Each cabaret venue in New York has its own unique look and personality. The Triad’s dark pattern, deep colors, narrow space and tiers of the theater can take you back in time, if your imagination allows. With newsreels filmed on a screen as the audience heads to their seats to order their first cocktails and viola, you’re back in the 1940s. It’s an atmosphere perfectly suited to Sarah Boone’s musical cabaret MOM BEFORE DAD … A YOUNG WOMAN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION.

Directed by Jean Tait under the musical direction of Eugene Gwozdz, Mom Before Dad… introduces audiences to Sarah’s mother, Doris, at a time that is likely unique to each person: that period of time in the lives of our parents. before they had ever met. Through a multimedia presentation designed by Ms. Boone and designed by Rich Connor, patrons see written words from Doris’ diary from 1942, as well as photos from that time in her life. This intimacy brings the audience into a story very personal to Sarah, whose admiration for her mother is the basis of the musical program. In cabaret, one often hears songs organized by a performer around a common theme or songs by a specific songwriter. What Mom Before Dad…offers is a glimpse into Doris’ life, long before Sarah and her siblings were even a part of it.

The song selections throughout the program reflected the spirit of Doris, an independent, religious, hardworking, spendthrift (with a penchant for scholarships) young woman in search of love. With music arranged and performed by Music Director Eugene Gwozdz and the voice of Sarah, the Triad audience had a wonderfully enjoyable experience, one of the highlights of which was an appearance by the Brooklynaires Quartet, who specialize in harmonies dating back to the 1940s.

After such an enjoyable show, it was hard to step back to 2022 and the hustle and bustle of today’s New York City, but should the opportunity arise, audiences would be advised to seek out the next performance. by Sarah Boone from Mom Before Dad…and maybe ask family members to share their origin stories. The reward could be substantial.

The band Mom Before Dad featured musical director Eugene Gwozdz on piano with Mariana Ramirez on percussion, Jeff Kock on bass, and David Ashton on saxophone and flute.

-Tom Salus

Find other great shows to see on The Triad’s website HERE.

Thomas Salus is a New Jersey/New York based photographer specializing in theater and sports photography. For nearly ten years, Tom has offered his photography skills to community and regional theatres, supporting their productions and showcasing artists through his images. In addition to theater, he works with area professional, college and high school sports teams to capture the action on their stages. Tom has worked with New York based cabaret artists, freelanced for local newspapers and worked with organizations like Little League International. Tom’s photography began when he and his wife Kelly were raising their four children and capturing moments of their theatrical and athletic accomplishments. Tom is thrilled to work with Broadway World as a Contributing Photographer and to have the opportunity to photograph some of the most incredible talent in this artistic community. Thomas Salus can be found on Instagram HERE and on his website HERE

MoviePass is set to return this summer after being revived and revived by its original co-founder Stacy Spikes. During a kickoff presentation on Thursday, Spikes took to the stage in New York City to promote the relaunch of its struggling movie ticket subscription service. There was a lot of fanfare and, somewhat oddly, references to Web3 technology. But one thing Stacy didn’t mention on stage was MoviePass’ metaverse goals.

“Some of the players in the Metaverse right now are a bit game-y, when I feel like you just want to watch the movie,” Spikes said. The edge. “You don’t need fake popcorn; you don’t need tomatoes; you don’t need any other things in there. And that’s where we look at it, and it’s something that we take seriously and think we’ll be in.

At Thursday’s launch event, Spikes showed off a product that looked a little less like a potential bombshell than the service’s beloved but disastrous Unlimited and Cheap Viewing iteration. And he’s willing to exploit just about every avenue, including digital currency and the metaverse, to bring the memesub back to life. The problem is that it’s not clear whether consumers – or heck, even theaters — are prepared for MoviePass 2.0. A cinema subscription powered by virtual reality and decentralized technologies gives the same energy that AMC is getting into crypto. Good but Why?

“The great thing about going to the movies is that there’s no interruption. You can’t stop it, you have to be careful, and otherwise you’re going to waste your money,” says Spikes.” And what we love about it is that it’s event visualization. And I think event visualization can happen in the metaverse.

Spikes did not share details about the company’s metaverse ambitions. He mentioned concerts and live events as an area of ​​focus — “We consider ourselves a live events business,” Spikes tells me — but that seems like a longer term thought for now.

