Get ready for an exceptional day at this year’s Renewal Summit with incredible speakers, topics, and exhibitors. We’re thrilled to announce that five of our Tomatoes Got Talent alums are nominated for the 2025 MAC Awards honoring excellence in NYC nightlife, and another TGT alum, Janice McClune, is making her solo cabaret debut at Don’t Tell Mama. Don’t miss the buzz-worthy exhibition at the Museum at FIT, the musical “NO U-TURNS A.D.,” and St. Patrick’s Day celebrating tips from our Long Island reporter. Plus, our roving photographer showcases scenic urban locations in Brighton Beach where this year’s best Oscar picture, Anora, was filmed.

Fabulous Speakers, Topics, and More Exhibitors

Our Renewal Summit is gearing up with an incredible lineup of speakers and stimulating topics including AI, your health from head to toe, living abroad, our Woman of Purpose award, music, and a couple of surprises. Fabulous exhibitors with products and services you will love are also getting ready to join us for another amazing day. Don’t miss out on this exceptional event! GET THE DETAILS. 

Five Tomatoes Got Talent Alum Nominated for MAC Awards

Randie Levine Miller and I are absolutely thrilled with this news. Five of our Tomatoes Got Talent alums have been nominated for MAC Awards 2025 which will honor excellence in NYC nightlife during the 2024 calendar year. They are: SUSAN MACK, SHEREE SANO, DEBORAH ZECHER, KATI NEIHEISEL and RENEE KATZ. They are all winners, and we can’t wait to see who takes home a MAC award. The awards presentation and show will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM, at Peter Norton Symphony Spac.

Tickets for the 39th MQAC Awards are available here. For more information, visit www.macnyc.com

Spotlight on Long Island: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Our Long Island reporter says if you are still searching for your pot of gold, you’ve already found it! The luck of the Irish isn’t just a once-a-year charm; it’s with you always. So, go ahead and indulge in some Irish fare at one of these fabulous restaurants, knowing that your true pot of gold isn’t at the end of a rainbow—it’s within you. May the luck of the Irish always be with you.  GET THE DETAILS. 

Now – April 20.  “Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities“

The Museum at FIT is currently hosting this inventive exhibition that explores the fascinating connections between cabinets of curiosities and fashion. Cabinets of curiosities, also known as wunderkammern, date back to the early 16th century and were precursors to modern museums. The exhibition features nearly 200 garments and accessories, mostly from MFIT’s permanent collection, inspired by the breadth of objects collected within these cabinets.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. You can find more information on the Museum at FIT’s website.

3 Performances: NO U-TURNS A. D. — A Coming-of-Age Story in Reverse

Divorce can be difficult at any age but these 3 women of a “certain age” are going through it together. They decide to form a rock band and they share their struggles and their triumphs through rock and roll songs.   For 3 nights only you can witness their experiences and laugh and cry along with them while they rock out.
Performances are on March 20th at 7:00 | March 21st at 7:00 | March 22nd at 2:00 and 7:00  at St John’s Lutheran Church at 81 Christopher St. GET TICKETS.

Janice McCune Makes Her Solo Cabaret Debut at Don’t Tell Mama

Another one of our Tomatoes Got Talent alum will take to the stage for 3 nights in April with her show “Let’s Start Tomorrow Tonight!” featuring songs of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Stephen Sondheim, Rod Temperton and more! With warmth and wit, she explores the magic of letting music be her guide.

Let’s Start Tomorrow Tonight!

Thursday, April 24 @ 7:00 pm | Tuesday, April 29 @ 7:00 pm | Saturday, May 3 @ 1:00 pm

Don’t Tell Mama 343 W. 46th Street, NYC 10036 https://shows.donttellmamanyc.com/

Roving in Brighton Beach

Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:

There are many good reasons to visit Brighton Beach, on the shores of Brooklyn. The first is easily, the beach, named after the British resort, adjacent to Coney Island and as I often say, accessibility to these beaches by subway, is another strong case for why I love New York.

The second is to see the scenic urban locations where this year’s best picture Anora was filmed. With 5 Oscars in total, this independent film portrays the life of Ani, an Uzbek-American sex worker who gets tangled up with the son of a Russian oligarch. The cinematic portrayal of the scenery is one of the movie’s must intriguing characters.

Another great excuse to explore Brighton Beach is to peruse the many aisles at Tashkent, a monumental grocery store. The hectic flagship store located under the noisy rails of the elevated subway lines, is named after the capital of Uzbekistan, and is one of the most interesting international markets featuring an abundance of products imported from that region. It is known for its endless prepared foods and a 50 foot long buffet, serving classic dishes from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. This phenomenon of a store has several locations in Brooklyn and just last week opened its first in Manhattan’s West Village, at 378 Sixth Avenue.

The best reason to spend time in bustling Brighton Beach, is to experience the unique authenticity of a true community. Walking through the streets Russian language dominates the conversation and rules most signs and advertisements.

Many Holocaust survivors settled in Brighton Beach, followed in the 70’s by Soviet Jews from Russia and Ukraine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, another wave of immigrants arrived, adding to a very tight knit neighborhood. Today the thriving area still sounds, smells and tastes like “Little Odessa”, the very fitting nickname bestowed on beloved Brighton Beach.

I was amazed that this enclave is able to remain so intensely genuine. Walking around is a simple way to spend time in another culture, only a subway fare tap away.