Promenade - Spring 2012 by Promenade Magazine

PROMENADE

PROMENADE About New York since 1934

NYLUXURY.COM

SPRING 2012

■ Runway Report ■ The Spring Theatre Season ■ Living on Museum Mile ■ Fine Dining ■

OH MY LORD & TAYLOR

fashion

Runway Report

spring in new york

theatre

The Revivals Arrive

dining French Meets American

luxury properties Museum Mile

SPRING 2012

FIFTH AVENUE AT 39TH STREET Stop by our Executive office on the 7th floor to get a savings pass to use all day.

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shopping

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S p r i n g Col o rs i n B l o o m

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Ccourtesy of the Tribeca Film Festival

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Jewelry

The Tribeca Film Festival: 11 Years in and a Cultural Phenomenon for NYC

Shopping

spring in

n a chilly late February morning in beautiful Bryant Park, the daffodil buds were already up and new shrubs were being planted. Spring was in the air. And in New York City that means a whole glorious season of shopping, dining, and culture with Promenade as your guide. We will show you what’s happening in Manhattan’s best shops and boutiques: from the newest designer clothes (straight from the runways), to stunning one-of-kind bijoux that sparkles, and from the finest restaurants to New York’s unparalleled stages. With major stars and screen legends, Pulitzer Prize-winning revivals, and British imports, this theatre season promises to be a great one! Names like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Candice Bergen, Angela Lansbury, John Lithgow, Matthew Broderick, and many others are lighting up the marquees all along Broadway. The Paul Taylor Dance Company moves its dynamic contemporary dancers to a larger stage, performing in their new home at Lincoln Center. The Metropolitan Opera offers a dramatically different Manon, and at MoMA, Diego Rivera’s “portable murals” are on display for the first time in 80 years. And if art is your passion, take a look at the luxury properties Promenade is showcasing along Museum Mile. Casa Lever’s restaurateurs, one from Tuscany and the other from Milan, talk about the authentic Italian menu at their fine restaurant, which “embraces Italy from South to North.” And we pick six bright breakfast spots for a delicious early morning start to the day. Promenade travels to Ireland and Malaysia, two enchanting island countries that could not be more different. And be sure to use our up-to-date guides for shopping, dining, theatre, museums, galleries, performing arts, and sightseeing. Visit nyluxury.com, where you’ll find what’s new in the arts each week, exclusive shopping tips, dining specials, and designer sample sales. Enjoy spring!

Theatre

Opera

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Dining

PROMENADE

David L. Miller Publisher PROMENADE I

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About New York since 1934

PROMENADE

nyluxury.com Spring 2012

subtle sparkle

Shopping New York The Runway Report 18 Black and white and prints all over. Understated Elegance Jewels that whisper glamour.

Style Shows: Fashion History on Display 28 At the Fashion Institute of Technology and the BARD Graduate Center, two delightful and dazzling exhibits. The Style Interview 30 Thierry Prissert, the Frenchman at the helm of Breitling USA, explains why this watch brand truly has time on its side—in more ways than one. Editor’s Picks: Crazy for Clutches 14 Big designers are in the small bag business. The Virtual Voyager 16 Topflight tips for the discerning traveler. The Best Places 32 Great suggestions for successful shopping.

timely pieces

Day Spas 41 Gotham’s elite retreats. spring in the step

on the cover Clockwise from left: Ricky Martin, Michael Cerveris and Elena Roger in Evita; from the Bottega Veneta Spring 2012 Collection; the dining room in 1133 Fifth Avenue; from the Frey Wille “Hommage à Gustav Klimt” line; inside db Bistro Moderne.

double check

clutch conscious

Photo credit: db Bistro Moderne, G. Viteri

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About New York since 1934

Spring 2012

Roberta Fineberg

StephenPaley

PROMENADE

nyluxury.com

stars on stage

[ Philip Se

On the Town Theatre

Talking With: First Ladies of Theatre, Angela Lansbury and Audra McDonald… 42 …dazzle in a season rich with celebrated actresses. In two separate interviews, these two stars offer career insights and discuss their current roles in two very different productions. The Theatregoer’s Guide: Spring Edition 44 A-Listers galore, including Tony winners Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones and John Lithgow, are giving Broadway a seriously awesome touch of class this spring. traveling Taylor

FILM

The Tribeca Film Festival 52 In its 11th year, it’s a New York cultural phenomenon. Dance

For Paul Taylor, a New Home, a Larger Stage 54 The dancers are decamping to Lincoln Center. Taylor’s work, says one of his dancers, “is all about moving through space…the more space you have, the more you get to move.” OPERA

A Tougher Manon at the Met 56 In which the eternally feminine protagonist is, according to the diva portraying her, “a real woman, and I think it is possible to make her quite bad.” Museums

art on the block

Diego Rivera: Master Muralist 62 For the first time in 80 years, five of the eight “portable murals” highlighted in his celebrated 1931 retrospective at MoMA are back on view at the museum. REAL ESTATE

Living on Museum Mile 74 From 82nd to 105th, it’s luxury living amid nine of the city’s most remarkable cultural institutions. Travel

Two Island Countries 76 Ireland and Malaysia could not be more different. But a visit to each is equally delightful, enlightening, and downright enchanting.

Irish nights absolutely Italian

Dining

Promenade Picks 84 Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne and David Burke’s empire. Good Mornings 85 Breakfast at some of the city’s best gathering spots.

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The Restaurant Interview: Gherardo Guarducci and Dimitri Pauli 98 At Casa Lever, an authentic menu that “embraces Italy from South to North.”

The Most Up-to-Date Guides:

Theatre...................... 46 Performing Arts........ 58 Museums................... 64 Galleries & Collectibles................ 68 Sights in the City...... 80 Dining....................... 88

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About New York since 1934

PROMENADE Spring 2012

PUBLISHER CO-PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

David L. Miller Eli Marcus Lisa Ben-Isvy

SALES & MARKETING

VP Sales & Marketing VP Community Relations Senior Account Manager Marketing Development Manager Sales and Marketing Associate

Vincent Timpone Janet Z. Barbash Fred Moskowitz Deborah B. Daniels Enrico Yee

EDITORIAL

Editor Associate Editor Style Editor Theatre Editor

Phyllis Singer Colin Carlson Ruth J. Katz Griffin Miller

Contributing Editors Kaitlin Ahern Martin Bernheimer Marian Betancourt Kristopher Carpenter Sylviane Gold Karin Lipson Karli Petrovic Gene Seymour Art Director Jiyon Son PUBLISHING OPERATIONS

General Manager Thomas K. Hanlon Director of Distribution Linda Seto Moi Director of Operations - Events Div. Rebecca Stolcz Traffic Heather Gambaro Dana Golia Administrative Frank Kirsner Denise Marcovitch FINANCE

Credit Manager Elizabeth Teagarden Shaquon Cates Curtis Chaffin Diedra Smith Bookkeeper Fran Giovinco Assistant Bookkeeper Socehira David PROMENADE | DEDICATED TO THE AFFLUENT NEW YORK CITY VISITOR

Published by Davler Media Group LLC 1440 Broadway, 5th Floor New York, NY 10018 P: 212.315.0800 F: 212.271.2239 www.nyluxury.com www.davlermedia.com

Chief Executive Officer: David L. Miller Quarterly circulation is audited by BPA Worldwide NO PORTION OF THIS MAGAZINE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ARTICLES, LISTINGS, MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISION OF THE PUBLISHERS. Copyright: 2012 by Davler Media Group LLC. 212.315.0800.

Subscriptions are $60 in US and $80 overseas For circulation inquiries, call Thomas K. Hanlon, 646.736.3604

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Photos by: CarlosBido.com

Puzzled? We’ve Got the Answers! Center44’s selection of antique and vintage furniture, lighting, art and accessories just keeps getting better and better. Whether you visit us online at center44.com or in our huge Midtown Manhattan showroom, our 75 superb boutiques will wow you with selection and quality.

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editor’s picks

The city’s season of major museum openings and charity galas is well under way, and with it come the photos of the glitterati alighting from discreet town cars and stretch limos; scaling the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the New York City Public Library; dining in intimate bôites for the after-parties. One thing, however, that will stand out in all the paparazzi pix is a bejeweled hand clutching a...well, a clutch. Long the finishing touch of a black-tie ensemble, the clutch is always in style and that is obvious by the number of designers adding them to their lines—everyone from Valentino, Jimmy Choo, Vera Wang, and Bally to Prada, Rag & Bone, Erdem, and Marni. And you can just as readily carry one for daytime (think of Halston’s iconic “Foxy” envelopestyle clutch) as well as for glam evenings. Here are a few clutches to make you, er, clutch your heartstrings. By Ruth J. Katz

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1 From Kayu, a stunning, handpainted acacia-wood clutch, measuring 7” x 3.5”, available in this colorway and several others. $395. By special order: Kayu,

kayudesigns.com; 857-413-7593

2 Judith Leiber’s North-African-palace-inspired “Tangier” minaudière features exotic, gay, floral motifs against a field of golden crystals; measures 6.5” x

3.5”, and is kid-lined. $3,695. Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Avenue (57th/58th Streets); 212-753-7300, 800-558-1855; bergdorfgoodman.com

3 A versatile, day-into-evening, fold-over style clutch, “Emi,” from Ambrosi Abrianna. Shown here in petal-pink ostrich; available in other colors. Folded, it

measures 8” x 13”. $2,100. Ambrosi Abrianna, 131 East 70th Street (Madison/Park Avenues); 212-582-2506; ambrosiabrianna.com

4 A clutch to rival the glamour of your jewelry: Bulgari’s “Aida” purse is swathed in opulent damask fabric, embroidered with a garden of glass paillettes,

pearls, and beads. $4,300. Bulgari, 730 Fifth Avenue (57th Street); 212-315-9000, 800-BULGARI; 783 Madison Avenue (66th/67th Streets); 212-717-2300; bulgari.com

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Promenade - Winter 2011 Issue: Aaron Basha advertisement (Right Hand Read)

Aaron Basha Boutique • 685 Madison Avenue • New York • 212.935.1960 • w w w. a a ro n b a s h a . co m Athens

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editor’s picks

Topflight Tips for the Discerning Traveler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

virtual voyager

the

By Griffin Miller

Check & Double Check

Bend It Like Beckham

The Boy Scouts may be credited with the sound bite “Be Prepared,” but when it comes to puddles, mud, and squishy terrain, MacKenzie-Childs – in its first ever collaboration with Hunter – has elevated the familiar motto to the height of playful haute by adding whimsical Courtly Check Hunter Boots to their collection of irresistible must-haves. ($195 in whole sizes from 5 to 10. If you wear a halfsize, opt for the next size smaller.) And, as you’ll want to ensure your rainy day wear is nicely coordinated while navigating city streets during a downpour or sloshing through more rural environs, MacKenzieChilds has you covered (literally) thanks to its line of matching umbrellas, aka Courtly Check Bumbershoots. Options include Black Trim, Chartreuse Trim and Flower Market. ($88 each). mackenzie-childs.com

To the casual observer, Buccament Bay Resort on St. Vincent in the Caribbean is a good place to unwind in decadent style: on its white sand beach, in its luxurious spa, on its tennis courts or sampling its culinary fare. But this singular retreat provides guests with amenities that supercede traditional vacation perks. One is a performing arts academy (master classes based on musicals taught by British and U.S. theatre pros), while another, The Liverpool FC Academy Soccer School, serves up a different sort of training via a dream team of Liverpool soccer legends. Suggestion: You may want to brush up on Liverpool’s historic footballers and coaches, as one may turn out to be your “professor.” And to ensure grads and soccer lovers have their scrimmage techniques down pat, members of the resort’s staff host a friendly weekly match against guests. Training and coaching programs are available to both adults and children five and up. Check website for scheduled celebrity trainers: buccamentbay.com

Primordial Thailand

S.O.S. for Lost Luggage

When only the most elusive and extraordinary will do, Wild Planet Adventures delivers with its latest Hidden Thailand itinerary: a five-star trek spanning the gamut of awesome from culture and shopping, to interacting with elephants and rescue tigers, to snorkeling in the Ko Tarutau Archipelago, to visiting a vast haven of exotic animals with “the best possibility to see tigers in the wild”: Kaeng Krachan National Park. However, it’s Wild Planet’s exclusive access to Thailand’s Klong Seang Wildlife Sanctuary that has upped the ante for travelers with a taste for the unexplored. Home to a wide range of diverse fauna including otters, flying foxes, six species of primates and the rare clouded leopard, guests reach this remote oasis by long-tail boats and soundless sea kayaks – transports that ensure even the most skittish animals won’t be frightened away. As for accommodations during the Klong Seang facet of the program, expect the sublime: a stunning aqua-lodge raft house and world-class Thai restaurant floating “where rivers and waterfalls flow into a multitude of valleys amidst tall limestone Karst mountains and lush rainforest.” wildplanetadventures.com

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At the elegant Stafford London by Kempinski in the heart of St James’s, guests arriving sans baggage signals the hotel’s Baggage Emergency Response Squad to snap into action. Diffusing the trauma of luggage on the lam, this elite team sets in motion a threetiered survival plan: 1) Customized “First Aid Kits” featuring packaged “knickers” and wool socks from upscale English retailers, the hotel’s signature Floris bath products, all the basics from toothbrush to contact solution and, for wee travelers, a customized Stafford teddy bear; 2) Hostage Negotiations, wherein the squad will deal with the airlines on the guest’s behalf for the “expedited arrival of detained luggage;” and 3) Quick Cleanup: fast laundering of arrival clothes with optional ASAP shopping to replace necessary items like missing business suits and such. As for the First Aid Kits, immediate laundering services and concierge support, all are complimentary, 24-7. Special request items (i.e., wardrobe items) will be billed to the guest at cost. Crisis averted! kempinski.com/en/london

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SHOPPINGNEW YORK

black, white

prints all over By Ruth J. Katz

Christian Dior

ach spring and fall when we recap the fashion runway trends, we invariably find holdovers from the previous season or two, and we often remark that it’s to be expected— fashion rarely turns on a dime. If it did, we’d all feel obliged to toss out our wardrobes and restock our closets twice yearly, an action that is both impractical and financially ruinous. “Hot” fashion generally builds on earlier silhouettes, and the “new” looks are usually expressions that, while plunging into uncharted territory, still reverberate with echoes of runways past. And so it is this season, too—new directions add zest to many tried-and-true themes. We usually expect daring stripes, jolly polka dots, and lady-like florals when spring comes ‘round, and for the looks of Spring 2012, those stripes and graphics do not disappoint. But

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SPRING 2012

Zang Toi Hermès

L.A.M.B.

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they have morphed a bit more into architectural grids, tribal prints, and bold graphics. The ethnic influence was major at many shows—Bottega Veneta, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Marni, de la Renta, Burberry Prorsum, and Proenza Schouler. Florals erupted in cascades of both striking blooms and sedate buds at Christopher Kane, Diane von Furstenberg, Altuzarra, and Peter Pilotto, among the many. Solids also reigned this season, with lots of snowy-white (not a huge surprise for summer) from the likes of Versace, Vera Wang, Max Mara, Carolina Herrera, Reed Krakoff, Haider Ackermann, Chloé, Akris, and Marc Jacobs. Even blush-pink and sorbettoned strawberry had a strong showing in the collections, and the combo of jet black and downy white, in a chiaroscuro fantasy, was rendered in countless silhouettes...from slinky ’20s-inspired flapper dresses to sporty suits to grand ball gowns. And regardless of the silhouette’s shape, lady-like touches abounded, in smashing daytime suits, subtly sexy dresses, and feminine trouser outfits. Still holding a strong place on the runways is the color orange, which has been surging every year in popularity —poppy, carrot, persimmon, and pumpkin—and that, too, is no bombshell: The Pantone Color Institute selected “a spirited reddish-orange” as its color of the year, dubbing it “Tangerine Tango.” Even designers who did not use a ginger-tinged palette in a big way for entire garments shot jolts of clementine colors into their runway ensembles, in belts, shoes, handbags, hats, and trims. A spirited season it is. When you start shopping for your spring wardrobes and for those show-stopping additions to your closet staples, you will find plenty of “ooh-la-la!” on the stores’ racks. n

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Nicole Miller

L’Wren Scott

Hermés

Barbara Tfank

Christian Dior

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SHOPPINGNEW YORK

SPRING 2012

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Issey Miyake

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SHOPPINGNEW YORK

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Aaron Basha’s 18-kt. white-gold, enamel, and diamond necklace features Basha’s signature playful baby shoes and charms that you can add on as desired. Price upon request. Aaron Basha, 685 Madison Avenue (61st/62nd Streets); 212-935-1960; aaronbasha.com

The “Cosmos By Kim” for Wempe baroque Tahitian-pearl necklace is fashioned in 18-kt. white gold, and features a clasp of brilliant-cut pavé diamonds. $44,975. Wempe, 700 Fifth Avenue (55th Street); 212-397-9000, 800-513-1131; wempe.com

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SHOPPINGNEW YORK

Designer Brenda Smith fashions Tahitian pavonine-black, 7.9 mm pearls into stunning earrings, set in 18-kt. white gold, encircled with diamonds. $9,800. Aaron Faber, 666 Fifth Avenue (53rd Street); 212-586-8411; aaronfaber.com; brendasmithjewelry.com

From the Frey Wille “Hommage à Gustav Klimt” line, the rings in the “Nixe” collection include (left to right) “Diva,” “Miss,” and “Ultra.” Each enamel ring is handcrafted and set in a rhodium-andpalladium-plated mounting. From $475 to $610. Frey Wille, 727 Madison Avenue (63rd/64th Streets); 646-682-9030; frey-wille.com

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Gorgeous, 13.3-mm. South Sea pearls are gracefully cradled in coronas of light cognac diamonds (8.16 total carats), all set in 18-kt. rhodium-plated, black gold, from designer Anil Maloo of Baggins Pearls. $20,000. Fred Leighton, 773 Madison Avenue (66th Street); 212-288-1872; fredleighton.com; bagginspearls.com

From Ivanka Trump, a delicate, colored-diamond, briolette, tassel-style necklace in 18-kt. rose gold, set with diamond embellishments. $78,000. Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry Boutique, 109 Mercer Street (Spring Street); 888-756-9912; ivankatrumpcollection

Designer Ann Sportun’s 14-kt. whitegold ring, “Stardust,” is set with .517 carats of glimmering diamonds, in a textured field. (Also available in yellow gold.) $5,905. Greenwich Jewelers, 64 Trinity Place (Rector/Thames Streets); 212-964-7592; greenwichjewelers.com; annesportun.com

The name De Beers is usually associated with eyepopping diamonds, but the renowned firm also designs striking, spectacular, simpler bijoux, like this stack of “Azulea” rings: Each contains a .03 ct. diamond, set in (top to bottom) white, yellow, black, and pink 18-kt. gold. $750 each. De Beers, 703 Fifth Avenue (55th Street); 212-906-0001, 800-929-0889; debeers.com

jewels that whisper glamour During the awards season that has just ended—the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the DGA Awards, the SAG Awards, the People’s Choice Awards (is there no limit to the statuette season?)—we were treated to one red carpet gala after another and invariably every interviewer wanted to know about the dresses and the jewelry. And oh, those jewels! Some of the bling was so heady, you could have used sunglasses for TV-viewing. But not all bijoux erupted with fireworks. Subtle gems can speak volumes, and often do: The just-right platinum-and-gem collar around the neck against a black sheath; a show-stopping tower of golden bangles to bring the eye downward; a statement brooch that glows delicately and draws you to it like a beacon. Refined and restrained jewels whisper something about the wearer, her self-assurance, and her sense of grace and style. Here are some exquisite selections for your own red carpet events. By Ruth J. Katz 25

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SHOPPINGNEW YORK

A one-of-a-kind, hammered necklace (adjustable length) from designer Yael Sonia, in striking rough lemon quartz (850 carats), offset with 18-kt. yellow-gold links. $10,900. Yael Sonia, 922 Madison Avenue (73rd/74th Streets); 212-472-6488; yaelsonia.com

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Canadian designer Llyn L. Strelau‘s ”Gaia’s Gift” is a warm, earth-toned, agate collar, encrusted with dazzling, druzy-quartz crystals, and accented with 18-kt. yellow gold bars, which are pavé-set with over 200 fancy-colored diamonds. $24,000. Naomi Sarna Designs, 48 West 48th Street (Fifth/Sixth Avenues)/Suite 1410; 212-727-7067; jewelsbydesign.com

A handsome 18-kt. yellow-gold cuff, from Herco, is embellished with over one carat of diamonds. $14,800. Leslie Berman Jewelry, 745 Fifth Avenue (57th/58th Streets)/Suite1601; 212-888-4188; lesliebermaninc.com

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Diamond-set swirls of 20-kt. peach gold and subtle pale-green quartz drops make these Reinstein Ross ”Arabesque Empress” earrings a sophisticated standout. $7,200. Reinstein Ross, 29 East 73rd Street (Fifth/Madison Avenues); 212-772-1901; 122 Prince Street (Greene/Wooster Streets); 212-226-4513; reinsteinross.com

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Le Vian’s proprietary “strawberry” gold is fashioned with open-work in the “Derby” bracelet, in 14-kt.; embellished with 1.58 ct. diamonds. $5,197. Kay Jewelers, 136 West 34th Street (Sixth/Seventh Avenues); 212-594-1898; kay.com

The starburst-like “Power” brooch from designer Visnja measures 3” by 3” and is composed of platinum and diamonds; it also comes with a chain, so it can be worn as a necklace. $72,000. Visnja Jewels, 270 Lafayette Street (Prince/Houston Streets); 212-226-2621; visnjajewels.com

Two splendid, multi-color, South Sea baroque-pearl necklaces, intertwined, by jewelry designer Yvel; each combines 18-kt. yellow-gold nuggets, natural cognac-toned diamonds, and pearls ranging in size from 12 x 14 mm. to 16 x 18 mm. $68,299 and $75,229. Yvel, 866-983-5583; yvel.com

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DESIGNNEW YORK

style shows: fashion history on display At FIT, centuries of landmark designs will delight and dazzle By Ruth J. Katz

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All Photographs on this page ©The Museum at FIT

he welcoming “artifact” at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Fashion and Textile History Gallery is a mannequin swathed in a bold Moschino rayon frock, from 1990, in graphic black and white, embellished with staccato dots of crimson that are actually striking, heart-shaped buttons; the swirling skirt is emblazoned with letters, and it billboards the contrasting messages: “Fashion” and “Fashioff,” as if making fun of the slaves of fashion—i.e., us. It is the perfect choice to open a two-part exhibit that chronicles selective highlights from the vast (50,000 garments and 30,000 textiles) holdings of the F.I.T. collection: FASHION A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of The Museum at FIT, Part One. And the raiment on view here goes from a literal A-B-C (Armani, Balenciaga, Chanel) to a figurative X-Y-Z (Westwood, Yeholee, Zoran). For any student of fashion—that is to say, anyone who buys and wears clothes; in other words, all of us—this show is a must-see. There are so many incredible ensembles and accessories that it is hard to take it all in with one viewing. Luckily, admission to the museum is free, so you can return again and again; there are only 50 silhouettes mounted in this flight, on view until May 8, but opening shortly thereafter, on May 23, is the second flight of selections from the museum’s holdings, promising to plumb even deeper into the fashion-alphabet’s offerings, which will be on exhibit through November 10. Elegant outfits, like a 1925 Chanel evening confection in chiffon, seed beads, rhinestones, and silver leather, looks like something you could readily wear today; you could also just as

easily don a Halston red slinky dress—his signature—or a Donna Karan graceful, draped-jersey tower of fabric that would look smashing on any runway or at any soirée and be perennially au courant. Equally noteworthy is the iconic Givenchy Mondrian-inspired 1965 shift, in geometric color-blocking. There are also legendary designer names in the show, without which it would be unfair to call the exhibit a true fashion survey—names like Fortuny, Paul Poiret, Mainbocher, and Claire McCardell. Fun and funny garments are also highlighted, like a Boudicca frock in white cotton, black polyester net, black rayon stretch knit, and black leather—the bodice is sedate, like a schoolgirl’s uniform, but the skirt is a pouf of fly-away wings, with layers of crinolines. And fittingly, there is a Versace pop-culture suit, in restrained neons, which sports pop-culture images of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Accessories feature less prominently in the exhibition, but they are not overlooked, and include Elsa Peretti’s classic Tiffany cuff bracelets and a hat from a Dior fashion show, designed by the master milliner Stephen Jones, which laces up like a corset and is a bit fetish-like in its execution. Even if you are not a fashionista, learning about these silhouettes and styles—from an entertaining, academic point of view—is eyeopening, and this show will not disappoint. We are eager to see act two. n

[ the details ] The Museum at FIT; Seventh Avenue at 27th Street; 212-217-4558; fitnyc.edu/museum

Clockwise from the top left: [ Prada, ensemble, blue cotton lace, tan knit, patent leather, fall 2011, Italy, gift of Prada; Valentino, evening dress, red silk, spring 2008, Italy, gift of Valentino; Chanel (Karl Lagerfeld), evening suit, black wool, 1986, France, gift from the Estate of Tina Chow; Thierry Mugler, evening gown, metallic silver lilac lamé, lilac satin, circa 1987, France, museum purchase ]

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The Gallery at Bard Graduate Center, 18 West 86th Street; 212-501-3023; bgc.bard.edu

[ the details ]

joint venture between the Bard Graduate Center and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum (where over 100,000 people previously viewed the show), this exhibit of over 250 hats, curated by British master-milliner Stephen Jones, is a masterpiece of headgear. Observed Jones, “I simply live my life and put it into a hat.” And it’s all here, every aspect of anyone’s life: the serious, the capricious, the historical, the fanciful, the celebratory, the famous, the notorious, the frivolous, and then some. On view through April 15, the cleverly and thoughtfully mounted show offers everything from a 12th-century Egyptian fez and the top hat worn by FDR for his fourth inauguration to a whimsical hat that resembles a flying shark, to a wacky headtopper that looks like a head of hair set on rollers (replete with clips and pins!), to stunning hats a titled Baroness would wear to Ascot, to pop culture artifacts—Babe Ruth’s baseball cap, Darth Vader’s helmet, an Italian cycle helmet, Estée Lauder’s iconic turban, and the bunny ears designed by Halston for Candice Bergen to wear to Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White ball. There are hats made out of just about everything God put on the earth—animal, vegetable, and mineral, some traditionally used by milliners, and some a total flight of fancy: silk, straw, felt, cotton jersey, chiffon, velvet, the African tribal fabric aso oke, nylon, ribbon, cellulose fibers, cowhide, plastic, metal, papier mâché, wood, pearls, sequins, tinsel, glass beads, feathers (ostrich, goose, duck, pheasant, among them), mother-of-pearl, and yak hair—and that is merely a partial list of the countless materials used in the chapeaux. In addition to the sundry divisions of the show—everything from styles like hoods to motifs such as animals—there is also a charming model of a milliner’s workshop. The main themes are Inspiration, Creation, and the Client, but it doesn’t matter how the remarkable hats are showcased—they are astonishing standouts in any vitrine, whether in a museum or in a shop—or, of course, on someone’s head. n

At BARD, a feast of millinery masterpieces

Clockwise from the top: [ Stephen Jones; Philip Treacy feather hat,1995; Stephen Jones hat with rolled brim,1982; Cristóbal Balenciaga for Eisa spiral hat, winter 1962; Stephen Jones for Christian Dior Haute Couture”Olga Sherer inspirée par Gruau” hat ]

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STYLENEW YORK

talking with Thierry Prissert The Frenchman at the helm of Breitling USA explains why this watch brand truly has time on its side—in more ways than one. By Kaitlin Ahern

All Photos courtesy of Breitling

reitling, the storied Swiss company famed for its highly technical timekeepers, has boutiques bearing its name all over the world—from Tokyo to Curacao—but its flagship is right here in Manhattan. Opened at 5 East 57th Street just over a year ago, the boutique boasts notable neighbors like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Chanel, to name a few. Visitors to this choice cut of sidewalk just off Madison Avenue can expect to find a wide and dazzling selection of Breitling’s signature wristwatches, but they’ll also find the brand’s entire DNA laid bare in the three-story boutique that comprises a retail site as well as a miniature museum. Within a few thousand square feet, the curious consumer can trace Breitling’s 128-year history, from its decades-old roots in aviation (the brand made timepieces for the British Royal Air Force in the 1930s and is still a favorite among pilots today) to the latest high-performance chronographs. Over more than a century, Breitling has elevated the wristwatch above a mere accessory by accompanying its wearers everywhere from the depths of the ocean (the Superocean collection guarantees water resistance up to 6,600 feet below sea level) to outer space (the Cosmonaute left Earth on the wrist of American astronaut Scott Carpenter in 1962). And while NASA may have shuttered its space exploration programs, the Cosmonaute is still made today—it will celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary this year. While the brand has been family-owned since its inception in 1884, a comparatively recent shift in power occurred in September 2010 when Thierry Prissert took the reins as president of Breitling USA. We caught up with the Paris-born Prissert to discuss preservation, innovation, and a new destination. Q. Breitling has a long history with aeronautics. How do you balance your dedication to aviation professionals with the needs of a customer who just wants a nice watch for everyday wear? TP: From the beginning of aviation, back to the early 20th century, we were making instruments for planes long before we were making wristwatches. The Royal Air Force had Breitling instruments of navigation in their cockpits. We expanded that technical precision to wristwatches in 1952 when we launched the Navitimer, our most famous watch, [which

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[O pposite page from top: As president of Breitling USA, Thierry Prissert says he is passionate about bringing the brand to a wider audience. “I want to bring the Breitling story to life: the quality, the history, the sense of adventure that is part of its DNA.”; The classic Navitimer 01 is a self-winding chronograph with steel case, black dial, and leather strap ($7,715) Above: Breitling Boutique New York merges the brand’s heritage with its modern style, encompassing storefront, museum, customer service center,watchmaker workshop, and bar ]

is] still in our collection today. Over the years our collection evolved with the aviation field—the Chronomat collection was designed not to break when the pilot opened the cockpit of his jet. We develop many of our watches for pilots, but they are great everyday watches because of their precise movements. Q. What does it say about a person when they choose a Breitling watch? TP: It’s a watch for adventurous people, someone who’s stylish and modern that also leads a very active lifestyle. We reach every segment of the population because of our large spectrum of watches and the quality of our brand. We have watches for when you want to go diving or when you want to go into the air, or when you want to attend a black-tie function. They start at $3,500 and reach up to $65,000, but they all have the right combination of style and precision. Q. That word, “precision,” is often heard in association with Breitling. TP: Breitling is one of only a very few watchmakers that has the capacity for manufacturing our own movement. We introduced our in-house movement in 2009 and the long-term goal is to manufacture most of our watches with in-house movement. It’s the idea that it’s always better to make your own if you can—it ensures the quality, because you have more control over what you’re making. We’re also the only major brand where 100 percent of our mechanisms go through an independent certification process. This is important because it’s a

way to gauge the precision of each watch by someone else’s standards, not just our own. It’s like taking an exam—we study very hard to set the standard for excellence. Last year we certified 150,000 products. Every single one of our products goes through that certification process, and that’s why we’re different from other companies. Q. The company has been family-owned since 1884. How does that affect the way it’s run? Breitling Boutique New York TP: Yes, it’s unbelievable. Since 1884 5 East 57th Street only two families have owned the com855-999-1884; breitling.com pany: three generations of Breitling and two generations of Schneider. That’s rare in the industry. We run differently because the owner is only thinking about what’s good for the brand and the longevity of the brand, without considering stock market or shareholder obligations. Our duty is simply to continue to develop a range of beautiful watches to please our customers. Q. What are your goals for the brand? TP: My goal is to expose the most people to our brand as possible, because I think if you’re exposed to it, you’ll fall in love with it. And we might open a few more stores. We opened a store in Miami a few months ago and here’s a scoop: The next Breitling shop is going to open in Orlando in early 2013, in the Mall of Millenia. n 31

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New York

SHOPPING

Clockwise from left: [ The Italian columnar Murano glass floor lamp is by Mazzega from the late ‘60s or early ‘70s, from Center44 boutique Quotient Fine Furnishings; The horn-shaped console in patinated metal is by MaitlandSmith and was found in a home in Greenwich, CT by Center44 boutique Christopher O’Hayre; Although unsigned, the wall sculpture is a monumental 1970’s studio metal work in the Brutalist style. It was discovered in an estate in Lower Merlon, PA and is from Center44 boutique G. Evans Antiques. ]

When Bergdorf’s opened their new shoe salon in September of 2011, they called on New York antiques specialists Center44 to provide the backdrops. Center44 has over 70 international antiques and vintage dealers in their blocklong Manhattan showroom. Center44 co-owner Jim Tindell says, “Working on projects with Linda Fargo and Susan Homan of Bergdorf Goodman is always a creative joy. No project is ever the same, and the choices they make are always cutting edge. Their creative use of materials and forms in new and different ways is evident in the new shoe department.” “Yes,” adds partner Paul Plumadore. “Imagine taking a Mazzega smoked glass floor lamp and installing it as a beacon of light, pulling clients into the heart of the 2nd floor. This is the magic of Bergdorf Goodman.”

