Category Archives: Cover Story

HUDSON GOES HOLLYWOOD

Hudson County logo Producer PJ Leonard in pre-production for New TV Series HUDSON COUNTY

Shows will feature fictional reality similar to LAW & ORDER

 

 By Sally Deering  

PJ Leonard
PJ Leonard, Creator/ Producer, HUDSON COUNTY

Once upon a time in Hudson County, the splotch of towns across from Manhattan, some strange, brutal and even hilarious happenings seem to have taken place in the dog-eat-dog world of local politics. Just mention former Jersey City Mayor Frank “Boss” Hague, who ruled with iron fists in Kidd gloves from 1917-1947, and people’s ears perk up. Hague’s infamous political career paved the way for those who followed in his corruption-soaked footsteps. Their stories made front page headlines and to film producer PJ Leonard, they also make for good TV.

Leonard has assembled a creative team to launch a new TV series he’s creating, HUDSON COUNTY, which he says, will be fiction based on non-fiction similar to shows like “LAW & ORDER”. He recruited writer Raymond McAnally, whose play SIZE MATTERS earned critical acclaim, and who lived in Jersey City for several years; actors Obba Babatundé and Sonny Marinelli, and Robert S. Fingerman, CPA, founder of Independent Films Production Consultants. Continue reading HUDSON GOES HOLLYWOOD

OL’ BLUE EYES IS BACK ! SINATRA: AN AMERICAN ICON Celebrates Sinatra’s Centennial

Music & Memorabilia at Library for Performing Arts NYC

By Sally Deering

Sinatra Library of Performing Arts NYC Exhibit
Frank Sinatra

Hoboken’s ‘Native Son’ Frank Sinatra grew up in a town quite different from what it is today. There were no Starbucks or even PATH trains when Sinatra was born in 1915. And when he was old enough, the ‘skinny blue-eyed kid’ began singing in his parents’ saloon. That’s where Sinatra learned his trade, crooning to locals at Marty O’Brien’s saloon.

That’s where the Frank Sinatra legend begins at the exhibit SINATRA: AN AMERICAN ICON now on view through September 4th at the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts. Sinatra sang in the studio and performed onstage for more than 50 years, recording hundreds of songs, and performing thousands of shows. Jam packed with memorabilia, music and all things Sinatra, this exhibit is both a loving tribute and a peek into the complicated life journey Sinatra took, from small time Hoboken street kid to saloon singer to concert and film star and in his later years, show biz royalty. Continue reading OL’ BLUE EYES IS BACK ! SINATRA: AN AMERICAN ICON Celebrates Sinatra’s Centennial

TECH VETS Non-Profit Hires & Trains U.S. Vets

   CEO Dorothy Nicholson of Secaucus helps Vets Build IT Careers

By Sally Deering 

U.S. Veteran, Bright Star staff member Danielle Salifu of Jersey City
U.S. Veteran, Bright Star
staff member Danielle Salifu of Jersey City

U.S. Army veteran Danielle Salifu returned from her tour of duty and became a childcare provider until she discovered Bright Star Technology in Newark, a non-profit that helps U.S Veterans build careers in computer technology. After two years, Salifu went from document specialist to production supervisor.

 

“After being a child-care provider for ten years this was a big change,” Salifu says. “We are family at Bright Star. We all have something in common.”

Bright Star helps Veterans Bright Star provides IT infrastructure modernization; process improvement; and hybrid and cloud-based case management services and solutions to federal, state, county and municipal government offices as well as private companies. To fulfill its mission, Bright Star hires and trains American veterans in IT processes and solutions so they can transition from the military to high-tech careers within Bright Star and beyond.

ONE CEO’S DREAM

Dorthy Nicholson of Bright Star
Bright Star CEO
Dorothy Nicholson

Bright Star Founder and CEO Dorothy Nicholson of Secaucus started the company in 2008 after working for companies like Dun & Bradstreet, Computron and RADVision. Feeling unfulfilled in her work, Nicholson took a risk and started Bright Star with 60 homeless veterans.

