Jangueo and Teatro in the South Bronx

BETSY: Is she Irish or Puerto Rican?
Latino-Appalachian musical back by popular demand

Bronx-based Latino ensemble Pregones Theater is proud of the return engagement of BETSY, its latest creative
collaboration with the Appalachian artists of Roadside Theater in Kentucky. BETSY narrates the story of a Bronx Puerto Rican jazz singer who stirs up the little known history of her Scotch-Irish ancestry. Alive with the fire of Jazz, Bluegrass, and Latin
compositions delivered by three powerful vocalists and a five-member Latin-Appalachian band, BETSY is a sure-fire, toe-tapping, finger-snapping delight for theater and music lovers alike. One-week only engagement, November 20th
through November 23rd, at the new Pregones Theater. BETSY is presented in English with simultaneous Spanish language
supertitles. For ticket information, call 718-585-1202, or go online to www.pregones.org.

BETSY is the irresistible story of a young woman and the fascinating ghosts of her past: an orphaned teenager tricked into leaving Ireland to become an indentured servant in 18th century North America, her seducer, and their descendants; a grown
woman finding her bearings in the rhythms of a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the 21st century, a time traveling woman whose soul rests in her Caribbean and Scotch- Irish origins.

Meanwhile, Pregones also invites you to its new Jangueo Nights. The next Jangueo will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 21, and there will be a Sangria challenge.

Peruvian and Nicaraguan Sangrias go head to head in Pregones' very own ultimate Sangria Challenge. Help Pregones choose the best Sangria during its new Jangueo Night, the perfect social adventure and after-work hangout for young people 21+. Drinks, eats, and top-notch theater set the right tone for a great night out on the town. On Jangueo Night, there will be a special admission price of $15 with online code: jangueo08. Sangria Bar open before and after show. Proof of age required. For future advance notices and invites, write to jangueo@pregones.org.

source: Pregones

(Betsy photo by Erika Rojas)

The Last Six

The Last Six
Originally uploaded by Rigglord.

Today's featured shot from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group is by Ricky "Rigglord" Flores.

MediaNoche's Ed Vega Tribute Blogging Live

Tune in to MediaNoche at blogtv. MediaNoche is broadcasting its marathon reading of Ed Vega's book.


MediaNoche- Broadcast your self LIVE

“THE LAMENTABLE JOURNEY OF OMAHA BIGELOW INTO THE IMPENETRABLE LOISAIDA JUNGLE”
BY ED VEGA YUNQUÉ

A TRIBUTE TO THE AUTHOR NON-STOP READING OF THE NOVEL

YOU CAN WATCH IT ON BLOGTV OR STOP BY

Event is until 7 p.m. TONIGHT
Free

MediaNoche
1355 Park Avenue, Corner Store
(at East 102nd Street), NYC's East Harlem

You can order a copy of Ed Vega's book online right here:



See related October 11 entry posted in this blog.

UPDATE: This show is going beyond 7 p.m. TONIGHT. Readers will continue marathon until they finish the book, MediaNoche reports.

New friend

New friend
Originally uploaded by Björn Söderqvist.

Today's featured shot from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group is by Björn Söderqvist who says, "At El Morro, we met a sunbathing cat who was more than willing to be petted."

Opportunity

The Latino International Theater Festival of New York, Inc. (LITF/NY), the not-for-profit organization that produces the annual TeatroStageFest, seeks volunteers to collaborate in the following projects: database management, web maintenance,
audience profile study, and graphic design.

For more information: info@teatrostagefest.org

Our Lady of Providence

Community calendar

Our Lady of Providence
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Mass in honor of Our Lady of Providence, patroness of Puerto Rico, will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Sunday at the main altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.


