Tony Award-nominee John Tartaglia starred in the acclaimed musical Avenue Q, appeared on Broadway in Shrek: the Musical and created and starred in The Playhouse Disney series Johnny and the Sprites.  Now he presents John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean.

A one-of-a-kind, interactive show, John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean is a magical, musical undersea adventure for kids of all ages.  Tank, Bubbles, and Dorsel are three best friends who just happen to be fish, and they’re about to set out on a remarkable journey of discovery.

Jam-packed with original music ranging from swing to R&B to Big Band, John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean is a blast—from the first big splash to the last wave goodbye.

NYMetropolista is giving away two (2) tickets to one lucky winner to this spectacular, fun-filled show! Tickets are valid May 23 to June 30 performances.

To Enter:

1) Leave a comment expressing your interest in the giveaway

2) Tweet about the giveaway and remember to @NYMetropolista

3) Join our FaceBook Fan Page

Winner will be chosen end of day Tuesday, May 4 2010.

For more information visit http://www.imaginoceanthemusical.com

Performances at New World Stages, Stage 5, 340 West 50th St., NYC

Face the Music, an ensemble of 20 classically-trained musicians ranging from sixth to twelfth grade dedicated to performing today’s most compelling and creative new music, will be presented by Simone Dinnerstein’s PS 321 Neighborhood Concerts in a concert called “Beating Down the Doors” on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7pm at PS 321 (180 7th Avenue, Brooklyn) in Park Slope. The performance is open to the public and raises funds for the school’s Parent Teacher Association.

The centerpiece of the concert is the world premiere of Liquid Timepieces by composer and PS 321 faculty member Joseph C. Philllips, Jr. Commissioned for Face the Music by Simone Dinnerstein and PS 321 Neighborhood Concerts, Mr. Phillips’ piece is cinematic in its intensity and expansive sound. The teen members of Face the Music will also present four of their favorite works: Graham Fitkin’s sax-heavy Mesh (1992); Marcelo Zarvos’ foot-stomping “Memory” from Nepomuk’s Dances (2002); Nico Muhly’s stop-and-start How About Now (2006); and Jacob TV’s Lipstick (1998), with a playback mix based on clips from American talk shows. Face the Music’s young players will talk to the audience between pieces and take questions at the end of the concert, making this an excellent opportunity for families with children.

Of his new piece, Liquid Timepieces, Mr. Phillips says, “The years 2010 and 2011 are the 50th anniversaries of Gustav Mahler’s birth (1850) and death (1911). I wanted to celebrate these ‘Jubilee Years’ by writing a work that honors the profound influence Mahler’s music has had on my musical thinking. Liquid Timepieces is my homage to Mahler, but despite some subtle references to his Symphony No. 1, No. 3, and No. 9, it is not meant to sound like his music. Rather, I hope to create a similar resonance to the protean spirit of life and the world that permeates his works.”

Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7pm
PS 321 Auditorium | 180 7th Avenue | Brooklyn, NY Tickets: $15 available at www.ps321.org after March 14 For more information, visit: http://kaufman-center.org/special-music-school/face- the-music.

About Face the Music: Face the Music is an ensemble of astonishingly talented teenagers performing works by today’s most compelling and creative new music composers. In residence at Kaufman Center, Face the Music breaks the boundaries of classical music education and performance, featuring today’s music presented by the emerging artistic voices of tomorrow.

Founded by Kaufman Center’s Special Music School Music Director Jenny Undercofler and composer Huang Ruo, Face the Music provides an unparalleled performance and education experience for the next generation of musical leaders. The group burst onto the scene in 2005, performing works by such new-music mainstays Michael Gordon, Phil Kline, and John Adams.

