Today, April 26th

The event is being presented in support of ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty)

The event is being presented in support of ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty)

STREAM “TAKE ME TO THE WORLD” AT 8:00PM TONIGHT. Whether leading the charge against the AIDS epidemic or gathering 450 actors in Times Square to sing, “New York, New York” mere days after 9/11, the resilience and heart of the Broadway community has always brought light to the city’s darkest hours.

Though crippled by a shutdown that has no clear end in sight, it does so again tonight, with a live celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday, “Take Me To The World” streaming at Broadway.com. The celebration takes its name from a song in “Evening Primrose” (Sondheim’s 1967 made-for-tv musical), which tells of a self-isolated man who sees the woman he loves as his means of reentering the world:

Let me see the world with clouds
Take me to the world
Out where I can push through crowds
Take me to the world

Until we are again among those crowds, you could do worse than spend an evening with the likes of Meryl Streep, Patti LuPone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mandy Patinkin, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jake Gyllenhaal, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane and more! Bravo to them all.

Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, Sunday, April 26th, 8:00PM ET @  Broadway.com.

Olmsted created Central Park and the manmade lagoon that was the centerpiece of Chicago’s 1893 World Exhibition

Olmsted created Central Park and the manmade lagoon that was the centerpiece of Chicago’s 1893 World Exhibition

REMEMBER THE WIZARD OF CENTRAL PARK. Those longing for the bucolic green walkways of Central Park have Frederick Law Olmsted to thank. The famed landscape architect was born 198 years ago today—and developed not only that Park’s 843 acres (deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1963), but Prospect Park, the U.S. Capitol’s grounds, dozens of college campuses, and the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

In the bestselling, “Devil In The White City,” Olmsted’s heart-pounding race to complete the Fair provides the book with its most riveting moments. While he considered the assignment slumming (despite his $30,000 consulting fee), it was done as part of his continuing effort to have landscape architecture seen not just as “ambitious gardening,” but a sister to painting and sculpture.

For a fascinating look into the creation of Central Park, listen to The Bowery Boys podcast episode: The Creation of Central Park.

UP YOUR STREAMING GAME—FREE! For many of us, binge-watching has become the new 9 to 5. Our forced isolation has found us with more digital entertainment options than ever before—and many providers are waiving their fees:

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  • SHOWTIME (Ray Donovan, Dexter, and Homeland) is offering a 30-day free trial to new customers who sign up before May 3.

  • HBO NOW is making fave series like The Sopranos and Pretty Little Lies available to non-members.

  • SLING TV’s “Stay in & SLING” promotion includes thousands of shows and movies, ABC News Live, lifestyle and entertainment programming.

  • NFL GAME PASS is offering free access to original programing and games from 2009 - 2019 until the end of May.

  • SUNDANCE NOW, with its large selection of true-crime, thrillers, and dramas, is extending its seven-day free trial to 30 days, with the code SUNDANCENOW30.

  • SIRIUS XM is making streaming FREE through May 15th.

  • Have kids? AUDIBLE has released a number of kid’s audiobooks for free. And AMAZON PRIME has unlocked much of its children’s programming (no membership required).

  • Horror buff? SHUDDER, the horror/suspense-centric streaming service has extended its free trial to 30 days with the code SHUTIN.

  • Love musicals? The new YouTube channel, THE SHOW MUST GO ON is making full-length musicals available every Friday at 7:00PM (for 48 hours).


Jason McKee