ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

June 25th 2008

Broadway Bares Update: New Fundraising Record Set

Filed under: campaigns, events, events: nyc, theater — parrish @ 12:07 pm

Well Broadway did it again! Earlier this month Ecorazzi brought you an exclusive interview with choreographer Connor Gallagher in preparation of the 18th annual Broadway Bares event — a night of fundraising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Essentially, the evening consists of a bunch of scantily clad Broadway actors dancing their faces off for a good cause.

This year the M•A•C AIDS Fund sponsored the event and not only donated employees and supplies, but also wrote a check for $115,000 and presented a surprise “challenge match” check of $50,000. By the end of the evening Broadway Bares raised a new record of  $874,372…$130,585 more than last year’s record setting total.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund-raising and grant-making organization. Since its founding in 1988, the organization has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, or HIV-related illnesses. If you missed the show, but still want to give a little pocket change, visit broadwaycares.org and learn more.

June 20th 2008

Bernadette Peters To Sign Broadway Barks Book On July 12th

Filed under: animals, books, events, events: nyc, products, theater — parrish @ 10:12 am

A couple months ago Ecorazzi told you that two-time Tony Award winning actress Bernadette Peters, along with tons of other big Broadway stars, would be participating in the 10th annual Broadway Barks event to raise money and awareness for New York City dogs living in shelters. Well, Bernadette has taken it a step further by publishing a children’s book by the same name (Broadway Barks) and will sign copies next month at the Broadhurst theater.

Broadway Barks tells the story of Kramer, a down-on-his-luck dog who after being abandoned follows a woman home from the park and finds a whole new life.  The book was released in late April and features illustrations by Liz Murphy and a CD with an original song penned by Peters herself.  Proceeds from the sales benefit Broadway Barks, the charitable organization co-founded by Peters and good friend Mary Tyler Moore.

The book signing will take place at 12:30 PM on July 12th at the Broadhurst Theater, shortly preceeding the Broadway Barks event which begins at 3:30 in Shubert Alley. About Broadway Barks, Peters says: ”Our work is bringing us closer to the day when we will no longer have to euthanize any healthy and treatable homeless cats and dogs because of a lack of space. As a community, we are most effective in helping animals when we pool our strengths to achieve what is, after all, a shared goal — the elevation and continued welfare of animals in our society.”

So if you live in NYC make sure you stop by the Broadhurst Theater and Shubert Alley on July 12th with your copy of Broadway Barks and help improve the lives of a few lovely shelter dogs. 

June 10th 2008

Broadway Is Going Green…Seriously Green

Filed under: campaigns, events, events: nyc, green and famous, theater — parrish @ 4:41 pm

For a long time the country has watched Hollywood go green crazy. From green documentaries to entire green television networks, Hollywood has paved the eco-path for the entertainment industry. Now it looks like Broadway is stocking their picnic basket and joining Hollywood on the environmental hike. 

This morning an insider meeting was held to discuss a few green changes that Broadway has made (and will continue to make) to become a more sustainable art form. Dr. Allen Hershkowitz from the Natural Resources Defense Council joined Broadway producer David Stone and a few others to host an informal gathering about the future of Broadway’s environmental initiative.

Stone said that he was inspired after watching An Inconvenient Truth and immediately adapted more eco-friendly practices into his hit musical Wicked, including partnering with the New York Restoration Project (founded by Bette Midler) to restore a public community garden at West 150th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in upper Manhattan. 

Broadway producers, organizers and theater owners from across the board were all present and spoke about ways they were planning to make a difference. The team at Wicked talked about how they’ve embraced a myriad of changes such as, consuming less paper by use of email, creating a hazard waste disposal pickup, recycling just about everything, incorporating the use of electric timers and replacing many light bulbs with eco-friedly alternatives. And that’s just the short list. 

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz announced that the NRDC would be donating their time and services to make sure that in the future the Great White Way becomes more like the Great Green Way. The NRDC has worked tirelessly creating environmental awareness and even helped the Oscars and Emmys take the green route. 

