Inside The Lion King: A Pop-Up Exhibit Celebrating The Landmark Musical's 15th Year On Broadway

To kick off the 15th anniversary celebration of the hit Broadway musical, The Lion King, a pop-up exhibit opened yesterday at the 5,000 square foot venue located at the southwest corner of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue across from Bryant Park. Dubbed "Inside The Lion King," the exhibition showcases artifacts from the show, including a 17-foot ostrich puppet, Madame Tussaud's wax portraits of Rafiki and Scar, elaborate costumes and miniatures, early concepts materials and sketches, as well as the Tony Award trophy won by the show for Best Musical in 1998. Disney's teaching artists will also be on hand for a series of kid-friendly workshops: "Storytelling" (Dec 8) will give tots an inside look into the playwriting process; "Music" (Dec 9) explores the sounds of the savannah and the techniques used to mimic them on stage; "Movement" (Dec 15) teaches kids choreography from the show and "Design" (Dec 16) explains the artistry behind the show and gives participants the chance to create an original mask. All workshops will take place at 10:30 AM and 3 PM. The exhibit is free and open to the public  from 10 AM-8 PM daily. The exhibit runs through December 16. A creation of Julie Taymor, The Lion King opened on Broadway in November 1997 and continues to be one of the most popular shows on Broadway. It plays the Minskoff Theatre located at 200 West 45th Street.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Exhibits Katharine Hepburns' Costumes for Stage and Film

The costumes of Katharine Hepburn, an icon of theater, film and fashion are currently on exhibit at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The exhibition, dubbed "Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen" includes over 40 costumes and clothing items from Hepburn’s personal collection. Organized by Kent State University Museum, the exhibition is at  the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery from October 18, 2012 thru January 12, 2013. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza. Admission is free. 

“Katharine Hepburn is one of the giants in the history of the performing arts,” said Jacqueline Z. Davis, Barbara G. and Lawrence A. Fleishman Executive Director of NYPL for the Performing Arts. “For her, creating a fully realized character went way beyond the words in the script. She realized the importance that her costume would have in not only defining her character but also drawing the audience into the story. This wonderful exhibition highlights this pivotal skill of a master performer.”

“What women wear today has been immeasurably influenced by Katharine Hepburn's strength of personality and insistence on wearing what she wanted,” said exhibition curator Jean Druesedow who is the Director of the Kent State University Museum. “She took charge of her career and her public image early in her career and maintained a consistent style.”

Description of the exhibition from the NYPL website:

Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen includes selections from Ms. Hepburn’s personal collection of performance clothes, featuring memorable fashion items from some of her most celebrated performances on stage and screen including: gowns from The Philadelphia Story, Adam’s Rib, and Long Day’s Journey into Night, and casual modern dress from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and On Golden Pond. Stage costumes designed for the star by preeminent designers Valentina, Howard Greer, Cecil Beaton, and Jane Greenwood and film and television costumes by Margaret Furse, Ruth Morley and Noel Taylor are on display in the exhibition. Additional insight into Hepburn’s input into the garments can be seen in the exhibition through costume research, correspondence and sketches in notebooks and scripts from the Katharine Hepburn Papers that is housed in the Billy Rose Theatre Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. 

The exhibition also includes pieces from her personal wardrobe - clothing that was worn for publicity appearances, as well as for casual and rehearsal wear - providing various examples of Hepburn’s “rebel chic” style, including seven pairs of her iconic khaki pants. The exhibition is augmented with film stills, posters and playbills that span her long and distinguished career in theater, film and television.

TDF Costume Collection in the Times Square Visitor Center and Museum

The Times Square Visitor Center and Museum offers exhibits including the Theatre Development Fund (TDF) Costume Collection, a display of costumes from famous Broadway shows. Currently on exhibit are costumes from  "Dreamgirls," "Wicked" and "Shrek the Musical." TDF is a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts. The Times Square Visitor Center is located at 7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets.

Celebrating Latin And Spanish Heritage - The 2010 Hispanic Day Parade

Hispanic New Yorkers converged on Fifth Avenue last Sunday to celebrate their heritage with the 46th Annual Hispanic Day parade. The parade stepped off at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, and made its way up to 67th Street. More than a million spectators came out to enjoy the music, dance, colorful costumes and folklore that remind them of their homelands.

"And you see all of these people from all over the world, they cherish their faith, their family. Yes they love their country of origin but they feel so much at home now. It's what America is all about and what a great thing to celebrate," said New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan.