Shakespeare may have once said all the world's a stage, but in Like You Like It, a brilliant musical adaptation of As You Like It that takes place in the 1985, all the world's a mall!
A HUGE Broadway cast is coming together for one night only to perform a concert presentation of Like You Like It this Wednesday 4/23 at 9:30 pm at 54 Below (254 W. 54th St, Cellar), Broadway's Supper Club. The ensemble includes Laura Osnes (Cinderella), Sam Underwood (Homeland), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked), Max Crumm (Grease), Kate Rockwell (Rock of Ages), Amy Spanger (Elf), and Nic Rouleau (Book of Mormon).
I must admit that I have a personal tie to the show and practically grew up listening to the soundtrack thanks to lyricist Sammy Buck, a close family friend. With that said, you know I'm giving you a genuinely wholehearted recommendation when I tell you that you are in for a real treat on Wednesday. Check out the latest coverage on Playbill here!
Tickets are currently $25-$35 ($5 off the main dining room with code LYL5) with a $25 food/beverage minimum. The show begins at 9:30 pm, but you can make reservations as early as 8:45 pm. If that is too late for dinner, I hear they have a fabulous chocolate dessert...
It's hard to realize how much of a gem both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center are when you walk by them every day and they seem to blend into the general hubbub of Midtown. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you go to a concert at either venue if you have never been. Upon entering the majestic theaters, you will feel transported to a time when ladies wore gloves and men wore top hats to the opera and when orchestral music was commonly enjoyed by all.
I would like to highlight 2 upcoming concerts and...SURPRISE...giveaway a pair of tickets to each! Both giveaways will end at midnight on Tuesday April 8th. Make sure to follow the instructions in order to win :)
Featuring conductors Timothy Powell, Director Davidson Fine Arts School Chorale, Scott Buchanan, Director Indiana State University and Combined Choirs, and Horace Carney, Director Alabama A&M University.
If you want to purchase tickets on your own, use the code DCIWEB to save 50% when you call CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 or visit www.lincolncenter.org.
Two-time Grammy award-winning composer Christopher Tin once again teams up with DCINY for a night of new music. Both Calling All Dawns and the world premiere of The Drop That Contained The Sea navigate diverse musical terrain with fusions of orchestral and world music, accompanied by 200 voices. “Baba Yetu,” the opening movement of Calling All Dawns, made history as the first piece of music written for a video game to win a Grammy.
Soloists: Mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek ,Indian Classical Vocalist Roopa Mahadevan, Singer Saum Eskandani, and Mongloian pop star Nominjin
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you want to purchase tickets on your own, use the code DCD18795 to save 30% when you call CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800 or visit www.carnegiehall.org.
Last night was one of those amazing New York nights that makes me so happy to be where I am and doing what I'm doing. I have never been someone who remembers the name of every [insert famous band name] song or who can quote lyrics at the drop of a pin, but there are certain artists and certain songs that have clung to me at different points in my life that remain vital to who I am as a person. Joshua Radin is one of those musicians and if you've ever heard his music, or even better, heard him play live, you know why.
The wonderful people at Le Poisson Rouge invited me and a friend to an intimate Joshua Radin performance tonight and I was over-the-moon happy all week in anticipation. LPR is a great venue for a concert because they offer plenty of seating if you get there early enough that enables you to feel like a civilized adult at a concert rather than the college students we all used to be standing chin to shoulder to hip to elbow trying to get a glimpse of the stage. Yes, there is a 2 drink/food item minimum per person at tables, but to be honest, their food is great and their drinks are even better. I'd highly recommend the edamame with truffle salt ($5) or the fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and milk ($5) if you are in the mood for something sweeter.
There are not many people I'd go out at 10:30 on a Wednesday night to see (the doors didn't even open until 10:15...here's to being hip and happening!), but with a Pina Colada sandwich from Peanut Butter and Co. freshly down-the-hatch (best Greenwich Village dinner ever), we got to the front of the line only to run into other friends and managed to snag a table so close to the stage that we were sitting practically on top of music people (one musician and 2 suited execs perhaps?) that seemed to be "with the band."
My Name is You opened with some pretty mushy gushy loves songs (hey, there's nothing wrong with those) reminiscent of The Weepies and Of Monsters and Men. Songs like Come Back(The summer’s passing so are you and i’ll come if you want me to, but if you leave without me dear i’ll understand. Come back to me my dear. All has been forgiven. For life without you here is barely even living) will melt your heart, but I especially liked Fortunate Ones (We have all that we could need and some more that we don’t even need, so when we see something new why do we now think we need it too? Let me tell you a secret: we're the fortunate ones. Let me tell you a secret: we're the ones with it all).