Despite all the buzzwords, Spikes’ ultimate goal for MoviePass hasn’t changed. The main function of the service is still to get people into physical seats in theaters, and Spikes says the new MoviePass will give users more flexibility and a better experience, while helping theaters.

The old MoviePass worked with a debit card-like system that allowed members to see a certain number of movies each month for a flat fee. A lot has yet to be made clear about the new MoviePass — pricing, for example, has yet to be announced, and Spikes declined to share a rough range when I asked. But Spikes says the new subscription service will be tiered, and users will additionally be able to earn additional movie credits by viewing ads through Spikes’ existing business, PreShow.

This time around, Spikes says, members will also have more flexibility to be able to do things like bring a friend – something that wasn’t an option with the last MoviePass. Based on the slides shared during this week’s presentation, the number of credits per movie will vary depending on factors such as peak times and possibly even the title’s popularity and location. Spikes insists this is a key differentiator between this new MoviePass and the one that garnered 1,000 memes for its mismanagement.

“It’s a bit of a change in concept – it’s less about price and more flexibility so people can go where they want, and even if you’re in the middle of the month and want to go more, you’ll be able to get more credits and go uphill, so that adds a lot of flexibility to it, where the previous model was kind of a unique model,” says Spikes. “We think the unique stiffness is something something that needs to change.”

This flexibility could be a huge boon to MoviePass 2.0 at a difficult time for the movie industry. Exhibitors are beginning to reclaim their exclusivity windows, and recent releases like Spider-Man: No Coming Home reported that audiences are increasingly comfortable returning to auditoriums for film premieres. But pandemic releases are always wildly changeable, and as things begin to return to normal, streaming executives have been hesitant to fully revert to pre-COVID release patterns.

Spikes’ launch event this week reads like a love letter to cinemas. In fact, it sometimes seemed like he was talking directly to them. (He very well could have been – MoviePass hasn’t announced exposure partners yet, but Spikes says The edge the company has “very advanced conversations that we’re very comfortable with.” If MoviePass is to succeed, it needs movie theaters, and the landscape of the movie industry has changed dramatically in the years since the old MoviePass caught fire. .

Many cinemas, for example, now have their own subscription services that reward experienced users with discounts. When I ask Spikes how MoviePass fits into a world where subscriptions like the Alamo Season Pass and AMC Stubs A-List exist, he says smaller theaters have shown interest, while larger chains are taking the wait-and-see approach.

“I mean, obviously those who don’t have a plan have a lot of interest in working with us. Those who have a plan are waiting, I think, to see what we do,” he says. “It’s an ongoing conversation, but certainly the bottom 50% who don’t have millions of dollars to deploy the technology we have are leaning in and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve seen how you’ve affected our business, when can we engage?'”

Still, Spikes seems to believe that MoviePass can revolutionize the theater industry. Spikes said during his presentation that MoviePass 2.0’s “moonshot” goal is to double annual revenue and attendance for the movie industry as a whole with a “30 by 30” initiative. Essentially, Spikes wants subscriptions (to any service, not just MoviePass) to account for 30% of all domestic ticket sales revenue in the industry by 2030.

To achieve anything close to the fabricated success of the early MoviePass — the subscription service had millions of users at its peak, thanks to its economically unviable price tag of $10 — the new MoviePass will need to regain consumer trust. Before Spikes bought the company last year, former MoviePass parent Helios and Matheson Analytics did a terrific job with rabid customers and reportedly crashed the system on purpose.

When I ask Stacy about Helios and Matheson Analytics executives Ted Farnsworth and Mitch Lowe who ultimately fired Spikes from the company he co-founded, he says he thinks there’s potential for businesses whose original founders are returning to the business to restore trust. But he also credits former MoviePass subscribers who “kept his spirits alive” as motivating him to revive the business.

“As for Mitch and Ted, I haven’t spoken to them since. When I was fired, I received an e-mail. And we never had words, ever,” he says. “You know, it’s very good. We are excited for the opportunity to rebuild where we were and re-establish the brand to help the movie industry.

Broadway’s Janet Noh (Rocktopia and Mack and Mabel in New York City Center Encores!)

