Tag: Compass

Showstoppers! Broadway Costumes Exhibit

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

As Broadway reopens after 18 months of pandemic shutdown, there is an exhibit on West 42nd Street that highlights the incredible costumes that light up the stage (and screen). Open through September 26, tickets are required (go here for more information and to purchase) but proceeds go to help the talented people in the costume industry whose financial stability has been devastatingly impacted by the shuttering of the entertainment business. Here are my impressions from going a few weeks ago.

For a time-limited exhibition like this, I thought the layout and design was excellent. The exhibit aims to teach the observer about the work and design elements going behind these elaborate costumes, while giving the opportunity to see the details of the costumes up close.

Here you see costumes from the Broadway productions of The Cher Show (Bob Mackie), Side Show (a particularly challenging costume) and Six (which was going to have opening night on the very evening that Broadway was shuttered).

Disney productions are represented here: Aladdin, The Lion King, and Frozen.

Wicked – it’s interesting to see Elphaba’s costume up close and see that it is not a matte black. Adding texture and some subtle color gives the dress depth on the stage.

Costumes from Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and Cursed Child (Draco Malfoy).

Hamilton! I was fortunate to be able to go backstage before pandemic and see some of these costumes up close then. Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda asked for Alexander Hamilton’s costume to be “the color of money” and after several tries this iconic green silk was confirmed. Being able to make the ensemble’s costumes able to dance in – without looking like stretchy dance clothes -is a particular challenge for most Broadway costumers.

I have also been backstage at Phantom and seen the costumes at close range. For solid black or white costumes like these for the Phantom and Christine, texture and small variations in color are used to keep them from appearing flat from the audience.

Costumes from non-Broadway productions were also highlighted. Here you see costumes from a cruise ship, from the circus, for a Broadway Cares production, from dance, and the iconic costume the Radio City Rockettes wear in the March of the Wooden Soldiers.

The exhibit also highlights the importance of cleaning and caring for costumes, with many from films being preserved since, unlike on Broadway where costumes wear through and are replaced constantly, a film is limited in time and requires fewer repairs or replacement of the costumes.

The exhibit ends on a positive note, with Broadway reopening happening on a rolling basis throughout the fall.If you are able to see the costume exhibit, it may improve your enjoyment of the costumes you see from your seat as you return to a Broadway theatre!

Up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

The Statue of Liberty, given to the United States by France as a gift for our Centennial (statue only – we had to raise funds for a pedestal to put it on), is such an icon that it is easy to become casual about it when you live in New York City. As we approach Independence Day, I will share what it was like recently to go all the way up to the crown of the Statue. Personally, I don’t think it is possible to be unimpressed when up close and personal with this magnificent symbol.

Before launching into a description of what it was like, let me first explain that going up to the crown is not the standard trip to Liberty Island.  The basic concept is explained here on the National Parks Services site: tickets must be bought in advance on the Statue Cruises website, limit four tickets, must show ID when checking in that matches names given at time of booking, all bags must be put in a locker before going up, and must be able to handle 162 small and tight steps on a spiral staircase. I will add that this isn’t a last minute decision – looking at the reservation system now at the end of June, the first ticket available is for midweek end of September, and to get a weekend ticket you would need to wait until November.

 

 

Checking in at Battery Park was a fairly simple process, although there is airport-style security that adds some time. You are recommended to check in and get your tickets no later than 45 minutes before the time listed on your reservation, since you need to get the ticket, go through security, and get to Liberty Island via boat. If you have the crown access, you are given a special wristband.

 

 

Once on Liberty Island, it is easy to find your way to access to the pedestal (included with crown access, of course, and what most visitors have). Before entering the Statue, you need to put everything except your camera/phone in a locker (25 cents to rent, and there is a change machine there).

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Once you have passed the pedestal, there are guards to check that you have the crown access wristband. The number of tickets is limited so that it shouldn’t be crowded, but my advice is that if you see a small group go in, wait a few minutes before starting the climb yourself so that you don’t end up feeling you are just looking at the people in front of you. The stairs are metal, worn with plenty of character, and a very tight spiral. Going up, I was so interested in getting to the crown that I didn’t spend too much time looking at the inside of the statue. I didn’t think it was that strenuous to get to the crown; my anticipation had been that it was going to be harder. In fact, I was less sore the next day than I had been when visiting the Vessel at Hudson Yards.

