Tag Archives: Sally Deering

art scene, Cover Story, Sally Deering

KOBRA & BOWIE Int’l Muralist KOBRA paints 18-story David Bowie in Jersey City

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Art Transforms Cast Iron Lofts Hi-Rise into Urban Landmark

 KOBRA at Loft Iron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Sally Deering

 Photos by Fermín Mendoza

International artist Kobra in Jersey City
Kobra and Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop

You can see it from Rt. 139 feeding into the Holland Tunnel or catch it from downtown Jersey City as you head into Hoboken. David Bowie’s image 18-stories high on the side of the Cast Iron Lofts in Jersey City, painted by international muralist Eduardo Kobra.  Bowie passed-away January 10th of this year, but his music and artistry live on throughout the world; and Kobra’s mural is now part of the Jersey City landscape, an urban landmark and the latest addition to the Jersey City Mural Arts Program.

On Fri, Nov. 4, Mayor Steven M. Fulop, members of the City Council, local real estate developers, and local artists welcomed Kobra to Jersey City and thanked him for painting the dazzling, eye-catching image of David Bowie. Mayor Fulop held the press conference on the building’s 5th floor deck where visitors could get an up-close look at the mural, and meet and take pictures with Kobra who spent the past few weeks painting from a scaffold hanging 180-feet off the side of the Cast Iron Lofts hi-rise on Jersey Avenue.   Continue reading KOBRA & BOWIE Int’l Muralist KOBRA paints 18-story David Bowie in Jersey City →

Cover Story, feasts and festivals, Sally Deering

EAT, PRAY, LOVE…  La Festa Italiana 2016 promises Fun, Dancing and Great Food

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Holy Rosary Church celebrates 113th Italian Festival in Downtown JC

A day at La Festa

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Sally Deering

August nights are a time to celebrate when La Festa Italiana, the Old World Italian Street Festival hosted by Holy Rosary Church turns Historic Downtown Jersey City into five summer nights of music, dancing, food and fun!

La Festa Italiana 2016 begins Wed, Aug. 10, and continues through Sun, Aug. 14, on Sixth & Brunswick Streets. On these five summer nights, the neighborhood surrounding Holy Rosary Church will come alive with rocking dance music, games of chance, kids’ activities, and a wide-array of delicious foods and libations. La Festa Italiana runs from 5 pm-11 pm Wednesday-to-Friday, and 3 pm-11 pm Saturday & Sunday. The last night (Sunday) at 11 pm, the “Super 50/50” Raffle winner will be chosen. Last year’s ticket-holder won over $10,200.

Zeppoles La Festa Italiana honors the veneration of Maria SS. Dell’Assunta & San Rocco, and offers the Downtown community the opportunity to party with its neighbors. This year’s La Festa Italiana features live bands, fun for the kids, food and souvenir vendors and Italian delicacies made by Holy Rosary Church parishioners like Fresh Hot Zeppoles, lemony Limoncello and “Our Famous Rice Balls”. Continue reading EAT, PRAY, LOVE…  La Festa Italiana 2016 promises Fun, Dancing and Great Food →

Local Live Theater, Sally Deering

URBAN SHAKESPEARE  Hudson Shakespeare Company plays The Bard in Hamilton Park, Jersey City

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   Next Up:  Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2

Shakespeare in Hamilton Park Jersey City
Swordplay abounds in EDWARD III put on by Hudson Shakespeare Co.at Hamilton Park in Jersey City. Rachel Matusewicz as Countess of Salisbury clashes swords with Isaac Andrew as King David of Scotland; while Lord Audley (l.), played by Conrad Aurelius battles with Douglas, a Scottish Nobleman played by Keith Hale. 

By Sally Deering

 Never mind getting upstaged by fancy swordplay or an actor taking too long for his death scene. Hudson Shakespeare Company’s adaptable actors must endure teens on skateboards, barking dogs, ambulance sirens, even low-flying helicopters while they project the dense and rhyming lines of The Bard.

Such is the actor’s life when performing with the Hudson Shakespeare Company, now in its 25th year. This summer, the ensemble puts on three Shakespeare plays and will bring Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 to Hamilton Park on Thurs, Aug. 18 at 7 pm.  Admission is free thanks to support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs and other supporters of the arts.

On a recent Thursday evening, local park-goers gathered in Hamilton Park for Edward III.

In a quasi-amphitheater setting that turned the steps leading down from the gazebo into audience seating and the circular walkway surrounding the gazebo into the stage for the play, the actors adorned in capes, boots, breastplates and leather accoutrements acted Edward III against a moving backdrop of kids playing ball, people walking their dogs, and commuters heading home from a long day at the office. Continue reading URBAN SHAKESPEARE  Hudson Shakespeare Company plays The Bard in Hamilton Park, Jersey City →

COVER STORY, Cover Story, Sally Deering

BOHO ARTSCENE 13 Artists to exhibit at Hendrickson’s Corner in Bayonne

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July 16 & 17th -2-Day Show brings Boho Artscene Uptown

Ken Delaney art work

“Cheesesteak Stand” by 
Ken Delaney

 By Sally Deering

 On the weekend of July 16 & 17, Hendrickson’s Corner on 31st & Broadway will be serving its usual menu on its main floor while upstairs it will host a feast for the eyes when the “We the People” Art Show gets underway.

