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Michael Urie will reprise his role as the pampered Prince Dauntless opposite Sutton Foster’s scrappy Princess Winnifred in this summer’s Broadway revival of the fairy-tale musical Once Upon a Mattress, the production announced today. The two actors also led the show’s brief staged-concert run in City Center’s Encores! series earlier this year. 

Foster, of course, has been the hardest-working woman on Broadway for decades now, working her way up from teenage Star Search contestant to replacement and chorus roles in the 1990s (including in Grease and Annie) to starring in original musicals in the 2000s (including Thoroughly Modern Millie and Shrek) and working her way through the musical-theater canon in revivals ever since (including Anything Goes, Violet and The Music Man). Urie, meanwhile, has parlayed his early fame on TV’s Ugly Betty into a stage career of great variety and charm, whether in Off Broadway showcases like Buyer and Seller and The Government Inspector or in Broadway comedies like Torch Song Trilogy and Grand Horizons.

Once Upon a Mattress, a jaunty riff on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea,” made its Broadway debut in 1959 with Carol Burnett as Winnifred, and returned in 1996 starring Sarah Jessica Parker. The score, by Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer, includes such charmers as “Shy” and “Happily Ever After”; for this production, directed by the astute Lear DeBessonet, the show’s original book (by Barer, Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller) has been substantially retooled by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The supporting cast of the Encores! version included Foster’s Thoroughly Modern Millie costar Harriet Sansom Harris as well as Nikki Renée Daniels, J. Harrison Ghee, Cheyenne Jackson, Francis Jue and David Patrick Kelly; none of them have yet been confirmed for the Broadway transfer. 

The limited Broadway engagement of Once Upon a Mattress begins at the Hudson Theatre on July 31 and opens officially on August 12. It is scheduled to run through November 30, at which point it will move to Los Angeles for a monthlong run at the Ahmanson Theatre (from December 10 through January 5). You can buy tickets here. 

* This article was originally published here

This contest isn’t anything like the problematic beauty pageants of yore. Instead, the City Reliquary Miss Subways contest is an inclusive all-gender pageant full of celebration and commiseration about the NYC subway. 

This spectacle returns to Coney Island on Friday, May 31, on the eve of Pride Month. Eight contests will vie for the transit tiara and subway sash as they compete in costume, talent, and interview categories. Considering that this year’s contestants bring a wide range of skills, including burlesque, comedy, singing, and puppeteering, expect quite a competition. Get tickets here for $30 for the event at Coney Island USA’s Sideshows by the Seashore Theater (1208 Surf Ave).

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The contest offers an updated spin on the Miss Subways competition that ran in NYC from 1941-76 and was the first racially integrated competition in the nation. Since reviving the event in 2017, the City Reliquary museum has invited contestants of all genders, sizes, and ages (18+) to participate. 

“This event celebrates NYC as the cultural hotspot it is and highlights some of the most interesting underground performers working here right now, attracting local talent from the worlds of burlesque, comedy, and theater,” say event organizers from City Reliquary, a museum in Brooklyn that preserves the everyday artifacts of New York City.

Contestants will represent their subway line of choice, answer subway-themed questions, and show off their talents, all for a chance to represent NYC straphangers as the next Miss Subways.

Here are this year’s contestants:

• Christine Stoddard (she/her), a writer, artist, filmmaker, and one of Brooklyn Magazine’s 50
  Most Fascinating People in 2023.
• Queerly Femmetastic (she/her/ma’am), a Brooklyn-bred bombshell inspired by Black shake-
  dancers, strippers, and hoochie-coochie girls across generations.
• Adra Quartz (she/her/bitch), a drag performer and comedian.
• Julia Schemmer (she/her), a puppeteer and producer/assistant producer for Broadway,
  television, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Sally Ann Hall (she/her), an award-winning standup comedian and cabaret singer.
• MeanLadyTiff (she/her), who describes herself as a “business socialite.”
• Kandi Spindler (she/her), a femme lesbian public defender who moonlights as an artist.
• Kate Zibluk (she/they), a self-described “bird, person, performer, and aspiring Funeral Director.”

Performer and director Tom Meglio will serve as emcee for the evening’s festivities. Meglio is co-writer and host of the musical-sketch-comedy show Ze Follies Dorée!, which recently completed its residency at The Brooklyn Comedy Collective.

