TIFFANY Christmas Window Display

This year's Christmas window display at TIFFANY, located at 727 Fifth Avenue on the corner of 57th Street. I made these photos last November 28, 2008.

SIDEWALK SANTAS roam the streets of Manhattan to support VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

On November 28, I got carried away taking photos of the Sidewalk Santas as they took to the streets of Manhattan to raise money for Volunteers of America while bringing the holiday cheer to New Yorkers and tourists. 

From the official website of Volunteers of America:

Sidewalk Santa is first introduced in Los Angeles during the balmy winter of 1900. According to historical records, the five original Sidewalk Santas are hauled off to jail and booked for creating a nuisance. A public outcry ensues and the Santas are released. They go on to raise some $800 for Christmas dinners for the poor, far exceeding their goal of $500.

In short order, Sidewalk Santa begins to appear across the country, arriving in New York City in 1902. The tradition of Sidewalk Santa carries on as it has for 108 years…with the hope of helping more homeless and homebound New Yorkers than ever before. Be on the lookout for the chimneys of our signature bell-ringing Santas throughout this holiday season! 

Volunteers of America: 
Serving People and Communities for Over 100 Years 
Founded in New York City in 1896, Volunteers of America is one of the nation's oldest and largest faith-based human service organizations, with a presence in more than 200 cities nationwide, serving more than 1,800,000 people each year. Volunteers of America-Greater New York is the largest affiliate of the national organization, with close to 70 programs in the Greater New York area including the Mid-Hudson Valley region, Northern New Jersey and Southwestern Connecticut. Volunteers of America is one of the largest private providers of services to the homeless in the area.

We are an efficiently run organization, with an operating budget of approximately $90 million, and more than 90 cents of every dollar going directly to client care. Volunteers of America is at the forefront of social service - helping adults and children with special needs reach their full potential, and helping troubled individuals leave homelessness, addiction, untreated mental illness and intergenerational poverty behind for good. Our award-winning programs, skilled and dedicated staff, and caring volunteers bring relief to tens of thousands of people each year in desperate need of help.

PAROL, Philippine Christmas Lanterns

The traditional Philippine lanterns called PAROL adorn the Philipine Center on Fifth Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets. The term "parol" is derived from the Spanish word "farol" which means lantern.

From wikipedia:

Parols are ornamental star-like Christmas lanterns from the Philippines. They are traditionally made out of bamboo and paper and comes in various sizes, shapes and designs, however its star-shape façade and basic design remains dominant. Its shape is said to be inspired by the star on the Nativity of Jesus that guided the Magi to the manger. It also symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and the Filipinos' hope and goodwill during the Christmas season. The Parol, technically called Philippine Christmas lantern, was adapted from the Chinese lantern and the Mexican piñata to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. Patterns of the parol evolved from the five-pointed star-shaped paper lantern that was crafted by an artisan named Francisco Estanislao in 1928. His creation was made of bamboo strips pasted with papel de japon (Japanese paper), illuminated by a candle or kalburo (carbide). This kind of lighting was adapted by barrio folks to light their paths during an annual ritual dawn Mass called Misa de Gallo, due to electricity being unavailable at the time.

Jean Dubuffet's "Welcome Parade" sculpture at 590 Madison Avenue Atrium

JEAN DUBUFFET's monumental sculpture called "WELCOME PARADE" is now on display at the indoor public sculpture garden of the Atrium at 590 Madison Avenue facing 56th Street. I made these images last Saturday, December 6th. Dubuffet (July 31, 1901 - May 12, 1985) was one of the most famous French painters and sculptors of the second half of the 20th century.

From wikipedia:

Dubuffet was born in Le Havre. He moved to Paris in 1918 to study painting at the Académie Julian, but after six months he left the Académie to study independently. In 1924, doubting the value of art, he stopped painting and took over his father's business selling wine. He took up painting again in the 1930s, but again stopped, only turning to art for good in 1942. His first solo show came in 1944. He approached the surrealist group in 1948, then the College of Pataphysique in 1954.

Influenced by Hans Prinzhorn's book Artistry of the Mentally Ill, Dubuffet coined the term Art Brut (outsider art) for art produced by non-professionals working outside aesthetic norms, such as art by mental patients, prisoners, and children. He amassed his own collection of such art, including artists such as Aloïse Corbaz and Adolf Wölfli. The collection is now housed at the Musée de l'Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dubuffet sought to create an art as free from intellectual concerns as Art Brut, and his work often appears primitive and child-like.

Many of Dubuffet's works are painted in oil paint using an impasto thickened by materials such as sand, tar and straw, giving the work an unusually textured surface. From 1962 he produced a series of works in which he limited himself to the colours red, white, black, and blue. Towards the end of the 1960s he turned increasingly to sculpture, producing works in polystyrene which he then painted with vinyl paint.

In late 1960-1961, Dubuffet began experimenting with music and sound and made several recordings with the Danish painter Asger Jorn.

