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Eric Krebs presents SING! A South African and American Musical Holiday Celebrationis so musically thrilling, that if you don’t feel uplifted and ready for the holiday season, you seriously have a heart two sizes too small. The acoustics at St. Clement’s work perfectly with this powerful cast of musicians. Led by Thuli Dumakude, (Rafiki in The Lion King on Broadway), this songstress has pipes that are heaven sent. Her powerful vocals are sensational and through the roof. Ms. Dumakude also narrates the piece which though more of a concert, has a lot of interesting information. I actually wish there had been more of a book because, I was riveted. A lot of talk was of Miriam Makeba. The information was treated like we knew a lot about her and I actually had never heard of her before, so to expound that information would definitely be helpful. Also Nelson Mandela’s memory was honored and it was especially touching in the last song.
I can’t really tell you about the songs as they are not listed. The program is rather nondescript. You will here native South African songs, “In The Jungle” and the coolest version of “Jingle Bells,” played on a Kalimba. The music however permeates your soul and for the most part will have you chair dancing. I found I could not keep moving as the beats are so infectious.
The back-up singers also add a great deal of color. Silindile Sokutu, toured the US with Miriam Makeba, Nomthi Langa toured with South African singer Busi Mhlongo and Tanya Nomaziko Zondo, is a Zimbabwean singer, dancer and actress completes the trio of songbirds. The three women are all different types, with different sounds, but when the four get together in harmony it is rapturous.
Mar Gueye is blessed with the “Spirit of The Drum.”He is the nephew of master Senegalese drummer, Doudou N’Diaye Rose. Rose was considered the father of a musical dynasty and began performing in the 1930s, but continued to make his living as a plumber for some time. He performed and collaborated with Josephine Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Peter Gabriel, and the Rolling Stones. He was also the founder and chief drum major of the Drummers of West Africa and developed 500 new rhythms and that talent has definitely been passed on. His drum solo is one of the highlights of the show.
Saving the best for last Mthakathi’s is a one-man orchestra, whose musical talents are truly remarkable. He is also the musical director of the show creates musical magic. I tried to figure out how many instruments he plays and then loops to make amazing arrangements and spectacular sounds. His musicianship is unbeatable. Look for an interview shortly as Mthakathi is one of the best finds of 2016.
Zulu harmonies, phenomenal arrangements and sheer love of the craft permeate. Here the sounds of a nation bring forth it’s soul.
SING! A South African and American Musical Holiday Celebration is a do not miss if you love music, musicianship, heart and a eternal exuberance that is completely infectious.
SING! A South African and American Musical Holiday Celebration: Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th St, through December 31st.
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Events
Hyatt Regency Times Square Scores with Julian Hall Ahead of the World Cup Final
As New York’s excitement reached a fever pitch ahead of the FIFA World Cup Final, the newly opened Hyatt Regency Times Square found an inventive way to bring the world’s game directly into the heart of Times Square.
Julian Hall Photo credit: Gabi Porter for Hyatt Regency Times Square
On Thursday, July 16, the hotel transformed its expansive porte-cochere into a temporary soccer pitch for “Kicking it to the Final,” welcoming New York Red Bulls rising star Julian Hall for an afternoon that blended sport, fan culture, and the city’s unmistakable energy.
Julian Hall Photo credit: Gabi Porter for Hyatt Regency Times Square
For Hall, the appearance was something of a hometown celebration. The New York City native has rapidly become one of Major League Soccer’s brightest young talents. During his inaugural season with the Red Bulls, he made history as the club’s youngest player to debut. He followed that milestone by becoming the league’s second-youngest goalscorer ever, cementing his reputation as one of American soccer’s most exciting emerging stars.
Julian Hall Photo credit: Gabi Porter for Hyatt Regency Times Square
Throughout the event, Hall signed memorabilia, posed for photographs, and stepped onto the pitch alongside fans for a series of interactive soccer challenges, proving as approachable as he is talented.
