in and around the park, public space, NYC & more
WALKING TOUR: WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE — A Guide to New York City’s Redesign of a Perfect Public Space * Saturday, September 20th, 1 p.m. Meet Up at Washington Square Arch, Washington … Read more…
Peggy Friedman, long-time executive director of the Washington Square Music Festival, sent in this photo from the final performance of this season with this note: “On July 29, members of the world-famed Charles Mingus Orchestra … Read more…
Politics as Puppetry Blog attended WSP Blog’s Walking Tour this past Sunday, July 27th. The tour, “Washington Square Park – Past, Present and Future: A Guide to NYC’s Redesign of a Perfect Public Space,” is … Read more…
There’s a lot going on at Washington Square Park this week!
Just got word that the film “An American in Paris” will be showing in the Park Friday night, July 25th, 8:30 p.m. on the middle lawn on the East side of the park, presented by the NYC Parks Department.
About the film: This 1951 MGM musical is directed by the award-winning Vincente Minnelli and stars world famous actor and choreographer Gene Kelly.
* Time Out NY: “Recommended” Come to the Walking Tour! The very first walking tour last month was a lot of fun (amidst the concerns about the proposed changes to the Park) and had such … Read more…
It’s called Cinderella Samba and it’s making its way through the New York City Parks. A “puppet production” (as opposed to show?), New York magazine provides the background: “Set in the lush landscape of Brazil, this puppet version of the timeless fairy tale finds Cinderella and her prince in a samba contest at the carnival ball.”
This photo was taken at the production at Greenbelt Recreation Center on Staten Island and shows Cinderella, “pre-transformation,” and “Eeka” Mouse. The show is put on by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater.
Cinderella Samba will be presented
The New York Times review (July 18th) of last week’s concert of the Washington Square Music Festival at Washington Square Park included some history, commentary on the Park and festival audience:
Perhaps it’s an illusion fostered by the fenced-off reconstruction work in Washington Square Park, but it seems as though the Washington Square Music Festival is shoehorned into a smaller section of the park every summer. The festival, in its 50th year, has done its own shrinking as well. Once a series of orchestra concerts, it is now a handful of chamber music programs, framed by folk and jazz concerts, with ensembles amplified to overcome the ambient noise of the park and the not-so-distant rumble of traffic.
But the festival has an audience, a larger one than its tiny slice of the park can accommodate. On Tuesday evening a reasonably large crowd watched from outside the metal barriers that set off the seating area, and as soon as a seat emptied, someone came in to fill it. In terms of age and race, you could hardly ask for a more diverse audience.
* Next Concert! * Tuesday, July 22nd at 8 p.m.
Pianist David Oei and Gamelan Son of Lion
An eclectic concert of works by
Mark your calendars and come out for the second Walking Tour if you missed the first! Walking Tour: Washington Square Park Past, Present, and Future: A Guide to New York City’s Redesign of a Perfect … Read more…
The Washington Square Music Festival was founded in 1953 by violinist Alexander Schneider of the famed Budapest String Quartet (and a Greenwich Village resident) and the Washington Square Association, which still sponsors the event. It … Read more…
Come to the Walking Tour! Saturday, June 28th, 12 noon WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: A Guide to New York City’s Redesign of a Perfect Public Space (Raindate Saturday, July 12th, 12 noon) … Read more…
N.Y. Dosas, Washington Square Park‘s much acclaimed vegan food cart stationed on the south side, returned on May 15th to the Park after a four month break! However, a poster wrote in on Thursday, May … Read more…
The Veggie Pride Parade and Rally happened yesterday, Sunday 5/18, and made its way from the Meatpacking District to Washington Square Park. I wanted to witness usage of the very-much-diminished-in-size Washington Square Park (much of … Read more…
According to New York Magazine, N.Y. Dosas, a “purely vegetarian” food cart serving lunch and a favorite of Washington Square Park-dwellers, returns to the South side of the Park today after a four month break! … Read more…