In 1978 Dubuffet collaborated with American composer and musician Jasun Martz to create the record album artwork for Martz's avant-garde symphony entitled The Pillory. The much written about drawing has been reproduced internationally in three different editions on tens-of-thousands of record albums and compact discs. A detail of the drawing is also featured on Martz's second symphony (2005), The Pillory/The Battle, performed by The Intercontinental Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Choir.

" Scratched and trowelled in their mudlike pigment, their outlines scrawled in a sophisticated parody of the hasty gential urgency of street graffiti, Dubuffet's cruel portraits of French intellectuals and writers in the 1940s go beyond caricature; they are pathetic monsters. " 

"People Power" for 2009: the Duracell Power Lodge

Last Saturday, I visited the DURACELL POWER LODGE in Times Square and hopped on one of the snowmobikes and pedaled to generate power. The energy generated will be used to fill batteries and power the iconic numerals 2-0-0-9 that light up as the New Year's Ball drops and the clock strikes midnight. The Power Lodge is located on Broadway, between 45th and 46th Streets.

From Marketwatch.com:

To capture the energy needed to illuminate "2009," Duracell is inviting guests to the Duracell Power Lodge at the Charmin Restrooms in Times Square to hop on a snowmobike to generate power. The snowmobikes operate through rotary technology, capturing energy through the spinning wheel when the bike is pedaled. From there, power is routed into the Duracell Battery Center where it will be stored until New Year's Eve and trusted to light the night's most important moment.

"At Duracell we are always looking for new and innovative ways to store energy for consumers to power their important moments," said Rick June, vice president and general manager, North America. "The Duracell Power Lodge is a giant example of the work we do every day. This time the battery is bigger and we're storing people power to light up the 2009 display when the world famous New Year's Ball drops in Times Square at midnight. Our guests in New York will truly be powering the New Year with Duracell."

In addition to lighting up the New Year, visitors to the Duracell Power Lodge will be able to recharge from the holiday hustle and bustle with a variety of entertainment activities. The Duracell Recharge Rest Stop allows visitors to plug-in and charge their personal entertainment and digital devices -- including digital cameras, cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPods, MP3 players and gaming devices -- by using Duracell power stations. Families will enjoy fun, interactive activities courtesy of Duracell and partners Nintendo and Mattel. Kids can enjoy multiple Wii stations and an early look at some of the hottest toys of the season, including Mattel's D-Rex Interactive Dinosaur.

The Duracell Power Lodge is being held in conjunction with the annual Charmin Restrooms in Times Square. For the third consecutive year, the Charmin Restrooms have returned to Times Square and the Duracell addition adds up to 2 floors of fun: the first for "relief" where tourists and New Yorkers alike can further enjoy the ultimate bathroom experience and the second where visitors can "recharge" their devices and their holiday spirit.

Harnessing Holiday Energy -- How It Works

More than 200 pedal hours are needed to power "2009" on New Year's Eve. Six snowmobikes, operating through rotary technology, will be on-site at the Duracell Power Lodge and available to visitors. As consumers begin to pedal, energy is captured through the wheel. The amount of energy captured is determined by the power, speed and length of the cycling. Duracell's capture and storage system is uniquely configured to harness the energy exerted while pedaling and convert it to power as it travels from the snowmobike to the Duracell Battery Center. The power will be transferred from the Duracell Power Lodge to One Times Square prior to December 31st in preparation for the New Year's Eve Ball drop festivities.

The Duracell Power Lodge and Charmin Restrooms are open now through December 31st from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. They are located at 1540 Broadway in Times Square between West 45th and West 46th Streets. The Power Lodge and Restrooms will close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day. In addition, this year, the Charmin Restrooms will also be open on New Year's Eve from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m., offering the crowd of millions in Times Square a safe and accessible bathroom haven after the 2009 Ball drops.

@ the Stagedoor: KATIE HOLMES, JOHN LITHGOW and PATRICK WILSON from Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS

Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes

John Lithgow

Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson

Yesterday afternoon at the stagedoor of the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, theater fans got to meet and get autographs from the cast of the new revival of the ARTHUR MILLER play, ALL MY SONS. This Broadway revival stars JOHN LITHGOW, DIANNE WEIST, PATRICK WILSON and KATIE HOLMES. The play is an electrifying drama of family conflict, patriotic duty and personal greed, set in the aftermath of World War II. 

Review from the New York Times (Ben Brantley):

There are four names above the title in the ads for the baleful new Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” Three of them are reasonably well known to regular theater- and moviegoers (John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson), and one is very well known to readers of celebrity tabloids (Katie Holmes). But don’t be misled into thinking that these high-profile performers are the stars of the show. 

Though his face is never seen in the production that opened Thursday night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, the British director Simon McBurney might as well be downstage center at all times, stealing each and every scene from his human props. Mr. McBurney, justly celebrated for his brilliant work as the leader of the experimental London company Complicite, is a conceptual theater artist who has never had much use for straightforward, naturalistic acting. And woe betide the thespian who cannot dance to this godlike auteur’s music.

You might wonder why I’m talking like a half-baked imitation of classic tragedy. It is not, as it happens, an inappropriate tone for discussing this intriguing but disconnected interpretation of the 1947 play that made Miller famous. Mr. McBurney has staged Miller’s tale of a self-deluding, guilt-crippled American family with the ritualistic formality and sense of inexorability of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Would that he could summon the primal power associated with those ancients.

