#astoria performing arts center

[amagi2000]

Tony Bennett

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, United States Army

63rd Infantry Division

August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023

Tony Bennett was an American singer. Bennett amassed many accolades throughout his career, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree, and was the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. Bennett sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Tony Bennett had come a long way since growing up poor in Queens, New York, during the Great Depression. Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in 1926 to Italian immigrants, Bennett's father was a grocer who died when Tony was 10 years old. It wasn't long before he started helping out the family by singing while waiting tables.

Like many people and many families, the Benedettos' lives were forever changed by World War II.

Bennett turned 18 in 1944 and was drafted into the U.S. Army.

By March 1945, the young soldier was deploying to Europe with the 63rd Infantry Division, replacing casualties lost in the Battle of the Bulge. In his 1998 autobiography "The Good Life," he called the war a "front row seat in hell."

As the German Army was pushed back, Benedetto and his company saw bitter fighting in cold winter conditions, often hunkering down in foxholes as German 88 mm guns fired on them.

At the end of March, they crossed the Rhine and entered Germany, engaging in dangerous house-to-house, town-after-town fighting to clean out German soldiers; during the first week of April, they crossed the Kocher River, and by the end of the month rea ched the Danube.

During his time in combat, Benedetto narrowly escaped death several times. The experience made him a pacifist he would later write, "Anybody who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn't gone through one,"and later say, "It was a nightmare that's permanent. I just said, 'This is not life. This is not life.'"

At the war's conclusion he was involved in the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau, near Landsberg, where some American prisoners of war from the 63rd Division had also been held. He later wrote in his autobiography that "I saw things no human being should ever have to see."

Benedetto stayed in Germany as part of the occupying force but was assigned to an informal Special Services band unit that would entertain nearby American forces. His dining with a black friend from high school—at a time when the Army was still racially segregated—led to his being demoted and reassigned to Graves Registration Service duties.

Subsequently, he sang with the 314th Army Special Services Band under the stage name Joe Bari (a name he had started using before the war, chosen after the city and province in Italy and as a partial anagram of his family origins in Calabria). He played with many musicians who would have post-war careers.

Upon his discharge from the Army and return to the States in 1946, Benedetto studied at the American Theatre Wing on the GI Bill. He was taught the bel canto singing discipline, which would keep his voice in good shape for his entire career. He continued to perform wherever he could, including while waiting tables. Based upon a suggestion from a teacher at American Theatre Wing, he developed an unusual approach that involved imitating, as he sang, the style and phrasing of other musicians—such as that of Stan Getz's saxophone and Art Tatum's piano—helping him to improvise as he interpreted a song.He made a few recordings as Bari in 1949 for small Leslie Records, but they failed to sell.

[47burlm]

the world lost a GREAT ONE- a True Legend

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American singer. Bennett amassed many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree and founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.[1] He sold more than 50 million records worldwide and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with "Because of You" in 1951. Several popular tracks such as "Rags to Riches" followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". His career and personal life experienced an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era. Bennett staged a comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his reach to the MTV generation while keeping his musical style intact. Throughout his lifetime, he sang several duets and organized concerts with many acclaimed American and foreign singers, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Connie Francis, Vicente Fernández, Elena Zagorskaya, and Amy Winehouse.[2][3][4]

Bennett continued to create popular and critically praised work into the 21st century. He attracted renewed acclaim late in his career for his collaboration with Lady Gaga, which began with the album Cheek to Cheek (2014); the two performers toured together to promote the album throughout 2014 and 2015. With the release of the duo's second album, Love for Sale (2021), Bennett broke the individual record for the longest run of a top-10 album on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist; his first top-10 record was I Left My Heart in San Francisco in 1962. Bennett also broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days.

In February 2021, Bennett revealed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016.[5] Due to the slow progression of his illness, he continued to record, tour, and perform until his retirement from concerts due to physical challenges, which was announced after his final performances on August 3 and 5, 2021, at Radio City Music Hall.

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures 03 August 1926 – 21 July 2023 Anthony Dominick Benedetto - Tony Bennett

Anthony Dominick Benedetto , known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American singer. Bennett amassed many accolades throughout his career, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree, and was the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. Bennett sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with "Because of You" in 1951. Several popular tracks such as "Rags to Riches" followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". His career and personal life experienced an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era. Bennett staged a comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his reach to the MTV generation while keeping his musical style intact. Throughout his lifetime, he sang several duets and organized concerts with many acclaimed American and foreign singers, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Italian singer Connie Francis, Mexican singer Vicente Fernández, Merited Artist of Soviet Russia Elena Zagorskaya, and others.

Bennett continued to create popular and critically praised work into the 21st century. He attracted renewed acclaim late in his career for his collaboration with Lady Gaga, which began with the album Cheek to Cheek (2014); the two performers toured together to promote the album throughout 2014 and 2015. With the release of the duo's second album, Love for Sale (2021), Bennett broke the individual record for the longest run of a top-10 album on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist; his first top-10 record was I Left My Heart in San Francisco in 1962. Bennett also broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days.

In February 2021, it was revealed that Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Due to the slow progression of his illness, he continued to record, tour, and perform until his retirement from concerts due to physical challenges, which was announced after his final performances on August 3 and 5, 2021, at Radio City Music Hall.

[newmusicradionetwork]

Joe Nichols Releases First Song From Upcoming 11th Studio Album

Three-time GRAMMY nominated Quartz Hill Records artist Joe Nichols’ releases new song, “Bottle It Up,” today across all streaming and digital retail partners. With his “signature neo-traditional sound” (Billboard) and rich baritone, Nichols latest track is a rollicking slice-of-life ode to capturing the good times and savoring the special moments with family and friends. LISTEN to “Bottle It Up” HERE. WATCH the official lyric video HERE. “‘Bottle It Up’ is about the good things in life and saving them up. And also enjoying them when maybe life is a little less than stellar,” says Nichols. “I think we would all like to take great moments in our life, capture them, put them in a bottle and constantly drink from it. It’s about storing up the good stuff.” Written by Josh Kear, Dan Isbell and Paul Sykes, “Bottle It Up,” marks the first song release from Nichols’ upcoming 11th career studio album as well as his second project for Quartz Hill Records. The song was produced by Mickey Jack Cones (Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett) and Derek George (Randy Houser). Earlier this week Nichols joined chart-topping rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Post Malone onstage at his “A Night in Nashville” show at Marathon Music Works for a collaborative performance of Nichols’ Platinum No. 1 hit “Brokenheartsville,” which Malone called “one of the best-written songs I’ve heard in my entire life.” Nichols recently released a mashup of Alice in Chains’ “Rooster,” and the Hank Williams, Jr smash “A Country Boy Can Survive” which has become a fan favorite at his live shows as Nichols continues touring across the U.S. and beyond. Joe Nichols Summer 2024 Tour Dates  - 08/02/24 – Astoria, OR – Clatsop County Fair & Expo Center - 08/09/24 – Swansboro, NC – Swansboro Baseball Field - 08/10/24 – Hagerstown, MD – Meritus Park - 08/16/24 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center - 08/17/24 – Mineral City, OH – Atwood Lake Park - 08/22/24 – Mason, WI – Concert in the Corn 2024 - 08/23/24 – Saint Joseph, MO – Missouri Theatre - 08/24/24 – Eau Claire, WI – Seymour Ball Club - 08/31/24 – El Dorado, AR – MAD Amphitheatre - 09/01/24 – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheatre - 09/07/24 – Las Vegas, NV – Downtown Rocks Concert Series - 09/14/24 – Corona, CA – Dos Lagos Amphitheatre - 09/28/24 – Fort Dodge, IA – Downtown Country Jam - 10/11/24 – Roanoke, VA – Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridge - 10/12/24 – Hiawassee, GA – Anderson Music Hall - 10/13/24 – Orange Park, FL – Thrasher-Horne Center - 10/24/24 – New Braunfels, TX – Brauntex Performing Arts Center - 10/25/24 – Dallas, TX – Gilley’s Dallas To view a full list of dates and to purchase tickets, visit: joenichols.com/tour About Joe Nichols: Multi-platinum Quartz Hill Records’ Joe Nichols is one of country music’s most-lauded recording artists. A 21st century traditionalist, Nichols is an artist who is both timely and timeless – one who has racked up more than TWO BILLION cumulative audio streams/ views including a half-dozen No. 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits with a sound that blurs the boundaries between country music’s past and present. It’s an approach that has earned Nichols three GRAMMY nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, a CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” Award as well as multiple gold and platinum-certified records. Nichols’ additional honors include awards from Billboard, Radio & Records and Music Row Magazine as well as a New York Times “Best-Albums-of-the-Year” nod. The celebrated star has appeared on national media programs ranging from the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets in CBS primetime to The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, Entertainment Tonight and Austin City Limits. He also made his big screen debut in the feature film, Murder at Yellowstone City. Nichols’ follow-up to his critically-lauded album, Good Day For Living – which included the Top 15 hit* of the same name – will be released later this year. The first song from his 11th studio album, “Bottle It Up,” is out now. For the latest news on Nichols visit: www.JoeNichols.com and follow him (@JoeNichols) on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. Read the full article

