Now is the time to enjoy our beautiful outside weather, and it’s a perfect time to view some outdoor art installations, like King Kong and Doggy Bags. Twenty restaurants in Times Square have created “A Taste of Times Square” for one week.  Who doesn’t love Doo Wop? Valerie Smaldone has the scoop on a live Broadcast from the Shubert Studios. If you love Judy Garland and Paul Anka, check out the Broadway Babe’s fab streaming picks today. Join us LIVE on Facebook tomorrow night for a special celebration. And we’ve got the scoop on an online auction you don’t want to miss.

Oct. 25. Join us for a Facebook Live Celebration                                              

We’re excited to celebrate our latest author, Nicole Freezer Rubens, and her beautiful book of poems and photos —”The Long Pause and the Short Breath,” reflections on NYC during the pandemic. We have some surprise guests and Nicole will be reading her poetry.  Join us on Facebook or Youtube.

A Fabulous Online Auction that Supports Girls

The head tomato is co-hosting this Annual Benefit and Auction for Plan International USA next Thursday, Oct 29th, 6:30-7:30pm. It’s only $35 to attend the star-studded event, with wonderful Broadway performances. If you can’t make the event, you still bid on some of these fabulous auction items.  All proceeds help girls in Zimbabwe to get an education.

Now to Oct. 30. A Taste of Time Square

You can support some of your favorite Times Square Restaurants, who really need our help. Twenty neighborhood restaurants are offering international grub from eateries like Dos Caminos, Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Joe Allen, Seamore’s Takeover @ Urbanspace, Tito Murphy’s, Tony’s Di Napoli and Le Rivage. For $35, diners will get a three-course pre-fixe at these restaurants between October 23 and 30. Hell’s Kitchen Happiness Krew will be popping up at restaurants to provide free entertainment. Get the details.

Judy, Judy, Judy Now Streaming and More

Our Broadway Babe, Randie Levine Miller has some wonderful online entertainment suggestions today. Judy Garland fans will love the documentary, Judy – Beyond the Rainbow; a tribute to the great songwriter Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business and many others), Barbara Cook in concert, Paul Anka in Switzerland, and more! Get the details.

Now – May 24. Visit King Kong

Head to Bellz Abzug Park which is located in Hudson Yards, where artists Gillie and Marc Schattne in collaboration with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund have brought another version of King Kong’s story to the streets of New York, this time with love. King Nyani, Swahili for gorilla, is the largest bronze gorilla statue in the world and gives an interactive experience unlike any other, with his hand large enough to fit 2-3 people.

Gorillas are one of our closest relatives sharing 98% of our DNA. They share many of the same behaviors as humans such as laughter and sadness. But there may be only 1000 mountain gorilla left in the wild and fewer than 3800 eastern lowland gorilla. On a trip to Uganda, the artists were able to see a family of mountain gorillas in the wild and were moved to tears at the loving family unit. Their sculpture is based on the head of the family, a dominant silverback gorilla. King Nyani, Swahili for gorilla, is the largest bronze gorilla statue in the world and gives an interactive experience unlike any other. With his hand large enough to fit 2-3 people, the public can get up close and personal with this gentle giant and fall in love with him. Learn more.

Doggy Bags

The Garment District is welcoming everyone to their public spaces (Broadway between 38th and 40th Streets) with six new, very large, best friends. Doggy Bags, created by artist Will Kurtz, is their latest installation in their Space for Public Art program, featuring over-sized sculptures of six different dog breeds, made from recycled materials. 

Kurtz uses recycled materials to create the colorful oversized sculptures. The highly detailed forms are blown up to a scale four times their actual size and are constructed with steel armature, recycled single-use plastic bags and duct tape. Each depicts the unique characteristics and personality of a different breed of dog, while the choice of materials provides commentary about the absurdity of waste and the need to recycle.  Get more details.