It’s not as if Arthur Miller and Greek tragedy have never been seen in the same sentence before. On the contrary, assessing this dramatist’s works according to Aristotle’s “Poetics” has been the province of high school English students as well as scholars and critics since Miller’s 1949 essay “Tragedy and the Common Man” (first published in The New York Times), in which he defended the average Joe’s potential as a character of self-sacrificing heroism.

But to bring out this aspect of the play as literally as Mr. McBurney does is to underline not only what’s obvious but also what’s awkward in a work that relies heavily on mechanical plotting and bald speechifying. And to transform its characters into archetypal puppets of destiny is to deprive actors of the chance to create richly human portraits.

I have seen such portraiture in revivals of “All My Sons” from the Roundabout Theater Company (in 1997) and in particular at the National Theater in London (in 2000), productions that had much of the audience in tears. The preview performance I saw of this one left me stone cold, despite some electric moments from a very fine Mr. Lithgow and Mr. Wilson. The very different leading actresses — the stage veteran Ms. Wiest and the neophyte Ms. Holmes, in her Broadway debut — are sad casualties of Mr. McBurney’s high-concept approach. (My companion at the theater, finding herself dry-eyed at the final curtain, asked, “Is there something wrong with my emotional acuity?”)

It’s understandable that producers would think this is an auspicious time to revive “All My Sons,” a heartfelt condemnation of capitalist greed and its concomitant lack of moral responsibility. The plot centers on Joe Keller (Mr. Lithgow), a businessman whose factory was responsible for sending faulty airplane parts overseas, leading to the deaths of American servicemen during World War II. It was Joe’s partner who went to prison for the crime, and now the jailed man’s daughter, Ann Deever (Ms. Holmes), has returned to visit the Kellers.

Once engaged to Joe’s younger son, Larry, a pilot who had gone missing several years earlier on a mission, Ann has been corresponding with Larry’s brother, Chris (Mr. Wilson), and it looks as if a new romance is blooming. This is not to the liking of Kate Keller (Ms. Wiest), who refuses to concede the possibility that Larry is dead. It isn’t just a mother’s possessive love that has brought her to this state of fanatical denial; there are more far-reaching reasons, which emerge in a climactic night of reckoning.

In any production of “All My Sons” a certain unease will be evident from the beginning. But the play’s force lies in Miller’s portrayal of how its characters come to identify and reckon with the sources of this unease, as what initially appears as a sunny small-town idyll turns dark and stormy.

Mr. McBurney’s production, which consistently highlights the implicit in thick strokes, begins with the cast filing onto the set. An actor (Mr. Lithgow) announces the title and author of the play and reads from the script’s directions, à la the stage manager in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.”

Mr. McBurney sustains this particular distancing device by having the ensemble members sit, within our view, on the sidelines. The production has other ways of reminding us that what we’re watching is a sort of mythic (and artificial) theatrical rite. Tom Pye’s set is a rectangle of green, green grass, with a screen door in the middle, behind which hovers a ghostly Magritte-like image of a house.

Words announcing changes of scene are projected, as is video footage portraying factory assembly lines, soldiers at war and, for the conclusion, that vast sea of humanity (embodied by a contemporary street crowd) whom we must acknowledge as our responsibility. (The projection design is by Finn Ross for Mesmer.)

The leading performers make their entrances and exits glacially, in robotic profile, across the back of the stage. When they speak, they often find themselves competing with anxious, portentous music, which might as well be a floating road sign marked “Doom Ahead.”

Finding a stylized acting approach that matches the dark-gray atmosphere isn’t easy, and few of the cast members succeed. Most of them appear to have been encouraged to go for the sinister, whether the scene asks for it or not. Damian Young, as the Kellers’ neighbor, a disenchanted doctor, and Christian Camargo, as Ann’s angry brother, deliver their big monologues with the half-mad intensity of supporting players in a Vincent Price movie.

Ms. Wiest assumes a glazed demeanor and reproachful stare, becoming Joe’s conscience incarnate or a Cassandra according to Norman Rockwell. (She drops her g’s, Sarah Palin style, to convey Kate’s hometown folksiness.) And while Ann is supposed to arrive at the Keller household with high hopes and good intentions, Ms. Holmes delivers most of her lines with meaningful asperity, italicizing every word. This Ann is straight from the school of the Erinyes (those avenging furies from Greek mythology), and I didn’t believe for a second that she really loved the honorable, naïve Chris.

Mr. Wilson and Mr. Lithgow, actors of strong and confident naturalism, come off better, especially in their scenes with each other. In Joe and Chris’s big Oedipal showdown in the second act, these actors powerfully evoke those painful moments when a family quarrel can feel like an earthquake.

It’s the only scene where Mr. McBurney’s shaping concept feels fully justified, where you see how the production might have worked. Mostly this vaunting interpretation falls into that same limbo between intention and execution where so many of Miller’s baffled American souls find themselves.