[taruntravell]

Exploring New York's Neighborhoods: A Tourist's Guide to the Boroughs

Exploring NY City tours neighborhoods can be an exciting and diverse experience, as each borough offers its own unique charm, culture, and attractions. Here's a tourist's guide to the five boroughs of New York helicopter tours City:

1. Manhattan:

Midtown Manhattan: Explore iconic landmarks such as Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park.

Lower Manhattan: Visit the Financial District, where you can see Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Upper West Side and Upper East Side: Enjoy cultural institutions like the American Museum of Natural History and The Met, as well as beautiful Central Park.

Harlem: Experience the rich history of Harlem, including the Apollo Theater and soul food restaurants.

Greenwich Village and SoHo: Stroll through these artistic neighborhoods filled with shops, cafes, and historic streets.

2. Brooklyn:

DUMBO: Admire the stunning views of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Bridge Park, and explore trendy shops and art galleries.

Williamsburg: Enjoy a vibrant arts and music scene, with hipster boutiques, bars, and restaurants.

Coney Island: Visit the famous boardwalk, Luna Park amusement park, and enjoy a hot dog at Nathan's Famous.

Prospect Park: Relax in this vast green space designed by the same architects who created Central Park.

3. Queens:

Flushing: Explore the diverse food scene, with a focus on Asian cuisine. Visit Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, home to the Unisphere from the 1964 World's Fair.

Astoria: Discover Greek restaurants, the Museum of the Moving Image, and beautiful Astoria Park.

Long Island City: Enjoy stunning waterfront views, visit MoMA PS1, and take a stroll along the Gantry Plaza State Park.

Jamaica: Experience Caribbean culture, taste delicious Jamaican food, and visit the King Manor Museum.

4. The Bronx:

The Bronx Zoo: Explore one of the largest metropolitan zoos in the world.

The New York Botanical Garden: Enjoy the beautiful gardens and seasonal exhibitions.

Yankee Stadium: Catch a baseball game and feel the excitement of the New York Yankees.

Bronx Museum of the Arts: Discover contemporary art and cultural exhibitions.

5. Staten Island:

Staten Island Ferry: Take a free ride to see the Statue of Liberty and enjoy picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline.

St. George: Visit the Staten Island Museum and the historic St. George Theatre.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center: Explore botanical gardens, art museums, and performance spaces in this historic complex.

Don't forget to try the diverse cuisine each borough has to offer, from street food vendors to fine dining establishments. New York City's public transportation system makes it easy to explore all of these neighborhoods, so get a MetroCard and start your adventure!

[maliburisinghq]

boas vindas astoria de leon, aylin kara, natalie daisy miller, olivia hepburn, vicente juan de leon.

fcs ocupados: blanca soler, chay suede, meltem akçöl, rain spencer, scarlett leithold.

( hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, lana del rey ) ei, aquela ali na areia é ASTORIA DE LEON? pensei que era BLANCA SOLER. ela tem 24 anos e é uma conhecida RADIALISTA em malibu, sendo uma moradora do bairro HEPBURN. as más línguas dizem que é muito INSEGURA, mas compensa sendo COMUNICATIVA. será que ela vai pegar uma onda hoje?

( desculpe o auê, rita lee ) ei, aquela ali na areia é AYLIN KARA? pensei que era MELTEM AKÇÖL. ela tem 24 anos e é uma conhecida ATRIZ E DANÇARINA DE TEATRO E PROFESSORA VOLUNTÁRIA NO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER em malibu, sendo uma moradora do bairro PEELE. as más línguas dizem que é muito INTENSA, mas compensa sendo GENUÍNA. será que ela vai pegar uma onda hoje?

( ready for it?, taylor swift ) ei, aquela ali na areia é NATALIE DAISY MILLER? pensei que era SCARLETT LEITHOLD. ela tem 22 anos e é uma conhecida JOGADORA DE FUTEBOL em malibu, sendo uma moradora do bairro FRANKLIN. as más línguas dizem que é muito EGOCÊNTRICA, mas compensa sendo SIMPÁTICA. será que ela vai pegar uma onda hoje?

( san francisco, scott mckenzie ) ei, aquela ali na areia é OLIVIA HEPBURN? pensei que era RAIN SPENCER. ela tem 21 anos e é uma conhecida PROPRIETÁRIA DA PRÓPRIA LOJA em malibu, sendo uma moradora do bairro PEELE. as más línguas dizem que é muito DESCONFIADA, mas compensa sendo AMOROSA. será que ela vai pegar uma onda hoje?

( this is me trying, taylor swift ) ei, aquele ali na areia é VICENTE JUAN DE LEON? pensei que era CHAY SUEDE. ele tem 27 anos e é um conhecido ATENDENTE NO SALT WATER COFFE em malibu, sendo um morador do bairro HEPBURN. as más línguas dizem que é muito ORGULHOSO, mas compensa sendo COMPREENSIVO. será que ele vai pegar uma onda hoje?

[writemarcus]

Astoria Performing Arts Center to debut six musicals about the COVID-19 crisis

“Quorum”

Concept, Book and Lyrics by Marcus Scott

Music by Blake Allen

Additional Lyrics and Music by Marc Chan

Premieres May 22, 2020 on the APAC YouTube channel.

By Jacob Kaye / jkaye@schnepsmedia.com / 

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 / 1:00 PM

Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York City

The Astoria Performing Arts Center will debut six new musical shorts about the COVID-19 crisis beginning Friday, May 22.

“The Insiders” features the work of 16 actors, 15 writers, and five directors who explore quarantine, crisis, connection and hope over the course of the six films. The films will be streamed on The Astoria Performing Arts Center’s website and on their YouTube channel free of charge, however, the arts nonprofit is asking viewers for a suggested $10 donation.

The donations will benefit Astoria Performing Arts Center and the Indie Theater Fund.