For two days,  13 artists will exhibit paintings, photography, jewelry and other crafts in the collaborative art show curated by artist and Bayonne resident Kevin Delaney whose Bar Napkin Art was recently trademarked by the U.S. Patent Office..   Continue reading BOHO ARTSCENE 13 Artists to exhibit at Hendrickson’s Corner in Bayonne →

Cover Story, Sally Deering

LONG GONE DADDY -Actor, Playwright Joe Gallo of Hoboken debuts New Play on Fatherhood

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Mile Square Theatre’s Playwright-in-Residence Debuts new Solo Show

 By Sally Deering

Joe Gallo Playwright
(Pictured: Joseph Gallo in his one-man play LONG GONE DADDY
opens July 20 at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken)

 A life in the theater can be a wonderful journey if he or she sticks it out long enough and for actor and playwright Joseph Gallo, his long day’s journey in the theater continues to be mined with opportunities.  He just had two of his plays published by River City Books; and as playwright-in-residence at Mile Square Theatre (MST) in Hoboken, Gallo is about to debut his newest one-man show, LONG GONE DADDY directed by MST artistic director Chris O’Connor. Performances begin July 20 and run through August 7 in the company’s new theater on the corner of 14th & Clinton.

 

 

Playwright Joe Gallo Prior to this, Gallo workshopped his play Two-Man Kidnapping Rule at MST. It was later produced by the New Ohio Theatre in New York, and published in Smith & Kraus’s anthology 2012 Best Men’s Stage Monologues and Scenes. As a solo writer/performer Gallo appeared in the original production of his one-man show My Italy Story at Penguin Rep in Stony Point, NY, which later had its debut Off-Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre in New York, starring Danny Mastrogiorgio (“…a compelling page turner.”—The New York Times). An avid storyteller, Gallo won a StorySLAM championship at The Moth in NYC. Continue reading LONG GONE DADDY -Actor, Playwright Joe Gallo of Hoboken debuts New Play on Fatherhood →

Cover Story, Sally Deering

WRITER’S ROCK Weehawken Music Writer Jim Testa on Hudson’s Music Scene

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Writer/Musician Debuts New EP

By Sally Deering

Musician Jim Testa
Jim Testa at home in Weehawken
(Photo by Dan Bracaglia)

There’s an old saying, “write what you know” and for music writer Jim Testa of Weehawken, the words fit like an old pair of jeans. Testa writes the music column CONSTANT LISTENER for The Jersey Journal and has covered the rock and roll music scene since the 1980s, when Maxwell’s was the go-to club to see new bands and local indie labels produced their records. Testa wrote about bands when they were still unknowns, offering insightful commentary about their work in his weekly column. Like Chicago-based music writer Jim DeRogotis (who is from Jersey City and worked as a reporter for several local papers) Testa continues to be an important voice covering today’s music scene.

Jim Testa perfomring
Jim Testa performs at NJ Arts Benefit
(Photo: Kaos Music Promotions)

Testa’s career in music sways from writing to performing. A guitarist, Testa’s played in bands since his teen years. These days, he performs locally and recently recorded a new EP at Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen in Bushwick, five songs he wrote – political songs like those of Phil Ochs, witty tunes evoking Tom Lehrer, and love songs, too. The EP, AMERICAN SPIRITS AND ARTISANAL CHEESE, can be purchased online at Jimtesta.bandcamp.com.

Continue reading WRITER’S ROCK Weehawken Music Writer Jim Testa on Hudson’s Music Scene →

Dining, Sally Deering

MOST WANTED CHEF ALANA PUENTES RAISES STAKES IN JC

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Chef Alana Puentes Debuts new Catering Company
Soon in JC: Most Wanted Food Truck

By Sally Deering

Most wanted chef Alana Puentes
Alana Puentes

Chef Alana Puentes takes pride in her Cuban-American heritage, but when she gets behind the stove and turns on the heat, Puentes transforms her saucepan into a “melting pot” of international flavors.

After spending several years raising her son Vincent as a single mom, and working long hours cooking for large conglomerates, Puentes traded her corporate chef’s coat, recently, for her own label, Most Wanted Chef LLC. Puentes ventured out on her own to cook her cuisine, her way, and it seems to be working to her advantage. These days, her phone rings a lot more frequently; incoming calls from potential patrons craving Puentes’ unique cuisine for their special events. Continue reading MOST WANTED CHEF ALANA PUENTES RAISES STAKES IN JC →

Dining, General, Sally Deering

Presto’s Restaurant serves Authentic Italian Cuisine in Jersey City

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“SUNDAY SAUCE” SERVED (almost) ALL WEEK 

Dishes inspired by Sicilian Family Recipes                    

By Sally Deering

Presto's Italian Restaurant To Sal Albanese, the owner and chef of Presto’s restaurant on Warren Street in Jersey City, food should be simply prepared and lightly seasoned to let the flavor of every ingredient shine through. Too many ingredients and seasonings can overwhelm instead of meld flavors.

Albanese serves his personal philosophy with every plate that comes out of Presto’s kitchen where truly authentic Italian cuisine is the star of the show. Inspired by recipes handed down from family in Sicily – south of “the boot” – Albanese’s dishes stand out because they’re made with fresh, flavorful ingredients.

“A lot of my menu is from family recipes, friends, things you pick up along the way,” Albanese says. “My mother has given me so much info, and a lot of it has to do with how we prepare the sauce. We do it the way my mom made it at home.” Continue reading Presto’s Restaurant serves Authentic Italian Cuisine in Jersey City →