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Photos by Adrian Nina

Where Shoes Meet Antiques

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SHOPPING SPOTLIGHT

antiques p.33

Art and Antiques Center44 – A unique and dramatic shopping experience with 70 extraordinary international antiques dealers featured in a blocklong showroom of open-room settings, with aisles of antiquities (from ancient to the 19th century), 20th-century design—including Deco, Modernism, and Futurism—and unique contemporary art and objects. On-site skilled artisans provide furniture/art restoration and traditional upholstery. 222 E. 44th St. (Second-Third Aves.), 212-450-7988; center44.com Imperial Oriental Art – A distinguished name in the field of Chinese ceramics and works of art specializing in fine quality work over a range of various dynasties, including Ming and Qing. Also offered is an extensive selection of Blue and White, Famille Rose, Famille Verte and the finest quality of Qing monochromes in America. 790 Madison Ave. (66th-67th Sts.), Third Floor, 212-717-5383; imperialorientalart.com Lerebours Antiques - An eclectic collection of Continental and American antique, vintage, and mid-century modern fine furnishings, lighting, and art. Mon.-Fri., 10am-6pm; Sat. and Sun. by appointment. 220 E. 60th St., 917-749-5866; lereboursantiques.com Showplace Antique + Design Center – Over 250 galleries located on 4 floors featuring Art Deco, Art Nouveau, mid-century Modern, bronze, silver, jewelry, vintage clothing and accessories, ceramics, art glass, antiquities, period furniture & lighting. Don’t miss the 3rd-floor designer room settings and over 50 showcases filled with an eclectic range of decoratives and collectibles. Mon.-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat.-Sun., 8:30am-5:30pm. 40 W. 25th St., 212-633-6063; nyshowplace.com

shopS The Shops at the Plaza – Throughout the legendary Plaza Hotel, there is now a collection of world’s finest purveyors of art, jewelry, haute couture and specialty foods as well as premiere health and beauty services. Highlights not to be missed are the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, Celebrity Stylists Warren-Tricomi Salon, MCM, Eloise at the Plaza, and Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie. One location. Countlesss indulgences.

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The Plaza Hotel, Fifth Ave. at 59th St., 212-546-5499; theplaza.com

Department and Specialty Stores Barneys New York – Long identified with New York chic and sophistication, Barneys features international men’s and women’s fashion designers ranging from the classically understated to the flamboyantly avant garde. Accessories, formal wear, cosmetics, and shoes are also offered in a variety of styles. Their restaurant, Fred’s at Madison Avenue, is open for brunch, lunch and dinner. 660 Madison Ave. (61st St.), 212-826-8900; barneys.com Bloomingdale’s – One of the world’s most famous landmark department stores. The best international fashions and home furnishings are brought together under a single Art Deco roof, in a store that encompasses a full city block and more than 500 departments. 1000 Third Ave. (59th-60th Sts.), 212-705-2000; 504 Broadway (Spring-Broome Sts.), 212-729-5900; bloomingdales.com Hammacher Schlemmer – The landmark store for America’s longest-running catalog, offering unique products that solve problems, further your lifestyle, or represent the only one of their kind. 147 E. 57th St., 212-421-9002; hammacher.com Lord & Taylor – Generations have shopped year-round at this, their flagship store, established in 1914, attracted by their focus on the American look and American designers, offering a selection of reasonably priced sportswear in all sizes, and particularly fine high-quality shoes and accessories. 424 Fifth Ave. (39th St.), 212-391-3344; lordandtaylor.com MacKenzie-Childs - The flagship store featuring the full collection of whimsical and unique handcrafted home and garden accessories and gifts, including hand-painted ceramics, dinnerware, tableware, glassware and home furniture. 14 W. 57th St. (Fifth-Sixth Aves.), 212-5706050; 31 Main St. Southampton, 631-283-1880; mackenzie-childs.com Macy’s – “The world’s largest store,” and one of NYC’s most visited landmark attractions. The

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world’s first department store maintains a huge stock of everything from sofas to caviar, clothing, and everything in between. Broadway & 34th St., 212-695-4400; macys.com Saks Fifth Avenue – This venerated symbol of class and elegance began in 1924 as the brainchild of Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel. Their flagship “dream store,” a New York City landmark since 1985, features nine floors of grand luxury, stocked with exclusive items for men and women. 611 Fifth Ave. (49th-50th Sts.), 212-753-4000; saksfifthavenue.com

Fashion AND Accessories Balenciaga – Fashions that meld the avant-garde with classically wearable designs. 542 W. 22nd St., 212-206-0872; balenciaga.com BCBG Max Azria – Modern and chic suits, separates, coats, dresses, handbags and accessories for fashion-forward women. 770 Madison Ave. (66th St.), 212-717-4225; 120 Wooster St. (Prince St.), 212-625-2723; bcbg.com Brunello Cucinelli – Renowned for their classic collection of fine cashmere, Brunello Cucinelli also features luxury sportswear for both men and women. 683 Madison Ave. (61st-62nd Sts.), 212-813-0900; 379 Bleecker St. (Perry St.), 212-627-9202; brunellocucinelli.com Burberry – This luxury brand, synonymous with its signature house check–the camel, black, red, and white pattern–offers men’s, women’s, children’s, and babywear lines, fragrances, golf, eyewear, and home collections. Their made-toorder coat service has customized style and color options. 160 Columbus Ave. (67th St.), 212-5950934; 444 Madison Ave. (49th St.), 212-7076700; 9 E. 57th St., 212-371-5010; 131 Spring St. (Greene St.), 212-925-9300; burberry.com Calvin Klein Collection – This monument to elegant modernity showcases its selection of women and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, and the home collection, including china, flatware, glassware, and linens, plus exclusive gift items. 654 Madison Ave. (60th St.), 212-292-9000; calvinklein.com Carolina Herrera – Elegant, ultra-feminine, up-to-the-minute women’s dresses and fragrances.

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SHOPPINGNEWYORK

Davidoff of Geneva is one of the most popular cigar and accessories shop in America, with two warm and welcoming top-of-the-line shops in Manhattan, and the most comfortable smokers’ lounges in the city. (Speaking of smoking lounges, Davidoff upgraded their flagship by re-locating just a few blocks from the original location to 515 Madison Ave. at 53rd St., which accommodates an even bigger walk-in humidor and a 300-square-foot smoking lounge.) Davidoff products— which include lighters, cigar cutters, ashtrays, humidors, cigar cases, pipes, and much more— unite craftsmanship, dedication, and understanding culminating in elegant, innovative, and functional pieces. Davidoff’s glass-walled, walk-in humidor also features the best cigars and cigarillos available anywhere—over 1,000 to choose from more than 50 different brands including Davidoff, Winston Churchill, Zino Platinum, AVO, The Griffin’s, Super Selection, Zino, Private Stock, Alec Bradley, Ashton, and many others. 515 Madison Ave. (53rd St.), 212-751-9060; The Shops at Columbus Circle, 10 Columbus Cir. (59th St.), 212-823-6383; davidoffnewyork.com

CH Carolina Herrera (802 Madison Ave. (68th St.), 212-744-2076) has clothing for men, women, and kids, as well as travel accessories. 954 Madison Ave. (75th St.), 212-249-6552; carolinaherrera.com Chanel Boutique – Featuring the classic elements of Coco Chanel’s style, showcasing handbags, accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear by Karl Lagerfeld. 15 E. 57th St., 212-355-5050; 139 Spring St. (Wooster St.), 212-334-0055; chanel.com Diane Von Furstenberg – Wrap dresses to flirty sportswear, accessories, and more from the fashion icon. 874 Washington St. (14th St.), 646-486-4800; dvf.com DKNY – Lifestyle clothing, accessories, and more embracing the fun styles of New York from Donna Karan. 420 West Broadway (Spring St.), 646-613-1100; 655 Madison Ave. (60th St.), 212-223-3569; dkny.com Dolce & Gabbana – Ultra-modern Italian fashions, including men’s formalwear and more adventurous women’s fashions. 825 Madison Ave. (69th St.), 212-249-4100; dolcegabbana.com Donna Karan – This three-story home to the famed designer’s timeless collection is where simplicity meets glamour. 819 Madison Ave. (68th St.), 866-240-4700; donnakaran.com Eileen Fisher – Classic women’s fashions promoting simplicity, versatility, and creativity. 395 West Broadway, 212-431-4567; 521 Madison Ave. (53rd-54th Sts.), 212-759-9888; 341 Columbus Ave. (76th St.), 212-3623000; 314 E. 9th St., 212-529-5715; 1039 Madison Ave. (79th-80th Sts.), 212-879-7799; 166 Fifth Ave. (21st-22nd Sts.), 212-924-4777; eileenfisher.com Elie Tahari – Women’s ready-to-wear fashions and accessories, including suits, cutting-edge sportswear and dresses. 417 West Broadway (Spring St.), 212-334-4441; elietahari.com ESCADA – The German-based company offers high-end, modern, and elegant women’s apparel and accessories. ESCADA SPORT represents understated city chic. The company brand also encompasses licenses for eyewear and fragrances. 747 Madison Ave. (65th St.), 212-755-2200; escada.com

Tracing its roots back to the 1826 partnership of Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor on the Lower East Side—and now with 46 stores in nine states and the District of Columbia—the upscale specialty department store Lord & Taylor remains one of New York City’s longest surviving businesses. The oldest department store in America, they’ve built a reputation for attentive customer service and highquality merchandise focused on apparel and accessories. Generations of families have shopped year-round at this, their flagship store, established in 1914, attracted by their focus on the quintessential American look and talented American designers, offering a vast selection of sportswear in all sizes, reasonably priced, and particularly fine highquality, moderately priced shoes and accessories. But while loyal to their traditional customers, the grand store also accommodates the younger, more modern, hipper shopper as well. 424 Fifth Ave. at 39th St., 212-391-3344; lordandtaylor.com

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Giorgio Armani – The Italian designer’s flagship features suits, elegant sportswear, outerwear, and evening wear for men and women. Women will find fragile, satin dresses, flared trousers, and crocheted jackets in shades of powder and blush against black and metallic tones; while men can find a fun twist on serious overcoats and casual track suits. 760 Madison Ave. (65th St.), 212-988-9191; giorgioarmani.com Louis Vuitton – A showcase for the timeless elegance of the famed line of classic men’s and women’s fashions, handbags, watches and jewelry, and shoes. “Fetishes,” with laced- and buttoned-up backs, rubber dominatrix boots, and plasticized lace heats things up this season. 1 E. 57th St., 212-758-8877; 116 Greene St. (Prince St.), 212-274-9090; louisvuitton.com

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Marc Jacobs – Casual-chic fashions for men and women including simple dresses, classic tailored suits, and formal wear. 163 Mercer St. (HoustonPrince Sts.), 212-343-1490; 385 Bleecker St. (Perry St.), 212-924-6126; marcjacobs.com Marimekko – Established in 1951, this Finnish textile and clothing design company is renowned for its original prints and colors. The flagship store offers home decor, apparel, bags and accessories, fabric collections, and much more. 200 Fifth Ave. (23rd-24th Sts.), 212-843-9121; us.marimekko.com Michael Kors – Polished, classic-chic sportswear and accessories for men and women. 790 Madison Ave. (67th St.), 212-452-4685; 101 Prince St. (Greene St.), 212-965-0401; michaelkors.com Polo/Ralph Lauren, Madison Avenue – The jewel in the crown of the more than 145 stores worldwide, with authentic antique furniture, women’s wear, accessories, leather goods, home furnishings, and antiques. Ralph Lauren’s first men’s-only store is located across the street at 867 Madison Ave. (72nd St.), 212-606-2100. 888 Madison Ave. (72nd St.), 212-434-8000; ralphlauren.com

Prada – This specialist in minimalist fashion offers a range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, and furnishings. 841 Madison Ave. (70th St.), 212-327-4200; 45 E. 57th St., 212-308-2332; 724 Fifth Ave. (56th St.), 212-664-0010; 575 Broadway (Prince St.), 212-334-8888; prada.com Saks Fifth Ave Personal Shopping – For special personal shopping service on women’s fashions, contact James Palazza at 212-940-2784. saksfifthavenue.com Stella McCartney – The trendy boutique featuring au courant, animal-friendly fashions for women in the heart of downtown Manhattan. 112 Greene St. (Prince St.), 212-255-1556; stellamccartney.com Suitsupply SoHo – Suitsupply has created an entirely new market in men’s fashion which sets them apart from any other existing boutique retailers. Their combination of using only the finest Italian fabrics, European styling, unbeatable in-store service and attainable price bracket is a revolutionary approach to menswear. No attention to detail is ever spared and tailoring is done on-site and while-you-wait, allowing customers to leave with the perfect fit. In The Wall Street Journal,

Suitsupply ranked #1 in a blind test matching a $3625 Armani suit in quality. GQ placed Suitsupply on its list of the Coolest New Stores of 2011. 453 Broome St. (Mercer St.), 2nd Floor, 212-828-7250; suitsupply.com tibi – The renowned contemporary dress line, plus a shoe line, swimwear, and home accessories. 120 Wooster St. (Prince St.), 212-226-5852; tibi.com TSE – All things cashmere, for men and women— usually. 120 Wooster St. (Prince St.), 212-925-2520; tsecashmere.com Yeohlee – Described as “one of the most ingenious makers of clothing today.” Chic but practical women’s apparel. 25 W. 38th St., 212-631-8099; yeohlee.com

FURS The Fur Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue – Home to the most luxurious, elegant furs from a wide selection of designers. Fur salon services include madeto-measure garments, storage, cleaning, alterations, repairs, and more. 611 Fifth Ave. (49th-50th Sts.), 212-940-4465; thefursalon.com

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THESHOPPINGNEWS

fabulous Fabergé When it comes to stunning objets de vertu, “nobody did it better,” to paraphrase Carly Simon, than the fabled House of Fabergé with its master jewelers and brilliant artisans. Whether it was the Imperial Easter eggs, petite picture frames, delicate etuis, or jewelry and tiaras, the legendary Fabergé jewelers were nonpareil in the world of the Romanovs. And their bejeweled and enameled treasures still command top dollar. (In 2007, a legendary Rothschild egg sold at Christie’s London for £8.9 million.) Sadly, during the First World War, the workshop was forcibly nationalized. But, through a relatively new alliance, two of Peter Carl Fabergé’s great-granddaughters are now involved with the Fabergé Heritage Council, formed to guide the new incarnation of Fabergé’s eponymously named new company in its pursuit of Fabergé’s core values, philosophy, and spirit—and open a boutique. (Dr. Géza von Habsburg, one of the world’s leading Fabergé experts, serves as Fabergé’s curatorial director.) The bijoux at this new Fabergé emporium is simply show-stopping; the jewels are all meticulously handcrafted in Paris, and it includes countless one-of-a-kind pieces and multiples. Among the remarkable collections are Les Fabuleuse (and they are fabulous, indeed) and Saisons Russes, evocative of Russian heritage, and Les Fameux de Fabergé, magnificent, one-of-a-kind egg pendants. Also look for a superb collection of watches, Fabergé Horlogerie. Prices start at $5,000. 694 Madison Ave. (62nd/63rd Sts.); 646-559-8848; faberge.com

Perrin Paris’ NYC encore Michel Perrin’s great-grandfather grew up in Saint Junien-Haute Vienne, the historic capital of French glove-making, and in 1893 he founded a business making—what else?— exquisite gloves. Today, fourth-generation Michel presides over the design and production of the company’s handsome leather goods. With the mothership in Paris, and an American flagship in Los Angeles, the company is primed to open a boutique in Gotham at the end of the month. But, it’s a nostalgic touchstone and homecoming, really, as Perrin had a chic, prosperous shop here in the 1930s.

The new Perrin Paris boutique is airy and jewel-box-like, awash in blonde tiger maple, and soothing earth tones. On display are the most sensational gloves, of course, but also retro sunglasses ($395 to $695), and the newest addition to the company’s glamorous lines, handbags (about $600 to $9,000 or so). Notes Perrin, “It is a French tradition to make structured bags, finished with great detail—like our very fine stitching. Our handbags are iconic.” The company’s most celebrated bag is the “Attelage” (center), a lady-like purse with a double strap, gathered material, and a decorative frame; it is constructed in countless materials—crocodile, woven goat hair, ostrich, lambskin, pony, Rex rabbit, and so on. Another classic from Perrin is the spherical “Ball” bag (right), constructed from wide strips of leather, forming a classic ball shape, with the handle built right into the orb. Le “Martha,” from the Jet Set line, is a wallet-style clutch for a busy, on-the-go woman with places for all one’s documents, credit cards, and foreign currencies. Bon voyage with Perrin! 987 Madison Avenue (76th/77th Streets) at The Carlyle Hotel; perrinparis.com –RJK

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Maximilian at Bloomingdale’s – Offering an extensive collection of premier designer furs of the highest quality and design. 1000 Third Ave. (60th St.), 212-705-3335; maximilian.com

Jewelry and Watches Aaron Basha – A family-owned and -run staple that has made its name with high-fashion jewelry pieces, most notably their distinctive jeweled baby shoes and assortment of baby charms. They also feature heirloom-quality jewelry, with bracelets, clasps, cuff links, chains and more. 685 Madison Ave. (61st St.), 212-935-1960; aaronbasha.com De Beers Jewellery – The ultimate destination for diamond jewelery. With over 120 years of diamond experience to draw on, De Beers Diamond Jewellers go well beyond the ‘4Cs’ of carat, clarity, color, and cut to capture unmatched fire, life, and brilliance, providing the most beautiful diamonds in the world set in magnificent designs. The creation of timelessly elegant

diamond jewelery—from selecting the world’s finest diamonds to impeccable craftsmanship and sophisticated designs—is the De Beers difference. 703 Fifth Ave. (55th St.), 212-906-0001; debeers.com F.D – With a luxurious, salon-like space that features a fireplace and a library, jewelry collector/ art enthusiast/philanthropist Fiona Druckenmiller’s F.D offers a unique environment for seeking out jewelry, fine art, glass and sculpture from acclaimed designers and craftsmen, including Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, René Boivin, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and more. 21 E. 65th St., 212-772-2440; fionasescape.com Fred Leighton – Renowned for an extraordinary collection of vintage and estate jewelry from the 19th and 20th centuries, ranging from the Victorian era to Art Deco to retro and modern masterpieces. The collection features signature creations as well as works and signed pieces by the great makers in jewelry history, including Cartier, Van Cleef, Rene Boivin and Suzanne Belperron. 773 Madison Ave. (66th St.), 212-288-1872; fredleighton.com

Frey Wille USA – Since the 1950s, Frey Wille has produced artistic jewelry of precious enamel, utilizing its unique design concept. An exceptional design philosophy, innovative artistic creations, and brilliant color from the creative team of artists, goldsmiths and experts of fine enameling make for exquisite exclusive jewelry for enthusiasts across the world. 727 Madison Ave. (63rd-64th Sts.), 646-682-9030; frey-wille.com Georg Jensen – Trendsetting, luxury jewelry and watches, faithful to the unique Danish design language and committed to high quality and craftsmanship. The collection focuses on gold and sterling silver jewelry. 687 Madison Ave. (62nd St.), 212-759-6457; 125 Wooster St. (Prince St.), 212-343-9000; georgjensen.com Kwiat – Founded in 1907, this jewelry brand has a century of experience in the diamond industry and a reputation as one of the world’s leading diamond and diamond jewlery companies, dedicated to exceptional craftsmanship. 725 Madison Ave. (63rd-64th Sts.), 212-725-7777; kwiat.com

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SHOPPINGNEWYORK

If you’re looking for a hard-to-get reservation at one of the city’s top restaurants, need help planning an unforgettable anniversary or birthday celebration, or trying to get past a velvet rope to a hot new nightclub or lounge, Vivendi Corp has the inside connections to make your most luxurious New York City dreams come true. With an exclusive clientele list combined with a staff based here as well as Las Vegas, Miami, and Paris, Vivendi Corp has relationships with the most buzzedabout nightlife destinations, exclusive celebrity events and performances, and most sought-after restaurants in all four cities. From arranging the perfect evening to planning an extravagant weekend on the town, Vivendi Corp can cater to all of your entertainment needs. Contact Vivendi Corp at 646-477-2230, info@ vivendicorp.com, or visit www.vivendi corp.com for more information.

Reinstein/Ross– Pairing vibrant precious stones and classical goldsmithing techniques, Reinstein/Ross jewelry is designed and handfabricated in NYC, in their Madison Ave. shop. Reinstein/Ross jewelry is distinctly contemporary, but reminiscent of Etruscan, Indian and Egyptian jewelry and art, and has a timeless quality. Often featured in magazines, movies and fashion events, the work of Reinstein/Ross has influenced an entire generation of jewelry designers. Custom orders welcome. 122 Prince St. (Wooster St.), 212-226-4513; 29 E. 73rd St. (Madison Ave.), 212-772-1901; reinsteinross.com Stephen Russell - Offering one of the most important and carefully chosen vintage jewelry collections available today, complemented with a collection of original contemporary designs. 970 Madison Ave. (76th St.), 212-570-6900; stephenrussell.com Tiffany & Co. - The renowned jewelry store offers luxurious merchandise with the tradition of quality, showcasing a wide variety of jewelry including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and the gold and silver signature collections. Other items include china, crystal, silver, watches and clocks, and fragrances. 727 Fifth Ave. (56th St.), 212-755-8000; tiffany.com Tourneau - America’s leading luxury-watch store features over 8,000 styles from more than 100 world-famous brands. You can even trade in your old watch for a new one. The TimeMachine on 57th St. is a state-of-the-art watch emporium. The Shops at Columbus Circle, 212-823-9425; 12 E. 57th St., 212-758-7300; 500 Madison Ave. (52nd St.), 212-758-6098; tourneau.com Wempe - With over 125 years of tradition and experience, Wempe offers an impressive selection of fine timepieces and clocks, exquisite 18-karat gold and diamond jewelry, cufflinks, and watch straps. Among the brands in its European-style salon with an elegant and inviting atmosphere, are Patek Philippe, A. Lange and Söhne, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Wempe has earned its strong reputation for exceptional customer service with its state-of-the-art service center. 700 Fifth Ave. (55th St.), 212-397-9000; wempe.com

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Yael Sonia - Known for cutting-edge designs and taking a modern approach to jewelry making, Yael Sonia has become synonymous with innovation and sophistication. All pieces are handmade at Sonia’s studio/showroom in Sao Paulo, Brazil and available at the first Yael Sonia art boutique (and the only one in America), located on Madison Avenue. 922 Madison Ave. (73rd-74th Sts.), 212-472-6488; yaelsonia.com

LUGGAGE & LEATHER GOODS Bric’s Madison - The company’s first freestanding store in the U.S., carrying a selection of Bric’s merchandise including luggage, handbags and small accessories, which are currently sold at Barney’s New York, specialty luggage stores, and other department stores. 535 Madison Ave. (54th St.), 212-688-4490; brics.it Tumi - The premium lifestyle, accessories and travel brand. 53 W. 49th St., 212-245-7460; Grand Central Terminal, 212-973-0015; 1100 Madison Ave., 212-288-8802; Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Cir., 212-823-9390; 67 Wall St., 212-742-8020; 102 Prince St., 646-613-9101; 520 Madison Ave., 212-813-0545; tumi.com

Shoes Bally - Leather products featuring old-world artistry blended with modern design, including footwear, handbags, executive cases, luggage, and small leather goods. 628 Madison Ave. (59th St.), 212-751-9082; bally.com Jimmy Choo - Favored by movie stars, celebrities, and elegant women in the know, the Jimmy Choo shoe lines include house, evening, bridal, sandals, and more, as well as matching handbags. 716 Madison Ave. (63rd-64th Sts.), 212-7597078; 645 Fifth Ave. (51st St.), 212-593-0800; 407 Bleecker St. (W. 11th St.), 216-366-1305; jimmychoo.com Manolo Blahnik – One of the world’s most influential international footwear designers. 31 W. 54th St., 212-582-3007; manoloblahnik.com Stuart Weitzman – Elegant, high-fashion shoes and handbags for women. Also a wide selection of bridal and casual footwear. Shops at Columbus Circle, 212-823-9560; 625 Madison Ave. (59th St.), 212-750-2555; 2151 Broadway (76th St.), 212-873-0983; stuartweitzman.com

HEALTH CARE Jan Linhart, D.D.S., P.C. - Cosmetic dentist Dr. Jan Linhart has been listed as one of America’s top dentists by Castle Connolly Consumer Guide and by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. Dr. Linhart has mastered the various modern, painfree cosmetic dental techniques and procedures that can transform your smile, giving you a renewed sense of self-confidence and well-being. 230 Park Ave. (46th St.), 212-682-5180; drlinhart.com NY Hotel Urgent Medical Services - New York City’s premier 24-hour urgent care center, full-service travel medicine center and house call service. Medical care is provided in the comfort and safety of your hotel room. Dr. Ronald Primas

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has over 20 years of experience as one of NY’s finest internists. 952 Fifth Ave. (76th St.), Suite 1D, 212-737-1212; travelmd.com Oriens Living - One of NY’s finest healing centers and a sanctuary for high achievers to dive into themselves and address the core challenges they face with their physical, emotional and spiritual health. Specializing in acupuncture, holistic remedies, massage, non-surgical facelift options, general health & well-being, etc. Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac. is Founder & Director and recommended by numerous health professionals. 36 W. 44th St., Suite 1212, 212-213-5785; oriensliving.com

TELEVISION The HBO Shop - A consumer retail space like no other, featuring a multimedia showcase of HBO’s® award-winning programming. 1100 Ave. of the Americas (42 St. & 6th Ave.), 212-512-SHOP; hboshop.com

Electronics/PHOTO The Apple Store - Your home to all things Apple, from the latest iMacs, iPhones, iPods and other hardware to printers, software, and lots more. And if you need advice, insight, or hands-on technical support, head straight to the accomodating Genius Bar. 767 Fifth Ave. (59th St.), 212-336-1440; 103 Prince St. (Greene St.), 212-226-3126; 1981 Broadway (67th St.); 401 W. 14th St.; Grand Central Terminal; apple.com B&H Photo Video - The world’s largest camera and video super store, servicing professionals and everyday consumers for three decades. With an expert staff and a full line of still, digital, video, home and portable entertainment, pro audio equipment, computers and accessories, it’s the professional’s source. 420 Ninth Ave. at 34th St., 212-444-6615; bhphotovideo.com DataVision - NYC’s largest computer and video retailer with 3 levels and 30,000 square feet of savings. They feature a full selection of computers, software, peripherals, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, DVDs, and more. 445 Fifth Ave. (39th St.), 212-689-1111; datavis.com J&R Music and Computer World - One of the largest selections and low prices on audio, video, digital, SLR & professional cameras, computers & software, PDAs, iPods & MP3 players, kitchen essentials, housewares, CDs, DVDS, and more, including the J&R Apple Store. and J&R Jr. for kids. Park Row (across from City Hall Park), 212-238-9000; jr.com Sony Store - High-tech meets high-touch in this flagship store that combines sophisticated electronic products with an exciting selection of music, video, and multimedia in a luxurious, sensual environment. Sony Plaza, 550 Madison Ave. (55th-56th Sts.), 212-833-8800; store.sony.com

SPAS & SALONS John Barrett Salon - The mastermind behind some of the world’s most fashionable women, offering hair care from his vibrant penthouse space that offers spectacular views of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave. (58th St.), 9th Floor, 212-872-2700; johnbarrett.com New York Fashion Beauty Spa - Luxuriate with a vitamin facial, anti aging treatment, massage, and more at this ecology-minded beauty spa. 533 Seventh Ave. (38th-39th Sts.), Suite 448, 212-354-1803; newyorkfashionbeauty.com Stephen Knoll Salon - Stephen Knoll’s luxurious Madison Avenue salon is the destination for women who demand the very best for the hair. Celebrity colorist Nicolay Loor’s priority is to preserve and enhance every woman’s natural beauty. 625 Madison Ave. (58th-59th Sts.), 2nd Floor, 212-421-0100; stephenknoll.com

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SHOPPINGNEWYORK

CIGARS and ACCESSORIES Davidoff of Geneva - One of the most popular cigar and accessories shop in America, with two warm and welcoming top-of-the-line shops in Manhattan, and the most comfortable smokers lounges in the city. The products unite craftsmanship, dedication, and understanding culminating in elegant, innovative, and functional pieces. 515 Madison Ave. (53rd St.), 212-751-9060; The Shops at Columbus Circle, 10 Columbus Cir. (59th St.), 212-823-6383; davidoffnewyork.com

Ever the champion of the stiletto, Manolo Blahnik is one of the most innovative shoe designers in the world. Here are some of his fabulous spring offerings you can find in Manhattan: Hangisi, left, ($945), available at Manolo Blahnik NY, 212.582.3007; Milace, ($765), available at Barneys NY, 212.826.8900; manoloblahnik.com

CAVIAR Caviar Russe - One of America’s largest caviar importers. They offer a focused selection of smoked fish, shellfish, foie gras and charcuterie, caviar accompaniments, and gourmet pantry items. The restaurant component offers a tasting menu, dining a la carte, and a raw bar. 538 Madison Ave. (54th-55th Sts.), 2nd Floor, 212-980-5908; caviarrusse.com

Bookstores Imperial Fine Books – This store welcomes collectors, decorators, architects and browsers to view their selection of fine and decorative leather-bound sets, fine bindings, children’s, illustrated, first editions and rare books. Custom bookbinding and appraisals, and offers a color catalogue. 790 Madison Ave. (66th-67th Sts.), 2nd Floor, 212-861-6620; imperialfinebooks.com

TOYS With a silversmith and an espresso bar and café on the premises—not to mention over 250 galleries on four floors—Showplace Antique Center is one of the city’s premier destinations for antiques and decorative and fine art. The possibilities within are endless, with Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and mid-century Modern pieces to complement bronze, silver, jewelry, vintage clothing and accessories, ceramics, art glass, antiquities, period furniture, lighting, and much more. Be sure to save time for the 3rd floor, which features designer room settings and over 50 showcases filled with an eclectic range of decoratives and collectibles. 40 W. 25th St., 212-633-6063; nyshowplace.com

The “one-stop dental perfection” approach of Jan Linhart D.D.S., P.C. combines two elements: exceptional, cutting-edge dental treatment in a state-of-the-art facility, and the total patient experience. With multiple specialists, you can get on-the-spot evaluations, diagnoses, and proposed treatments with their areas of expertise including implants, orthodontics, periodontal surgery, and endodontics (root canal). Dr. Linhart can take care of all of your general and cosmetic dental needs as well. 230 Park Ave. (46th St.), 212-682-5180; drlinhart.com

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Disney Store - With its grand opening in Nov. 2010, this two-story retail wonderland became Disney’s largest store in North America with exclusive merchandise, as well as N.Y.-themed products, while boasting Disney’s new concept design—bringing the magic of Disney to Times Square, and filled with interactive and immersive experiences. Broadway btw. 45th & 46th Sts.; disneystore.com FAO Schwarz - The ultimate destination for children and their families, at the corner of Central Park. The toys are amazing and FAO Schwarz has their own ice cream parlor with sundaes that you can design yourself. Guests can also see and play on the giant piano that was featured in the Tom Hanks movie, Big. 767 Fifth Ave. (58th St.), 212-644-9400; fao.com Toys“R”Us Times Square - The 110,000-square-foot toy store features a 60-foot indoor Ferris Wheel, a 4,000-square-foot Barbie dollhouse, a 20-foot animatronic T-Rex dinosaur & much more. 1514 Broadway (44th St.), 1-800-869-7787; toysrus.com/timessquare

Opticians ANd Eyewear Oliver Peoples - The luxury eyewear and sunglasses house, founded in 1987, features retro-inspired looks and innovative designs favored by trendsetters. They are the exclusive global licensee for Paul Smith Eyewear, which combines whimsical yet classic designs and attention to detail. 812 Madison Ave. (68th St.), 212-585-3433; 366 West Broadway (Broome St.), 212-925-5400; oliverpeoples.com Solstice - A wide array of luxury eyewear for women and men by such designers as Gucci, Dior, Dior Homme, Kate Spade, Valentino, Giorgio and Emporio Armani, Marc Jacobs, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Maui Jim and Ray Ban. The Shops at Columbus Circle, 212-823-9590; 500 Fifth Ave. (42nd St.), 212-730-2500; 107 Spring St. (Mercer St.), 212-219-3940; solsticestores.com

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day

spas

...urban transformers with sumptuous power points By Griffin Miller

When it comes to song lyrics, “I’ll take Manhattan” still resonates, especially now that NYC is setting the standard for spa devotees who want it all: treatments, pampering, health, serenity, workouts, and a really good cup of post-massage cappuccino!