For more information, www.saintpatrickscathedral.org

The Bronx Celebrates Puerto Rican Heritage Month at the new Tropicana

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión will celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage Month honoring Puerto Rican leaders. This year honorees are: Eddie Rodriguez, president DC 37, Local 1549; Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez, president, Hispanic Federation; Polito Vega, radio personality, Amor 93.1 & La Mega 97.1; Natalie Toro, Broadway actress/singer currently playing Madame DeFarge in A Tale of Two Cities at the Al Hirschfeld Theater and previously Eponine in Les Miserables. Carrion will posthumously honor David Melendez, Sr., founder, Starlight Dance Studios.

The celebration will be also a sneak peak at the borough’s newest night spot, the Tropicana Theater & Nightclub, located at 1061 Home Street. The venue pays homage to the famous Tropicana Club history with a carefully recreated art deco interior where guests can once again "dance under the stars.”

Admission is complimentary, but RSVP required: (718) 590-3522.

source: Bronx BP's office
6-8 p.m., Monday, November 17
The Tropicana Theater & Nightclub
1061 Home Street, Bronx

source: Bronx BP's office

Community calendar

Featured Puerto Rican Heritage Month event: Boricua en la Luna



This conceptual framework has led the selected visual artists to elaborate their own visual affirmation/negation/open ended response/reaction to Corretjer's literary masterpiece. Among the artists selected for the exhibition are: Samuel Amadeo, Joseph A Burgos Jr, Nelson Cabán, Luis Carle, Pablo Colon, Rene Juan de la Cruz, Silvio de la Cruz, María Domínguez, Mia Hernandez, Ali Iziarry, Carlos Molina, Alfonso Muñoz , Ronaldy Navarro Caudales, Reyez, Rodriguez Calero, Francisco Rosado, Miguel Angel Ruiz, Erick Sánchez, Phylis Sanfiorenzo, Mario Sostre, Rafael Tufiño, and Elizabethe Velasquez.

Boricua en la Luna - Group Show
Opening Reception, 7-10 p.m. TONIGHT
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center
107 Suffolk Street, studio 309, Manhattan

Society of the Educational Arts, Inc (SEA) and Manuel A. Morán, in collaboration with Rums of Puerto Rico and in association with the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, invite you to the opening reception of Boricua en la Luna. The exhibition will run until November 30.

For this and other Puerto Rico Fest/Borimix events going on for Puerto Rican Heritage Month in New York City, check out this site
http://www.puertoricofest.org/

'In Pursuit of Puerto Rican Studies'

IMG_1466
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Edwin Meléndez, the new director of Centro (the Center for Puerto Rican Studies @ Hunter) speaks on the issue of Puerto Rican studies at colleges and universities @ a Puerto Rican migration panel last night at Hostos Community College in the Bronx.


Here's the link to the PDF report on "In Pursuit of Puerto Rican Studies" at:
http://www.centropr.org/documents/news/In%20Pursuit%20of%20Puerto%20Rican%20Studies%209-23-08%20color.pdf

For more information on Centro, go to www.centropr.org

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Community calendar


HOJA PRIETO by Adrian "Viajero" Roman is an exhibition that will feature the iconic relevance of the tobacco industry on the Caribbean island. When it comes to natural resources there is no doubt that one of its most influential has been Tobacco. It has broken social barriers and brought economic, religious and political views to a common connection.
The opening reception of "HOJA PRIETO" will feature special guests including hand rolled cigars by ELENAS CIGARS and an amazing music performance by the Boricua Roots Band: YERBABUENA.

6 p.m. TONIGHT to 12 a.m. Friday
Camaradas
2241 First Avenue, NYC's El Barrio

source: Adrian "Viajero" Roman

PRSUN Poll: No to Statehood for Puerto Rico

The majority of voters who took part in a PRSUN snap poll said they do not want Puerto Rico to become a state. Eighty-seven percent said they do not want Puerto Rico to become the 51st state while 12 percent said they do want statehood.

Only a handful of readers voted in the PRSUN poll.