A graduate of Yale (BA) and NYU-Tisch (MFA) and nationally award-winning classical pianist (winner of the National Chopin PNW Piano Competition), Janet quit her career as a trader and investment banking analyst. on Wall Street and hasn’t looked back. because. Award-winning emerging Broadway composer / lyricist and record industry singer, Janet has been a featured soloist at Lincoln Center, New York City Center, Signature Theater, and her original works have been performed and produced in many venues across New York City. York (120+ watch and count!).

She is a songwriter and teacher at Lincoln Center Theater, a guest artist at several New York universities, and a former student of the BARS hip hop workshop at the Public Theater, where she has created and performed hip hop pieces in collaboration with members of Hamilton CBO.

You won’t want to miss this evening of exhilarating and uplifting music from Janet Noh. Songs From My Unwrite “Musical” will introduce you to an evolved and eclectic soundtrack of soulful R&B songs, cutting edge musical theater, enjoyable melodies and its latest experience combining classical piano and hip hop flair is guaranteed.

Learn more at www.JanetNohMusic.com.

By WAYNE PARRY – Associated Press

Walk into Evlyn Lyons’ house in Plymouth and you’ll likely find the 10-year-old working with a bird, perhaps holding it or letting it rest on her shoulder.

“You have to let them know they can trust you,” said Evlyn, who is known among family and friends as well as on Facebook as a “bird whisperer” with a knack for taming exotic birds.

Being tamed means “they won’t fly away and bite you,” said Evlyn, who recently traveled to the Catskills in New York City to collect around 30 birds that an elderly breeder could no longer care for.

As she quietly worked with one of the new birds, the rest of the flock she raises – there are around 70 birds, ranging from parakeets and cockatiels to a large Amazon parrot – sang, croaks and giggles.

“Sun-up, they’re like that,” said Evlyn’s mother, Linda Uren. “As soon as the sun goes down, we close the curtain and they are silent.”

In the middle of a weekday afternoon, the birds appeared to be a noisy flock. Still, Uren was able to introduce them to a visitor and explain some of their characteristics.

“Peggy is a golden sun conure,” Uren said, pointing to a bird with striking orange / gold feathers. “She only has one foot. The other got infected and his mother bit him.

Although Peggy doesn’t seem to realize she has a disability, said Uren, a male pet bird named Mango “feeds her, and when she can’t reach her feathers to preen himself, he will do it for her.” .

“I love Peggy,” Uren said. “But Mango is up for adoption and if he were adopted I would like them to go together.”

Moving on to other birds in other cages, Uren said “I must apologize in advance for Floyd” pointing to a cockatoo. “He came from a family with teenagers who taught him a lot of curse words. He sings and dances and he curses. He (also) calls everyone ‘Sugar’ and asks if you like him.

Floyd managed to refrain from swearing during the introductions and Uren continued to talk about other birds.

“Mya is a female eclectus parrot and Merlin is a cockatiel,” Uren said, presenting a pair she described as “older and calm”.

Although he is silent, “Merlin is our escape artist,” Uren said. “He can get out of his cage and he figured out how to let everyone out too. “

At over 40, Merlin is considered an ‘elder’ while ‘Mya is middle aged’.

Then came Andy, a yellow-necked Amazon parrot. “He thinks he’s a rooster,” Uren said.

And his crows “sound like the screeching of tires before a car hits something,” Evlyn’s father Brian Lyons said.

Taco is a bilingual speaking bird that can repeat sentences in English and Spanish. “He will ask, Que pasa?” Uren said.

And Mocha, a collared dove, was abandoned by a couple who bought him from a breeder, intending to release him at their wedding.

“But the breeder had cut off his wings, so when they released him he fell,” Uren said. “They didn’t know what to do with him.

So Mocha found refuge with Evlyn, who breeds birds in the name of the My House of Wings animal rescue that Patricia Pipan runs in Nanticoke.

“She just has one talent,” Pipan said in a phone interview, explaining that she was extremely grateful for the help Evlyn provided.

Pipan is also hoping that when Evlyn is older she will lead a local bird rescue.

“I was like ‘Oh my god I could pass the torch to her,’ Pipan said.” She loves birds so much. She’s just awesome. She’s been phenomenal – her and her mom and all of her family. world is involved.

“Did you hear how she went to the Catskills to get more birds?” Said Pipan. “By the time she got home, she already had 10 sitting on her shoulders wanting to snuggle up.”

“She’s got the passion, and if you don’t have the passion, you won’t want to do it,” Pipan said, explaining that taking care of birds takes a lot of work. “There is very little money coming in, apart from donations,” she added.

Already at a young age, Evlyn, who is home-studying at Reach Cyber ​​Charter School, had to deal with angry people – people who were upset that she did not approve of their adoption. ‘a bird.

There’s a request to fill out, and Evlyn and her mom verify the information is correct. For example, a potential adopter may say that their owner is OK with the adoption, but in reality the owner does not allow pets.

“You have to educate yourself about a bird to find out if it is right for you,” said Pipan, explaining that it wouldn’t be a good idea to surprise someone with a bird’s gift or try to buy one. one simply to match the decor in your kitchen.

“The birds are a lifelong commitment,” said Pipan.

Evlyn’s mother discovered her daughter had an affinity for feathered friends when “we went to a pet store, at random, and there were two little girls bumping into a parakeet cage.”

Feeling sorry for the parakeets, “Evlyn cried her eyes out. So we went home with the parakeets, and she wanted more. Then we got in touch with (Pipan) and started cheering.

While Evlyn has cared for the birds for four years, Pipan has dedicated over 30 years to the cause.

“When my last child went to college, I said, ‘God, which way do you want me to go? Within an hour, a lady from the Weis parking lot approached me with a small cage and a cockatiel and said, “Could you give me $ 5 for this?” “I said ‘Sure, okay’,” recalls Pipan, explaining that she felt called to start taking care of the birds.

She also attributes the help she receives from Evlyn to a gift from above.

“I thank God every day,” said Pipan, “that he sent it to me.”

Those interested in learning more about bird adoption can contact Patricia Pipan’s My House of Wings at 570-735-4316. Evlyn can be contacted through her Facebook page, EvlynTheBirdWhisperer.

For an amazing and entertaining night out in New York City, visit the Red Velvet Burlesque Show! Red Velvet Entertainment offers some of the most incredible, exotic, and complex performances you’ve ever seen. Whether you’ve never attended a burlesque or cabaret show, or have attended dozens, you’ll love this theatrical extravaganza!

Combine the traditional and the contemporary
Red Velvet’s burlesque and cabaret dancers combine a traditional burlesque performance with exciting contemporary routines. Classic burlesque dance routines, including risky outfits and perfectly choreographed dances, combined with daring and exotic moves and stunts to create an unforgettable experience. The dancers even pull the audience into the action, making it easy to immerse yourself in the show. When it’s time to go, you might even want to dance yourself!

Top theater
This New York burlesque show does not shrink from the theatrical. It’s about creating new and exciting experiences for everyone who attends. Every week, a brand new burlesque and cabaret show. You can come back every week without seeing the same show twice, as new and old performers perform high end choreography routines and stunts!

The dancers put on a sensual musical spectacle that will grab your attention from the start. You will forget everything but the performers of Red Velvet as they create a show that is as much about the audience as their dance. You can even get drawn into the show itself as the talented performers engage with the audience during their routine!

Unforgettable talent
This is not your ordinary burlesque performance. The cast members include individuals of unforgettable talent who perform stunts and dances that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Performers come from all over the world and even travel between different Red Velvet locations in the United States.

At Red Velvet in New York, you’ll have the opportunity to watch performers dance risky and sultry routines while performing thrilling stunts. From the start of the show, you will be in awe of the incredible talent of the actors.

New York burlesque dinner and show
Looking for an all inclusive experience? Red Velvet offers the option to purchase a three-course dinner with your show! A delicious dinner and cocktails will take the experience to new heights. You can even take the opportunity to claim a seat on stage with the Hot Seat on Stage experience.

The dinner show option is perfect for a bachelorette party, a bachelorette party, a girls’ night out, a birthday, a date or just to celebrate a good night out in New York! Buy your own set of tickets today for dinner and enjoy an unforgettable dance and theater performance.

Visit the Red Velvet Burlesque Show for an unforgettable night
If you are looking for an evening full of entertainment, book your tickets now at Red Velvet Burlesque and experience the best burlesque and cabaret show of your life!

For more information, please follow them on Instagram @redvelvetburlesqueshow.

