“Lonesome Traveler,” at the 59 E 59 Theater A is a remarkable show in its scope of folk music. Amazing performers, great historical clips, and stories, (oh the stories of folk music!) resonate throughout the performance.
Meanwhile the performers deliver big time: singing folk songs, that honor some of the greatest singers the country has known.
The show is in chronological order from the (1920’s-1960’s) with a “trick” here or there, for example, introducing the great Judy Collins a bit early, with a “reminder” she would see Pete Seeger at the Newport Festival in 1963. A really nice touch.
In addition to Seeger and Collins, so many other greats are represented with their music as the incredible 9 person team (9 evokes baseball and this is a great team) perform songs by such legendary performers as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and “Peter Paul and Mary.”
It allows your mind to race with thoughts, memories and inspiration as “This Land Is Your Land,” “Good Night Irene,” “Puff the Magic Dragon” and many others are brought to life, in the two hour plus journey into folk music and some major U.S. history.
“Lonesome Traveler” was written and directed by James O’Neil. Original Musical Direction and Musical Arrangements by Dan Wheetman. Musical Direction by Trevor Wheetman. Orchestrations by George Grove of The Kingston Trio.
The “folk nine” are Matty Charles, Justin Flagg, Sylvie Davidson, Jamie Drake, Anthony Manough, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Trevor Wheetman, and Sam Gelfer.
This is a great show in a limited run through April 19th. I highly recommend seeing the performance. For more info, click here.
Sadly, Orestes “Minnie” Minoso, who died recently at age 90, did so without realizing his hope of making the Baseball Hall of Fame.
I surely believe he deserved such an honor and certainly more than some who were so honored.
The one time I met the affable Mr. Minoso, he told me if his election to the Hall is posthumous, his family will decline the honor.
That was both a long time ago and likely will not become a relevant issue.
Let’s hope it does become an issue because Minoso was an outstanding player.
He did receive honors including a ring associated with one of his former teams, the Chicago White Sox winning the pennant and World Series in 2005.
The race for seeding in the N.H.L. is as the great Red Barber might say, “closer than your next breath.”
All four division leaders have 91 points and surely that has not happened this late in an NHL season.
Those leaders are the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks.
The Rangers have played the least games and technically have the advantage, bidding to be the team with the most points in the regular season for the first time since 1994.
That year the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. Last year the Rangers made it to the finals for the first time since 1994, losing to the L.A. Kings.
This year with at least a point in 18 of their last 20 games the Rangers are having a fine regular season.
The New York City Vegetarian Food Festival will take place this Saturday and Sunday, March 14th and 15th at Metropolitan Pavillion (21 West 18th Street) from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
There will be food to sample, truly inspiring speakers, a chance to learn about the many non profits affiliated with the festival, and just plain fun.
The festival also has an entire kids area. This includes activities that are specifically geared to help our valued youngsters get on the path to wellness.
In a Festival preview, I heard and was moved by Dr. Robert Ostfeld and his views on diet. He has dedicated his life to helping and caring, after losing his brother at a very early age.
He is a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York.
High praise goes out to the event’s founder and all around dynamo, the indomitable Sarah Gross, whose visions for healthy eating, and dedication in that regard has turned life around for so many and so many yet to come.
For more info, click here.
Last year the University of Connecticut men’s team shocked the basketball world by winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
They richly deserved to win it all, and were fortunate to have played the Regional semi-finals and finals at Madison Square Garden, where they enjoyed quite a home court advantage.
This year they will have to do very well or win their conference tournament (The American Athletic Conference) just to make the N.C.A.A. Tournament.
The conference tournament venue will provide a big home court advantage, as the venue is The XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
There is one more chance to see a fabulous one man show called “For The Benefit of Miss Jennie Gourlay” and that is tonight at 7 pm at 46 Walker Street in Tribeca New York City.
Billy Hipkins is brilliant in relating the missed opportunity involving Ms. Gourlay, whose benefit performance was scheduled at Ford Theatre in Washington D.C., the night after President Lincoln was assassinated there in 1865, to his own career.
He does so in marvelous and humorous detail.
Of course the performance of Jennie Gourlay, who was also present at the theater the night before when President Lincoln was killed on April 14, 1865, was cancelled.
There is both humor and pathos in the show. Mr. Hipkins is a marvelous performer.
The performance also was aided by extensive research into Ms. Gourlay’s life done by Mr. Hipkins. You will likely find out some more interesting facts about the terrible assassination as I know that I did.
Last chance tonight at 7 p.m. and I highly recommend seeing “For The Benefit of Miss Jennie Gourlay” at 46 Walker Street (Walker Space) in Tribeca.
Recently I had the privilege to see singer A.J. Croce perform at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, New York.
In a beautiful, somewhat intimate setting, Mr. Croce dazzled with his songs and stories much like his late father, Jim Croce, who died tragically in a plane crash in 1973.
As Peter O’Toole’s character said at one point in “My Favorite Year:” “high praise indeed!” It is well deserved high praise.
He opened the show, which was well over 90 minutes without an intermission, with Leon Russell’s “Rollin’ On” and then continued with an eclectic collection of music including songs from his latest album, “Twelve Tales.”
A.J. sang “Operator” a song written by his father Jim in 1964 which he also recorded.
It told of a time Jim Croce was stationed at Fort Dix New Jersey and had to use a phone without a booth.
Much has changed as callers no longer place quarters, no less dimes, (the lyric “You can keep the dime” still resonates) in phones, but seeing A.J. perform, I felt a connection greater than any electronic gadget can provide.
Somehow he has continued what dad Jim started and is a prolific singer/songwriter with so much to say.
I spoke with the personable Croce after the show, congratulating him on a wonderful show and I also asked a sports question or two for this column. Croce is a San Diego Padres fan in baseball but laments the team’s loss of manager Bruce Bochy, who has guided the rival S.F. Giants to three titles.
For info on where you can see A.J. Croce perform, click here.
A.J. and Andy B
The defending American League East champion Baltimore Orioles are my choice as the key team in their division.
Last year the Orioles were a surprise division winner and then they swept the Detroit Tigers in three straight games in the division series.
However, the Orioles, in turn, were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS. This year the Orioles will not surprise anyone as they are a known quality team.
I think the Orioles’ fine third baseman, Manny Machado is the key player.He missed the post season last year due to injury. I think he will continue his fine play this season.
Manny Machado
Take it easy Chicago Cubs fans as I will attest to in my predictions down the road but the St. Louis Cardinals are the NL Central key team.
Though they pale by comparison to the New York Yankees, who have 27 World Series wins, the St. Louis Cardinals with 11 World Series wins are a stellar organization in stark contrast to the Cubs.
Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals is my key player.
Much will be made about the Chicago Cubs, but I am from Missouri and backing the Missouri based Cardinals.
The Cubs and for that matter the rest of the NL Central, will have to “show me” otherwise.
Another snowy day in the New York area and the anticipation and need for spring increases. No longer that important, but noteworthy, is the anticipation of college basketball tournaments.
That anticipation is waned by the fact that the University of Kentucky under its coach John Calipari is a prohibitive favorite to win the NCAA Men’s title.
The team is (30-0) and easily could be the first men’s college basketball team to go undefeated since Indiana University, coached by Bob Knight did so in 1976.
Kentucky can complete a perfect regular season with a home victory vs Florida University this Saturday.
After that the Wildcats (Kentucky) need 3 wins in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and most important, 6 wins in the NCAA Tournament.
Thus they are at the three quarter pole, a good Kentucky reference, (horse racing) in their bid to make college basketball history.
Andy B Sports 