S: Is for Sole Survivors

This is a review for a play I saw a night ago. The reason I put it in this column is with only four performances left, I had to sneak it in here and alert you to a memorable evening of theatre and a new take on the immigration plight. The play is a one women show called Sole Survivors written and performed by Michelle Vest. Stepping into the shoes of immigrants, who long for the "American Dream," she adds a face of humanity to a controversial issue. Ms Vest shows the river of desperation, these men and women will conspire to...for freedom. This is human need, want and frailty all shown by one commanding, vulenerable and multi-dimensional women. The acting here is on par with what Broadway should be at it's best and the writing delves into a no holds bare of emotion, that will leave you feeling like the souls before you. In between Flor de Toloache,a mariachi band lures you into the next set of lives that will haunt you. It is interesting to note that the Sole Survivors are named after Arlo Guthrie's song that detailed the 1948 crash of a plane transporting illegal immigrants from California back to Mexico. You can catch Sole Survivors at Stage Left Studio 438 West 37th Street tonight through Monday June 8th @ 8:00 and the &th @ 7:00. The cost for theatre that will move you beyond what you know ($18) and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: is for Taking Care!

This has been verified by the FBI. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

Troubled times unveil the infections underneath and that is a F.A.C.T

C: Is for Chronicle....The Times Square Chronicle

After much tribulation, I can finally announce that Times Square is getting it's first newspaper. It's called The Times Square Chronicle. We went on-line Monday. We still need some tweaking, but we made it by our deadline. You can see it at www.thetimessquarechronicle.com

This has been our blood sweat and tears since December. 385,000 pass through Times Square a day, 47 million a year and yet it has never had a paper. Our paper will be a combination between a penny saver and an entertainment information center. Our targeted area is from 40th-57th from 6th Ave to the Hudson River. We launch in print Sunday for a special addition to the Tony's and to the public June 8th. Look for us at the Taste of Times Square and at River to River that day. We will be more of a community based outlet, though we still will target the tourist, but the community is where our hearts lay.

If you are in the are I hope you will pick up your copy and see that is a much needed item and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for Asclepius at LaMama

One of the staples of New York Theatre has been LaMama. I had a chance to see their latest production, Asclepius. Conceived, written, and directed by LaMama founder and legend Ellen Stewart with additional music by Michael Sirotta, Yukio Tsuji, and Heather Paauwe, this production shows why LaMama is a staple of the NY theatre scene. It is important to note, that they just lost their National Endowment to the Arts grant due to the F.A.C.T. that they could not say why they do what they do other than it is art and needs to be told. In Ms. Stewart's adaptation of this classic Greek tale, this rarely told story of the father of medicine is rife with incest, murder, betrayal, passion and unrequited love. The production features choreography by Federico Restrepo, puppets by Theodora Skipitares, light design by Federico Restrepo, scenic consultants Mark Tambella and Jun Maeda, and sound design by Tim Schellenbaum.

This presentation of Asclepius represents a continuation of La MaMa E.T.C. and The Great Jones Company's tradition of contemporary interpretations and adaptations of the classics. Containing an international flavor that is a trademark of Ellen Stewart's body of work at La MaMa, a multi-ethnic cast consisting of over a dozen artists from Colombia, Italy, Japan, Germany, China, Korea, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Republic of Congo, Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States thrill. With a cast of 25 they are inconsistencies and some stand out above the others. Eugene the Poogene's dancing and acting are worth the production alone. As the smaller roles of the Black Crow and later as Hades, his every movement is a joy to watch. Benjamin Marcantoni's counter tenor is glorious though sometimes over used. Michael Lynch, Onni Johnson and Cary Gant are all stand outs. But it is Ellen Stewart's direction and production values that are the stand-outs. Go see this wonderfully conceived production. It plays until June 14th at The Annex Thursday - Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 and this show is admirable and worthy of praise. We need to preserve the best of New York and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for fun up high

There is nothing like location, location, location, with spectacular views of The Hudson and Empire state bldg. That's the new Highbar located at 251 West 48th just off of 8th Ave. There is an inside and outside layout perfect for fun, sun, moon and cave dwellers. The intimate setting with casual but elegant furnishings will have you feeling comfortable. This is the new one from Greg Brier of Aspen, D’Or, and Amalia. The food is, in a word backyard-grill with hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as crudité in the menu. The emphasis is here is on drinks such as the Wicket, a simple mix of gin and cucumber purée. This place won't break the bank, though the drinks are not cheep. Food runs from $4-$8 and frozen drinks $14 to regular drinks $16-$18. They do however take reservations with that obnoxious bottle minimum. A floor below the rooftop you'll find a UFO chair designed by Asobi, as well as a loft like room with floor-to-ceiling windows and banquettes and another full bar. With prices out of control and that rental in the Hampton's out of your price range, this just might be the next best thing and that is a summery f.A.C.T.