Spa Editor

Je t’Adore Red Door Posted on the wall of the chic contemporary café in New York’s flagship Red Door Spa on Fifth Avenue are the words: “To be beautiful is the birthright of every woman.”—Eliabeth Arden. The quote is tucked among a collection of well-preserved black-and-white photographs dominated by small clusters of chic spa ladies in robes, terrycloth turbans, and slippers – ladies who look like they stepped out of Clare Booth Luce’s 1930s play, The Women. This vintage tribute, including Red Door founder Arden’s quotation, are a rather poignant homage to the new spa’s stunning two-level labyrinth of treatment rooms and modern design, from its lipstick red sofa in the entrance area to its velvety chocolate relaxation lounge. And, in case you’re wondering, yes, this is the same space that once housed the famous Cornelia Day Spa (2005-2010), created by Red Door Spas now Global Chief Creative Officer, Cornelia Zicu, who clearly has infused the Penthouse spa with her own passion for emerging trends and innovative treatment techniques. As for the treatments themselves, expect to be wowed by both the variety of services and Red Door’s top-tier aestheticians. Opting for the Signature Massage, I found myself not only receiving the therapeutic attention one presumes is reserved for heads of state and movie moguls, but an education in how, why, and when certain techniques should come into play. My masseuse was Glenn Ferrugiari – former child actor and current Body Department Lead. If he’s available… you see where this is going. Afterwards, in a burst of bonus bliss, a first rate (complimentary) cappuccino accompanied by le petit biscotti. Need I say more? 663 Fifth Ave. (between 52nd and 53rd Sts), 212-546-0200, reddoorspas.com

Mind-Body Meld The 4:30 “open” Core Fusion class with instructor Karen Greatti got bonus points even before it started for the best exercise socks ever ($12, non-skid and “goes with anything Gotham” black). Still, the class itself – a fusion of core conditioning, Pilates, ballet, the Lotte Berk Method, and yoga – was not only an impressive workout, with Greatti giving personal focus to each participant’s physical abilities/limitations, but it also showcased the spa’s large and beautifully appointed workout studios. For those tracking current trends in metro spas, exhale (which has several locations throughout Manhattan, as well as an expanding U.S. and international presence) has definitely been an innovator in the spa industry by expanding the “total spa experience” concept to include everything from traditional massages, manicures, and facials to such cutting edge concepts as Cranial Therapy, Vibrational Healing, Power Body Detox, nutritional counseling, and acupuncture. Highly recommended is exhale’s outstanding Om Body Therapy (a.k.a. “Tui Na”), a Chinese Taoist and martial arts-based therapy combining multiple massage techniques (brushing, kneading, rolling, etc.) with acupressure “to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi (energy) through the muscles and meridians, and manipulation techniques to realign muscles and ligaments.” And, as the staff pointed out, Om Body Therapy is a perfect match to exhale’s workouts, since it supports both Yoga and Core Fusion practices. Which brings me back to my personal intro to Core Fusion. As a novice, I was surprised at just how natural the movements felt—although I seriously doubt I could have survived their Core Fusion Boot Camp; my stamina does have its limits. No wonder neophytes are encouraged to stick to the basics. Still, I was impressed by the variety – ballet barre, mat exercises, stretch and balance props – and felt the burn (in a good way). That said, I think my next exhale movement adventure will involve their Core Fusion Yoga class – intriguing! 980 Madison Avenue (between 76th and 77th Sts.), 212-561-6400, exhalespa.com

National

Spring, 2012

Go for the Glow! April 16th through April 22nd

Just when you think the Spring thing in the Big Apple can’t get any better—warm weather, cool fashions, extended daylight hours—along comes that beguiling bi-annual event known as National Spa Week, giving spa lovers the official thumbs up to play their Get Out of Winter Free card. Ok, “free” may be stretching it, but at $50 each for signature spa services—regularly priced from $100 to $500—close enough! And, since Spa Week affiliates tend to represent the city’s most forward-thinking spas, fitness centers, and health and wellness facilities, it’s now possible to add weightloss, nutrition, and Pilate classes to your wish-list indulgences. Word of caution: reservations for treatments at New York’s prestigious spas go quickly, so you’ll want to log on to SpaWeek.com (launch date: March 12th) ASAP for a comprehensive list of participants and the services they’re offering this spring. And, as always, while there is a set cut off date for Spa Week (in this case, April 22nd), many of the venues extend the $50 rate up to a month.

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THEATRENEW YORK

Stephen Paley

celebrity PROFILES

Angela and Audra:

Broadway’s great ladies back on the boards

By Griffin Miller

dmittedly, the only times I have encountered Angela Lansbury and Audra McDonald in the flesh have been at media madcap meetand-greets. A logistics challenge on countless chaotic levels. That said, these unique events have given me the opportunity to observe two of the theatre’s most celebrated women open themselves up to a bombardment of questions, one-on-one interviews, and perpetual photo ops. It’s against this turbulent backdrop that Lansbury and McDonald shine: First ladies of the stage offering an impromptu master class in style and professionalism. As it happens, observing these multi-Tony winners (Lansbury has five; McDonald, four –- although the star of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess could well have scored her fifth by the time you read this) interact with the press has proved to be a perfect jumping-off point for subsequent phone interviews.

Lansbury over the years She has been known by many personae: memorably on TV for over a decade playing beloved mystery writer Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, ME and on film for playing several not-so-beloved characters. Unforgettably haunting portrayals include her iconic turn as Laurence Harvey’s manipulative mother in 1962’s original version of The Manchurian Candidate, and even in her first film role, at age 16, as a disturbingly duplicitous flirt of a maid in 1944’s Gaslight. “It was my mother, actress Moyna MacGill, who realized I was a natural performer,” says Lansbury, who admits that while she began her training in England during her early teens, she didn’t feel all that driven to act. “I took her advice, though, and she was right.” When the bombing began in London during WWII, her family relocated to the U.S, taking up residence first in Putnam County, NY and later in Manhattan, where she attended drama school and began her love affair with the American stage. And then came Hollywood, where she became known for older parts. “But being an ‘old soul,’ I was able to play those roles,” she says. But it’s Lansbury’s work on the stage – both in musicals and plays – that continues to strike an emotional chord with her scores of dedicated fans. Starting in 1957 with Hotel Paradiso and up through Mame in 1983, Lansbury was the toast of Broadway, raking in Tony Awards and embracing the kind of challenging roles that mark both her personal passion and career

trajectory as an actor. With the debut of Murder, She Wrote in 1984, however, she dropped off the theatrical grid, returning in 2007 to play opposite Marian Seldes in the two-person tennis tour de force, Deuce. Since then, she’s appeared in Blithe Spirit, A Little Night Music and is currently costarring in Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, in a role that seems custom-made for her: Sue-Ellen Gamadge, a national committeewoman in Washington, D.C. with a bit of “hostess with the mostest” Perle Mesta thrown in for good measure. Lansbury was presented with the project by good friend and producer Jeffery Richards, whom she worked with on Blithe Spirit. After reading the script, she recalls thinking, “This would be perfect for me. Not a huge role, but two great scenes and a chance to be in a play from the 1960s,” adding that the whole era came flooding back. “I read the newspapers every day and followed it all, so recreating that era is a tremendous kick for me,” says Lansbury, who discovered during early rehearsals (known as “table readings”) that an occasional joke, reference, or person would need explanation. “Definitely there was a lot of background to cover, but our director, Michael Wilson, got it so right when he reminded us that while our characters may be fictional, the play is actually revisiting a piece of history. And the humor is just as up-to-date as ever.” As for working with a company of famous colleagues – the cast includes James Earl Jones, Eric McCormack, Michael McKean, and Candice Bergen— Lansbury admits there has been some “actorial bonding” that will probably build over the run of the show. I’d guess that Lansbury and Bergen have become backstage BFFs. In passing, Lansbury mentioned Bergen’s “delightful dry wit” – which is probably a sign, considering her own “delightful dry wit.”

McDonald’s destiny According to Audra McDonald, it’s all in the timing. “Being an operatic soprano, Bess is a role that’s always been in the back of my mind. I knew I’d play the role someday—maybe in community theatre, maybe on Broadway—but I also knew I needed age, wisdom, and the vocal strength to do the role. Now, the timing is right.” In the beautifully revamped production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,

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Lansbury and Mcdonald: A Touch of Trivia  Both actresses were born in Europe—Lansbury in Poplar, London,

England; McDonald in Berlin, Germany. Both are 5’8” and both have won Grammy Awards.

 Their Tony Awards (prior to the 2012 Awards):

Lansbury

 For Best Actress in a Musical: Mame (1966); Dear World (1969); Gypsy (1975); Sweeney Todd (1979).  For Best Featured Actress in a Play: Blithe Spirit (2009)

playing since last December at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, McDonald’s Bess is a vocal, physical, emotional, and spiritual work of theatrical art – that’s been the across-the-board critical consensus since the show previewed in Cambridge, MA at the American Repertory Theatre last year. If McDonald’s Bess is a revelation, it’s just the most recent in the wide swath of characters that mark a career of stunning variety. “There’s no rhyme or reason to the shows I find myself in,” she says. “I gravitate to the role itself—who the person is and what they’re trying to overcome. If I understand a character, I’m attracted to her. I guess you’d say I’m interested in exploring different psyches.” Certainly that’s a path she’s taken with no two roles alike and all of them compelling. And clearly she doesn’t shy away from the big challenges, like her first star turn on Broadway, after picking up three Tonys in supporting roles, in Marie Christine – the title role having been written for her by Michael John LaChiusa. An Army brat, McDonald was living in Fresno, CA when she made her stage debut around the age of nine as one of many Siamese children in The King and I at a local dinner theatre. Music was “something my whole family loved,” she says, confirming that five of her aunts were gospel singers who toured as The McDonald Sisters during the 1970s. But it was The King and I that made her think in terms of music as a profession, eventually studying at a performing arts high school and then going on to graduate from Juilliard. And after Juilliard, McDonald was pedal-to-the-metal on the fast track to Broadway stardom—and fulfilling her destiny to play Bess. “The difference between then and now is that I’m older, so it takes more effort [to] stay healthy while working. I think I’ve ingested more green tea in the last six months than I have in my entire life,” she says, going on to point out that she and Norm Lewis, who plays Porgy to her Bess, are both determined to keep in shape, particularly now that it’s been announced that the limited-run production will be extending through September. “The show’s a total workout, so both of us are in physical therapy. And we don’t speak a lot when we don’t have to—we call it ‘preserving our vocal bank,’” she says, adding, “What little energy I have outside the show is reserved for family” especially her daughter, Zoe—named after Zoe Caldwell, McDonald’s greatest influence “as a human being, as an artist, as a mom.” And what does wish for the future? “Just to keep evolving in what I do— and continue to enjoy it all.” n

Michael J. Lutch

McDonald  For Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Carousel (1994); Master Class (1996); Ragtime (1998).  For Best Featured Actress in a Play: A Raisin in the Sun (2004)

[ McDonald and Norm Lewis in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess ]

What Becomes a Legend Most? Stage Presence in New York While every Big Apple theatre season is graced by a number of female notables, Spring 2012 is overflowing with an impossibly glowing roster of great women performers. These impossibly gifted women have enough combined Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk, and Golden Globe wins/nominations to keep even the most avid award bloggers busy 24-7. Catch them if you can. Jane Alexander - Edward Albee’s Lady from Dubuque (Off-Broadway, Signature Theatre, thru 3/25)  Candice Bergen - Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (Broadway, Schoenfeld Theatre)  Sutton Foster - Anything Goes (Broadway, Sondheim Theatre, thru 9/9)  Kathleen Chalfant - Painting Churches (Off-Broadway, Clurman Theatre, thru 4/22)  Stockard Channing - Other Desert Cities (Broadway, Booth Theatre)  Judy Kaye - Nice Work If You Can Get It (Broadway, Imperial Theatre)  Judith Light - Other Desert Cities (Broadway, Booth Theatre)  Adriane Lenox - Regrets (Off-Broadway, MTC at New York City Center, thru 4/29)  Marin Mazzie - Carrie (Off-Broadway, Lucille Lortel Theatre)  Bebe Neuwirth - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Off-Broadway, Classic Stage Company, thru 4/28)  Cynthia Nixon - Wit (Broadway, Friedman Theatre, thru 3/17)  Kelli O’Hara - Nice Work If You Can Get It (Broadway, Imperial Theatre)  Estelle Parsons - Nice Work If You Can Get It (Broadway, Imperial Theatre)  Daphne Rubin-Vega - A Streetcar Named Desire (Broadway, Broadhurst Theatre, thru 7/22)  Mary Louise Wilson - 4000 Miles (Off-Broadway, Mitzi Newhouse Theatre) 

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Roberta Fineberg

Joan Marcus

David Hou

Roberta Fineberg

THEATRENEW YORK

[ A starry stage: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Candice Bergen; Ricky Martin; Bruce Dow in a scene from Jesus Christ Superstar; Sarah Goldberg and Matthew Rhys; Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara; John Lithgow; James Earl Jones ]

a theatregoer’s

guide

On the final docket leading up to this year’s Tony Awards: An abundance of Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, a bounty of British imports, and a surge of stage and screen legends!

By Griffin Miller

broadway

* Prior Tony Award Winner

the shows

the stars

+ Prior Tony Award Nominee

the scoop

Clybourne Park

Annie Parisse *Frank Wood

Bruce Norris’s 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning follow-up to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun has arrived! FYI: Parisse played a different character on Law & Order prior to becoming a regular; Wood was last on Broadway in Born Yesterday with Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur).

The Columnist

*Boyd Gaines *John Lithgow

Lithgow, who landed a Tony playing muckraker J.J. Hunsecker in the The Sweet Smell of Success, is back in the journalistic catbird seat in Pulitzer playwright David Auburn’s drama about political columnist Joseph Alsop. FYI: Lithgow delivered a priceless reading of Newt Gingrich’s infamous 2011 press release on The Colbert Report.

Death of a Salesman

+Linda Emond *John Glover + Philip Seymour Hoffman Andrew Garfield

Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize winner fulfills its iconic status once again with Oscar winner Hoffman as Willy Loman under the direction of Mike Nichols. FYI: Garfield will appear in the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man with Clybourne Park’s Annie Parisse; Hoffman and Estelle Parsons (Nice Work If You Can Get It) were both in the mini-series Empire Falls.

Don’t Dress for Dinner

+Ben Daniels Melora Hardin Jennifer Tilly +Spencer Kayden

Marc Camoletti’s sequel to his hit farce Boeing-Boeing is a loopy labyrinth of infidelity, secrecy, and suspicion. FYI: Both Daniels and Alan Rickman (Seminar) received Tony nominations for playing Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses; Tilly costarred in 2001’s revival of The Women with Cynthia Nixon (Wit); and Hardin played recurring roles on both The Office and Monk.

End of the Rainbow

Tracie Bennett Michael Cumpsty

While not a musical per se, this lauded London import about Judy Garland features several of her signature songs. FYI: Bennett picked up an Olivier Award for her dead-on Garland; in 1997, Cumpsty appeared with Linda Emond (Death of a Salesman) in 1776.

Evita

*Michael Cerveris Ricky Martin Elena Roger

The musical that fast-tracked Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin’s careers hits Broadway with Argentine Elena Roger reprising her London success as Eva Peron. FYI: Cerveris starred as the title character in Sweeney Todd opposite LuPone in 2005; pop idol Ricky Martin, who made his Broadway debut in Les Misérables, is “Livin’ la Vida Loca” as Che, Patinkin’s former role.

Ghost The Musical

Fleeshman and Levy, whose romantic chemistry dazzled across the pond, are joined in NYC by newcomer Randolph and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’s Pinkham. FYI: Levy’s Broadway resume lists Penny Pingleton (Hairspray), the role originated onstage by Kerry Butler (The Best Man); Randolph’s Oda Mae Brown character earned an Oscar for Whoopi Goldberg – a producer of another film-to-Broadway musical, Sister Act.

Previews 3/26; opens 4/19; thru 7/15 Previews 4/4; opens 4/25

Previews 2/13; opens 3/15; thru 6/2

Previews 3/30; opens 4/26; thru 6/17

Previews 3/19; opens 4/2 Previews 3/12; opens 4/2

Previews 3/15; opens 4/23

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Richard Fleeshman Caissie Levy Bryce Pinkham Da’Vine Joy Randolph

2/23/12 2:59 PM

2012 Spring Edition Gore Vidal’s The Best Man

Candice Bergen +Kerry Butler Donna Hanover *James Earl Jones *Angela Lansbury *John Larroquette *Jefferson Mays Eric McCormack Michael McKean

Should the name Gore Vidal fail to spark sufficient awe, consider the acting greats paying homage to election-year posturing, angst, and shenanigans in the revival of his 1960 play. FYI: James Earl Jones played a U.S. President twice; Angela Lansbury hit the campaign trail in both State of the Union and The Manchurian Candidate; and Candice Bergen’s sitcom alter ego, Murphy Brown, was regularly enmeshed in D.C. politics, both fictional and real (creepy flashback to Dan Quayle umbrage). As for costar alerts, Larroquette and Bergen’s (spouses in The Best Man) characters wed on the final episode of Boston Legal; Michael McKean worked with Raúl Esparza (Leap of Faith) in 2007’s The Homecoming; and that same year Jefferson Mays and Hugh Dancy (Venus in Fur) appeared together in Journey’s End.,

Harvey

Carol Kane +Jessica Hecht +Charles Kimbrough Jim Parsons

If anyone can put a distinctive spin on Jimmy Stewart’s role in this Pulitzer-winning play it’s Parsons, The Big Bang Theory’s socially challenged Sheldon (who may well have an invisible 6’ rabbit on his BFF list). FYI via The Best Man: On Murphy Brown, Kimbrough played Bergen’s co-anchor, Jim Dial; Hecht and McKean both appeared in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Paul Nolan Josh Young Chilina Kennedy +Tom Hewitt Bruce Dowd

The recent resurrection of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1970 rock opera is now officially part of Broadway’s current clique of religious-themed hits. FYI: A hot and hunky young cast joins veteran actor Hewitt, who embraced bustier chic with Leap of Faith’s Raúl Esparza in the 2000 revival of The Rocky Horror Show; as for Mr. Webber, his Broadway star is ablaze thanks to Evita’s arrival and Phantom’s new title: Longest-Running Broadway Show.

Leap of Faith

+Raúl Esparza Kendra Kassebaum Jessica Phillips

If Jesus, nuns, and Mormons are riding high on Broadway, a flimflam faith healer played by Esparza adds a divinely decadent symmetry to all things (theatrically) holy. FYI: Kassbebaum appeared with Michael Cerveris (Evita) in the revival of Assassins; in Next to Normal, Phillips understudied Alice Ripley, who costarred with Esparza in The Rocky Horror Show.

Magic/Bird

Kevin Daniels Tug Coker Peter Scolari

Considering they both measure 6’5”, it’s not surprising Daniels, playing Magic Johnson, and Coker, as Larry Bird, know their way around a basketball court: Daniels played in high school, Coker in college. FYI: Scolari, who made his sitcom breakthrough with Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies, has a number of circus skills, including being an accomplished juggler.

Newsies

Capathia Jenkins +John Dossett Jeremy Jordan

This high-voltage Disney musical stars Jordan (Broadway’s Bonnie & Clyde; Joyful Noise) as the leader of the Newsboy Strike of 1899. FYI: Dossett appeared in Ragtime with Judy Kaye (Nice Work If You Can It) and Audra McDonald (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); in Caroline, or Change, Jenkins’s role was The Washing Machine.

Nice Work If You Can Get It

+Terry Beaver *Matthew Broderick *Judy Kaye +Michael McGrath +Kelli O’Hara +Estelle Parsons + Jennifer Laura Thompson

Set during the Jazz Age with songs plucked from numerous George and Ira Gershwin sources, this new musical (libretto by Joe DiPietro of Memphis fame) breaks the bank with vintage showstopping numbers delivered by present day musical theatre superstars. FYI: O’Hara costarred with John Lithgow (The Columnist) in The Sweet Smell of Success and Tom Hewitt (Jesus Christ Superstar) in Dracula; Parsons’ last Broadway appearance was last year alongside Frances McDormand in Good People; both Thompson and Kendra Kassebaum (Leap of Faith) played Glinda in Wicked; Broderick cracked up 2012 Super Bowl fans channeling Ferris Bueller in a Honda ad.

Once: A New Musical

Steve Kazee Cristin Milioti

From Oscar-winning film to Off-Broadway triumph to a spring debut on Broadway: Will this intimate musical love story set in Dublin take center stage come Tony time? It might. FYI: The original Broadway cast recording comes out five days before the show’s official opening.

One Man, Two Guvnors

James Corden

Falling trousers, flying fish heads, and mobsters in drag—what’s not to love? FYI: This rowdy romp from the U.K. returns “One Man” Corden (a student in The History Boys) to Broadway.

Peter and the Starcatcher

Christian Borle Adam Chandler-Berat Celia Keenan-Bolger *Roger Rees (Director)

Based on the Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson novel, this new take on Peter Pan reunites the original acclaimed Off-Broadway cast. FYI: Real-life partners playwright Rick Elice and director Rees also collaborated -- as author and Gomez -- on The Addams Family musical last year; Borle recently debuted as a regular in NBC’s new series, Smash.

A Streetcar Named Desire

Wood Harris Nicole Ari Parker +Daphne Rubin-Vega Blair Underwood

Trailblazing synergy dominates this singular mounting of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-winning classic thanks to its formidable multi-racial cast and original music by Grammy great Terence Blanchard. FYI: In 2009 Underwood shared a Best Spoken Word Grammy with Beau Bridges (How to Succeed…) and Cynthia Nixon (Wit) for Al Gore’s album “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Venus in Fur

+Nina Arianda Hugh Dancy

Different theatre, same red-hot chemistry: David Ives’ sexually compelling cat-and-mouse faceoff between Arianda and Dancy is back and well worth a first, second, or third visit.

Previews 3/6; opens 4/1

Previews 5/18; opens 6/14; thru 8/5

Previews 3/1; opens 3/22

Previews 4/3; opens late April

Previews 3/21; opens 4/11

Previews 3/15; opens 3/29; thru 6/10

Previews 3/29; opens 4/24

Previews 2/28; opens 3/18

Previews 4/6; opens 4/18

Previews 3/28; opens 4/15

Previews 4/3; opens 4/22; thru 7/22

Re-opened 2/7; thru 6/17

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2/23/12 2:59 PM

ON THE TOWN

New York

THEATRE

Two of the greatest basketball players of all time, coming from two different worlds with two very distinct personalities, but forever tied together by their passion for the game of basketball and longstanding rivalry on the court. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are now the subject of a new Broadway play, Magic/Bird, which was crafted from conversations with the two legends and written by Eric Simonson, the scribe behind last year’s great Broadway sports bio, Lombardi. Previews begin 3/21 for a 4/11 opening at the Longacre Theatre. For tickets, call 212-239-6200 or visit magicbirdbroadway.com.

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ON THE TOWN SPOTLIGHT

performing arts p.58

Please call the box offices for showtimes. All listings subject to change BROADWAY Anything Goes - (Musical) All aboard for this production of Cole Porter’s musical romp across the Atlantic starring Tony Award winners Joel Grey and Sutton Foster. Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 W. 43rd St., 212-239-6200; roundabouttheatre.org The Book of Mormon - (Musical) South Park’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker join forces with Avenue Q’s Tony-winning co-creator Robert Lopez to make their musical-writing debut, about a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get. Eugene O’Neill Theatre, 230 W. 49th St., 212-239-6200; bookofmormononbroadway.com Chicago - (Musical Revival) Kander and Ebb’s long-running “musical vaudeville” follows murderous vixen Roxie Hart, who locks horns with prison diva Velma Kelly when they both vie for the attentions of the hottest lawyer in town: Billy Flynn. Ambassador Theatre, 219 W. 49th St., 212-239-6200; chicagothemusical.com Clybourne Park - (Play) Bruce Norris’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play imagines the history of one of the more important houses in literary history, both before and after it becomes a focal point in Lorraine Hansberry’s classic A Raisin in the Sun. Walter Kerr Theater, 219 W. 48th St., 212-239-6200; chicagothemusical.com (Opening 4/12) The Columnist - (Play) The latest from David Auburn, whose Pulitzer and Tony Awardwinning Proof dazzled audiences and critics alike, revisits a time when columnists ruled mid-century America and Joseph Alsop wore the crown. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St., 212-239-6200; manhattantheatreclub.com (Previews begin 4/3 for a 4/25 opening) Death of a Salesman - (Play) Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman stars with Linda Emond and Andrew Garfield in a revival of Arthur Miller’s classic 1949 play. Ethel Barrymore Theater, 243 W. 47th St., 212-239-

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museums p.64

6200; deathofasalesmanbroadway.com (Previews begin 2/13 for a 3/15 opening) Don’t Dress for Dinner - (Comedy) Mark Camoletti’s new comedy sequel to BoeingBoeing, in which a husband, a wife, a lover, a mistress, and a cook are thrown together in the same house for one riotous weekend. American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., 212-7191300; roundabouttheatre.org (Previews begin 3/30 for a 4/26 opening) End of the Rainbow - (Musical) Olivier Award nominee Tracie Bennett stars as Judy Garland in this musical play about her 1968 comeback. Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200; endoftherainbowbroadway.com (Previews begin 3/19 for a 4/2 opening) Evita - (Musical) Ricky Martin, Olivier Awardwinning Argentinean actress Elena Roger, and Tony winner Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd) star in the revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dazzling musical. Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway (45th-46th Sts.), 800-745-3000; evitaonbroadway.com (Previews begin 3/12 for a 4/5 opening) The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess - (Musical) Norm Lewis and Tony winner Audra McDonald star in a revival of the popular musical. Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St., 800-745-3000; porgyandbessonbroadway.com Ghost the Musical - (Musical) The Broadway adaptation of the beloved film, with Grammy Award winners Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill) joining forces for the score. Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St., 800-745-3000; ghostthemusical.com (Previews begin 3/15 for a 4/23 opening) Godspell - (Musical) A revival of John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz’s classic features instantly recognizable hits including “Day by Day,” “Turn Back, O Man,” “Light of the World,” and many more. Circle in the Square, W. 50th St. btw. Broadway & Eighth Ave., 212-239-6200; godspell.com Gore Vidal’s The Best Man - (Play) An all-star cast—James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen, Angela

Sightseeing p.80

Lansbury, John Larroquette, and Michael McKean—brings its considerable power to Gore Vidal’s second play. Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200 (Previews begin 3/6 for a 4/1 opening) Harvey - (Comedy) Two-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe Award winner Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Jessica Hecht (After the Fall) and Charles Kimbrough (The Merchant of Venice) return to Broadway in Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize–winning comedy about an alcoholic and his best friend: a six-foot-tall rabbit that only he sees. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., 212-719-1300; roundabouttheatre.org (Previews begin 5/18 for a 6/14 opening) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - (Musical) Following the advice of a book, a young window-cleaner begins a meteoric rise from the mail-room to Vice President of Advertising. Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 226 W. 46th St., 212-239-6200; howtosucceedbroadway.com Jersey Boys - (Musical) Based on the life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Filled with just about every major Four Seasons hit, from “Sherry” and “Rag Doll” to “You’re Just Too Good to Be True.” August Wilson Theatre, 245 W. 52nd St., 212-239-6200; jerseyboysbroadway.com Jesus Christ Superstar - (Musical) A revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1971 groundbreaking rock opera, with lyrics by Tim Rice, that tells the story of the last week of Christ’s life. Neil Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd St., 800-745-3000; superstaronbroadway.com (Previews begin 3/1 for a 3/22 opening) Leap of Faith - (Musical) When his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, part-time reverend and full-time con artist Jonas Nightingale (Raul Esparza) quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. Based on the Steve Martin film. St. James Theater, 246 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200 (Previews begin 4/3 for a 4/26 opening) The Lion King - (Musical) The Tony- and Olivier Award-winning stage version of Disney’s celebrated animated feature follows the lion cub Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role of king of the jungle. Featuring Grammy-winning numbers

2/22/12 5:35 PM

theatreNEWYORK

by Elton John and Tim Rice. The Minskoff Theatre, 200 W. 45th St., 866-870-2717; disneyonbroadway.com The Lyons - (Play) Tony winners Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa reprise their roles in Nicky Silver’s play about a family dealing with their father’s imminent passing. Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., 212-239-6200 (Previews begin early April) Magic/Bird - (Play) The story of two of the greatest athletes of all time battling for multiple championships and the future of basketball. With classic NBA footage prominently designed throughout, the show transports the audience into the heart of the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson rivalry. Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St., 212-239-6200; magicbirdbroadway.com (Previews begin 3/21 for a 4/11 opening) Mamma Mia! - (Musical) This hit musical incorporates 22 ABBA songs into a story about a single mother and her daughter on the eve of the daughter’s wedding—and three men who could be her

father. Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway (50th St.), 212-563-5544; mamma-mia.com

866-870-2717; newsiesthemusical.com (Previews begin 3/15 for a 3/29 opening)

Mary Poppins - (Musical) Based on the P.L. Travers stories and the Oscar-winning film, this fast-paced, heartwarming musical about the world’s most famous nanny boasts numbers from both the original film as well as new songs. New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W. 42nd St., 866-8702717; disneyonbroadway.com

Nice Work If You Can Get It - (Musical) Tony winners Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara, director Kathleen Marshall, and the songs of George and Ira Gershwin meet in this brandnew musical screwball comedy by Joe DiPietro (Memphis). Imperial Theatre, 249 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; niceworkonbroadway.com (Previews begin 3/29 for a 4/24 opening)

Memphis - (Musical) From the dance halls of Tennessee comes this Tony-winning musical set in the turbulent south of the 1950s. It tells the story of a white radio DJ whose love of good music transcends race lines and airwaves. Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200; memphisthemusical.com Newsies - (Musical) Set in New York City at the turn of the century, this musical is the rousing tale of a charismatic newsboy who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41st St.,

Once - (Musical) A new musical based on the Academy Award-winning film that tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; oncemusical.com (Previews begin 2/28 for a 3/18 opening) One Man, Two Guvnors - (Comedy) London’s comedy hit comes to Broadway with Francis Henshall playing an easily confused man who agrees to work for both a gangster and a criminal in hiding.

