Critic at Leisure

Time traveling through New York City

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As a New Yorker I always thought the highly successful “The Ride,” and award-winning coach bus ride treats visitors to New York and locals who have never taken the time to visit the city’s cultural wonderlands had nothing new to offer this longtime critic.

But a press release just arrived with an invitation to join a select group of arts critics to experience a “virtual reality experience” downtown that will not debut to the public until early spring of next year. The concept sounds intriguing so I’m about to plan to join a group of adventurers on July28 for a “virtually experience four iconic years great moments in history!”

The fourth virtual destination will be the first stop on the downtown tour, created by the International “Time Looper” Company currently offering “time travel” at historic locations in London, New York and Turkey. On July 28, The Rides’ luxurious buses will head to the “Downtown Experience” at high noon stopping at Water Street overlooking New York harbor, where the tour site will provide headsets to follow the on-site panoramas of the Aug. 14, 1945 VJ kiss. The next stop will be the virtual experience of John Lennon’s memorial service at the Dakota on Dec. 8 1980. The third virtual experience will take the downtown groundbreaker to the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930-31, and the final destination will provide viewers with George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall on Apr.30, 1789. It’s unclear if the latter will be the first visit or the final destination — but for sure the entire experience — with headsets to supply the interactive conversations is sure to comprise a day to remember!
And contemplation is a trip in itself!

Convention controversy
As I write this who knows what today will stir up at the Republican convention but Monday night’s commentator conversations debating whether what ended the evening’s main event jammed my ears. Melania Trump’s warm, heartfelt speech concerning her candidate husband, her own path to becoming an American citizen, and the family bonds that go far beyond politics was a sophisticated delight until it was pronounced by the CNN panel that there definitely seemed to be a number of plagiarized statements by the potential next First lady as she introduced herself to the immediate world.

If a play is someday written to try to capture the flavor of that shock and awe moment of revelation and its denial despite actual quotes from Melania Trump that echoed a most similar speech by Michelle Obama several years ago prior to her husband’s election. I fell asleep to a denial by the Trump team, but don’t look forward to what the latest brouhaha will be. It all seems to be coming back to a “center that will not hold” for our nation, and the wish that some of the fine brief speakers at the evening’s GOP convention will come to assume greater roles equal to their contributions in past Republican politics.

Getting away from it all
Look to theater with unique substance with a visit to “Alice in Black and White.”
The more things change the more some stories seem to resonate with new intrigue and power to affect our thinking. The NYC premiere of Robin Rice’s “Alice in Black and White” tells the mesmerizing tale of Alice Austen, a female photographer in the Victorian Era who fell in love with photography, and another woman at the turn of the 20th century. A century too early it turns out because Austen fell into poverty and obscurity by the 1950s.

But now her story is ripe for sharing on the 150th anniversary of Austin’s birth and Rice and director Kathi E.B. Ellis have combined their considerable talents (recent prize winner in Louisville) to bring us the couples’ unique and now timely tale of doors that were slammed shut back when, but today are wide open in a “do as thou wilt” new world. Alice in Black and White” will play at 59E.59thStreet Theaters. Tickets now at www.59E59.org.

York Theatre sing-a-along
Cheery news abounds in the announcement that the new cast recording from the 1915 revival of the York Theater Company’s glorious production of “Rothschild and Sons” will be released on Monday at 6 p.m., with Robert Cuccioli and Glory Crampton reuniting as emcees.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. The York is at East 54th Street just east of Lexington Avenue. For the recording’s gala debut venerable Sheldon Harnick, Sherman Yellen and a host of other show song celebs will be on hand to welcome one of this critic’s most memorable theater experiences of any decade! Advance tickets at (212) 935-5820 or www.yorktheatre.org.