Posts: 27

1. 

   Hooters Calendar 2009

   25.Aug.08, 17:50 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   
   Cover Girl: Stephanie Belknap – <place st="on"><city st="on">Orlando</city>, <state st="on">FL</state></place><p></p>
   
   They’re Back!!! SAVE THE DATE!
   
   Attention Planning Editors and Listings Editors:
   Hooters is celebrating their 25th Anniversary, the Manhattan restaurant is celebrating 11 years in the Big Apple, and the Hooters Swimsuit Calendar turns 23 with the 2009 edition, so we have lots of good reasons to celebrate! There will Hooters Swimsuit Calendar Girls in Manhattan available for interviews in NYC Monday, October 6 and Tuesday, October 7th
   
   Monday, October 6, 2008
   5:30-6pm Photo opportunities for Media
   6:00-7:30pm Open to the public calendar signing and photo ops
   Manhattan Hooters • 211 West 56th Street, 212-581-5656
   between Seventh Ave. & Broadway
   
   Tuesday, October 7, 2008
   Noon- 1:30pm Open to the public calendar signing and photo ops
   Manhattan Hooters • 211 West 56th Street, 212-581-5656
   between Seventh Ave. & Broadway
   
   MEDIA CONTACT (since 1999) : Gail Parenteau, Parenteau Guidance
   212-532-3934 , gail@parenteauguidance.com

2. 

   We’d like some equal time, please

   25.Aug.08, 17:38 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   Media contact for Jeff Wayne: Parenteau Guidance, 212-532-2924 or Gail@parenteauguidance.com
   
   We’d like some equal time, please.
   
   Jeff Wayne is a Red State conservative and funnier than Bin Laden eating a BLT.
   
   The funniest comics on the planet are all sooooo liberal. No doubt, these arbiters of clout, Kaisers of cool - Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Chris Rock, Bill Maher - are laughing out loud funny but they undeniably share a similar point of view when it comes to politics. They lean, well fall over, to the left.
   
   So who do fun loving, beer drinking conservatives go to see to get some laughs? Enter Jeff “Big Daddy” Wayne the antidote to the Obama cultists and rabid tree-huggers that will be out in full force this election season. Jeff is always right! Really.
   
   "Big Daddy Jeff Wayne is one funny guy"
   Senator Norm Coleman (R-NM)
   
   As the “First Conservative Standing,” Jeff “Big Daddy” Wayne is the only true conservative comedian working in the world today. He’s taking on all the Liberals, and may take some prisoners too…..directly to Gitmo. From comedy clubs around the country, to the biggest political stage in America, Jeff will be performing at This Place Is A Joke Comedy Club in St. Paul, Aug. 29 through Sept. 7. In Minnesota, aptly called “the land of the loon” Wayne will be competing with a Governor who may be a VP candidate, ultra-liberal comedian Al Franken who is the Democratic Senate nominee, and former wrestler and Governor Jesse Ventura, who is threatening to get into the senate race! Loony it will be! “Big Daddy” isn’t just performing he is also going to debate a local liberal comedian Jeff Gerbino. This will be a night that pundits, politicians, and just plain people will not want to miss as they will address all the hot button issues; the war in Iraq, the economy, taxes, education, jobs, and the latest antics of Brittney Spears.
   
   The show business bug bit Jeff Wayne at age of 14. The Kentucky teen decided to leave the bluegrass state as soon as he could to become a comedian. As Wayne says, "bourbon isn't the only good thing to come out of Kentucky."
   
   Jeff traveled to L.A. and started appearing at the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood He began learning and performing beside the likes of Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Roseanne, and Sam Kinison.
   
   Soon, Jeff was headlining Comedy Clubs around the country (and Europe). Appearing as an opening act for people like Sheryl Crow, Sheena Easton, and B.B. King. In 1994, Jeff wrote a one-man show, "Big Daddy's Barbeque," and made the leap to theater.
   
   "Big Daddy's Barbeque," quickly became a popular and critical success ("He is a one-man riot," Variety). The show was made as a pilot for NBC. Since the pilot, Jeff has toured with the show for the last 10 years, performing it over 1000 times.
   
   Jeff Wayne has an act! His comic persona as "a man out of sync with the universe" uses visual and verbal routines, impersonations, ad-libs, and joshing the audience. It all has one desired response: to make you laugh.
   
   As seen on: HBO, Showtime, A&E, and Fox, the BBC, ABC, Extra, and CBC and as seen in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times.
   
