June 2013 - The Culture Mom

30Jun

The Way Way Back: A Homage to Summers Long Gone

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When I was growing up, my parents often dropped my sisters and I off at Six Flags Over Georgia. We also piled in the car with our grandparents and headed to Florida - every. single. summer. This is what was familiar, something we knew and expected come summertime. That's what summertime is about for kids. Familiarity, connections, time off from their regular routine. As an adult, looking back at the 18 summers I spent with my family means a lot. That is why the new film, The Way Way Back, which I screened prior to its release on July 5th, had a deep Read More

26Jun

Giveaway: Forever Tango on Broadway

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My husband is a great dancer. I found out as soon as we started dating and he took me to a small tango club in Greenwich Village called La Belle Epoque and came face to face with the real thing. We were attempting to tango with professionals (or so they seemed). Later he bought tickets to a tango production on Broadway where we witnessed the longest-running tango production in Broadway history. It wasn't something I'd have selected to see myself, but it was very compelling. That show was Luis Bravo’s internationally acclaimed entertainment Read More

21Jun

Matilda: As Good as It Gets

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For the last two years, while on our annual pilgrimage to London, my kids and I have stood in line trying to score tickets to Matilda, to no avail. After seeing the film and reading the book by Roald Dahl a zillion times, they were determined to see the show. It was always consolation that we knew the show would soon be coming to NYC but it was disappointing for them nonetheless. My kids, who are real Broadway kids, have become somewhat jaded about going to the theatre. They see most shows but when I told them it was time to see Matilda, they Read More

18Jun

A Weekend at Morey’s Piers with the Kids: A Retro Adventure

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I grew up spending summers in Atlantic City, so when I was invited to spend time at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, NJ, I thought I knew what to expect: a weekend full of rides, riding the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, eating cotton candy and funnel cake on the boardwalk, playing rounds of ski ball, and more. I expected the boardwalk to be slightly run down and possibly damaged by Hurricane Sandy, with a large element of tackiness. I wasn't exactly expecting the Four Seasons. But nor did I want it. I was really looking forward to our visit and I was Read More

13Jun

Making 1 Simple Change to Keep Our Children Safe

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It's hard to believe that the unspeakable events in Newtown now occurred six months ago. What began as a normal school day for everyone ended with 26 dead, a town changed forever, and a nation struggling to understand the worst kind of tragedy humanly possible. I've made it clear on this blog where I stand on gun control, attending the Million Moms March back in January. We marched in freezing temps, hoping a law would be passed on stricter background checks as a start to relieving us all of any future pain. However, Congress sadly shot down Read More

13Jun

Temptation on the Norwegian Breakaway

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Last Sunday we were invited by Conde' Naste Traveler to spend a day on the new Norwegian Breakaway. I was immediately intrigued as my kids have never been on a cruise and I was eager to teach them more about the whole cruising phenomenon They have long lusted over the idea of going on one, so why not spend a day showing them what it's about? Nothing wrong with that. Getting to the pier was easy. The ship was docked at pier 88, right around West 57th Street and 12th Avenue and there was easy parking access right there. At fist sight, we were all Read More

10Jun

A Big Night for Female Directors

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I love theater. There is so much about it that resonates with me. The ability that people have to weave together the words, acting, staging, choreography and costumes to tell a story for me is unique and magical. Every year when the Tony Awards come on TV, I inform my family that I'm hibernating for a few hours to watch the industry I support by seeing practically every show that hits the NYC stage. I love Neil Patrick Harris' energy, the musical numbers, the glitter, the glitz, the familiar faces from Broadway. It's always Read More