Since their debut, Face the Music has played throughout New York City at venues such as Le Poisson Rouge, The Queens Museum of Art, Roulette, and El Museo del Barrio. The ensemble also performed at the opening of Apple’s new West 67th Street location, on the live broadcast opening of WNYC’s Greene Space, and gave the U.S. premiere performance of Gérard Grisey’s Manifestations in Kaufman’s Merkin Concert Hall.

Face the Music’s mission is to engage talented teenage musicians from across the city to represent a diverse range of backgrounds and talents. The performers are primarily students or alumni of Kaufman Center’s own Special Music School, the only public school in New York City that integrates pre-conservatory musical training with academic education.

Other concert dates:

March 21, 2010 – Hudson View Gardens, 2 pm
116 Pinehurst Ave., NYC, hudsonviewgardens.com
Works by Marcelo Zarvos, Miguel del Aguila, Paul Desenne, Nico Muhly and JacobTV

May 9, 2010 – Look and Listen Festival, location TBA, 3 pm
Works by Marcelo Zarvos and Dan Visconti

May 12, 2010 – Brooklyn Lyceum, 8 pm
4th Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn
Works by Joe Phillips, Nico Muhly, Graham Fitkin and Paul Desenne

May 27, 2010 – Merkin Concert Hall Upper Lobby, 6:30 pm
Works by Nico Muhly, Paul Desenne and Joe Phillips. Pre-concert performance before the SIGNAL ensemble’s gives the world premiere of a new work by Muhly and American premiere of Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s The Corridor in Merkin Hall.

Photo credit: Kaufman Center via Flick’r Photo Share

UPDATE: Grand Opening for this event has been moved to Friday, March 19th.

For the first-time-ever, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to experience some of the country’s greatest young circus artists and hip-hop talent in one spectacular variety show as The Blacktop Circus: Where The Big Top Meets The City Streets hits the stage at the legendary and newly revitalized Paradise Theater in the Bronx on March 12, 2010.

Taking place from March 12th – March 21st, the show will feature an eclectic array of acclaimed young performers, assembled from the blacktop — the asphalt pavements of city streets and playgrounds. The show is the only hip-hop variety show to provide a professional venue featuring these exceptional talents all under one roof.

The performances appeal to people of all ages and demographics, bridging cultural and racial boundaries within the arts. Audiences will recognize many of their favorite acts from appearances on television shows including America’s Got Talent, America’s Best Dance Crew and Showtime at the Apollo as well as familiar live touring shows.

The BlackTop Circus features exciting performances from aerialists, acrobats, dancers, illusionists and athletes bringing their own unique styles and techniques to the stage. Each young performer brings something contemporary, and never-before-seen, to these high-energy, awe-inspiring and gravity defying performances.

With over 26 performers slated to appear, some of them being a:

•    Hip-hop illusionist/Elliot Zimet — renowned for his NY street-smart modern spin on magic, Elliot’s vision of using illusions, birds, dancers, special effects, lighting, and crowd-moving beats has captivated audiences everywhere with his unforgettable presence.

•    New York City’s renowned King Charles Unicycle Troupe — have been dazzling audiences for over 40 years with their high-energy game of basketball on unicycles developed and created right here in the Bronx.

•    The Kenya Safari Acrobats — a fast-paced troupe of eight highly trained athletes take the stage for gravity defying insane antics.

•    Aerialist Extraordinaire/Susan Voyticky – poetry- in-motion describes the elegance and craft of her aerial dance – a visually stunning array of physical strength, style and technique combine in a beautiful display of airs above the ground. Professionally trained in Londonat The Circus Space’s BA Theater. Susan Voyticky began training at an early and is proficient on single hoop and swing trapeze and aerial silks

•    Contortionist/Ricardo Sosa — bending his body parts past human limits, he has the uncanny ability to charm and in an unconventional body ballet, the physical strength, flexibility and grace to amaze.

•    Dance Performer/Kenichi Ebina – his incredible HipHop, Poppin’, Lockin’, Mime, House, Jazz, Contemporary and Ethnic dance styles have made him the only two-time grand champion in Apollo theater history.

