Imagine having no Jets or Giants to root for so passionately.
Imagine not preparing fabulous food for game days a tradition that brings together two things many of us are so fond of: sports and food. Imagine not getting to watch some of the world’s best athletes competing on the gridiron. That happening is a distinct possibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the NFL is feeling the COVID-19 pinch nonetheless, with commissioner Roger Goodell already canceling the annual league meetings scheduled this March, as well as the 2020 draft event in Las Vegas. The NFL Draft, though, will still push through. As for the NFL season? Well, it remains to be seen. Having said that might as well prepare for life without football—in the meantime at least.
noting how COVID-19’s “unsympathetic alacrity” is making it harder to believe that sports will return any time soon. After all, scientists are estimating that 40–80% of the globe will be infected with the coronavirus. With a pandemic of such magnitude, in fact, any return to normalcy might take at least a year, or even longer.
That being said, it would be a shame if this season gets canceled. It was poised to be a good year with the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, looking to repeat their success from the previous season. They have kept their core, and have been installed by Bwin Sports as the slight favorites to win Super Bowl LV, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. But all the player movements this offseason have vastly changed the NFL landscape, and have made it more unpredictable. Tom Brady, a legend in New England, left the Patriots, while wideout DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs, and Emmanuel Sanders all found new homes via trades
Needless to say, this NFL season has the chance to be super special,
with lots of compelling storylines to follow and a title chase that figures to be ultra-competitive and wide open. In this time of crisis, though, there are bigger things than football. And if that means a season canceled, then so be it. We’ll just have to be ready for it.
After 10 hours of rowing around Manhattan, participants of Rocking the Boat’s “Rocking Manhattan” event on September 28th said they were ready for more. The 30-mile row in hand-made boats is a fundraiser for Rocking the Boat, a Bronx-based program. The $440,000 raised represents about 13% of the annual budget. Rocking the Boat teaches children to build, sail, and row boats. Through these activities, they hope to build leadership and social/emotional skills as well as encourage interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields.
The weather for the event was beautiful, leading to a bright, clear day of rowing for the volunteers. Many of these volunteers were alumni or board members, eager to raise money and give back to the youth organization. Groups of relatives, friends, and co-workers form creatively-named teams to operate hand-made boats. Each team was tasked with raising at least $25,000, though most raised more. The top fundraising team was GStream, a Goldman-Sachs team, raising $90,788. Flotsam and Jetsam came in a close second, with $87,642.
“The day itself was amazing, there was such a good and happy vibe,” said Alies van den Berg, a rower with the team Dismasted, “everyone was so happy to row around the island in support of this amazing cause. Together we can really make a difference in people’s lives. It was also very nice to meet the Rocking the Boat team who made this event happen (and there is a LOT of organization behind the scenes), as well as some of the programs’ alumni.”
At a recent event, Downtown Magazine had a chance to chat with Bode Miller, champion alpine ski racer. Miller recently announced that he is moving his family from their home in California to Big Sky, Montana, a small Rocky Mountain town. He also recently announced a partnership with Lone Mountain Land Company, the owners of the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and Moonlight Basin.
Downtown Magazine: What enticed you to get involved with Lone Mountain?
Bode Miller: Well, I guess the root of it was a desire to have my kids be able to experience a bit of the outdoors, nature, that I got to experience when I was younger. There’s a lot of really cool projects and action going on in Big Sky so it was a really perfect balance for Southern California. I love Southern California, but some things are missing from it in terms of culturally and communing with nature.
I’ve been to ski towns all over the world for the last 25 years, and being able to really be a part of building one, kind of… (Big Sky) has been there for a long time, but it’s raw enough, it’s not developed enough, where it has its own true identity. We’re really building it from scratch with what we think is the right stuff. I can bring in elements from all different cultures and do something unique and cool.
DM: How would you describe the Big Sky to someone who has never been there, someone who has never experienced it?
BM: You know, it’s hard to describe it. I would say it’s rugged, but obviously Yellowstone Park is there too, so it has all the amenities. (Big Sky is) a nice combination of activities for every person–parents, grandparent, kids–where you can all be together. It’s small enough that it seems like everybody’s drawn together. You kind of feel like you’re huddling against nature.