Judges will watch each performance closely, drawing on their own backgrounds in theater, comedy, advocacy, journalism, and local politics. Here are this year’s judges:

• Aurora North, Miss Coney Island 2024 and sideshow performer
• Bernie Wagenblast, transportation icon and voice of the subway (“Please stand away from the platform edge!”)
• Derrick Holmes from transit advocacy nonprofit Riders Alliance
• Lisa Levy, Miss Subways 2017, comedian, and artist
• Emily Gallagher, New York State Assemblyperson for District 50 (Greenpoint/Williamsburg)

* This article was originally published here

From Cronuts to Cruffins to croissants topped with rainbow cookies, New York isn’t afraid to play fast and loose with croissant tradition. And the latest into the flaky pantheon is a new fusion treat that puts a savory spin on the French classic: meet the “Onioissant” from Cafe W + Bakery.

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The Flushing-based baked-goods spot frequently combines French tradition with Asian flavors—along with pâtisserie classics like a good ol’ pain au chocolate, there’s buttery pastry loaded with red bean and croissants flavored with black sesame and raspberry. But the “Onioissant” takes the cake: the savory treats take inspiration from onigiri, Japanese rice balls that are formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, wrapped in nori and traditionally feature salty or sour fillings, from salted salmon to pickled plum. 

In this case, the creations do away with the rice entirely and instead is made of buttery, flaky viennoiserie (the bakery only uses premium French flour, butter and chocolate in their pastries) that is shaped into a triangle, its airy interiors piped with a savory filling, and finished with a cheeky piece of seaweed. The “Onioissants” come in two different flavors—a breakfast-y edition made with bacon, chives and cream cheese, and a seafood version with Pollack roe and mayo—which is great for those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth but still want that classic croissant experience. The treats are priced at $6.50 each. 

Along with those fusion goodies, the Queens bakery-cafe also bakes up salted butter breads (squid ink and cheese, cream and chives), fresh campagne loaves (olive, cream cheese), flavored lattes (strawberry, blueberry, pistachio cream) and cakes. Along with cream cakes, cheesecakes and tiramisu, the bakeshop offers a range of signature mousse cakes, available in flavors like mango-yogurt, lime-pineapple, chocolate-caramel, Earl Grey-cassis and raspberry-pistachio, among others. 

Check out those cool-looking “Onioissants” treats from Cafe W + Bakery below:

* This article was originally published here

It’s a pickle-lovers paradise: for two weeks next month, 2 Rivington Street will transform into a wonderland of half-sours, bread-and-butters, dilly cukes, cute cornichons and good ol’ gherkins. Yes, Grillo’s Pickles is back for their second annual pickle-themed pop-up on the Lower East Side, adding some vinegary pep to your summertime proceedings from Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 22. 

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From 11am to 7pm every day, the Boston-based brand will be hosting its Grillo’s Pickle World event featuring free food, limited-edition pickle merch, collaborations and more. On Friday, June 7, attendees can enjoy free burgers from West Village patty purveyor Burgerhead. The gratis grub continues the next day, Saturday, June 8, with free gourmet hot dogs from the supper club DM Dinners. And on Saturday, June 15, the shuckers from Island Creek Oysters will be serving up free, slurp-ready shellfish. 

The kiddos will have their own pickle fun during designated family-friendly days on Sunday, June 9 and Sunday, June 16, during which pickle lovers of all ages can create their own pickle characters. An after-party at Ray’s Hometown Bar on Thursday, June 13 is more of an adult affair, with food, drinks and more from 6pm until late. And Chef Raphael Jacob Khutorsky will round things out on June 18 with a Taco Tuesday fiesta. 

Along with all of the great grub, there will be pickle-centric collabs from brands such as Cheatin Snakes and artists including Adrianne Paerels (a.k.a. Hello Adrianne), Mike Lottie, Najeeb Shelkh, Nick Zaremba and more. Guests can expect a pickle-inspired mural by Jon Burgerman and a plushie wall created by John Scharbach, perfect for your next pickle-loving pic. 

* This article was originally published here

It’s called Close Up and it markets itself as an artist-driven jazz club that, according to an official press release, is “dedicated to the advancement of New York’s vibrant live music culture.” 

Owned and ran by 20-something friends Daniel Gaynor and Solomon Gottfried, the new jazz destination is set to open at 154 Orchard Street by Stanton Street on the Lower East Side in just a few days, on June 1. 

According to the destination’s website, Close Up will be hosting performances six nights a week, also serving cocktails and snacks. Jam sessions are also on the docket.

“Coming out of COVID and in the past 30 years, in general, many venues dedicated to this type of music have closed,” Gottfried said in an official statement. “Without actually playing music, Daniel fell in love with music and found a certain personal taste that mirrors what musicians themselves are constantly echoing back and forth. So what inspired this entire project was really three things: one, the clear need for a place like this. Two, having both the listener and the musician represented and three, a love for hosting and bringing people together.”