My Name is You
When Josh Radin came on stage, clad in a dark grey t-shirt, ripped jeans, and an orange beanie and proclaiming this show would be just like us watching him play in his living room, I knew we were in for a treat. He played the majority of his first two albums We Were Here and Simple Times, which I was very happy about, and I loved that he kept stepping away from the microphone and once even unplugging completely for the most authentic live acoustic experience we could ask for. He also played a good selection of tracks from his newly released album, Wax Wings.
Joshua Radin
Playing with My Name is You
Songs like You've Got Growin Up to Do (So the best thing I can give to you is for me to go, leave you alone cause you got growing up to do) and Winter (I should know who I am by now. I walk the record stands somehow. Thinking of winter. Your name is the splinter inside me. While I wait) are super relatable and have definitely helped me through harder times in my life, but the best part of the show was knowing that life may suck sometimes, but sitting no more than 20 feet away from Joshua Radin pretending he was serenading only me made my entire universe infinitely better. I can only hope to one day feel the way he describes in Today (But you are the one I've been waiting for today. And here comes the sun that's been baiting on today) and You Got What I Need (When I see you it's a beautiful world, but when you're gone, I want you in my arms I'm telling you the last time. Baby you, you got what I need. Baby you, you got my sunshine).
Josh also brought up Brandon from My Name is you to cover Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's All Right:
Ok, enough sap for today. Hope you enjoyed the pictures (taken with my new phone!) and a big shout-out to Lauren for providing the video.
A few weeks ago I gave away several pairs of tickets to classical concerts at Carnegie Hall and I had such a great response that I'm giving away more! Here are details on the 3 concerts up for grabs:
West Coast Sounds: Tuesday 5/29, 8pm at Carnegie Hall featuring a piano program full of talented young people playing works by Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Chopin, Liadov, Vine, Lutoslawski, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, R. Strauss, and Kabalevsky.
What About Us?: Friday 6/15, 7:30 pm at Jazz at Lincoln Center featuring today’s youth taking on tough issues using song and dance to illustrate a more positive and peaceful world. Professional gospel singers join the 84 voiced choir to bring the thrill of gospel and pop to new heights.
I'm giving away 2 pairs of tickets to each show! To enter to win please follow the instructions below. There are 5 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any and all comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.
1) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know which concert you would like to enter to win tickets to (you can enter for all three in one comment!).
2) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
4) Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page and let me know with a link to your tweet in a comment below.
5) Click on this link and register to play the Total Rewards online game and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
Winners will be on Wednesday 5/23. You have until Wednesday 5/23 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!
Ciao! Hola! Ola! I'm back from my 2-week jaunt through Europe and boy am I refreshed. You know what else is refreshing? The thought of summer concerts! Our friends at Caesar's Entertainment recently sent me over a list of their exciting events happening down in Atlantic City and I've highlighted my favorites for you:
This is going to be an unforgettable concert! With a handful of Grammy's and dozens of other awards, Mary J. Blige is sure to entertain. Tickets start at $100.
If you missed it on Broadway, or just want to have a rockin' good time all over again, head down to Caesar's AC to catch Rock of Ages!
These are just a few suggestions of how you can keep yourself entertained this summer. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be more to come! Also, don't forget to keep playing Total Rewards!
This post is a recap of the Total Rewards by Caesar's Entertainment concert I attended in NYC on 3/1/12. For information on Total Rewards or to play the Total Rewards game please visit this website. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a code for extra game play entries.
It's nights like last night when I truly feel cool. As we stood in the VIP line outside Gotham Hall, I had flashbacks to my epic experience in Vegas for New Years 2011. Making our way into the gorgeous space (they don't make banks like they used to!), we were ushered upstairs to the plush VIP room where we were instantly handed Ciroc Lemonades and started scoping the scene. We had spotted NY Knicks player Tyson Chandler on the red carpet outside (at 7 feet tall, he's hard to miss) and he looked comfy with his wife in a reserved section. A few minutes later, Katharine McPhee, star of the new show Smash, walked by in a gorgeous emerald dress. I wanted to ask for a picture without being super awkward, but after that first glimpse I didn't see her for the rest of the night. The rest of the VIP crowd was a combination of high rollers, big dudes that looked like they could play football/basketball (I'm terrible at recognizing sports stars) and models (at least that's what they looked like).
View from the VIP lounge
Check out that VIP wristband!
Reserved Table for the High Rollers
VIP Lounge
Tyson Chandler (sorry it's so dark!)
