December 2013 - The Culture Mom

30Dec

My Favorite Posts of 2013 and Hello, 2014

It's my annual tradition to look back at the year in review. When I started to think about 2013, I thought I had nothing to write about. It hasn't been my best year, but somehow along the way, I managed to get more accomplished than I realized. Rather than bore you to tears with a long post, I'm going to give it to you in small chunks. My most popular posts: A visit to the set of Orange is the New Black seems to have hit a nerve with my readers and also happens to be have been my favorite blogging experience of the year. I interviewed Read More

29Dec

Thinking About the Dark Side of Social Media

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Last week when the Justine Sacco saga hit Twitter, I, like everyone else, was mortified by her tweet. For 12 hours, I sat riveted by the hash tag created specifically for the episode: #HasJustineLandedYet. We all knew she was still in the air on a plane, venturing from England to South Africa, and we were also completely aware that she had not learned of the status of her tweet and its impact on the twitter community whilst traveling. In case you’re new to this story (which I doubt you are, since you’re reading my blog and are clearly social media Read More

20Dec

Domesticated at Lincoln Center Theater

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Every now and then a play comes along and is so good it knocks you in the face. It's rare, and for me, it happens most frequently at Lincoln Center's Vivien Beaumont Theater. For it is there I saw Pride's Crossing, Six Degrees of Separation, Marie Christine, Contact and The House of Blue Leaves, and many, many more productions. As a member, I try not to miss their programming, yet somehow I nearly let their latest DOMESTICATED slip through my fingers. I am thankful that I got my ticket booked and stopped into a talk back with the two key members of the Read More

17Dec

A Visit to the Set of Orange is the New Black

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I've been writing about Orange is the New Black ever since I binged it on Netflix. I wrote about it when I called Netflix the new Feminist Hollywood Leader over on The Broad Side and I interviewed Alysia Reiner over at Indiewire's Women & Hollywood. It was then that she told me, how on OITNB they "have a crazy talented writers room with more women then men in the room, as well as awesome women directors, fabulous female producers and of course our mind blowing female ensemble cast." Well, as someone who is very invested in seeing more of a Read More

15Dec

Touring NYC w/ On Location Tours

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Last night my family and I were treated to a night on the town by On Location Tours. It wasn't that typical for us to play total NYC tourists, and you might be as stunned (as my husband was I told him what we were doing) when I tell you where we went. After living in NYC nearly 20 years, I dragged everyone into the city (in the snow!) to go on a bus tour to do a "Holiday Lights and Movie Sites", a bus tour led by a company called On Location Tours. We met the bus outside the Columbus Circle holiday market around 7pm and instantly found our tour Read More

14Dec

Review: Saving Mr. Banks

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Have you ever wondered about the creative process behind one of your favorite films? There are so many pieces that have to come together in the making of any film, including the personalities behind each function. There are films that we love so much, that are a part of our heritage, of our existence, but do you ever stop to think about what went on behind the scenes? Let's pick a film like Mary Poppins...a film that we all grew up with and urge our children to watch...a film with a powerful message, a brilliant cast and the music, ahhh, the Read More

10Dec

Revisiting Broadway’s “Wicked”

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In September, 2010, I took my daughter to see Wicked The Musical on Broadway. I remember that night well - the buzz I felt when we walked into the theatre together...the talent on stage...the music....the creativity...but most of all, the complete spectacle of a show that felt bigger than life. About my daughter's reaction to the show, who was only 7 at at the time, I wrote: As for my daughter, I was concerned about the lateness of the evening. During intermission, I asked her if she was going to make it. She looked at me with a big grin on her face Read More

07Dec

My “The Sound of Music Live” Post-Mortem

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Over the last two days since the airing of "The Sound of Music Live," I have observed harsh criticism and cackling about Carrie Underwood and the actual production itself. I just jumped on Twitter and found these tweets knocking the performance, for example: I could post thousands more pieces of negative criticism about the show, and I won't deny taking part myself. On Thursday night, my friends and I were gasping at the poor acting on Facebook. We were questioning the hissing sound in the background. The comparisons to the original film were Read More

05Dec

A Trip to the North Pole in Saratoga Springs

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Do you know the story of the Polar Express? It's about a boy's journey to the North Pole to rediscover his belief in Santa Claus. It was book turned major motion picture starting Tom Hanks and is meant to teach both kids and adults that it is never too old to believe. Well, apparently Polar Express rides to the North Pole have become a tradition for many families and tickets are in huge demand. I had never heard of the rides until my family and I were invited to ride the Polar Express on the Saratoga & North Creek Railway last weekend. Right now Read More