Jake & Fiona & Kathie Lee & Billy Ray
Apr 7, 2012 Around NYC
My kids got to be on The Today Show earlier this week, which was really fun for all of us. And, since it was for the later part of the show, we didn’t even have to get up insanely early like we have for other appearances.
We were picked up by a giant SUV and driven to 30 Rock. Actually, The Today Show broadcasts from 10 Rockefeller Plaza, but when I casually say “30 Rock” I feel like I’m that much closer to someday knowing Tina Fey.
When we got there and opened the car door, flashbulbs immediately started popping – tourists knew exactly where the guests were being dropped off and the crowd started taking pictures before they could even see who was in the car. This delighted my children to no end and made them feel like celebs!
I tweeted that we were on our way to tape something, but that I didn’t know which day it would air. See, I didn’t know there was a fourth hour of The Today Show. I though Kathie Lee and Hoda did the third hour, and that was it. And I didn’t realize that the kids would be on live until shortly before we left the greenroom. Oops. I did manage to warn a few people, but none of the grandparents.
Greenrooms always surprise me by how disappointing they are. There’s never enough room for everyone (the greenroom for a show such as The Today Show is like Grand Central Station) and all of their stuff. Carnie Wilson had to step over me to get her bag. Had I known it was hers sitting there I would’ve been rifling through it while she was singing live on the show with Wilson Phillips. Total missed opportunity. I could’ve been chewing on her breath mints right now.
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Tags: indoor fun, Kids, Today Show
Don’t like the ice cream truck? Here’s what you can do
Apr 6, 2012 Around NYC
Every single spring, on some listserv or moms group or forum I’m on, somebody complains about the reappearance of the ice cream trucks and slushie carts in Brooklyn. This year, since it happened on the much-maligned Park Slope Parents listserv, it’s getting a lot of attention. Everyone from the San Francisco Chronicle to my friend Marinka (writing on Babble’s MomCrunch) to some Park Slope Parents members themselves (with a hilarious parody clarification) have been writing about this latest bit of whining from parents who blame the rest of the world because they have trouble saying “no” effectively to their kids.
The specific complaint that started the brouhaha involved carts entering the actual playground, and personally, I think that sucks. I get aggravated when anybody comes into the playground to sell anything. Most days in good weather we get pestered to buy slushies, cold water, balloons, stuffed animals, and cotton candy. My problem with this is that those people simply aren’t allowed in NYC playgrounds. If you’re not there with a kid, you’re there illegally. I’m sure you’re breaking other rules about vending inside the playground as well, but I just care about the rule that keeps creepy loners in trench coats out. So anybody who wants to ban selling anything within the wrought-iron-fenced confines of the actual city playgrounds, you’ve got my support.
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NYC gets a cool new taxi, but misses some big opportunities
Apr 4, 2012 Around NYC
The new Nissan NV200 (photo courtesy of Nissan)
Last night I went to a press conference introducing New York City’s latest taxi, the Nissan NV200. NYC taxis are always an adventure. You never know if you’re going to get a taxi with a flooded floor, one that smells like feet, a driver who has no clue where he’s going and gets both of you hopelessly lost, or who talks for half an hour about why he wears a tinfoil hat at home (all things that have happened to me since moving to NYC). This new taxi could have a positive impact on three of those situations.
The taxi itself is beautiful, and big. While it won’t seat more people than current cabs, those passengers will be a lot more comfortable. The rear compartment has these features:
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Disney Fantasy christening
Mar 2, 2012 Around NYC
I just got back from the christening gala for the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Fantasy. It was amazing!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 8. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Want to catch up on my other posts about the Disney Fantasy? Here they are! (Oldest first.)
Today’s Agenda: Disneylucious Edition
Drooling, Headachy, Post-Disney-Christening Non-Alcoholic Hangover
Videos From The Disney Fantasy Christening Gala
The Disney Fantasy: Gorgeous From Head To Toe
So What Do Kids Do On The Disney Fantasy?