Year after year the reviewer comes, this nasty aunt who wasn’t quite a guest in the house spoiling Christmas for the kids by pointing out that Nutcracker is, like most American traditions, not as old and established as it claims and problematic when it comes to gender and race to boot. This year, one year after The Year Without The Nutcracker, five years after the premiere of this $ 4 million production, my third year watching (and reviewing) this production, and her first year in the new house. by Joffrey at the Lyric Opera House, let’s see if this Carabosse can pull a Drosselmeyer and deliver an unsolicited gift that might help this ballet mature – or at least imagine it.

Dancers from across America don their pointes for the story of a teenage girl coming of age on a magical journey through the Candy Kingdom accompanied by a Nutcracker Prince. Joffrey’s town-specific production, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon with a libretto by Brian Selznick in 2016, places the ballet on Christmas Eve before the Colombian Exposition of 1893. The choice to refer to the first Chicago World‘s Fair, named after the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus on these shores, is perhaps a little too relevant as regards the second act, which doubles as a safari through the cultures of the “world”, some of which are celebrated and others are presented as caricatures and curiosities.

It is also chronologically accurate: the original production of Nutcracker (composed by Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with a libretto adapted from a story by ETA Hoffmann) premiered – to critical derision – in 1892. Sometimes relaunched in Europe and the United Kingdom, the ballet eventually gained the status of a cultural institution in 1950s America, assisted by the use of Tchaikovsky’s suite in Disney’s Fancy in 1940, with nostalgic productions of the San Francisco Ballet (1944) and the New York City Ballet (1954). Today, that remnant of pre-civil rights is Black Friday in the form of a ballet, bringing families together to generate nearly half of the year’s income in classical dance.

In many productions of the Nutcracker, the party scene is the necessary exposure before the “real” dance begins in act two’s entertainment buffet. However, in Joffrey’s staging, the sweetness of the first act is due to its uniqueness of place and character – in other words, you could say that the Exhibition is everything.

Nutcracker
Until 12/26 /: Wed-Fri 7 p.m., Sat 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sun 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. also Tue 12/21/14 and 7:00 p.m., Wed-Thu 12/22 and 12/23/14, 2:00 p.m. Fri 12/24, 2 p.m. only; no performances Wed 12/8 or Sat 12/25; Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker, 312-386-8905, joffrey.org, $ 35- $ 199.

When the curtain rises on Joffrey’s production, we are not in the opulent home of the German bourgeois family in Hoffmann’s story. Instead, we’re on a construction site for the World’s Fair, filled with laborers, rats, and sooty-faced children (in the lavish setting of our opera jewelry box), which is argue and tease each other before humbly going to the huge cabin where the brothers and sisters Marie and Franz and their mother live. Around a twig of a Christmas tree, a community of holiday celebrants come together to dance and party. At their party we hear a musical arrangement by Ljova for violin, accordion and clarinet – in previous years a seemingly fragile substitute for Tchaikovsky’s famous lush score.

However, this year the musicians are placed at the bottom of the stage in period costume rather than hidden in the pit, becoming additional characters in the story rather than a background or commentary on the action. This directing decision parallels the essence of the scene that occurs when the Grand Impresario of the Fair arrives with a flourish from his cape, carrying a cart full of ordinary odds and ends. The revelers are disoriented until the wizard shows the hand: the trinkets are the pieces of a puzzle, which, put together, create a lively spectacle of magic lanterns from the upcoming fun fair. Although narratively, he is there to give the Nutcracker to Marie (and incidentally to her apprentice Peter), witnessing the mechanics of such practical magic offers the most beautiful message of the evening – that the simplest of instruments can. be transformed into history by the magic of the theater.

As for the other dances, Wheeldon seems to have been careful to deviate from the choreographic choices of his predecessors, producing static snow, bland and marzipan Spanish variations (here Venetian), and a grand pas de deux awkward gymnastics (simply because technique allows someone to be pulled into a dive by somersaulting their partner’s back does not mean it has to be done). However, he unfortunately did not deviate from the colonialist cultural choices that his predecessors made: a condescending and culturally inaccurate Chinese variation (played at the opening in yellow face) and an Arabic variation featuring an almost naked and hyperflexible woman. who gets roughed up on stage because cultural taboos are OK as long as they’re exotic.

