DON’T RUSH TO SEE THE CHER SHOW – SHOULD RUN ON BROADWAY FOR YEARS!

Pop culture has given us the iconic Cher.  Broadway is giving us 6 decades of her life through three different “Chers” at the Neil Simon Theatre that commands years of running.  Tremendously energetic and empathetic, you’ve got love it.  Award winners and drag queens will “kill” to get the outfits designed by Bob Mackie.

  

Curtains up for what sounds like an overture as we see a logo variety of Chers that culminates into a vamp of If I Could Turn Back Time.  Star (Stephanie J. Block), the eldest and of what are her three life stages, is dressed in her iconic outfit with a black leather jacket. She sings and delivers a monologue to the accompanying sailors regarding the past 30 years and earning her wings.  She suddenly appears wearing wings. 

Star introduces her guest stars, Lady (Teal Wicks) and Babe (Micaela Diamond).  Lady is Cher in the mid-years if her career, while Babe is the beginning.  The two wonder how Star has stayed so young looking over the years. “Exercise. I even named my dog ‘6-miles’ so that I can say I walk 6 miles everyday.” This is just the first of Cher’s wittiness.  

Cherilyn Sarkisian Finds Her Voice – 1952 as Star introduces her youngest self and blond haired Georgia Holt (Emily Skinner), her mother.  Complaint of Cher being called “Half –Breed” because of her dark hair and Armenian father (not due to the much thought American –Indian) and yes, the song.

Cherilyn is now referred to the role of “Babe” and goes into the song, A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes.Story is that her father took a hike and left a note as Georgia sings, You Better Sit Down, Kid, telling her that the song makes her strong.  

 

We now go into the 6 decades of Cher with a whole load of songs and production numbers. Throughout the production the three Chers will get together and give advice to one of them.  Onto Babe meeting Sonny Bono (Jarrod Spector) at a night club on Sunset Strip. 

Sonny tells her, “Look, we got three things. A piano with broken yes, each other, and a philosophy” and promising that they will succeed within two years.  Babe requests a sewing machine and Sonny springs for it.  This is what must have started Cher’s iconic wardrobe.

Naming themselves “Sonny and Cher” they head for a tv studio for Tops of the Pops in 1965 to sing, I Got You, Babe, the first of many songs that he will write for her.  They get married. I have to inject that at this point Spector resembles Bono enough to get away with it. As soon as he opened his vocal cords, the audience went screaming with applause.    

Since the years have progressed, we now see Lady portraying Cher’s life as they introduce the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.  Star now enters to sing Vamp segueing into viewing a multi-mirrored fitting room with racks and racks of gorgeous outfits made by Bob Mackie portrayed by Michael Berresse.  The real nine-time Emmy award winner Bob Mackie IS the Costume Designer for The Cher Show. We now go back to Lady doing the singing as she goes into Ain’t Nobody’s Business as a duet with Mackie (the character).  

We are introduced to Sonny and Cher’s offspring. They are calling the child “Chaz” and you don’t get to know as to whether “the child” is male or female.  Lady is complaining about not getting enough time to spend with Chaz. Bono has Cher sign a contract, not realizing that he will own all of the business, even though the title is Cher Enterprises.  Negativity in the family brings the duet to singing, Living In A House Divided.  This is also around the time you’ll hear, Bang, Bang, He Shot Me Down.  Keep in mind that sometimes one, two or all three Chers will enter into a song.

It is the discussion and protest of the contract and Sonny’s bullying…”You want to go back to being that shy little nobody without me standing next to you? Do you have any idea how lonely you’re going to be?”….that takes her into Song For the Lonely and end of Act I.  

Let me pause to give credit to the wonderfully syncopated ensemble due to Director Jason Moore and Choreographer Christopher Gattelli.  Zane Mark gets the credit of the dance music arrangements. Of course, the show wouldn’t have life if it weren’t for the third genius…Rick Elice, who wrote the book.  Total kudos for Daryl Waters who supervised the music, orchestra and arrangements.  Then there is Christopher Jones and Brett J. Banakis who are responsible for the set designs. 

Back to the story where she first continues to perform with Sonny on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and divorces him.  She then meets Gregg Altman (Matthew Hydzik), falls in love, marries him and a second offspring, Elijah, comes into their lives….but the relationship doesn’t last forever and Sonny comes back  just to continue the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour with her.   