   Check out Jeff’s video clip:
   http://webmail.aol.com/37955/aol/en-us/Suite.aspx
   http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=conservative+comedy&page=5
   
   For more information visit Jeff on the web at http://www.jeffwayne.com/

3. 

   PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA ANNOUNCES 2008 AWARDS WINNERS

   25.Aug.08, 17:06 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   Media Contact: Gail Parenteau, Parenteau Guidance
   212-532-3934/ Gail@ParenteauGuidance.com
   
   Communications Manager: Christine Kite, Princess Grace Foundation-USA
   212-317-1470/ ckite@pgfusa.org
   
   
   PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA ANNOUNCES 2008 AWARDS WINNERS FOR THEATER, DANCE & FILM
   
   Rose Bond and Alec Hammond Receive Princess Grace Statue Awards
   
   NEW YORK, NY – (July 30, 2008) The Board of Trustees of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and its Chairman, Hon. John F. Lehman, announced today the recipients of 2008 Princess Grace Awards. The Awards for theater, dance/choreography and film continue the legacy of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, who anonymously helped emerging artists pursue their goals throughout Her lifetime.
   
   The Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a public charity, was formed after the death of Princess Grace in 1982. They award scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships to assist artists with career development.
   
   The Foundation cultivates a diverse group of nearly 500 artists to date who continue to advance the spectrum of performing arts with innovative, cutting-edge, vibrant theater, dance, film, playwriting and design. Among some notable Princess Grace Awards recipients in Theater are 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Direction of a Play, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright Tony Kushner and Academy Award winner Eric Simonson. Film recipients include Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; Eric Darnell, director of Madagascar 1 and 2 and Antz and Greg Mottola, director of Superbad. Recipients of Princess Grace Dance Awards include ballet dancers Maria Kowroski and Ethan Stiefel, and choreographers Robert Battle and Dawn Stoppiello.
   
   STATUE AWARDS
   
   Past winners of the Awards who distinguish themselves in their artistic disciplines since receiving their initial Princess Grace Awards are eligible to win the coveted Princess Grace Statue. It includes a $25,000 unrestricted cash gift and a special Bronze Statue of Princess Grace created by Monegasque artist Kees Verkade. The 2008 Statue Awards winners are Rose Bond and Alexander (Alec) T. Hammond.
   
   Rose Bond is a media artist whose short films have screened in international competitions including Sundance and the New York Film Festival. Although her roots are in frame-by-frame, hand drawn or direct animation, her current work is produced using digital animation technology. Ms. Bond teaches animation and Time Arts at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Her direct animation films are held in the Film Collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
   
   Alec Hammond is a Yale-educated production designer and art director. In 1995, he was honored with the first Princess Grace Fabergé Theater Award. His most recent work includes creating a next-generation Jumbo Jet from nose to tail for the film Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster. His production design can also be seen in the acclaimed film Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and written/directed by Richard Kelly; The Contender for director Rod Lurie and First Daughter for director Forrest Whitaker.
   
   PRINCESS GRACE AWARDS
   
   Each year, the Foundation announces a select group of Princess Grace Awards for distinction in the areas of theater, dance, and film. Students are eligible for scholarships; emerging artists working in companies qualify for apprenticeships and fellowships. A playwriting fellowship is available for individual artists through a residency at New Dramatists in New York City. In addition to these, the Foundation also gives honorable mention grants to applicants through Honoraria.
   
   Special Project Awards are available to previous Princess Grace Awards winners and Honoraria recipients for uniquely significant projects that advance a previous winner’s artistic development.
   
   This year, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA Arts Advisory Board announced a partnership with the Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) to provide further support for Princess Grace Awards winners. The aim of this alliance is to provide previous Awards winners the opportunity for creative experimentation without the pressure to produce a final, finished product. This aligns seamlessly with the mission of BAC, which serves as “an international center for artistic experimentation and collaboration, providing unique opportunities for the professional development of emerging and mid career artists from around the world and across disciplines.”
   
   In addition to the Awards, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA supports the nominating organizations’ fund raising efforts by extending general operating monies to companies hosting a recipient.
   
   The 2008 Princess Grace Awards winners (listed below) represent various colleges, universities, and not-for-profit theater and dance companies throughout the United States. This year’s winners hail from 16 states and represent twelve organizations that are new to partnering with the Foundation. The Awards winners exemplify both classical and alternative artistic disciplines and, while still considered emerging talent, they are already distinguished in their areas of expertise. All of this year’s Awards winners will travel to New York City as guests of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, where they will receive their Awards at a black-tie Gala, held in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco on October 15, 2008 at Cipriani 42nd Street.
   
   To find out more about each 2008 Princess Grace Awards winner or to learn more about past recipients and the Foundation, please visit us at www.pgfusa.org.
   
   PRINCESS GRACE STATUE AWARD
   
   Alec Hammond
   Original Award, 1995, Fabergé Award for Scenic Design, Yale School of Drama
   
   Rose Bond
   Original Award, 1989, Graduate Film Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
   
   THEATER AND PLAYWRITNG
   
   Arin Arbus, Los Angeles, CA
   Grace LeVine Theater Award
   Directing Fellowship, Theatre for a New Audience
   
   Jaime Castañeda, San Antonio, TX
   Gant Gaither Theater Award
   Directing Apprenticeship, American Theater Company
   
   Ben Gunderson, Moorhead, MN
   Robert and Gloria Houseman Theater Award
   Acting Scholarship, North Carolina School of the Arts
   
   Patrick Kennelly, Evanston, IL
   Pierre Cardin Theater Award
   Directing Scholarship, University of California, Los Angeles
   
   Arnulfo Maldonado, Eagle Pass, TX
   Fabergé Theater Award
   Costume Design Fellowship, Diverse City Theater
   
   Kaneza Schaal, Freestone, CA
   Acting Apprenticeship, The Wooster Group
   
   Kara Lee Corthron, Cumberland, MD
   Playwriting Fellowship, New Dramatists
   
   Maureen C. Huskey, Denver, CO
   Directing Honoraria, California Institute of the Arts
   
   Thomas Pasculli, Newton, NJ
   Acting Honoraria, Double Edge Theatre Productions, Inc.
   
   Ashley Sparks, Stuarts Draft, VA
   Directing Honoraria, ArtSpot Productions
   
   Damon E. Williams, Havertown, PA
   Acting Honoraria, Temple University
   
   DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY
   
   Thang Dao, Montclair, CA
   Choreography Fellowship, Ballet Austin
   
   Blaine Hoven, Mobile, AL
   Chris Hellman Dance Award
   Ballet Fellowship, American Ballet Theatre
   
   Jermel Johnson, Baltimore, MD
   Ballet Fellowship, Pennsylvania Ballet
   
   Alexander Peters, State College, PA
   Ballet Scholarship, School of American Ballet
   
   Lucien Postlewaite, Santa Cruz, CA
   Ballet Fellowship, Pacific Northwest Ballet
   
   Spenser Theberge, Vancouver, WA
   Ballet Scholarship, The Juilliard School-Dance Division
   
   Dominic Walsh, Elgin, IL
   Choreography Fellowship, Sarasota Ballet of Florida
   
   Nejla Y. Yatkin, Washington, D.C.
   Choreography Fellowship, Cleo Parker Robertson Dance Theater
   
   Elisa Clark, Bethesda, MD
   Modern Dance Honoraria, Mark Morris Dance Group
   
   Leah Morrison, St. Louis, MO
   Modern Dance Honoraria, Trisha Brown Dance Company
   
   FILM
   
   Caitlin Craggs, Lake Stevens, WA
   Animation Undergraduate Film Scholarship, University of Southern California
   
   Derrick A. Jones, Youngstown, OH
   Documentary Graduate Film Scholarship, Ohio University
   
   Nikyatu S. Jusu, Atlanta, GA
   Narrative Graduate Film Scholarship, New York University
   
   Deirtra Thompson, Baltimore, MD
   John H. Johnson Film Award
   Experimental Graduate Film Scholarship, Bard College
   
   Josh Weissbach, Austin, TX
   Cary Grant Film Award
   Documentary Undergraduate Film Scholarship, Hampshire College
   
   Iman K. Zawahry, Panama City, FL
   Narrative Graduate Film Scholarship, Florida State University
   
   Kimberly Bautista, Pasadena, CA
   Documentary Film Honoraria, UC Santa Cruz
   
   Henry C. Fernandez, E. Los Angeles, CA
   Narrative Film Honoraria, California State University, Northridge, Radio, TV & Film
   
   Jordan C. Greenhalgh, Albany, NY
   Experimental Animation Film Honoraria, Rochester Institute of Technology
   
   David Horowitz, Chicago, IL
   Animation Film Honoraria, University of Southern California
   
   Erica Lisette Murphy, Rogue Valley, OR
   Animation Film Honoraria, School of The Museum of Fine Arts
   
   SPECIAL PROJECT AWARDS
   
   Rosemary Newcott, Theater
   
   Chi Wang Yang, Theater
   
   Eric Kupers, Dance
   
   Drew Jacoby, Dance
   
   Ilya Chaiken, Film
   
   Miwa Matreyek, Film
   
   Julie Wyman, Film
   
   WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS
   
   Nancy Bannon, Dance
   
   Shelia Callaghan, Playwriting
   
   Maureen Towey, Theater

4. 

   A Princess Grace Awards winner LYNNE CHAMPLIN will perform “Finishing The Hat”

   16.Jul.08, 09:00 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   A Princess Grace Awards winner LYNNE CHAMPLIN will perform “Finishing The Hat” on August 11, 2008 at the Laurie Beechman Theater….. with a little help from her friend, STEPHEN SONDHEIM
   
   Broadway After Dark had a chance to catch up with the ever-inventive vocal virtuoso and actress Donna Lynne Champlin just a few weeks before the opening of her show, “Finishing The Hat” and asked her a few questions about the show and how her summer was going:
   
   So, how did you come up with the catchy title for your show “Finishing the Hat” and what does it mean?
   Donna Lynne Champlin: Calling the show FINISHING THE HAT came about because the first time I did this show it was part of the BROADWAY SPOTLIGHT series at ARS NOVA- and it was originally called “Songs and Stories”. At that performance, we had put about 15 stories into the hat and only got through half of them. The evening was such a surprising success that by the time I had gotten down into the dressing room the producer of the ARS NOVA was there and the first thing he said was, “You’ve got to come back! You've got to come back to FINISH THE HAT!”
   
   Well, since that's a very famous Sondheim song title we thought that was hilarious- so I emailed Steve Sondheim and asked him for permission to use that as my show title and he gave us his blessing. Ironically, I never sing FINISHING THE HAT in the show. So it was a happy accident and the result of a funny moment after the first show.
   
   Tell us about the show/performance – what songs will you be doing, running time, do you and piano player Tom Kitt interact?
   Someone described it to me as "Kathy Griffin with show tunes" which seemed kinda fun. I'm not nearly as 'blue' as Griffin but our story telling styles are very similar. The concept is that I have a bunch of stories on index cards and with every story I've incorporated a song. Every show there's a new story, and each show is different because I go out into the audience and let them pick the cards. We've had some people who've come to every single Finishing The Hat we've done in NYC- about 8 or 9 now.
   
   Yes, Tom Kitt will be assisting with the story telling, if certain stories get picked. Regardless, he is absolutely indispensable at the piano since the cues I throw at him are dicey at best. I need someone really smart and quick at the keyboard and he's brilliant. It's like that with everyone associated with this 90 minute production. The sound, the lights- it's impossible to tech the show because we never know what the show is going to be so everyone is flying by the seat of their pants. It's one of the reasons it's so much fun.
   
   What will you be doing next?
   Well, I'm closing my run in a production of MAME this weekend at the Pittsburgh CLO theater where I'm playing "Agnes Gooch." And, since I've been really blessed to have worked non stop since last August- I'm taking a few weeks to spend time with my family. I'll do FINISHING THE HAT and I have a few other possible job opportunities for the fall, but I haven't made a decision yet as to which project I'll be doing. But I'm sure it will be fun, whatever it is.
   
   Have you seen anything on Broadway or Off- that you adore this summer?
   Thanks to PRINCESS GRACE, I got a great ticket to see AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (which was directed by Princess Grace Awards winner Anna Shapiro) and absolutely loved it. In fact it inspired me to start writing my own play, which I'll hopefully have plenty of time to work on when I am at home with my family for the rest of July. I highly recommend AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY...it's brilliantly written, directed and acted. It was truly one of the most satisfying evenings at the theatre I've had in years.
   
   In her most recent Broadway appearance, Champlin, a winner of a 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for performance, played "Pirelli" (and the accordion, flute and piano) in John Doyle's groundbreaking Broadway revival of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd where critics characterized her performance both “hilarious” and “superb.” Champlin just finished her run as "Marcy" in the new Off-Broadway musical Marcy in the Galaxy at the Transport Group, which earned her rave reviews, in particular the NY Post's entitled "Leading Lady in Galaxy has Star Quality".
   