Doing stunts is Manny Siverio's business

Boricua Manny Siverio is a man known for his many talents. He is a stunt man and stunt coordinator, working in the film industry since the early 1980s. He has over 300 film and TV credits.
He’s a mambo dancer, a writer and a martial artist too.
But he says, “The most important thing for me is that I’m a happily married man and father.”
His wife Addie Diaz is a dance choreographer and a dancer.
As a writer, Siverio’s articles have been published at www.salsanewyork.com and he has contributed to various martial arts magazines, including Black Belt Magazine and Karate Illustrated.
Here’s what Siverio had to say about his career in the stunt world:

Q: You’re a professional stuntman. How did you get into that area of work?
A: I’ve always been physically active ever since childhood. I practiced doing fight scenes and filming it with my super 8 camera when I was 12-13 years old. I still have several of these “fight scenes,” which I had quickly slapped together when I was a kid. When I later moved to NY, I was trying to use my martial art background to get work. I finally got my first non-union job as a guy getting killed by this “creature” in this B-Movie, but I think I got my first union gig because they were looking for Hispanics that could box.

Q: Were you ever a stunt double for any well-known Latino actors?
A: I’ve doubled for various people over the years ranging from John Leguizamo to Manny Perez and Michael DeLorenzo to name a few.

Q: Do you ever decide what stunt to do or not to do?
A: The way a stunt is done or executed is decided or put together by a stunt coordinator. I usually coordinate so you can basically say that I decide how a gag is going to happen or going to be executed. Have I turned down a gag that has been offered to me in the past? At this point in my career, I can honestly say that I’ve been able to tackle everything that has been thrown my way. But there are things that I really don’t have any interest in doing any more such as car hits and high falls. I’ve been there and done that. Not to say that I won’t do them if I had to, but it wouldn’t be one of the things that I would list on my stuntman’s top ten list. I rather let the younger people in the business do it. I have more fun putting it together, helping decide where the cameras go and putting the action together so that it best works for the story line in the movie.

Q: You’ve had your share of accidents, broken bones? Have you had any serious injuries?
A: Over the years I’ve injured myself in an assorted number of ways. For example, I’ve had a sprained ankle, bruised ribs, fractured toe, dislocated knuckle, concussion, hernia, broken nose, and stitches.

Q: Does your family ever get scared of what you do? Do they ever question why you picked this kind of work?
A: During my early years, my extended family (mother, father, brother, sister) never really knew what I was doing until after I had worked on a job. Things have changed somewhat over the years since I got married and started raising a family. My wife is extremely happy that I’ve moved into coordinating more than actually working in front of the camera. I still occasionally get an opportunity to play in front of the camera and have gotten somewhat injured. On one occasion I picked up several stitches after going through glass on an episode of Third Watch. And while doing the opening fire burn scene in American Gangster, I got some minor “hot spots” where some skin kind of peeled off on the bridge of my nose and the back edge of my ears. Needless to say, my wife wasn’t exactly too thrilled by these results. But she more or less trusts me to know what I’m doing.

For more information about Manny Siverio’s work, visit his website at www.mannysiverio.com. -- Ismael Nuñez


(photo courtesy of www.mannysiverio.com)

Community calendar


PARRANDA NAVIDEÑA
A Latino Musical Christmas Celebration in the Bronx
Saturday, November 15 - 8 p.m.
With YOMO TORO, JOSE MIGUEL CLASS “EL GALLITO DE MANATI”, and ODILIO GONZALEZ.

Also Featuring ESTERCITA FIGUEROA, WILLIAM GUZMAN, ESTAMPAS DE BORINQUEN, TRIO NEW YORK, EDDIE ALICEA Y SU TRIO DE EPOCA, and CARLOS CARRION “EL GORRION DE AMERICA.”

This must-see concert features the unique jibaro music from the mountains of Puerto Rico and offers the historical reunion of three celebrated masters of the genre, Yomo Toro, José Miguel Class “El Gallito de Manatí” and Odilio Gonzalez, performing together on the same stage for the first time in decades.

For more information and ticket prices, www.lehmancenter.org.