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Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; onemantwoguvnorsbroadway.com (Previews begin 4/6 for a 4/18 opening) Other Desert Cities - (Play) A once-promising novelist (Rachel Griffiths) returns home after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, former members of the Reagan inner circle (Stockard Channing and Stacy Keach). Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; lct.org Peter and the Starcatcher - (Play) The story of how one lost boy became the immortal Peter Pan comes to Broadway. Before Wendy, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook there was the adventure of a boy with no name traveling from a renegade pirate ship to the beaches of the wondrous island that would become the mystical Neverland. Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th St., 800-745-3000; peterandthestarcatcher.com (Previews begin 3/28 for a 4/15 opening) The Phantom of the Opera - (Musical) Featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom has achieved the kind of reputation and following most shows only dream of. Exquisitely produced and performed, this is truly theatre at its finest. Majestic Theatre, 247 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200; phantombroadway.com Priscilla Queen of the Desert - (Musical) A trio of friends hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. Palace Theatre, 1554 Broadway (47th St.), 877-250-2929; priscillaonbroadway.com The Road to Mecca - (Musical) Tony Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner Rosemary Harris stars alongside Carla Gugino and Tony winner Jim Dale in this celebrated work from preeminent South African playwright, Tony winner Athol Fugard. American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., 212-719-1300; roundabouttheatre.org (Through 3/4) Rock of Ages - (Musical) A true crowd-pleaser with a high-energy retro score made up of 1980s hits by Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia and Whitesnake. The show tracks an aspiring young rocker and a small-town girl chasing her dreams. Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200; rockofagesmusical.com Seminar - (Play) Four aspiring young novelists sign up for private writing classes with an international literary figure in this biting new comedy. Starring Alan Rickman until 4/3, when Jeff Goldblum takes his place. John Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; seminaronbroadway.com Shatnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World: We Just Live in It - (One-Man Show) The force of nature delivers a larger-than-life performance complete with his signature storytelling and select musical selections in his inimitable style. Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; shatnersworld.com (Through 3/4)

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Sister Act - (Musical) Based on the feature film, Sister Act features an original Alan Menken/Glenn Slater score with a vast inspiration of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems and Barry White-inspired musical comedy. Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway (53rd St.), 212-239-6200; sisteractbroadway.com Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - (Musical) A new take on the mythic tale of Peter Parker, who’s bitten by a radioactive spider and wakes up with supernatural powers. With music and lyrics by Bono and the Edge of U2. Foxwoods Theatre, 213 W. 42nd St., 800-745-3000; spidermanonbroadway.com A Streetcar Named Desire - (Play) Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne RubinVega, and Wood Harris star in Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., 212-239-6200; streetcaronbroadway.com (Previews begin 4/3 for a 4/22 opening) Venus in Fur - (Play) Nina Arianda offers her phenomenal breakout performance as a preternaturally talented young actress determined to land the lead in a new play based on the classic erotic novel. Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200; manhattantheatreclub.com War Horse - (Play) At the outbreak of World War One, young Albert’s beloved horse is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey before he finds himself alone. Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 150 W. 65th St., 212-239-6200; warhorseonbroadway.com Wicked - (Musical) Set in Oz before the arrival of Dorothy, this knock-out production follows the friendship between two girls who grow up to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. A modern-day classic. Gershwin Theatre, 222 W. 51st St., 212-307-4100; wickedthemusical.com Wit - (Play) Margaret Edson’s play follows a brilliant poetry professor (Cynthia Nixon) as she undergoes experimental treatment for cancer. A scholar devoted to academia, she must now face the irony and injustice of becoming the subject of research. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St., 212-239-6200; manhattantheatreclub.com (Through 3/17)

OFF-BROADWAY

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The Accidental Pervert - (Comedy) Andrew Goffman takes his audience on a hilarious and self-deprecating journey into a world of video vixens, X-rated fantasies, and really dirty movies with no redeeming value whatsoever. 13th Street Repertory, 50 W. 13th St., 212-352-3101; 13thstreetrep.org

2/23/12 1:16 PM

Avenue Q - (Musical) Singing puppets and their human neighbors make up the residents of Avenue Q, a fictional New York City street where a collection of twenty-somethings struggle to find their way in the world. New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., 212-239-6200; avenueq.com Blue Man Group - (Spectacle) The trio of postmodern clowns combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a unique form of entertainment. Astor Place Theatre, 434 Lafayette St. (so. of Astor Pl.), 212-254-4370; blueman.com Carrie - (Musical) Based on Stephen King’s novel, the 1988 stage musical has been newly reworked and fully re-imagined. Now set in contemporary times in a small town in Maine, it stars Molly Ranson (Jerusalem, August: Osage County) as Carrie and Tony nominee Marin Mazzie as her mother. Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., 212-727-7722; mcctheater.org The Fantasticks - (Musical) A romantic classic centered on the simple love story of a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall. Snapple Theater Center, 1627 Broadway, 212-307-4100; thefantasticks.com Fuerza Bruta: Look Up - (Spectacle) Breaking free from the confines of spoken language and theatrical convention, this show from the creators of De La Guarda immerses performers and audience in an environment that floods the senses and makes the imagination soar. Daryl Roth Theatre, 20 Union Square E. (15th St.), 212-239-6200; fuerzabruta.net Line - (Play) Israel Horovitz’s classic comedy is the longest-running play in Off-Off Broadway history. 13th Street Repertory, 50 W. 13th St., 212-352-3101; 13thstreetrep.org Million Dollar Quartet - (Musical) A musical inspired by the famed impromptu 1956 recording session that brought together four of the most legendary figures in rock n’ roll—Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley. New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., 212-239-6200; milliondollarquartetlive.com My Sinatra - (Musical) Cary Hoffman stars in the long-running musical about one man’s obsession with Frank Sinatra. Sofia’s Downstairs Theater, 221 W. 46th St., 866-811-4111; mysinatra.com Perfect Crime - (Mystery) The long-running hit cat-and-mouse thriller about a wealthy female psychiatrist who has returned to America and a bizarre murder. Snapple Theater Center, 210 W. 50th St., 212-307-4100; perfect-crime.com Rent - (Musical) Rent returns in a new production directed by Michael Greif, who directed the show’s original off-Broadway and Broadway productions. Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about being young and learning to survive in NYC. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize. New World

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Mat Szwajkos

FILMNEW YORK

The Tribeca Film Festival:

11 Years In, a Cultural Phenomenon for NYC

By Gene Seymour

Courtesy of the Tribeca Film Festival

Every spring since 9/11 shattered New York’s collective psyche, the Tribeca Film Festival has given a welcome surge to the city’s sense of possibility. It has established its own distinctive identity amidst a crowded world of film festivals, yielding discoveries in both documentaries and international cinema. And in its breadth of activities, from street fairs and outdoor screenings to live music and art exhibits, it’s brought back effervescent traces of what was known way back in the go-go 1960s as “Fun City.” This year’s 11th annual festival, which runs from April 18 through April 29 at venues throughout midtown and lower Manhattan, drew more than the approximately 5,600 submissions that came in for last year’s 10th edition, which winnowed them down to 93 films. (The peak number of Tribeca festival films was 176.) The festival’s fare runs the gamut from independent features to animated shorts, non-fiction films to foreign-language comedies, with several genres in between. At this writing, it’s only speculative as to what will show up at this year’s festival, but we have our guesses. It’s possible, for instance, that director Michael Winterbottom, a frequent Tribeca contributor (his Jim Thompson adaptation, The Killer Inside Me, aroused both kudos and controversy at the 2010 fest), could bring his latest, Trishna, which screened at last fall’s Toronto International Film Festival and transfers the plot of Thomas Hardy’s Victorian-era novel, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, to contemporary India. It’s also plausible that another Toronto entry, Lynn Shelton’s romantic comedy Your Sister’s Sister, with Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt, could come to Tribeca on the heels of its appearance at January’s Sundance Film Festival. And there’s also the festival’s inclination towards documentaries about New York City cultural institutions. Could that include Tony Bennett (The Zen of Bennett, directed by the singer’s son Danny)? It could. The Tribeca Film Festival However quirky, challenging, or exotic the movie, there’s one thing you can almost always count on at a festival screening: a red April 18-29; tribecafilm.com carpet – and not just for movies but for discussion groups whose casts are sometimes as glittering as the films. Last year, Julia Roberts, Elton John, Eva Mendes, Brian Williams, Adrien Brody, Kevin Spacey, Ethan Hawke, Orlando Bloom, and Will Ferrell were among the major names making the rounds at the festival. In previous years, festival-goers were likely to catch glimpses of Al Gore, Drew Barrymore, Whoopi Goldberg, Ivanka Trump, Susan Sarandon, Al Pacino, Tom Wolfe, and an assortment of personalities as eclectic as the festival’s offerings. Robert De Niro’s name, of course, looms largest as one of the Tribeca festival’s co-founders, along with Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, who, with De Niro, established the Tribeca Film Institute, a mecca for independent filmmakers, which, along with American Express, serves as the festival’s founding partner-organizations. Those who work at the institute, located a few blocks north of Ground Zero, remain haunted by the events of September 11, 2001. Rosenthal once recalled how in the wake of the World Trade Center’s destruction, Tribeca, along with the rest of lower Manhattan, “was really in pain,” especially the area’s businesses and cultural activities. Since the festival was created later that year to help spur the neighborhood’s revival, the income it has generated for both its immediate area and the rest of the city has been estimated at more than $725 million. As noted, the festival won’t be all about screening rooms: There will also be three free outdoor screenings at the World Financial Center Plaza April 19-21. The movies start at dusk – figure on roughly 8:15 p.m. – but will be preceded by programming beginning at 6:30 p.m. that could be anything from puppet shows, dance instruction, extreme sports exhibitions, to sing-alongs. The movies could likewise be anything from revivals of classics to sports documentaries. And speaking of sports, the festival is also sponsoring an all-day soccer exhibition April 21 on Pier 40. The following weekend, April 28, there will be both a “Family Festival Street Fair” and an ESPN Sports Day, in which top New York athletes and sports teams come for what’s characterized as a “family-friendly day of games and competitions.”

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Gene Seymour writes about movies and music. He has been published in The Nation, CNN.com, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and other publications.

2/22/12 5:36 PM

ONTHETOWN

Stages, 340 W. 50th St., 212-947-8844; siteforrent.com SILENCE! The Musical - (Musical) Rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter in order to catch the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. Clarice faces her own demons while racing the clock to unlock Lecters clues before another innocent girl is killed and skinned by Buffalo Bill. This naughty satire features a singing chorus of floppy eared lambs narrating the action as Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown while kidnapping hapless Catherine Martin. Even Dr. Lecter, scary as ever, sings about the life he’d like to lead someday outside the prison walls. The 9th Space Theatre at PS 122, 150 First Ave., 212-352-3101; silencethemusical.com Sistas: The Musical - (Musical) Told through the life and experiences of one woman and the women in her family, this musical journey of a multi-generational African-American family segues from the days of Jim Crow to the present and covers a range of topics from segregation, the women’s movement to the meaning of love and control. Based on a series of interviews conducted with women over a six-year period, using a playlist of songs made famous by artists that include Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Erykah Badu, and others, Sistas tells of the struggles, the joys and the triumphs of being Black and of being a woman in America. St. Luke’s Theatre, 308 W. 46th St., 212-239-6200; sistasthemusical.com

Fun at Fuerza Bruta A non-traditional performance space. No seats. No proscenium. No ceiling. A pleasant sense of discombobulation followed by fog. Darkness. A cosmic beat. A voice rattling off a litany of instructions ushering us into a non-verbal, Kafkaesque universe of surreal music, klieg lights, jaw-dropping water play, and an ongoing barrage of bodies in kinetic motion. In short, a sensory Tilt-a-Whirl on steroids spinning audiences into the singular world of Fuerza Bruta… a.k.a. “Brute Force.” Unlike any other theatrical creation, this long-running, 65-minute Off-Broadway sensation (pronounced f’where-zah-broo-tah) continues to attract savvy theatergoers of all ages – including an ongoing stream of celebs like Beyoncé, Orlando Bloom, Jim Carrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Jude Law, John Legend, Blake Lively, Kellan Lutz, Rachel McAdams, Shakira, and Usher. Playing at the Daryl Roth Theatre, 20 Union Square East @ 15th St. Reservations can be scored by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting fuerzabrutanyc.com. – GM

Stomp - (Musical) Springing from Brit clubs and an urban aesthetic, this eight-member theatre of percussion has caused sensation after sensation at each of its international appearances—and what can only be called a big bang in the Big Apple. Orpheum Theatre, 126 Second Ave. (7th St.St. Marks Pl.), 212-307-4100; stomponline.com Traces - (Performance Art) In this acclaimed show by the Montreal-based troupe 7 Fingers, the human body is pushed to its limits as a group of friends leave their mark in a run-down warehouse through acrobatics, music, and dance. Union Square Theatre, 100 E. 17th St., 800-982-2787; traceusa.com Tribes - (Play) Billy was born deaf into a hearing family, and raised inside the fiercely idiosyncratic and unrepentantly politically incorrect cocoon of his parents’ house. He has adapted brilliantly to his family’s unconventional ways, but they’ve never bothered to return the favor. It’s not until he meets Sylvia, a young woman on the brink of deafness, that he finally understands what it means to be understood. Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow St., 212-868-4444; barrowstreettheatre.com Voca People - (Musical) An out-of-this-world musical event that combines vocal sounds, a cappella singing, comedy, and the art of beat box. Performed by eight snow-white, ruby-lipped aliens with perfect harmony, there are no musical instruments, only vocals. New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., 212-239-6200; vocapeoplenyc.com

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2/22/12 5:36 PM

DANCENEW YORK

for Paul Taylor,

a new home, a larger stage

The company is decamping to Lincoln Center and Taylor’s work, says one of his star dancers, “is all about moving through space…the more space you have, the more you get to move.” By Sylviane Gold

[S ean Mahoney and Michael Novak in the new “Gossamer Gallants,” a humorous look at the mating rituals of the insect world, and perhaps the world as well, to music by Smetana ]

he new ads for the New York season of the Paul Taylor Dance Company emphasize a single word: MOVING. For longtime fans of the company, the ad is something of a puzzle. Moving, the verb? Of course the dancers will be moving – Paul Taylor’s choreography is as boldly kinetic as anything contemporary dance has to offer. Moving, the adjective? Of course the programs will be moving – the company has been stirring audiences to tears and love and laughter for 57 years now. But the ads do actually convey news: the company will be MOVING, as in relocating, decamping, resettling, changing its address. The word is even printed on the tickets for the season, which opens March 13 and runs

through April 1. Taylor’s audiences, which since 1977 have been assembling every spring at the City Center Theater on West 55th Street, will now have to travel a few blocks west and a few blocks north, to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The man whose choreographic career began with a burst of youthful iconoclasm and provocation in small, out-of-the-way theaters has arrived – in his 80s, no less – at the city’s grandest temple of establishment culture. It’s not because he’s mellowed – although he has, certainly, moved light years away from his early avant-garde experiments. And it’s not because he needs more prestige – he stands at the pinnacle of the modern dance world, a living link to its founders. When the New York City Opera gave up its berth

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All photos: Tom Caravaglia

At NYCB, a World Premiere for a Benjamin Millepied Ballet

[O ld and new: Left: Amy Young and Michael Trusnovec in “Aureole,” the Taylor favorite celebrating its 50th birthday this year; Right: Laura Halzack and Michael Trusnovec in “The Uncommitted,” a New York premiere set to the music of Arvo Pärt. ]

at the Koch, which it had shared with the New York City Ballet since the theater opened (as the New York State Theater, in 1964), Lincoln Center put out the word that the theater was available for new rentals. “Paul said, ‘Ooo, let’s try this,’” says John Tomlinson, the company’s executive director. At a time when other artists might be resting on their laurels, or at the very least sticking close to their comfort zones, Taylor is still out looking for adventure. “Modern dance by its definition is exploring the new,” says Tomlinson. “And Paul is a pioneer in this art form. Here came an opportunity to try something, and he was like a boy in a toy store. He keeps taking on new challenges. Paul Taylor is the youngest octogenarian I’ve ever met in my life.” Taylor star Michael Trusnovec, now in his 14th year with the company, says that the choreographer’s enthusiasm has rubbed off on the dancers. “We’re really excited,” he says, “and we’re really hoping that being in the new location is going to attract new audiences, people who may not have come to see us before.” He says he’s not the least bit worried about adapting to the new environment after so many seasons at City Center. “We walk into spaces that are unfamiliar every time we walk into a theater when we’re on tour,” he says. “Dancers in general are pretty adaptable. We are used to walking into situations that are constantly in flux – flights, hotels, a theater program that’s going to change last-minute – everything. We’re constantly adapting our schedule, and we’re constantly adapting

the dances that we dance to fit different spaces.” While the Koch has 2600 seats, the same number City Center had before its recent renovation, the stage is much larger. That’s fine with Trusnovec. “Paul’s work is all about moving through space,” he says. “And the more space you have, the more you get to move. At Lincoln Center, we’ll be able to spread out and let his work get even bigger. It’s great for us.” Trusnovec has even noticed a new expansiveness in the three works that Taylor is creating for the Lincoln Center run. There will of course be many Taylor old favorites as well: the bouncy rhythms and poignant partings of Company B; the dark, desperate flailings of Cloven Kingdom; the mordant satire of Big Bertha. And the company will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Aureole, Taylor’s joyous, bounding masterpiece to Handel. A special performance on March 13 was Paul Taylor Dance Company Lincoln Center; ptdc.org priced at $3.50, which was the top ticket price when the dance had its premiere, in 1962. It sold out quickly, but, says Tomlinson, the company has made a special effort to keep its City Center price structure intact at the new theater. “We have a large number of seats available for $10 and a large number of seats available for $150. Dance is for everybody.” n Sylviane Gold has written about the arts for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Dance Magazine. Her last piece for Promenade was on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s artistic director Robert Battle.

Benjamin Millepied is known to millions of tabloid readers as the handsome guy on the arm of movie star Natalie Portman (and the father of her baby). The fashion world has seen his face and form fronting ad campaigns for Yves St. Laurent and Club Monaco. But at Lincoln Center, he’s famous as the French-born dancer who left a flourishing career as a principal with the New York City Ballet last fall to concentrate on choreography. A maker of what one critic called “impeccable ballets,” he returns to NYCB this spring with a new work to music by Nico Muhly, a favorite collaborator. The piece, still untitled at press time, will be given its world premiere on May 10 amid the glamour and air-kissing of NYCB’s annual spring gala. The evening, dubbed a “Salute to France,” will also introduce a new work by the company’s ballet-master-in-chief, Peter Martins, to a score by French composer Marc-André Dalbavie. The capper will be the glittering George Balanchine classic Symphony in C, to the music of Georges Bizet. Along with other gems from NYCB’s incomparable repertory, the ballets will be repeated throughout the spring season, which runs from May 1 through June 10 at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater. For information, call 212-870-5570 or visit newyorkcityballet.org./nycb/home – Sylviane Gold 55

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OPERANEW YORK

a tougher Manon at the Met In which the eternally feminine protagonist is, according Anna Netrebko, the diva who portrays her, ‘a real woman, and I think it’s possible to make her quite bad.’ By Martin Bernheimer

ules Massenet called Manon an opéra comique. That neat French label does not translate, however, as comic opera. Abandon linguistic logic. It merely indicates a genre in which musical passages and spoken passages alternate, with song ultimately overpowering speech. Essentially, Manon is an intimate tragedy, an elegant yet sensual, five-act examination of the corruption of innocence in France during the early 18th century. At least that is the way it used to be. First performed in Paris in 1884, Manon made it to the Met in 1895 and has remained a popular if intermittent staple there for 257 performances. Local productions have always been faithful, both in spirit and in detail, to the sentimental libretto of Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, which was based on Antoine-François Prévost’s relatively risqué novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut (1731). New Yorkers have always savored period conventions in matters operatic. They like literal narratives. That may change, however, when the Met introduces its new Manon stag-

ing this spring. Peter Gelb, the master impresario at Lincoln Center, is committed to updating the so-called standard repertory, at least to a degree. In this instance, he has imported a somewhat controversial, dramatically decadent production from the Royal Opera in London—a production shared, not incidentally, with La Scala in Milan and the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. The concept is credited to director Laurent Pelly, designer Chantal Thomas and lighting master, Joël Adam – the inventive trio that had concocted the rather zany interpretation of Donizetti’s bonafide comedy, La Fille du régiment, in London as well as New York. Their Manon moves the action forward to the time of the opera’s creation, superimposing an aura of Belle Époque glitz and frivolity. Verbal references to “the King” remain, incidentally, even though France had become a republic during the period adopted here. Movement patterns in Pelly’s Manon are meticulously choreographed, often stylized. The flighty heroine sings her seductive gavotte, affirming lust

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Highlights of the Season L’elisir d’amore (March 5, 9, 12, 16, 21, 24, 27, 31 matinee). Donizetti’s charming comedy features two of the world’s leading bel-canto specialists: the German coloratura soprano Diana Damrau and the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez. Enough said.

Opposite page: [ Anna Netrebko as the title character in Massenet’s “Manon” ] This page: [ Anna Netrebko and the male chorus in Laurent Pelly’s production of “Manon” at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden (2010) ]

over love, to a corps of eager, top-hatted, frock-coated admirers, much as Marilyn Monroe extolled the best-friend qualities of diamonds in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In this context, men must be beasts. Thomas’s spare décors, reportedly grim and expressionistic throughout, dabble in steep slopes and cold neon glitter. Rupert Christiansen, the irreverent critic of the London Telegraph, warns that the look “won’t please those who nurse a pink rococo vision of the piece.” He likens the Hotel de Transylvanie setting to a “maximum-security facility designed by Philippe Starck.” Some modern observers have found Massenet’s delicate sensibilities too sweet, too sticky and too kitschy for aesthetic comfort. Possibly eager to counteract any such prejudice, Pelly adds interpretive layers of erotic grit: dirty old men constantly stalking pretty-girl prey, lusty ladies ogling a handsome young priest, even a balletic gang rape. The director also makes the eternally feminine protagonist tougher and, perhaps, more vulgar than Massenet’s original. As portrayed by Anna Netrebko, the most celebrated glamor-diva of our day, she emerges – in the words of the Daily Mail critic – a “tart with a heart.” Netrebko must be the essential raison d’être for this production. She counts the weak-willed, ultimately pathetic courtesan among her favorite challenges, and scored a major success with it at Covent Garden in June 2010. On that occasion, the Guardian critic said she “sounded Metropolitan Opera Lincoln Center, metopera.org in scintillating form and looked a million dollars, whether as a matronly young Manon, exposing her thighs [phew] and bouncing on beds in a short nightie, or Performances March 26, 31, April 3, 7 dressed in candy-floss pink and furs as a kept woman.” matinee, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23. The Russian soprano, now 40, actually relishes Pelly’s negative image of Manon. In a Guardian interview, she described the character as an “empty soul…even at the start of the opera,” when the heroine is 15. This girl, she explains, “is not naïve. She already knows her power and is using it to get what she wants. That’s in Massenet’s music….Her music is very sensual, passionate, sometimes harsh. She’s not like that parfum, fleur image that comes across in Prévost’s book. She’s a real woman, and I think it’s possible to make her quite bad.” With Anna Netrebko, quite bad is likely to be very good. n Pulitzer Prize-winning Martin Bernheimer covers music in New York for the Financial Times and Opera magazine. His last piece in Promenade was on Some Enchanted Evening at the Met.

Macbeth (March 15, 20, 24 matinee, 29, April 2, 5 9). Verdi’s tempestuous setting of the Shakespeare tragedy returns with Thomas Hampson assaying the arduous title role for the first time here. German soprano Nadja Michael makes her company debut as his sleepwalking Lady. La Traviata (April 6, 10, 14 matinee, 18, 21, 25, 28, May 2). Willy Decker’s modernist revision of Verdi’s melodious melodrama returns with two new principals: Natalie Dessay as the febrile Violetta and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as her stern antagonist, Giorgio Germont. The Makropulos Case (April 27, May 1, 5 matinee, 8 11). Karita Mattila, a singing actress of rare passion, imagination and sympathy, portrays the ageless heroine in this revival of Janácek’s searing melodrama. Billy Budd (May 4, 10, 12). Benjamin Britten’s poignant depiction of psychosexual conflicts among men at sea returns in John Dexter’s classic production. Nathan Gunn appears for the first time here as the sacrificial hero. 57

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New York

©Aislinn Weidele / Ennead Architects

PERFORMING ARTS CULTURAL CENTERS

The Boss is back! With his 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball, out in March, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have begun a world tour, with stops at Madison Square Garden on 4/6 & 9. These will be the E Street Band’s first performances without legendary saxophone player Clarence Clemons, who passed away in 2011. Other acts performing at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” include The Black Keys (3/12 & 22), L’Arc-En-Ciel (3/25), MANA (4/10), and Nickelback (4/19). See listings for more information.

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ONTHETOWN

Please call the box offices for showtimes. All listings subject to change. Beacon Theatre – The Allman Brothers Band (3/9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24 & 25); Mythbusters (3/23); The Magnetic Fields (4/3); Further (4/9-18); Creed (4/19-20); Andrew Bird (5/4-5); Il Divo & Orchestra (5/29-30). 2124 Broadway (74th-75th Sts.), 212-465-6225; beacontheatrenyc.com Brooklyn Academy of Music – Dance: Mark Morris Dance Group (3/1-3); Hora (3/7-10); DanceAfrica 2012 (5/20, 25-28). Music: Dr. John: Insides Out: A Louis Armstrong Tribute (3/29-31); Dr. John: Insides Out: Locked Out (4/5-7); Dr. John: Insides Out: Funky But It’s Nu Awlins (4/12-14); Shuffle Culture (4/19-20); Cross Brooklyn Ferry (5/3-5). 30 Lafayette Ave., 718-636-4100; bam.org Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts – The Conservatory Orchestra (3/1); Tony Kushner’s A Bright Room Called Day (3/2-4); The Percussion Spectacular - Ensembles of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Lehman College (3/6); The Beauty of the Ballet (3/11); Charles Ives Concert (3/15); The Conservatory Chamber Choir (3/20); The Conservatory Wind Ensemble (3/21); Nick Silver’s The Altruists (3/22-25); National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (3/24-25); The Brooklyn College Opera Theatre (3/28-29); The Afternoon Chamber Music I (3/29); Red Star/Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble (3/31); My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy (4/1); 23nd Biannual International Electroacoustical Music Festival (4/3, 5, 26); Fifth Annual President’s Concert (4/4); The Moscow Festival Ballet’s Giselle (4/15); Old World, New World - The Brooklyn College Chorale (4/16); Music for Strings (4/18); Arturo O’Farrill (4/19); Moving Scluptures - Dance Journey (4/20); Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (4/22); José Rivera’s Marisol (4/26-29); Roslyn Kind (4/28); West Point Band’s Jazz Knights (4/29); conTEMPO (4/30); Conservatory Jazz Ensemble (5/1); St. Petersburg and Beyond - The Brooklyn College Brass Ensemble (5/3); Brooklyn College Big Band (5/3); The Conservatory Orchestra II with the BC Chamber Choir (5/5); Composers Concert I (5/7); Computer Music Showcase (5/8); Brooklyn College Percussion Ensemble (5/8); Music for Strings II (5/9); Brooklyn College Electronic Music Ensemble (5/10); The Conservatory Orchestra (5/10); Opera Favorites (5/11); Composers Concert 2 (5/14); Conservatory Guitar Ensemble (5/15); Conservatory Wind Ensemble II (5/16); American Family Theater’s Cinderella (5/20). Brooklyn College, Campus Road & Hillel Pl., Brooklyn, 718-951-4500; brooklyncenter.com

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Carnegie Hall – Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (3/2-4); Carnegie Hall Family Sing: Songs of Solomon (3/3); Making Music: Kaija Saariaho (3/5); Boston Symphony Orchestra (3/6-7, 9); Boston Pops (3/8); Gretchen Parlato/Lionel Loueke (3/9); St. Louis Symphony (3/10); Kaija Saariaho with Anssi Karttunen Young Artists Concert (3/11-12); Morgenstern Trio (3/13); L’Arpeggiata (3/14-17); Ensemble ACJW (3/15); The New York Pops - Patti Austin Sings Ella Fitzgerald’s Gershwin Songbook (3/16); The Chieftains (3/17); Ebène Quartet (3/18); Brentano String Quartet (3/21); Standard Time with Michael Feinstein (3/21); American Composers Orchestra - Orchestra Underground: American Accounts (3/22); Yefim Bronfman (3/23); Elias String Quartet (3/23); Citizen Cope (3/23); Lo Còr de la Plana (3/24); Les Violons du Roy (3/25); Ensemble ACJW (3/25); So Percussion - “We Are All Going In Different Directions”—A John Cage Celebration (3/26); Vogler Quartet/Ute Lemper (4/5); Mitsuko Uchida (4/11); Orchestra of St. Luke’s (4/12); The New York Pops - Hollywood Award Winners (4/13); Carnegie Hall Family Concert: The New York Pops - Jim Henson’s Musical World (4/14); Ensemble ACJW (4/18); European Union Youth Orchestra (4/18); Brentano String Quartet (4/19); Grace Francis (4/20); Cheikh Lô (4/20); Rudresh Mahanthappa (4/21); The Sound of Music (4/24); Richard Goode (4/25); Sandrine Piau/Susan Manoff (4/26); Oratorio Society of New York (4/26); Pavel Haas Quartet (4/27); The Philadelphia Orchestra (4/27); Maurizio Pollini (4/29); Australian Chamber Orchestra (4/30); Matthias Goerne/Leif Ove Andsnes (5/1); New York Philharmonic (5/2); Evgeny Kissin (5/3); Salzburg Marionette Theater/András Schiff (5/5); Spring For Music: Houston Symphony (5/7); Spring For Music: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (5/8); Spring For Music: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (5/9); Spring For Music: Alabama Symphony Orchestra (5/10); Spring For Music: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (5/11); Spring For Music: Nashville Symphony (5/12); Emanuel Ax (5/17); The Philadelphia Orchestra (5/18); The Cleveland Orchestra (5/23-24); Lang Lang (5/29); Ensemble ACJW (5/31). 57th St. & Seventh Ave., 212-247-7800; carnegiehall.org The Joyce Theater – Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève (2/28-3/4); Stephen Petronio Company (3/6-11); Martha Graham Dance Company (3/13-18); Nrityagram Dance Ensemble (3/2025); DanceBrazil (3/27-4/8); Sylvie Guillem - 6000 miles away (4/4, 5, 7); Last Touch First (4/10-15); Ballet Hispanico (4/17-29); Introdans (5/1-6); Alonzo King LINES Ballet (5/8-13); Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (5/15-27); Gotham Dance Festival (5/30-6/10). 175 Eighth Ave. (19th St.), 212-242-0800; joyce.org Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts – Great Performers: Dresden Philharmonic

(3/11); Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir (3/15); Callas on Film (3/17-18); Parisii Quartet (3/18). Tully Scope Festival (through 3/18): Les Percussions de Strasborg (3/4-5); Tyondai Braxton (3/7); Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider (3/9); Louis Lortie Plays Liszt (3/10); Les Arts Florisants (3/11-12); Simon Keenlyside and Emanuel Ax (3/13); Jordi Savall: The Route of the New World (3/14); Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (3/16); Heiner Goebbels: Songs of Wars I Have Seen (3/18). Chamber Music Society: Inspector Pulse & the Contrapuntal Contraption (3/4); Rose Studio Concert (3/8); Late Night Rose (3/8); Quartet Variations (3/13); Pianos/Pianists (3/18); Great Clarinet Quintets (3/30); Russian Dedications (4/1); New Music in the Kaplan Penthouse (4/5); Debussy & Stravinsky (4/15); Master Class with Leon Fleisher, piano (4/18); An Evening with Fleisher & Kalish (4/20); Beethoven/Harbison/Brahms (4/24); New Music in the Kaplan Penthouse (4/26); Meet the Music! Claude Debussy meets Sherlock Key! (4/29); Inspired by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio (5/6); Rose Studio Concert (5/10); Late Night Rose (5/10); La Grande Finale (5/18). David Rubenstein Atrium Target® Free Thursdays (Broadway bet. 62nd & 63rd Sts.; lincolncenter.org/atrium): Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber: Any World I’m Welcome To (3/1); Story Pirates (3/3); Kate McGarry Quartet (3/8); SpokFrevo Orquestra (3/15); Kamilya Joubran: Makan (4/5). Columbus Ave. btw. 62nd & 65th Sts., 212-875-5000; lincolncenter.org Madison Square Garden – Van Halen (2/283/1); The Black Keys (3/12, 22); L’Arc-En-Ciel (3/25); Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil (4/3-5); Bruce Springsteen (4/6-9); Nickelback with special guests Bush, Seether, & My Darkest Days (4/19). 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Seventh Ave. & 32nd St.), 212-465-5800; thegarden.com Metropolitan Museum of Art – Max Raabe & Palast Orchester (3/3); String Ensemble from Salomé Chamber Orchestra (3/7); Pacifica Quartet (3/10); Music between East and West: Continuity and Change (3/18); Blue Heron (3/25); Cappella Romana (3/30); Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert (3/31); Dan Zanes & Friends (4/1); Guitar Concert (4/4); Pomerium (4/7); Alwan Arab Music Ensemble (4/15); Fazil Say, piano (4/20); Glass Chamber Works, with Philip Glass and Tim Fain (4/21); Organ Concert (5/2); Chanticleer (5/3); 16th Annual Lighthouse at the Met Concert (5/11); MMA Artists in Concert (5/12). Fifth Ave. & 82nd St., 212-570-3949; metmuseum.org Metropolitan Opera Company – Aida (2/28, 3/3); Don Giovanni (2/29, 3/3, 7, 10, 14, 17); Khovanshchina (3/1, 6, 10, 13, 17); Madama Butterfly (3/2, 3/8); L’Elisir d’Amore (3/5, 9, 12,

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performing artsNEWYORK

16, 21, 24, 27, 31); Macbeth (3/15, 20, 24, 29, 4/2, 5, 9); Manon (3/26, 31, 4/3, 7, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23); Das Rheingold (4/4, 7); La Traviata (4/6, 10, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, 5/2); Die Walküre (4/13); Siegfried (4/21); Götterdämmerung (4/24); The Makropulos Case (4/27, 5/1, 5, 8, 11); Billy Budd (5/4, 10, 12). 212-362-6000; metoperafamily.org Miller Theater at Columbia University – Playing Games with Kurtág (3/6); Karin Rehnqvist (3/22); Birth of Electronic Music (4/10); Next Generation (5/1); Hilda Paredes (5/12); Georges Aperghis (5/24). 2960 Broadway (116th St.), 212-854-1633; millertheatre.com

Chris Lee

The Morgan Library’s Gilder Lehrman Hall – Circling Bach (2/29, 3/2); George London Foundation Recital Series (3/4); Fragments for the End of Time (3/6); Young Concert Artists Series: Charlie Albright (3/21); George London Foundation Recital Series (4/1); Musicians from Marlboro (4/24); Life Stories (5/2, 4); Acies Quartet (5/23). 225 Madison Ave. (36th St.), 212-685-0008; themorgan.org

Lauded by the New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert as “one of the most important interpreters of Beethoven working today,” conductor David Zinman explores the master’s works during the Phil’s Modern Beethoven Festival, running 3/1-20, in which six Beethoven symphonies are coupled with three 20th century works. See listings for more information.

New York City Center – Flamenco Festival 2012 (3/1-4); Eifman Ballet Of St. Petersburg (3/9-11); 85th Anniversary Gala Finale - Martha Graham Dance Company With Diana Vishneva (3/14); Diana Vishneva: Dialogues (3/16-18); Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert - Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Pipe Dream (3/28-4/1); Corella Ballet (4/17-20); Capezio 125th Anniversary Celebration (4/23); James William Productions and Stephenie Skyllas present When Everything Was Possible - A Concert (With Comments) (4/29); Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (5/9-13). 130 W. 56th St., 212-581-1212; nycitycenter.org New York Philharmonic – The Modern Beethoven: Symphonies No. 2 and 7 (3/1-3, 6); The Modern Beethoven: Symphonies No. 8 and 4 (3/8, 10, 13); The Modern Beethoven: Symphonies No. 1 and 3 (3/15-17, 20); Young People’s Concert - Four Greats: Ludwig van Beethoven (3/17); Dohnányi conducts Henze and Schubert (3/22-24); Forte and Piano (3/25-26); The Frank Loesser Songbook: Anywhere I Wander (3/26); Rush Hour: Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique (3/28); Dohnányi Conducts Tchaikovsky and Dvorák (3/29-31); Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (4/12-14, 17); Young People’s Concerts - Four Greats: Johannes Brahms (4/14); Mozart and Tchaikovsky (4/19-21); Rush Hour: Mozart and La Mer (4/25); Lisa Batiashvili Plays Mozart (4/25-28); Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and a Lindberg World Premiere (5/3-5); Saturday Matinee: Schubert, Bartók, and Dvorák (5/19); Tchaikovsky and Bartok (5/19, 22, 26); Evgeny Kissin (5/23); Alan Gilbert Conducts: Free Annual Memorial Day Concert (5/28); Carmina Burana (5/31-6/2). Avery Fisher Hall, Broadway & W. 65th St., 212-875-5656; nyphil.org New York Theatre Ballet – Once Upon A Ballet (ballets geared toward children ages 3-12): Sleeping Beauty (3/10-11). Signatures 12 (3/9-10). Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St., 212-679-0401; nytb.org

Two great female singers take the stage this spring when Broadway star Lea Salonga performs an intimate evening of Broadway tunes, standard classics, and today’s hits, as well as personal stories, at the Town Hall (212-997-1003; the-townhall-nyc.org) on May 5, and the British indie/art rock group Florence + The Machine crashes Radio City Music Hall on May 8 (212-307-7171; radiocity.com). See listings for more info.