NY Metropolista is offering one lucky winner a chance to win a (4) Pack of tickets to the Opening Night, March 12th, of The BlackTop Circus: Where The Big Top Meets The Street playing the landmarked Paradise Theater in NYC.

This family-friendly show, LIVE in the Bronx promises to be a fun event for all!

TO ENTER:

*Tweet about the giveaway and remember to @NYMetropolista

*Leave a comment sharing with us what you look forward to seeing the most!

Winner will be selected on Monday, March 8, 2010 by end of day.

To purchase tickets log onto www.paradisetheaterevents.com or call ticketmaster @ 212-307-7171 or The Paradise Theater box office @ 212-220-1015. Tickets prices from $13.50 for kids, $22 for adults, $20 for mezzanine and $30 for VIP seating.

Photo courtesy of Black Top Circus Facebook Fan Page

It seems that more and more of the younger generation is really embracing musical theater and performing arts. The excitement and success of shows like  Golden Globe winner  “Glee,” the buzz over the new “Fame” feature film, the triumphant teenage cast of Broadway’s “Bye Bye Birdie” revival, and the phenomenal success of the “High School Musical” franchise are all indications of this growing trend.

Kaufman Center is also embracing this moment in offering an abundance of opportunities for young students to pursue their passion for song, dance and drama.

Founded in 1952, Kaufman Center has grown to become one of New York City’s mainstays for performance and arts education, offering classes, workshops and concerts through its Lucy Moses School and Merkin Concert Hall.

Lucy Moses School: Summer Musical Theater Workshop

At the Summer Musical Theater Workshop, a gem in an otherwise crowded landscape of New York City summer camps, children and teenagers are provided with the unique opportunity and inspiration to live out their dream of performing on stage. For five weeks in June and July—Monday through Thursday—campers take part in comprehensive singing, acting, movement and stagecraft classes and rehearsals culminating in a full-scale performance at Merkin Hall, giving each child an opportunity to be a star. Unlike most theater camps where children perform standbys like “Annie” or “Grease,” Lucy Moses students perform original musicals, written especially for them by the faculty. More than 100 original shows have been produced through the Workshop—each year with a different theme, such as “The Little Apple,”  “Myth Mash,” “Island Treasure,” and “Appalachian Spring.” The theme for the 2010 summer session, beginning June 28, is “Classic Stories from Old England.”

Founded and directed by Sean Hartley, the Workshop started in 1990 with 14 campers and now accepts more than 100 participants annually, with more on a waiting list. In January 2010, alumni, interns and faculty from Summer Musical Theater Workshop took the stage at Kaufman Center’s Merkin Hall to celebrate 20 years of creativity and performance.

Registration is still open for 2010 for kids in grades 3-5 (closed for K-2 and 6-8). Teen internships are still available.

Lucy Moses School: Theater Classes & Workshops

Theater classes offered at Lucy Moses are an active and joyful exploration of the dramatic arts. Children develop concentration, stage presence, confidence and teamwork. In the Young People’s Division students explore the dramatic arts through an age-appropriate and sequential theater curriculum. Weekly classes during the school year and celebrated vacation programs offer something to fit everyone’s schedule.

Other theater classes for children and teens at Lucy Moses School include Theater Adventures, fall and spring Musical Theater Workshop, Teen Acting Workshop, Sketch Comedy, and Musical Theater Scene Study, among others.

One of the country’s most respected community schools for the arts, Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses School provides a multi-faceted arts education for children and adults at all levels of skill and experience. For more information on Lucy Moses School’s classes and registration, call (212) 501-3360 or visit kaufman-center.org.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center Presents: Broadway Playhouse

A student’s exploration of her or his artistic talents at Kaufman Center extends beyond the classroom and into the world of performing arts presentations. Broadway Playhouse concerts introduce children ages 4-11 to classic musicals through captivating medleys, rousing sing-alongs, lively games in which audience members participate, and mini-musicals. Children and their families can sing along to well-known songs and hear the stories behind the making of some of the greatest musicals of all time. Past seasons have featured Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Cole Porter, Ahrens & Flaherty, Bock & Harnick, Lerner & Loewe, Alan Menken and Jule Stein.