Here is where myself and (apparently) the audience considered the best production number in the show. A smoky voodoo dive and Apache Dance depicting the tale of a gorgeous voodoo sorceress with men surrounding her.  The song is Dark Lady sung by Sonny, Gregg and the male ensemble.  What makes this number and audience (stander-upper) is the dancer portraying Dark Lady, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald.  You’ll understand when you see it all. 

The show goes into Cher’s career with the movies, Silkwood, Come Back to the Five and Dime, and Moonstruck for which Cher won an Academy Award for the Best Actress.  She purposely uses the line “Snap out of it” in the show. 

The beat goes on through years of ups and downs as well as acknowledging the death of Sonny.  One huge production number fills the final minutes, each from one of Cher’s “Final Tours.”  Lady sings Strong Enough and Babe sings Woman’s World in which lyrics say, “This is a woman’s world/All the women in the world stand up/Come together now.”  Microphone is handed to Star as she continues by singing You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me.  Finale with the whole company singing, Do You Believe.

Now for my take on the Chers.  All three showed enormous talent in singing acting and dance moves. There are certain word pronunciations, facial expressions and body movements that characterize Cher.  If you turned away to listen, does each of them get that particular sort of twangy sound as well? You call it when you see the show.  No doubt that Block was on point with it all and rightly given the character name of “Star.”  My recommendation is to see the show when she has the lead that she commands. 

Skinner is certainly worth some kudos in both the vocals and portraying Cher’s mother. Yes, she does have more than one scene. Although there doesn’t appear to be a credit in the Playbill, I think it is Skinner that cameos Lucille Ball. 

Since there is no list of numbers in the program, I’ll “Cher” this with you in no order. The following are songs written by Sonny Bono: Baby Don’t Go; Bang Bang; I Got You Babe; Little Man; The Beat Goes On; and You Better Sit Down, Kid. 

Various artists wrote: A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes; Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do; All I Ever Need Is You; Be My Baby; Believe; Da Doo Ron Ron; Dark Lady; Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves; Half Breed; Heart of Stone; I Found Someone; It Don’t Come Easy; I Like It Like It Like That; If I Could Turn Back Time; Just Like Jesse James; Living In a House Divided; Midnight Rider (written by Gregg Altman); Ramblin’ Man; Song For the Lonely; Strong Enough; Take Me Home; The Shoop Shoop Song; The Way of Love; Vamp; When the Money’s Gone; Woman’s World;  and You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me. 

The Cher Show’s website will provide you with song lists of each segment of her career, some not necessarily in the show itself such as I Hope You Find It, which I believe she dedicated to Chaz after the gender reassignment. I did notice that the baby blanket was blue and white.  

When it comes down to it, the message of Cher is about women demonstrating strength; perfect for March…Women’s History Month.  This is a show not to be missed as it’s “Cher” enjoyment.  www.thechershowbroadway.com    

LI-LAC CHOCOLATES ARE A VALENTINE LOVE

According to Wiki, “Theobromine, formerly known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao (pronounced ka-key-o) plant.  It is found in chocolate, as well as in a number of other foods, including the leaves of the tea plant, and the kola nut.” That wafting aroma that fills the room of a chocolate store is what draws you to that absolute delicious flavor when chocolate is prepared in a specialty store and not when you pass the aisles of the packaged sweets in the aisles of the grocery stores. 

 

There are few places that purchase cacao beans and go through the long process of roasting, chopping into nibs, grinding it into the chocolate liquor that then gets processed with sugar, vanillin for dark and added milk solids for milk chocolate.  Instead, the chocolate is purchased in bulk where they melt, temper it and get poured into various forms.  Fruits, cream fillings and nuts are dipped in the chocolate and then placed in the structure.  They are then put out on the shelves or in window cases. 

Chocolate has various percentages of cocoa with darker chocolates having the most and less sweet. When you see white chocolate, it is not really considered to be called “chocolate” as the chocolate liquor is pretty much removed and replaced with cocoa butter, which although still comes from the cacao bean, works best for those that are allergic to chocolate but love the taste. In other words it is a   blend of cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, milk fat and lecithin, a fatty emulsifier that holds it all together. 

