Crazytown

Monday, June 18, 2012

JOURNEY TO THE PAST

By Gena Oppenheim (Writer)

This week (most likely because I'm working on a show that presents visions of New York from the past) I have been seeking out locations that are frozen in the time. Here are some of my favorites:

1. THE BROOKLYN FARMACY- The Brooklyn Farmacy, with it's vintage tiled floor and full soda fountain, is just the sort of place you can imagine Archie and the gang discussing their latest shenanigans. The malted milkshakes are to die for, and the egg creams are like the one your grandparents enjoyed back in the day.

2. THE GRAND STAIRCASE IN GRAND CENTRAL STATION - First live out your Gossip Girl fantasy and, at the top of the stairs, look out at the sea of people, and pretend to be totally disinterested. Ok, good. Now walk down the marble steps and imagine you’re an Madison Avenue exec commuting into town for that big pitch meeting for Seagrams. The marble, brass and stars in the “sky” are all as they were!

3. NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM- This Museum, housed in a historic 1936 subway station in Brooklyn Heights, is awesome for so many reasons. For time travel enthusiasts, however, it is especially noteworthy for the vintage train cars from the 1900’s, 1920’s and 1940’s that you can step aboard. I especially love reading all the old advertisements inside. (“A cigarette that’s less irritating to one’s throat” you don’t say?!)

4. SWING 46- If you’ve ever had Guys and Doll themed dreams of jiving to a big band (and I mean who hasn't) stop boogie-woogieing to Benny Goodman on your own and hit up this midtown club that offers live 1940's music nightly. They often offer dancing lessons too.

And, finally...

5. SHOW ME REAL: This July 11^th and 14^th come check out SHOW ME REAL at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The lives of three present-day modern dancers intersect and collide with those of a coterie of 1920s Ziegfeld Follies-era chorus girls in this original dance-theater piece. Contemporary dance, original song, narrative, and video projection combine to reveal how much past is in our present.

Do you have any favorite time warp locales?

GENA OPPENHEIM Gena is a fourth generation New Yorker who teaches second-grade in Brooklyn. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received her MFA from NYU Tisch's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Author | Gena Oppenheim, Dance, NYC | Permalink

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