On a recent trip to NYC, I decided to hear the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra play at Carnegie Hall. The…read morechamber orchestra is world renowned as I've heard about their performances in my local Toronto. Beside the fact that there isn't a conductor, what also impressed me was that the violins changed seating for each piece they performed. That just goes to show you that the musicians are equally talented. They started with a commissioned piece with a small ensemble and I was blown away by how much sound they produced. They sounded louder than some full orchestras I've heard. They ended with Mendelssohn's Italian symphony, which was just lovely and painted pictures in my mind of bustling Italian cities and the countryside.

I went and saw Orpheus at Carnegie Hall. I am not even someone who knows very much (if anything)…read moreabout classical music. My roommate works for Orpheus as a development coordinator, so she was able to bring me with her as a guest. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed it! One of the most interesting things about Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is that they play without a conductor. Even someone with little knowledge of classical music (such as myself) can appreciate that this is a unique skill! Wow! Orpheus tours quite a lot, so check out their website and find out when they are in their "home base," New York City!

***** Harmony the Musical is a passionate journey by writers Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman and…read moretells the moving true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a group of six young singer/vaudevillians in the Weimar Republic era (Jews and non-Jews). The exhilarating first act charts their meteoric rise, from singing waiters In a Berlin dive to European tours and a triumphant appearance at Carnegie Hall in December 1933. By then, they were international stars, performing with Josephine Baker in the Ziegfield Follies, known to luminaries like Fiorello La Guardia, Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, Gypsy Rose Lee, and the composer Richard Strauss himself. With Chip Zien guiding us both as narrator and filling various roles, we are swept into their world; the fabulous dancers, singers are directed by Tony Award Winning Warren Carlyle. Not to be missed!

UrbanWord is one of the best youth poetry organizations out there, which is great considering the…read moreoffice is in NYC- home of slam poetry! Services- 5 Staff- 5 Price/Value- 5 (services here are free??) I first got involved with UrbanWord through their BNV slam- a competition in three parts to determine who would get on the Brave New Voices team. I attended their preliminary slam, then made it to semis, and finally, made it to their Grand Slam Finals, which took place at the historic Apollo theatre. I made it on their team and have been in the office quite a lot since. The environment truly is relaxed and home-like, yet professional at the same time and motivates you to work. The organization for these events was impeccable, especially considering there were many people in attendance. In addition to hosting that slam competition and sponsoring a team to go to Brave New Voices, the national youth poetry competition, UrbanWordNYC also offers sessions to improve your poetry and musical writing skills- all for free! They even provide snacks at some sessions here. All of the staff here are really helpful. Since UrbanWord is an arts organization, I imagine the pay isn't high. So, the staff here are doing it because they love it. They also generally know what they are talking about and are seasoned poetry competitors themselves. I'd highly recommend looking them up and checking them out sometime. Whether you're a seasoned youth poet or have never written creatively a day in your life, stop by during office hours and see what UrbanWord is up to. Just buzz "Q" when you get to 5 W 19th St.

great venue with outstanding productions in a fun part of Brooklyn and reasonable pricesread more

I just saw Fairview here. The play was excellent but I'm here to talk about the venue…read more It's a brand new beautiful building. The theatre itself is not huge. That allows the experience with the entertainment to be more intimate. The seats were comfortable and padded. I was in the orchestra and had an amazing view. Seems like the majority of the seats would have a good view. Can't speak to the balcony view though. I found the staff to be friendly and helpful. They seated us quickly minutes before the curtain went up. It's also nice that there's a seating area and cafe on the way out where you can take a break and chat.