The films were created in the early days of the shutdown, as artists experimented creating and collaborating from afar.

Teresa Lotz, an award-winning playwright and composer-lyricist, served as the artistic producer for the project.

Writers of “The Insiders” include Krista Knight, Derek Hassler, Ryan Kerr, Rachel Kunstadt, Briana Harris, Teresa Lotz, Charles Inniss, Christopher Inniss, Marcus Scott, Blake Allen & Marc Chan, Annette Storckman, Naomi Matlow, Andi Lee Carter, Claire Tran and Blake Allen.

Its cast includes cast includes Dana Aber, Bailey Carlson, Ariel Leigh Cohen, Leana Rae Concepcion, Kristina Dizon, Ellis Gage, Staci Jo Johnson, Bee Michael, Michael Orlandi, Jason Pintar, Erin Solér, William Spinnato, Sara States, Tais Szilagi, Jeff Williams and Ariel Seidman-Wright.

The Astoria Performing Arts Center was founded in 2001 and has since become an award-winning arts nonprofit. The arts center also provides programming for children and senior citizens.

[startsandstops]

It’s been super busy lately, so I’ve been trying to squeeze in some reading time when I can. Tonight is opening night for our show at APAC, so finding these quiet moments the next couple of weeks or so is going to be especially important (and super hard) — but all worth it in the end. Caught a preview the other night & I’m always glad to be working with an organization that consistently produces such great work. If you’re in the NYC area, please catch our show Veil’d — it’s a lovely, lovely work by playwright Monet Hurst-Mendoza, with a positive message I think we all need in this crazy world we’re living in right now.

[wittygaypuns]

Hi everyone!

I've seen a lot of love and support for black, queer artists recently, so I would like to bring your attention to one that's close to my heart. He's one of my best friends and a brilliant writer, definitely one of my favorite people; Marcus Scott.

He's got a musical dropping on YouTube tonight and I would love you all to show him some love. I haven't seen or read it yet, but I've helped proof and edit tons of his work before and I'm sure it's just as amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/user/APACnyc

Show them some love, Tumblr.

[themangoyogurt]

Between 29th and Astoria: The Appetizer

Chapter 5

It was always the same story after a night of hard drinking - waking up with regret, plotting your own death, and revisiting misdemeanors committed under the influence of alcohol. To make matters worse, you had fallen asleep on the commute resulting in missing your stop. By the time you went above ground, back down on the other side, and hopped on the right train - you were hopelessly late.

Not only that, but you had been drunk enough to make stupid life decisions such as feel up your freaking boss, but not blitzed enough to have forgotten what had happened. You stepped off the executive elevator and onto the forty-fifth floor completely ready to die of embarrassment.

Only, you didn’t.

Ren’s door was closed, but you heard gentle murmuring behind the glass. His morning conference call must have begun earlier than scheduled. At least that took care of any awkward A.M. confrontations. If you had any doubts that your job was on the line though, they were immediately cleared as you stepped up to your little glass fortress.

Sitting neatly in the center right between your monitor and keyboard was a cup of coffee. A sticky note was stuck to the sleeve with two sentences scrawled in surprisingly beautiful penmanship.

“May I suggest a different addictive substance? Perhaps one that won’t kill you?”

The smell of hazelnut and spice wafted up from the lid, enveloping the area with a warm scent. The caramel liquid inside was still hot, and burned deliciously as it was consumed. Seeing that he bought you coffee, perhaps Kylo’s hypocrisy regarding smoking could be ignored. For now at least. You reclined into the leather seat underneath and began your typical morning rituals.

The computer fired on with a half-hearted beep. Next, physical memos were sorted as the screen slowly loaded. Some papers were shuffled into the trash. Others were filed away for later use, and a select few were organized into a folder to hand off to Mr. Ren. As soon as the monitor pinged to life, e-mails were next on the list. Similar to the memos, you organized and sorted the digital mail. Once in a while, you’d be interrupted by a phone call.

Most of the time it was a frantic Mitaka in search of one thing or another for Hux. The poor man was clearly stretched far too thin, and you always spent the latter half of your conversations giving the assistant a pep talk. By the time everything was catalogued and dealt with, it was usually lunch. That was almost always taken alone at your desk. First Order certainly didn’t encourage friendships, that much was for sure. If you were lucky and Mr. Ren had an outside appointment during the hour, you were able to eat elsewhere. Even then it wasn’t very exciting. You’d usually just grab a sorry excuse for a salad from Hale & Hearty, and eat it in the break room.

Today was different though. Twelve o’ clock struck, and Mr. Ren emerged from his office. Dark hair coiffed backwards, he slowly ambled towards your desk. Your name slid from his lips like oil and you looked up in surprise.

“Mr. Ren! I thought you had a lunch appointment today.”

He tapped his fingers along the smooth surface of your desk and nodded. Reaching over, he plucked your purse hanging from the back of the chair. Smiling, the man responded, “Yes, I do. You’re my appointment.”

You mouth slackened in surprise, and Kylo smirked at your reaction, filing away the image along with others he had collected over time. Twirling the leather strap of your bag in one hand, he turned on his heel and marched over to the elevator. You immediately jumped up from your chair and hurried a step behind the man.

He brought you to a swanky restaurant somewhere uptown. Just like at the club last night, you felt incredibly out of place. It was the type of establishment you’d only read about in magazines alongside the words “so-and-so celebrity spotted at”. It certainly wasn’t the kind of venue a failed photographer turned personal assistant ate at. And it definitely wasn’t the kind of place a boss should be taking his assistant just for kicks.

Regardless, Kylo still placed a warm palm on your lower back and ushered you through the large doors and into a marble waiting area. The hostess immediately recognized the raven-haired CEO and lead the way to a private dining area secluded in the back.

The lithe blonde’s eyes darted between the two of you and then to Kylo’s hands before asking, “Mr. Ren, would you like me to check your - uh - friend’s bag?”

Oh my God. Kylo Ren was still holding your purse.

Your face colored in embarrassment as you thought about how this woman probably checked Birkins worth six figures. Your little flea market find of cracked leather definitely had no business being checked anywhere. Panicking, you snatched the purse away from your boss and awkwardly tittered that you’d be fine holding onto the handbag.

Did the woman just give you a look of sympathy?

If she kept up that attitude, you’d give her something to be sympathetic about. Your eyes squinted ever so slightly, and Ren let out a snort. He waved the hostess away and pulled out your chair before settling in across the table.

“If you’re ashamed of your purse, you could always buy a new one.”

“Excuse me?! Just because I don’t enjoy being judged, doesn’t mean I’m ashamed of my purse! And what do you expect me to do? Go out and buy a Chanel with the zero dollars in my savings account?”

Kylo’s head tilted backwards as he chuckled, “You looked ready to choke the hostess with your mind.”

“My purse has character. Something she wouldn’t understand,” you pouted.

“Yes. I’m just finding out about how much character you possess.”

Heat spread across your cheeks and your face bloomed pink at your boss’s teasing. Fiddling with the hem of the tablecloth you whispered, “I’m so sorry about last night, Mr. Ren.” He dismissed your apology with a wave of his hand and chortled, “I’ve seen Phasma do worse on a better night. Don’t worry about it.” He slowly drank in the sight of your flushed skin and the way your lashes shyly fluttered at his words. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.

Thankfully the waiter arrived, and provided some relief as he went over the tasting menu. Who on earth ate five courses at twelve thirty in the afternoon?