The activation also marked the official debut of Hyatt Regency Times Square’s new pop-up soccer experience. From July 16 through July 18, visitors were invited to reserve 30-minute sessions on the synthetic turf for $50 per person. The experience included use of a soccer ball and a complimentary World Cup-inspired cocktail or beverage from Cue 48, the hotel’s signature restaurant overlooking the electric crossroads of Times Square.
It’s exactly the kind of experiential programming that has become increasingly important for hotels looking to offer more than simply a place to sleep. As New York and New Jersey prepared to host one of the world’s most-watched sporting events, Hyatt Regency Times Square leaned into the city’s role as a global gathering place, creating a playful destination where locals and visitors alike could celebrate soccer before the championship match.
Julian Hall Photo credit: Gabi Porter for Hyatt Regency Times Square
With the World Cup Final drawing international attention to the region, “Kicking it to the Final” served as a reminder that some of the most memorable moments surrounding major sporting events happen well beyond the stadium walls.
In Times Square, they happened with a soccer ball, a rising hometown star, and one of the city’s newest hotels embracing the world’s biggest game.
Family
The Urban Exodus: Essential Infrastructure Checklists for City Dwellers Moving to the Philly Suburbs
Trading a row home for an acre in Chester County means you stop renting your utilities from the city and start owning them outright. That is the short answer, and it is the whole article in one line. The checklist below covers the five things city buyers almost never verify before closing: how the house gets rid of wastewater, where the drinking water comes from, where storm runoff goes, whether the driveway can take a heavy truck, and what the township wants on paper before you touch the yard.
In Philadelphia, other people handle the invisible parts. A main breaks and the city digs it up. A lateral clogs and there is a number to call. Push twenty miles into Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware or Chester County and that whole chain lands on your deed. Anyone who has priced septic system installation in Philadelphia and the counties around it already knows the range is uncomfortably wide, because the number depends on soil nobody has looked at yet and a township nobody has called yet.
What actually changes when you leave the city grid?
Four systems change hands: wastewater, water supply, stormwater, and access. In the city, all four are somebody else’s budget line. Out here they are yours, and they fail on their own schedule instead of the city’s.
The real difference is not the monthly cost. It is the lumpiness. Well and septic ownership is years of almost nothing, then one week where you write a check with a comma in it.
The septic checklist to run before you sign
Hire a licensed septic inspector separately from your home inspector, and insist the tank gets pumped as part of the inspection. A standard home inspection usually stops at a flush test. Nobody can judge a tank they cannot see inside.
Get answers to these before the contingency period runs out:
- Pull the permit file from the township and confirm the original design, the as-built drawing, and the install date;
- Check that the bedroom count on the permit matches the bedroom count on the listing, since systems are sized by bedrooms and a finished basement suite can quietly put the house out of compliance;
- Walk the field on a wet day and look for soggy ground, standing water, or a stripe of grass greener than everything around it.
Water: the well is your utility now
Test the water before closing, ask for the yield in gallons per minute, and find out how old the pump is. Those three answers tell you most of what you need to know.
- Test for coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrates and lead at minimum, then add arsenic, manganese and radon if the seller has never tested;
- Ask for the well completion report with the depth, the casing, and the yield recorded the day it was drilled;
- Remember that no power means no water, which turns a generator from a luxury into plumbing.
Drainage, grading, and the ground you cannot pave
Before you plan a patio, a pool, or a wider driveway, look up your township’s impervious coverage limit and its grading permit threshold. Suburban lots have a hard ceiling on how much of the property can shed water instead of absorbing it, and most owners find out only when a permit gets denied.
City services versus your new job description
Here is the swap in plain terms.
| What it is | In Philadelphia | In the suburbs |
| Drinking water | Metered, treated, billed | Your well, your pump, your test results |
| Wastewater | A lateral to the city sewer | Tank, field, pumping schedule, permit file |
| Storm runoff | Street inlets | Your grade, your swales, your coverage limit |
| Power outage | An inconvenience | No water and no working toilet |
| Snow and trash | The city handles both | Your driveway, your private hauler |
How long do township approvals take?