Alegrias on Broadway was performed by The New York Center For Flamenco Performing Arts/Arts Center…read more It's a non-profit organization aimed at fostering Flamenco dance, which is culturally from Spain. The show took place at the Roy Arias Theatre Center in Times Square. The space itself is rather small, and its located on the 6th floor of the building. The room was darkly lit and cramped. There were church groups and other performance right next door. t felt like I was in a school production ambiance wise. That's fine since its a non-profit. The performers themselves were very passionate and seemed to thoroughly enjoy their performance, which was great. There were two guitarists, two female dancers, a male dancer, and a singer. The coordination between all of them were on point. The dancing itself was loud, as the performers always stomped their feet with each movement, much like Greek style dancing I would say. I hope that's not offensive to them. I was a virgin to Flamenco dance so it was a good time. For the performance, I would give them 4.5 stars. They served Spainish tapas, which we were looking forward to. I was pretty disappointed with it though. The portions were on the miniscule side. A $20 plate of assorted tapas including cheese, sausage, olives and bread was the size of a kids meal. I thought it was pretty bad even though I am used to price gouging that occurs in Manhattan. The sangria was very tasty, very weak and the pitcher was filled to the rim with ice. I was disappointed with that too. Go for the performance, but advise you to eat something before you go.

I can state, without a doubt, that I've never felt more uneducated in my life than whilst attending…read morea Secret Science Club at The Bell House a week or two ago. I'm not sure what I was expecting out of a lecture entitled "Dark Mysteries of the Universe" but it certainly wasn't an engaging and entertaining lecture by a Columbia professor, a standing-room-only full house of rabid nerds, or a gritty dive-y Brooklyn Bar that serves up specialty cocktails (this night's was The Cosmological Constant) alongside Red Stripe. This particular session included a dumbing-down of the entire history of the universe for the lay person, a recap of scientific observations and discoveries from famed researchers, mind-boggling mathematical formulae for the cognoscenti, and a roundup of the outstanding unanswered questions we have about all creation. Heady topics, for sure. That was all fine, until the question and answer session at the end, where chirality, matter vs. anti-matter, and deep-dives into complex mathematical equations properly blew my mind. It turns out that in addition to such lay people as myself, subject matter experts also enjoy attending these functions. All in all, I had a great time learning about esoteric science topics while sipping on a Brooklyn lager. How often do -you- get to discuss the secret workings of the universe over a beer? Just make sure to arrive WAY early if you want a coveted seat!

The secret is definitely out, as Secret Science Club will be celebrating it's 10th anniversary next…read moreyear. Where else can you hear award winning scientists present amazing information (aka "magic"!) while having delicious drinks? Definitely come early if you want a seat (as in show up an hour beforehand) and at least 30 minutes ahead if you want to guarantee entrance. Any later and you risk the room being "sold out" even though the event is free.

Such a wonderful and important project. Haven't been here in a while but still hold it deeply as a…read moreplace I used to volunteer at that created a deep sense of community

The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming…read morePeople of Color community organizing center, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice. Committed to struggling across differences, we seek to responsibly reflect, represent and serve our various communities. It is one of the touchstones of the LGBT and allied Communities in Brooklyn but it's influence goes way beyond the boro, with people coming in from all over the tri-state area for its groups, services and events.

Biltmore Theatre for volunteering... didn't know it's going to be a musical, called 'LoveMusik'…read more.. the theatre wasn't that big, but sleek and clean.. staffs were friendly and helpful... my job was pretty simple... greeting and ushering the guests to their seats w/ my trademark smiling... "welome, enjoy the show" ^______^ since it was a preview show, had not enough information... that's how I could enjoy it, even if my weakness of English... no expectation... that's the Key... in the dark, spotlight on two main characters... starting with narrative singing... it's about German composer Kurt Weill and his starred wife Lotte Lenya... their on and off marriage relationship... singers, Tony Award Winners Michael Cerveris (Weill) and Donna Murphy (Lenya), were talented and blessed... their performance was amusing and riveting... humming their fascinating theme song.. da-da-dda-da.. da-da-dda-da.. da-da-dda-da.. da-da-dda-da.. Musik by Kurt Weill Story by Alfred Uhry Directed by Harold Prince