We are in 2021: why repeat the hypothesis that everything is beautiful in ballet? Here is a proposal: why not bring on stage Chicagoans who practice these forms to share their culture? Why continue to deny everyone the opportunity to opt out and learn? (Still, lest we think misogyny is just an alien concept, the Russian variant here is American Buffalo Bill shaking his lasso around some Vegas-esque showgirls – there’s probably a conspiracy theory here somewhere. go.)

Those who come for the frightening psychosexual dynamic of the ballet will be satisfied. The Grand Impresario first makes his presence known to Mary by patting her from behind with his stick. The Standing Wood Nutcracker first appears as an unidentifiable protuberance under a velvet fabric, to the excitement of the boys on stage, but ultimately it’s not a gift to them (at least in this tale). Little brother Franz receives a fright when his hand is thrust into the Rat Catcher’s cavernous sac, which is presumably lined with biting rodent teeth. The dream scene is preceded by the budding growth of the Christmas tree. Marie is hypnotized by the dangerous and mysterious Grand Impresario, a fantasy that he will meet up with his mother, but also fantasizes that she is his mother. it’s called Nutcracker, friends, do I have to say more?

In terms of performance, the dancers of Joffrey are irreproachable. At the opening, Yumi Kanazawa as Marie and Hyuma Kiyosawa as Peter were a delightful vision of youth and enthusiasm. The snow body leaned into the camp of their stage, taking a page from Mark Morris’s book while lifting handfuls of snow in front of the jazz’s hands and Saturday night feveresque-pointing takes over the choreography (maybe add some glitter and a disco ball next year?). Fernando Duarte and Xavier Núñez started an excellent duo as teenagers on the party scene. This duo would be just as excellent without the cowboy and Indian costumes, but I digress.

A special guest at the party is a girl in a wheelchair, a Christmas tradition at least as old as Tiny Tim. But while Tiny Tim has his part in A Christmas Carol, this figure doesn’t seem to have a role beyond being black and in a wheelchair – in other words, she visually has to do a lot of work for anyone who isn’t usually on stage at the ballet. In terms of performance, it is important that she can be the guest of this party, however, during the dances she is nowhere to be found.

The problem of representation extends more generally to the casting, and finally to the content of this work. Seeing a ballet cast such that people of color are not only incorporated, but the leading roles in the dance are undoubtedly worth celebrating. However, if the content and the choreography further reinforce segregation, sexism and racial stereotypes, their presence within the work recreates them in the image of their oppressors (that this is now called the Hamilton Complex). Mere inclusion is therefore not enough: as anyone who has ever watched a ballet will know, although the majority of people on stage are women, ballet has not yet become a feminist. So there is still work to be done – and it has to be done in terms of the staging, the choreography and the concept.

Austin Rivers, founder of Knit the Rainbow, Inc., a nonprofit that keeps LGBTQ + homeless youth warm, will make his New York City debut in a benefit concert, Austin Rivers: Chase the Rainbow.

Knit the Rainbow (KtR) is a nonprofit organization founded by Rivers, whose mission is to collect handmade knit and crochet winter clothes from across the country and distribute them to homeless LGBTQ + youth. . 100% of the proceeds from this cabaret will be donated to KtR, helping the organization with storage, transportation, delivery, community outreach programs and supplies, roundtables, marketing, advertising and operating costs.

In its first year, KtR collected over 4,000 garments from volunteers in 29 states and 3 countries, distributing them through 10 partnerships with community organizations in New York City, including the Ali Forney Center, the Hetrick- Martin Institute, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and WANA Community Resource Center.

“I started Knit the Rainbow as a way to help LGBTQ + youth after hearing the staggering statistics on homelessness in New York City. I couldn’t build a shelter, but I could knit! Now I have the opportunity to donate fiber artists across the country and the world, a hopeful and impactful reason to manufacture while helping the most vulnerable survive the city’s cold winters. “

“As a singer, I can use my voice to help advance the mission of the organization. This concert is a dream that fulfills my love of singing and the love I have for my community.”

Austin has been a professional singer for 10 years, gracing stages nationally and internationally with his powerful vocal skills and energetic performances. Austin Rivers: Chase the Rainbow will take you on a journey through the LGBTQ + pride flag designed by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, where he gave meaning to each of the six colors.