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Radio City Music Hall – Amnesty International Presents: The Secret Policeman’s Ball (3/4); Big Time Rush (3/9); Juan Luis Guerra Y 440 (3/10); Celtic Woman (3/10); Pulp (4/11); The Fray (4/12); Daniel Tosh (4/13); Gabriel Iglesias (4/14); Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. (4/20); Ron White (4/21); Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker (5/3-4); Feist (5/5); Florence + the Machine (5/8). 1260 Sixth Ave. (50th St.), 212-307-7171; radiocity.com St. Bartholomew’s Church – The Apple Hill String Quartet - A 40th Anniversary Concert (3/11); The Salomé Chamber

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ONTHETOWN

Orchestra- A Bach Birthday Concert (3/21); Bach - Easter Oratorio and Magnificat (4/24); Haydn - The Creation (4/30). Park Ave. & 51st St., 212-378-0248; stbarts.org Symphony Space – Flowers Are Sleeping with Eisa Davis (3/1); Mamiko 3 (3/1); Cadillac Moon Ensemble Premieres Concert (3/2); Soweto Gospel Choir (3/2); Dulcimers, Penny Whistles and Other Delights with Linda Russell (3/3); Mannes Prep Division Ensembles (3/3); David Ippolito Paying Attention (3/3); Xianix Barrera & Sabor Flamenco (3/3); Steve Coleman Presents The Jazz Gallery Uptown: A Musical Salon (3/8); Glass Farm Ensemble presents Recall (3/9); Silver Music Spring Festival (3/11); New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players - Patience (3/11); David Del Tredici at 75: A Celebration in Song (3/15); Celtic Appalachia (3/15); Jazz Band Classic: Jazz meets the East (3/1617); Stars of the Future Piano (3/22); Women’s Drum & Dance Company of Guinea: Nimbaya! (3/23-24); Nimbaya! (3/24); Indiana University of Pennsylvania Orchestra (3/25); Lost Harp of the Silk Road: Tomoko Sugawara (3/28); Guitar Plus: David Leisner with Pianist Jon Klibonoff (3/29); From Sofia to New York in One Hour (3/30); PASTA! A Pop Ups Puppet Musical (3/31); Tamburtizans in Concert (3/31); Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival 2012 (4/2); Wearing the Lost Generation: A Musical/Sartorial Salon (4/5); New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (4/5); VKDCNY’s Spring Gala

(4/7); Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival 2012 (4/9); The Django Experiment (4/12); Tin Hat takes on e.e. cummings (4/13); Masters of Tradition on Tour (4/13); Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players (4/14); Discovery Series “Virtuosic Gems” (4/14); Mohammad-Reza Lotfi & the Shayda Women’s Ensemble (4/15); Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival 2012 (4/16); Chamber Music: An Evening Among Friends (4/17-18); A Song is a Song is a Song (4/19); Festival of India, Series I: Next Generation (4/20); The Billy Jonas Band (4/21); Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano (4/21); Masters of Indian Music: Pandit Jasraj (4/22); Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival 2012 (4/23, 30); Voices in Unity... Celebrating Miracles! (4/23); We Are the Future of Music (4/24); American Tap Dance Foundation Spring Gala (4/24); Sound of a Hundred Colors: Pandit Ramesh Misra (4/25); C’est La Vie! With The Cassatt Quartet (4/26); Singing Stein (Encompass New Opera) (4/27); An Evening with The Big Chief Donald Harrison (4/27); Caspar Babypants (4/28); On The Town! A Musical Tour of New York City (4/28); Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra (4/29); Composition Date: 2012 (5/3); Wall to Wall: Gertrude’s Paris (5/5); Vocal Production’s Barber of Seville (5/7-9); InterSchool Orchestras of New York Spring Concerts (5/7-8); Musica Nueva 5: Big Band Poetry Slam & Beyond (5/11-12); Sounds from the Land of Fire: Imamyar Hasanov (5/16); Indo-American Arts Council Presents Shujaat Khan (5/18); New York

Gilbert & Sullivan Players - Iolanthe (5/19-20); Metropolis: A Live Score (5/21); Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” (5/26); New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (5/31). 2537 Broadway (95th St.), 212-864-5400; symphonyspace.org The Theater at Madison Square Garden – Trey Songz (3/1); Mike Epps (3/3); Disney’s Phineas and Ferb (4/5-10). 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Seventh Ave. & 32nd St.), 212-465-5800; thegarden.com The Town Hall – David Bromberg Big Bane with Allen Toussaint (3/3); Jaime Laredo, violin and Leon Fleisher, piano (3/4); Songs of the Persian Mystics - Mohammad-Reza Lotfi & Shayda Womens Ensemble (3/10); Bridges to Peace Celebrating Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel (3/15); The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio with Nokuthula Ngwenyama, violin (3/18); The Broadway Musicals of 1950 (3/19); Capitol Steps (3/23); St. Lawrence String Quartet with John Moore, baritone, and Anna Polonsky, piano (3/25); A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor (4/7, 14); Jonathan Biss (4/15); Soul of Cuba - Sierra Maestra (4/21); The Punch Brothers (4/26); Colin Hay (4/27); Lea Salonga: The Journey Continues... (5/4); Nino Katamadze & Insight (5/11); The Broadway Musicals of 1975 (5/14); Loudon Wainwright III with Some Family and a Few Friends (5/18). 123 W. 43rd St. (Broadway-Sixth Ave.), 212-997-1003; the-townhall-nyc.org

The music and choreography of Michael Jackson meets the creative genius of Cirque du Soleil with Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour™ cruising into Madison Square Garden from 4/3-5. A fusion of visuals, dance, music, and fantasy that immerses audiences in the late King of Pop’s creative world and—literally—turns his signature moves upside down, the show is propelled by Jackson’s music and lyrics, and overseen by writer/director Jamie King, who has served as Madonna’s creative director and directed world tours for Rihanna, Celine Dion, and Britney Spears. See listings for more information, or visit cirquedusoleil.com/michaeljackson.

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ARTNEW YORK

Diego Rivera: master muralist For the first time in 80 years, five of the eight “portable murals” highlighted in his celebrated 1931 retrospective at MoMA are on view at the museum.

By Karin Lipson

[A grarian Leader Zapata (1931). Fresco on reinforced cement in a galvanized-steel framework ]

hese days, the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera may be known in this country less for the art he created than for the company he kept. It is the lush and lacerating self-portraits of Rivera’s wife, Frida Kahlo, that seem to speak to contemporary viewers; Rivera, chronicler of Mexico’s rich culture and tortured history, can seem overshadowed by the icon Kahlo has become. But in his own day, Rivera (1886-1957) was a star. The most celebrated figure in the flowering of Mexican muralism in the 1920s and 1930s, he was an international art celebrity. So much so, in fact, that the then-new Museum of Modern Art, founded in 1929, chose him for its second solo exhibition; a Rivera retrospective was held over the winter of 1931-32, centering on eight large-scale, free-standing murals created for that show. MoMA’s first one-man retrospective had been for none other than Henri Matisse. It says something about Rivera’s hold on the public’s imagination that his five-week show set attendance records for the museum, easily beating Matisse. What was so riveting? Modern viewers can judge for themselves with Diego Rivera: Murals for the Museum of Modern Art, on view at MoMA through May 14. Organized by Leah Dickerman, a curator in the department of painting and sculpture, the exhibition gathers together, for the first time in 80 years, five of the eight “portable murals” highlighted in his 1931 retrospective. Originally, Rivera completed five frescoes— of sombrero-wearing peasants, sword- and riflewielding soldiers, the rebel leader Emiliano Zapata, even a masked Aztec warrior—that were inspired

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by Mexico’s history and recent revolution; to these he added three more murals, at once admiring and critical, of Depression-era New York. The current show includes three of the Mexican-themed frescoes and two of the New York City works. In addition, there are large-scale working drawings; a prototype mural from 1930, and an array of smaller drawings and watercolors—compact gems from sojourns in Moscow and New York—as well as prints. There’s also a section devoted to his ill-fated Rockefeller Center mural commission, notorious in its day, which was being planned as he prepared the MoMA retrospective. Among the murals Rivera completed for his retrospective, Agrarian Leader Zapata is the only one in the museum’s collection. (The others come from public and private collections.) This centerpiece painting shows the rebel hero Zapata dressed not in the flamboyant outfits he favored, but as a saintly white-clad peasant, leading a similarly white horse so beautiful it looks like a mythical unicorn. At Zapata’s feet lies a dead hacienda owner. It was curiosity about this painting that drew Dickerman to propose the exhibition, she said in an e-mail. “What caught my attention was Agrarian Leader Zapata’s hybrid nature,” the curator said. “On the one hand, it is an independent, free-standing work that, at least in theory, can be moved around to different locations and galleries, much like an oil-on-canvas painting. On the other hand, it is a 1,000-pound object rendered in traditional fresco technique.” [ Frozen Assets (1931-32). Fresco on reinforced cement in a galvanized-steel framework, Museo Dolores Olmedo, Rivera had invented his “hybrid” form for the Xochimilco, Mexico ] retrospective at MoMA, where he and three assistants worked frenetically in a studio for six weeks before the Center project, when he surprised his patrons, the Rockefellers, by painting opening on Dec. 23, 1931. The problem, of course, was that his prior murals a portrait of Lenin into a lobby mural there. Among some reminders of the were by definition fixed on site, and not transportable. So Rivera devised his episode, the show includes an ultra-polite letter from Nelson Rockefeller, ask“portable murals,” freestanding panels with a reinforced cement and steel backing Rivera to paint over the portrait in his otherwise “thrilling mural.” Rivera ing that allowed him to work in the fresco technique used centuries earlier by refused, and was fired. In 1934, the mural was chiseled off the lobby wall. Renaissance masters. (Rivera had been sent to study in Italy in 1920 by the But by then, the influence of his murals had been felt. They, and Mexican Mexican government, which fostered public murals to help unify a country muralism in general, helped spark the idea of a U.S. government-sponsored until recently engulfed in revolution and civil strife.) art program on public or taxRivera added his three city murals, each depicting labor and construction, MoMA supported buildings, which to the retrospective after it opened. Frozen Assets is indicative of his conflict11 West 53rd Street, 212-708-9400; materialized under the New ing sentiments about the city. He was excited by the skyscrapers and ongomoma.org Deal. As the curator notes in the ing building projects, which dominate the top third of the painting. But the show catalogue, Rivera’s murals staunch Marxist (though he was thrown out of the Mexican Communist Party helped launch the largest U.S. public art program ever undertaken, before—or for his anti-Stalin stance) was equally appalled at the economic suffering he since—his work in New York. That, in itself, is a considerable legacy. ■ saw around him in the depths of the Depression: So, a vast shelter for homeless men, overseen by a guard, fills the middle of Frozen Assets, while at the bottom, a well-dressed trio representing the upper class sit outside a bank vault, waiting Karin Lipson, a former arts writer and editor for Newsday, is a frequent contributor to examine their riches. to The New York Times. Her last article in Promenade was on the Morgan Library Rivera’s politics got him into trouble with the infamous 1933 Rockefeller and Museum’s Charles Dickens exhibit.

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The Frick Collection, New York. Photo: Michael Bodycomb

Nine iconic Impressionist paintings by the great Pierre-Auguste Renoir are now on view at the Frick Collection as part of Renoir, Impressionism, and Full-Length Painting (through 5/13). The first exhibition to fully utilize the Frick’s elegant East Gallery, Renoir... shines a light on the artist’s use of the full-length format—a hallmark of the official Paris Salon from the mid-1870s to mid-1880s—which offered a grand, vertical scale to works such as La Promenade (1875-76; above left) and Dance at Bougival (1883; above right). Other works on view include: La Parisienne; The Umbrellas (Les Parapluies) (on view in the U.S. for the first time since 1886); Dance in the City and Dance in the Country; The Dancer; Madame Henriot “en travesti” (The Page); Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg); and Dance at Bougival. See listings for more information.

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New York

museums All exhibits are subject to change American Folk Art Museum – Jubilation|Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined (through 9/2). Closed Mon. Free. 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Ave. btw. 65th & 66th Sts., 212-595-9533; folkartmuseum.org American Museum of Natural History – The Butterfly Conservatory (through 5/28); Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (through 6/24); Beyond Earth: The Future of Space Exploration (through 8/12); Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence (3/31-1/6). Open daily. $19; seniors/students, $14.50; children 2-12, $10.50. Central Park West at 79th St., 212-769-5100; amnh.org Asia Society and Museum – Sarah Sze: Infinite Line (through 3/25); Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi, 1707-1857 (through 5/6). Closed Mon. $10; seniors, $7; students, $5; under 16, free. 725 Park Ave. (70th St.), 212-288-6400; asiasociety.org Brooklyn Museum – Raw/Cooked: Shura Chernozatonskaya (through 4/8); 9th-Century Modern (through 4/11); 19th-Century Modern (through 4/18); Question Bridge: Black Males (through 6/3); Raw/Cooked: Heather Hart (4/136/24); Keith Haring: 1978-1982 (3/16-7/8); Rachel Kneebone: Regarding Rodin (through 8/12); Newspaper Fiction: The New York Journalism of Djuna Barnes, 1913-1919 (through 8/19); Playing House (through 8/26). Closed Mon. & Tues. $12; seniors/students, $8; under 12, free. 200 Eastern Parkway (Washington Ave.), 718-638-5000; brooklynmuseum.org Center for Architecture – Change: Architecture and Engineering in the Middle East, 2000-Present (through 6/23). Closed Sun. Free. 536 LaGuardia Pl. (Bleecker-W. 3rd Sts.), 212-683-0023; aiany.org China Institute – Theater, Life and the Afterlife: Tomb Décor from Ancient Shanxi, Tenth through Thirteenth Centuries (through 6/17). Open daily. $7; students/seniors, $4; under 12, free. Free admission Tues. & Thurs., 6-8pm. 125 E. 65th St., 212-744-8181; chinainstitute.org The Drawing Center – ReDraw - The Capital Plan for 35 Wooster Street (through 6/1). Closed

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Mon. & Tues. 35 Wooster St. (Grand-Broome Sts.), 212-219-2166; drawingcenter.org El Museo del Barrio – Testimonios: 100 Years of Popular Expression (through 5/6). Closed Mon. $9; seniors/students, $5; under 12, free. Free admission the third Saturday of every month & every Wed., 6-9pm. 1230 Fifth Ave. (104th St.), 212-831-7272; elmuseo.org The Frick Collection – A Passion for Drawings: Charles Ryskamp’s Bequest to The Frick Collection (through 4/8); White Gold: Highlights from the Arnhold Collection of Meissen Porcelain (through 4/29); Renoir, Impressionism, and Full-Length Painting (through 5/13); Antico: The Golden Age of Renaissance Bronzes (5/1-7/29). Closed Mon. $18; seniors, $15; students, $10; pay-what-you-wish Sun., 11am-1pm. 1 E. 70th St., 212-288-0700; frick.org Grey Art Gallery at NYU – Soto: Paris and Beyond, 1950-1970 (through 3/31); Storied Past: Four Centuries of French Drawings from the Blanton Museum of Art (4/17-7/14). Closed Sun. & Mon. $3. 100 Washington Square East, 212-998-6780; nyu.edu/greyart The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – John Chamberlain: Choices (through 5/13); Being Singular Plural (3/2-6/6); Francesca Woodman (3/16-6/13); From the Archives: Artist Awards and Acquisitions, 1956-1987 (through 7/16). Closed Thurs. $18; seniors/students, $15; under 12, free. 1071 Fifth Ave. (89th St.), 212-423-3500; guggenheim.org International Center of Photography – The Loving Story: Photographs by Grey Villet (through 5/6); Perspectives 2012 (through 5/6); Magnum Contact Sheets (through 5/6); Weegee: Murder Is My Business (through 9/2). Closed Mon. $12; students/ seniors, $8; under 12, free. 1133 Sixth Ave. (43rd St.), 212-857-0000; icp.org

(through 3/25); Composed: Identity, Politics, Sex (through 6/30); Kehinde Wiley/The World Stage: Israel (3/9-7/29); Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940 (5/4-9/23). Closed Wed. $12; seniors, $10; students, $7.50; under 12, free; free Sat., 11am-5:45pm. 1109 Fifth Ave. (92nd St.), 212-423-3200; thejewishmuseum.org The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine (through 3/4); The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini (through 3/18); Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965) (through 4/15); Victorian Electrotypes: Old Treasures, New Technology (through 4/22); The Game of Kings: Medieval Ivory Chessmen from the Isle of Lewis (through 4/22); Duncan Phyfe - Master Cabinetmaker in New York (through 5/6); Storytelling in Japanese Art (through 5/6); Rembrandt and Degas - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (through 5/20); The Coe Collection of American Indian Art (through 5/28); The Steins Collect - Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde (through 6/3); Red and Black: Chinese Lacquer, 13th-16th Century (through 6/10); Breaking the Color Barrier in Major League Baseball (through 6/17); Byzantium and Islam Age of Transition (3/14-7/8); The Printed Image in China, 8th-21st Century (5/5-7/29); The Dawn of Egyptian Art (4/10-8/5); Dürer and Beyond Central European Drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1400-1700 (4/3-9/3); Bellini, Titian, and Lotto - North Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo (5/15-9/3); Tomás Saraceno on the Roof - Cloud City (4/2411/4). Closed Mon. $20; seniors, $15; students, $10; under 12, free. Fifth Ave. & 82nd St., 212-535-7710; metmuseum.org

Japan Society – Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-1945 (3/16-6/10). Closed Mon. $12; students/seniors, $10; under 16, free; free Fri., 6-9pm. 333 E. 47th St., 212-832-1155; japansociety.org

The Morgan Library & Museum – Rembrandt’s World: Dutch Drawings from the Clement C. Moore Collection (through 4/29); In the Company of Animals: Art, Literature, and Music at the Morgan (3/2-5/20); Dan Flavin: Drawing (through 7/1); The Age of Titian: Venetian Renaissance Drawings in the Morgan (5/18-9/23). Closed Mon. $15; seniors/students/children under 16, $10; 12 & under, free; free Fri., 7-9pm. 225 Madison Ave. (36th St.), 212-685-0008; themorgan.org

The Jewish Museum – The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936-1951 (through 3/25); Jem Cohen: NYC Weights and Measures

Museum of American Finance – Checks & Balances - Presidents and American Finance (through 11/30). Closed Sun. & Mon. $8;

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MuseumsNEWYORK

students/seniors, $5; under 6, free. 48 Wall St. (William St.), 212-908-4110; moaf.org Museum of Arts & Design – Hanging Around - Neckpieces from MAD’s Collection (through 5/21); Far Out - Jewelry for the Senses (through 5/27); Beauty in All Things - Japanese Art and Design (through 6/3); Glasstress New York - New Art from the Venice Biennales (through 6/10); Swept Away - Dust, Ashes, and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design (through 8/12). Closed Mon. $15; students/seniors, $12; high school students and under 12, free; Thurs. & Fri., 6-9pm, pay-what-you-wish. 2 Columbus Cir. (near Eighth Ave. & W. 58th St.), 212-299-7777; madmuseum.org The Museum of Biblical Art – Finding Comfort in Difficult Times - A Selection of Soldiers’ Bibles (through 5/13); Walls Speak - The Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière (through 5/20). Closed Mon. $7; seniors/students, $4; under 12, free. 1865 Broadway (61st St.), 212-408-1500; mobia.org Museum of the City of New York – Police Work - Photographs by Leonard Freed, 1972-1979 (through 3/18); The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011 (through 4/15). Closed Mon. $10; seniors/students, $6; under 12, free. Fifth Ave. & 103rd St., 212-534-1672; mcny.org Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art – Closed Mon. $6; 12 & under, free. 594 Broadway (Prince-Houston Sts.), Ste. 401, 212-254-3511; moccany.org

Collection Keith Haring Foundation. © Keith Haring Foundation

Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust – Let My People Go! The Soviet Jewry Movement, 1967-1989 (through 4/29); Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles (through 12/31). Closed Sat. $12; seniors, $10; students, $7; 12 & under, free; free Wed., 4-8pm. 36 Battery Pl., 646-437-4200; mjhnyc.org

Late New York artist Keith Haring’s early career takes the spotlight when Keith Haring: 1978–1982 opens on March 16 at the Brooklyn Museum. Tracing the development of his extraordinary visual vocabulary, the exhibition includes 155 works on paper, seven experimental videos, and over 150 archival objects, including rarely seen sketchbooks, journals, exhibition flyers, posters, subway drawings, and documentary photographs. Featured are a number of very early works that have previously never before been seen in public, including his first video piece, Haring Paints Himself into a Corner. Pictured above are untitled works from 1978 and 1980. On view through July 8. See listings for more information.

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Museum of Modern Art – Sanja Ivekovic: Sweet Violence (through 3/26); Eugène Atget: “Documents pour artistes” (through 4/9); Diego Rivera: Murals for The Museum of Modern Art (through 5/14); Printin’ (through 5/14); Print/Out (through 5/14); Millennium Magazines (through 5/14); Cindy Sherman (through 6/11); Projects 97: Mark Boulos (3/19-7/16); Foreclosed: Rehousing the American Dream (through 7/30); 9 Scripts from a Nation at War (through 8/6); Ecstatic Alphabets (5/6-8/27); Taryn Simon: A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters (5/2-9/3); The Shaping of New Visions: Photography, Film, Photobook (4/18-4/29/13). Closed Tues. $25; seniors, $18; students, $14; 16 & under, free. 11 W. 53rd St., 212-708-9400; moma.org Museum of the Moving Image – Jim Henson’s Fantastic World (through 3/4); Restless: Films and Other Works by Mircea Cantor (3/3-5/6). Closed Mon. $10. 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, Queens, 718-777-6888; movingimage.us Museum of Sex – Action: Sex and the Moving Image (ongoing); F*ck Art - A Street Art Occupation (ongoing). Open daily. $17.50; students/seniors, $15.25. 233 Fifth Ave. (27th St.), 212-689-6337; museumofsex.com National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution – Carl Beam (through 4/15); Time Exposures: Picturing a History of Isleta Pueblo in the 19th Century (through 6/10); Small Spirits: Dolls from the National Museum of the American Indian (through 7/19); IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas (through 8/31). Open daily. Free. U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green (Broadway), 212-514-3700; americanindian.si.edu Neue Galerie – Neue Galerie 10th Anniversary - The Ronald S. Lauder Collection: Selections from the 3rd Century BC to the 20th Century/Germany, Austria, and France (through 4/2); Heinrich Kuehn and His American Circle (4/26-8/27). Closed Tues. & Wed. $15; students/seniors, $10. 1048 Fifth Ave. (86th St.), 212-628-6200; neuegalerie.org New Museum – Brian Bress - Status Report (through 3/25); The Ungovernables (through 4/22); Enrico David - Head Gas (through 4/22);

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ONTHETOWN

Isa Genzken - Rose II (through 7/31). Closed Mon. & Tues. $12; seniors, $10; students, $8; 18 & under, free. 235 Bowery (Prince St.), 212-219-1222; newmuseum.org New-York Historical Society – The Thirteenth Amendment (through 4/1); Hudson River School Highlights: Landscapes From The New-York Historical Society’s Collections (through 4/1); Audubon: National Treasures—The Five Watercolors for the Second Fascicle of “The Birds of America” (through 4/8); Revolution! The Atlantic World Reborn (through 4/15); Urban Views: American Cities 1717-1986 (through 4/22); Freedom Now: Photographs by Platon (through 4/29); Making American Taste: Narrative Art for a New Democracy (through 9/9; closed 4/29-5/4); Stories in Sterling: Four Centuries of Silver in New York (5/4-9/2); BE SAFE! BE SURE! GET VACCINATED! Smallpox, Civil Liberties and Vaccination in New York, 1689-2008 (5/18-9/2); Beer in New York (5/25-9/2); Beauties of the Gilded Age: Peter Marié’s Miniatures of Society Women (through 11/11). Closed Mon. $15; seniors, $12; students, $10; 7-13, $5; under 7, free. 170 Central Park West (77th St.), 212-873-3400; nyhistory.org New York Public Library (Humanities and Social Sciences Library) – Call 212-869-8089 for a recording of all current exhibitions. Open daily. 42nd St. & Fifth Ave., 212-340-0830; nypl.org New York Transit Museum – Closed Mon. $6; seniors/children 3-17, $4. The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex in Grand Central Terminal presents changing exhibitions. Boerum Pl. & Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, 718-694-1600; mta.info/museum

The Paley Center for Media – A center for the cultural, creative, and social significance of television and radio. Closed Mon. & Tues. $10; seniors/ students, $8; under 14, $5. 25 W. 52nd St., 212-621-6600; paleycenter.org The Rubin Museum of Art – Mirror of the Buddha (through 3/5); Modernist Art from India (through 4/9); Hero, Villain, Yeti (through 6/11); Illuminated (4/6-9/3); Masterworks (through 12/31); Once Upon Many Times (through 1/30). Closed Tues. $10 (free Fri., 6-10pm); seniors/students/artists with ID, $7; under 12, free. 150 W. 17th St., 212-620-5000; rmanyc.org Scandinavia House – Closed Sun. & Mon. Free. 58 Park Ave. (37th-38th Sts.), 212-779-3587; scandinaviahouse.org The Studio Museum in Harlem – The Bearden Project (through 3/11); Project Space - Kira Lynn Harris (through 3/11); Collected. Ritual (through 3/11); Who, What Wear: Selections from the Permanent Collection (through 3/11). Closed Mon.-Wed. $7 (free on Sun.); seniors/students, $3; under 12, free. 144 W. 125th St. (Lenox Ave.-Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.), 212-864-4500; studiomuseum.org The Ukrainian Museum – Ukrainian Kilims: Journey of a Heritage (through 10/21). Closed Mon. & Tues. $8; seniors/students, $6; 12 & under, free. 222 E. 6th St., 212-228-0110; ukrainianmuseum.org Whitney Museum of American Art – Whitney Biennial 2012 (3/1-5/27). Closed Mon. & Tues. $18 (pay-what-you-wish Fri., 6-9pm); seniors/students, $12; 18 & under, free. 945 Madison Ave. (75th St.), 212-570-3600; whitney.org

Every two years, the Whitney Museum of American Art takes the pulse of current contemporary art with their Biennial, and the 2012 version runs March 1 through May 27. Sculpture, painting, installations, and photography will fill the galleries of the Whitney, and for the first time, there will be a 6,000-square-foot performance space for music, dance, theatre, and other events. Participating artists were selected by Elisabeth Sussman, Curator; Sondra Gilman, Curator of Photography at the Whitney, and Jay Sanders, a freelance curator and writer. Pictured here: Nick Mauss’s Material Studies, 2008-11 (detail). See listings for more information.

Clement C. Moore Collection. Photography: Graham S. Haber, 2011

Image courtesy the artist; 303 Gallery, New York; and Galerie Neu, Berlin

The Noguchi Museum – Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City (through 4/22). Closed Mon. & Tues. $10 (pay-what-you-wish first Fri. of the month);

students/seniors, $5; under 12, free. 9-01 33rd Rd. (Vernon Blvd.), Long Island City, Queens, 718-204-7088; noguchi.org

Just a ten-minute walk from Grand Central, The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan. Today, the Morgan serves as a museum, research library, musical venue, architectural landmark, and historic site. Current exhibitions include Rembrandt’s World: Dutch Drawings from the Clement C. Moore Collection (through 4/29), which focuses on artists who worked in the Netherlands during the fertile period of the 17th century known as the Dutch Golden Age. Artists include Rembrandt, Johannes Bronckhorst, Abraham Bloemaert, and others. Pictured above: Aelbert Cuyp’s Windmill by a River, with a Jetty in the Foreground, ca. 1640. See listings for more information.

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Courtesy of the artist and Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York

ART GALLERIES COLLECTIBLES

Through May 12, acclaimed artist Dana Schutz’s exhibition Götterdämmerung is on view in conjunction with the final opera in Wagner’s epic Der Ring des Nibelungen, at the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met. Schutz is the fourth and final artist in a series of leading contemporary talents commissioned to create Ring-themed artwork for Gallery Met. See listings for more info. Pictured here: Fire Girl (2011).

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Auctions around town…. Art, Prints, and Decorative Arts Here’s a sampling from the Spring 2012 calendar. SWANN GALLERIES 104 E. 25th St.; swanngalleries.com March 15: The Eric C. Caren Collection: How History Unfolds on Paper, Part I April 12: Fine Books April 25: Old Master Through Modern Prints May 10: Modernist Posters May 22: Early Printed & Travel Books SOTHEBY’S 1334 York Ave. at E. 71st St.; sothebys.com March 7: 20th Century Design March 9: Contemporary Art March 14: Impressionist & Modern Art March 19: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art April 17: Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons April 18: Magnificent Jewels April 25: 19th Century Furniture and Decorative Arts May 2-3: Impressionist & Modern Art May 4: 19th Century European Art CHRISTIE’S 20 Rockefeller Plaza; christies.com March 7: First Open Post-War Contemporary Art March 8: 20th Century Decorative Art & Design March 12: William Eggleston March 21: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art/Indian and Southeast Asian/Books April 5: Photographs April 10: Books & Manuscripts April 13: Fine & Rare Wines April 16: Russian Works of Art April 17: Magnificent Jewels April 23: 19th Century Paintings May 1: Impressionist and Modern Art May 8-9: Post-War and Contemporary Art

PICASSO ON PARK AVENUE

ONTHETOWN

Founded in 1928 by noted industrialist/ philanthropist Armand Hammer, Hammer Galleries was originally known for its collection of iconic Fabergé Easter Eggs, Russian brocades, and Imperial Porcelains. For the last six decades however, Hammer Galleries has built a global reputation for its stellar offerings of 19thand 20th-century European and American Masters. Since moving from West 57th Street to a stunning new Park Avenue space (between 57th and 58th Streets) a year and a half ago, the gallery has held [ PICASSO, Le joueur de clarinette, 1932 ] several major exhibitions of Impressionist and Modern Masters. After its inaugural exhibition, entitled Renoir, which included over 25 works by the legendary Impressionist, Hammer has most recently featured Modern Masters: Paris and Beyond, which included significant paintings and sculptures by Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Jean Dubuffet, Fernand Leger, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Kees van Dongen. Under the leadership of President and Director Howard Shaw, Hammer stands today as a go-to source for both viewing and acquiring museum quality works of art. Hammer offers an inviting gallery setting where, even after dark, passersby are drawn to dramatically lit masterworks on display from the front windows. In addition, Hammer offers “virtual” gallery tours on its website, allowing collectors all over the world to view its exhibitions online. As one of the few street-level galleries on the Upper East Side, Hammer also often serves as a first stop for visitors to New York looking for advice about Hammer Galleries current gallery and museum exhibitions throughout the city. 475 Park Avenue; 212-644-4400; We spoke with Shaw recently about his gallery and art. Hammergalleries.com Q. What are the pluses about your new address? We’ve had a fantastic response to our new home. We have met many new local collectors who live in walking distance of the gallery. Because of our proximity to the finest Upper East Side hotels, we have also met many new collectors from around the world. We’ve found that what people appreciate is our openness and accessibility. People can walk in off the street, with no appointment, and view the majority of our collections in public rather than in private showrooms. Q. Why are potential new collectors intimidated by some galleries? At many galleries, visitors often only see a receptionist and a security guard. Basically you’re on your own. At Hammer, our experienced staff sits in the main gallery, available and eager to assist, answer questions, and discuss the works in the exhibition. In addition, my office, which also doubles as a showroom, connects to our main exhibition space – and my door is almost always open. We help new collectors to understand the important issues regarding authenticity, condition, and current market value involved in intelligently building a collection. Q. For the past few months, you’ve been on the road sharing iconic works from Hammer’s Modern Masters exhibit. Your first stop was February’s American International Fine Art Fair in Palm Beach, and next is The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) held in Maastricht in the Netherlands March 15th through the 26th. This year TEFAF is celebrating its 25th anniversary and I have to say it is the most important fair on our calendar. For collectors, art advisors, and museum curators interested in Impressionist and Modern works of art, TEFAF is really the gold standard of art fairs. With over 250 of the world’s top galleries participating, it’s a wonderfully efficient way to view exceptional artwork and interact with top art dealers outside of their usual gallery offices. Gallery directors are in their booths, available to anyone with a question. What I think is unusual about Hammer is that, in terms of accessibility, we’re like an art fair all year round. Whether or not you wind up acquiring a piece of art from Hammer, it’s clear that Shaw and his colleagues strive to be a key source of information for all aspects of New York’s illustrious art scene. Call or visit Hammer Galleries’ website for up-to-the-minute information regarding exhibitions, visiting hours, and upcoming lectures.