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Once you are in the crown, it is immediately apparent why this is something worth doing! The crown area is quite small, and there are two park rangers (remember, the Statue of Liberty is a National Park) there to answer your questions. When I was up there, most of the time it was just my daughter and myself plus the two park rangers, but eventually a family with two small children came – and that was about the maximum comfortable capacity. The views are hard to comprehend – that is her arm raised to hold the torch, folds of fabric sculpted in copper; that is lower Manhattan including One World Trade; these windows are the curves of her crown and those are the points of it, etc. To think of what the view from this crown would have been a century or more ago and all the changes in these views over time, and yet the experience of looking out from inside her crown is the same as what people have experienced for over 100 years – it’s sobering and thrilling at the same time.

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There is no air conditioning in the crown or inside the statue while climbing the steps. I went in the spring on a cool day, and even then it got a little hot and stuffy. The park rangers said the heat of the summer, intensified by sun baking the copper statue, can be even dangerous – people have passed out. I asked about views when the weather is bad, because that is one of the disadvantages of having to book your tickets so far out – what if it is raining, or foggy (I lucked out and it was a very clear day). The rangers, being there all throughout the year and in all kinds of weather, said there are interesting experiences to be had regardless. In the rain, the sound inside the statue is apparently not unlike being in a house with a tin roof. Heavy snow, they said, makes a soft pounding sound inside the statue. When the wind is high, you can feel the statue sway and hear the whistles and moans made by the air rushing in all the little holes and gaps in the statue. And while you might not be able to see over to lower Manhattan if it’s fogged in, they noted that there is a ghostly beauty involved in sitting inside a cloud inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty! Summer time is peak tourist time, as well as having the worst heating danger, so if you decide to do this and have flexibility, pick another time of the year.

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Heading down, you can see the steps that lead up to the torch, inaccessible to anyone other than maintenance workers on occasion.

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Going down, I took more time to really look at the inside of the statue, the folds of her robe, the rivets and metal supports that hold her together. There was a place where the steps were very close to the inside of the statue, and I reached out and touched the copper (only two pennies thick!) of the statue itself.

 

 

Going down, we did get out and go around the pedestal, which gives some great views of the statue.

 

 

When I went in the spring, it was just before the new museum on Liberty Island had opened, so there was only a smaller display about the history of the statue than is now available at the museum.

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On the way back, the Statue Cruises vessel stops at Ellis Island.

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The views of lower Manhattan when heading back are lovely (on the way there, you tend to focus on the statue!).

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Since going, I have found myself getting philosophical about my time inside the statue, looking out. Like the United States, the Statue of Liberty appears to be unified and all of one piece from a distance but once closer, you can see that she is made of many pieces, joined together. There are gaps between some of the pieces, but these make her stronger –  so that she can sway under the stress of heavy wind rather than break. The thinness of her skin and the piecing together of her structure actually make her tougher, not weaker. Similarly, I think about this country, made completely of immigrants other than the native descendants still here; one nation seen from a distance, yet made up of so many pieces. In these days when immigration is seen as a political issue of “us versus them” rather than as a fundamental part of what makes this country what it is, let’s hope we can find a way to sway in the turbulent political winds that are blowing, rather than toppling.

Thoughts on the 2019 Tony Nominations

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

Although I earn my living selling residential real estate in New York City, my unpaid second job might be called “patron of the arts” as I absolutely love experiencing the rich cultural offerings that exist in this city. A particular passion is Broadway theatre – so much so that when I moved after decades living on the Upper East Side, I chose Midtown West in part because of the proximity to the Theatre District. I see so many shows that I am often asked my advice on what to see by those who know me. I go to shows to enjoy them, not to be a critic, and it is extremely rare for me to think after seeing something that I would have been better off staying home. That being said, I do end up forming opinions, and sometime pretty strong ones, so it is always enjoyable to weigh in on the Tony Award nominations.

Best Play
Choir Boy
The Ferryman
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ink
What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Play is overshadowed by the absence of the play many thought would vie with The Ferryman for the win but ended up not even being nominated: To Kill A Mockingbird. There is speculation that the snub was directed toward the producers for some of the controversy associated with the handling of rights, which I have no insider info about and won’t speculate upon. However, I will say that this has been an exceptionally strong year for new plays, and all five of these are excellent. However, there is only one I have seen twice: The Ferryman. Epic and yet somehow still intimate in scope, I found it extraordinary.

