As much as I love the movies, I’ve rarely tapped into New York’s indie cinema scene, tending to pursue live theater instead. Over the holidays, seeking a screening of Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon starring Ethan Hawke as the tragic lyricist Lorenz Hart, I found my way to Quad Cinema near Union Square. Tucking into a big, cushy red upholstered chair with a small bag of popcorn in an intimate, yet uncrowded theater (one of four, hence Quad) and getting swept into a revery over Linklater’s beautiful film transported me to Key West where moviegoing at the arthouse Tropic Cinema was once part of my weekly routine.
Set at Sardi’s on the night of Oklahoma!’s 1943 Broadway premiere, the movie is almost entirely monologue with Hawke as Hart sitting at the bar, an alcoholic trying not to drink, discussing the nature of longing and composition with a cast of characters that includes his trusty barman (Bobby Cannavale), a pianist and a barfly who turns out to be E.B. White agonizing over writing Charlotte’s Web. Meanwhile, Hart’s longtime collaborator Richard Rogers prepares to celebrate a smash hit with his new lyricist Oscar Hammerstein. It’s a movie of heartbreak, unrequited love, romance and squandered dreams—(in the words of Gershwin) who could ask for anything more?
When I left the theater, I was almost surprised to step into the snowy streets of a New York City winter night and not Key West on a balmy late afternoon, but there was romance in that, too.
Dining
Wild Cherry
Set inside A24’s recently revamped Cherry Lane Theatre in the W. Village, Wild Cherry is an intimate, supper club-inspired destination by the team behind Frenchette and Le Veau d’Or. The deceptively simple menu essentially consists of the most delicious version imaginable of every dish: juicy frog legs Kiev, oysters served with a bonus plate of French sausages, tuna crudo with piquillo lemon, Caesar salad, a cheeseburger, and kielbasa and kraut. Thick, extra crunchy frites served with a side of mayonnaise managed to steal the entire show. And the coconut cake prepared with generous hunks of juicy pineapple conquered us completely.
Seahorse – Scrumptious oysters inside revived W Union Square by Lure Fishbar restaurateur
La Tête d’Or (Gramercy) – Oh, why not pop in a few nights before Christmas for a completely unhinged nightcap of a bottle of Champagne, two martinis, an ice cream sundae (courtesy of monsieur Boulud who was at the bar) and sweetbread nuggets?
Gramercy Tavern – What could be cozier for wintertime?
The Odeon – The only answer to a snowy Sunday afternoon in Tribeca.
Anton’s – What is this, the W. Village, or something?
Leon’s (Union Square) – Airy, inviting, high-ceilinged all-day Italian cafe with an elegant menu by the team behind Anton’s.
Quality Bistro (Midtown) – Ideal pre-theater destination for Masquerade or anything at City Center across the street. The caviar slider with a Champagne bump (i.e., mini coupe) is especially fun.
Jams – My initial One Sentence Review: As good a place as any for a $30 salad at lunchtime in midtown. But really, I have a soft spot for this Jonathan Waxman joint at 1 Hotel Central Park.
La Bomboniera – cozy all-day Italian café and wine bar on UES opens an outpost on UWS
Arts
Masquerade
Because the Phantom should never die. After ending its historic 35-year run on Broadway in 2023, this new immersive production is a well-oiled feat of theatricality and makes for a fun night out. The cast (which includes Broadway Phantom veterans) and choreography is fantastic. Still, I felt like the audience I was immersed with should have been bigger Phantom phreaks (I joked that they should have been checking for drama degrees at the door) and the lack of a live orchestra takes the soul-shaking oomph out of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s intense and haunting music. Team Phantom (original Broadway/West End production) 4eva.
Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World at Guggenheim
Because the saturated Fauvist colors in this solo exhibition (through April 26) of Gabriele Münter, an underappreciated German female Expressionist painter with ties to the American South, is worth beating back the tourist hordes on the rotunda on a cold winter’s day. And catching the final days of Rashid Johnson’s ‘A Poem for Deep Thinkers’ (closed Jan 19) was a nice bonus.
