Broadway Review: Carole King musical rescues the book

Having written or co-written 118 songs that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, Carole King is considered one of the most influential music artists of the last 50 years.  It's no surprise that the Broadway musical about her would be incredibly satisfying to the ears.  King's career began in the 1960s when she, along with her former husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote dozens of chart hits for numerous artists, many of which have become standards.  She had her first number 1 hit as a songwriter in 1960 at age 18, with "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

King became a major performer in her own right in the 1970s, when she would sing her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano. Her breakthough album, Tapestry. topped the U.S. chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.

While the book that is the basis for the music is not known as exceptional, the production is fortunate to have the talents of Jessie Mueller, who as Carole King, delivers a spectacular performance on the piano and with vocals as she works her way through familiar favorites from the composer's career.

Shackman Associates New York regularly provides corporate meeting, association convention and destination incentive groups with unique Broadway experiences that have includes backstage tours and interaction with key performers.
 

Corporate Teambuilding: Heaven on Ice in Brooklyn

As you might have heard, it has been quite cold this week in New York City and Shackman Associates has an  “icy” idea when planning a winter-time corporate meeting.  Go skating!  While Manhattan has three popular ice rinks, they get very busy with tourists and are not a great option for corporate meeting groups.

We suggest considering the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. This new facility replaces the late Wollman Rink, which has become an eyesore along with its parking lot that was out of place.  This is the first major venue added to the park since the end of the nineteenth century, and the architects went retro in the design to create a nostalgic atmosphere one would find in the early 20^th Century.  It’s rectangular roof also makes it the only partially covered skating facility in New York City.

The LeFrak center is only minutes from new boutique hotels that have opened recently in Brooklyn and is just blocks from hot dining establishments in Park Slope.  It is further proof that the Borough is providing more options than ever for corporate meeting and destination incentive groups.  

A new way to "90-Proof" After-hours Events at NYC Corporate Meetings

Looking for a new twist for a corporate meeting cocktail hour? New York City is one of the few destinations where distilleries are exploding in growth.  It's a great idea for a tasting event in 2014.

In 2007, New York introduced a special farm license that allowed manufacturers who used at least 75 percent of local grain to produce small quantities of alcohol and sell it directly to consumers as distilleries. 
Many of these distilleries have opened in places where you might expect them - Flatiron, East Village, and of, course, Brooklyn.  In some cases, they are teaming with chefs to produce an entire farm-to-table experience.

Distilleries are different than speakeasies because most of the "mixology" takes place before a bartender ever grabs the bottle to pour.  In Manhattan, they have become laboratories that now produce microbrands such as Uncouth Vermouth.  Tastings with samples no one has heard of makes this event idea more exclusive and experiential than ever!

Event Venues: The grass is much greener for Randall's Island in 2014

Located where the East and Harlem Rivers merge, Randall's Island is the site of many huge concerts and via Icahn Stadium, sporting events.  Using water taxis from Midtown East, the journey there can be half the fun.  This unique combined experience is why meeting planners frequently consider Randall's Island as a venue for major corporate events and galas.

Until recently, it has also been a venue for unwanted water.  Lots of it.

During this year’s Governors Ball, torrential rains and three days of music destroyed the grass fields of Randall’s Island, leaving the grounds in a state of disrepair.  Afterward, Governors Ball organizers helped restore the grounds to a substantially better condition than they were before record setting rains and thousands of fans turned the island into a mud pit. Working with the NYC Department of Parks, organizers laid down over nine acres of brand new grass and made important infrastructure improvements to prevent future flooding.

There might not be much green to look at on Randall's Island in December, but your outdoor event will have plenty of it there to enjoy in a few short months!

Broadway Update: Neil Patrick Harris goes transgender in 2014

The gritty rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is coming to Broadway.  Starring Neil Patrick Harris as a transgender German singer, the production will open performances March 29, 2014 at the Belasco Theatre. Directed by Michael Mayer, the new production features Emmy-nominated choreographer Spencer Liff from "So You Think You Can Dance."

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a musical comedy about a fictional rock 'n' roll band, fronted by Harris' character, Hedwig, a transgender woman and "internationally ignored song stylist" from East Berlin. The score includes memorable tunes "Tear Me Down," "Wig in a Box," "Wicked Little Town" and "Angry Inch."