 

 

Continue reading TECH VETS Non-Profit Hires & Trains U.S. Vets

Fun Hudson-Great Things to Do and See on the Hudson Waterfront

                     

Yoga, Dance, Music, Film, and so much more 

By Sally Deering

Summer’s just around the corner and after the winter we had, every day should feel like the 4th of July. One of the many benefits of living here on the Hudson is not only our close proximity to all things Manhattan, but the many activities that are offered either on the water or close to it. From kayaking to dance performances to film screenings on a starry night, there are plenty of fun things to do this summer; here’s a sampling…..

SUMMER ENCHANTED EVENINGS

Hoboken Concert Series

Thurs, 7 pm: Jun 25-Aug 20

Sinatra Park Amphitheater

Between 4th & 5th Streets, Sinatra Drive, Hoboken

www.hobokennj.org

Continue reading Fun Hudson-Great Things to Do and See on the Hudson Waterfront

HOUSE OF SHARDS-Art House Productions “The House of Atreus” an American Vet Returns Home to More Casualties

Art House Productions’ New Play opens June 4th

By Sally Deering

“A cursed bloodline. A family on the edge.  If this house could speak, what stories it would tell.”

Creative Team at Art House Productions
THE HOUSE OF ATREUS’ Creative Team,
Christine Goodman, Mason Beggs and Meagan Woods

 That’s the tagline for the new play THE HOUSE OF ATREUS which premieres Thursday, June 4, at Art House Productions in Jersey City. It’s a collaborative work between Christine Goodman (Executive Director of Art House Productions) who wrote the piece, Mason Beggs, who directed, and choreographer Meagan Woods.

Gabbie Cowdie in Art House Productions House of Atreus
Gabbie Gowdie and Ema Lakovic in The HOUSE OF ATREUS

THE HOUSE OF ATREUS is an immersive and unconventional theater piece. Instead of putting the actors on stage and the audience in rows of seats to observe, the set takes up the entire theater with a chair and TV in one area, a broken down porch in another, and a dining room table at center. The audience enters through a haze of smoky fog and is encouraged to find a spot of their choosing to watch the play as it unfolds around them. This immerses the audience into the play’s action, which becomes part of the overall theater experience.

Adam Resnick in Art House Productions  House of Atreus
Adam Resnick plays Alan in THE HOUSE OF ATREUS, Presented by Art House Production in Jersey City

“The audience will be active observers,” Goodman says, sitting on set with Beggs and Woods during a break in tech rehearsal. “We’re changing the audience’s perspective.”

The play’s plot focuses on the main character Alan who returns home after serving in Iraq. He comes back only to find his house in ruins and his family broken and as war torn as the place he left behind. Continue reading HOUSE OF SHARDS-Art House Productions “The House of Atreus” an American Vet Returns Home to More Casualties

BAYONNE, THE NEW BOHO?

Bayonne’s Culture Scene Takes Off -Art, Theater and New Outdoor Stage on the Rise

By Sally Deering

Bayonne Arts PavilionPhoto of truck with Bayonne Announcement Jersey City’s culture scene just got some competition. It seems Bayonne, its Hudson sister to the south has been going through a renaissance of sorts. Art galleries, theater companies and now a new performing arts pavilion are giving the city a cultural facelift.

Dwyer and Semanchick
(Richard Dwyer and Adam J. Semanchick
of Bayonne Theater Co)

There’s the JCC of Bayonne’s Fine Art Gallery currently featuring A COUPLE OF IMAGES, paintings and photographs by Bayonne residents and artists Billy Zbylut and Patty Mulligan; the Art Circle of Bayonne at the Bayonne Community Museum which has a Spring Art Show underway  featuring Bayonne artists; the new Bayonne Theater Company is hosting a gala on Thursday, May 21, with its first show THE MUSIC MAN in pre-production; and a Bayonne performing arts pavilion which will host local theater, music and dance groups, as well as stars like Willie Nelson is breaking ground in a few weeks. .

Continue reading BAYONNE, THE NEW BOHO?