Apparently, Kylo Ren did. The man didn’t even flinch as the waiter rattled off various dishes and accompaniments. You blushed again as Mr. Ren ordered a whiskey neat for himself and a gin and tonic for yourself. He ignored your protests that it was too early to drink, and opted to lean back and watch your fruitless objections with mirth.

“Are you done?”

Your ears turned red, and Kylo grinned with his full set of teeth. He was beginning to discover a new hobby - making his assistant blush. Once again, the waiter came to the rescue as he set down a white oval porcelain dish with two oysters perched atop a hill of ice with caviar scattered about. Ren expertly fed himself the appetizer and watched you struggle in amusement. Compared to Ren’s effortless elegance, you looked like a pelican choking down sardines.

He quietly placed a palm on the table and asked, “So, tell me about yourself. What do you do after work?”

An eyebrow raised on its own as you studied Mr. Ren with some suspicion. Just a few days ago, this man was one missed memo away from flipping over your desk and booting you out the door. Now he wanted to know what you did for fun? As if sensing your apprehension, Kylo teased, “Isn’t this what friends do? Get to know each other?”

The memory of Kylo’s massive hands gripping your slight wrists was enough to make you gag on your drink. Were gin and tonics always this difficult to stomach?

Clearing your throat and wiping the edges of your lips, you replied, “Well. Honestly, I go to work so early and stay so late...there isn’t really much time for me to do anything. My friends are pretty understanding though, so we spend most of our time at my apartment or theirs. We - uh - you know, talk. Sometimes we play board games or just watch Netflix. We do other things together, too.”

Kylo arched a brow and joked, “You do ‘other things’ with your friends? How conveniently vague.”

Coughing again, you sputtered, “No! No. I mean, we’re all single, but we don’t - you know - do weird things. Uhm, Rose is a mechanic and she works on these crazy fancy private planes that come in and out of the city. Sometimes her clients invite her to cool things, and I’ll get to tag along. Poe has a really sweet job, and he’ll hook us up with tickets to events, too. And, uhm, Finn also works at Poe’s company, but only part time. But he’s trying really hard to be an actor and he just wrapped up a really great show. We’ll go see him in different performances, and it’s really fun!”

Kylo ran his bottom lip along the edge of his glass as he took in your response. The name “Poe” sounded oddly familiar to him. It was a rather archaic sounding name that not many in your age group had. He’d have to look into that later, rather preferring to settle on one key fact he was surprisingly happy to learn - you were single.

“What about you, Mr. Ren? Do you have any hobbies? Or - uhm - date?”

You were going to be the death of him. If he could die via cuteness, he would choose you every time. He watched your throat bob as you swallowed, almost as if you wished you could push the words back down. He thought for a moment: no, what he did with the fairer sex certainly wouldn’t be considered dating. As for hobbies?

“Sure. I enjoy calligraphy. It’s a nice marriage of art and the written form. I also like taking my cars out to the speedway from time-to-time. As for dating? No. I wouldn’t say I have the time to date...per se.”

You nodded along, thinking the entire time that Mr. Ren sounded lightyears above you. Of course someone like him wouldn’t play fucking Cranium in his free time. You continued to eat and chat until the meal wrapped up. Kylo was even suave enough to take care of the check while he got up to use the restroom, saving you the embarrassment of having to act like you could even afford to split the $700 bill.

Walking out the door, you stopped to turn to the man. Rocking a bit on your heels, you meekly murmured, “Thank you, Mr. Ren...”

“What was that, little mouse? I didn’t quite catch that.” A quirk of his lip indicated that he was teasing you again.

Clearing your throat, you spoke up, “Thank you, Mr. Ren. For the meal. And the conversation. I - uh - quite enjoyed spending time with you.”

He gave you a warm smile. The most genuine one you have yet to witness. He carefully patted your back - high enough to be professional, but low enough to leave you confused.

Looking up into the sky, he replied, “I’m glad. Perhaps we could making spending time together a habit.”

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures 03 August 1926 Anthony Dominick Benedetto [Tony Bennett]

Anthony Dominick Benedetto known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.

Born and raised in Astoria to an Italian-American family, Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with "Because of You" in 1951. Several top hits such as "Rags to Riches" followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950′s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". His career and personal life experienced an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era.

Bennett staged a comeback in the late 1980′s and 1990′s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his reach to the MTV generation while keeping his musical style intact. He remains a popular and critically praised recording artist and concert performer to date. He has won 19 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 2001) and two Emmy Awards, and was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. Bennett has sold over 50 million records worldwide.

[dr-pepper-cherry]

The Outlaws

In the late 1800s, the events of the Civil War had left America in a less than civil state. Gangs popped up all over the west, from Billy The Kid’s Rustlers to the infamous James-Younger gang.

But lost to the recesses of history is the simply named group known as The Outlaws.

Former members of the Innocents, these seven individuals escaped the clutches of the Vigilante Committee that had hanged their leader, Henry Plummer. Without the advantage of numbers they once had, they were forced to rely on stealth and disguise to tackle their new scores.

But surprisingly, they found this method more beneficial than they did working with the Innocents. Trains were robbed, banks were picked clean and entire shipments of gold would disappear overnight with such delicate precision, no one even noticed they were being robbed until it was too late. And should a problem occur and blood was forced to be shed, they had no issue spilling it. With the mass amounts of money they collected and the twenty steps they had above the law, they would’ve made criminal history.

If it wasn’t for one misfired bullet.

When Johnny Harlan shot and killed Josiah McGrath and separated the group in an attempt to escape justice, little did he know he had inadvertently created one of the most terrifying gunslingers in all the west.

And that gunslinger, cloaked in red, was coming for him.

(Deadeye backstory, yay.)

Bill O'Malley, AKA “Buffalo”

The group’s muscle and strongman, Buffalo was often brought along to carry safes and gold bars out of their raids with as little noise as possible. Armed with a mighty axe and possessing incredible strength, he would’ve been a great challenge to the sixteen-year-old Cyrus McGrath.

If it wasn’t for his crippling addiction towards liquor.

The Buffalo’s love for whiskey, bourbon and everything else that’d keep him drunk was what kept him from leaving his favorite bar in Astoria, Oregon and Cyrus’s first step towards his path of vengeance. Using the money left by his father, he kept Buffalo talking with every bottle of booze. Cyrus kept buying drinks until Buffalo had ran out of things to say that were at least coherent. He waited until the strongman lifted his mug for another drink before shooting him right through the throat. As the patrons began screaming and running to the door, Cyrus fired another shot into Bill, one between his eyes.

He was the first of the soon to be many people that would fall to Cyrus McGrath.

Lucius “Luke” Winchester, AKA “Rabbit”

The Old Ship Saloon in the bustling city of San Francisco, California was often the prowling ground for gamblers and card sharks alike. Folks from all walks of life would saunter into this fine establishment, ready to test their luck and make their fortune.

And no man was better at this lifestyle than Luke Winchester, known to the criminal underworld as Rabbit.

Rabbit was the Outlaw’s lucky charm. Whether it’s a high stakes tournament game of poker or a simple need for the charismatic gentleman, the group would all turn their heads to the white-suited man.

But luck was not with him the day Cyrus McGrath walked into the saloon.

The eighteen-year-old boy seemed to be spare change for the master gambler but accepted the boy’s place at the table as the man was rather incompetent at games of luck.

Round after round, the gunslinger continued dealing bad hands and terrible moves that were completely ridiculous.

By the end of the game, Rabbit was staring at $300 on the table with such unbridled glee, he wasn’t even attempting to hold back his smug nature.

