Times Square Gossip

Jean Shafiroff With Senator Brian Benjamin And Kenita Lloyd New York, N.Y. – Striving to help its program participants and community members start the holiday season with a hot meal, the New York City Mission Society provided more than 300 meals at its 14th Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Community Dinner at Minisink Townhouse yesterday. New York City Mission Society alumni and staff, Board Members, community members, and volunteers served the meals, while students in the nonprofit’s after school free music education program, GRIOT, performed onstage in the auditorium. This event has been underwritten by Board Member Jean Shafiroff . Sponsors and volunteer groups included Chase, Nike, Kohl’s, Whole Foods and Jay Moorhead. . Jean Shafiroff Serves Thanksgiving Dinner “The families we serve face numerous challenges each day, and the holidays can be especially tough,” said New York City Mission Society President Elsie McCabe Thompson. “This time o...

Jean Shafiroff With Victor de Souza Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff Celebrating Fourth of July in Harlem with Fashion Designer Victor dE Souza. Jean Shafiroff joined a small party held at the home of Victor dE Souza on July 4, 2017. In attendance were comedian TJ Miller and actress wife Kate Miller. A great time was held by all. The theme American/Argentinian Barbecue for the 4th of July! Jean Shafiroff wore a striking red jumpsuit designed by Victor dE Souza.

Bob Dylan's Townhouse Bob Dylan's Family Room When Bob Dylan moved from Minnesota to New York City in 1960, he was just a few months from the start of a fast rise to stardom. The city became his creative and inspirational playground where he could collaborate, learn from and work with some of the most innovative musicians of the time. Inspired by people such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Little Richard, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and his coffee house musician buddies in Greenwich Village, Dylan explored all the genres of American song including country, folk, gospel, rock and roll and even jazz. But it was in songwriting where he made his mark, culminating with the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 for his lyrics. His long career has spanned politics, social change, philosophy and literature and continue to entertain his fans attending his Never Ending Tour that has been running since the 1980s. Dylan has sold over 100 milli...

Lil Mama Rapper Lil Mama was arrested Yesterday on suspicion of speeding and driving without a valid license, police said. Niatia Kirkland, 26, of Queens, was seen driving about 4 a.m. near Fifth Avenue and West 135th Street and an officer clocked her going 38 mph in a 25-mph zone, police said. She was pulled over and could not produce a valid license, police said. Her license had been suspended, though police could not say why. Kirkland was arrested without incident. The New York City native is best known for her 2008 hit single "Lip Gloss," and for her role as Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in the VH1 biographical film about TLC. Photo By: Media Punch  

Rain Pryor NEW YORK— Rain Pryor’s one-woman autobiographical play will have its World Premiere at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre (NBT) in Harlem, running through Sunday, June 28. “Fried Chicken & Latkes” is the actress-writer-comedian’s funny take on her mixed-race heritage and growing up the daughter of one of the world’s most beloved and iconic funny men, comic genius Richard Pryor. "We are so excited for Rain to join the NBT family and round out the 46th season with ‘Fried Chicken & Latkes.’ This season, NBT has navigated the world through the eyes of the Black female playwright; and we complete this year-long journey with the healing power of laughter, through the nuance of identity. Our mission here at NBT is to create a home for every person that walks through our doors, to allow members of our community to see themselves in ways they may have never experienced before, activated by the unabashedly authentic stories on our stage. We ...

**** "Harlem at the Crossroads: Sustaining Our Arts and Cultural Resources" ****   Vy Higginsen Danny Glover The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA), the central connection to Uptown arts and culture, is summoning Harlem artists and New York arts supporters to the Harlem Arts Summit during Harlem Arts Advocacy Week this fall. Under the theme "Harlem at the Crossroads: Sustaining Our Arts and Cultural Resources," the seven-day series of mostly free events will kick off on October 1 at 10:00 a.m. with presentations to actor and activist Danny Glover, legendary theatrical producer Vy Higginsen and pioneering arts producer and consultant Mikki Shepard at Aaron Davis Hall (City College of New York). The Arts Summit, will feature an array of performances, screenings, panels and presentations designed to build support for the arts in Harlem and in communities of color throughout the city. The HAA is a ten-year-old not-for-profit arts service organization ...

**** THIS AND THAT Bitching By: James Edstrom **** James Edstrom Clowns Around On G5 Jet The past week has been a tough one. I really don't know about this summer, it has been hard just to survive. Many of my readers wrote and asked why I did not write anything last Friday. Well I had to fly to Washington DC, that's all I can really say right now, I will be writing about that in a few days. Just want to make sure I have all the information right before I do a big story with some great photos.  I have some very good and generous friends. Knowing that I was not feeling so good last week, they flew me and a few friends down to DC on their personal G5 Jet, arranged for all the limo service and treated me like a king. I know they are very private, so I won't mention their names. But they got me to Washington DC in 30 minutes compared to a 5 or 6 hour drive and they got me home just as quick.  Who else can say they left for Washington DC at 1...

Pernell Walker Following on the heels of the recent donations that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and George Soros made to a program designed to transform the lives of New York’s most vulnerable Black and Latino men, a new play that sheds light on the issues facing minority boys is premiering at the National Black Theater in Harlem. SEED, the award-winning play written by Radha Blank and directed by Niegel Smith, exposes the barrage of societal forces influencing poor children in New York City. The off-Broadway production is being co-presented by the OBIE-award winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (Ty Jones, producing director) and The Hip-Hop Theater Festival (Clyde Valentin, executive director and Kamilah Forbes, artistic director). Previews begin on Tuesday, September 6, and Opening Night is slated for Friday, September 16. THE WORLD & OFF-BROADWAY PREMIERE OF SEED Written by RADHA BLANK—Directed by NIEGEL SMITH Opening at the National Black Theatre in Har...

**** CURTIS SLIWA AND THE GUARDIAN ANGELS ALONG WITH FERRO, KUBA, MANGANO, SKLYAR P.C. ANNOUNCE THE START OF THE HARLEM CRIME PATROL **** Kenneth E. Mangano With Curtis Sliwa, Todd Shapiro And The Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa With Kenneth E. Mangano And The Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa With Kenneth E. Mangano Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa and Commander Benjamin Garcia along with Civil Rights Attorney Kenneth E. Mangano of FERRO, KUBA, MANGANO, SKLYAR were joined by the Guardian Angels at a major press conference held outside Orbit Restaurant on 116th street and 1st avenue, announcing that the group will be patrolling the streets of Harlem to reduce crime in the streets and the community. They will also be announcing an investigation into the murder of Harlem resident Adam Gonzalez. Gonzalez was stabbed to death after coming home from a local night club. There has been a wave of serious crimes and incidents recently in Harlem which have outraged local residents. Founded in...