Drinking And Eating…And Eating…And Eating on the Disney Fantasy
Partying Around Europe On The Disney Fantasy
Tags: Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, NYC
Strutting my stuff at New York’s Fashion Week
Feb 15, 2012 Around NYC
So I’ve gotten to do many interesting things since I started blogging. I’ve spent time with celebrities and traveled to cool places. I’ve taken a helicopter ride and gone swimming with stingrays and sea lions. But if you had told me that tomorrow I’d be all dolled up, strutting my stuff down an actual fashion runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, I’d have called you crazy.
But it’s true. All 5’4”, size 16 of me will be on that runway tomorrow for Strut: The Fashionable Moms Show, a collection of looks for real women. As in, not a bunch of stick-thin models who live in heels. There will be women of all sizes, a couple of kids, and even a woman about to give birth. Seriously. She’ll be 37 weeks. Now that’s brave.
And even though at this moment I feel a little nauseous with anxiety and anticipation, I’m still glad I said yes. I think every body should have the opportunity to look fashionable, in affordable clothes. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking fashion show, and so flattered that the organizers have confidence in my ability to not embarrass them.
At least, I hope I won’t. Ever since I said yes to this a couple weeks ago, this scene from Sex and the City has been on a constant loop in my head:
In fact, I’ve been tweeting with the hashtag #NoFashionRoadkill. For luck. I mean, I wear heels about as often as I wear bathing suits – a few times a year, and only when forced by circumstance. When I went to my fitting last week I simply couldn’t walk in the gorgeous shoes they had me in. I just couldn’t. I’m convinced that you have to spend years cramming your feet into those things before your ankle changes shape and becomes one with the shoe. So, I begged them for what I know I can walk in: chunky pumps. We’ll see what happens.
[UPDATE: Holy shit. Look which post just popped up in the "related links" at the bottom of this page? This one. The one where I laugh openly and gleefully at models falling down. Yup, I'm completely doomed.]
A whole bunch of people I know from the New York blogging community will be walking tomorrow, and a bunch more will be in the Clorox Twitter Pit, waiting for me to screw up cheering us on so that they can tweet about it with the hashtag #StrutMoms.
Did I mention that the fashion show is being hosted by Iman? Yes, that Iman (I mean, come on, is there another one?). She’ll also be hosting a Big Live chat experience, which you can participate in right here on my blog, with the widget at the bottom of this post. [UPDATE: I've removed the Big Live widget since it is now autoplaying the fashion show, and I hate that. You can still watch the fashion show on the babycenter facebook page.] You can watch a live stream of the show, chat about how awesome I look, how thin I am after my recent weight loss, basically anything nice that won’t make me cry in the bathroom at the after-party.
The show will also be streamed on the live tab of the BabyCenter facebook page. So really, you have no excuse not to watch! You’d risk getting fired from your job to do that for me, right?
Plus, there are reportedly a couple of celebrity moms walking, but I’m not allowed to know which ones. It’s as if they were afraid I’d have some way to publicly spill the beans! ;-)
So, wish me luck, and know that from 3pm to 4pm tomorrow, I will have nothing running through my head other than “Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. Hand, hip, attitude, turn! And left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot…”
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: fashion week, StrutMoms
Godspell on Broadway: This cast could sing the phone book
Jan 24, 2012 Around NYC, Theater Review
On Sunday night The Ass and I headed into the city with the kids for dinner and a show. I was fortunate to receive tickets to Godspell on Broadway from Mama Drama, a wonderful organization that promotes Broadway shows to moms.
We started out with dinner at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, just a block and a half from the theater. If you’ve never been (we hadn’t), it’s a good warm-up to seeing a Broadway musical. The entire wait staff takes turns singing selections from Broadway shows. This is not Monica from Friends standing on the counter singing over her big fake boobs, either. This is for real – these people can sing. In fact, last year the diner lost eleven waiters and waitresses to Broadway shows, including one to Godspell! One waitress even dazzled the diners with “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide – she wasn’t messing around.
We got to the theater early and checked out the cast info. I absolutely love Hunter Parrish on Weeds, and he plays Jesus. Fiona immediately recognized Anna Maria Perez de Tagle from Camp Rock. And I was struck by the fact that six members of the cast were making their Broadway debuts (as is director Daniel Goldstein).