Because the gunslinger was such a good sport, Luke offered $50 for a ride home, which he thought was a rather generous notion. But the gunslinger shook his head and asked for a different consolation prize.

“Your life.”

And before Luke could react to those words, Cyrus spun around with a revolver in his hand and fired a round right between Luke’s eyes.

The people only looked on in fear as Cyrus began walking out the door, watching from the corner of his eyes as Luke fell upon the table, still clutching his bloody cards of two eights and a pair of aces.

Miss Katherine “Kitty” Jezebel, AKA “Cat”

The Storyville district of New Orleans, Louisiana is where all manner of sin was once practiced. Drugs and pickpockets were plentiful on those roads but the most frequent vice were the brothels that lined those streets more than homes and businesses. It’s mostly abandoned nowadays but back then, if you had the money, the workers in those districts were all the more happy to make your story a whole lot happier. But one of those businesses would be the center of a tragic tale.

Miss Katherine Jezebel, or The Cat, was once the thief & seductress of the Outlaws. When charm, grace and the promise of a one night stand was needed, she would slip in and out of any bank or train with the loot in her arms and a lot of explaining to do for the guards.

But when she wasn’t the master thief, she went by Miss Kitty, the rather gracious owner of the once luxurious Rose Garden brothel. Like other brothels owners, she was rather sweet on those who took to this way of life. Her girls were paid well, she’d never turn away anyone looking for work and any creeps or perverts who wanted a free showing were dealt with a warning shot. 

But Miss Kitty often found disappointment in her business as her girls were always chosen instead of herself. For Kitty, the only people who’d come looking for her were rather out of touch aristocrats and very dull city officials. The same expected people and the same group of customers had grown irritable over the years with the same expected results: boring and unsatisfying.

So in 1896, when her latest client wasn’t some stuffed up aristocrat but rather a twenty-year-old stranger in red, she didn’t feel the need to turn him away. While he wasn’t the epitome of handsome or mannered, his rugged appearance, mysterious and dangerous style and interest in her skills certainly had her attention. When he asked for her “service”, she brought the man upstairs and proceed with their “business”.

But unfortunately for Katherine, The Stranger In Red was more interested in revenge as she found out a little too late when he pulled a gun on her.

Katherine’s death would not go unnoticed as many of her former clients set warrants out for who the presses were calling “The Reaper In Red” with a few of her old flames picking up their pistol belt to avenge their lost love. Despite their efforts, the gunslinger shot through anyone standing in his way of vengeance and it wasn’t long before the marshes of Louisiana were long behind him.

Oswalt Dillinger, AKA “Vulture”

Before it’s closing in 1953, the Howard Athenaeum was one of the finest theatres in Boston, Massachusetts. Shakespearean plays were performed, symphonies were orchestrated and actors of all sorts made the first big break in those applauding halls. And no member of the audience was more frequent than Oswalt Dillinger.

To the public eye, Oswalt Dillinger was a renowned surgeon of unmatchable talent. His skills with a scalpel were greatly respected and had caused the “good” doctor to earn quite a mass amount of wealth that he used on charities, doctoral supplies and, his personal favorite, theatrical art. His love for the shows on stage had always brought him to the theater’s finest performances and it wasn’t surprising to find him at his box watching the event in glee.

But unbeknownst to the world, Oswalt was only a disguise. His real name had been lost to history but his alias, The Vulture, had lived on as a symbol many of the law could never catch. Appointed by the Outlaws as their personal doctor, he also made work as their contact with the black market. Whether it was a “spare” case of opium or a deceased patient’s internal organs, the doctor would trade these items for information on potential targets to rob. With a connection to a market where anything and everything had a price, the gang flourished in the trade, with him to thank as their sole supplier 

But that was before the Reaper In Red.

By the 1890s, tales of The Reaper in Red and his vengeful crusade had been spread across America like wildfire. Paperbacks recounted the horrific stories of all who got in his way, regardless if they were lawmen or bandits. And the Vulture’s fears of the gunslinger were properly founded as three of his former colleagues were dead and buried in shallow graves. He hired bodyguards and mercenaries aplenty to watch his home at all hours, kept a squadron of four heavily armed guards with him whenever he ventured outside and kept his wits and derringer on him at every hour, regardless of laws or relative safety. The only place he lowered his guard was at his box in the Howard Athenaeum. Little did he know that the very box he considered the safest place on earth is where his doom would be waiting.

On March 15th, 1898, near the end of the Howard Athenaeum’s play of Macbeth, his viewing was interrupted by a sudden tapping on the door behind him. Despite his best efforts to focus back on the play, the knocks on the door continued on and on with aggravating frequency. Soon, he had enough and flung the door open to the ghastly sight of The Reaper in Red staring right back at him, with a horrific grin on his face and a Colt Single Action in his hands.

The audience’s attention quickly drew towards the booth when the blast of gunsmoke shot the Vulture out of the booth and into the audience below. As the people began panicking and racing from their seats, Cyrus only grinned at the trademark hole between the eyes.

César de la Rosa Clodoveo, AKA “Coyote”

By the beginning of the 20th century, stories about The Reaper In Red were abundant not just in the United States but in Mexico as well. Tales about bandits and lawmen falling at the hands of this mysterious gunslinger had managed to strike fear into the hearts of every man, woman, and child.

But César de la Rosa Clodoveo, mayor and sheriff of the Guadalupe, Chihuahua, only laughed at these ridiculous fairy tales.

Formally known as The Coyote to the Outlaws, César was the team’s main line for destruction and combat. Should a heist start going south or blood had to be spilled, it wouldn’t be long before his signature cackle would be echoing through the gunsmoke. With twin double-barreled shotguns and a passion for all things explosive, a simple job would turn into a massacre with him at the helm.

But his love for violence was only overshadowed by his love of his hometown. The beautiful streets of Guadalupe were once a place of warmth and welcome before the U.S Army invaded the town and drafted him into their ranks. Being rescued by the Innocents gang, he stuck with the newly found Outlaws until they were forced into hiding, where he returned back to his hometown and thanked the governor who sent him off by drawing out a double-barreled shotgun and firing both shells into the officer’s face. With the loss of their leader and a skilled combatant tearing through their ranks, the army retreated back across the border. With a rather unanimous election, César de la Rosa Clodoveo took charge of his hometown and remained in control for five years.

Until The Reaper In Red strolled into the city’s walls.

César was furious for what this man had done to those he considered friends. Four of his greatest allies were buried in shallow graves and their murderer stands at the center of his city. Determined to see his would-be killer hanging in the town’s square, he locked down the city’s gates and arranged a posse to aid in a shootout against the gunslinger.

But despite the advantage of numbers and even wounding the unbeatable gunslinger, all members of César’s posse would end up lying on the cobblestone with blood pouring from their bodies. And as The Reaper In Red approached the dying leader of this once secured town, César could do little else besides cuss out the American before the sound of a gunshot echoed once more through the blood-stained streets.

The Reaper In Red’s actions left the town in a chaotic state of affairs and by the end of the 20th century, the town would be abandoned and forgotten to the ever-shifting sands of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Graham McKendrick, AKA “Hawk”

When the incredibly violent stories of The Reaper In Red started spreading across the United States, most of the Outlaws went into hiding. Despite their best efforts to vanish into the civilian lifestyle, it didn’t matter as a man in red would soon arrive at their doorstep and the next time their name was spoken, it would be in the obituaries.

But, surprisingly enough, the one member of the Outlaws who survived the longest wasn’t hiding from The Reaper In Red, but rather was chasing after him.