Sun 03/07/10 at 11:00 am: Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein is one of the most brilliant and innovative composers ever to write for the musical theater. His hits include two comedies written with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town and Wonderful Town), the classically inspired operetta Candide, and the immortal West Side Story, with lyrics by the young Stephen Sondheim.

For more information, visit: www.kaufman-center.org.

Photo courtesy of The Kauffman Center

Have you ever wondered why some people are great at saving money, while others can’t wait to spend it the minute they have it? I would have to say that I have.  I, like many Americans, am always looking for ways to save more money, but sometimes struggle to succeed in saving more.

According to experts at ING Direct, the answer may be in my temperament. They believe that understanding your temperament can give us a new perspective on life, as well as our finances.

ING DIRECT is offering a two-part discussion of key financial principles, such as financial planning and saving for retirement, and how your temperament influences your financial behavior.

This financial seminar that will be held at the ING DIRECT New York City Café on March 10th and March 16th and will feature speakers Jay Sanders CPA/PFS, CFP and Michael Edelstein, founder of The New Temperament. The seminar will help people to find out how their temperament can affect many areas of your life, especially personal finances.

Seminar Description:

Part I (March 10th): Your Temperament, The Curve and Flow
How much money should you save? How can you use your awareness of temperament to make better money decisions? You’ll gain a new understanding of temperament and important aspects of money and finance.

Part II (March 16th): Further explorations of Money and Temperament
What about money and relationships? Are you and your partner at odds about spending and saving? How does your temperament impact other financial decisions, like investing and managing risk? You’ll expand your understanding of temperament and develop further insight around vital financial issues.

Discover your temperament at www.thenewtemperament.com in advance of the talk.

To RSVP to the event or see more information visit www.ingdirect.com/seminars

Photo courtesy of Aaron Julius Kim Flick’r Photoshare

The International Toy Fair 2010 took place the week, ending yesterday.  Toy Fair incorporated an Eco-Friendly Product Zone, its first, allowing such toymakers and companies to really feature their products highlighting this component.

I found a hand full of eco-friendly toys that I thought were fun and interesting. Here are some of my favorites:

TDC Games: has 500 piece puzzle, with each piece embedded with sunflower seeds. They encourage you to, once completed, soak the puzzle over night in water and then plant them daily until they bloom.

Arttero: Founded by two moms from Madison, WI, award-wining Artterro offers eco-friendly art kits that inspire children’s artistic talent through high-quality materials found in the many different-themed options they offer.

miYim: with products found in major retailers nationwide, miYim offers organic toys for the younger child, ad is currently working to expand their line further with environmentally-friendly toys as well.

Sprig toys: one of my kids’ favorite are their trucks made from recycable materials. Battery-free and eco-friendly, this Colorado based company is working with WHAMO to develop biodegradable, kid operated pre=school toys.

Planet Fred: soft, organic material, and called Bamboo Bears. The company will plant one tree for every six bears purchased through the National Arbor Day Foundation.

There were more companies that had displays, my hope is that next year this number will even larger. Though it is no secret that added the eco-friendly aspect to a products adds to higher manufacturing costs, but with the increase in demand lately among parents looking for environmentally-friendly toys, my hope is that companies will find that the cost is worth it.

Photo credit: Sprig Toys

Postabon, the first user generated discount platform that helps consumers find and share local in-store deals, launched the beta version of its platform in New York City. Users upload information about great local discounts via Postabon’s mobile web app or web site; these recommendations are then placed in a searchable list of relevant, user-tested discounts happening in the area right now.