Join Austin and his band at Don’t Tell Mama NYC on November 14 at 7 p.m. for a musical rendition of the Pride Flag featuring songs from Stephen Sondheim, Pasek & Paul, Beyoncé, Shania Twain, Marvin Gaye, and more! The concert will also include raffle prizes and a virtual silent auction.

There is a cover charge of $ 25.00 per person with a reservation and a cover charge of $ 30.00 per person without a reservation.

Don’t Tell Mama NYC is cash only, requires a minimum of 2 drinks and proof of vaccination, and offers a food menu. Seating starts at 6.15pm and the concert lasts approximately 75 minutes.

To RSVP visit: https://donttellmamanyc.com/shows/main/6356-austin-rivers-chase-the-rainbow-11-14-21

An exotic dancer from North Huntingdon wants a local adult nightclub to pay her over $ 58,000 in back pay and damages owed to her because the club misclassified her employment status.

Deanna Betras, 41, alleges that the owners of the former The Filly Corral in South Huntingdon – Oli-Car Inc. – violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law by monitoring the work environment as if she was an employee and would not allow him to work in other clubs.

Instead, the owners listed her as an independent contractor to avoid paying at least minimum wage and overtime when she danced more than 40 hours a week, according to a federal lawsuit filed in July in Pittsburgh. Betras danced intermittently at the Filly Corral from 2007 to March 2020, when the club closed due to pandemic restrictions, according to the costume.

Betras declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Thomas Oliver, secretary-treasurer of the late The Filly Corral, declined to comment on the details of the lawsuit. He said the club operated like other adult clubs, with the dancers working as independent contractors. The club had no control over the dancers, Oliver said.

“She is suing a vanished organization. There is no money (to pay for a judgment). I don’t care what she does, ”Oliver said.

The Filly Corral closed on February 28, Oliver said. The Filly Gentlemen’s Club opened on March 1 at the same site, near the truck stops at the Smithton exit of Interstate 70. Oliver said he was the manager of a property group based in the Virgin Islands. Betras’ lawsuit initially named the Filly Gentlemen’s Club as a defendant, but it was later withdrawn from the lawsuit.

Responding to complaints, dancers were not being paid minimum wage, Oliver said dancers could earn between $ 200 and $ 800 in tips on busy weekend nights.

Betras initially filed for a class action lawsuit on behalf of current and former dancers, but this month asked a judge to give her a default judgment of $ 58,448 which includes nearly $ 26,000 in arrears of wages from July 2018 to March 2020, plus legal fees and damages. A judge this week ordered Betras to provide proof of his attorney fees.

She filed a similar lawsuit in July against CM Thompson Enterprises LLC of Cranberry, operators of the Hideout in Mt. Pleasant Township. She danced there from 2019 to April 2021.

Brian Thompson, attorney for Thompson Enterprises, could not be reached for comment.

Thompson, in an Oct. 18 response to the lawsuit, denied that the dancers were misclassified and that the Hideout took part in their tips. The judge ordered the club and Betras to enter into negotiations to try to resolve the lawsuit before going to trial. The court ordered the parties to choose an alternative dispute resolution method before November 16.

In his lawsuits, Betras described a system in which clubs forced dancers to pay to perform – $ 40 at the Filly Corral and $ 20 at the Hideout.

“Dancers sometimes receive little or no actual pay despite the hours they work,” according to the lawsuit against the Hideout.

Clubs set dancers’ schedules, demanded proof of illness if they missed work, fined them if they were late for work or missed more than three scheduled performances per shift, depending on the costumes. The clubs also set the fees that dancers must charge clients for personalized services.

The Hideout maintained “so much supervision” over the dancers that the costume claims they were not allowed to dress after their performance until they received permission from management.

Betras’ attorneys in Pittsburgh, Edwin J. Kilpela and Elizabeth Pollock Avery, could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuits claim the clubs violated Department of Labor regulations by taking a portion of the dancers’ tips. The Hideout reportedly took $ 64 of the $ 160 the dancers received for giving a client a 30-minute “VIP” experience, while the dancers at the Filly Corral were required to give the club 40% of the fee, according to prosecution.

The clubs took $ 10 of the $ 20 the dancers received when they offered a client a private dance, according to the costumes. The dancers at the Hideout were obligated to offer a customer a free private dance if the customer purchased two dances.