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All exhibits subject to change Bonni Benrubi - 20th-century and contemporary photography. Matthew Pillsbury - City Stages (through 4/28). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 41 E. 57th St., 13th Floor, 212-888-6007; bonnibenrubi.com Peter Blum Gallery - Contemporary American and European art. Wooster St.: Drawing a Line in the Sand (through 3/31). 99 Wooster St., 212-343-0441; 526 W. 29th St., 212-244-6055; peterblumgallery.com Cheim & Read - International contemporary artists. Jonathan Lasker (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 547 W. 25th St., 212-242-7727; cheimread.com Clic Bookstore & Gallery - Emerging photographers. Tues.-Sun., noon-7pm. 424 Broome St., 212-219-9308; 255 Centre St., 212-966-2766; clicgallery.com James Cohan Gallery - Contemporary art. Yinka Shonibare, MBE (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 533 W. 26th St., 212-714-9500; jamescohan.com CRG Gallery - Well-established and emerging contemporary American/ European artists. Alexandre da Cunha - Kentucky Pied de Poule (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 548 W. 22nd St., 212-229-2766; crggallery.com

CUE Art Foundation - Exhibitions featuring under-recognized artists. Greg Wilken: Curated by Sharon Lockhart (through 3/10); Michael Minelli: Curated by Sowon Kwon (through 3/10); Brian Gillis & Robin Lambert’s FREE RADIO: 2011 Open Call Selection (3/24-5/5). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 511 W. 25th St., 212-206-3583; cueartfoundation.org David Findlay Jr. Inc. - American 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculpture. Mon.-Sat., 10am-5:30pm. 41 E. 57th St., 212-486-7660; davidfindlayjr.com Foley Gallery - Contemporary photography, painting, sculpture. Alexandre Orion - Ossario (opening 3/8). Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. 548 W. 28th St., 2nd Floor, 212-244-9081; foleygallery.com Zach Feuer Gallery - Contemporary art in all media by emerging and mid-career artists. Johannes Vanderbeek (3/2-4/7). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 548 W. 22nd St., 212-989-7700; zachfeuer.com Gagosian Gallery - Modern and contemporary art, including works by de Kooning, Hirst, Picasso, Twombly, and Warhol. Madison Ave.: Albert Oehlen (through 4/7). 24th St.: Roy Lichtenstein - Landscapes in the Chinese Style (3/1-4/7). 21st St.: Georg Baselitz (3/3-4/7). Tues.- Sat., 10am-6pm. 980 Madison Ave. (76th-77th Sts.), 212-744-2313; 555 W. 24th St., 212-741-1111; 522 W. 21st St., 212-741-1717; gagosian.com Galerie Lelong - Contemporary art from the United States, Europe, and

Wear Your Art Out Yael Sonia is not often seen without her Spinning Wheel pendant. The necklace is part of her popular Perpetual Motion collection, but Sonia’s reasons for perpetually wearing the piece have little to do with self-promotion. “It’s become more than something just hanging off my neck,” she explains. “I’m always playing with the spheres and I spin it when I’m nervous or thinking—it’s comforting in a way. I love the sound it makes, and I miss it when I’m not wearing it.” In the traditional sense, jewelry tends to be one-dimensional, worn simply to enhance the beauty of the wearer. But sculpted pieces like Sonia’s pendant, as well as the balance of her Perpetual Motion collection, which are carefully crafted to create an interactive experience for their wearers, are much more than decoration—they are wearable artworks. “The jewelry…is put in motion by the wearer. The pieces react to your energy,” Sonia says of her multi-dimensional products, which feature designs like spinning tops, swinging pendulums, and rolling spheres—all inspired by children’s toys. “It’s really about the experience of wearing the jewelry and being moved by what it’s representing,” she explains. As an artist, Sonia also enjoys pushing the boundaries of traditional scale and style when creating her jewelry. Her best-selling earrings are the Reverse Fit collection, which are worn “backwards.” “The reason is the way the stone sits below the ear—it tilts forward,” she says. “If you were to wear it the other way around, it would disappear.” Because of the personal nature of Sonia’s jewelry, it’s important that the wearer connects with the piece. “It’s not just about how it looks,” she explains. “It’s really about identifying yourself with the piece because you don’t just put it on and forget about it—you interact with it.” To encourage that interaction, Sonia purposefully set up her Madison Avenue store more like a gallery space, with pieces set in display boxes at eye level. Most items are suspended, to allow visitors a full, three-dimensional view, including the earrings, which are hung from fishing wire. Recently, Sonia added several cushioned window seats to the store, to encourage visitors to settle in and linger over her creations. “It’s like going to a gallery or museum,” she says. “People want to stay and look and play with the pieces, and we encourage that.” 922 Madison Ave. (73rd-74th Sts.), 212-472-6488; yaelsonia.com—Kaitlin Ahern

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Latin America. Catherine Yass - Lighthouse (through 3/17). 528 W. 26th St., 212-315-0470; galerielelong.com Galerie St. Etienne - The oldest gallery in the U.S. specializing in Expressionism and self-taught art. The Ins and Outs of Self-Taught Art - Reflections on a Shifting Field (through 4/7). Tues.-Fri., 11am-5pm. 24 W. 57th St., 212-765-8493; gseart.com

Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 32 E. 69th St., 212-794-4970; hauserwirth.com Hirschl & Adler Galleries - 18th-, 19th- & 20th-century American and Euro足pean paintings, drawings, watercolors, and sculpture. Elizabeth

Turk: Cages (3/1-31). Mon.-Fri., 9:30am-5:15pm. 730 Fifth Ave. (57th St.), 4th Floor, 212-535-8810; hirschlandadler.com Hosfelt Gallery - International, emerging and mid-career artists. Luka Fineisen - Phase

Gallery Henoch - Contemporary American, European, and Asian painting and sculpture. Sunghee Jang (through 3/17); John Evans (3/224/14). Tues.-Sat., 10:30am-6pm. 555 W. 25th St., 917-305-0003; galleryhenoch.com Gladstone Gallery - Contemporary art. The Spirit Level - Curated by Ugo Rondinone (3/23-4/28). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 515 W. 24th St., 212-2069300; 530 W. 21st St.; gladstonegallery.com Valerie Goodman Gallery - Specializing in 20th-century European decorative arts, furniture and lighting, and French contemporary artist Limited Editions. 315 E. 91st St., 917-208-0302; valeriegoodmangallery.com James Graham & Sons - 19th- & 20th-century American paintings, American & European sculpture. 32 E. 67th St., 212-535-5767; jamesgrahamandsons.com Howard Greenberg Gallery - Fine art photography. Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. The Fuller Building, 41 E. 57th St., 212-334-0010; howardgreenberg.com Greenberg Van Doren - Contemporary fine art. Julia Kunin: Nightwood (through 4/21). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 730 Fifth Ave. (57th St.), 212-445-0444; gvdgallery.com Greene Naftali - Haegue Yang (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 508 W. 26th St., 8th Floor, 212-463-7770; greenenaftaligallery.com Stephen Haller Gallery - Contemporary paintings. Paper Rocks Scissors (group exhibition) (12/123). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 542 W. 26th St., 212-741-7777; stephenhallergallery.com Hammer Galleries - Featuring works by 19thand 20th-century European and American Masters. The European Fine Art Fair - Maastricht (3/16-25). Mon.-Fri., 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat., 10am-5pm. 475 Park Ave. (58th St.), 212-644-4400; hammergalleries.com Hasted Kraeutler - Contemporary photography from emerging and established artists. Kim Dong Yoo (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. 537 W. 24th St., 212-627-0006; hastedkraeutler.com Hauser & Wirth - Emerging and established contemporary artists. Bharti Kher - The hot winds that blow from the West (3/6-4/14).

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Transitions (through 3/31). Wed.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 531 W. 36th St., 212-563-5454; hosfeltgallery.com

212-255-2923; 201 Chrystie St., 212-254-0054; www.lehmannmaupin.com

Steven Kasher Gallery - Contemporary photography and social/historical/artistic photography of the 20th century. Occupying Wall Street: A Visual Diary by Accra Shepp (ongoing). Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. 521 W. 23rd St., 212-966-3978; stevenkasher.com

Lerebours Antiques - An eclectic collection of American antique, vintage, and mid-century modern fine furnishings, lighting, and art. 220 E. 60th St., 917-749-5866; lereboursantiques.com

Paul Kasmin Gallery - Contemporary and modern art. Will Ryman - Anyone and No One (through 3/24). 27th St.: Nir Hod (3/28-4/28). Tenth Ave.: Cajo Fonseca (3/29-4/28). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 293 Tenth Ave. (27th St.); 511 27th St., 212-563-4474; paulkasmingallery.com Alan Klotz Gallery- Fine-art vintage, modern, and contemporary photography. Wed.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 511 W. 25th St., 212-741-4764; klotzgallery.com Kouros Gallery - Modern and contemporary sculpture, painting, photography, and works on paper. Selected Paintings, Sculpture & Photography by Gallery Artists (through 3/31); Bruno Romeda A Survey of Sculptures & Collages (through 3/31). Mon.-Fri., 11am-6pm. 23 E. 73rd St., 212-288-5888; kourosgallery.com Lehmann Maupin Gallery - International contemporary painting, sculpture and photography. Chrystie St.: Juergen Teller (through 3/17). 26th Street: Mary Corse - New Work (through 3/10). Hernan Bass (3/15-4/21); Gilbert & George (Apr.Jun.). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 540 W. 26th St.,

Luhring Augustine - Late-19th century to contemporary American and European paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and video works. Tom Friedman - New Work (through 3/17); Michelangelo Pistoletto (3/23-4/28). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 531 W. 24th St., 212-206-9100; luhringaugustine.com Marlborough Gallery - Important contemporary masters. Mon.-Fri., 10am-5:30pm. 40 W. 57th St., 212-541-4900; 545 W. 25th St., 212-4638634; marlboroughgallery.com Barbara Mathes Gallery - 20th-century, and contemporary American and European masters. Tues.-Fri., 9:30am-6pm.; Sat. 10am-5pm. 22 E. 80th St., 212-570-4190; barbaramathesgallery.com McKenzie Fine Art - Contemporary art. Jean Lowe (through 3/24). Tues.-Fri., 10am-6pm.; Sat. 11am-6pm. 511 W. 25th St., 212-989-5467; mckenziefineart.com Robert Miller Gallery - Contemporary art. Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 524 W. 26th St., 212-366-4774; robertmillergallery.com

Yossi Milo Gallery- Contemporary photography. Mark Ruwedel, Now it is Dark (through TBD). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 245 Tenth Ave. (24th-25th Sts.), 212-414-0370; www.yossimilo.com Mitchell-Innes & Nash - Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary art by American and European artists. Catherine Opie (Mar.-Apr.); Anthony Caro New Small Bronzes (3/1-4/5); Martha Rosler (Apr.May). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 534 W. 26th St., 212-744-7400; miandn.com The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology - Youthquake! The 1960s Fashion Revolution (3/6-4/7); IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA (through 4/17); The Great Designers: Part One (through 5/8). Tues.-Fri., noon-8pm; Sat., 10am-5pm. Seventh Ave. at 27th St., 212-217-4558; fitnyc.edu Onassis Cultural Center - Ancient, Byzantine & modern art. Transition to Christianity: Art of Late Antiquity, 3rd-7th Century A.D. (through 5/14). 645 Fifth Ave., Suite 304, 212-486-4448; onassisusa.org The Pace Gallery - 20th-century art, including works by Calder, LeWitt, Nevelson, Noguchi, Picasso, Rauschenberg, Rothko, and many others. 22nd St.: Paul Graham: The Present (through 3/24). 534 W. 25th St.: Happenings: New York, 1958-1963 (through 3/17). 510 W. 25th St.: Jean Dubuffet: The Last Two Years (through 3/10); Fred Wilson: Venice Suite: Sala Longhi and Related Works (3/16-4/14). 57th St.: Mythology (through 3/24).

Lerebours Antiques: an eclectic collection Recently we spoke to Cathy Lerebours, who, after a decade on the antique show circuit, opened Lerebours Antiques nearly three years ago in an uncertain economy. But the store has flourished, attracting a wide range of clients with both timeless pieces and more whimsical selections. “My clients enjoy the eclectic collection of pieces I showcase,” she says, “whether it’s a 19th century Baltic center table or a contemporary parchment mirror.” Q. What is the history behind Lerebours Antiques? CL. I started my business approximately 14 years ago. Before I became an antiques dealer, I worked in television as an associate producer for Inside Edition; but after about six years I felt that particular career path had run its course for me. At that time I decided to move to Europe to experience a change of scenery. For as long as I can remember, I had been drawn to antiques, architecture and interiors, etc., and in Europe my interest in these things really began to blossom. When I returned to the States I attended Parson’s School of Design and continued my studies. I frequented flea markets, attended auctions and visited museums, doing whatever it took to perfect my eye until eventually I started exhibiting at different antiques shows in New York City and throughout the country. Q. What single piece would best represents the store? CL. I currently have an outstanding French ’40s lacquered sideboard with parchment doors (pictured right, forefront). This piece represents Lerebours to me, with its exceptional craftsmanship and very clean, classic lines—a design that makes it timeless. I like to think that LA offers these kinds of quality pieces—ones that will not look dated a few years from now.

For the full interview, plus shots of many of her favorite pieces, visit nyluxury.com.

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32 E. 57th St., 212-421-3292; 534 W. 25th St., 212-929-7000; 545 W. 22nd St., 212-989-4258; 510 W. 25th St. 212-255-4044; thepacegallery.com Yancy Richardson Gallery - 20th century and contemporary photographs. Olivo Barbieri - The Dolomites Project (through 3/31); Alec Prager (4/5-5/12). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 535 W. 22nd St., 646-230-9610; yanceyrichardson.com Ro Gallery - Select original paintings, graphics, photographs, and sculptures from over 5000 artists. Visit their website for live and timed art auctions. Gallery by appointment. 47-15 36th St., Long Island City, 800-888-1063; rogallery.com Michael Rosenfeld Gallery - 20th century American art. Benny Andrews, Alice Neel, Bob Thompson (through 4/7). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 24 W. 57th St., 7th Floor, 212-247-0082; michaelrosenfeldart.com Luis Ross Gallery - Self-taught artists from North America and Europe. Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 511 W. 25th St. #307, 212-343-2161; luiserossgallery.com Schwartz Gallery Met - Contemporary art. Dana Schutz’s Götterdämmerung (through 5/12). Mon.-Fri., 6pm through the end of the last intermission; Sat., noon through the end of the last intermission of the evening performance. 555 W. 25th St., 917-305-0003; galleryhenoch.com Tony Shafrazi Gallery - Contemporary art. Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 544 W. 26th St., 212-274-9300; tonyshafrazigallery.com Sonnabend Gallery - Contemporary painting, sculpture and photography by American & European artists. Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 536 W. 22nd St., 212-627-1018; sonnabendgallery.com Spanierman Modern - Modern and contemporary paintings, watercolors, works on paper, drawings, and sculpture. James Daugherty (through 3/24); Frank Bowling (3/29-4/28); Jasmina Danowski (5/3-6/2). Mon.-Sat., 9:30am-5:30pm. 53 E. 58th St., 212-832-1400; spaniermanmodern.com Frederieke Taylor Gallery - Highly contemporary, conceptual art. By appointment only. 145 E. 29th St., 646-230-0992; frederieketaylorgallery.com 303 Gallery - Contemporary photography, film, paintings, and sculpture. Hans-Peter Feldmann (through 3/31); Valentin Carron (4/6-5/12); Larry Johnson (5/18-6/23). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 547 W. 21st St., 212-255-1121; 303gallery.com Tibor de Nagy Gallery - Contemporary paintings. Dwight Ripley - Travel Posters and Language Panels (through 3/10); Sarah McEneaney - New Work (through 3/10); John Newman (3/15-4/21); Joe Brainard (3/15-4/21). Mon.-Fri., 10am-5:30pm. 724 Fifth Ave. (56th-57th Sts.), 212-261-5050; tibordenagy.com Viridian Artists - Works in the abstract mode, including oils, pastels on paper, prints, and sculptures. 2nd Annual Juried Photography Exhibition (3/12-31); May Deviney (4/3-21); Bernice Faegenburg (4/24-5/12); Tazuko Fuji and Oi Sawa (5/15-6/2). Tues.-Sat., 10:30am-6pm. 548 W. 28th St., 6th Floor, 212-414-4040; viridianartists.com Mike Weiss Gallery - Contemporary art. Piet van den Boog: Bruised and Battered (through 3/24). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 520 W. 24th St., 212-691-6899; mikeweissgallery.com David Zwirner - Contemporary art. Adel Abdessemed - Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf (through 3/17); Fred Sandback (3/9-4/21); Stan Douglas, Disco Angola (3/22-4/28); Yan Pei-Ming (May); Alice Neel (May). Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. 519 W. 19th St., 525 W. 19th St., 212-517-8677; davidzwirner.com

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REAL ESTATENEW YORK

living on

Museum Mile

From 82nd to 105th, it’s luxury living amid nine of the city’s most remarkable cultural institutions. By Karli Petrovic

n Manhattan, there is always something to be said about Fifth Avenue. Not only does the famed avenue allow access to that big green space in the city’s center, it also boasts some of the highest-end iconic NYC stores, like Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, and Cartier. Fifth Avenue, however, has more to offer than scenic carriage rides and super-chic retail therapy. Higher up, from 82nd Street to 105th, Fifth Avenue is known as “Museum Mile.” With nine museums on a 23-block stretch, art lovers are within walking distance of some of the finest cultural institutions in the world…from the Museum of the City of New York at the upper end to Cooper-Hewitt to the Solomon R. Guggenheim to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 82nd Street. In between the “big ones” are specialized treasures like El Museo del Barrio, The Jewish Museum, and Neue Galerie, among other exciting options. Now imagine having all of this art, history, and cultural activity right outside your front door. If that sounds like your dream, consider these three luxurious properties on the Mile. Where Cozy Meets Spacious At 1133 Fifth Avenue, an estimated 5,000-square-foot duplex in a 12-apartment building still exudes intimacy. In the heart of Carnegie Hill, directly across from the reservoir, this “boutique-y” building positions its tenants three blocks away from the Guggenheim. “Wherever you go, you have galleries and muse-

ums on either side,” says Stribling & Associates listing agent Linda Maloney. Inside the 13-room apartment, the living room houses a wood-burning fireplace and the kitchen offers a four-burner Viking stove, 48-inch Gaggenau refrigerator, and Miele dishwasher. The large picture window overlooking Fifth Avenue and sunroom off the kitchen afford owners plenty of well-lit space in which to entertain or relax. With six bedrooms and bathrooms, guests can spend the night without disturbing their hosts. The building also features a manned elevator and state-of-the-art gym. The property is listed at $9.6 million. Pre-War Gets an Update For those who love the look of Pre-War but prefer the extravagance of ultramodern amenities, a new apartment awaits at 1212 Fifth Avenue. The structure, on Fifth since 1925, received an interior makeover from Durst Fetner Residential before reopening in the fall of 2011. “From the very beginning, we viewed this project as having the best of both worlds,” says Durst Fetner COO Damon Pazziglini. While the condominium maintains the charm, character, and integrity of its exterior, the inside boasts marble master bedrooms and modern-day appliances and room sizes. The building has 15 floors with four apartments each

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Dining and Art From Kandinsky at the Bauhaus, 1922– 1933 on display at the Guggenheim to Carlos Osorio’s Símbolos que nos joden (Symbols That Enslave Us) at El Museo del Barrio, taking in what is available at the nine museums in the area can work up an appetite. Stop for a midday bite to break up a day of gallery-hopping or enjoy a candlelit dinner after dark. Stribling & Associates Vice President Bahar Tavakolian recommends a few of her most satisfying favorites. Café Sabarsky in Neue Galerie at 1048 5th Avenue

[O pposite page: Park views at 1035 Fifth Avenue; Top: Easy entertaining at 1133 Fifth Avenue; A bathroom to linger in at 1212 Fifth Avenue ]

and condominium ownership. Two separate elevator banks mean tenants only share their elevator with one other apartment. A pair of Central Park-facing apartments cost $2.8/2.9 million to $3.4 million. East-facing, one-bedroom apartments boast about 1000 square feet of space for $850,000-$950,000. A similar two-bedroom offers 1500 square feet for a $1.5 million price point. To top all this luxury off: the location, of course. “The museums themselves are an amazing amenity. To have some of the best museums in the world at your doorstep is really unique,” says Pazziglini. “There are a lot of things that change in New York City, but the park and the museums are always there, and there is great value in that.” Front and Center on Fifth View the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur from the apartments at 1035 Fifth Avenue. JER Carpenter, the prestigious New York City architect responsible for the elegance that makes Upper Fifth Avenue a sought-after locale, also created this building. An approximately 3,000-square-foot, five-bedroom space provides about 60 feet of frontage on Fifth. For $6.9 million, you can be a spectator to the many sights Central Park has to offer. An extra $400,000 guarantees one of the building’s two maid rooms. Amenities include a concierge, doorman, gym, and a manned elevator. And don’t forget all that culture, just mere steps away. “Between the elegant architecture, the stunning limestone co-ops, townhouse mansions, and the nine museums that give Museum Mile its name, there is a dense display and access to culture that you won’t find anywhere else in New York City,” says The Corcoran Group listing agent Liora Yalof. n

Share a bottle of Grüner Veltliner – Smaragd while dining on Adolf Loos furniture. Admire the Yamaha S4 grand piano in the corner of the café as your lunch party dines on Ungarisches rindsgulasch mit spätzle (Hungarian beef goulash with fresh herbed quark spätzle). Follow it up with rehrücken for dessert. Crown at 24 East 81st Street Sip on Clover Club cocktails while feasting on the Pennsylvania rack of lamb. Dinner for two might entail the day dry côte de boeuf for two. The apple degustation (vanilla cannelle, cider doughnut, and apple tatin spiced cream cheese ice cream) makes an ideal meal ender. Sant Ambroeus at 1000 Madison Avenue Sunday brunch near the Van de Weghe art gallery might include the Insalata di Nettuno (a mixture of lump and king crab meat with sliced fennel and orange). For a two-course dining spread, pair the risotto alla Milanese with the charbroiled Mediterranean sea bass served with asparagus in olive oil imported from Garda. – KP 75

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TRAVELisland

two island countries

Ireland and Malaysia. Could they be more different? But a visit to each is equally delightful, enlightening, and downright enchanting. By Ruth J. Katz

Above: [ The CHI spa at Shangri-La Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tanjung Aru Resort ] Opposite page: [ Left, an infant orangutan at the Rasa Ria Nature Reserve; right, a typically vast terrace in a garden room at Rasa Ria Resort ]

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Mad for Malaysia

was psyched for an escapade. Slathered in mosquito repellent, I was embarrassingly dressed like a Glamour magazine “Don’t.” The goggles and the helmet guaranteed that I wasn’t winning a spot on any Best Dressed List. I was in Malaysia, about to enter the jungle on an ATV. Our guide warned us that the previous night’s rain would have left the jungle floor pockmarked with deep mud troughs, and with wild, untamed vines poking about. First, though, we had a pedagogical workout on the beach—stop, start, turn, get out of a stall, rev up. And then the electrifying exploit—the jungle! “Thrilling” comes to mind...and well worth it. And “well worth it” could also describe this trip halfway around the world for this experience, and countless others. Malaysia was particularly intriguing to me; my neighbors had just returned from the very resort I was planning to check out—Shangri-La Hotels’ cossetting Rasa Ria, and after a stay there, on to her sister property, the indulgent Tanjung Aru, a stone’s throw apart on the island of Borneo. (Instant gazetteer 4-1-1: The island of Borneo is home to the larger part of the two main geographic areas comprising culturally diverse Malaysia—about 140 local dialects are spoken here—and the other part of the country is located on a slice of the mainland peninsula, shared with Thailand.) And as an aside for the geographically challenged, two other countries—Brunei and Indonesia—are also on Borneo. Once you land, start your re-entry to terra firma as I did: outdoors on the massive terrace of your room, with a stunning view of the South China Sea. The aesthetician-magician from the Dalit Bay Spa offered me a refreshing, revitalizing foot treatment that began with deep sole-kneading, then fragrant soaking, all followed by a blissful “marinating experience” in my two-person outdoor tub. This mini-swimming pool was redolent with peppermint, sea minerals, rose petals, and whatever else this Estée Lauder of the Lanai had cooked up. Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria is nestled on Pantai Dalit beach in Sabah, the northern tip of Borneo. It is surrounded by 400 acres of lush, tropical vegetation— wilderness, truly—including a unique nature reserve. (The exotic pitcher plant is carnivorous!) There is sublime bird-watching—a graceful, exquisitely colored peacock might saunter by while you’re dining al fresco. But the biggest draw here is the extraordinary Rasa Ria Nature Reserve, established with Sabah’s State Wildlife Department. It is home to orphaned orangutans, who must be taught to fend for themselves so that they can ultimately survive in the wild, upon “graduation.” After an early-morning hike—with a view of the highest peak in Southeast Asia, Mount Kinabalu, as the backdrop for sunrise-cumbreakfast—we visited three young female orangutans, Willan, Katie, and Cina. Willan willingly jumped in my arms and posed for a photo op! Sunbathe if you must, but there is so much more to do—jungle, forest-garden, and nocturnal animal walks and “safaris,” and a stirring canopy walkway

some 30 feet up in the treetops; there are also water sports (kayaking, jet skiing, wind surfing, deep-sea fishing, etc.), golf, tennis, croquet, and horseback riding. The nearby extraordinary Orchid de Villa showcases 50 hybrids and over 300 wild Borneo orchids! You can even while away an afternoon with a Malaysian cooking class with the one of Shangri-La’s gifted chefs, Anthony Yih, who introduced me to palm sugar, a thick, chocolaty-auburn brick that you shave. And if you’re interested in just eating, not cooking, the food is delicious at the hotel’s Teppanyaki restaurant, where the chefs prepare a meal in front of you on sizzling slabs and the local delicacies are just that—delicacies. In the more upscale eatery, Coast, you can begin with a panko crab cake and end with a lemongrass crème brûlée, and in between enjoy all that the sea can offer. And the resort’s Naan-Flavours of India restaurant serves up supremely authentic, tasty Northern Indian and Goa cuisine. After Rasa Ria, it was on to Tanjung Aru, where guests are warmly greeted in the open-air lobby by a native musician playing the kulintang, a traditional instrument comprised of a series of graduated, metal pots. When struck, the sounds are so melodious, you’ll feel joyous. I was even cheerier after the seafood luncheon feast at the hotel’s fabulous Coco Joe’s waterside restaurant. (Tanjung Aru has, improbably, an Italian restaurant, Peppino’s, that is meraviglioso). An afternoon in town at the local craft market made me even happier (my cache: a vibrant batik sarong and a woven-straw tote). Bliss became Nirvana after returning to the resort and succumbing to a sybaritic treatment at the CHI Spa, where each guest has a huge, private treatment-villa. Water sports also abound at Tanjung Aru, and include everything from scuba and snorkeling, to parasailing and banana boat rides. To experience the local, intriguing culture, I took an evening sojourn to the nearby Mari Mari Cultural Village, where the ingenious architectures of traditional-style homes of diverse Sabahan ethnic communities have been reconstructed by tribal descendants. There are also demonstrations of blowpipemaking, fire-starting, tattooing, and it’s all topped off with a traditional meal and a dance presentation. I also took an enrapturing nighttime lepa lepa (native-style, roofed boat) ride on the Tambalang River, into the dense mangroves, where fireflies magically electrified the midnight-blue sky. The Tungku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (five local islands) are also nearby and worth sailing to. The locals picnic here (which we did in grand style, courtesy of the hotel staff), and enjoy the preserve, natural habitat, the animals, and water sports. So, yes, in a word, it’s assuredly worth a trip around the globe to experience this enchanting country. n

[ the details ] shangri-la.com; sabahtourism.com; sepilok.com 77

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TRAVELisland

Dublin Days

Courtesy of discoverireland.com

T Clockwise from above: [ T he extraordinary Trinity College Library; the Garden Terrace at the Merrion Hotel; the Merrion’s front hall ]

he staff at Dublin’s five-star Merrion Hotel must truly love this historic, grande dame establishment, taking personal pride working here. As I sidled by an elegantly liveried houseman on a ladder polishing brass fittings on the ceiling, I saw him smile when the metal gleamed. When I left a heap of cosmetics and hair what-nots on a vanity table outside my sumptuous marble bath, I was pleasantly surprised at how carefully the housekeeping staff had organized the jumble, each item placed just-so on a starched, linen serviette. Indeed, the staff should feel esteem in calling the Merrion their second home. The hotel’s five Georgian buildings are Grade I Listed townhouses (there is also a contemporary garden wing, created around two private, period gardens that are enchanting) built in the 1760s by one Lord Monck; the Earl of Mornington (who was, among other things, the first professor of music at the renowned Trinity College) lived in No. 24 in 1769, and it was the birthplace of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Dublin is imposing, with its sedate homes, dotted with colorful doors, and its gracious, wide streets, the result of astute planning in 1757 by the Commission for Making Wide & Convenient Streets; Upper Merrion Street measures a shocking 102 feet wide! Of Dublin’s five remarkable, exquisite Georgian Squares, Merrion is arguably the finest. On an extended, leisurely walking tour of the city with the extraordinarily knowledgeable Neil Hogan, a local guide who can educate you on political and historical details of this island country (occupying about five-sixths of the territory it shares with Northern Ireland), it was virtually impossible to pass a street without a shrewd, cunning tidbit from Hogan, edifying me on what writer lived where and when—and whom he married, who sued him, what bon mots he uttered upon garnering (or losing out on) a prize. The minute we left the hotel, Hogan began: At No. 82 Merrion Square, William Butler Yeats lived from 1923 to 1928; at No. 46 the door is considered the most photographed Georgian door in Dublin, but in truth, Hogan allows slyly, it’s Edwardian, a new door having been installed 1907 for a visit by King Edward VII; at Harcourt Street, we saw the home of Edward Carson, the lawyer retained by the Marquis of Queensbury to defend him against the libel suit brought by Oscar Wilde, who

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two island countries

lived at No. 1 Merrion Square as an infant; at Westland Row, we saw Wilde’s birthplace; as we reached Lower Hatch Street, we saw No. 1, where a young George Bernard Shaw lived. And if sharing history with Hogan doesn’t encourage reading, then surely a visit to the Trinity College Library (established in 1592 and the permanent home to the illustrious Book of Kells) will. It is Ireland’s largest library and is truly majestic with its 5 million books. Other activities should include a tour of the Guinness Brewery; the National Gallery; Temple Bar; Dublin Castle (1207); and the striking churches, including St. Teresa’s, the first Dublin Catholic church authorized by Parliament after the passing of the Catholic Relief Bill in 1793. All that walking made me famished, and it was with great anticipation that I dined at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in the Merrion; the eatery is Ireland’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant and I must say, it deserves three! But save at least one night for The Cellar, the hotel’s proprietary restaurant; the chef served up the best calf’s liver I have ever had. And do not pass up the “Art Tea” in the Merrion’s charming drawing room. The hotel has a fine collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings adorning the hallway walls, and the pastry chef has painstakingly interpreted many of these œuvres with sugar, flour, and eggs; the results are not only delicious, but so clever, so whimsical, so well parsed, you’ll feel guilty eating a slice of art (and artistry). n

[ the details ] merrionhotel.com; discoverireland.com/us; neilhogan1@gmail.com

[ Ashford Castle under the stars ]

Ashford Castle Yet another superb tea, dubbed “Lady Adilaun’s,” awaits you at the award-winning Ashford Castle, served in the estate’s massive great room with its 20-foot-high ceiling and walls of rich Irish oak. Ashford is truly one of Ireland’s most luxurious castle-hotels. A mere 45 minutes from Galway, it’s snugly situated in County Mayo on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, sequestered among verdant woodlands and rolling mountains; there are spectacular vistas out of virtually every one of the 83 guest rooms, all appointed with remarkable antique furnishings, luxe textiles, and a crystal decanter of velvety sherry. (The castle was the backdrop for John Ford’s 1951 film, The Quiet Man, with John Wayne, and over the years, the estate has hosted countless major league celebrities, from Bob Hope to Brad Pitt.) Ashford was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgos family as a monastery, and in 1855, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness (yes, those Guinnesses) acquired it to use as the family’s “little” country getaway, which it remained for nearly a century until it was purchased to be transformed into a hotel, proffering a menu of lordly, leisure-time activities, including just about the finest brown-trout fishing in Europe, extraordinary falconry, horseback-riding, golf, clay-pigeon-shooting, archery, cycling, and so on. (The charming local village of Westport is not far, and worth a look-see as well.) You cannot stay here and not have a falconry lesson. I did a “Hawk Walk” around the palatial grounds with an experienced handler, Aureille O’Sullivan, and “my” Harris Hawk, an infant named, appropriately enough, Wilde—as in Oscar. I donned the giant, protective, suede glove and learned to release Wilde and then call him back, observing him swoop magnificently for a pitch-perfect landing on my hand. It was exhilarating. I spent another afternoon horseback-riding on a gentle, old mare through the backwoods, and it was serene and blissful. And, of course, you must not overlook the hotel’s outstanding dining room, the George V, with its 11 Waterford Crystal chandeliers and glorious appointments. It is the place for a formal, elegant meal and it does not disappoint. For a more laid-back experience, head to Wilde’s (this time, not Oscar, but Sir William Wilde, the founder of Dublin’s first eye-and-ear hospital) at The Lodge (on the estate’s grounds), a more casual, youthful hotel and eatery. Start with the game terrine of local venison, chicory, and roasted almonds and finish with the nutmeg-scented hazelnut soufflé with blackberry sorbet...and then ask the staff to roll you home to your chamber at the castle. From start to finish, just as your meals will captivate you, so will all of Ireland enrapture your spirit and soul. For more information, visit ashford.ie 79

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Springtime means beautiful weather for sightseeing on the water and New York City is synonymous with great dining, so what better way to kill two birds with one stone than with a dinner cruise aboard World Yacht? Dinner cruises sail Friday-Sunday in March, Thursday-Sunday in April, and daily May-December. In addition, they’re offering an Easter Brunch Cruise (4/8), Mother’s Day Brunch and Dinner Cruises (5/13), and a Freedom Lunch Cruise to the National 9/11 Memorial on Saturdays beginning in April. For reservations and more information, call 212-630-8100 or visit worldyacht.com.