Shackman Associates regularly provides association meeting, destination incentive and corporate meeting groups with unique Broadway experiences that have included backstage tours and interaction with key performers.

Corporate Events: Your logo and attendees mingle with U.S. Presidents

The New York Historical Society doesn't get the same headlines as The Museum of Natural History - its neighbor across the street - but it offers corporate meeting planners a very unique backdrop of American history with companion exhibit technology that can be customized for events.

The Historical Society also has opened a funky new restaurant - Caffe Storico - which features a robust Italian menu for private events by Steven Starr.

As we have said many times, destination meetings in New York do not have to settle for "the chicken" or "the beef" when planners can choose delicious options like Starr's antipasti and artisanal pastas.  However, our favorite is the slightly cheesy and creamy and extremely flavorful lobster!

 

Take a dip in a 107-degree Roman Bath with 25 of your meeting attendees

Destination corporate meetings are helping attendees take some serious stress away with an idea that is as old as Julius Caesar.

The new Russian- and Roman-inspired baths that have popped up in Manhattan are more luxurious and sexier than their predecessors. It's huge departure from the tech-driven team-building games, but why work so hard when your meeting can opt for some old fashioned hedonism?  We recently found a 16,000-foot underground brick-and-glass den in New York City's TriBeCa. Options include vast electricity-free villas to bathing coaches that hand-pour olive oil, red wine, or cava upon request. The hottest dipping pools are 107 degrees and the cold plunges are quite refreshing icy at 50 degrees. Also included are gauzy curtains, heated marble floors, terra-cotta lanterns and a no-talking policy that transforms turn a pretty basic thing like floating in water into a ridiculous pleasure.

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Speakeasy 3.0: Drinks are no longer the only draw

It's no secret that speakeasies are a huge trend for destination corporate meeting groups.  And just when you thought they might get stale, new venues are reinventing old formats into different kinds of speakeasies that do more than please your creative tastes.

These new venues are often incorporating supper club components, going all-out in wardrobe, bringing in old-school jazz performers, and in some cases, even importing steam that looks like smoke.  Your attendees will feel like they are living in Boardwalk Empire!

"X-Men" stars take on "superhero" schedule with two Broadway productions

Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart - both no strangers to superhero roles that include Gandolf in "Lord of the Rings", Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier in "X-Men", and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation", are working a "superhero" schedule on Broadway and starring together in simultaneous productions of Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land" and Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot."

The plays, directed by Sean Mathias, have a revolving Broadway schedule. For

The plays, directed by Sean Mathias, have a revolving Broadway schedule. For example, "No Man's Land" plays Wednesday evenings through a Saturday matinee option, while "Waiting for Godot" runs from Saturday evenings through a Wednesday afternoons.

While the plots behind both plays are mysterious and delightfully absurd, the gold here is watching two distinguished actors in action.  In our opinion, McKellan and Stewart could be reading the classifieds and you'd still be captivated!

Shackman Associates New York provides corporate meeting, destination incentive and association meeting groups with unique Broadway experiences that regularly include backstage tours an interaction with key performers.

Corporate Events in Harlem: Chowing down in Uptown

Harlem's renaissance as a destination for foodies is leading corporate meeting groups to try some of the newest and coolest dining and event options in the neighborhood.  It is also an attracting intriguing venue owners such as former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons. 

From cinnamon-scented fried Guinea hen to oxtail dumplings, Harlem is coming up with new twists on the cuisines of Africa and Asia.  And now, venues are leveraging their unique cuisines to launch other kinds of experiences such as jazz clubs that are located next door.

According to meeting planners, "We love jazz, and European visitors in particular have always had a very romantic perspective about Harlem."

Warrm up to afternoon tea at your next New York corporate meeting

It's about to get really cold soon in New York and as many of our friends in the UK can attest, nothing beats hot afternoon tea to warm the body and soul.

Meetings venues here in Manhattan have taken notice and are incorporating afternoon tea breaks in to their packages for corporate destination travel groups.  And we're not just talking about green tea.  Offerings are becoming more exotic and complex and meeting groups are often treated to "fusion" tea menus.  Popular flavors include pomegranate, grey vanilla creme, bubble tea and even "mojitea".  Combine this with one of New York City's many options for macaroons and you will have a meeting group that is feeling great just when it might be that time of day to hibernate!