The awesome thing about this concert was that it was part of a national event. Simultaneous concerts were happening in LA, New Orleans and Chicago, and different performances were shown on the big screen throughout the night. To get things started, Jimmy Kimmel welcomed everyone with a little skit that I unfortunately couldn't hear any of but I'm sure it was funny. Then NYC MC Mel B (yes, Scary Spice!) took the stage to announce Celine Dion. For a very quick second I thought she was going to step out from backstage, but instead she appeared on screen from her show at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. After kicking off some 1997 nostalgia by singing "My Heart Will Go On," Celine (who doesn't look a day over 30) handed it off to Cat Deeley in Los Angeles who began to fill everyone in on Caesar's Total Rewards program. Then Bill and Giuliana Rancic took the stage in Chicago to get everyone excited about all the fabulous acts playing throughout the night. Finally, Maria Menounos gave some more information about Total Rewards and got the crowd pumped up for a fabulous night.
Jimmy Kimmel welcoming everyone
Lots of spotlights
Mel B
Celine Dion in Las Vegas
Cat Deeley in LA
Bill and Giuliana Rancic in Chicago
Maria Menounos in New Orleans
Finally, after much anticipation, Diddy himself took to the stage in a medley of songs that weren't exactly his ("We Found Love (In A Hopeless Place)," "Sexy and I Know It," "Good Feeling"), however it got the crowd energized. I'll admit that I have never been a huge fan of Mr. Combs. I think it stems from the fact that I never know what to call him. Is there an initial? Is there part of his given name? Is there a puff anywhere in the mix? Even so, the guy knows how to put on a show. His presence filled the stage and I found myself singing a long to the majority of the songs he performed (you'll excuse my voice in the background of the videos below). Even though he only performed for half hour, his set was very dynamic and definitely entertaining.
Diddy
Diddy
Diddy
Diddy performs "I Need A Girl"
Diddy performs "All I Do Is Win"
Diddy performs "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
Diddy performs "Coming Home"
In the interim before Mariah came on, they streamed performances of Sarah Bareillis from Chicago, Gavin DeGraw (swoon!) from New Orleans and Lil Wayne from Los Angeles. I could not make out one word that came out of Lil' Wayne's mouth but that guy definitely has a way with the stage (and with making it look like he doesn't have any of his original teeth).
Sarah Bareillis
Gavin DeGraw
Lil Wayne
I'll take this time to describe more of what the VIP lounge was like since I have neglected to do so thus far. At this point, Mr. Chandler and Ms. McPhee had packed up and left so those remaining upstairs had a little more space to spread out and enjoy the experience. The food passed around was all delicious. My favorite was the little lobster mac n' cheese bites, although the crabcakes, plantain empanadas and olive polenta cakes were great as well. They were all teeny tiny, which was nice because I couldn't make a mess if I tried and I didn't get too full trying everything. They also had mini Italian meatballs and sliders, though I didn't get any. For drinks, I already mentioned that Ciroc was the alcohol sponsor, but I didn't mention the delicious raspberry martini I had complete with a gigantic real raspberry in a fancy martini glass. Yum! Unfortunately I didn't get any food pics, but I trust you can use your imagination.
Then came the moment we were all waiting for. To complete the 1990's nostalgia concert, Mariah Carey took the stage and fulfilled the majority of the room's pre-teenage dreams. She looked stunning in a floor-length mermaid black gown and her signature flowing locks. As her first performance after giving birth to twins last April, Mariah said she didn't know what the "big deal" was. Haha, oh Mariah. Her eight-song set, included “It’s Like That,” “Shake It Off,” “Touch My Body,” “Obsessed,” “Always Be My Baby,” “We Belong Together” and “Hero,” with a quick make-up touch up mid-performance (still not sure what that was about).
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah getting touched up
Fluff the hair, fix the shoes
Mariah performs "Touch My Body"
Mariah performs "Always Be My Baby"
I'll definitely applaud the event organizers for putting on a fantastic show. It wasn't oversold or too crowded. The drinks kept coming, and the performances were top notch. Heck, I even got a gift bag with sparkly earrings for me and a reusable coffee mug for the boyfriend. And I can't forget to mention the desserts! They all seemed to come at once -- mini chocolate cupcakes, lemon/raspberry tarts and cheesecake lollipops, oh the cheesecake lollipops! If this event is any teller as to how awesome Total Rewards is, I'm definitely going to have to join.
Me with the gift bag
Raspberry Lemon Tarts
VIP gift bag at home
If you've made it this far, I applaud you! Because you stuck around this long, you get a special awesome code for extra entries into the Total Rewards online game. Use code DFNJWGhere and you have a shot at winning more than 900,000 amazing prizes. Looking at the list of winners already, I see someone won a trip for 2 to Vegas. Who knows? It could be you!
So what do you guys think? Were you at the concert? Did you watch the livestream online? Who was your favorite performer? What do you think of my gift bag? Are you going to sign up for Total Rewards and play the game? Be sure to comment with anything you win below!
I am honored to be an influencer for the Total Rewards brand. Material and/or financial incentives may be received as a result of my involvement.
