From the moment a bagpipe brigade led the procession into the service of Renewal & Healing at Union Baptist Church in Harlem on Saturday during a Harlem Week celebration, it signaled a special occasion. Clergy leader Rev. Jacques A. DeGraff made it clear in his opening remarks, telling the congregation that they were about to witness “powerful preaching and soul-stirring gospel,” and the words were hardly out of his mouth when the Coaxner Ensemble lived up to that promise.

They delivered a rousing chorus to the event’s theme, Choose Healthy Life (CHL), setting a musical interlude for a message from Grace C. Bonilla, president and CEO of United Way of New York City. She began by stating how proud she was of the accomplishments made by her organization and the “unique partnership of United Way in addressing the New York City health disparities,” saying they’ve reached over 50,000 New Yorkers.

Underscoring the theme of healing, the Rev. Dr. Demetrius S. Carolina of the First Central Baptist Church of Staten Island chose as his text Jesus’s healing of a blind man at Bethsaida. He recited some passages from Mark noting how Jesus spat upon the blind man’s eyes twice and, on the second time, asked him, “What do you see?” 

“I see everything,” the man said. “Today, we need more healing than ever,” Carolina said. He was perhaps referring to Jesus’s method when he said, “There is a process by which you can be healed.”

Jesus not only made the blind man see, but he also calmed the storm, said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.  “Jesus, wake up. We are perishing,” Sullivan repeated in a call and response with the audience.  What Jesus had miraculously done in the past was needed now, the prelate begged in the wake of Covid-19. “Our children need a parachute,” he said. His plea was given additional ballast when the ensemble sang “Mary Don’t You Weep,” and it also served as a spirited segue to Debra Fraser-Howze’s scripture from Mark, where Jesus frees a girl from a demon. Frazer-Howze, the founder and president of Choose Healthy Life, gave Jesus’s miracle an updated version in her own way of bringing calm to a person in need.

She stated that Jesus knew his purposes, and Fraser-Howze knows hers, especially in her capacity at the helm of CHL, as she noted in the program handout with heartfelt praise for the late Rev. Calvin Butts III: “He moved mountains with a single touch and the community is safer because he lived,” she wrote. “While his presence and leadership are sorely missed …his service continues to be an inspiration for all of us.”

The Rev. Lawrence Aker III of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn rocked the joint, much in the manner of the Hip Hop referenced, saluting their 50th anniversary. His text was taken from Mark and his account of Jesus walking on water.  He, like the previous ministers — and those who followed him — connected the past with the present conditions plaguing Black America, particularly, as he observed, “in our battle against racism.”

His energetic sermon was matched by Rev. Dr. Travis Boyd of Canaan Baptist Church and often brought members of the audience to their feet with resounding applause.  He is a pastor who knows how to take the passage from Mark and make it tangible for us today, citing Jesus’ healing of the paralyzed. “Justice is not served,” he said, alluding to the uprising on Jan. 6.  And he concluded his stirring address by declaring, “The God I serve makes a way out of no way!”

When Rev. Brian D. Scott, the pastor of Union Baptist, made his Altar Call, nearly everyone in the church assembled, and he continued in words that he had possibly heard from the choir’s version of “I’m Willing to Wait.” Among those gathered at the altar were a number of police officers, members of the Fire Department, and a host of first responders. The relative calm that had settled in the church was aroused when Elder Michael Adolphus of Amen Ministries, Inc. was at the podium, though it was hardly a place where he was anchored during his exhortation. His leading piece of scripture came from Luke, where Jesus heals ten lepers. We can’t be sure what remedy Jesus used to heal them, but Rev. Adolphus insisted that we “deal with the source of the sickness rather than the symptoms,” and there was an inference that this process was applicable to all our illnesses, be they biological or social.  

The church, which I had not attended since my former student, the Rev. Ollie Wells, presided, was lifted by Rev. Adolphus and soared even higher when a vocalist from the choir presented a sustained version of “Never Grow Old,” and there was little left to do after this but take a deep breath and here the benediction from Rev. DeGraff.  He ended the event or service in the same insightful way he began, once again offering a salutation to Fraser-Howze and her unwavering dedication to CHL, saying, “We cannot return to yesterday’s ‘normal,’ we died in ‘normal.’ We see and are working towards the bright sunshine of a new day of wellness and equality in the land.”