Finding a great deal on Postabon is as easy as searching by category, proximity, rating or keyword. Postabon’s home screen recognizes the user’s current location and displays a map pinpointing the most relevant user tested deals nearby. Over time, the company will provide increasingly relevant discount results as users create profiles, search, post and vote on deals in their area.

Posting a deal is simple and takes the same amount of time it would take to send a text, tweet or post a Facebook status update. Deal finders are asked to enter basic information on the deal, such as the name of the store offering the discount, the expiration date and one of four deal categories – Eat, Shop, Entertain or Miscellaneous. The deal is automatically geo-tagged and uploaded to the Postabon platform in real time. Users can comment, save and assign ratings to deals. Each post is referred to as a “bon,” the French word for “good,” to signify a good contribution to the Postabon community.

No good deed on Postabon goes unnoticed, so each time a user uploads a deal, they are rewarded with Karma points that push their profiles onto Postabon’s Karma Board of leading contributors. Users can compete for the best Karma by region or deal category each week. Similar to Twitter, Postabon users can follow other users whose recommendations they find valuable and track new deals through a following feed.

Postabon instantly recognizes your location & pinpoints all the best deals taking place right now in that neighborhood. The deals are found for people by people. In the time it takes to send a tweet, shoppers can post info on great deals they find out about events, sales in retail stores, restaurant deals and basically anywhere else they take your money.

The Postabon deals are people-generated & not computer-generated, they include helpful hints like what floor to go to, what the selection is like, etc. Of course, great finds on cheap or free events are in the mix as well. Here’s an example of a free concert user ‘cityshopmom’ stumbled upon: http://postabon.com/pc/deal?guid=2016.

Other future plans include adding more cities to the Postabon network and opening the platform to allow advertisers to share their deals with the community in a transparent matter.

To get started with Postabon on an iPhone, Palm Pre, Android phone or on your computer, visit  www.postabon.com.

Photo credit: Mrktwain from stock xchange

Just off 5th Ave, a few blocks away from Bryant Park, on 38 West 38th St., you will find an very unassuming entrance to a building, much like any other in NYC. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor however, and you will enter Galli’s Fairy Tale Theater.  A small stage, with a few rows of chairs, it is the place where I witnessed a group of very young children take in the art of theatrical peformance.

The show, The Frog Prince, had one important lesson to teach the little ones about fear: Face it. Breathe it. Do it. And Galli Theater for Personal Growth teaches that lesson to children and adults alikethrough their theater workshops and camps. With classes like “Soul Movement” and “Be The Star that You Are” for kids, the Galli group really encourages self-expression and self-confidence while instilling the craft of acting and performance on stage.  Adults can learn ways to express their creativity, or gain the training they need to teach others the art of theater.

During the performance I attended, children were encouraged to participate and the actors would often interact, even inviting some of the children to walk on stage and dance with them.  Everyone was having a lot of fun, including the parents who took great delight in watching their children become so involved and concerned for the characters of the story.

Prince: Guillermo Hernández De La Fuente, Frog: Inga Jaanimets, Princess: Fatima, King: Steven Weisser

Very casual, and low key, this is a perfect place to bring your child and make him/her feel comfortable about the stage, the experience of theater, and maybe even the art of being in it.

And though The Frog Prince involved an all-adult cast, they also feature all-kids cast, and I have been told these are amazing as well! The next one will be Galli’s Wolf and the 7 Little Goats and will take place from Jan 23 – Feb 7; Sat & Sun at 3pm. Check out their calendar for performances and ticket information.

The holidays are upon us, and the kids are off from school. Great fun indeed, until the cabin fever starts to set in. What to do? What to do? If you’re the New York Metro area you are in luck!

This Holiday week is full of tons of things to do, and though the tourists have sort of replaced the residents in larger numbers, it still means that a lot of your favorite places might not be as crowded as usual (if you get there earlier than most especially).

