Our last Tomatoes Got Talent show is just around the corner. It will be awesome. Several of our talented alum have gone on to successful performing careers, like Susan Mack (a 3-time Mac nominee) who is performing at Birdland. Get your tickets now. And there’s more fun. Join us on Oct. 17 at The Lambs for a very fun event with author/actress Patricia Kara. One of our most inspiring Tomatoes, Carol Sue Gershman is performing at 54 Below. Move over Anna Wintour. The NY Historical Society has a groundbreaking exhibition featuring 200 years of real clothes worn by real women. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan will soon have a fabulous new home. And our roving photographer is roving in the charming city of Austin.

What’s in Patricia Kara’s Suitcase?

Join us on October 17 at the historical The Lambs (the oldest theatrical society in the country) to meet actress/author Patricia Kara. Famous for her role on every season of Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandell, Patricia will share insights from her book. The evening will also feature a chance to play Deal or No Deal with her and you could win a fabulous 5-star Resort Vacation. Wine & snacks too. RSVP is a MUST.

October 16.  Carol Gershman at 54 Below

In what promises to be a fun, entertaining, and inspiring evening, Carol Sue Gershman will talk about her new book, with her advice on living your best life at any age, and then she will perform love songs with a 4-piece band.  The event is at 54 Below. Discount code: Gershman 20. Get tickets here:  54below.org/carolsuegershman

NY Historical Society: Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore 

This groundbreaking exhibition examines the everyday clothing of ordinary women, from hard-worn house dresses to psychedelic micro minis and modern suits to fast-food workers’ uniforms. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Gallery of Women’s History and showcasing items from the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection that are on view in a museum for the first time, this exhibition traces how women’s roles have changed and evolved dramatically over the decades across the spectrum of race and class.

Each piece of clothing holds rich stories about the woman who wore it and who made it, the materials used, and the context in place and time. Whether homemade or ready-made, many of the garments on display are modest and inexpensive, rarely saved or displayed in a museum setting. Some are one-of-a-kind pieces; others are examples of clever making-do, and many are influenced by popular styles and trends of their era.

Visitors to Real Clothes, Real Lives will gain an understanding of the “real” women who have worked and dressed in America for two centuries.  Get the Details.

October 31. Susan Mack Returns to Birdland

Susan Mack returns to Birdland Theater with an encore performance of No More Blues, a new show that premiered to a sold-out audience on June 10^th.  On Halloween night, the power and magic of music will take center stage as Susan’s warm and enchanting voice casts its spell. Susan breathes new life into timeless jazz standards and beloved classics from the Great American Songbook, while also sprinkling in a few contemporary surprises. Audiences can expect iconic compositions from legends like Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Billy Strayhorn, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles with arrangements by Tedd Firth. Joining Susan on stage will be an all-star band featuring musical director Allen Farnham on piano, David Finck on bass, Eric Halvorson on drums and Tim Armacost on tenor sax. Direction is by Lina Koutrakos.

Vocalist Susan Mack received the 2023 BroadwayWorld NYC Cabaret Award for Best Vocalist and she is a three-time nominee for the MAC Award (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs).

WHAT: Susan Mack’s “No More Blues”
WHEN: 8:30 p.m., Thursday, October 31 (doors at 7:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Birdland Theater 315 West 44th St, NYC 10036 212-581-3080
HOW MUCH: $30 cover + $20 food/drink minimum per person
TICKETS: https://www.birdlandjazz.com/tm-event/susan-mack-in-no-more-blues/

Roving in Austin

Our Roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:

Austin has been on my bucket list for years and at Texas-Longhorn-Last, I went for a family wedding. The fast-growing city of live music and delectable barbecue and Tex-Mex did not disappoint. The city is a balance between old and new, grand and boho, nature and tech, with a spirit that permeates the everyday.

I spent time on the UT campus, exploring the colorful Ellsworth Kelly Chapel at the Blanton Museum and the venerable LBJ Presidential Library.

The lively skyline abuts the refreshing Lady Bird Lake and Barton Springs, constantly used for recreation. The glorious pink Capital building is the largest in the United States and has been impeccably kept up. Stepping inside is a short journey back in time.

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas and indeed Austin impressed on a large scale.

At the heart of my weekend was the union of the elated bride and groom who have chosen to make Austin their home. I can understand why, especially if you like the smoky smell of barbecue that wafts through the cloudless blue sky.

~Nicole Freezer Rubins is the author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan Will Have a New Home

The historic church that be the future home of the museum

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is transforming a landmarked church on the corner of 96th Street and Central Park West into a dynamic learning lab for all children and families across New York City.

A rendering of what the new inside of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Photo courtesy of CMOM

The new building will house 7 floors of dynamic, new research-backed exhibits, immersive experiences, a dedicated performance space, updated visitor amenities, a rooftop terrace with views of the Park, and much more. Once renovated, the 80,000-square-foot building will give CMOM the ability to serve more than twice the visitor capacity of our current home—while expanding the age range of the children we serve from birth to 10 years old. Get the details.