The post “Choose Healthy Life,” is the best choice! appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Late summer and early winter are tough times for the box offices of even the best Broadway shows. To confront this challenge, the theater industry has come up with Broadway Week, a twice-annual half-price sale for tickets to pretty much every Broadway production. The name is not quite accurate: The second 2023 edition of Broadway Week actually lasts two weeks, from September 4 through September 17—and the twofer tickets go on sale today. 

This edition’s list of participating shows is the most extensive yet; it includes every single Broadway production except the very first performances of the new productions Melissa Etheridge: My Window and Gutenberg! The Musical! If you act fast, you might even be able to snag seats for this year’s Tony winner for Best Musical, Kimberly Akimbo, and such perpetual hot tickets as Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, Wicked and The Lion King. Head to to the Broadway Week website to peruse the list of participating shows and grab the ones you want most.  

RECOMMENDED: A full guide to Broadway Week in NYC

One thing to bear in mind is that the tickets sold through Broadway Week tend to be ones that producers are keenest to sell: in balconies, mezzanines and side areas. But as of this year, the Broadway Week program has been offering a new option: If you can afford to shell out more for some of the best seats in the house, you can “upgrade” your ticket order to pay $125 for tickets that would otherwise be much more expensive.

Here is a full list of all 24 shows that are participating in Broadway Week next month: 

& Juliet
Aladdin
A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical
Back to the Future: The Musical
The Book of Mormon
Chicago
The Cottage
Hadestown
Hamilton
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Here Lies Love
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Kimberly Akimbo
The Lion King
MJ The Musical
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Once Upon a One More Time
Purlie Victorious
Six: The Musical
The Shark is Broken
Shucked
Some Like It Hot
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Wicked

* This article was originally published here

We love ourselves a theme–such as all these themed cafés and restaurants in NYC–but we also loves ourselves a bit of nostalgia. Well folks, we’re getting both.

Angry Birds is coming to life with a delicious twist, as NYC’s first-ever Angry Birds-themed café just opened in Queens, transporting us straight back to 2009 when the popular game first launched.

The café, named iSwii by Angry Birds Retail Cafe, features playful desserts, trendy bubble teas, signature burgers & sandwiches, gaming stations, a retail section, and unique interactive activities for the whole family to enjoy.

“Launching iSwii by Angry Birds is a perfect way to bring locals and Angry Birds fans back to fun in-person experiences,” said Executive Director of Asset Management of SCG America, Robert Leck. “This unique concept will feature endless culinary treats, bright visuals, newest Angry Birds Games and interactive technology, and the coolest-ever themed shopping experience.”

The café opened back in July in Flushing’s food court area within Tangram’s new 275,000 square-foot, multi-level retail center (the same place where you’ll find the neighborhood’s Asian-inspired cyberpunk food hall and hoi polloi!)

The 3,300-square-foot interactive café and retail destination combines in-person and on-screen thrills, making for a unique adventure for all.

Visually, the café is the ultimate Angry Birds paradise. Instagrammable Angry Birds and NYC-themed statues stand outside the entrance along with an eye-catching ceiling mural.

Angry Birds-themed elements are also dispersed throughout the space, including nest-like wicker and hanging chairs, bird wall graphics, and tropical plants and hatchlings on shelving units.

Interactive elements include a glass-partitioned display with custom-decorated seasonal cakes and pastries. And beyond these sweet treats (along with others as well) the menu features items such as a Shrimp tempura Po’boy, a Porktastic Bacon Burger, quick bites such as Nori fries, and more, effectively combining retail and café aspects into one fun experience.

And, of course, shelves and shelves of endless Angry Birds exclusive merch can be found throughout, such as t-shirts, hoodies, plenty of piggy plushies, skateboard decks, and more.

The space is also available for private parties and events in “nests,” which are private rooms that will offer Angry Birds VR games and treats, including customizable Angry Birds-themed gift bags for party-goers.

“We are always delighted to find forums for Angry Birds fans to interact with the brand in new and fun ways. This unique establishment goes beyond the screen, offering an immersive experience where fans and customers can delight in tantalizing foods and drinks as well as engage in gaming and capture extraordinary moments in our exclusive photo opportunities,” said Katri Chacona, Director, Brand Licensing at Rovio.

Since launching in 2009 the Angry Birds game has received over five billion downloads and 25+ million social media followers. They’ve since evolved into a globally-recognized media franchise, spanning various entertainment and consumer products, two feature films, a Netflix series, and location-based entertainment.

Learn more on their website.

133-33 39th Ave, FH1, Flushing

Open daily 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The post A Café Dedicated Entirely To Angry Birds Just Debuted In NYC appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here