Best Musical
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie

A good year for new musicals. Although I enjoyed Beetlejuice I probably wouldn’t have included it (personally I would have added Head Over Heels which I adored). I think The Prom and Ain’t Too Proud both have a chance of winning, but if it were up to me there is no question that I would go with Hadestown. I’ve been telling people to go see it since before it opened, based on my experience when it was Off-Broadway several years ago. However, after time spent in Canadian and London productions, it came to Broadway in spectacular form and is my favorite musical since Hamilton. I’ve seen in three times in previews (once from balcony, once from mezzanine, once from orchestra) and already have a date to see it again this summer.

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
The Boys in the Band
Burn This
Torch Song
The Waverly Gallery

A good year for play revivals. I would probably go with The Boys in the Band here, which was a limited engagement so no longer on Broadway but will be on Netflix with the entire cast from this revival, so keep an eye out for that.

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Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

This was a strange year in that only two musical revivals opened on Broadway this year, and both are nominated. They could not be more different: Kate was tweaked to make the story somewhat less offensive, but Oklahoma! was completely transformed without changing a single word or note. This version is divisive and seems to be a “love it or hate it” production since the tone and sound is so different from what some expect. I saw it at St. Ann’s and again on Broadway, and hope (and expect) it to win this category.

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Best Book of a Musical
Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations, Dominique Morisseau
Beetlejuice, Scott Brown & Anthony King
Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom, Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Tootsie, Robert Horn

It’s possible Tootsie will win this category, but my vote would go to Hadestown.

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Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Be More Chill, Music & Lyrics: Joe Iconis
Beetlejuice, Music & Lyrics: Eddie Perfect
Hadestown, Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom, Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics: Chad Beguelin
To Kill a Mockingbird, Music: Adam Guettel
Tootsie, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

A few things to note in this category: TKAM was nominated for its incidental music in a play, very unusual. Also, this is the only nod to Be More Chill which has been a YouTube and Off-Broadway sensation but which has struggled to fit in on Broadway. I will be shocked if Mitchell doesn’t win this for Hadestown, and well deserved.

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

This is probably between Cranston and Daniels, and my guess is that Daniels will win. He has a difficult job playing Atticus, an iconic and yet paternalistic character while somehow also managing to signal an awareness of the paternalism. Cranston was the best part of Network, so it’s possible he could win. My sentimental favorite to win, though is Jeremy Pope in Choir Boy, a fantastic performance (and his Broadway debut!) that I will never forget.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Such a tough category! I have no idea who will win here. It could go to May for her terrific performance, to Donnelly for reprising the role for which she won the Olivier, for Metcalf for once again showing that she commands the stage in any role she takes on, or Schreck (unlikely, but perhaps a way to signal approval for the play itself which will likely not win). Who would I vote for? Metcalf, for becoming Hillary – or at least Hillary as we imagine her – without in any way doing an impersonation.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie

A solid group. I suspect Fontana might win this for his dual role of Michael/Dorothy in Tootsie (and it is impressive, in that even his singing voice is different as Dorothy). If I had a vote, it would be difficult, but I might go with Ashmanskas in The Prom.

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

I suspect SJB has his one sewn up, not only for this role but for all the terrific work she has done over the years. I would probably vote for her, too, but it’s a tough category for me.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel, Ink
Robin de Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons

This might be the most competitive category this year – I can see any one of the five nominees winning. A difficult decision for me to cast my imaginary vote, but I will go with Glick in TKAM.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear

I think this category is between Keenan-Bolger in TKAM and White in Gary, but I believe the two women in Gary might split the vote. I would go for Keenan-Bolger, as playing the iconic role of Scout, a child, as an adult has to be difficult and yet she was able to completely inhabit that role in a very natural way.

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
André De Shields, Hadestown
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations

Such a tough category! Here is Jeremy Pope, being nominated in a musical category as well as best actor in a play, which is highly unusual. You have two pairs competing against each other in the same show. I think a major absence in this category is Patrick Vaill’s Jud in Oklahoma!, which I thought was exceptional. For me this comes down to two excellent performances in Hadestown by De Shields and Page. I would be thrilled with a tie, as both of them are absolutely riveting in the show. If I had to cast a vote, I would tip toward De Shields because he simply owns the stage with the smallest gestures  – when have you seen someone get applause for unbuttoning a jacket?

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

This is probably between Gray in Hadestown and Stroker in Oklahoma! Although both are wonderful performances, Gray’s is exceptional and arguably a leading role. I am hoping to see her win this one.