You feel connected with the people there. You go into the stores and the people are not salespeople, they’re like a chill old uncle or something. People are nice and friendly and open, and the activities are engaging and fun. Everything’s really distilled down to the more human elements of things. Even in a small community like where I am in Southern California, it’s just not the same thing. (In Big Sky) it’s an inclusive atmosphere combined with a rugged resilience. It’s unique.
DM: What’s been one of your favorite memories of hiking with your kids out in Montana?
BM: While we were walking in the trees, there are these lodgepole pines. They’re skinny, and they grow incredibly fast. They’re all over the place. And there’s a whole area where it’s those lodgepole pines right up until they break, and then it’s like 10 ft of bare rock, and then a cliff of maybe like 100 ft. It’s more or less straight down.
We were walking through and I knew that it was there, so I was holding their hands, and they walked out of lodgepole pines, which are trippy, so you’re kind of distracted. They’re like bamboo because they’re so close together. So we’re all weaving through them, and then right there is the edge. You don’t notice it till you step out of the trees. So both my boys, watching them be like, “whoa.” And I was right there with them.
We walked right up to the edge, and they could see over. Just to see them realize that that was just nature. It’s not Disneyland manmade apparatus or the edge of a building. Nature is that way. You see their minds, their imaginations, go a million different ways. And it’s based in reality, which I loved.
That’s how I was when I was little. It does amazing things for your mind. They can learn things that you could spend a lifetime trying to teach them, and they can do it on their own in like 10 seconds if you give them the environment to let them do it.
DM: I can see why you’re the spokesperson. You’re making me itching to get out of the city for a weekend.
BM: I’ve spent a lot of time in cities that were awesome. I became very aware of it a long time ago. That I had to balance it out. I’d go crazy if I didn’t.
DM: What’s your favorite thing about New York City?
BM: The diversity of the food. I’m a foody, and there’s a lot of good spots to eat — little holes in the wall and the unknowns. There’s a speakeasy that’s in the back of what used to be an old grocery store, where you went in their cooler, and there’s a little speakeasy back there. This city is old and it’s got a lot of history in that way. I’m not such a big fan of shopping or any of that, but there’s some sneaky stuff in the city that’s interesting.
Bode Miler enjoys a hike in Jack Creek at the Yellowstone Club, Montana. Photo courtesy of Finn Partners.
DM: That’s awesome. So with skiing, I’m sure it’s a big adrenaline rush, would you say when skiing or racing?
BM: Sometimes.
DM: What fills that void? What do you do for an adrenaline rush now?
BM: Nothing. I don’t really like adrenalin that much. It generally represents danger, and I’m not a big fan of danger. I think a lot of people get mixed up with risk and danger and fear, and I was never afraid of ski racing. I just always knew it posed a danger to me.
When you’re going fast, you can get hurt. I wasn’t afraid of that. I just knew that it was there. The adrenalin was usually based around the knowledge that I was about to put myself in a really dangerous situation. It was true danger. I would get a huge adrenalin spike and I would be able to overcome that fear and then try to do it. And unfortunately, it most often ended up badly for me because I was having to take more risk and try harder than other guys.
Inherently it was a love/hate thing. I wanted to accomplish what I wanted to, and I liked the creative aspect of it, but I didn’t like that part. So now I’m not an adrenalin-seeker. I don’t like skydiving or any of that shit. I’m happy just to do mellow. Just drive around on a golf cart.
Saturday, September 14th I had the pleasure of attending another Future Female Sounds performance at the Ludlow House, a members club affiliated with the Soho House. The exclusive performances are invite-only, and curated by musician Michelle Rose, celebrate up-in-coming female voices from New York City. The quarterly shows started a year ago after the popularity of an all-women performance celebrating international women’s day in 2018.
The stage, which is set amongst a cozy lounge reminiscent of a casual living room with its chic wallpaper and eclectic art-covered walls and comfortable velour furniture creates a welcoming, yet intimate space. What I love about each show is that you never know what to expect. Past shows featured significantly diverse genres that seamlessly fit beautifully and others like tonight, had artists whose styles were all reminiscent of moody music from the 90s.
Each show generally features three to four performers whose sets include both original songs and covers, usually by artists that inspired them. Saturday night’s lineup included Jaki Doyka, Tanners, a music video premiere of Leannebased on the song featured in the TV show Broad City, and Chelle.