New York

Sightseeing Apollo Theater – Harlem’s world-famous showplace offers tours seven days a week, as well as the Apollo Amateur Night every Wednesday at 7:30pm. 253 W. 125th St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 212-531-5337; apollotheater.org

BODIES...The Exhibition – This striking exhibit showcases real human bodies, giving visitors the opportunity to see themselves in a fascinating way like never before. Both captivating and edifying, it unveils the many complex systems of organs and tissues that drive every aspect of our daily lives and unite us all as humans. Exhibition Centre at the South Street Seaport, 11 Fulton St., 888-9BODIES; bodiestheexhibition.com

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Central Park (centralparknyc.org) – Belvedere Castle (79th St. south of the Great Lawn, 212-772-0210) - This famed, whimsical landmark is within sight of the Delacorte Theatre (summer home of the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival.) The Henry Luce Nature Observatory at Belvedere Castle is a permanent interactive exhibit focusing on how to observe, record, and identify the plants and wildlife that exist in Central Park’s rich and diverse natural habitats. Bethesda Terrace (mid-Park at 72nd St.) - Reconstruction has restored the Victorian stonework and steps to the acre-sized esplanade. Carousel (mid-Park at 64th St., 212-879-0244) - Nostalgic turn-of-the-century merry-go-round open daily, weather permitting. Central Park Zoo (64th St.

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ONTHETOWN

& Fifth Ave., 212-439-6500; centralparkzoo.com) - From a steamy rain forest to an icy Antarctic penguin habitat, the zoo features natural tropical, temperate, and polar environments with dozens of fascinating animals, from leafcutter ants to polar bears, plus monkeys, sea lions, and cute penguins. Open daily; call for hours. The Conservatory Garden (Fifth Ave. near 105th St.) - A lush and dazzling six-acre garden. The Dairy (mid-Park at 65th St., 212-794-6564) - The main visitor information center, set in a vintage Victorian Chalet. Horseand-Carriage Rides (212-736-0680) wait on the Central Park So./59th St. side of the Park. Sheep Meadow (66th to 69th Sts. on the west side of the park) is a lush, 15-acre quiet zone open for passive play and skyline admiring. Strawberry Fields (71st to 74th St. near Central Park West) - A 2.5-acre International Garden of Peace dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (enter at Central Park West & 81st St., 212-988-9093) - Shows for the general public. Call for current schedule. Tisch Children’s Zoo (Fifth Ave. btw. 64th & 65th Sts., 212-439-6500) - This wildlife center echoes and reinforces the pastoral landscape of Central Park by creating a rustic Enchanted Forest with soft paths and native plantings. Youngsters will love the bewitching area, which suddenly unfolds into a magical place filled with birds flying freely overhead, contained in a virtually invisible net suspended in the trees, and a petting zoo. Circle Line Downtown – Enjoy a narrated harbor tour including views of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and more on board the luxurious ZEPHYR, departing daily at 10am, 11:15am, 12:30pm, 2pm & 3:30pm from Pier 16, South Street Seaport. 866-973-6998; circlelinedowntown.com Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises – Take in the grandeur of New York and see spectacular views of Manhattan as knowledgeable guides point out the famous landmarks. There are many cruises to choose from, for every type of traveler: the classic 3-hour Full-Island Cruise; the 2-hour Semi-Circle Cruise; the 75-minute Liberty Cruise (May-Oct.); the romantic 2-hour Harbor Lights Cruise. Pier 83, W. 42nd St. & 12th Ave., 212-563-3200; circleline42.com CitySights NY – See New York from top-seating-only double-decker buses with unobstructed views of NYC attractions, neighborhoods, and places of

interest. Buses are furnished with state-of-the-art sound systems and entertaining urban-storytellers who offer interesting facts and tales about all of the city’s famous faces and places. They also feature combination tickets, day trips, and more. They offer tours in four languages (Italian, French, German, and Spanish). 212-812-2700; citysightsny.com CitySightseeing Cruises – Tours around Manhattan that showcase the architecture, history, and culture of the Big Apple. CitySightseeing Visitor Center, Pier 78, 455 12th Ave. @ 38th St., 212-445-7599; citysightseeingcruises.com Dialog in the Dark – Not an ordinary exhibition; an experience that will awaken senses, challenge prejudices, and deepen self-awareness. Dialog in the Dark’s visually impaired guides lead visitors on a one-hour journey through a series of darkened galleries created to replicate everyday experiences. Without familiar sight clues, visitors learn to “see” in a completely new way with their non-visual senses. 11 Fulton St., South Street Seaport (across from Pier 17), 888-926-3437; dialognyc.com Discovery Times Square – NYC’s first large-scale exhibition center presenting visitors with limited-run, educational and immersive exhibit experiences while exploring the world’s defining cultures, art, history and events. Now on view: CSI: The Experience (through 3/4) and Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times (through 4/15). 226 W. 44th St., 866-987-9692; discoverytsx.com Empire State Building – From the Observatory on the 86th floor, reached by express elevator in less than a minute, Manhattan is an unforgettable spectacle day or night. You’ll enjoy the panoramic view, which, on a clear day, reaches 80 miles in each direction. Visitors may also enjoy the free changing exhibits in the lobby. Tickets to the 102nd floor observatory sold only upon arrival. Daily, 8am-2am; last elevator at 1:15. $22; $20 (seniors, 62+); $16 (6-12); free (under 5). 350 Fifth Ave. (34th St.), 212-736-3100; esbnyc.com Grand Central Terminal – This landmark masterpiece boasts a vast, and dramatic sunken central room, lit by huge windows and ornamented by a ceiling depicting the constellations of the zodiac and an information kiosk topped by an

New York City is teeming with celebrities, but there’s only place you can guarantee yourself some star-spotting: Madame Tussauds in Times Square. Spirit of New York is an interactive exhibit celebrating many of the city’s greatest icons and defining cultural moments. You can immerse yourself in everything that is “New York” with a vibrant walk through the city’s history along with iconic wax figures of yesterday and today; stand alongside Marilyn Monroe in a classic movie scene; ring the bell at the Stock Exchange; and reflect at the 9/11 Memorial. See our Madame Tussauds listing for more information.

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SIGHTSEEINGNEWYORK

old clock set in the center of the main floor. Japan Week (3/1-3); World Kidney Day (3/8). 42nd St & Park Ave., 212-532-4900; grandcentralterminal.com Gray Line Sightseeing Tours – Daily tours by open-top deluxe double-decker buses and luxury coaches including the ALL LOOPS TOUR, a 2-day ticket hop-on and off with 50+ stops

from Times Square and Broadway to Harlem to Brooklyn. 777 Eighth Ave. btw. 47th & 48th Sts.; PABT, 42nd St. & Eighth Ave.; Times Square, Broadway btw. 46th & 47th Sts., 800-669-0051; newyorksightseeing.com Helicopter Flight Services Tours – See NYC from above the turmoil of its streets. They offer 2

long helicopter tours that include the Statue of Liberty, NY Harbor, the Chrysler Building, Central Park, Columbia University, the George Washington Bridge, Yankee Stadium and the Financial Center. They also offer customized tours and hourly rates. Downtown Heliport (Pier 6 & the East River), 212-355-0801; heliny.com Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – The renovated museum complex includes the 900-footlong aircraft carrier with seven full decks and four theme halls; the guided missile submarine Growler; and an extensive aircraft collection including the A-12 Blackbird and the British Airways Concorde. Ship-Shape: Nautical Scale Models (through 7/8); Salute to Women (3/1-31). Pier 86, W. 46th St. & 12th Ave., 212-245-0072; intrepidmuseum.org Liberty Helicopter Tours – Six different tours in modern jet helicopters. Reservations required for 6 or more passengers. Downtown Heliport (Pier 6 & the East River), 212-967-6464; libertyhelicopters.com Madame Tussauds New York – A chance for an up-close-and-personal look at nearly 200 famous faces, from the Dalai Lama to Madonna, Albert Einstein to Joe DiMaggio. The famed Madame Tussauds wax museum in London has a spectacular NYC version in Times Square that’s become one of the city’s must-see sights. New York and world notables from film, television, music, politics, history and sports are represented in themed displays. Open 365 days a year. $36; $33 (seniors); $29 (4-12). 234 W. 42nd St. (Seventh-Eighth Aves.), 866-841-3505; nycwax.com National 9/11 Memorial – Expanded over about 8 acres of the 16-acre site, the memorial includes two acre-size square reflecting pools, featuring North America’s largest manmade waterfalls cascading down the eight sides of the pools. In the spaces the towers previously occupied, there’s a cleared space for gatherings and special ceremonies called the “Memorial Grove,” and over 400 swamp white oaks including the “Survivor Tree,” a callery pear nursed back to health following the attacks. Advance visitor passes are required. To reserve a pass, visit 911memorial.org or call 212-2665200 for groups of 10 or more. 1 Albany St. at Greenwich St. NBC Universal Store / Studio Tour – Stroll through the halls of NBC, the NBC History Theatre, and the studios of some of NBC’s most popular shows, including “SNL,” “The Today Show,” and others. Tours run every 15 to 30 minutes, seven days a week. Reservations recommended. The NBC Universal Store is open Mon.-Sat., 8am-7pm; Sun., 9am-6pm. 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 49th St. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves., 212-664-3700; nbcuniversalstore.com

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The New York Botanical Garden – Offering a variety of gardens and collections and events, courses and exhibitions, year-round. Events include: Orchid Show: Patrick Blanc’s Vertical

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ONTHETOWN

Gardens (3/3-4/22); Monet’s Garden (5/1910/21). Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W at Fordham Rd.), The Bronx, or by Metro-North Railroad to Botanical Garden Station, 718-817-8700; nybg.org New York Pass – Admission to more than 40 top attractions and museums with a comprehensive, 140-page guidebook, maps and discounts for 25+ top restaurants and retailers. Pass includes Empire State Building, Circle Line Sightseeing, Madame Tussauds, NBC Studio Tour and more. 1-, 2-, 3- & 7-day passes, from $80. Available at newyorkpass.com, by calling 877-714-1999

personal effects in five different galleries offer visitors the chance to pay respects to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, NYC terrorist attacks. Open Mon., Wed.-Sat., 10am-6pm, Tues., noon-6pm, Sun., noon-5pm. $15 adults, $10 seniors/ students, under 12 free. 120 Liberty St. (Greenwich-Church Sts.), 866-737-1184; tributewtc.org

World Yacht – Offering year-round dinner cruises featuring a four-course dinner, breathtaking views of the city skyline, music and entertainment. Brunch and lunch cruises sail from May-October. Special cruises include Lunch Cruises to the 9/11 Memorial, Easter Brunch (4/8), and Mother’s Day Brunch Cruises (5/13). Pier 81, W. 41st St., 212-630-8100; worldyacht.com

New York Water Taxi – Tours include the 1-hour Statue of Liberty Express and the Statue By Night Tour nightly at 7:45pm. Departing from Pier 84 (W. 44th St.), Christopher St. (Pier 44), Battery Park, South Street Seaport, and DUMBO Fulton Ferry Landing. 866-973-6998; nywatertaxi.com NYC Freedom Tour – A unique land-and-water tour experience, and an economical way to see downtown Manhattan. Focusing on the Statue of Liberty and the WTC Memorial, the tour begins on a bus in Times Square and includes a boat cruise to see the Memorial, a bus tour of lower Manhattan with a drive across to Brooklyn’s Fulton Ferry Landing, and finishing with another boat cruise to see the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Tours depart at 9am, 10:30am & noon. 212-852-4821; nycfreedomtour.com OnBoard Tours – NYC’s most comprehensive 5-1/2-hour tour combines driving and short walks with a ferry cruise past the Statue of Liberty. Stops include the World Trade Center site, Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building. 212-277-8019; onboardnewyorktours.com Radio City Music Hall – Get an exclusive look at the legendary hall. Daily, 11am-3pm. $19.25; seniors, $15; under 12, $12.50. Tickets sold at Radio City on the day of the tour. 1260 Sixth Ave. (50th St.), 212-307-7171; radiocity.com Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square – Ripley’s showcases the oddities in life and delivers the ultimate in shockingly strange, true stories. Open daily, 9am-1am. 234 W. 42nd St. (SeventhEighth Aves.), 212-398-3133; ripleysnewyork.com Top of the Rock – The brainchild of John D. Rockefeller, the original deck was designed to evoke the upper decks of a 1930s grand ocean liner. They’ve preserved the historic integrity while incorporating innovative features, with three decks featuring outdoor terraces and indoor space. Open daily, 8am-midnight. Reserved-time tickets available. 30 Rockefeller Center (W. 50th St. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves.), 877-692-7625; topoftherocknyc.com Tribute WTC 9/11 Visitor Center – Recovered objects, photographs, oral stories, films and

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Promenade PICKS

db Bistro Moderne

Bill Milne

Daniel Boulud’s casual yet trendy midtown spot—one of NYC’s top French bistros, according to Zagat—is perhaps best known for their famous db Burger, a sirloin burger filled with red-wine-braised short ribs and foie gras on a home-made toasted parmesan bun. It’s certainly earned its stellar reputation, but there is oh-so-much more to be discovered at Boulud’s contemporary interpretation of the Parisian classic. The seasonal menu, prepared by Daniel Boulud protégé Chef Laurent Kalkotour, combines innovation with tradition and expresses the flavors of Kalkotour’s Provençal heritage with regional specialties such as: Tartare a la Niçoise - yellowfin tuna, focaccia fennel, and sauce anchoiade; Slow Roasted Dorade with crispy potato scales, vegetable timbale, bulgur, and toasted pine nut jus; or a Roasted Rack of Lamb with Provençal herb crust, polenta gratinée au mascarpone chanterelles, and thyme jus. At lunch, db features a “Bouchon” menu with entrée selections from $28 including a main course with choice of soup or salad or dessert. The restaurant also offers a pre- and post-theater prix-fixe three-course dinner for $45. The wine list includes over 100 affordable vintages from $25, with a focus on French, American, and International wines as well as a small number of reserve selections.

H. Amiard

The glass-enclosed Treehouse Bar has handcrafted cocktails and a selection of pizzas, flatbreads, spreads and pâtés, plus homemade sweets and snacks. Downstairs, the 130-seat, loft-like space is divided into a bar and dining room with a barn roof and a blackened steel bar top. It features an open kitchen and glass-enclosed wine cave and a carving station, where a variety of meats are carved and whole-roasted fish, lobster and casseroles are plated. David Burke Kitchen’s unparalleled outdoor space has its own bar and seating for 130. The space, along with the hotel’s urban garden, is landscaped with herb beds and flowers by horticulturalist Rebecca Cole and decorated with sculptures made of recycled materials that reflect the rustic, whimsical vibe. Begin your meal with a tomato, ricotta and eggplant Trifle, Tuna Tartar Tacos with whipped avocado, or Lobster Soup with coconut fennel crème and watercress. Try main entrees such as the Roast Organic Chicken with succotash, chanterelles, and butternut squash, and the bacon-cheddar Kitchen Burger with jalapeño fries, complementing the space, which also features a 14-seat open-air chef’s table and private cabanas. Breakfast is served Mon.-Fri., 7am-10am; lunch, Mon.-Fri., noon-3pm; dinner, Sun.-Wed., 5-10pm & Thurs.-Sat., 5-11pm. Brunch is offered 10am-3 on Sat. and until 4pm on Sun.

Location 55 West 44th Street • 212-391-2400 • danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html

B. Milne

Celebrity chef David Burke’s David Burke Kitchen—located at The James New York—offers three different ways to enjoy the locally sourced, creative fare that is Burke’s signature style.

NYC

David Burke Kitchen

Open for lunch Mon.-Sat., noon-2:30pm; dinner Sun. & Mon., 5-10pm, Tues.-Thurs., 5-11pm, Fri. & Sat., 5-11:30pm; brunch Sat. & Sun., 11:30am-2:30pm; breakfast Mon.-Fri., 7-10am, Sat. & Sun., 8-11am. Reservations are suggested and taken up to one month in advance.

Location 23 Grand Street • 212-201-9119 • davidburkekitchen.com

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E. Kheraj

NYC

The other parts of David Burke’s tasty NYC empire: David Burke Townhouse (133 E. 61st St., 212-813-2121; davidburketown house.com); David Burke @ Bloomingdale’s (150 E. 59th St., 212-705-3800; burkeinthebox.com) and Fishtail (135 E. 62nd St., 212-754-1300; fishtaildb.com).

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DININGgood mornings

New York By Marian Betancourt

The Garden at the Four Seasons Hotel The Garden is an elegant place to enjoy the first meal of your day. In addition to the lovely surroundings of full-size potted trees, the muted tones of many languages float through the air. At nearby tables may be four glamorous Russian women, a young Asian couple, and a few French businesspeople. The menu is equally sophisticated with dishes like the light and delicious signature Lemon Ricotta Hot Cakes: whipped egg whites are folded into a batter that includes fine lemon zest. They are served with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, blackberries, butter, and a tiny bottle of warm maple syrup. The subtle lemon lingers as if to energize your day. (Be sure to ask for the recipe before you leave.) For a fabulous take on your morning oatmeal, order the Honey Oatmeal Berry Brûlée. The oats are cooked with raisin, honey, and coconut, baked in a little red crock pot and served with fresh berries. After you’ve experienced this, no home-cooked oatmeal will do. There is a wonderful savory dish of Dill and Meyer Lemon-Cured Salmon nested on a zucchini griddle cake and topped with a bit of delicately dressed green salad. For those international tourists who like meat at breakfast, there is a six-ounce Filet Mignon with eggs, grilled tomatoes and portobello mushrooms. The trés chic—and very thin—women often choose the Egg White Herb Frittata with basil and goat cheese.

For those travelers who love to start their day with something hearty at Benjamin Steakhouse, the breakfast special is a USDA Prime New York strip steak and fried eggs with sautéed potatoes.

NYC

Benjamin Steakhouse

The busiest time is between 8 and 9 am, when that pleasant international buzz is less muted. Location 57 East 57th Street • 212-350-6658 • thegardenrestaurantnyc.com

With its leather banquets, dark wood paneling, and Sinatra soundtrack, Benjamin has a very masculine ambiance. No table flowers here! The restaurant serves the adjoining Dylan Hotel in the restored century-old Chemists Club Building, and is operated by Benjamin Prelvukaj and his partner, Chef Arturo McLeod, both alums of Peter Luger, the famous steak emporium. Eggs Benjamin is a take on Eggs Benedict with poached eggs, USDA prime steak, and Hollandaise sauce on an English muffin. There’s also a less daunting Benjamin Breakfast, which is simply juice, eggs any style, home fries, and thick slabs of grilled Canadian bacon. Of course, this is bacon on steroids, so you may as well be having steak! If steak is not your cup of tea this early in the day, fear not, Benjamin’s does offer a “light and healthy” breakfast of juice, cereal, yogurt, and coffee or tea. There are fruit pancakes and also Belgian waffles with fresh berries and “schlag” (German for whipped cream). The breakfast buffet allows you more modest choices.

NYC

On your way out, notice the impressive wall of celebrity photos and should you want to come back for dinner with a bucket of money, and nine friends, you can order the exclusive dish of every cut of beef on the menu, as well as chateaubriand, for $1,111. Location 52 East 41st Street • 212-297-9177 • benjaminsteakhouse.com

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DININGNEWYORK

Norma’s Norma’s, a few steps up from the lobby of the Parker Meridian, is very New York in that it is totally international, much like its executive chef, Emile Castillo, who was born in Spain, grew up in France, and cooked all over the world. Since opening in 1998, Norma’s serves breakfast all day, as Castillo decided to stick to one meal and to do it right. He puts a very creative spin on breakfast, melding comfort food with wild culinary adventures. The Red Berry Risotto is Castillo’s version of oatmeal, served in a “crispity” wafer bowl; that is, a fresh-baked tuille. You literally eat the creamy rice, the berries, and the bowl, too. (You may wish you could eat this “oatmeal” every morning.) The signature dishes never leave the menu, but every six months or so, Castillo likes to mix things up a bit and add some new ones such as the brand new Breakfast Dumpling filled with scrambled egg, shrimp, and mushrooms. Breakfast Pizza made with several cheeses and herbs is topped with a fried egg. Duck n’ Eggs is a confit hash with green peppers and onions. The whimsical names make you want to try everything on the menu just to see what it looks like, from Upstream Eggs Benedict to Donut Ever Go There French Toast or Artychoked Benedict.

Brasserie Brasserie is the power breakfast scene for midtown’s finance, healthcare, and publishing execs. You can almost see the cast of TV’s Mad Men in the very “mod” décor. A row of small TV screens discreetly installed on the west side of the room stream Bloomberg TV news. Opened in 1959, this was the city’s very first brasserie in the French style of 24-hour service. After extensive renovations, the restaurant was re-opened in 2000 with an ultra-modern design, featuring a descending staircase and video screen of people entering. Alsatian Executive Chef Luc Dimnet brings the real deal to the kitchen.

NYC

If you are feeling flush, try the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata, topped with 10 ounces of sevruga caviar, for $1,000. (They actually sell about 12 a year.) However, they sell many more of the $100 version, with only one ounce of sevruga. Location 119 West 56th Street • 212-708-7460 • normasnyc.com

The “toast” in the signature Orange Cinnamon French Toast is a baguette, which gives this dish more substance than ordinary bread. The batter is flavored with orange juice, honey, and cinnamon. After marinating the bread for at least two minutes, the slices are placed on a rack to remove the excess. A gentle sauté in butter, served up with some fresh berries, and the result is magnifique! The menu includes many egg dishes, such as Smoked Salmon Benedict, or you can build your own omelet with fillings such as tomato, brie, spinach, or mushrooms. Don’t leave without trying the exceptionally tasty Lyonnaise potatoes. They are par-cooked (boiled or roasted) and thinly sliced, then sautéed in butter and sprinkled with a bit of salt and minced parsley. Muffins and pastries, including croissants and pain au chocolat, are baked in-house.

NYC

If you want a real morning eye-opener, try one of the smoothies in mango, blueberry, strawberry-banana, or raspberry-pineapple. They are cold, frothy and delicious.

Location 100 East 53rd Street • 212-751-4840 • thepatinagroup.com

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good mornings The Palm Court If you think the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel is simply a tea room for ladies who lunch, think again. Under the stained glass ceiling, and among the palms and table orchids that recreate La Belle Epoque, are some sensational 21st-century breakfast choices. Executive chef Willis Loughhead designs his farm-to-table menu from nearby regions and maintains a commitment to local, organic, and sustainable foods. The Plaza Omelet, for example, is made with Knoll Krest Farm organic eggs, Vermont goat cheese, and baby spinach. Several dishes include Loch Kairn Farms Salmon, which is cured with Scotch and smoked in oak rather than fruitwood. It is has a lingering zest that will please your taste buds, like a fine wine. This is available in several dishes. There is an elegant mahogany buffet in the center of the room for those who are either in a hurry or don’t want to be tempted by the menu. But do explore the menu for treasures, such as the Market Vegetable Quiche with fresh zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and Escarole Salad with shallot lemon vinaigrette.

The National

NYC

There are three variations of Eggs Benedict – try the Mixed Market Mushrooms for an earthy and ethereal treat. Two perfectly round poached farm eggs (that look like big white dumplings) rest on a bed of field mushrooms (maitake, hajime, and royal trumpet), are dressed with a black truffle Hollandaise sauce, and topped with a few curls of crisp LaQuercia prosciutto. You may actually swoon over this. Location 59th Street and Fifth Avenue • 212-546-5300 • theplaza.com

The National, a bistro-cafe in the Benjamin Hotel, is the latest venture of Geoffrey Zacharian, well known for his modern American cuisine (with French technique), and for his appearances on Iron Chef. The 125-seat restaurant in the restored 1927 Beaux-Arts Emery Roth building was designed by the Rockwell Group. It is warm, comfortable, and hip, sort of Left Bank meets Pottery Barn. You’ll find many of the hotel’s business guests, suitcase in hand, coming in for breakfast. Zacharian’s cuisine is complimented here by executive chef Paul Corsentino, a longtime associate. A signature dish is the Berkshire Pork Belly Benedict with poached egg, English muffin, Béarnaise, and pickled onion. Croque Madame with bistro ham, Gruyere, truffle, and sunny egg is also very popular, as is the Beef Hash with Deep-Fried Egg. There is also a splendid Artichoke Omelet: the fluffy and tender omelet wraps around the artichokes, feta cheese, and spinach, like a sandwich. It is served with tiny roasted potatoes of perfect tenderness. The accompanying toast is not your ordinary toast, but lightly grilled country bread with a bit of smoke. Should you be from the South and in need of authentic Cheese Grits, definitely order this side dish. They are creamy and comforting, served in a little skillet with a sprinkle of minced green onion.

NYC

Tea drinkers will enjoy the selection of several blends from T-salon. Try Sunrise in Tibet, a blend of black teas with a twist of Mandarin. It is robust and satisfying. The earth-friendly and delicious LaColombe dark roast coffee is another treat. Location 557 Lexington Avenue • 212-715-2400 • thenationalnyc.com

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DININGNEWYORK

American ABC Kitchen - Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s contemporary American restaurant inside ABC Carpet & Home features a locally sourced, globally artistic changing menu “passionately commited to offering the freshest organic and local ingredients possible.” Open for dinner 7 days at 5:30. ABC Carpet & Home, 35 E. 18th St., 212-475-5829; abckitchennyc.com Aldea - Named after the Portuguese word for village, Aldea’s seasonal, New American menu is inspired by the Iberian Peninsula and Chef George Mendes’ heritage, including a variety of shellfish, various preparations of salt-cod, or bacalao, rice dishes and Iberian-cured hams. 31 W. 17th St., 212-675-7223; aldearestaurant.com

Caviar Russe has quickly established itself as the place in New York City to get your hands on the finest caviar imported to the States. In addition to their retail boutique—which offers a wide range of caviar and accessories, from Beluga caviar and North American sturgeon to gift pack pairings for 1 to 10 people—the restaurant component offers dinner a la carte, a crudo and raw bar, and a seven-course tasting menu. For $125, the menu includes sweet shrimp, hamachi, sea urchin and smoked caviar risotto, turbot and foie gras, veal and black truffle, chiriboga blue, and a coconut dessert, courtesy of Executive Chef Christopher Agnew. Just check out the wide variety of caviar delicacies on their website, where you can purchase just about anything your roe-loving heart might desire. 538 Madison Ave. (54th-55th Sts.), 2nd Floor, 212-980-5908; caviarrusse.com

Blue Smoke - This bustling restaurant puts the “soul” back into soul food. They’ve got spareribs cooked Kansas City-style (saucy) and St. Louis-style (marbled), as well as pulled-pork and Texas beef-brisket sandwiches. Make a night of it—lick the sauce off your fingers and head downstairs for live music at the Jazz Standard. 116 E. 27th St., 212-447-7733; bluesmoke.com The Breslin Bar and Dining Room - The latest gastropub venture from the team behind the Spotted Pig and chef de cuisine Peter Cho, featuring full English breakfasts, decadent three-cheese-and-ham sandwiches, and some of the best fries in the city. For dinner, expect exquisite cuts of meat, sausages, and a variety of terrines. Ace Hotel, 20 W. 29th St., 212-679-2222; thebreslin.com Bryant Park Grill - Overlooking the magnificent Bryant Park and set behind the landmarked New York Public Library, this American-style grill, with seasonal outdoor patio and roof-top dining, features an elegant and sophisticated dining room ideal for a romantic dinner or a festive party. Whether you’re in the mood for light fare or a full-course meal, the restaurant’s high-end, traditional menu is sure to delight. 25 W. 40th St., 212-840-6500; arkrestaurants.com B. Smith’s - Fine American cuisine with Southern influences, located on Restaurant Row in the Theater District/Times Square area, courtesy of the popular television host. The Albert Rivera Organ Trio performs every Friday and Saturday night, 8:30-11:30pm and during a live jazz brunch on Sundays from 11:30am to 3pm, featuring weekly jazz duos and many of New York City’s finest musicians. 320 W. 46th St., 212-315-1100; bsmith.com City Hall Restaurant - City Hall Restaurant has been a crowd pleaser since opening in 1998. Just a few blocks from “the other City Hall,” this sophisticated Tribeca mainstay blends 21st-century elegance with rustic New York charm. Chef/owner Henry Meer brings almost 30 years of experience to the table in the form of surf, turf, and his claim to “the best burger in town.” 131 Duane St. (West Broadway-Church St.), 212-227-7777; cityhallnewyork.com CrossBar - Four-time James Beard Award-winning chef Todd English’s latest culinary concept, CrossBar, is his modern interpretation of “Head to Tail” pork cooking featuring retro snacks, composed entrées, plates to share and even whole roasted suckling pig dinners. An extensive list of premium bourbon, Scotch, and whiskeys (as well as craft beers and international and domestic wines) pairs well with the meat-centric menu. 47 W. 20th St. at Sixth Ave., 212-359-3550; crossbarny.com

A staple of NYC’s seafood-dining scene, Oceana offers a 165-seat dining room, private rooms providing an additional 106 seats, and additional outdoor seating for 60. A huge, custom lobster tank announces the open kitchen and the striking raw bar greets Oceana’s entrants with one of the largest displays of fresh fish in the city. Raw bar diners lucky enough to snag a seat at this luxuriously appointed beacon of seafood are privy to a daily selection of oysters and clams on the half shell, crudos, ceviches, caviar plates and chilled seafood—among which marinated razor clams, and the spicy smoked tuna roll are stand-outs.120 W. 49th St., 212-759-5941; oceanarestaurant.com

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David Burke at Bloomingdale’s - Part of the famed restaurateur’s New York City empire, located in SoHo. Focusing on wholesome, unique and modern American food presented in the creative and whimsical style that is Burke’s trademark, the Thomas Schlesser-designed restaurant blends the cool, industrial simplicity of an airy loft with the rustic warmth of a country barn. 150 E. 59th St., 212-705-3800; burkeinthebox.com David Burke Kitchen - The latest addition to the famed restaurateur’s New York City empire, located in SoHo. Focusing on wholesome, unique and modern American food presented in the creative and whimsical style that is Burke’s trademark, the Thomas Schlesser-designed restaurant blends the cool,

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industrial simplicity of an airy loft with the rustic warmth of a country barn. The James New York, 23 Grand St. (Thompson St.), 212-201-9119; davidburkekitchen.com David Burke Townhouse - The flagship of the Burke-ian fleet, this provocative and elegant Upper East Side resident has been turning heads and delighting patrons since 2003. As dishes— like the culinary marvel, the crisp and angry lobster “cocktail”—make their way through the dining room you’ll see that Burke’s flair for presentation is matched only by the food’s outstanding taste. 133 E. 61st St., 212-813-2121; davidburketownhouse.com

comfort food with a downtown twist. 355 Greenwich St. (Harrison St.), 212-274-9310; theharrison.com Inside Park at St. Bart’s - A space built across the famous Terrace at St. Bartholomew’s Church, with intricate, Byzantine-like decorative stenciling, true to the immense room’s original colors, motifs, and craftsmanship, painstakingly

replicated on the 30-foot ceiling, as well as on the walls and overhanging balcony. Executive Chef Matthew Weingarten oversees the ever-changing contemporary American menu. 109 E. 50th St., 212-593-3333; insideparknyc.com The Libertine - Celebrity chef Todd English’s clubby restaurant and bar with a small dining room and a rustic pub fare menu. A popular stop for the

Doral Arrowwood - Westchester County’s Doral Arrowwood hotel features three dining options. Dine al fresco at Mulligan’s Outdoor Cafe, which overlooks the ninth green and features salads, light dishes, and grilled specialties. The PUB has a wrap-around bar and fireplace as well as 14 highdefinition flat-screen TVs, pool tables, dartboards, and a dance floor. The light, airy Atrium serves buffet-style lunches and à la carte dinners. 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye Brook, NY, 914-939-5500; doralarrowwood.com Eleven Madison Park - Relive the glamorous era of Cole Porter and New York’s café society in the sleek, high-ceilinged elegance of what was once the cavernous Art Deco assembly hall of the old Met Life Building. The restaurant has that wonderful jazzy, streamlined look of the Roaring ’20s and the menu features American fare with an emphasis on sophisticated French classics. 11 Madison Ave. (24th St.), 212-889-0905; elevenmadisonpark.com The Four Seasons - A spectacularly beautiful restaurant serving excellent American seasonal specialties. As seasons change, so do the menu and decor. The restaurant has two dining rooms: the Pool Room and with its trees and marble pool, and the wood-paneled Grill Room. One of America’s most complete wine lists. We strongly recommend that you make your reservation at least 5 to 7 days in advance. 99 E. 52nd St., 212-754-9494; fourseasonsrestaurant.com Gilt - The New York Palace’s elegant and refined yet striking and futuristic restaurant, where contemporary, honey-colored leather accented with white man-made materials provide harmonious contrast to the 19th-century details. The New American menu offers transcendent twists on the classics. 455 Madison Ave. (50th St.), 212-891-8100; giltnewyork.com Gramercy Tavern - This classic American tavern offers extraordinary cuisine and hospitality in a historic landmark, featuring contemporary American fare with French and Italian overtones. 42 E. 20th St., 212-477-0777; gramercytavern.com The Harrison - This Tribeca favorite exudes the aura of a long-time neighborhood haunt, serving