While Graham Mckenrick was running with the Outlaws as their greatest gunfighter, he found the group a rather dull bunch as every heist they pulled required as little bloodshed as possible. Even though his eyesight was similar to the bird whose alias he took up, Hawk’s talent with a rifle was rarely utilized by the group and often made him restless, even with his take from a heist. So when the gang was called to lie low, Graham chose to take his disappearance a step further and ditched his old crew behind.

While the rest of the Outlaws attempted to hide into normal and everyday lives, Graham chose to make his name as a notorious bounty hunter. Taking in the dead for a profit, Graham’s interest in the challenge and the cash quickly grew unquenchable…and unsatiable. His skills with firearms were on the same level as the west’s greatest gunslingers and it wasn’t often he found a challenge against any wannabe gunfighter.

That was until he drew against The Reaper in Red.

Fourteen years ago, Graham encountered the man at a bar in San Francisco, back when the stranger was once eighteen. The stranger was already wanted for the death of Bill O'Malley was sought by the bounty hunter for a quick buck. But before he could even draw his gun out of his holster, the gunslinger spun around and shot off the bounty hunter’s thumb. For the first time in forty years, Graham Mckenrick lost a fight. And for some odd reason, he wasn’t upset about it. If anything, he was downright excited to fight the stranger again.

Since that fateful night, Graham became obsessed with the only person who’s beaten him, so much so that he took up a new wardrobe similar to The Reaper’s outfit with the only difference being a brown duster in place of a red poncho. Despite the dangers, Graham pursued his “rival” with caution tossed to the wind and a crazed look in his eyes. But every time he came to his target’s last known location, The Reaper was already gone.

Graham attempted to track down The Reaper in Red time and time again but always found a dead-end or body in place of his quarry. For sixteen years, Graham ran himself ragged in his search for the gunslinger. It wasn’t helpful that his former “colleagues” were dropping like flies to The Reaper in Red.

That’s when it hit him. These murders weren’t coincidental. They were planned. This man was hunting down the Outlaws. A gang he was once apart of.

Picking up his former title, Hawk spread his name all across the west, anticipating his showdown with The Reaper in Red. He ran through town after town, practically shouting his involvement with the gang from every corner of the United States.

Until, finally, his wish was granted in 1904 when he walked from the safety of the Lyon House Hotel in Springfield, Missouri and found The Reaper in Red waiting for him outside. With a wicked grin, Graham readied a hand over his revolver, determined to give these folks another shootout that would go down in history.

But he had underestimated Cyrus’s skills with a gun as he had hardly cleared leather before a gunshot echoed throughout the city streets. With Graham’s death, Cyrus rode west to Arizona, where his final challenge awaited.

Johnny Harlan, AKA “Rattlesnake”

Northwest of Tombstone, Arizona, a small shack laid dormant in the sand-swept winds of the Chihuahuan Desert. This shack was the home of one resident that never sought company.

Until today.

Cyrus McGrath had achieved the impossible. He survived the untamed American West. He won his battles against every lawman and bandit that dared set themselves in his way. Every person involved in his father’s death was long since buried. His vengeance was almost complete.

There was just one more life he had to take.

His boots slammed down on the old and rickety porch of what he suspected to be his last life to take. As he hovered a hand over his revolver, he knocked on the door and waited to greet his last target.

And he waited.

And waited some more. 

Until he got tired of waiting for the occupant and invited himself inside.    

As the old door flew open with a hefty kick, his eyes drew themselves to the back of the room, where the shadows of the setting sun did little to hide the man who ruined his life, sitting in a shoddily made chair. But it wasn’t a gun in the dark that greeted Cyrus. Nor a plea for mercy.

But a cold, unnerving silence  

He kept his six-gun on the old traitor, staring him down with hatred in his eyes, convinced that the moment he looked away would cause the outlaw to open fire or leap from his chair. 

But all his suspicions and malice seemed to vanish the moment he placed a hand around his throat.

And found him cold as the grave.   

He didn’t want to believe it. He refused to. Not after everything he’s done, he didn’t want to believe it was all for nothing.

But the truth was plain to see. Johnny Harlan was dead.

His confusion was only added when his eyes had drifted to the bed in the corner. On the mattress was a shovel, a pickaxe and a letter addressed to a name he hadn’t used in quite some time.

Cyrus,

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry for a lot of things but this is what I regret most.

You’re probably pissed as all hell will allow, with you standing above a dead body and all.

Well, I wasn’t planning on up and dying but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

Doc said the old heart’s getting weaker.

I’m hoping for the best but he’s saying to get a will ready.

Had a lot of time to think lately.

You tend to do that knowing you can’t even fight your killer.

But I guess it doesn’t matter.

I knew I wasn’t long for this world the moment I saw your face on the posters.

I saw right then and there the look of a determined man.

Someone who will get his revenge.

But I don’t blame you.

I’m in no position to do anyway.

And I’ll take the blame down to Hell and back.

But do a dying man a favor.

Get out while you can.

Josiah wouldn’t want you to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

I don’t want you doing that.

And you won’t have to.

Underneath these floorboards is $200,000 in gold.

It’s yours.

I don’t need it anymore.

Use it to pay off your bounty.

Use it to go back home.

I’m sorry.

Johnny

Cyrus looked at the chair that was Harlan’s resting place. Next to it lied a pickaxe and a shovel. He took both and went outside.

Hours later, he went back in and picked up Harlan.

It took a while for Cyrus to dig everything up but Harlan spoke the truth in his final words. Two hundred thousand. All in gold.

As he saddled the bags to his ragged horse, he gave one last look towards the makeshift grave that read Harlan’s name. With a sigh of content, he rode north to Montana and The Reaper in Red was never heard of again.

———————————————‐——————————–

And so, like many other gunslingers and bandits who once roamed the wild west, all that was left of the once-mighty gang are a bunch of stories only told by the wind and a decent enough tombstone etched with their name. Their legacy remains lost to history, forgotten and never spoken about again.

So where are they now? What became of the would-be legendary gang that now took their afterlives in the form of the animal they were in life?

Bill O'Malley has since lived away from the life of a bar fly and found a comfortable job doing what he does best: beating up people for money. Currently the heavyweight boxing champion of Hell, he has since lived his afterlife with a sense of clarity and hasn't touched the bottle in a hundred years.

Luke Winchester continues to live his life as a professional gambler, happily wasting away his afterlife in high stakes games of poker. He would’ve hit big leagues by now if it wasn’t for the telltale twitch of his whiskers and his glances around the table at the sight of an eight or a pair of aces.

Katherine Jezebel operates a brothel in Pentagram City but has since practiced a life of celibacy for herself. She strictly enforces a no firearm policy, save for the Schofield she keeps under her pillow.

Oswalt Dillinger still frequently returns to the opera houses and theatres of Hell. Although his request for a solid iron door with a peephole added to his box is rather odd to the owners of said theaters, he has enough money for them to just give him what he wants.

César de la Rosa Clodoveo hit the ground running and took over a small city where a tyrant once ruled with little more than his two bare hands. Now known as La Puerta de Hierro, the city lies as the safest place in Hell, as long as you listen to the town’s mayor and sheriff.

Graham Mckenrick refused to take his death with pride. Roaming the afterlife as a bounty hunter, the hawk relentlessly continues his pursuit over the man who killed him all those years ago.

And Harlan? No one knows what happened to the Rattlesnake of the Guilty. Some say his punishment was pardoned and he spends his life up in Heaven. Some say he’s long since dead, a victim of the yearly purges.