One other important thing to understand is something called “compounds” or “confectioners coatings.”  They may look and taste like real chocolate, but cocoa butter is removed replacing it with either palm oil or coconut oil.  

Let’s take a stroll to a chocolate factory in Brooklyn known as Li-Lac Chocolates, located in Sunset Park’s  Industry City, a group of old but renovated warehouses.  The address is 68 35th St. (between 2nd & 3rd Ave.) (212) 924-2280. 

Founder George Demetrious opened the original Lilac Chocolates in the West Village on Christopher Street. After more than 90 years, Li-Lac still offers the original French-inspired confections that Demetrious put in his display cases, but Li-Lac has changed radically. Outgrowing the original intimate shop, the West Village store is now on Eighth Avenue and there are three additional locations. A boutique in bustling Grand Central Station serves commuters and tourists. Across the East River in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, Li-Lac carefully crafts its small-batch chocolate in a state-of-the- old-fashioned-art factory.

Anthony Cirone is the current President and owner of Li-Llac Chocolates. “The hazelnut squares are one of the original recipes that our founder developed in the 1920’s.  Made with a layer of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and hazelnut paste they are very creamy truffles that you bite into and melts in your mouth.  It’s the signature chocolate that our company is known for.  Everyone who loves hazelnut loves this item.  Dark chocolate almond bark and butter crunch are two of our other best sellers.” 

Anwar Khoder is the Master Chocolatier.  He’s responsible for memorizing all of the chocolate formulas as well as seeing that the other employees are creating each piece to be consistent.  Did I indulge?  I purchased a box and picked out my favorites:  Chocolates roll filled with marzipan; milk chocolate butter crunch; chocolate bar; raspberry cream; cordial cherries; glace ginger; glace orange peel; glace lemon peel; chocolate pretzels; raspberry jelly; and ganache truffles.  They also make fudge.  In addition, Li-Lac chocolates creates specialty molds that go back several years.

 

The factory has an open space so you are able to see the employees at work.  Then again, if you want to view the “I Love Lucy” chocolates going along the belt, go outside of the store to the left and view it through the large window. 

Li-Lac Chocolates has other locations: West Village; Greenwich Village; Grand Central Market; and Chelsea Market. For further information go to www.li-lacchocolates.com And yes, I know which bulk chocolate is being used.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Regular Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. , Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Sunday11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

JAPAN VILLAGE OPEN IN BROOKLYN’S INDUSTRY CITY

If you ever traveled to Japan and want to feel nostalgic, there is village of food that will spark that “kid in a candy store” experience. A Japanese food and drink marketplace with authentic Japanese food stalls and New York City’s largest Japanese grocery store, tofu market, fish market and meat market recently opened in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn and still expanding.  Known as Japan Village, said to be a 20,000 square-foot, it is a totally authentic Japanese marketplace. 

 

Owners Tony and Takuya Yoshida, who leased the space in Industry City, had it designed to make us feel as though we stepped into a traditional Japanese village square as you enter the doors of 934 3^rd Avenue. 

Japan Village is divided into four sections, featuring: Sunrise Market, the Japanese grocery store; 11 food stalls, and both Kuracihi, a Japanese liquor store located in an adjacent building along with the near future Wakuwaku, a full scale restaurant. 

Sunrise Mart features a foodie’s paradise of frozen and packaged proteins as well as frozen and fresh vegetables. Shelves are lined with all the groceries you would need to prepare your own authentic Japanese meal including drinks and desserts.  Go up to the meat market, upcoming fish market and tofu market and give them your requests.   

Trying to take it all in, I did a “walk through” of Sunrise Mart, promising myself to return with at the least one insulated bag. 

  

There appeared to be an ample amount of table seating at the food court.  I did, however, go there at about noon on a weekday.  A courtyard is just outside the door and may well work for those days that the weather permits you to hang out.  

With eleven vendors in the food court area, here are the ones that I sampled.  Obentoyasan has daily-made bentos and made-to-order onigiri, featuring different Japanese rice. I was most interested in the miso soup station. You choose a red, white or mixed miso and variety of toppings such as: scallion, fried or soft bean curd, chicken, pork, and burdock.  Basis soup costs $3 and each topping is fifty cents more.  I went for the white miso with chicken and tofu.  Miso soup was not salty or made from a packaged mix. 