   More: www.donnalynnechamplin.com
   
   watch the video: www.myspace.com/finishingthehatdlc<p></p>
   
   ###

5. 

   What if your handbag could actually talk…..

   04.Jul.08, 11:16 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   What if your handbag could actually talk…..
   What the Bag Tells

   
   
   Cultural Photo and documentary exhibition presented by the house of Francesco Biasia, handbag designers, in celebration of their 30th year in business and the thirtieth anniversary year of their limited edition Diva Dreams handbag collection
   
   Cultures, habits and societies in the images of an international reportage
   
   WHEN: Thursday, July 17, 2008
   6:00-8:00 pm
   
   WHERE: The Italian Cultural Institute of New York
   686 Park Avenue between 68th and 69th Streets.
   212-879-4242 Ext. 337
   online at http://www.dolp.info/areaftp/
   
   WHAT: NYC will be a stop on a three year tour featuring the work of 5 top international photographers who made an anthropological study of the role, utilization and significance of the handbag in various cultures around the world. Represented in the exhibit are Italy, Colombia, Tehran, Namibia and Tokyo. The presentation includes 50 photographs, documentary video and an exhibition of handbags from the new Diva Dreams collection created for the company’s 30th anniversary.
   
   Handbags from the DIVA collection created especially for the 30th anniversary of the company
   
   WHO: Dr. Renato Miracco, Director, Italian Cultural Institute NY
   Photographers: Francesco Cocco, Fabio Cuttica, Daniele Dainelli, Stefano De Luigi, Riccardo Venturi
   
   Spokespeople: Massimo Cavalli and Martina Rini, experts in cultural communications for private and public institutions. Their corporate goal is to link culture and business dolp_dove
   
   WATCH: http://www.dolp.info/areaftp/
   download the 15 min. video –it’s amazing
   
   R.S.V.P. This is an invitation-only event for press that cover cultural, photography, history and arts as well as accessories editors and celebrity stylists.
   
   Contacts: Gail Parenteau, Parenteau Guidance 212-532-3934
   Gail@parenteauguidance.com
   Think Public Relations, Evelyn Rosario erosario@thinkpublicrelations.com
   212-343-3920 X 103

6. NYC MARINE CORPS COUNCIL

   30.May.08, 08:53 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, JUNE 3O
   Media Contacts: Cultural Communications
   Shannon Wilkenson, 212-505-1253 contact@culturalcommunications.com
   Gail Parenteau, 212-532-3939 gail@parenteauguidance.com
   
   NYC MARINE CORPS COUNCIL
   2008 New York City Mess Night and Wounded Warrior Tribute
   
   What: Benefit Gourmet Dinner to Celebrate 2008 NYC Mess Night
   **Bob Woodruff is Civilian Guest of Honor**
   
   When: Monday, June 30. Starts 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm
   
   Where: The New York Athletic Club (9th Floor), 180 Central Park South,
   New York, NY 10019
   
   Tickets: $350 per person – Black Tie
   Available: NYCMessNight@nycmcc.org
   Alexis Maxwell at 347-387-0019
   
   Charity: All donations given to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund
   
   The New York City Marine Corps Council's New York City Mess Night will honor America’s wounded warriors. All benefit proceeds will be given to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund (www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org), which works to help our U.S. forces affected by Traumatic Brain Injury, a significant casualty issue on the Iraqi battlefield today.
   
   About "Mess Night" - "Mess Night" is a venerable Marine Corps tradition dating from the 1500's that few civilians experience. The event encompasses a cocktail hour, an opulent feast, good cheer and a range of fines for violating guidelines of the mess, which all guests are informed of at the onset. (Violations include foul language, chewing gum, rapping glassware for attention, rearranging table settings and discussing politics, shop, money or religion. Fines begin at $1 and escalate to $30 for NYC elite and civilians. All penalties will be donated to The Bob Woodruff Family Fund.)
   
   All guests will receive a copy of "New York City Mess Night: An Introduction and Essential Companion for Pleasantly Surviving a Marine Corps Mess Night. Copies available on request.
   
