New York City Entertainment
With Cathy Cunningham

Things to do & see in the big apple.


 

EDITORIAL OF THE WEEK

Young Talent and Chandeliers 
 

In my absence I have been traveling, spending time on the West Coast. I am delighted to be back in New York, and can now vouch for Frank Sinatra, who sang (in ‘It’s Nice to Go Trav’Ling’) “…And the Hudson River, Makes You Start to Quiver” – it does! Whilst in Las Vegas on business, I was luck enough to run into not only Tobey McGuire in Pure, but also Jeremy Piven from Entourage, at a conference of all places. The ‘Smokin Aces’ star was busy fielding attention from conference attendees who evidently found him more scintillating than the Wall Street shop talk on offer on the day. On my return, and whilst sheltering from the New York snow, a companion and I ducked into The Garage (7th Avenue and Grove Street).The Greenwich Village bar/restaurant/jazz club is awash with every walk of life – talking, eating, drinking, dancing. We struggled to secure two seats – those who are lucky enough to do so tend to be there for the long-haul! As much fun as loitering around the seated is, awaiting any signs of exiting, I would recommend arriving early. Entertainment was provided by a college jazz band, their years were far from commensurate with their talent. We sat agog listening to them play, wishing we had one tenth of their musical expertise. There is no cover at The Garage - cocktails may be slightly more expensive, but taking into account the first-class show that is included, one cannot complain. Further uptown, the chandeliered ceiling of Pipa tapas restaurant (19th between Park Avenue South and Broadway) provides some distraction to the sumptuous smells as you await your table. The chandeliers are also on sale, should the mood strike you (although with roughly $3000 price tags a piece, I will satisfy myself with looking). The setting is dark and intimate, conveying the ambience of a Spanish castle of sorts, the food exquisitely prepared, and the sangria cold and delicious. Oscar fever is essentially over, the gowns have been returned and the tears shed. If you have not yet seen the winning movies, I would highly recommend Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. The movie is interesting largely because it juxtaposes two very different genres – war and fantasy. 11-year old Ofelia finds herself in the evil clutches of a merciless Captain Vidal in Spain’s civil war. A maze leads her to the hope of another life when she is granted the chance to become Princess of the Underworld, upon completion of some treacherous tasks. This tale is not for the kids, with several harrowingly violent scenes. My companion jokingly commented that I must have missed half of the movie, as I sat watching it through my fingers, which were tightly closed over my eyes! The movie is unmissable however - dark and magical, with breathtaking performances more than worthy of an Oscar or two. ~*~Cathy~*~

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