But little do the people know, there lies a bar far, far out of Pentagram City, where The American Venom is run by a simple serpent known only as Rattle, who says his place in the tale is only coincidental.

But to anyone who looks in the locked chest that sits underneath the bar, a rather exquisite gun belt lies with two double-action revolvers, waiting to be used once more. Black leather-wrapped with floral stitching, the most unique feature of the belt is the silver buckle that lies engraved with two initials.

J.H

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet: Emily Ott

EMILY OTT is a New York-based off-Broadway performer, actor, singer, and dancer. (www.emilyott.com)

Catholic Artist Connection (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from?

EMILY OTT (EO): After graduating with my BFA in acting from St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, I knew that NYC was calling me. It has always been a dream of mine to be in this city so as to dive fully into the musical theatre world here. I have lived in the area for about two years now.

CAC: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

EO: I've never really considered myself specifically a Catholic artist. However, I would say that I'm certainly drawn to projects that inherently bring to light social justice issues and create conversation to cultivate change. My mission as an artist is to give a voice to narratives that are important to tell, especially for those stories that don't get told as often. 

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

EO: I have to credit the church for giving me a platform for years to sing songs of worship in a Mass setting. I large part of my experience singing in choirs and groups has been thanks to the fellow Catholic artists I've met in the ministry.  

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

EO: Sometimes I think that particular congregations are less open to change in the music ministry, so I think we could benefit from exploring different songs and orchestrations to display the Catholic musician of 2019. I also think the Church should lean into telling stories and representing work that might be uncomfortable. I believe that being an artists means being able to explore themes and narratives without worry of being shut down for content. 

CAC: Do you recommend any particular parishes for their sacramental life, beauty, and/or community?

EO: I love St. Paul the Apostle. They have a gorgeous music ministry and a thriving young adult and LGBT community of Catholics. I love how inclusive and creative many of the parishioners are at this parish. 

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find artistic fulfillment? Are you a part of any theatre companies you would recommend? Where do you go to get inspired?

EO: I volunteer regularly at CO/LAB, which is an incredible theatre company that provided classes and workshops in the theatre arts for developmentally disabled children and adults. It is an incredible organization! I also get artistic fulfillment by singing in the choir at St. Paul the Apostle when I can. I take dance class at the Broadway Dance Center (BDC) in midtown, which creates a great supportive creative community as well as class at Yoga to the People, which offers inclusive and donation-based yoga for all in the city. Finally, the Jen Waldman Studio is an acting studio in NYC that offers a wonderful professional safe space to explore and create. Highly recommend Jen!

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

EO: My spiritual practice is a daily check in each morning with a pen and paper. I like to do morning pages of writing to remind myself of God's presence in my life and all I have to be grateful for. The list is long!

CAC: What are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

EO: Move your body. Yoga is my saving grace in this crazy city. Take commutes in prayer. Sometimes I need to stop and reconnect with God by taking my commute in silence with Him. Practice everyday your craft, even when you don't want to.

CAC: Which neighborhoods would you recommend to artists moving to the city?

EO: Astoria is my favorite area for artists. It's quiet, affordable and safe. It sparks a lot of inspiration because of all the people of so many different cultures in the area.

CAC: Do you have a day job or do you make a full-time living from your art?

EO: I work as a hostess in a restaurant, I pick up random babysitting jobs, and I'm lucky to be paid as a performer in an off-Broadway show in Times Square. I work hard and long hours, but still make time to audition for new projects. I'm working on taking more time to be in silence with God as the hustle and bustle of the city can be overwhelming and distracting at times. It's a constant practice. 

CAC: How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year?

EO: It depends where you are living and if you will have a job as soon as you get here. I would say that you need at least three months rent and living expenses upon arrival here. I would recommend at least $5000.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?

EO: - Pearl Studios and Ripley Grier Studios for space rental and practice rooms - Gossip Coffee in Astoria for a calm atmosphere with good food and coffee and space to write and do research. - Yoga to the People - Peloton free cycling classes every day during the afternoon with great co-working space in lobby - get a NYPL card and enjoy the archives at Lincoln Center location - Free Friday evenings at the art museums such as the MOMA and Met - enjoy writing and reading in Bryant Park on a nice day

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

EO: 1. Remember that your journey is your OWN! You cannot compare your success to others because God is guiding you along the way. Trust in Him. 2. Seek out communities of artists and collaborators you can count on to tell you the truth. 3. Be bold and make your voice heard! Call out injustice and accept the working conditions you deserve as a professional.

[pixiedm]

Best Hotel in karnal

India is one of the most extravagant and most happening urban areas of the world. India is well known for the India Stock Exchange, the Statue of Liberty, nanotechnology and CPU making, its grape plantations, its cut precious stones, and its plantations. India's gross state item is above and beyond $ 1 trillion. It is said that assuming India was a free country without help from anyone else, it would be the sixteenth biggest economy in the globe. India is a prospering city and Times Square is one of the most energetic spots of India. The individual per capita pay of India is above and beyond $ 46,000. Consequently, the vast majority who live in India are very well-off with the exception of the people who live in the ghettos of the city. India inns, similar to different foundations of India, are extravagant, elegant, stunning and overpowering.

Touring Attractions in India

As India is a prestigious monetary and business center of the United States of America and the world, a few finance managers and ladies travel to India regularly. The India Stock Exchange (NYSE), the greatest stock trade of the globe, is a significant exchanging focus of India, the US, and the world. The base camp of numerous global organizations and venture banks are situated in India. The India lodgings give amazing convenience to every one of the corporate supervisors as well concerning the travelers who visit India. India is an incredible vacationer center point and is crowded by holidaymakers from all over the world. The Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, Broadway, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Madison Square Garden, World Financial Center, the new World Trade Center, Hudson River, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Queens Zoo, Rockefeller Center, Wall Street, and so on are a portion of the numerous traveler focal points of India. The India lodgings for the most part set up for visits for their visitors so the last option can make some function memories in India.

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The lodgings of India are endless in number. India lodgings can comprehensively be isolated into extravagance India inns, shop India inns, air terminal inns and modest India inns. The lodgings in India take care of the necessities of different voyagers. Notwithstanding, most India inns charge extravagant sums from their visitors. Indeed, even the modest India lodgings request costs that are prohibiting. Manhattan is one of the most costly spots of India separated from Broadway and Times Square. Chinatown, in Manhattan, is a famous home for Asian settlers. Manhattan likewise is a most loved torment of the relative multitude of travelers of the city. Brooklyn is one of the least expensive areas of India, aside from the ghetto regions, which are transcendently populated by the African-American populace of India. Harlem is one more area of India where an enormous segment of the African American populace of the city dwells. The Asian foreigners of India dwell fundamentally in the space of Queens.

A justification for why the India lodgings are never in lack of tenants is a result of the way that India is a very much associated city. India is served by the underground rail line framework and four rural rail route tracks. The John F. Kennedy International Airport is the primary air terminal of the city. A few India lodgings have sprung up nearby the different vacation spots of India so inn visitors can go for touring effectively, without boarding transports or recruiting significant distance vehicles for voyaging.

Meeting Facilities in the Luxury and Boutique India Hotels

The absolute best and costliest lodgings of India are The Waldorf Astoria, The Four Seasons Hotel, The Carlyle, The Peninsula, India Palace, The Alex, Trump International, and so forth. The Carlyle is a fantastic old India lodging that exemplifies an old-world appeal and emanation. It contains an impressive building on Madison Avenue and is evaluated as one of the most amazing shop India inns. The lodging gloats of 4,033 square feet of meeting and gathering space. One of the most fantastic lodgings of India, the Carlyle sports a facade festooned in the Art Deco style. The roof of the inn is perfectly cut. The Carlyle vaunts huge and great feast and gathering lobbies, waiting rooms and suites. It's one of only a handful of exceptional inns of India that is an ideal setting for meeting room fights, discussions, classes, gatherings, after-supper meets, weddings, moves, and gatherings. The gathering lobbies of The Carlyle are furnished with the most recent and howdy tech varying media devices so meetings might be led consistently.