   About The NYC Marines - New York City boasts one of the nation’s largest populations of active-duty, former and friends of the Marines. The NYC MARINES, a 501c civilian-directed organization, is the first organization of its kind dedicated to synergizing and coordinating the numerous Marine Corps interests in the New York City area. A special emphasis of the organization is outreaching to wounded Marines and members of all Armed Services returning from tours of duty, supporting camaraderie, quality of life and career transition activities. From the highest echelons of Wall Street, to the entertainment industries to the NYPD, former Marines go on to serve in many important civilian capacities. The NYC MARINES cultivate and support this diverse and committed community.
   
   Guests of Honor (all will speak)
   
   BOB WOODRUFF
   Civilian Guest of Honor, Author of the best-seller In An Instant, Founder of The Bob Woodruff Family Foundation and Career National Television News Anchor and Correspondent
   
   JOE LISI
   President of the Mess Marine, Actor and NYC Native Retired NYPD Precinct Captain
   
   LIEUTENANT GENERAL RONALD S. COLEMAN, USMC
   Senior Military Guest of Honor; Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
   
   Program
   A copy of the historically accurate menu is available on request. TV Coverage of "the making of" is available all day prior to the event. Military historian Agostino von Hassell and a chef from PJ Clarke's will be preparing in the New York Athletic Club kitchen.)
   
   Cocktails
   
   First Sergeants Call
   (Extinguish the smoking lamp)
   
   “March On” and “Semper Fidelis”
   
   Grace, Parade the Beef, Dinner
   
   Shed a Tear for the Enemy
   
   Toasts and Guests
   
   Guests of Honor Remarks
   
   Rum Punch and the Marines’ Hymn
   
   Contributors/donors:
   
   • Menu plan based on a gourmet dinner, incorporating historically accurate military meal items, prepared by Chef John Besh (of Food Network Iron Chef renown), along with author, Historian and military food expert Agostino von Hassell.
   • Dinner prepared by Hassell and a chef from Manhattan’s famous PJ Clarkes’ restaurant.
   • Steak donated by Strassburger Meats, a supplier of Smith & Wollensky steak house.
   • Murray's Cheese is contributing a range of cheeses.
   

7. 

   The 53rd Annual Village Voice Obie Awards

   05.May.08, 19:33 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, MAY 19, 2008
   Media Contacts for the Village Voice Obie Awards:
   OBIES - Gail Parenteau / Parenteau Guidance
   (212) 532-3934 Gail@ParenteauGuidance.com
   www.villagevoice.com/obies
   some photos available on request
   Village Voice - Julie Lichtenstein / Director of Public Relations
   212-475-3300 Ext. 12252 juliel@villagevoice.com
   
   Off-Broadway’s Highest Honor
   The 53rd Annual Village Voice Obie Awards
   The Obie Awards Ceremony Goes Global With First-Ever Live Webcast
   
   
   Co-Hosted by:
   Elizabeth Marvel & Bill Camp
   
   Featuring:
   A Performance From the Hit Rock Musical
   PASSING STRANGE
   
   Presenters:
   Neil Patrick Harris
   S. Epatha Merkerson
   Julie White
   Bradley Whitford
   
   More Names To Be Confirmed
   
   WHEN: Monday, May 19, 2008
   Ceremony 8pm - (Finish approx. 10:30pm)
   
   WHERE: Webster Hall – 125 East 11th Street
   
   WHAT: The Obies are the freewheeling wild child of New York theater's awards world established in 1955 by then Village Voice theater editor Jerry Tallmer. The winners are chosen by a committee of critics and working theater artists, currently chaired by the Voice’s chief theater critic, Michael Feingold. Outside of annual awards for Lifetime Achievement and for Best New American Play, the Obies have no fixed categories and no listed nominations. Artists receive Obies on their own merit and not in competition with others. The Obie awards cover an astounding artistic range. Past recipients have included everyone from now-established superstars like Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, and Denzel Washington to incredibly talented people best known inside the special world of New York’s Off-Broadway theater.
   
   Since the mid-1980s, The Village Voice has provided prize and grant money, which the judges award each year to deserving theater groups and individuals. These prizes and grants have enabled the winning recipients to continue producing groundbreaking theater. This year $10,000 in grant money will be awarded as well as $1,000 for a Best New American Play or emerging playwright, and $2,000 to the recipient of the Ross Wetzsteon Award which honors an institution that fosters the development of new theatrical voices.
   
   PRINT: Don’t miss The Village Voice Obie issue – May 21st for complete winners list, photos, event coverage
   
   WHO: Presenters include Neil Patrick Harris, Bradley Whitford, S. Epatha Merkerson, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, and Julie White. More names will be announced soon.
   