Although not officially welcoming patrons just yet, the jazz club is already advertising its pretty stocked upcoming roster of shows.

On opening night, Kalia Vandever, Emmanuel Michael, Kanoa Mendenhall and Kayvon Gordon will plat two sets, one at 8pm and the second one at 10pm. Other acts are already booked through the rest of the month and tickets to each show are available right here.

Although the city is home to a number of nationally regarded jazz clubs, some renowned around the world, it’s been a while since a new venue has landed on the scene, specifically looking to showcase up-and-coming acts poised to shake up the local music scene within the jazz world. We are ready for it. 

* This article was originally published here

New York City’s love affair with the martini cocktail is a long, passionate one—boozy legend has it that the first dry martini was made at Manhattan’s Knickerbocker Hotel back in the early 1910s. And our thirst for that vodka-and-vermouth stunner hasn’t slowed in the century since. Nowadays, there are entire NYC happy hours devoted to the classic quaff, at bars, lounges and restaurants throughout the boroughs. Here’s where to enjoy the best martinis in NYC, but for cheap during happy hour. Cheers to that!

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Blackbarn

Head to the front Tavern room of this NoMad farm-to-table spot and you can enjoy the restaurant’s new $29 special, which features your choice of an entrée (shrimp tagliolini with shaved ricotta, sourdough pizza with spicy coppa and figs) and a classic cocktail—including, duh, a martini—for just $29. The nightly deal is available every evening from 5:30pm, but there’s also a more traditional happy hour from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, which includes $12 classic cocktails and half-off snacks (chicken wings, shishito peppers). 

Caviar Russe

Briny caviar and a vodka martini are a match made in bougie heavy. You can get both during happy hour at this Michelin-starred Madison Avenue spot, which is held every Monday through Friday from 4:30pm to 7pm at its ground-floor bar. Enjoy an “ALB Vodka Martini” paired with a tasting trio of caviar-crowned coronets for $25, which is less than a martini alone goes for at many places around Manhattan. 

Dante

An O.G. on the martini happy hour game, the West Village favorite hosts its iconic Martini Hour every day from 3pm to 5pm, with a range of $10 takes on the traditional cocktail: options include the “Emerald Martini” (Rutte celery gin, Dolin dry, Manzana Verde, celery bitters and black pepper), the “20th Century” (Brooklyn Gin, Lillet Blanc, white creme de cacao and lemon) and the “Upside Down Dirty Gibon” (Dolin Blanc, Cinzano Dry, The Botanist and pickled onion brine). 

Emmett’s On Grove

The second location of the Chicago-style pizza chainlet recently launched a new Martini Hour special, featuring $9 martinis (Tito’s or Letherbee Original) along with $6 beers, $11 wines and an array of tavern snacks such as pigs in a blanket, chicken-parm sliders and house-cut chips. 

Holiday Bar

Who needs an hour when you can have a whole night? Every single Tuesday, from 5pm to 10:30pm, this ’80s-accented Village spot pours $10 martinis all night long. 

Ray’s Hometown Bar

The Greenpoint offshoot of the sceney downtown dive doles out a $20 Burger + Martini combo every Monday through Friday from 5pm to 7pm. But you’re not just getting any burger alongside that Citadel Gin ‘tini: it’s a smashed beef patty (with pickles, onions, special sauce, the works) lovingly overseen by Michelin-starred culinary partners Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske.

Sungold

Head to the lively lobby bar at the Arlo Williamsburg on weekdays from 5pm to 6pm and you can enjoy a very adult Brooklyn Happy Meal, featuring an espresso martini, fries and a signature Arlo fortune cookie for only $15. (Also available is $1 pizza-by-the-slice, dollar wines and five-buck beers.) 

Tao Uptown

Available Monday through Friday from 5pm to 7pm, you can load up on dollar dumplings (steamed veggie, pan-fried chicken) as well as $15 martini flights during Tao’s new happy hour promotion. Each flight will feature your choice of three miniature martinis, with flavor options including classic Dirty, caffeinated Espresso, sweet Lychee, earthy “Teatini” and more.

And if your love for martinis falls outside happy hour, check out the Knickerbocker Hotel’s year-long celebration of the drink, which includes a bespoke martini cart, martinis on-demand in-room service, “21+ elevator hours,” and a seasonal Martini Rooftop Garden. It’s also launching a Martini World Tour to unveil its new martini recipe and history book and have guest bartenders host Martini Masterclasses.

* This article was originally published here