Plan on weeks for a simple permit and several months for anything involving soil testing and a new system. None of it moves fast.
A new or replacement system starts with a site evaluation and a percolation test, and some townships want soil probes done when the water table is high in late winter or early spring. That timing alone can push a summer project into fall.
Your first year on the checklist
Do these in order and you get to spend the next decade bored, which is the entire goal.
- Pull and file the septic permit, the as-built drawing, and the well completion report from the township;
- Mark the tank lids, the field corners and the replacement area on a copy of your survey;
- Run a full water test and keep the results as your baseline;
- Pump the tank if you have no record of the last time, then set a reminder for three years out;
- Walk the property during a heavy rain and photograph where the water actually goes;
None of this is meant to chase anybody back to the city. Plenty of households run wells and septic systems for decades without drama, and the trade is a good one: quiet, space, a yard that is actually yours. You just inherited the utility department along with it. Read the permit file, test the water, respect the drain field, and keep the grade pointed away from the house. That is the job.
The Force, Hogwarts and Middle-earth Converge as House of Spells Opens First U.S. Flagship in Times Square
Forget choosing between the Dark Side, the Wizarding World, Gotham City or Middle-earth.
Beginning July 29, New Yorkers can visit them all under one roof when House of Spells opens its first U.S. flagship in the heart of Times Square.
Occupying an expansive 20,000-square-foot, two-level space at 234 West 42nd Street, the immersive retail destination transforms the former Modell’s Sporting Goods and IT’SUGAR location into what may become one of Midtown’s most unusual new attractions.
Already a phenomenon in the United Kingdom, House of Spells blends immersive environments with officially licensed merchandise from some of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises. Rather than functioning as a traditional gift shop, the space is designed to let visitors step inside the worlds they love, surrounded by cinematic displays, themed environments, interactive photo opportunities and collectibles that range from everyday keepsakes to hard-to-find treasures.
Whether your fandom belongs to Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Marvel, DC, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Fantastic Beasts, Vikings, Squid Game, Anime, or even FRIENDS, chances are you’ll find your tribe here.
The New York flagship also debuts several franchises not previously featured in the company’s UK locations, including KPop Demon Hunters, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Super Mario, and The Legend of Zelda, expanding the concept for its American audience.
Expect everything from Baby Yoda backpacks and Harry Potter wands to Batman collectibles and rare Lord of the Ringstankards, making the store as much a destination for serious collectors as for casual fans and families exploring Times Square.
Founded by Khaja Hussain, House of Spells has built a devoted following across the United Kingdom with locations in London, Liverpool and Stratford-upon-Avon. The Times Square opening marks the company’s first venture into the United States, a fitting choice for a neighborhood that welcomes tens of millions of visitors each year and continues to redefine experiential retail.
“As they say in Game of Thrones, ‘Winter is Coming’… to Times Square as we bring the fandom universe to the Crossroads of the World,” said Jaime Vidal, President of USA Operations for House of Spells. “Coming to the country’s most iconic entertainment capital is the perfect U.S. launching pad for us, and we can’t wait for visitors to explore the wonders, magic, mystique and enchantment of House of Spells Times Square.”
Leaders across the city welcomed the arrival, including Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance, Julie Coker, President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, each noting that the attraction adds another experiential destination to one of the world’s busiest entertainment districts.
Open daily from 10 a.m. until midnight, House of Spells is poised to become one of Times Square’s newest playgrounds for fantasy lovers, gamers, movie buffs and pop culture enthusiasts alike.
Because sometimes one fandom simply isn’t enough.
Entertainment
“7sDay” Night of Legends in Times Square
For automotive enthusiasts passionate about ’90s Japanese cars and tuning culture, July 7th holds special significance, this is the annual celebration of rotary engines and Japanese car culture in New York City. In a city as dynamic and unpredictable as Manhattan, there are always a few surprises waiting around every corner, and the cars that paraded through Times Square proved just that.