From now to tomorrow, Dec. 24, catch a The Miracle on 34th St. at Macy’s Herald Square’s new Puppet Theater presented by The Puppetworks, Inc., a puppeteering group based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. If you miss this show, Puppetworks is also presenting The Nutcraker Sweets and The Steadfast Tin Soldier from Dec, 26 through Jan 10.  Check their site for more info.

If you love puppets, but don’t want to travel outside of Manhattan to enjoy a show, than check out Central Park’s own Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater’s The Three Bears Holiday Bash. On now through Jan. 3.

Don’t miss the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden. A holiday favorite, the recreations are works of art, made of natural materials, celebrating the beauty of New York City.  Display is on from now till Jan. 10. Enjoy some hot drinks and gingersnaps. A wonderful adventure for the entire family! Check their site for more info.

If you love trains, but want to stay in Manhattan, head on over to Grand Central Terminal, and catch NY Transit Museum’s 8th Annual Holiday Train Show, a display of awesome Lionel trains (from now through Jan. 18). While there don’t forget to also stay to watch  their Holiday Light Show (till Dec. 31) and Holiday Fair (till Dec. 24).

Our we can go a’Caroling! In Washington Square Park, on Dec. 24 from 5:00PM-6:00PM, or head on over to Stuyvesant Square from 6:00PM to 8:00PM for a Candelight Caroling celebration.

The Queens Theater in Flushing Meadow park is presenting Santa Meets The Wicked Wizard on Dec. 26 and The Nutcracker from Dec. 29 to Dec. 30). Tickets are $12.00.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan has several events going on during the Holidays as well, from Holiday gift card making going on today, Dec. 23 and tomorrow, Dec. 24, to Highbridge Voices Holiday Concert. Check out their site for event listing and tickets.

Get out, have fun! And from our family to yours, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season!

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn) is a dynamic, innovative program that incorporates the physical and rhythmic aspects of music to start children on the path to not only learning music, but also to experience the fun and joy that music can bring into their lives. Celebrating 25 years with its 2009-2010 season, Music Adventures encourages creative expression through music, dance, and fun.

Although nestled in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, Music Adventures is a nationally-recognized program. Lillian Yaross, former president of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, stated that this program “reflected a serious commitment to music education for the young children as an exciting and challenging experience” and that it is “one of the best programs I had seen in the U.S.”

Music Adventures is unique among music and movement programs for young children. Each entertaining and educational class is limited in size and many are team-taught by two professionals: a music specialist trained in the Orff and Dalcroze Eurhythmics methods, as well as a movement and dance specialist.

Established in 1984, Music Adventures is an Orff Schulwerk based program (created by composer Carl Orff in the 1920s) and is led by Ric Frank. In addition to being the Division Director of Music Adventures for the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (a position he has held since 1988), Ric is also an award-winning musician and composer for stage and screen. In fact, he can be heard with his New Orleans brass band during the “wild rumpus” scene in Where The Wild Things Are. “While Music Adventures is designed for serious musical education, we teach with a sense of humor and make learning music fun,” he says.

The program begins with children as young as 18 months, helping them to develop musical awareness by responding to music with gestures, props, percussion instruments, and movement. As the students get older, the curriculum grows and challenges their musical development. In fact, Music Adventures is the first step in a lifelong journey with music, and that voyage can continue at the Conservatory in any number of ways, including lessons, classes, and ensembles. Kids can build on what they learn in Music Adventures without leaving the Conservatory, which was established in 1897. “With the wide variety of lessons and classes we offer, starting with Music Adventures and beyond, families can stay in one place and enjoy a lifetime of rich and varied music education,” said Aaron Felder, Executive Director of the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music. “As a parent, I know how valuable that kind of continuity can be to a child’s education and development.”

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music offers rolling enrollment throughout the semester. To audit a class, or for more information including tuition costs and class schedules, call (718) 622-3300.