Hachi : Japanese street food, takoyaki (octopus balls), yakisoba (pan-fried noodles), taiyaki (fish-shaped sweets filled with red bean), and obanyaki (round cakes with assorted fillings), of which I indulged in, made with octopus, cabbage, shrimp and scallop.  Hiroshima style prepares one with cabbage, tempura flakes, dried bonito flakes, red pickled ginger and yakisoba noodles. 

Shokusaido : Japanese appetizers, including agedashi tofu, hijiki seaweed salad, and salmon nanbanzuke. The shop serves traditional tempura, and an assorted mix of Japanese croquettes, fried chicken, fried mackerel, and french-fries with Japanese dips such as mentaikomayo.  I sampled the hijiki seaweed salad that is simmered in a sweet soy sauce as well as Kinpira Gobo, a container of braised burdock root and carrot, in a buttery soy sauce.  Both were addicting-ly delicious.  

Café Japon is a bakery with Japanese bread and cakes crafted on-site, as well as teas, matcha lattes, and drip coffee. They actually grind the matcha tea leaves to prepare your tea rather than a product already in powder form.   I indulged in a matcha latte and did my own ceremony.  They sell bread and pastries that are already packaged or you can choose one from their case.  I chose the tiramisu with green tea topping.  So….good.  Brought home packaged Green Tea cookie custard and what is called “melon bread.”  It resembles a pastry shaped into a sort of “melon.”  Slightly sweet, crunchy and soft, I chose one topped with chocolate chips.  What? I’m a chocoholic! 

When I return I will pig out…errr…sample some of the other vendors, such as Gohei, a soba and udon noodle shop, which has their own sit down counter.  You to view the production of the buckwheat and flour noodles on-site.  Nothing like having the noodles freshly made in front of you.  The menu changes, but basically, a base soup of fish and seaweed broth with either of the noodles, costs $8.  Add mountain vegetables and wakame for $2, washugyu (premium beef) for $3 or gyusuji (beef tendon) for $5. 

If you prefer ramen noodles, there is Ramen Setagaya.  Choose from either the vegan or pork (tonkotsu) bone broth.  A classic tonkotsu contains: two pieces of chashu (pork belly), bamboo shoots, scallions and seaweed at a price of $12.  Homemade pork gyoza (dumplings) are also sold $5 for five.  

Moriya  is a rice bowl shop serving gyudon (washugyu beef bowl), Japanese curry, shogayaki (pork ginger), oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl), katsu-don (chicken or pork cutlet with egg bowl), vegetarian rice bowl and more.  A plain vegetable curry using either white or brown rice costs $8.00.  

Mika N’ Momo : Japanese juice and salad bar, featuring fresh vegetables including shiso (a sort of Japanese basil), mizuna (said to taste a bit like arugula), kabocha (a winter squash), mitsuba (parsley type vegetable) and komatsuna (a mustard spinach).

Brooklyn Steak & Lobster : Teppanyaki steak and lobster is yet to open.  Here is the info given. “The steak cuts will be wagyu, washugyu, or premium beef, and each steak will be served with Japanese condiments including ponzu with daikon, soy sauce with fresh wasabi, and yuzu kosho pepper. The lobster will be served with various condiments including soy sauce butter and yuzu butter.”

Also coming soon is Wakuwaku a restaurant that will serve “Japanese tapas, from grilled chicken skewers, to sashimi, to gyoza dumplings, and additional eats paired with specialty beverages. The cocktail bar will serve local craft beers and specialty cocktails.” 

Japan Village’s liquor store, Kuraichi, will exclusively feature alcohol from Japan with a focus on sake, Japanese whisky and wine. 

Japan Village is accessible by subway and bus.  However, the ferry nyc has a stop at Sunset Park.  It’s a 15 minute trip from Rockaway or along the Brooklyn run from Wall St to Astoria.  You can either walk the mile after or take a bus.  Taking the car? Parking on the premises is free for two hours if you make a purchase of $50 or more.  Have the ticket validated. 

