03Jul

My Latest Netflix Binge: GLOW #StreamTeam

GLOW

My latest (and fastest) binge was GLOW, created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch and executive produced by Orange Is the New Black’s Jenji Kohan. It's a show about women's wrestling, a true story based on a group of women in a male-dominated sport in the 1980's.  My dad used to be a wrestling nut, and I was exposed to the sport as a young girl. I vaguely remember women in the ring, I am quite sure he had this very group on. So for me, this show was not only a piece of nostalgia from my own childhood, but also very much a modern dose of women's Read More

22Jun

Restaurant Review: Kurry Qulture in Astoria, Queens, a Kid-Friendly Culinary Adventure

kurryqulture

When I think of eating out in Astoria, I think mainly of Greek food. My family loves taking trips to Telly Taverna for huge portions of spicy feta, salmon steak and moussaka. It's one of our favorite places in the city for food, and certainly one of the most accessible. It's easy to park and makes for a great evening out, strolling the streets and avenues, with every ethnicity represented by its restaurants and shops. So, when I was invited to dine at a fairly new to the scene (since 2015) Indian restaurant called Kurry Qulture, I jumped at the Read More

19Jun

Review: “Terezin” by Nicholas Tolkien, Presented by The Steinberg Theater Group

terezin

In high school, I performed in a play called "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" about children who lived in a concentration camp called Terezin during the Holocaust, also known by the German name Theresienstadt. Terezin was a mere 38 miles northwest of Prague and served largely as a collection camp for deportations to the killing centers of Eastern Europe. Rife with disease and starvation, some 35,000 prisoners perished there, and most were taken to Auschwitz, that included artists, musicians, composers and intellectuals. Despite the horrific conditions, Read More

12Jun

Walking in the Steps of Women Who Made History in The Finger Lakes in Upstate New York

fairportcanaldays

Last week I took a trip through the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York and found a plethora of women's history to explore and trace. It was a pleasant surprise, given that I hadn't been to these particular parts of New York. Add that to my genuine interest in women's rights and human rights. It was amazing how in just a short few days, I would walk in the footsteps of so many incredible suffragettes' steps who changed the course of women's history forever. I started my journey in Syracuse where I visited the Matilda Joslyn Gage Home and learned about Read More

08Jun

An Extraordinary Culinary Experience at the Upper West Side’s Machiavelli

Last night I had the opportunity to experience a meal at Machiavelli, located on the Upper West Side on the corner of 85th Street. This restaurant is the passion product of restauranteur Nathalie de la Fontaine, who spent nearly 20 years as the owner of the West Village’s La Focaccia prior to opening  this establishment, which is about five or six years old. To say that Machiavelli is one of the Upper West Side's best kept secrets is an understatement. I was moved by the restaurant's ambiance, its passion for the arts (there are fine paintings on the Read More

08Jun

Review: Anastasia on Broadway, a Musical Display of #GirlPower

anastasia broadway

I must admit that I went in to Anastasia, a new Broadway musical, with low expectations, for no reason. I just never know how big animated motion pictures based on heroines based in another country (in this case, Russia) like this will fare on the Broadway stage. But I took my teenage daughter, and together, we went in with open hearts, ready for a play about a young heroine. Neither of us knew the story or quite what to expect. The outcome? We both loved the fact that the play focused on a strong, young woman with excellent morals and a kind heart. Read More

06Jun

A Quick Jaunt to Turks and Caicos

My husband and I love to travel and thankfully, our travels haven’t ceased since having kids. Quite the contrary, actually, as we often travel either together as a family, or even separately. We seek trips out; we don't deny ourselves what we love more than anything in the world. So when the opportunity arose recently to visit Turks and Caicos on our own, we jumped at it. My mom would stay with my kids; I found carpools for various activities. What could go wrong? So Off We Went.... The flight to Turks and Ciacos was so short! JetBlue offers Read More

05Jun

What If Planned Parenthood Didn’t Exist?

callyoursenator

Watch the above video. Filmed by Joss Whedon in support of Planned Parenthood. UNLOCKED highlights the vital role Planned Parenthood health centers play in the lives of millions of women in communities nationwide. This video follows three different women through critical moments in their lives—and brings to the forefront what the world would look like if attempts to shut down Planned Parenthood succeed. Most likely you will relate to one. I have a few personal stories about Planned Parenthood. I grew up understanding its significance from a very young Read More

30May

The Power of Girl Power Movie Parties

When I was younger, I loved watching classic movies with my mom. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Vivien Leigh, and Ingrid Bergman were just a few of some of the actresses that I looked up to. I watched movies where they played women defying odds, wearing the pants in a relationship, while leaning on each other for support. They weren’t afraid to make things happen and they showed me the value of determination and courage. They were fearless; they were feisty; they defined  the meaning of badass as well as girl power. Flash forward to 30 Read More

24May

“Can You Forgive Her?” and “Indecent”: Two Vineyard Theatre Productions Worth Seeing

indecent

Every now and then a play comes along and grabs your heart. One did recently, and it happens to be one of the two Vineyard Theatre productions on in NYC. First, let me tell you about the play playing at the Vineyard right now; then I'll tell you about their little play that recently took to Broadway. That is the one that took my soul and ran away with it. This past weekend, I spent an hour and forty minutes in the dark Vineyard Theatre, next to Amy Schumer, I mustadd, but that is besides the point. But it is also the point. Schumer, I believe, was Read More