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LONG ISLAND WEEKLY LongIslandWeekly.com FEBRUARY 17 – 23, 2021
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LONG ISLAND WEEKLY
LIFE SAVIOR Grey’s Anatomy’s Chandra Wilson talks how the long-running medical show is tackling the pandemic
(Photo by ABC/Mike Rosenthal)
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FEBRUARY 17 - 23, 2021
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From left: James Pickens Jr., Chandra Wilson, and Bianca Taylor (Photo by ABC)
The Doctor Is In Chandra Wilson provides a voice for front line workers BY ANTHONY MURRAY
amurray@antonmediagroup.com
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or the past year, all that everyone has been encompassed by is the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen front line workers around the world stepping up and putting themselves in danger to help save lives. In order to pay tribute to those who are risking it all, ABC’s award-winning critically acclaimed drama Grey’s Anatomy is dedicating its monumental 17th season to those front line workers’ and their heartbreaking stories. “One of our goals that we realized early on into the season when we started shooting the first episode was that it really was our responsibility to put the stories of our front line workers and our medical professionals in particular out there and out
Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
(Photo by ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
front,” original cast member Chandra Wilson, who portrays Dr. Miranda Bailey, said. “We have the cable and daily news reports of what’s going on, but as far as what it feels like and what the day-to-day is, we immediately saw that the show would be a great vehicle for that.” In the fifth episode of the season titled, “Fight the Power,” Bailey’s mother is admitted to the ER at Grey Sloan after testing positive for COVID-19 following a recent move to a nursing home. After having breathing problems and her health rapidly deteriorating, Bailey’s mom passes away with her daughter by her side. The episode struck a chord with many front line workers and average viewers alike who watched the emotional farewell that Bailey gave to her mother. “A lot of the responses that I received when I took over the ABC Twitter when that episode aired was, ‘This is what happened to me and I finally get the chance to cry because I hadn’t been able to cry, and wasn’t able to get an acknowledgment that this even happened in my life. So thank you Grey’s for letting me cry,’” Wilson said. “I embrace that responsibility wholeheartedly and attack each one of these episodes and storylines with that kind of integrity knowing that I probably am speaking for someone and telling their story right now.” Just like the pandemic and its evolution, the show also had to evolve with its storytelling in order to keep up with current times. “Here’s the interesting thing about this season and I think I said this
before, but many times I thought that by the time these stories were going to air, we would have been talking about the past, but we never quite have gotten there,” Wilson said. “So our stories have had to remain a little fluid and since our last airing we didn’t have the vaccine when we stopped [filming] and now it’s here, so I would imagine that we would have to weave that into our stories. So I know that for the most part our writers, I’m sure they thought they had an arc, but the world is changing. I would think creatively we would have to watch the world a little bit. I have learned over the years not to go to the writers room and ask where we’re going because a lot of the time we have to course correct. There are so many pandemic related stories that just happen to correspond to the life of medical professionals and it would be really difficult for our show to ignore that, so I’m glad that we’re honoring them.” Stepping behind the camera, Wilson who has received the Screen Actors Guild, People’s Choice, Prism and three NAACP Image awards, as well as four Emmy Award nominations for her portrayal of Dr. Miranda Bailey, has also directed several episodes of the show since season six. “I never thought of myself as a dramatic television director,” the Houston native said. “I’m from theater, so this jewel that came into my life through Grey’s Anatomy has actually been amazing. I find that I have an anal retentive personality, so editing is kind of my thing. It feels like when I’m on the floor I’m creating the puzzle pieces that will come together
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and make the show. I know that I’m an actress director, but I’m also a production and crew director as well. Coming from theater I have so much respect for every single department and every single person’s contribution that makes the show happen. I’m a calm director and a ‘we have to laugh on set’ kind of director, but at the end of the day I want to make sure that everybody contributed what they wanted to contribute.” And with a show such as Grey’s that has broken numerous barriers across the board, Wilson is proud of many things about the show. “I see the history of our show, I see folks telling me that they’ve binged all the seasons—and that’s an amazing thing,” she said. “I see the contribution to women, to young black women and to actresses of all kinds seeing a Miranda Bailey on television for 17 seasons. From the letters or information that I get about people who are going into medicine as a result of seeing her, from actors who have a better perspective of what the business is based on, committing to something and seeing a thing all the way through—there’s all of these lessons there. I’m honored to be a facilitator and we weathered so many industry and technology changes, we’ve managed to stay in there in the midst of all that. We’re an amazing story I think and it’s still being developed to this day.” Wilson has also been a spokesperson for the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (www.CVSAonline.org) and speaks out for organizations like MitoAction whose mission is to increase awareness and understanding of mitochondrial disease and its related functional disorders. “My daughter who is 27 now has a chronic illness called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and it’s associated with mitochondrial disease for the last 10 years, so I’ve been working with MitoAction for a lot of years and the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association,” Wilson explained. “I was able to direct an episode regarding cyclic vomiting in season nine. That was my one pitch in all these years was that episode. I’m also on the Western Council of the Actors Fund. It brings me a lot of pleasure to be there with the Fund.” Seasons 1-16 of Grey’s Anatomy can be streamed on Netflix and you can watch the current season on ABC on Demand. Grey’s Anatomy returns from its winter finale on Thursday, March 11 at 9 p.m. on ABC. To read a longer version of this article with Chandra Wilson, visit www.longislandweekly.com.