The Circle in the Square Theater is a really great space. I don’t think there could be a bad seat in the house. I’ve always thought there’s something magical to theater-in-the-round: once you’re not playing on a traditional proscenium stage, everything else should be messed with too. Rules should be broken. I wasn’t disappointed. From the way the band is scattered throughout the theater to the different surprises in the stage, this production is innovative. I mean, how can you not appreciate a show where a fatted calf plays the cowbell?
I mentioned in the title that the cast could sing the phone book, but only if it were set to music by Stephen Schwartz, who is responsible for both Wicked (one of my favorite musicals of all time), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the most underrated and overlooked of all the Disney musicals – I’m still waiting for it to get the Disney Broadway treatment.
The most interesting thing about this production is how topical it is. There are tons of references to politics, pop culture, etc. and if this were a movie it would be dated in about ten minutes. But judging by the Mitt Romney joke that had to have been added within the past few days, they’re keeping it fresh, and it totally works.
This is probably a good time to mention that I’m an atheist. My husband was surprised that I wanted to see the show. I pointed out that I’m not really a fan of murder and cannibalism either, but I’ll go see Sweeney Todd any day. A good show is a good show, whatever the subject. Godspell is based on the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the lessons are brought to life in the same way that reading Shakespeare can be dry, but a good production is totally understandable and riveting.
The first act is definitely more joyous and, in my opinion, better than the first. But that’s not really anybody’s fault. The betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus is kind of a downer, even when sung. It’s all handled really beautifully, but still, things are solemn for a long time, and I imagine younger kids could get bored during the second act. I had to put my hand on Fiona’s program a couple times to make her stop playing with it. The show runs two hours and fifteen minutes, and in retrospect a matinee might have made more sense, but she loved it and is excited to listen to the soundtrack, which I bought the next day.
Jake is a tougher customer. He wasn’t all that enthusiastic about going in the first place, but I feel like kids should be exposed to theater as much as possible, and was really hopeful that he would get into it. Several times I glanced over at him and saw him playing air drums and clapping. He told me after that he gave it a 7.5 out of 10. Considering he would’ve otherwise been at home playing video games, I was more than happy with that.
My husband gave it the highest praise he could: if you like that sort of thing, it’s really good and definitely worth seeing. I was fooled in the beginning, when we were first dating: he went to every musical I wanted to. But, in the same way that I no longer shave my legs for him, he no longer pretends to like musicals just to please me. I’m sure that he would rather have been on the couch next to Jake, also playing video games, so I appreciate his sacrifice. :-)
There was a drawing after the show for two audience members to go back stage and get a tour, and I’m not sure who was more disappointed not to win, me or Fiona. This is the first show in a long time that I’ve wanted to see again right after it ended. If you are anywhere near NYC and your kids are about seven or older, I would highly recommend Godspell, especially if they’ve never seen a Broadway show. You can get a very big discount on tickets to Godspell through this link, using code GSMDR79.
Also, be aware that there’s something called Talk Back Tuesdays, where after the Tuesday show (through March) a different cast member talks about his/her role in the show, audition, etc. If I see the show again it’s going to be on a Tuesday. :-)
For more blog posts on Broadway’s Godspell visit MamaDrama.
Thank you to photographer Jeremy Daniel and the Godspell website for use of the production photos, and to Mama Drama for this great night out.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
The Big Apple Circus: family entertainment you can feel good about
Dec 2, 2011 Around NYC
So, there’s been talk lately about another big circus getting record fines for its treatment of animals. And I’m trying hard not to judge, because it can’t be easy to cart huge and dangerous animals around the country. But maybe that’s the point: you shouldn’t cart huge and dangerous animals around the country. I’ve never taken my kids to any of the giant circuses out there because, even though I’m not a boycott kind of person, it just didn’t sit right with me. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. I’d rather get off of my soapbox and talk up a gem right here in NYC that has entertained my family for years.