“7sDay” NYC began as an idea shared by PRIMENYC founders Edwin Reyes and Pravan Kuntmala, along with Ted Solano, founder of local car collective Regiment Zero. Inspired by automotive gatherings in Japan, they set out to create an event celebrating not just the iconic Mazda RX-7 and rotary engine, but the unique car culture thriving throughout New York City and the greater Tri-State area.
The night marked the culmination of 11 years of curation and community-building by PRIMENYC, whose mission lives at the intersection of car life and knowledge. They see themselves as automotive stewards, historians, enthusiasts, teachers, and learners — often all at once.
This year, a cavalcade of immaculate machines — built from years of automotive dedication and craftsmanship — made its way from New Jersey into Times Square. If you hadn’t seen it for yourself, it might sound unimaginable, but it’s become a summer tradition: a night of car life in NYC, and a chance for enthusiasts to show off some of the best modified and tuned RX-7s and other rotary-powered cars.
Complementing the rotaries were some of the most celebrated Japanese performance cars of the 1990s, including rare Nissan Skylines, Toyota Supras, Mitsubishi Evos, and Honda Type Rs — among them a Mazda Cosmo with its 20B rotary motor, one of only 9,000 ever built. European enthusiasts came out in force too, with Porsches, BMWs, and Lamborghinis
Watching these cars make their way across Manhattan was a thrill for spectators. As they rolled down 7th Avenue, photographers and fans crowded in, eager to capture the evening’s energy.
Our automotive photographers, Brad Jervis and,Kendrick Zhang were on the scene to capture the roaring engines, sleek designs, and unmistakable energy of the night. Posted up at the W Hotel, Brad and Kendrick filmed the constant stream of cars rolling through the city, with police cooperating to guide vehicles safely through each area.
Over 400 cars participated in all, spanning North Jersey, Harlem, Times Square, and Chelsea’s west side. For enthusiasts, nights like this are the ones they remember, a shared celebration of automotive passion. The event was completely free and open to the public, it gives outsiders a rare chance to go from spectators to participants in this unique car culture.
Entertainment
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Michelin Quality On Bowery In NYC
Michelin-Level Dining Elevates the Bowery’s Culinary Legacy
The Bowery, New York City’s oldest street, has evolved into one of Manhattan’s most exciting culinary destinations, where history meets world-class dining. Today, Michelin-recognized and Michelin-listed restaurants add extraordinary flavor to this legendary corridor, drawing discerning diners from across the globe while preserving the neighborhood’s rich cultural identity.
Among the standout destinations is Jiang Nan NYC, a celebrated restaurant that has earned acclaim for its refined interpretation of regional Chinese cuisine. Its reputation has grown well beyond New York City, attracting food lovers who fly in from across the United States to experience its signature dishes, impeccable presentation, and sophisticated atmosphere. Jiang Nan exemplifies how the Bowery has become a destination where exceptional dining is worth the journey.
The Bowery’s unique appeal extends beyond any single restaurant. Situated at the remarkable crossroads of SoHo, the Lower East Side, Little Italy, and Chinatown, the neighborhood offers one of the most diverse culinary landscapes in America. Within just a few blocks, visitors can explore elegant cafés, family-owned bakeries, Michelin-recognized restaurants, innovative cocktail bars, traditional dim sum houses, artisan coffee shops, and contemporary international kitchens.
This vibrant intersection of cultures has transformed the Bowery into a culinary gateway where generations of immigrant traditions meet modern gastronomy. Historic storefronts stand alongside award-winning restaurants, creating an atmosphere that celebrates both New York City’s heritage and its constant reinvention. Every corner offers a new flavor, every block tells a different story, and every meal reflects the extraordinary diversity that defines Lower Manhattan.
For locals and international visitors alike, the Bowery is no longer simply New York City’s oldest street. It has become one of its most compelling dining destinations, where Michelin recognition, neighborhood character, and global culinary excellence come together at the crossroads of SoHo, the Lower East Side, Little Italy, and Chinatown.
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