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Five powerhouses of directing! All male, but hopefully the industry is slowing breaking down that monopoly. All five were masterfully directed, but my vote would go for Sher.

Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom

I suspect this category will come down to Chavkin for Hadestown or Fish for Oklahoma! I am hoping to see Chavkin win this – I thought she also deserved the win for Great Comet a few years ago.

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The Tony Awards will be shown live on CBS Sunday, June 9th, starting at 8PM, and you can bet I will be watching! If you want to throw a Tony party, the official site has some fun downloads, including ballots to fill out, Tony Award bingo cards, and such (you can find that here). I’m interested in your opinions, too, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any comments or disagreements (!) and I’ll see you at the theatre . . .

It’s terrace season!

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

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Gorgeous view of midtown Manhattan from a private rooftop terrace on the Upper West Side

I have recently been working with several buyers who either require private outdoor space, or have been lucky enough to find it included in an apartment they love for other reasons. Spring and summer are definitely “terrace season,” as outdoor space takes on a special appeal on sunny, warm days. In fact, one buyer I was working with lost out in a bidding war on an apartment with a large terrace directly facing Central Park, after months of little interest while it was listing during the winter. The listing broker even told me that we would have definitely gotten the apartment if we had been bidding the same amount back in the cold and gloomy months of January and February, but in late March/early April, the same apartment had a much broader appeal.

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A peek into a Beekman Place private terrace from a terrace at Southgate

Other buyers of mine, while not looking specifically for an apartment with outdoor space, found one with two large terraces, one with East River views, and fell in love. I have written before about the value of a view of nature from an apartment, as well as the value of a city view, and those intangible emotional benefits are heightened when the view is not contained behind glass, but rather experienced while also taking in the information obtained from other senses. To be on a terrace and seeing the East River, while also feeling a warm breeze, smelling the flowers you have placed in planters, and hearing the sounds of the city, is to be immersed in the experience.

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Ready for an al fresco dining experience in midtown Manhattan

There are multiple types of outdoor space, and some people have strong preferences for one type over the other, while others just want any opportunity to experience the outdoors from within their home. The least versatile is a Juliet balcony – enough to step outside and check the temperature or take in a few deep breaths of the summer air after a storm, but not enough to even place a chair. Larger than that are balconies, commonly boxy squares in postwar apartments, often with enough space for a few chairs and a table. The larger outdoor spaces tend to be true terraces (outdoor space with the building underneath it instead of something jutting from the building) or private gardens. Gardens tend to be most common in townhouses, or in the garden level apartments in converted townhomes or brownstones. Garden level apartments have the disadvantage of not being the sunniest apartments, with some exceptions, but for people who like the idea of children or pets playing in a ground-level garden, they can be highly valued. Large terraces are perhaps the most prized outdoor spaces, and relatively rare. A terrace with an iconic view – of Central Park, of a river, or a spectacular city view – can greatly increase the value of an apartment.

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A look at several of the terraces in the Beekman area with a view of the East River

So how much does outdoor space affect the value of an apartment, if you have one – or how much more do you have to pay to get a place if outdoor space is a priority to you? As with everything else in NYC real estate, it depends upon so many variables – the location, the apartment itself, whether the building is a condo or a coop, walk-up or elevator, etc., etc. However, the value of outdoor space is often about 25-50% of the apartment’s price per square foot – higher if the terrace has a great view or is attached to a spectacular apartment, lower if it is on a lower floor or attached to a small apartment.

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Even on an overcast day, it’s a killer view from this private terrace on Central Park South

The most valuable outdoor space is the very one my buyer lost out on this spring – unobstructed views of Central Park (enough to increase the value of an apartment by 50% even from park-facing windows with no outdoor space) from a large terrace. Is outdoor space worth such an increase in price? As with so many other aspects of NYC real estate, that is up to you – for some, they may feel that they wouldn’t really use outdoor space and don’t want to spend the extra money, while for others, outdoor space is the most important aspect of their home search and they won’t consider a place without it. What I have learned this spring, though, is that timing is extremely important. If I am representing a seller who has an apartment with outdoor space, I would strongly recommend trying to list during the warm weather months if at all possible. Conversely, if looking to purchase an apartment with outdoor space, jumping on something during the winter can lead to a relative bargain compared to getting into a bidding war when the outdoor space is showing at its best. If you are interested in buying a home in NYC with outdoor space, or if you have one to sell, feel free to contact me (with no obligation) at julie.brannan@compass.com.