Teambuilding: Graffiti gets a bigger office at New York corporate meetings

While there has been lots of controversy over the painting of graffiti at 5POINTZ, the art's popularity at corporate meetings is booming.  And that is leading to bigger venues appearing throughout New York City that can accommodate demand.

If you think graffiti as a team-building activity sounds familiar coming from us, you are right.  Shackman Associates New York blogged about this trend 2 years ago when it was more of a "pop-up" idea in selected hotel ballrooms.   Meeting planners can now rent out entire warehouses. 

And not surprisingly, Brooklyn is at the heart of this industry.  Meetings can now combine graffiti with an after-party at Brooklyn's many hot restaurants or a winery-brewery event.
(Photo: Creative Team Events)

Meeting Food Trends: Wild Boar and Pork Belly Replace "Rubber Chicken"

As further proof that the days of "the chicken" and "the beef" are over at corporate destination meeting luncheons and dinners, consider what options meeting planners now have to satisfy taste buds that are more demanding and curious than ever.

Meetings can feature personalized menus with vibrant flavors from the freshest of local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Chefs are also incorporating high-end infused oils such as Manni olive oil from Italy as well as sauces and condiments like Blood Orange Syrup, fruit-infused Balsamic and sophisticated combinations of herbs.

And there's wild boar.  It's appearing everywhere on menus at top restaurants, especially with pasta.  It can be featured at your meeting too.  Today's attendees are also dining on specialized cuts of meat such as pork belly, Kobe beef, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta and multiple versions of Long Island duck.

Broadway Review of "Disaster!": Quite the opposite. It's hilarious!

All of those "disaster" movies from the 70s would probably have been box office "disasters" if they were released today for obvious reasons.  We have found an off-Broadway musical named after the same adjective that has found a clever way to spoof all of them. 

But "Disaster!" is no disaster.

The production takes you back to the 1979 opening night of Manhattan's first floating casino and discotheque. With huge crowds gambling and dancing, no one knows that the owner has skimped on the safety measures. Unlike "Towering Inferno", which it obviously spoofs, this place is about to trigger an earthquake.  There is one scientist played by Seth Rudetsky, who issues dire warnings that lots of boogieing will lead to lots of shaking.  But it's very funny he is on the boat in the first place!

The rest of the characters are a motley group that includes a lounger singer diva, child-star, creepy-casino-guy, a quirky married couple, twins and a degenerate gambler-turned-protester. 

Shackman Associates New York regularly provides corporate meeting, association conventions and destination incentive groups with unique Broadway experiences that includes off-Broadway productions.  Attendees frequently are provided with backstage tours where they can interact with key performers.

Destination Incentive Hotels: Westhouse to open in Midtown

Another boutique hotel is opening in New York City, and instead of Chelsea, the Meatpacking District or Nolita location, the Westhouse is right in the middle of Midtown Manhattan on 55th Street.

The product of the award-winning design firm Jeffrey Beers International, The Westhouse has both stretched the imagination architecturally and provides a cozy atmosphere of a residence.  With 172 rooms, the Westhouse is ideal for a corporate destination incentive group seeking sophistication and superior level of services and amenities.

 

View of Central Park for the Westhouse

Edgy corporate events with an intimate look, sound and taste of pop-ups

While a new wave of apps are driving explosive growth in pop-up events for consumers, corporate meeting attendees can get the same kind of experiences in unique settings.  This kind of event zeroes in on passion points that can re-create events of yesteryear, "salons", dinner parties and "living-room" concerts by undiscovered bands. 

Shackman Associates New York has previously blogged about celebrity chefs providing unique dining experiences for intimate corporate incentive groups, but we are seeing increased demand for dinner parties from up-and-comers.  Because there is an expectation that New York City weeds out the contenders from the pretenders, attendees simply love the element of surprise at a "pop-up" dinner party.

The same is true for music.  Because new apps are bringing undiscovered talent to music enthusiasts in living-room settings, we can do the same for corporate meetings.  Record labels are asking these app companies to find the 10 most popular unrecorded artists in a specific, and this provides meeting planners with booking opportunities because these artists in New York City for longer blocks of time. 

Finally, using a pop-up strategy to book corporate events is very budget-friendly, especially if your meeting is loading up financially on a major gala or team building event on a different day while in New York.