W42ST Daily 7/7/2020
According to my primitive weather app, we’re heading into a week of sultry storms and steamy nights. Humidity is hovering, breathlessly, at 85%. The bugs are biting. It’s too darn hot. So crank the AC right up to high and consult my guide to the things I’ll be streaming/reading/doing this week to stay cool.
HERE’S A CRAZY THOUGHT …
Last year we could hardly have imagined what summer in 2020 would look like: hotels repurposed as homeless shelters, Broadway dark for months, bars and restaurants scratching a living with makeshift outdoor patios, and an exodus of New Yorkers leaving the city they love. In July 2019, I wrote about the joy of being a tourist in your own town … and it strikes me that now might be the best time to rediscover the the greatest city in the world. Start exploring … before it’s too late.
DO THESE THINGS
COOK
My friend Brianne Demmler is part of The Quarantine Collective, a group of food media professionals who have created their first e-cook book. All proceeds go to the Beard Foundation’s Open for Good campaign to help save our beleaguered restaurant industry. Mix it up.
LISTEN
Want to get socially and politically active but don’t know where to start? Do You Hear the People Sing is a new podcast for the Broadway industry aimed at inspiring a new generation to action; a guide book to planning and inspiring activism. Start listening here.
ACT
Tomorrow, TheaterWorksUSA will host a virtual conversation for families – Telling Our Stories and Talking About Race. The event will include the reading of two short plays, followed by a moderated discussion. It’s free – RSVP here.
DRINK AND DRAW
Remember those life drawing events in bars? (Remember events? Anywhere?) Well, now they’re virtual – this one starts tomorrow, and it’s BYOB, obviously. For $7 you get two hours of poses. All drawing skills welcome. Sign up here.
READ
I’ve just romped through Where The Crawdads Sing – a sumptuous, lyrical, heartbreaking story of a murder mystery and an abandoned child coming of age in North Carolina. Now I’m onto The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah’s vividly told tale of two sisters living in occupied France during the Second World War. If you think three months of lockdown and no manicures is a hardship, this should put things into perspective.
WATCH
Troy Anthony brings an intimate performance to your laptop from his own living room on Thursday. A composer, actor, and director practicing Black queer joy, he’s worked at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, and The Shed. Watch his live show here.
DRESS UP
Drag superstars Trixie Mattel and Katya deliver their Guide to Modern Womanhood in a virtual event led by The Strand on Thursday. Tickets cost $31 and include a copy of their book. Register here.
SING
Streaming live from St John’s in the Village on Thursday, the Little Opera of New York City presents Mozart and Friends, spotlighting arias from its postponed production of the composer’s The Shepherd King. Tickets from $5 – get them here.
SUP
I’ve started to SUP and, after getting over the initial fear of falling in/humiliating myself/drinking half the Hudson and dying, I think I love it. There are classes at MKC on Thursday evening, or you could join me on Saturday morning – it’s my new summer, COVID-safe workout. Learn all about it here.
SHOWER
LOLO is having a big, virtual baby shower on Thursday. The musician is 35 weeks pregnant – so you’ll need a wide-screen TV! – and proceeds will benefit Every Mother Counts, which works to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for everyone, everywhere. Listen in here.