The Big Apple Circus sets its tents up each fall next to the Metropolitan Opera House (where this year it plays through January 8th), and then takes the show on the road to a few other locations on the east coast. The circus gave my family tickets a few weeks ago to check it out. The show is brand new each year, and this year’s theme is Dream Big. This show is also a little more special because it’s the last year for Grandma, the iconic clown who has been part of The Big Apple Circus for twenty-five years.
The acts are truly impressive. There’s something for everyone, including acrobats, an amazing juggler, a horse trainer (who brings out a few surprise guests – I won’t give them away!), a thrilling trapeze act, and my husband’s favorite, a contortionist. I think my favorite part was when these six tumblers tried to jump rope together, in a pyramid. It took them a few tries, and the entire audience was pulling for them:
Don’t try this at home!
Filling in the time between the main acts are a bumbling magician and his hilarious assistant, and a couple of their tricks still have me scratching my head. I won’t dare give a thing away, but what you think is going to happen isn’t. They’re smarter than we are.
This is a great way to spend an afternoon. The tent is on the small side, which means that everything feels very intimate – you’re so close to the action! I’ve seen the show from almost the front and I’ve seen it from closer to the back and no matter what, you’re no more than fifty feet from the ring. Plus, children under three are FREE when they sit on the lap of a paying adult (only one child per lap).
As if the great seats and entertaining acts aren’t enough, you should also know that The Big Apple Circus is a not-for-profit that spends a lot of money and energy bringing joy to sick kids in hospitals, the elderly in nursing homes, disadvantaged kids, and kids with disabilities and sensory issues. You can read more about the Big Apple Circus outreach programs here. They’re also very generous to schools and other organizations, donating family four packs of tickets for auctions.
Big Apple Circus tickets can be purchased here.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
An “Unforgettable” set visit with Marilu Henner & Poppy Montgomery
Nov 15, 2011 Around NYC
A few weeks ago, when it was somehow much colder than it is today, I got to visit an on-location shoot for the hit CBS drama Unforgettable. (Actually, that’s where I was headed when I got pulled over for running a red light.)
Cathy & Sheri, from Have U Heard, watching Unforgettable being filmed
The wind was really whipping along the waterfront in the Queens park where the shoot was happening. A group of bloggers put on headphones and watched the monitors as series star Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace), playing detective Carrie Wells, filmed a touching scene with guest star Marilu Henner (playing Carrie’s aunt), for the episode airing tonight:
Once the scene was done we escaped the cold into a trailer, and got to hang out for a bit with Poppy and Marilu, peppering them with questions about motherhood, acting, Unforgettable, and the incredible memory that Marilu has – a condition called hyperthymesia.
Hyperthymesia, also known as superior autobiographical memory, has only been confirmed in twenty people. Marilu can recall details from every day of her life since she was eleven years old. She’s the inspiration for Poppy’s character on Unforgettable, and a consultant for the show. Poppy’s character can also remember every day of her life, except for one: the day her sister was murdered.
Marilu’s character, in an ironic twist, appears to be suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s.
Marilu Henner & Poppy Montgomery
Acting probably seems glamorous from the outside looking in, but it can be brutal on families. Marilu and Poppy discussed how working on a one-hour drama is pretty much the hardest acting work in terms of hours, with extra-long days being the norm. Poppy complained that she leaves home when her child is still asleep and comes home after he’s gone to bed, which causes her to be “nice mommy” on the weekends because she feels guilty for being gone all week. I think that’s a feeling many working mothers encounter, but as Marilu quickly pointed out, when you mother out of guilt you make mistakes.
Marilu didn’t have such issues when her children were little, though, since she was doing a lot of stage work. She seems to have integrated acting into family life fairly easily, taking her children on tour with her when they were younger. On one tour they went to twenty-two cities in thirty weeks, being homeschooled the entire time.
I’ll have much more about Marilu later in the week – we were able to follow up with her during a conference call last week that was fascinating. For now, I urge you to tune in to CBS tonight at 10pm to watch this episode. If you like police dramas as much as I do, you’ll probably love this show.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 5. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Marilu Henner, NYC, TV, Unforgettable
