an admirable job. The production, which reminded me at times of “Mary Stuart” last spring, was dramatic and moved along smoothly. I left the theater feeling I had just seen something I would not soon forget.

Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman’s revival of “The Royal Family” at the Manhattan Theatre Club was fun, if a tad dated. A take-off on the illustrious Barrymore family, or so it is said, it was fast-paced in a zany way.

“Superior Donuts”, Tracy Lett’s new offering after his knock-out “August: Osage County” was an intimate piece of theater, well acted by Michael McKean and a terrific young actor Jon Michael Hill. It at times has a sitcom feel, but was an enjoyable evening at the theater, one that I would recommend.

One of  my favorite new shows of this season has got to be the terrific new musical “Memphis”. Everything worked in this one. Terrific acting and singing by the talented cast. It’s nice when many of the cast members get a big number and a chance to shine, and they were all showstoppers. Music and choreography was original and toe-tappng, innovative sets and a wonderful time all around. I left the theater raving about this show and can’t wait for the soundtrack to be released. Saw it in previews and think this might be a really big one.

Other shows of interest are “After Miss Julie”, “God of Carnage”, “Rock of Ages”, “In the Heights”, “The 39 Steps” and “Jersey Boys”. If you enjoy the theater, all of these productions have something wonderful to offer.