On the occasion of St Patrick’s Day, the Irish countryside painted by Peter Ellenshaw, from the Frye Art Museum, shared by the museum as a #MuseumMomentofZen.
Dear Reader
How are you doing today? Matthew McConaughey told me (and you and everyone else) not to be paranoid so that helps. Just kidding. I wish it did, but I am still feeling increasingly as if some folks in New York are just not taking this seriously enough. I went to McCarren Park to get in a solo track workout yesterday, thinking there would be a few runners out and about, but I left after soon after because I felt too paranoid about the number of group-gathering, ball-playing, outdoor-gym-using people at the park. Perhaps I overreacted, but if we don’t do what’s asked of us on our own, then surely an enforced lockdown is next? It just seems like a lot of people are sacrificing their livelihoods, their businesses, their dreams to tackle this thing head on, while others just see it as an excuse to hang out.
Enough of my ranting, here’s what we came for. Today’s list of entertainment options for this current time:
1. This is a stop-everything item: the one and only Debbie Allen — the award-winning actress/director/dancer/choreographer/Lydia Grant in Fame — is giving a free dance class today, Wednesday, at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Get on it!
2. My favourite museum in New York, the Museum of the City of New York, kicked off a series called #MuseumMomentofZen on Twitter. If you search the hashtag, you’ll be taken to some instant moments of calm that can give you a brief respite from all the scrolling and panic-refreshing.
3. One of the biggest tragedies of all this is Broadway, the bright star of the Big Apple, shutting down. So, Broadway World is hosting daily performances from actors in their Living Room Concerts series. These songs come to you straight to you from the living rooms of Broadway performers. Yesterday, Hadestown’s John Krause took his turn. Another wonderful thing about these is they allow you to make donations to The Actors Fund and Broadway Cares as well.
4. Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Hibbard, who also happens to be a big runner, is hosting charming, off-the-cuff daily concerts on his Facebook page, 4pm ET. Yesterday, he, too, spoke of his ire at seeing people playing basketball while he was out on a bike-ride. I feel you, Ben, I feel you.
5. The Strand Bookstore has started a Stranded Book Club (what a fabulously apt name!) and they’re starting off with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
* Bonus #6 a #WorkoutWednesday idea to help you get your workout in. My Wednesday morning class, Bread&Butter, at Custom Performance is being hosted live 8am ET every day this week.
Thank you for all the suggestions - please do keep ‘em coming! And keep smiling — even if it’s the end of the world, as we know it, that is.
Stay safe, stay sane
Your neighbour
Nadia
Love this!!