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FEBRUARY 17 - 23, 2021
LONGISLANDWEEKLY.COM
Going Bananas For Banana Bread BY CAROLINE RYAN
cryan@antonmediagroup.com
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hether it’s out of sheer boredom or you’re craving something sweet, the pandemic has left many of us baking more than usual. One of the most popular desserts that really took off last year was banana bread. How many banana bread photos did you see on social media during the height of the pandemic? With the pandemic, many of us have been staying home more often, forcing us to purchase extra food now that we’re home more. This leaves more room for food to spoil. What’s the only thing you can do with overly ripe bananas? Well, you have two options. One you can try to eat them (might not taste so great though) or you can turn those bananas into a delicious, soft bread. Whether you’re an expert in the kitchen or a novice cook, baking a banana bread can be made by virtually anyone. This particular recipe can be whipped up with just a
handful of ingredients and a mixing bowl. The key to making a delicious banana bread is making sure you have very ripe bananas. Two to three bananas is the optimal, since you want to make sure you have a flavorful bread. How do you know if you’re bananas are ripe enough for baking? Easy, the peel should be mostly brown and the banana should feel a bit squishy inside. You can also spice up any plain banana bread by adding in a cup of chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or whatever other ingredient you think might be a delicious combination. You can also transform this recipe into banana muffins instead of you wish, just simply pour the batter into muffin tins.
Traditional Banana Bread Recipe Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Total Time: 65 minutes Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed) 1/3 cup melted butter, unsalted or salted 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet) 1 large egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 4x8-inch loaf pan. 2. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. 3. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour. Make sure to mix all the ingredients together really well.
4. Once the batter is fully mixed, pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 5. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Slice and serve.
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FEBRUARY 17 - 23, 2021
LONGISLANDWEEKLY.COM
The Garden Finds A Home The history behind Madison Square Garden
BY JOE SCOTCHIE
editorial@antonmediagroup.com
“T
he world’s most famous arena.” That’s how Madison Square Garden, located in midtown Manhattan, has long described itself. The name may seem curious to some. The neighborhood is the Garment District. Prior to its opening in 1967, the Garden was located on 8th Avenue 20 blocks uptown. The name comes from its original location at Madison Square Park,
named for James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. Built during the Gilded Age, the original Garden was located at East 26th St. It first opened in 1879 and was renovated in 1890. For decades, the Barnum and Bailey Circus regularly performed at the Garden and indeed, P.T. Barnum, the legendary impresario, was part of a syndicate that financed the construction. Other investors were J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and W.W. Astor. The 1890 building was designed by famed
Antique photograph of Madison Square Garden, New York. (Photo credit ilbusca)
architect, Stanford White. Neither structure, however, was successful in drawing sports or entertainment acts. Such indoor sports as ice hockey, basketball and boxing had yet to take off. In 1925, the building was demolished and replaced by the New York Life Insurance Co., which continues to operate on the site. The move was made uptown to the new Garden on 8th Avenue, between 49th and 50th streets. There, the Garden enjoyed 43 years of rollicking fun. The circus continued
to perform. More important, the New York Rangers, the New York Knicks and especially, college basketball, were all coming into their own. The Garden hosted many famous prize fights, including the 1959 showdown between an aging Joe Louis and the up-and-coming Rocky Marciano. The new Garden was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and bankrolled by Tex Rickard, who promoted Jack Dempsey’s champion fights. Boxing took center stage, to such an extent that the Garden was dubbed “the
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A view at what Madison Square Garden looks like today. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/MSG Photos)
house that Tex built.” Basketball is a city game and during this time period, New Yorkarea college teams, especially St. John’s and The City College of New York (CCNY), became establishing top-ranked squads. The glory and the agony of college basketball was reached in the incredulous year of 1950, when Nat Holman’s CCNY squad won both the National Collegiate Amateur Association (NCAA) and National Invitational (NIT) crowns. The Garden also
attracted many shady characters, as fans were obsessed with beating the point spread. Gambling was so popular that tabloids used to print the spreads on page one. Members of the 1950 CCNY team were found guilty of accepting bribes, shocking college officials to the point where they quickly transferred home games from the Garden to the more remote campus on West 138th St. By the mid-1960s, New York was in a period of great transition. Midtown was becoming seedy. Fans were
moving to the suburbs. Once again, the Garden was demolished and moved downtown to its present site on West 33rd and 7th Avenue, right above the Long Island Rail Road station. The new Garden got off to a roaring start. The Knicks were suddenly contenders. In 1970, they won the National Basketball Association (NBA) title in a Game Seven rout of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rangers engaged in a heated rivalry with the Boston Bruins. In 1973, the Knicks won another title. The Garden continued to be a mecca for boxing, most prominently the 1970 Fight of the Century between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. When the fight scene moved to Las Vegas, the annual Golden Gloves tournament brought in capacity crowds. There was music. In 1972, George Harrison performed his Concert for Bangladesh, one that attracted fellow Beatle Ringo Starr and Bob Dylan. In 1974, Frank Sinatra held his “Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back” concert at the Garden. That same year, Dylan played there as part of his comeback tour. Over the years, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and The
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Grateful Dead have performed at the arena. John held 64 concerts at the Garden, which stood as the record until Long Island’s own Piano Man broke the mark. “Madison Square Garden is the center of the universe as far as I’m concerned,” Joel has said. “It has the best acoustics, the best audiences, the best reputation, and the best history of great artists who have played there. It is the iconic, holy temple of rock and roll for most touring acts and, being a New Yorker, it holds a special significance to me.” The Westminster Dog Show, professional tennis, professional wrestling, the rodeo and spectacular truck shows have all called the Garden home. There have been setbacks along the way. The famous moment at the Garden was certainly the Rangers winning the 1994 Stanley Cup, breaking a drought that went back to 1940. The Rangers—and professional hockey—was poised for a breakout. Alas, the National Hockey League (NHL) players went on strike the next spring and the sport has never recovered. All roads lead to Madison Square Garden, but it will be nice to have winning seasons from the Knicks and Rangers again.
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