The premiere was a fun experience, especially for fans of the popular TV show Broad City. The song, voiced by Michelle Rose and created by the music director of Broad City, was made specifically to be used in the show as a radio song that appeared in season four in a karaoke scene, and also kept finding it’s way throughout the rest of the season. The song itself was never completed, which makes the music video that much more enjoyable to watch.
Michelle who curates the most fun evenings always impresses me. So, I wanted to learn more about how the series got its start and what we should look forward to.
AG: What inspired this series? How did it all come about? When did you realize that this should be a regular thing?
MR: In the wake of #metoo and #timesup, many female-focused meet-up groups and organizations began to organize. In the spring of 2018, Soho House commissioned my sister Sarah Frances and me to curate a concert for International Women’s day at Ludlow House. I wrote a short message asking artists to come together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women on International Women’s day, which marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
The collaborative night became effortless to book as powerful women from nearly every genre of music possible signed on board to be a part of it. Each artist performed 1-2 songs–an original, and a cove–accompanied by a few words describing how the female artist they chose affected their musical journey. The night evolved into the most high-energy experience I’ve ever had at Ludlow House. With over 15 female artists incorporated into the collaborative night, the room was at capacity and the pride and enthusiasm were unparalleled.
Refinery 29 set up a Livestream of interviews in the cinema room for their Facebook Livestream “The Mention”. And after this media platform was confirmed, Soho House decided to film all of the performances. There were camera crews, electric energy, a full house, and a star-studded crowd for close to five hours of live music & poetic interludes.
After the success of the event, I sat down with Yasmin Daguilh, the previous event programming manager for Ludlow House. We decided to create a quarterly series based on the demand and reception from the concert. From there the series Future Female Sounds was born.
AG: Why all women? What is the goal? What do you hope audiences take from this experience?
MR: I’ve been a part of the New York music scene for over a decade, and have experienced the cutthroat female competition in a male-dominated industry first hand. The goal was and is still to create a safe space for female artists to perform, collaborate, network, and experience an intimate night of new emerging female artists.
There’s a unique power to a female lineup. In this style of curation, I noticed women feel more confident to explain the backstory of a song, exchange contact information, and set up collaborative writing sessions when they’re not the minority gender in the room. I took a lot of inspiration from participating in Rachael Pazden’s all-female collaborative series “The Hum.” The goal of Future Female Sounds is to build community amongst female musicians in a beautiful safe space in New York City.
AG: What should people expect when they come to a show?
MR: They should expect a cross-genre showcase of female musicians, a safe space to network and form friendships, and a silent, engaged, and attentive audience.
AG: What is your curatorial process? How do you find the artists? What do you look for? Do you choose artists in a similar genre/style?
MR: I usually find my artists from experiencing them live, or finding their Instagram and DMing them. I aim for the showcase to be inclusive, diverse, and include multiple genres.
AG: If someone wanted to be considered, how can they reach you?
MR: DM me on Instagram @heymichellerose
AG: When’s the next show?
MR: It’s the 2nd Saturday of the month every three months! So the next one will be December 14th.
AG: How do you get tickets?
MR: A private Eventbrite link that I circulate amongst the community.
AG: How can one find and follow up with the artists?
MR: All the artists plug their social media handles after their performances and engage with the audience. I’d like to create a unique space for the roster to live and I’m working on developing that. It will probably be an Instagram handle in the next coming months.
If you’re interested in attending or being in Future Female Sounds, as well as know more about and or follow the artists who recently performed, follow them and Michelle Rose on Instagram.
Jacki Dokya’s soulful voice, accompanied only by a keyboard, beautifully renders a raw performance that’s hypnotizing.
Tanners, known for her psychedelic pop music, gave audiences a stripped-down acoustic performance that was both passionate and haunting.
Michelle Rose is half of the pop duo Frances Rose, along with her sister Sarah Frances. She has also just premiered her new solo project, Chelle. Chelle, similar to Frances Rose, which is heavily inspired by 90s pop rock. It draws her audience in with powerful deep vocal chords that showcase her talent as a storyteller and performer.