   Entertainment PASSING STRANGE* www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com is the critically-acclaimed rock musical that moved from the Public Theater to Broadway. It follows a young musician’s journey from 70s Los Angeles through free-lovin’ Amsterdam, to the anarchy 80s Berlin in his search to find something real.
   
   Judges The Obies were chaired by the Voice’s chief theater critic Michael Feingold and his committee of judges Voice critic Alexis Soloski; Variety critic Mark Blankenship; Bloomberg News editor and critic Jeremy Gerard; playwright-director Robert O’Hara (2007 Obie winner for In the Continuum); set designer Neil Patel (twice an Obie winner for sustained excellence of design); and Time Out New York / New York Sun critic Helen Shaw. Clint Allen serves as secretary to the committee.
   
   WATCH: For the first time ever, the OBIES presentation ceremony* will be webcast online via iClips.net on www.villagevoice.com/obies
   
   SPONSORS: Stella Artois, Crunch, Macy’s, iClips Network LLC, Chinatown Brasserie, Sea Grape Wine Shop
   
   ABOUT THE VILLAGE VOICE:
   Founded by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, and Norman Mailer in October 1955, The Village Voice introduced free-form, high-spirited and passionate journalism into the public discourse. As the nation's first and largest alternative newsweekly, the Voice maintains the same tradition of no-holds-barred reporting and criticism it first embraced when it began publishing over fifty years ago. The recipient of three Pulitzer prizes, the National Press Foundation Award, and the George Polk Award, among others, the Voice has earned a reputation for its groundbreaking investigations of New York City politics, and as the premier expert on New York's art and cultural scene.
   
   The Village Voice is also the creator of such celebrated events as the Obie Awards, Siren Music Festival, Emerging Artist Series, Choice Eats, as well as the most anticipated issues and guides of the year including the annual Pazz and Jop music poll, Best of NYC, and its Spring, Summer, and Fall Preview guides, the Voice is New York's most influential must-read alternative newspaper in print and online at www.villagevoice.com where the site averages 2 million unique users each month.
   
   Note: The Village Voice Obies are by invitation only. Press should call for credentials. This is an unreserved seating event. There are no tickets for sale.

8. 

   PAINTER LEROY NEIMAN UNVEILS MURAL

   05.May.08, 08:58 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

   PAINTER LEROY NEIMAN UNVEILS MURAL
   FOR SPORTS MUSEUM OF AMERICA
   
   
   New York, NY (April 25, 2008) - Renowned sports artist, LeRoy Neiman, unveiled a life-sized mural created exclusively for the Sports Museum of America today at 26 Broadway in lower Manhattan.
   
   Neiman put the finishing touches on this 7 foot x 157-foot mural in preparation for the Sports Museum of America opening on May 7. The official artist at five Olympiads and chronicler of countless sports and leisure activities, Neiman will at long last imprint his legacy on a national museum of sports and his art will live in a space dedicated to celebrating his passion under one roof.
   
   The Sports Museum of America, the nation's first and only all-sports experience, will feature state-of-the-art interactive technologies, dramatic original films and an iconic collection of sports memorabilia. It will also be home to the legendary Heisman Trophy and the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, including the first Women's Sports Hall of Fame.
   
   Tickets for the Sports Museum of America are available for purchase at www.sportsmuseum.com, by phone at 1-888-SmA-TKTS, and starting in late April at the SmA box office at 26 Broadway.

9. 

   BOSTON FAN BECOMES BOSTON FRONTMAN

   17.Apr.08, 08:59 EDT
   
   Share It | Spread It | Comments: 1

   BOSTON FAN BECOMES BOSTON FRONTMAN
   
   CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Wireless Flash) -- One devoted Boston fan is about to get a crash course on the rockstar life.
   
   Tommy DeCarlo is an aspiring singer and Home Depot employee who will be touring with Boston this summer as lead singer for the legendary, multi-platinum rock group.
   
   DeCarlo scored the dream gig after sending some recordings of himself singing Boston songs to the band on MySpace.
   
   Boston founder Tom Scholz liked what he heard -- including DeCarlo's spot-on vocals, similar to late Boston singer Brad Delp's unique pipes -- and now DeCarlo will be rockin' the stage with the Boston boys this summer.
   
   For DeCarlo, the gig is a dream come true, since he's been a Boston fan for years and has attended plenty of their concerts.
   
