STARS OF HOPE ON FIFTH - Capiz Shell Christmas Lantern (Parol) Display at the Philippine Center

To welcome the holidays with hope, faith and optimism in true Filipino tradition, the Philippine Consulate on Fifth Avenue launched yesterday the "STARS OF HOPE ON FIFTH," a dazzling Christmas window display. Conceptualized by Filipino-American designer BRIAN TENORIO, the project features Philippine capiz-shell lanterns (parols), the iconic symbol of a Filipino Christmas. The "parol" represents the star of Bethlehem, and is hung to welcome visitors into every home. Capiz is the outer shell of the marine mollusk, Placuna placenta, found in the shallow coastal waters of the Philippines. The flat, translucent shell is used for a variety of decorative items. The Philippine Center, located at 556 Fifth Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets, is adorned with lanterns owned by the Center, as well as colorful pieces loaned by members of the Filipino community. The pretty holiday lanterns will be lit every evening until January 8.

Bergdorf Goodman Christmas Holiday Window Display 2009: A COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES

Reflected Serenades and Meticulous Metronomes. Every surface is mirrored, including ceiling and floor. Mirrored lion and unicorn stand guard.

Potions Imbibed and Perspective Rearranged. A myriad of miniature staircases form a mind-bending backdrop. The girl reappears several times, miniaturized to fit each room.

Improbable Lodgings and Feline Mischief. A miniature Victorian mansion, complete with white rabbit tenant. A Cheshire cat observes from the wings.

Afternoon Amusements and Sovereign Gambits. A bird's-eyeview of a tea party in progress, with Bridge, Chess and Backgammon providing diversion for a quartet of Royals.

Illogical Lexicons and Convivial Characters. This window is made entirely of paper, including the architectural trimmings and furniture.

This year's BERGDORF GOODMAN holiday window display is entitled A COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES. It features a wild cast of characters, tinged with op-art and references to M.C. Escher, paradoxical points of view, vintage Victoriana, laced with Lewis Carroll "Alice" books. (information from the BG website).

PAOLO MONTALBAN and BROADWAY BARKADA Offer A Special Typhoon Benefit Concert At The Philippine Center

Filipino American artist PAOLO MONTALBAN, best known for his performance as the Prince in ABC/Disney's "Cinderella", together with BROADWAY BARKADA, performed last night at the Philippine Center's Kalayaan Hall for a special benefit concert for the victims of typhoons "Ondoy and Pepeng" in the Philippines. "Broadway Barkada" is a collective of Filipino theater artists using their talents to affect change in the lives of those in need. Mr. Montalban was last seen on Broadway in the revivals of "Pacific Overtures" and "The King and I." Other performers included Alan Ariano, Marc Delacruz, Olivia Oguma, Enrico Rodriguez, Joanne Javien, Brian Jose, Lumi Bustamante, Romney Piamonte, Loresa Carreon Lanceta, JP Moraga, Jonelle Margallo, Leanne Cabrera, Liz Casasola, Jaygee Macapugay, Sacha Iskra, Mel Maghuyop and Billy Bustamante. Wearing barkada(ko) t-shirts, the theater artists performed pop music hits and classic Tagalog ballads. Some musical numbers were accompanied by screen projection of images from the flooding in the Philippines, as well as photos taken during the cocktail reception prior to the concert. The intimate concert was directed by Billy Bustamante, under the musical direction by Devin Ilaw, who also sang, played the piano and violin. Proceeds from the concert, coursed through the Ayala Foundation-USA, will provide relief and rehabilitation to various victims of the typhoon including families, students and small businesses. The Philippine Center is located at 556 Fifth Avenue (between 45th and 46th Streets).

Abstract Paintings by GERHARD RICHTER at the Marian Goodman Gallery

These are some of the beautiful paintings by GERHARD RICHTER currently on exhibit at the Marian Goodman Gallery until January 9, 2010.  Gerhard Richter was born in Dresden in the former German Democratic Republic in 1932, where he lived until 1961, studying first at the Kunstakademie, Dresden from 1951-1956, and then, after leaving for the West (in 1961), at the Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf, from 1961-1963. He has been the recipient of numerous distinguished awards, including the Staatspreis of the State Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf, in 2000; the Wexner Prize, 1998; the Praemium Imperiale Award, Japan, 1997; the Golden Lion of the 47th Biennale, Venice, 1997; the Wolf Prize in Israel in 1994/5; the Kaiserring Prize der Stadt Goslar, Mönchehaus-Museum für Moderne Kunst, Goslar, Germany, 1988; the Oskar Kokoschka Prize, Vienna, 1985; the Arnold Bode Prize, Kassel, 1981; and the Junger Western Art Prize, Germany, 1961. 

"Richter's deployment of texture, structure, and gesture in painting deliberately suspends itself between scientific and expressive conceptions of painterly process. It is oscillating with the same deliberation, between painting as an act and painting as an accident, between composition as a result of mere chance encounters of materials and structures, and composition as the tracing of a subject's residual intentionality." (B. Buchloh, in Gerhard Richter: Large Abstracts, Hatje Cantz, 2008). 

The Marian Goodman Gallery is located at 24 West 57th Street.

The Christmas Tree at Bloomberg Tower

One of the many beautiful Christmas Trees in Manhattan is in the courtyard of the Bloomberg Tower. Although not as popular as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which will be lit tonight for the first time this season, the Bloomberg holiday tree is just as gorgeous. The tree stands 40 feet and is decorated with 70,000 LED's and 30 floating stars, with 21 decorative trees around the base. One Beacon Court, also called the Bloomberg Tower, is a skyscraper on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. The Tower houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. and many establishments including restaurants, Citigroup, retail outlets and an upscale residential portion. It is located at 731 Lexington Avenue between East 58th and 59th Streets.

@ the Stagedoor: CATHERINE ZETA-JONES and the Cast of the New Broadway Revival of "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC"

Hunter Ryan Herdlicka

Photos taken at the stagedoor of the WALTER KERR THEATRE, home of the new Broadway revival of the SONDHEIM and WHEELER's landmark musical, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (November 29, 2009). The stunningly beautiful CATHERINE ZETA-JONES heads the cast of the revival, together with ANGELA LANSBURY.  Ms. Zeta-Jones is a Welsh actress currently based in the United States. She won an Academy Award for portraying Velma Kelly in the 2002 film adaptation of the musical CHICAGO.