 

Japan Village is open every day from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM. For further information go to www.japanvillage.com

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SEA KIND

Experience the motion and emotion of the ocean without gear or even getting wet as National Geographic Encounter presents Ocean Odyssey.  Featuring immersive walks through simulated environments from the South Pacific to the coast of California, you encounter up close marine life that include: humpback whales, giant squids, sharks, and coral reefs.  The process is done through photo-real animation, giant screens and interactive technology that are not just for kids.  

 

Purchase a timed ticket as the encounter is run by a tour guide as you go room to room, each using a different way of experiencing the marine life.  It begins with two tri-screens that give you an introduction followed by instructions from the tour guide. 

Enter the first room where you are standing at the bottom of the ocean looking at a huge screen. Your steps will produce a puddle but that’s all. You may want to step on the horseshoe crabs, but would you do that if you were in the ocean?  View the ocean through the video photography of someone else that did the swimming.  There is both a voice giving you description as well as the guide providing extra information. 

If you ever wanted to know about coral, you don’t need to go to a reef.  There are several screens in this room with both video and still photography.  Colors and types were amazing to the eyes.  If you actually touch coral, we are told that it will die.  You can however, feed it krill and they will open up. 

We also learn the importance of krill.  According to National Geographic, “The lowly krill averages only about two inches in length, but it represents a giant-sized link in the global food chain. These small, shrimp-like crustaceans are essentially the fuel that runs the engine of the Earth’s marine ecosystems.”
“Krill feed on phytoplankton, microscopic, single-celled plants that drift near the ocean’s surface and live off carbon dioxide and the sun’s rays. They in turn are the main staple in the diets of literally hundreds of different animals, from fish, to birds, to baleen whales. Simply put, many oceanic life forms depend on krill.”

If you’ve ever eaten calamari you may think twice upon what you dine on when you experience a movie devoted to giant squid and view a squid fight during an open ocean at night. 

Don a pair of 3-D glasses for another oceanic movie that takes place at a different ocean.  Therefore you will not see the same marine life as any of the other videos.  Remember, each of these large videos has both an audio accompaniment as well as the guide offering further information. 

One room provides a chance for total relaxation as you take a seat and close your eyes on this video that is meant to have you experience the sounds of the marine life. See if you can pick out the sea creatures by the sounds.  
 
You’ve probably never seen kelp like going into a “funhouse” mirrored maze that appears as an underwater “cathedral.”  Children will love it! Adults will have a good time, too.  Again, there is much information given to you prior to your entering.  

One of the final rooms has interactive sea lions.  You stand on a large round spot where you view one of them. They will do tricks as they respond to the movements of your hand. There are many of these displays and each of the sea lions is programmed to do certain tricks.  

As you ascend the ramps, take in information and photos of various sharks, dolphin and murres as well as learning about the life of schools of anchovies. You know, those little salty fish you put in salad or on top of pizza. Due to the small size of these fish, they gather in schools and form a circle to make them appear much larger to their predators.  In the meantime, you can also view the names and information about the photographers who have contributed to the Encounter.  

You have now left the guided portion of the experience where you are met with a photographer who will take a souvenir photo in front of a screen and if you want have it transferred to various backgrounds (For a cost, of course).
There is, however, another opportunity that is free of charge. You now enter a room that has some interactive displays which allows you to spend as much time as you wish.  There is a focus on cleaning up the ocean in this area. Take a pledge to do something that is environmentally healthy such as pledging not to use plastic that winds up in the ocean.  You will get your photo taken and be able to email it to yourself.  In addition, there is a wall that displays your photo and what you pledged.  

Give your feedback on your experience on a piece of a puzzle. Play with holograms.  Your final room is a gallery that has a display of photos and photographers.  

Yes, there is a gift shop. All is meant to bring science to life. It is an experience you may never have “sean” before. 

 
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey is located at 226 W. 44^th  Street.  Tickets are at various prices depending upon if you want a one-day visit, VIP access or family package of 4. The guided portion of the tour takes about an hour.  Tel: 646-308-1337.  Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00am-9:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 10:00am-10:00pm

Fridays after 4pm on January 11th, 18th and 25^th, Sundays after 4pm on January 6th, 13th and 27^th, warm up your weekend at Encounter and enjoy Sip n’ Sea – a complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage after your adventure across the Pacific. Valid for every admission on the noted Fridays and Sundays after 4PM. No code required. Blackout dates may apply and hours subject to change.