Great news! Chelsea Market has just opened outdoor dining with a choice of 15 food vendors. A fabulous outdoor installation is on display at Hudson Yards. Broadway stars will perform in a special ZOOM fundraiser for the Actors Fund. Valerie Smaldone has the scoop today on travel, from Emmy Award winning investigative reporter, Peter Greenberg and she reminds us to support our NYC Restaurants. And our Broadway Babe has some wonderful entertainment selections for at home viewing.

Aug. 31. “The Theatre Will Survive” featuring Broadway Stars

A virtual ZOOM fundraiser for the Actors Fund, “The Theatre Will Survive,” features many of Broadway’s greatest voices on video. The brainchild of lyricist Michael Colby and composer/orchestrator Ned Paul Ginsburg. With special permission from Actors Equity Association, many of the illustrious performers from the video will appear live to follow up and chat with the creatives and answer your questions on a special Zoom presentation.

Christine Andreas, Sarah Uriarte Berry, Christina Bianco, Chuck Cooper, Robert Cuccioli, Marc De la Cruz, George Dvorsky, Anita Gillette, Jason Graae, Ann Harada, Leah Hocking, Richard Jay-Alexander, Judy Kaye, Jeff Keller, Eddie Korbich, Michael McCormick, N’Kenge, Barry Pearl, Gabriella Pizzolo, Stephanie Pope, Faith Prince, Courtney Reed, T. Oliver Reid, Steve Rosen, Jennifer Sanchez, Analise Scarpaci, Tony Sheldon, Ryan Silverman and Paulo Szot.

This virtual Zoom fundraiser will support the amazing work of The Actors Fund at this vital time and is available for all to join MONDAY, AUGUST 31 at 7 pm EST.  You can be there with all the creatives and many performers for Q & A and chat. Participants will receive a ZOOM link once registered here.

Donations Can Be Made to The Actors Fund here: actorsfund.org/TTWS

This Week’s Highlighted Restaurant: COOKSHOP

Anne Akers says checkout COOKSHOP for a Michelin rated brunch. It’s beautifully appointed, and dog friendly. A magnificent Salad Nicoise, shrimp, grilled corn and a mixed berry cobbler make this a new High Line favorite. No touch menu and bill and a disposable table bag presented for your mask during dining. Tenth Ave and 20th Street. Get details.

Dining Outside and Shopping at Chelsea Market

This is great news.  Chelsea Market has opened outdoor dining on 15th and 16th Streets between Ninth and Tenth with 115 tables!  You can get table service, takeout and delivery too from fifteen of the markets food vendors that include The Lobster Place, Tings Jamaican Cuisine, Very Fresh Noodles and Los Mariscos for fish tacos. And 20 of the market’s stores are now open too. Get the details.

Art at Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards’ beloved art platform is reinventing itself this summer, this time with new artists and a first-time outdoor showcase, called “HYxOffTheWall 2.0,” a celebration of the irrepressible spirit of the city and its people. One piece, by Dirty Bandits, inspires viewers to achieve more, do more, give more and love more. Another, by local artist Erika deVries of Lite Brite Neon, incorporates handwritten transcriptions from her family members. And several of their restaurants are now open for outdoor dining too. Get the details.  

The Broadway Babe’s Five Picks

Everyone of Randie Levine-Miller’s picks today is a delightful find and will please just about everyone.  If you love the swing area, there’s Goodman, Basie, Hampton and more. Plus some of the best of Cole Porter, and a fabulous concert from London with Shirley Bassey, and more!

First Wives Club: The Musical

“First Wives Club” (1996) was one of my favorite films, and I’m sure Tomatoes can relate… It was made into a musical, but never made it to Broadway… It played in Chicago, in 2015, with mixed reviews…written by Emmy winning Linda Bloodworth Thomason with music and lyrics by Motown legends, Holland-Dozier-Holland… It starred Tony Award nominees, Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack, and Gregg Edelman…Try it…. You may like it!

All Star Swing Festival – Basie, Goodman, Krupa, Hampton & More

For jazz and swing music lovers…The All Star Swing Festival hosted by Doc Severinsen…performed at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall in 1972.. featuring Benny Goodman with his quartet…. Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton & Gene Krupa…Plus Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespie… Can’t believe I stumbled onto this extraordinary 4vent!

Broadway’s “Anything Goes”

From 2011, Broadway’s “Anything Goes” by Cole Porter…totally fun and upbeat (seems like another world… and it was). Starring Tony Winners Stephanie Block and Joel Grey, and Kelly Bishop, as well as multiple Tony nominated John McMartin. A delicious couple of hours…. pure cotton candy!

Shirley Bassey – Live at the Royal Albert Hall

I absolutely adored watching legendary great, Shirley Bassey… She had such style, grace, presence, beauty, delivery, phrasing, vocal skills and total charisma…. She’s that one of a kind entertainer… as in “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore’! This is a true treasure, as it’s Shirley in her prime… From 1972 Live at the Royal Albert Hall…can’t wait to watch this again!

Up Close and Personal: An Evening with Charles Strouse

Michael Kerker, head of ASCAP Musical Theater in conversation with the award winning composer, Charles Strouse which was produced at The Kennedy Center… Charles has always been a favorite of mine…He’s known as the composer of “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Annie,” “Applause,” “Golden Boy,” etc… He wrote the theme song for “All In The Family” …. and wrote the 50’s hit song, “Born Too Late,” a song which was often directed at me at Camp Geneva, because I had a crush on the much older swimming counsellor… everyone thought it was actually a camp song!

Performing Charles’s songs are incredible performers Liz Calloway, Karen Morrow and Jason Graae with Chris Denny on piano.