   He says, "It's going to be exciting singing to the crowd because I've been on the opposite side of the stage, as a fan. I really can't believe I get to sing with them."
   
   This is DeCarlo's first experience being in a band, and he's slightly nervous since his biggest performances to date have been his grandparents' anniversary party, a high school talent show, and karaoke at a bowling alley.
   
   DeCarlo's tour with Boston hits the U.S. and Canada June 6 through August. Visit bandboston.com for cites and details.
   
   
   
   CONTACT: Tommy DeCarlo; ***1/2; Arrange through Gail Parenteau; (212) 532-3934; gail@parenteauguidance.com

10. The Italian Cultural Institute of New York Will Exhibit the Original Art Works

    03.Apr.08, 13:53 EDT
    
    Share It | Spread It | Comments: 0

    Media Contact: Parenteau Guidance Gail Parenteau 212-532-3934, gail@parenteauguidance.com Mary Lou Hubbert 203.312.4067 marylou@parenteauguidance.com
    Outstanding high resolution photos available on request
    
    

    LA DOMENICA DEL CORRIERE
    

    
    The Italian Cultural Institute of New York Will Exhibit the Original Art Works that Graced Historic Sunday Magazine Covers Chronicling World History from 1899 to 1989
    
    Highlights include The Kennedy Assassination, Man Sets Foot on the Moon, Wedding of Grace Kelly to HSH Prince Rainier of Monaco, The Italian Police Marching Down Fifth Avenue and Immigrants Entering Ellis Island
    
    As Seen Through Italian Artists, Illustrators and Satirists
    
    Opening Event Wednesday, April 10
    
    What: First Ever New York Exhibit of rare original drawings and works of art that graced the covers of La Domenica del Corriere Sunday magazine. Founded in 1899 as an illustrated weekly supplement of Milan’s largest daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
    
    La Domenica del Corriere was one of the most successful popular periodicals of the nineteen hundreds. Its popularity was mostly due to the cover pages that were illustrated with drawings from the week’s general news and political scene, according to a practice that had proven highly successful with international publications from the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Some adults who grew up in Italy recall learning about the current events of the world by reading and discussing the weekly magazine with their family.
    
    When: Opening reception by invitation only Thursday, April 10, 2008 The month-long exhibit runs from April 11 to May 9, 2008 and is free of charge and open to the public weekdays, Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm
    
    Where: The Italian Cultural Institute of New York 686 Park Avenue between 68th and 69th Streets. 212-879-4242 or online at www.iicnewyork.esteri.it/IIC_Newyork
    
    Who: Dr. Renato Miracco, Director & Curator; Italian Cultural Institute NY Prof. Piergaetano Marchetti, Chairman of RCS MediaGroup
    
    R.S.V. P. Required 212-532-3934 or Gail@parenteauguidance.com or The Italian Cultural Institute of New York 212- 879-4242 Ext. 361
    
    “La Domenica del Corriere”
    
    Italian Illustrators of History, News and Customs
    
    Exhibition Curated by Giovanna Ginex and Renato Miracco
    
    With over 100,000 pages, the Drawings and Graphical Documents Section of “Il Corriere della Sera” housed at the Corriere della Sera Foundation is the most important collection of original materials of periodical publications in Italy, and at the same time represents an invaluable historical record of Italian illustrations.
    
    “La Domenica del Corriere” was founded in 1899 as an illustrated weekly supplement of the Milan daily “Corriere della Sera” and was one of the most successful popular periodicals of the nineteen hundreds. Its popularity was mostly due to the cover pages that were illustrated with drawings from the week’s general news and political scene, according to a practice that had proved highly successful with international publications from the third quarter of the nineteenth century.
    
    The selection of drawings represented in this exhibition provide an insight into Italian illustrations through the works of six artists chosen from the over 350 artists who worked for the newspaper during its ninety years of activity.
    
    The plates provide a journey through the nineteen hundreds, providing examples of the news events that characterized Italian journalism in general during this period: war, sports, crime, gossip, entertainment and customs. These were the subjects depicted in the first issues by Achille Beltrame, who was to illustrate the publication until 1944.
    
    The challenge consisted in adapting the indisputable artistic talents of the illustrator to the requisites of journalistic reporting, and above all to the printing techniques available at the time. The preparation of the original ink drawings in black and white ensured a better result in the successive colour printing phases made on the basis of the tones indicated by the tempera-coloured background that the artist himself painted on separated plates.