Anna-Lena Friedsam, John Isner, Jill Zarin, and Lucas Pouille at BFPL Open celeb match
On August 24th, tennis stars John Isner and Lucas Pouille faced off as part of the 4th Annual Brookfield Place Open–but not just against each other. Isner and Pouille played doubles against six rotating pairs of lucky members of the crowd. The crowd was excited to see two of their favorite players engage in friendly matches in advance of the US Open on Monday.
Extending through August 30, The Brookfield Place Open offers the community a chance to participate in the fun of US Open season through adult and kid tennis clinics – along with open court sessions – throughout the week.
Amid rumors of a possible return to The Real Housewives of New York City, Jill Zarin made a surprise appearance with her boyfriend Gary Brody and pup sidekick Bossi Zarinto join in on the fun. She warmed up the court for Isner and Pouille, hitting volleys with her tennis coach. Isner and Pouille joined her on the court along with German tennis professional Anna-Lena Friedsam for a friendly game of mixed doubles.
Isner and Zarin were matched against Pouille and Friedsam for the first game, then the pairs switched for the second game. The third match featured men versus women, with the ladies beating the gentlemen two games to none.
Guests snacked on seasonal cocktails and bites from Brookfield Place’s Tartinery Shack during the matches. The crowd also engaged in various other programming during the event, such as participatory demonstrations and free tennis rackets to the first fifty guests.
All photo credit: Jeremy Gordon
John Isner and Lucas Pouille with fan at BFPL Open celeb match
John Isner and Lucas Pouille team up at BFPL Open celeb match
John Isner serving at BFPL Open celeb match
Open court at BFPL Open celeb match
Lucas Pouille serves at BFPL Open celeb match
John Isner at BFPL Open celeb match
John Isner at BFPL Open celeb match (1)
Anna-Lena Friedsam, John Isner, Jill Zarin, and Lucas Pouille at BFPL Open celeb match
Anna-Lena Friedsam, John Isner and Lucas Pouille at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin and Bossi Zarin Chat with John Isner at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin serves at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin warms up court at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin arrives at BFPL Open celeb match with Bossi Zarin
Open court at BFPL Open celeb match (1)
Kids clinic at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin and Lucas Pouille at BFPL Open celeb match
Jill Zarin and John Isner at BFPL Open celeb match
Gary Brody, Lucas Pouille and Jill Zarin at BFPL Open celeb match
Directed by Tony-Award-winner Pam MacKinnon, Toni Stone began Off-Broadway preview performances on May 23rd and officially opened on June 20th, but it has been in the works since 2013. The play is based on the book Curveball, The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone by Martha Ackmann and tells the story of the first woman to go pro in the Negro Leagues.
Photos from Roundabout Theatre.
West Virginia native Toni Stone never understood why she wasn’t allowed to play with the boys. She had the athletic ability, including a great arm, but the league only saw her gender and did not welcome her with open arms. The show follows the story of Stone going pro and preaches her lessons of staying in the game, playing hard, playing smart and playing your own game.
In the show, April Matthis is Toni Stone, and she was truly born to play the role. Matthis brought so much life to the historical figure and made the audience feel like they were getting to know the real Toni. Alongside her incredible cast fulfilling the roles of Stretch, Alberga, Spec, Woody and more, the Indianapolis Clowns had incredible humor and personality. Several members of the cast filled multiple rolls, which added quite a bit of humor.
Toni Stone’s world premiere is a part of the Roundabout Company’s New Play Initiative, which is a way for the company to develop and produce works by significant writers and artists. The Roundabout Underground program provides up-and-coming playwrights with plentiful artistic and financial resources to stage their debut productions in the City of Dreams.
The show’s creative team consists of s Camille A. Brown
(Choreography), Riccardo Hernandez (Sets), Allen Lee Hughes (Lights), Dede
Ayite (Costumes), Daniel Baker & Aaron Meicht (Original Music & Sound
Design).
Roundabout Theatre Company is a not-for-profit company that truly celebrates the power of theatre; they produce both familiar and less-known plays and musicals. Roundabout has made it one of their goals to discover and support talented playwrights and build an educational, easily accessible theatre experience.
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To purchase tickets for Toni Stone at the Laura
Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre,
visit the Roundabout Theatre Company
website or call 217-719-1300. Prices range from $79-$89.