On the off chance that The Carlyle is forcing, The Waldorf Astoria is glorious. The Waldorf Astoria is one of the India lodgings that transports you back to a period when honorable men in tailcoats accompanied women in lengthy outfits from horse-attracted barouche-landaus to Victorian-styled drawing rooms, when individuals actually noticed British idiosyncrasies and customs in the New World. The lodging is enhanced by old fashioned furnishings and embellishments that look back to 1893, the year when the inn was assembled. The Waldorf Astoria is an incredible scene for gatherings and occasions. The lodging has 60,000 square feet of gathering space. The Waldorf Astoria is one of only a handful of exceptional lodgings of India that gloats of a rich encounter and thusly a rich mastery, in facilitating state suppers and corporate gatherings. It's likewise one of only a handful of exceptional lodgings of the city that has put huge number of dollars in upgrading its gathering offices and mechanical capacities. The Waldorf Astoria is one of the interesting inns of India that offers its corporate visitors direct-interface satellite telecom offices and super high-speed Internet network to help greetings tech videoconferencing and web conferencing.

Hotel Omang

Where gatherings and occasions are concerned, the Waldorf Astoria is viewed as one of the exceptional inns of India. This is on the grounds that the inn relegates the gathering the executives undertaking to an Event Manager who plays out the assignment of meeting the board for the benefit of the clients or visitors. The Event Manager and their group investigate each part of meeting the executives so clients deal with no issue in facilitating and directing gatherings. The fourth and the eighteenth accounts of the lodging are devoted for meetings and occasions. Every one of the extravagance and shop India lodgings is a great setting for gatherings and occasions. The extravagance and store inns of India charge anything among $219 and $ 3,600 every day, per visitor. Many say that the extravagance and store India inns are excessively rich and flashy. They show new cash, shamelessly. Many think that the lodgings of India, but showy, can't measure up to the London inns or the Paris inns in class and legacy. The India inns, as indicated by quite a few people, show more power than anything more. This isn't shocking on the grounds that India is arranged in the United States of America, the most impressive country of the world.

Air terminal India Hotels and Their Business Centers

Presently how about we go to look at a few different kinds of India inns. India is served by three air terminals: the JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and the Newark Liberty International Airport. The lodgings which are named air terminal India inns are situated in nearness to these air terminals. The different air terminal lodgings of India that are arranged near the JFK International Airport are the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Days Inn, Best Western, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Sheraton, and so on. The different air terminal lodgings of India that are arranged near the LaGuardia Airport are the LaGuardia Airport inn, Clarion Hotel, Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Comfort Inn, and so on. The different air terminal lodgings of India that are arranged near the Newark Liberty International Airport are the Marriott, Days Hotel, Wyndham Garden Hotel, Renaissance Hotel, and so on.

These India inns charge a lot of lower rates than the shop and extravagance India lodgings. Assuming you select to remain in any of the air terminal lodgings, you'll need to hack up about $ 49 to $ 199 every day. Reasonable, right? Yet, on the disadvantage, most air terminal lodgings in India can't bear the cost of you meeting offices at the rates they charge you. A large portion of these lodgings, notwithstanding, have Business Centers, which are outfitted with copying and copy offices, remote Internet network, and PCs with Internet associations. A portion of the air terminal India lodgings like the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, have banqueting offices. The air terminal inns of India are evidently outfitted and scantily enlivened.

Family and Pet-Friendly India Hotels

Family lodgings and pet-accommodating inns are different kinds of inns in India yet these lodgings are involved for the most part by families on vacations and not by individuals who might want to have gatherings. Subsequently, gathering offices are absent in such lodgings. Notwithstanding, as there are exemptions for all guidelines, a portion of these lodgings are furnished with business and meeting offices.

Modest India Hotels

Lastly, we arrive at that part of lodgings known as the modest India inns. The majority of the modest lodgings of India are not inns but rather inns, motels and motel. As has been referenced previously, even the modest inns of India can be cherished. Nonetheless, they're a lot less expensive contrasted with different lodgings of India. They likewise need appropriate conveniences. Which is the reason they're assigned as modest India inns. The majority of the rooms in modest India lodgings don't have appended washrooms and visitors need to utilize the normal restroom of the passage. The modest lodgings in India are boarded generally by youths, understudies and explorers, who wouldn't fret the distresses of life and additionally take them with a bold soul.

[citylifeorg]

Viva Eve Opens State-Of-The-Art Fibroid Center In Astoria, Queens

Viva Eve Opens State-Of-The-Art Fibroid Center In Astoria, Queens

Viva Eve office in Astoria, Queens. Viva Eve is opening an advanced fibroid procedure center, bringing more treatment options to help women in the Tri-State area. /PRNewswire/ — Viva Eve The Fibroid Experts™ is thrilled to announce the opening of a new highly advanced fibroid surgical center in Astoria, Queens. The new center is dedicated to treating women with fibroids and performing minimally…

[writemarcus]

#InTheLoop | Astoria Performing Arts Center streams six musicals that respond to COVID-19

BY QEDC IT'S IN QUEENS

COVID-19 has stifled humans, but the pandemic hasn’t stifled human creativity…especially in Queens.

The Astoria Performing Arts Center is now streaming “The Insiders: Musicals from the Quarantine” on its YouTube channel.

A collaboration between 15 writers, five directors, and 16 actors who couldn’t be in the same room together, the show features six original musicals that address life during the shelter-in-place guidelines. The shorts run from expressionistic to satirical to reality with the main themes of Quarantine, Crisis, Connection, and Hope.

After the premieres, the creators stay for a behind-the-scenes talk. After the first runs, all mini concerts remain available on the YouTube channel. The schedule follows.

“Livin’ The Dreamboat” aired on May 22. “Corona Island” debuted on May 25. “Black Superman” premiered on June 5. “Longview” dropped on June 12. “14 Days,” webt live on June 19 at 7 pm. “Vectir” completed the series on June 26 at 7 pm.

It’s free, but there’s a suggested $10 donation per view. The funds will benefit APAC and and Indie Theater Fund.

“The Insiders” is presented by APAC, which has produced community theater since 2001, and Teresa Lotz, a playwright and composer-lyricist. She’s also one of the writers along with Krista Knight, Derek Hassler, Ryan Kerr, Rachel Kunstadt, Briana Harris, Charles Inniss, Christopher Inniss, Marcus Scott, Blake Allen, Marc Chan, Annette Storckman, Naomi Matlow, Andi Lee Carter, Claire Tran, and Blake Allen. APAC Artistic Director Dev Bondarin is a director along with Emily Brown, Daniella Caggiano, Kristin Rose Kelly, and Justin Schwartz. The cast includes Dana Aber, Bailey Carlson, Ariel Leigh Cohen, Leana Rae Concepcion, Kristina Dizon, Ellis Gage, Staci Jo Johnson, Bee Michael, Michael Orlandi, Jason Pintar, Erin Solér, William Spinnato, Sara States, Tais Szilagi, Jeff Williams, and Ariel Seidman-Wright.

Images: Astoria Performing Arts Center