From what I saw today this is only the beginning. I’m positive that over the next few years you can except some pretty amazing changes happening all over the theater district. So the next time you’re in NYC show your support for the greenification of the theatrical community and go check out a Broadway show. You won’t be disappointed!

May 29th 2008

Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth To Be Turned Into An Opera

Filed under: music, theater — michael @ 1:58 pm

Right now, I’m attempting to figure out how to rhyme Global Warming with carbon emissions.

In Italian.

It takes serious imagination to contemplate that task, something newly assigned to Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli. He’s been commissioned to create an opera based on Al Gore’s 2006 hit documentary An Inconvenient Truth for the 2011 season at the Milan Opera House. 

I’m speechless. Thankfully, one commenter over on the Huffington Post offered this piece of advice, 

“No, I don’t think it should be in the style of Philip Glass. No, it should be in the style of Miles Davis, Bitches Brew or Jack Johnson, heavy guitar and trumpet jabs for all of us who can’t see the obvious inconvenient truth that human consumption is too much for the planet to handle, that we have made life on this planet, as the Hopi call it, “Koyaanisqatsi ” - out of balance (f***ed up) - but that IS a Philip Glass score.”

Well said. 

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January 29th 2008

Prince Charles And Camilla Enjoy An Afternoon Of Environmental Theatre

Filed under: events, events: uk, green and famous, theater — parrish @ 11:55 am

I believe it was Billy Shakes who once said, “To be or not to be sustainable, that is the question.”

Prince Charles and wife Camilla, the Duchess Of Cornwall (you gotta love a good Duchess), spent yesterday afternoon enjoying some downtime at the theater…the children’s theater.  The royal duo visited the Unicorn Theatre (not to be confused with the Fairy Theatre, the Gargoyle Theatre or the Keebler Elf Theatre) and watched a production of A Singer from the Desert Came-a story set in the future when Earth has been destroyed by mankind’s way of life (so it’s a comedy?). The play was performed by TheatreQuest, a troupe funded by Charles’ organization, The Prince’s Foundation for Children.  In its lifetime, TheatreQuest has introduced the arts to over 1,300 children by getting them involved with local theatres.

No report on whether Charles and company were good audience members (I hear Camilla has a nasty hard candy wrapper habit). However, after the show, Charles addressed the children and said, “You can see I do have my uses, to allow you to get away from your lessons! But hopefully this little play will remind us of the importance of not making a complete mess of our planet.”  

Wait a tick! The leaders of Britain actually SUPPORT the arts? Now that IS foreign. Sure, maybe Charles is kinda funny looking and a little scandalous, but his support for the environment and the theatre deserve a good old fashion standing O! So on the count of three, let’s all sing it together: Charles in charge of our days and our nights. Charles in charge of our wrongs and our rights. And I sing, I want, I want, Charles in charge of me!

story via: femalefirst.co.uk

January 21st 2008

Nationwide Sex Strike To Fight Global Warming? Why Not?!

Do it for the kids.

Filed under: theater — michael @ 1:58 pm

Before some of you think I’m out of my mind, please know that the above title is in reference to a humorous one-woman play called The Boycott that’s been receiving rave reviews. It’s also the first ‘theater’ entry we’ve had here on the Raz and we’re psyched to reach out to that genre.

So, yes — the premise is this: “The Boycott tells the story of the First Lady of the United States launching a nationwide sex strike to fight global warming and save the world. As the play unfolds, the story of Kathryn, trying to keep her emotional head above the waters of despair and create a piece of theater which will make a difference, interweaves with the story of Lyssa, who has to take on her indifferent husband, a hostile press, and a romantic rival who’s not only in bed with the President, but with the darkest powers of the oil industry.”

There’s a whole lot more in this performance — including psychedelic absinthe trips and enchanted frogs. What’s not to love? The talented lass behind this production is Kathryn Blume. Co-Founder of the Lysistrata Project, the first worldwide theatrical event for peace, she recently completed another one-woman show called The Accident Activist. She has also has worked for organizations such as the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and Forest Watch.

We applaud environmental theater! To see if The Boycott is coming anywhere near you, check out the schedule here.