Customers who believe they are tipping women are actually tipping them less because of the deductions, the costumes say.

In July 2019, Franchesca Reyes filed a similar employment law violation complaint against Mag Pitt LLC, operator of the Cheerleaders Gentlemen’s Club on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, and its senior manager, John Meehan.

Reyes also claimed that management did not pay minimum wage and that the only income the dancers made from working six-hour shifts were the tips they received – although they had to give some of that money to disc jockeys and bouncers, according to the lawsuit. The dancers were scheduled and had to perform topless, depending on the costume. It was settled in October 2019 for an undisclosed amount.

Betras had previously sued the owners of Rick’s Cabaret in Pittsburgh in federal court on the same grounds. She accepted a settlement of $ 5,287 in December 2019 from BGC 135 9th St. Inc., the owner of Rick’s Cabaret.

In New York City, a federal judge awarded a group of exotic dancers nearly $ 10.9 million in wage arrears in 2014, with the obligation to pay them at least a minimum wage.

In another New York City case, a federal judge in 2013 awarded approximately $ 8 million to 1,000 dancers at a city nightclub on the same grounds.

The wonderful thing about living and writing in New York City is seeing some of the greatest jazz artists in the world. And as exciting as it is, what really makes New York City such a chrysalis of artistic endeavor is not the big names, it’s all the talented and budding artists learning their craft and having daring experiments on the way to the top. Our little 12 mile island is the perfect laboratory for a young voice to watch the most successful artists and take a track here and take a track there until they’ve completely found their own voice.

Jacob Khalil is a fairly recent resident of New York. He moved here just a year ago after spending time in Texas, Utah and Las Vegas. His style is remarkably eclectic. Basically he is a jazz artist, but he also dabbles in pop music on the piano, standards and live performance pieces. He is also very comfortable as a singer / songwriter. Jacob Khalil is exactly the musician New York was designed for. He is a very talented singer looking for an individual voice.

His show last night at the Pangea Jacob Khalil TRIO: AUTUMN IN NEW YORK, was a wonderful showcase of the many styles and facets of his musical gifts. Her voice is an incredibly pleasant asset. It’s a soft, lyrical, string-like instrument that he uses in a very dexterous way for someone so young. He has a keen sense of phrasing that emphasizes the lyrics without becoming too “actor”. His pianistic style tends to be more of the percussive than lyrical school, emphasizing large block chords that create a soundscape rather than intricate internal lines. His trio, consisting of himself and Raul Reyes on bass and Donovan Taylor on drums, worked as a tight-knit unit.

They opened with one of the most popular jazz standards, “Misty”. He gave a great spin to Gershwin’s classic, “S’wonderful” and gave a delicious samba treatment to Astrud Gilberto’s “Dreamer”. He really shone on Johnny Mercer’s iconic “Skylark”. He explained that he is often a piano bar performer, and like anyone who takes requests for a living, Billy Joel is asked a lot. The trio gave us a version of “Just the Way You Are” with just a little jazz twist to keep it interesting. He gave us real Broadway flair with “Almost Like Being in Love”, alternative rock in Radiohead’s “High & Dry” and good R&B in Stevie Wonder’s Knocks Me Off My Feet.

As wonderful as these great jazz and pop tunes are, the place where Jacob Khalil and his trio really took to was in the songs written by Khalil himself. He has a knack for melody and an unfailing ease with romantic lyrics that are heartwarming to listen to. He sang a song that is both a tribute and a parody of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, that bane of every piano bar artist’s existence. His song “Piano Guy” tells us the same experience from a more jaded point of view. His song “Flame” is a very well built song about love and desire. “I Never Knew” is about how love unexpectedly grows in a relationship. It was dedicated to his wife Victoria. Last night he also gave us the world premiere of a song he just finished this week. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” has the kind of hook every songwriter dreams of.

I can’t wait to see what a second year in New York will do for Jacob Khalil. I hope he brings us more of his own original, inventive and heartfelt tunes. He’s an artist on the verge of finding a very personal style. He and his trio deserve a dedicated audience.

For more information on Jacob Khalil, visit his website jaobkhalil.com or follow him @jacobkhalilmusic on Instagram. His music is available on Spotify, Apple Music and all major streaming platforms. For other great events in Pangea, visit pangeanyc.com