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neighborhood’s Financial District workers, with imaginative house cocktails. 15 Gold St. (Platt St.), 212-7855950; thelibertinerestaurant.com

Westchester County’s Doral Arrowwood hotel not only features 114 acres of rolling hills, open meadows, ponds, and a nine-hole, Robert von Hagge-designed golf course, but also three excellent dining options. You can dine al fresco at Mulligan’s Outdoor Cafe, which overlooks the ninth green and features salads, light dishes, and grilled specialties. The quintessential pub experience is offered at The PUB with a wrap-around bar and fireplace as well as 14 high-definition flat-screen TVs, pool tables, dartboards, and a dance floor. The light, airy Atrium serves buffetstyle lunches and à la carte dinners amid spectacular views through floor-to-ceiling windows, an award-winning brunch, and the Saturday Night Buffet Dinner Dance. 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye Brook, NY, 914-939-5500; doralarrowwood.com

The Park Room - Exceptional nouveau American cuisine—courtesy of executive chef Anthony Marra—and stunning views of Central Park are the order of the day at Helmsley Park Lane’s The Park Room, making for a quintessential New York experience. The dinner menu currently features entrées such as baked black sea bass, a five-spice duck breast, roast bone-in pork loin, and organic pork chops. Helmsley Park Lane, 36 Central Park So. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves., 212-521-6655; helmsleyparklane.com Per Se - Luxurious in its stunning views of Central Park from each table, its décor of dark woods and glittering metal surfaces and its incomparable menu featuring caviar, lobster, foie gras, and Kobe beef. Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle (60th St.), 4th Floor, 212-823-9335; perseny.com The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English - A Europeaninspired specialty food hall offering the finest fresh, prepared and gourmet foods set in a stylish atmosphere. Fresh flowers, international specialty foods, cookware, and home goods are available for purchase. The Plaza, 1 W. 59th St., 212-986-9260; theplazafoodhall.com

Ouzo flows freely and the baklava is piled high at Molyvos, an authentic Greek spot located in midtown. The tavern-like atmosphere doesn’t prepare you for the food to come: The menu is built upon the home-style cooking of Greece, with dishes elevated through the talents of Executive Chef James Botsacos. He prepares each of the authentic recipes using classical cooking techniques, and the ingredients available in New York, such as prime meats, greenmarket vegetables, and day boat fish. 871 Seventh Ave. (55th-56th Sts.), 212-582-7500; molyvos.com

The River Cafe - One of the world’s most famous views combined with one of the most glamorous and romantic restaurants creates a premier dining destination for discriminating New Yorkers as well as heads of state and celebrities. The cuisine, desserts, and outstanding wine list more than live up to the spectacular waterfront ambiance. 1 Water St. at the East River, Brooklyn, 718-522-5200; rivercafe.com “21” Club - One of the most iconic and elegant dining destinations in NYC. Executive Chef John Greeley balances classic ‘21’ dishes such as Dover Sole and New York’s best crab cakes with his own cuttingedge creations such as Vermont farm-raised lamb with creamed nettles, roasted eggplant and fingerling potatoes; and roasted halibut with shrimp, bay scallops, razor clams, bok choy, chanterelle and corn kernels. Dine in either the famous Bar Room or romantic Upstairs at ‘21’; or host an event in one of their ten private banquet rooms. Jacket required. 21 W. 52nd St., 212-582-7200; 21club.com 2 West - A spacious, elegant, French-American eatery with park views, on the waterfront. Chef Michael Grau accents his menu of prime steaks and Atlantic seafood with regional ingredients, and classic French sauces. Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park, 2 West St., 212-344-0800; ritzcarlton.com

One of the original men of meat, Ben Benson has been in the restaurant game since the late 1960s and running his eponymous Steak House since 1982. At Ben Benson’s, the steaks are expertly prepared, using only the freshest market ingredients, but what really sets the restaurant apart is the menu: “We’ve got five different veal dishes, four different chicken dishes, and six seafood dishes,” says Benson. Wild game, pork chops with homemade applesauce, and triple lamb chops that round out the meat spectrum, and a bevy of salads, sides and seafood—a menu that’s perfect for first-timers and regulars alike. 123 W. 52nd St., 212-581-8888; benbensons.com

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ARGENTINEAN Buenos Aires - Known for their uncompromising choice of the finest cuts of beef and the freshest vegetables—quality food at reasonable prices in a charming, warm, cozy atmosphere. 513 E. 6th St. (Ave. A-Ave. B), 212-228-2775; buenosairesnyc.com

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Asian Bann - Young Choi, owner of Woo Lae Oak, got even more creative with Bann, the city’s highestrated Korean restaurant according to Zagat. The elegant, cool ambiance is characterized by the hand-crafted copper bar and marble tables, with the flickering flames of smokeless barbecue grills in the center of each table—the fare is very eclectic. 350 W. 50th St., 212-582-4446; bannrestaurant.com

Katz’s Delicatessen - Sometimes it’s best to leave a classic alone, as in the case of the famous Katz’s Deli. This near-mythic legendary restaurant has been serving half-pound sandwiches of hot pastrami and corned beef, plump grilled franks, knishes, matzoh ball soup, and other favorite deli fare since 1888. Open 24 hours. 205 E. Houston St. (Ludlow St.), 212-254-2246; katzdeli.com

French/French Bistro Balthazar - A magnetic dining scene, filled to the brim with luminaries from the art, movie, theatre, and fashion worlds and stalwart nightlifers in a transplanted Parisian-brasserie-like atmosphere. Traditional bistro fare is served from breakfast through late-night dinner, with an extensive wine

Chin Chin - One of the city’s premier destinations for haute Chinese cuisine, using ingredients from around the world, prepared with Asian techniques and spices. Specialties include the Grand Marnier prawns and minced squab in lettuce wraps. 216 E. 49th St., 212-888-4555; chinchinny.com Jungsik - Chef Jungsik Yim presents a modern interpretation of contemporary, fine dining Korean cuisine. Open for dinner Monday through Saturday. 2 Harrison St. (Hudson St.), 212-2190900; jungsik.kr Kin Shop - Chef Harold Dieterle and Alicia Nosenzo offer both contemporary reinterpretations of traditional Thai dishes and new items inspired by Thai ingredients (meant to be shared), as well as Thai-influenced specialty cocktails. 469 Sixth Ave. (11th St.), 212-675-4295; kinshopnyc.com Lychee House - “Modern Chinese” inspired by contemporary culinary practices and ranging from comfort food like sesame chicken, to more exotic culinary experiences. Dim Sum available on evenings and weekends. 141 E. 55th St. (Lexington-Third Aves.), 212-753-3900; lycheehouse.com Mr. K’s - Chinese fare in a spectacular Art Deco food palace. Fresh from Washington D.C., where he wowed the culinary tastes of the Capitol set for 15 years, proprietor Johnny Kao has transformed an old bank into a splendid serene oasis with a bar that dazzles with green Avonite tops and etched glass panels, complementing the rich, mauve interior, two-tone wood décor and quietly elegant ambiance. 570 Lexington Ave. (51st St.), 212-583-1668; mrksny.com

DELIS Carnegie Deli - For the truly robust appetite in search of the quintessential New York eating experience, the Carnegie has been offering delicious gigantic sandwiches in the hotel and Theatre District since 1937. One of the world’s most famous and busiest delis, and a required culinary stop on any visit, they specialize in oversized portions of the whole range of scrumptious deli food—from Jewish-style meats to smoked white fish and cheese blintzes. 854 Seventh Ave. (55th St.), 212-757-2245; carnegiedeli.com

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list, a raw seafood bar, and breads and pastries from Balthazar bakery. 80 Spring St. (Broadway-Crosby St.), 212-965-1414; balthazarny.com Brasserie 8 1/2 - A delicate fusion of creativity and comfort, featuring a world-class art collection, haute French cuisine, and a plush atmosphere, complemented by Latin- and Asian-influenced dishes and raw bar. 9 W. 57th St., 212-829-0812; rapatina.com/brasserie8/ Stationed in one of the most iconic spaces in New York City—the landmarked Hotel des Artistes—The Leopard has ambiance to spare, with Howard Chandler Christy’s nine “Fantasy Scenes with Naked Beauties” oil-on-canvas murals situated throughout the newly renovated space. But the food is even more remarkable than the atmosphere. Owned by husband-and-wife team Gianfranco and Paula Bolla Sorrentino, The Leopard’s menu is rooted in the area once known as “The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” (mid 1800s) and in the culinary traditions of the Italian regions of Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, and Sicily. The result is everyday food done with respect to Southern Italian cultural traditions, absolute quality of ingredients, modern research, and outstanding service. 1 W. 67th St., 212-787-8767; theleopardnyc.com

Corton - Legendary chef Drew Nieporent has reinvented and re-imagined his long-adored Tribeca mainstay with new decor, a new name, and a new chef, Paul Liebrandt, who brings his revolutionary moleculargastronomy skills to reinvent French classics. 239 West Broadway (White St.), 212-219-2777; cortonnyc.com Daniel - One of the rare restaurants with a fourstar rating by The New York Times, Daniel marries neighborhood hominess with a contemporary French menu inspired by the seasons and the market, in a Renaissance-inspired dining room. 60 E. 65th St., 212-288-0033; danielnyc.com DB Bistro Moderne - Daniel Boulud’s casual yet trendy midtown spot -- NYC’s top French bistro according to Zagat -- is known for their DB Burger, a sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffles that’s earned its reputation. 55 W. 44th St., 212-391-2400; danielboulud.com Felix - Some of the SoHo’s finest French food, served in a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere, where prewar photos from France adorn the walls. 340 West Broadway (Grand St.), 212-431-0021; felixnyc.com

Chef/partner Jim Botsacos, along with chef David Arias, has worked diligently to create an authentic menu that includes the spectrum of Italian cuisine at Abboccato. Abboccato, meaning “pleasing to the mouth” in Italian, features all the classic and recognizable meals and appetizers native to Italy, including Casunzie, a half-moon ravioli filled with beets, gorgonzola and tossed with Italian butter and poppy seeds. They also offer a traditional Chicchetti menu, comprised of small, sharable plates, and includes dishes such as wild mushroom flatbread, served with truffle cheese and Robiola ricotta. 136 W. 55th St., 212-265-4000; livanosrestaurantgroup.com

Jean Georges - Contemporary French works of art created by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There is both a formal dining room and the more casual Nougatine Room. Reservations are generally taken one month in advance. Jacket and tie required. Trump International Hotel, 1 Central Park West (60th-61st Sts.), 212-299-3900; jean-georges.com La Silhouette - La Silhouette’s very creative bill of fare is not nouveau, nouvelle, or traditional, but modern French of a sort encountered every day in Paris. With a 26 Zagat rating, whether you select from the worldclass 5-course tasting menu or dine a la carte, you won’t be disappointed. 362 W. 53rd St. (8th-9th Aves.), 212-581-2400; la-silhouettenyc.com Le Périgord - Long regarded as one of New York’s superb old-school French dining rooms, this refined, luxurious gem is one of the longest-running four-star operations under the same management. The menu blends classical French technique with a lighter contemporary touch, natural flavors, sauces and spices, and high-quality produce. Jacket and tie required. 405 E. 52nd St., 212-755-6244; leperigord.com

Located in the Theatre District, Mr. Robata’s sushi pairs premium ingredients with inventive twists, like chopped o-toro with mango, or salmon with zucchini tempura. Their signature robata dishes bring the centuries-old open-hearth grilling of rural Japan into the contemporary dining scene through flourishes of French cuisine—like their duck breast and foie gras, served with a warm strawberry sauce—and hints of classic American comfort food, like in their wagyu sliders. Open until 3am, Mon.-Sat., until midnight on Sun. 1674 Broadway (52nd-53rd Sts.), 212-757-1030; mrrobata.com

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Minetta Tavern - This Greenwich Village landmark—opened in 1937 and frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O’Neill, e. e. cummings, and Dylan Thomas—was renovated in 2008 as a Parisian steakhouse meets New

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York City tavern. 113 MacDougal St. (Bleecker St.), 212-475-3850; minettatavernny.com The Modern at MoMA - As sleek, elegant, and contemporary as the MoMA that houses it, The Modern features original French-American cuisine by chef Gabriel Kreuther. Enjoy fine dining in the main room—overlooking the sculpture garden and visible from the street through a long glass wall—or a more casual menu at the curved marble bar in the Bar Room. Operated by Danny Meyer. 11 W. 53rd St., 212-333-1220; themodernnyc.com

Dévi - Dévi brings together the talents of chefs Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur, sharing the authentic flavors and spirit of Indian home cooking. Swathed in rich textiles, brightly colored lanterns, and wooden temple accents, Dévi is an experience that stimulates and delights. 8 E. 18th St., 212-691-1300; devinyc.com

Utsav Festive Indian Cuisine - This upscale Indian restaurant in the heart of Times Square provides relaxed dining in a spacious and serene setting. Their lunch buffet and pre- and post-theatre prixfixe dinner will please carnivores and vegetarians alike. 1185 Sixth Ave. (enter at 46th St. btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), 212-575-2525; utsavny.com

Nice Matin - With warm colors, chic light fixtures, and plush chairs, this gorgeous space is lively, yet still conducive to easy conversation. The wine list and the cocktails are imaginative. 201 W. 79th St., 212-873-6423; nicematinnyc.com Orsay - This Upper East Side brasserie features a classic Art Nouveau interior, using rich woods, traditional moldings, and mirrors. The menu marries modern French and classic fare with an award-winning wine list dominated by French and American varietals. 1057 Lexington Ave. (75th St.), 212-517-6400; orsayrestaurant.com Pastis - An unassuming restaurant enjoyed by everyday people and movers and shakers. The mood of bohemian chic is carried out in the décor, and Executive Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson and Chef de Cuisine Pascal Le Seac’h prepare a menu that combines hearty Provençal dishes with moderately priced bistro fare. 9 Ninth Ave. (Little W. 12th St.), 212-929-4844; pastisny.com Triomphe - Offering a warm and comfortable atmosphere, both stylish and subtle, and a diverse menu of French American cuisine with an international flair. Iroquois Hotel, 49 W. 44th St., 212-453-4233; triomphe-newyork.com

GREEK Molyvos - Ouzo flows freely and the baklava is piled high at this authentic Greek spot. A tavernlike atmosphere (including the boisterous crowds) doesn’t prepare you for the food to come: don’t leave without trying the grilled baby octopus or cabbage doulmades, and moussaka. There’s a meze menu for those who just want small bites and a comprehensive Greek wine list. 871 Seventh Ave. (55-56 Sts.), 212-582-7500; molyvos.com

Indian Darbar - Reviewers and patrons consistently give high marks to this cozy, bi-level restaurant and lounge located on the East Side. Zagat rated, Darbar is a superb choice for Indian food with great ambience and service. A lavish $12.95 lunch buffet with new and delicious dishes is served every day, 11:30am-4pm 152 E. 46th St. (3-Lexington Aves.), 212-681-4500; darbarny.com

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INTERNATIONAL and ECLECTIC Alcala - The bold tastes of the Basque area of Spain are typified by dishes like a stew of tuna fish and potatoes and desalted codfish in a sauce of dry red pepper and onion. The cozy dining room, made rustic by its beamed ceiling and brick walls, expands to include a beautiful open-air patio for warm-weather visits. 342 E. 46th St., 212-370-1866; alcalarestaurant.com Blaue Gans - Renowned for its Austro-German fare, including traditional Wiener Schnitzel, Kavelierspitz, and a selection of different sausages. Bavarian beers on tap, and dessert specialties such as Apple Strudel, Salzburger Nockerl, and assorted cheeses. 139 Duane St. (West Broadway), 212-571-8880; kg-ny.com Markt - This Brussels brasserie showcases the country’s cuisine and beer, in a cozy Flemishinspired dining room, relying on simplicity, freshness, and subtle combinations rather than threealarm seasonings. 676 Sixth Ave. (21 St.), 212- 727-3314; www.marktrestaurant.com

The Spotted Pig - Chef and co-owner April Bloomfield presides over this West Village favorite’s eclectic menu of seasonal British and Italian fare, which uses local ingredients whenever possible. Kitchen open until 2am nightly. 314 W. 11th St., 212-620-0393; thespottedpig.com Wallsé - Austrian cuisine and wild game are the order of the day here, at chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’s elegant restaurant that has quickly become a favorite among NYC foodies and West Villagers. Menu favorites include the veal goulash, and other Austrian favorites such as tafelspitz and Wiener schnitzel. 344 W. 11th St., 212-352-2300; wallserestaurant.com

Bice Ristorante - A sumptuous combination of traditional and new trends in Italian cuisine—with dishes such as tagliolini con aragosta, ossobucco, and costoletta di vitello, and tiramisu della Bice— with an extensive wine selection and an elegantcasual atmosphere, it makes for a memorable dining experience. 7 E. 54th St., 212-688-1999; bicenewyork.com

ITALIAN

Casa Lever - “Milan meets Manhattan” at this new restaurant from the team behind Sant Ambroeus. The atmosphere is stunning—how could it not be, located in Lever House, a masterpiece of modern architecture, and with modern art adorning the walls? The food is classic Milanese Italian, and the level of service is timeless. 390 Park Ave. (53rd St.), 212-888-2700; casalever.com

Abboccato - “True Italian cuisine in the heart of Manhattan,” with time-honored Italian recipes elevated through the talent and techniques of their chefs. Featuring plentiful first- and second/pastacourse options, and a secondi platti list that includes fresh Arctic char, lamb chops, whole branzino, and veal sweetbreads. 136 W. 55th St., 212-265-4000; abboccato.com

La Masseria - “A farmhouse in the middle of Manhattan,” offering classic dishes from the Puglia region of Italy, utilizing the freshest natural ingredients for simple, authentic pastas, risottos, and meat and fish dishes. The warm, inviting decor blends rural Italian style, nostalgia and charm, complementing the cuisine and extensive wine list. 235 W. 48th St., 212-582-2111; lamasserianyc.com

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The Leopard at des Artistes - Located in one of the most iconic spaces in New York City—the landmarked Hotel des Artistes, built at the turn of the 20th century, and the former home of the renowned Café des Artistes—and serving everyday food done with respect to Southern Italian cultural traditions, absolute quality of ingredients, modern research, and outstanding service. 1 W. 67th St., 212-787-8767; theleopardnyc.com Patsy’s - Considered one of the greatest attractions in the Theatre District, renowned for its celebrity clientele (it was Frank Sinatra’s favorite), this landmark has been family-run since 1944. The Neapolitan cuisine is heavenly, including succulent veal chops Siciliano, spicy lobster fra diavolo, savory calamari stuffed with seafood, and much more. A “must go” New York favorite. 236 W. 56th St., 212-247-3491; patsys.com Remi - Remi, created by renowned designer Adam D. Tihany, combines the rich traditions of Venetian cuisine with the romance and elegance of Venetian design and architecture in an updated and innovative style. Often rated among the top Italian restaurants in NYC, if not the entire U.S. 145 W. 53rd St., 212-581-4242; remi-ny.com

Japanese and sushi Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill - Featuring some of the freshest fish this side of Tokyo, served in a lovely wood-and-mural setting. For those who don’t relish the sushi and sashimi or raw bar, a wide variety of cooked entrées are also available. 119 Sullivan St. (Spring-Prince Sts.), 212-343-0404; 308 W. 58th St., 212-397-0404; blueribbonrestaurants.com Hakubai - The only branch of Japan’s renowned ancient Nadaman restaurant, and one of the very few in the U.S. serving Kaiseki,which has its roots in Zen Buddhism and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Both the dishes and food change with the seasons. The elegant, comfortable Tatami rooms feature perfect presentation and flawless service. Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Ave. (38th St.), 212-885-7111; kitano.com/hakubai.html Inakaya - The first New York City outpost of the renowned 39-year-old eatery in Roppongi, Tokyo. A traditional robatayaki restaurant, Inakaya features Japanese barbecue cooked right in front of you by chefs that shuttle the dishes at you via long wooden paddles. Everything is larger than life,

from the shouts that greet you when you enter to the enormous dining bar to the elaborate costumes worn by waiters. 231 W. 40th St., 212-354-2195; inakayany.com Masa - This four-star restaurant is making waves among sushi aficionados. Evoking the quiet aura of a rare temple, the décor is every bit as simple and elegant as the fish, prepared with painstaking care by the staff. Sit at the 27-foot-long sushi bar, where you can watch owner Masa Takayama at work. Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle (60th St.), 4th Floor, 212-823-9800; masanyc.com Mr. Robata - Mr. Robata’s sushi pairs premium ingredients with inventive twists, like chopped o-toro with mango, or salmon with zucchini tempura. Their signature robata dishes bring the centuries-old open-hearth grilling of rural Japan into the contemporary New York culinary scene through flourishes of French cuisine and hints of classic American comfort food. 1674 Broadway (52nd-53rd Sts.), 212-757-1030; mrrobata.com Ninja New York - A one-of-a-kind, entertaining dining experience featuring a recreated 18th-century

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Japanese ninja village and high-end contemporary Japanese cuisine. 25 Hudson St. (Reade-Duane Sts.), 212-274-8500; ninjanewyork.com Nobu - Celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa dazzles with his daring cuisine that fuses influences from Tokyo to Peru in partnership with restaurateur Drew Nieporent and actor Robert De Niro. David Rockwell’s lovely Japanese countryside setting showcases yellowtail tuna tartare, monkfish liver pate, both served with caviar, squid “pasta” with asparagus, butter and garlic or New Style Sashimi, seared in garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and scallions. 105 Hudson St. (Franklin St.), 212-334-4445; myriadrestaurantgroup.com

Mexican/Tex-Mex El Parador Café - NYC’s oldest—and one of the most authentic—Mexican restaurant . Recommended dishes include the mole poblano, Mexico’s national dish with a half-chickn stewed in a complex, multi-layered sauce with over 24 ingredients. Lauded for having the best margaritas by NY Press, the best ceviche by The Times, and named the city’s number one Mexican restaurant in NYC by Open Table diners. 325 E. 34th St., 212-679-6812; elparadorcafe.com Rosa Mexicano - Upscale Mexican cuisine in a stylish and festive atmosphere. The David Rockwell-designed Lincoln Center space features a 30-foot cascading waterwall that spans both levels, complete with 200 miniature cliff divers. Three locations: 61 Columbus Ave. (62nd St.), 212-977-7700; 1063 First Ave. (58th St.), 212-753-7407; 9 E. 18th St., 212-533-3350; rosamexicano.com

SCANDINAVIAN Aquavit - This modern Scandinavian establishment reflects the best of minimalist mid-century Scandinavian design with its pale wood tones, soft indirect lighting, and unique tableware. A large selection of aquavits—potato vodka infused with fruits or spices—is available, along with cocktails inspired by the region. 65 E. 55th St., 212-307-7311; aquavit.org Vandaag - Inspired by the culture and cuisine of Northern Europe—especially Denmark and Holland—this farm-to-table restaurant utilizes ingredients from the Hudson River Valley for their inventive dishes, courtesy of Executive Chef, Phillip Kirschen-Clark. 103 Second Ave. (6th St.), 212-253-0470; vandaagnyc.com

Seafood Blue Water Grill - This majestic bank redux is just the thing for those seeking fresh raw-bar delicacies and entrées. 31 Union Square West (16th St.), 212-675-9500; brguestrestaurants.com Caviar Russe - This jewel box boite is one of America’s largest caviar importers, and they let you taste the caviar you are buying. In addition to the retail component, their restaurant offers a tasting menu, dinner a la carte, raw bar, and more. 538 Madison Ave. (54th-55th Sts.), 2nd Floor, 212-980-5908; caviarrusse.com Fishtail - David Burke’s Fishtail opened in December 2008 and has diners lining up for his signature spin on upscale seafood. Shortly after its opening, Burke was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. 135 E. 62nd St., 212-754-1300; fishtaildb.com Le Bernardin - Exquisite, ultra-fresh seafood served with impeccable service in an elegant venue has earned Le Bernardin a four-star rating since it opened in 1986. Veteran chef Eric Ripert surprises diners with Asian accents throughout his menus, featuring fish that is “almost raw” or “lightly cooked.” The Equitable Building, 155 W. 51st St., 212-554-1515; le-bernardin.com

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Oceana - Complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, chef’s table, and outdoor dining, Oceana features a raw bar and the innovative seafood cuisine of executive

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chef Ben Pollinger, with fresh, whole fish, prime meats, naturally raised fowl, and artful desserts. 120 W. 49th St., 212-759-5941; oceanarestaurant.com

Southwestern Mesa Grill - Chef Bobby Flay serves Southwestern cuisine in a whimsical setting accented in shades of Sutter’s gold, adobe terra cotta, and sage green, and boasting a kitchen view. Dining room people-watching is fun too, and the mood is relaxed and friendly. 102 Fifth Ave. (15th-16th Sts.), 212-807-7400; mesagrill.com

Steakhouses Ben Benson’s Steak House - This classic American steakhouse is a true, one-of-a-kind New York City cultural descendant of its authentic 19th-century ancestors, independently owned by the hands-on Ben Benson. It serves only USDA prime dry-aged meats, beef, veal and lamb, seasonal game and premium-grade seafood and poultry, prepared perfectly and offered in substantial servings. Reservations recommended. Rockefeller Center, 123 W. 52nd St., 212-581-8888; benbensons.com Ben & Jack’s Steak House - Ben & Jack’s serves generous portions of steakhouse favorites. Enjoy the restaurant’s signature Porterhouse for one, two, three or four, fresh seafood, side dishes and exquisite desserts. 255 Fifth Ave. (28th-29th Sts.), 212-532-7600; 219 E. 44th St., 212-682-5678; benandjackssteakhouse.com Benjamin Steakhouse - Peter Luger alumni Benjamin Prelvukaj and chef Arturo McLeod join forces to create an opulent steakhouse in the century-old Chemist Club building. Six cuts of dry-aged beef are available, from 36-ounce porterhouses to top sirloins to rib eyes to succulent filet mignon. 52 E. 41st St., 212-297-9177; benjaminsteakhouse.com Bobby Van’s - Established in 1969, Bobby Van’s boasts 8 locations throughout the Northeast including five in Manhattan, two in Washington, DC and the original in Bridgehampton, Long Island. Serving only the finest USDA dry-aged prime beef, selected seafood and lobsters starting at 3 lbs. Private dining for corporate or special events. 135 W. 50th St.; 230 Park Ave. (46th St.); 13 E. 54th St.; 120 W. 45th St.; 25 Broad St.; visit bobbyvans.com for more info Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House - This expansive steak house’s soaring, two-story-high windows offer a spectacular view, and Broadway’s theatres are just a block or two away. The menu features fresh USDA aged prime beef shipped from the Midwest twice a week. Lobster, fish, lamb, osso buco, and veal chops receive equal billing. 49th St. & Sixth Ave., 212-575-5129; delfriscos.com Rothmann’s Steakhouse & Grill - Near the Theatre District, Rothmann’s Steakhouse & Grill has been serving New Yorkers, celebrities, and visitors the finest quality prime dry aged beef, delicious chicken, and mouthwatering seafood for over 100 years. 3 E. 54th St., 212-319-5500; rothmannssteakhouse.com Smith & Wollensky - This steakhouse is recognized for its healthy portions, seasoned staff and elegant interior with turn-of-the-century design elements. Steaks take center stage, including juicy double sirloin, chateaubriand for two, filet mignon, filet au poivre, and sliced steak Wollensky, all dry-aged in-house for 28 days. 797 Third Ave. (49th St.), 212-753-1530; smithandwollensky.com

VEGETARIAN Pure Food and Wine - New York City ’s premier raw-foods restaurant, utilizing organic and seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds to create a unique, award-winning culinary experience. Nothing is heated above approximately 118 degrees in order to preserve vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. 54 Irving Pl. (17th St.), 212-477-1010; purefoodandwine.com

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2/22/12 6:02 PM

390 Park Avenue at 53rd Street • 212-888-2700 • casalever.com

Jonathan Hökklo

THEINTERVIEW

Casa Lever

[ Chef Alessandro Caporale ]

Gherardo Guarducci Dimitri Pauli At Casa Lever, an authentic menu that “embraces Italy from South to North.”

By Kristopher Carpenter

amed after the Park Avenue glass-box, international-style skyscraper that rises above it (Lever House), Casa Lever was originally opened as an American Nouveau restaurant that bore the moniker Lever House in 2003. In October of 2009, the partnership of Italian-born restaurateurs/entrepreneurs Gherardo Guarducci and Dimitri Pauli took over. After minor décor tweaking, they re-opened the restaurant (less than a year after its former incarnation shuttered) to rave reviews. The following spring, they added Casa Lever Gardens, a seasonal outdoor, see-and-be-seen scene that sits partially housed by the skyscraper’s atrium. As for the food, everything blends perfectly into the surroundings as dishes like Spaghetti Alla Chitarra with Santa Barbara sea urchin, king crab meat, and peperoncino exude the understated opulence of Chef Alessandro Caporale’s uber-authentic Italian cooking. Did we mention the crowd? Well, it’s just as distinguished as the food, for lunch, cocktails, and dinner. (And dessert, for which the Gianduia—a hazelnut extravaganza—is an absolute must.) Promenade sat down with the proud parents of Casa Lever and its five siblings—which include two Felice Wine Bars and three Sant Ambroeus Italian restaurants—for the dish on Casa Lever.

Q. What was your vision for Casa Lever? Was it simply to elevate the cuisine of Sant Ambroeus to fit the space? Gherardo: I don’t think Casa Lever is an elevation but more of an extension. Sant Ambroeus is very specialized in the traditions of Milanese cuisine, like Veal Milanese and Risotto Milanese. At Casa Lever, we wanted to expand that experience to a broader menu; a menu that really embraces Italy from South to North. One of the things that we did to accomplish that was [to hire] chefs from all over Italy. We have someone from the South, someone from the middle, and two from the North. That may sound simple but Dimitri and I grew up quite privileged in Italy… foremost in the way that we ate throughout our lives. Italian food is like a language: if you’re born with it you’re going to speak it and understand it in a way that no one who learns it later in life can. A lot of the Italian restaurants in New York are actually owned by people who “learned the language” later in life. When we walk into these restaurants and eat their food it’s like listening to someone speak Italian who learned it from a school rather than someone who grew up with it. So our chefs, they know the language, they are Italian; they’re not just cooking Italian food.

Q. What makes the cuisine here different from the heavy meals that Americans have come to expect from Italian cuisine? Dimitri: If you just look at a pasta dish here at Casa Lever you can immediately see the difference. It’s not drenched in sauce; you’ll see that it has the right balance between the sauce and the pasta, and ultimately it’s the taste. Our food tastes fresh, authentic, and it’s not overwhelming. You want to keep eating it, and then you want to eat the bowl, and still you feel like maybe you could eat a little more. You’re left satisfied but not over-stuffed because besides being fresh, our ingredients are simple, and they’re in harmony. Gherardo: I completely agree. The simplicity of our dishes is also what makes them so difficult; because when you prepare food simply, there

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are many ways for it to be discovered that you did something wrong. In opposition to the French approach, which is to take raw materials and doctor them to fit the dish; in Italian cooking, a chef is really a caretaker of those raw materials whose job is to protect the quality, and the harmony, of the ingredients. When cooking with very thick sauces and heavy ingredients, they can be used as alibis for mistakes in the cooking or to cover up sub-par materials. To answer your question, besides our pastas, our Vitello Tonnato is so light that it’s probably one of the lightest, meat-centric appetizers you’ll find in any restaurant in the city. Our Veal Milanese, in essence a fried veal chop, is also very light. If you touch it with your fingers you’ll see almost no grease. It’s served with greens and a lemon, and that’s it. We’ve actually had it sent back a few times by customers who said it’s not greasy enough. Q. If I were going to take a trip to Italy tomorrow, with an unlimited budget, where would you recommend? Gherardo: Well, I’m from Tuscany, and I’m sure Dimitri will speak for his region but I’ll tell you for me, it’s Tuscany first. I’d say check out the wine regions in Tuscany, Montalcino, Bolgheri, and then as much as you can see of Tuscany’s Mediterranean coast, which to me is one of the most underrated areas of Italy. Most people tend toward the Amalfi coast, or Portofino or Sicily. Most tourists don’t make it to the Tuscan coast but it has an amazing tradition of cooking fish which is worth the trip. Dimitri: Well, that’s the trip. There are so many areas in Italy that have great food. I’m from Milan so we have Brera and Navigli areas where there are amazing, small trattorias. Bergamo has amazing food, Mantova is very good, and the list goes on. Where I’m from, in the North, it’s colder so the food tends to be heavier. Less seafood, more pork, cassoulets, influences from Germany and Austria like cabbage and other winter vegetables being prominent. But, that’s the second trip. For the first I agree with Gherardo. See Tuscany, Florence, the beach, and the wine regions.

2/22/12 6:03 PM

212 980 5908 - 1 800 NYCAVIAR - www.CaviarRusse.com

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