CLUB COOL The Dopeness is Back! Jersey City Club connects Artists and Community with a Cool Vibe

 By Sally Deering

Kanye West   Imagine Kanye West and his entourage blowing into Jersey City to check out its club scene. That’s exactly what happened on Feb. 11th when West made a surprise visit to The Dopeness on Second Street.
dopeness in Jersey City The rapper stopped by The Dopeness to check out the club’s vibe and according to owners Anthony Gude, Steven Schlatmann and Jonathan Scanlon, West sat and listened to the band on stage, shook hands with fans and then blew out the door with his entourage. He connected with The Dopeness and that’s exactly what Gude, Schlatmann and Scanlon want as the take-away for all their customers.

Owners of the Dopeness in Jersey City
The Dopeness owners Anthony Gude, Jonathan Scanlon
and Steven Schlatmann

With a pending liquor license, it’s BYOB at The Dopeness. They offer a kooky menu of comfort foods – much of it bacon-wrapped – and entertainment that’s anything goes. And, of course, that dopeness vibe.

“We’re like a local arts venue,” Schlatmann says. “Some artists are good at what they do. We host them to build their networks. The Jersey City artist community is a big supporter.”

Continue reading CLUB COOL The Dopeness is Back! Jersey City Club connects Artists and Community with a Cool Vibe

Valentine’s Day Attracts Lovers All Over the World

BE MINE

RVO Staff Writer

Valentine traditions wordly Heart-shaped boxes of creamy chocolates, bouquets of roses, and lovey-dovey cards are some of the ways lovers celebrate Valentine’s Day here in the U.S. And February 14th isn’t just a happy day for lovers. In a survey published last month by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, companies producing Valentine candy, cards, flowers and novelties are swooning like teenage sweethearts because Valentine’s Day generates more than $13 Billion in revenue.

That’s a whole lotta love!

 Okay, so we all know people in the U.S. throw down some serious dough on Valentine’s Day, but how do people in other countries celebrate? What are their customs, traditions?

Here’s a peek.

FRANCE

France and Eiffel tower and love It’s been said the first Valentine’s Day card originated in France in the 1400s when Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Back in the day, the French followed the tradition “une loterie d’amour” (drawing for love) that matched lovers by the sound of their voice. Single men and women would enter houses facing each other and take turns calling out to one another until they were paired off. If the men didn’t like their match, they left the woman for another man to call. As part of the tradition, the women that didn’t get matched up, got together afterward for a big ceremonial bonfire where they tossed pictures and objects of the men who rejected them, and cursed their names. French officials banned the tradition when the women got too rowdy and out of control. Today, the French take their lovers out for some fine French cuisine and champagne, and it’s the most popular day for men to get down on that bended knee and propose.

Continue reading Valentine’s Day Attracts Lovers All Over the World

 Jersey City’s Eddie Harris shoots STEPS,an Indie film about One Man’s Quest for Love and Redemption  

THE RIGHT STEPS

By Sally Deering

Shooting movies in Jersey City STEPS
The STEPS Clapboard used on location in Jersey City to film the movie STEPS

Eddie Harris grew up in Jersey City and as a writer and filmmaker he sometimes looks to his neighborhood for inspiration. Harris found it one day when he noticed a young man in a wheelchair, who had become partially paralyzed from an altercation after years of hustling on the streets. When Harris wondered how a person could rise above that kind of life-changing experience, he took to his computer and began writing STEPS, his new movie now being filmed on locations throughout Jersey City.

STEPS the movie being filmed in Jersey City
STEPS writer Ed Harris, second from right, watches his movie filmed with producer Michael Baumgartner , both of Jersey City

“The movie is about redemption, recovery, forgiveness and love,” Harris says, as he heads to a baseball field in the Lafayette section of Jersey City where the crew is filming. “It’s about a guy who sets out to be the next Johnny Cochran but his life takes a terrible turn. He spirals downward into alcohol and loses everything until a street pastor reaches out to him. It’s a Jersey City story anybody can relate to, an uplifting story.” Continue reading  Jersey City’s Eddie Harris shoots STEPS,an Indie film about One Man’s Quest for Love and Redemption Â