Past Luncheons
At the February 7th luncheon at Sardi's, the Broadway Association welcomed architect and designer David Rockwell. David discussed his work on Broadway and the future of Times Square. The luncheon was moderated by New York Magazine Theater and Music Critic Justin Davidson.
At the October 4 luncheon, the Broadway Association began its Mayoral candidate speaker series with guest speaker Tom Allon, president of Manhattan Media and 2013 Mayoral aspirant. Mr. Allon spoke about his views on the changes to Times Square, the importance of education, and his Mayoral campaign platform.
For the first meeting back from the summer, the Broadway Association heard guest speaker Cora Cahan, Founder and President of the New 42nd Street, Inc., speak on the accomplishments and the exciting developments for the future of 42nd Street.
Monthly Luncheon at Sardi’s: A BROADWAY CONVERSATION
Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, introduced a notable panel of theatre journalists to discuss the upcoming TONY Awards and look back at the 2011 theatre season. Our theatre insiders were: Gordon Cox from Variety, who acted as moderator; Scott Brown from New York Magazine; Elysa Gardner from USA Today; and Patrick Healy from the New York Times.
The panel discussed the Broadway story of the season. Although “Spiderman” dominated the news by the sheer volume of reports on the accidents and technical glitches, the panelists agreed that the real news of Broadway was the overwhelming amount of new plays and musicals that opened this year. New...
Noted movie and theatre critic-turned author Jeffrey Lyons was our special guest speaker this month.
Jeffrey’s father was Leonard Lyons, who wrote the iconic Broadway column “The Lyons Den” for the New York Post over a forty year period. From 1934-1974, Leonard Lyons chronicled people in the public eye who frequented places like Toots Schor’s and Sardi’s, where they would open up to him and tell him colorful stories about themselves.
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Our special guest speaker this month was Joseph C. Daniels, President and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Only 194 days from opening this September 11, 2011, ten years after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Mr. Daniels informed our members that the Memorial will stand as a testament to the nearly three thousand who died that day: from the oldest at 85 years old to the youngest at 2 ½; from the people who represent 92 nations to the 400 first responders. The Memorial will put a face to those lost that day…and the projected 5-7 million visitors a year will not only see their faces, but will have an opportunity to get to know them through individualized portraits supplied by their families.
In addition, Mr. Daniels...
Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo, producers of the new hit Broadway show LOMBARDI were the guest speakers this month. Based on the life of Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi, the pair discussed how the play focuses on the man and his ability to inspire others to achieve heights that they never thought possible. Although perceived as a “sports” play, it is also the story of the relationship between Lombardi and his wife. This relationship angle appeals to the women while the sports icon draws the men. Both Fran and Tony agreed that Dan Lauria clearly channels the great Vincent Lombardi
Holiday luncheon was held at THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM. Special Guest, Sr. Elizabeth Hasselt from Encore Community Services gave a quick overview of the many services they provide for senior citizens and the less fortunate of the Times Square area, and Encore's need for funds to continue their work.
The featured speaker was William J. Bratton, who talked about what he calls "The Tale of Two Cities", based on his experiences of being Commissioner of both the New York Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Broadway Association Board Member, Tim Zagat, provided 2011 Zagat Guides for all guests of the luncheon. The Shubert Organization, Jujamcyn and Nederlander all generously donated pairs of theatre...
Special Guest at the monthly luncheon at Sardi's was David Yassky, Commissioner/Chairman of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. Commissioner Yassky unveiled renderings of the three finalists of the Taxi of Tomorrow contest and spoke about future plans and benefits of the conversion. The Commissioner also addressed questions about decision on the finalists, taxi driver cell phone usage, and bus lanes.
David Yassky is the eleventh person to serve as Commissioner/Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. He was nominated by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on March 12, 2010, and confirmed by unanimous vote of the New York City Council on March 24, 2010. Yassky’s term will expire on...
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan addressed the group about the changes in traffic patterns along Broadway and showed a presentation highlighting the progression of design of the pedestrian plazas and bicycle lanes that have culminated in the present streetscape. The presentation was followed by a Q&A where the Commissioner fielded concerns and emphasised how studies have shown the changes to be successful and to have been responsible for a reduction in pedestrian and bike accidents.
Janette Sadik-Khan serves as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation since her appointment by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in April of 2007. She is responsible for 6,000 miles of streets and...