from In Classic Style Culture Correspondent Justin Bog
San Juan Islands, Washington, USA

Who wants to go out anymore? I still have a love and fascination with the big screen, but audiences are growing ruder in theaters; the constant talking, people have running commentary throughout the film, the smart phone use is very distracting, but some people are so addicted to their gadgets they don’t care about their discourteousness. So, I stay home more too. The best reason to stay home is to catch amazing television shows. You thought I’d never get to my three favorite shows playing weekly on the boobtube. Ah, home, where you can surf your smart phones to your heart’s content.

I haven’t written about television in quite some time so, so during this week of season finales I felt like listing three shows, one in each genre, that have added much excitement and brightness to the week.

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Theater Review by Joyce Kulhawik

I have never laughed so long and so hard in my life. I may never need abdominal exercises again: I just saw the most obscenely funny show in town – MARY POPPERS now playing at MACHINE – otherwise known as The Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts. It’s the latest Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans extravaganza; a raucous, raunchy, madly funny take on everybody’s favorite flying nanny, but it’s really a trip through writer/performer/parodic genius Ryan Landry’s endlessly inventive, dazzlingly demented brain.

Continue reading at InClassicStyle.com

From the weather to the food to the lodging to (yes) the wine, everything was there for even the most hah-dy New Englander (or anyone else)…

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Tony Award Winning Actress, Singer, Dancer
www.citicenter.org/chita
“Chita Rivera has a gleam in her eye, a smirk on her lips and a bounce in her step … you leave this show walking on air!” – The New York Times

Have you seen Chita Rivera lately? Best known for her work in West Side Story (“America”), Sweet Charity (“Where Am I Going?” and “Big Spender”), Chicago (“All That Jazz” and “Nowadays”), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink, Ms. Rivera is an icon of stage and screen, most recently appearing on Broadway in Chita Rivera: the Dancer’s Life, the story of her own life in the theater. This woman exudes classic style.

Luckily for Bostonians, Chita Rivera will be performing songs from her legendary Broadway career in her own concert CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY at Boston’s Shubert Theatre Friday May 4, 2012 at 8:00 PM. This one-woman show will benefit Boston Youth Moves, a non-profit, after-school arts education program whose mission is to encourage young people, through training in the art of dance, to explore their limitless potential for artistic expression and realize personal success. Begun in 1990 by Jim Viera and Jeannette Neill, BYM offers superlative dance training to teens in the greater Boston area, provides subsidized tuition for its students, and offers scholarships and financial aid to students in need.

All proceeds will go to Boston Youth Moves. Tickets are $45 -$80 or $250 for Special VIP premium tickets including performance and admission to the After Party with the Stars with Ms. Rivera at the Four Seasons Hotel. All tickets are available by calling 866.348.9738, online at, online at www.citicenter.org or in person at the Citi Performing Arts Center Box Office Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-6pm.

Now in its 12th year, Swellegance is an evening of smart cocktails, swell people and sophisticated entertainment that has rapidly become one of the major events in the city of Boston.

Chita Rivera
Tony Award Winning Actress, Singer, Dancer
www.citicenter.org/chita

Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote will be performed by the Boston Ballet at the Boston Opera House from April 26^th to May 6^th. The BOH is located on 539 Washington Street, in Boston’s Theater District. Playing the role of crowd-favorite “Lead Gypsy Boy” is friend of 28 Degrees, John Lam.

The story behind Don Quixote and the Boston Ballet (from bostonballet.org):

Rudolph Nureyev’s acclaimed production of Don Quixote was last performed by Boston Ballet in 2006. The production was originally staged on Boston Ballet by Nureyev himself in 1982 when Nureyev danced the leading role of Basilo, first in Boston and then on a tour of the U.S., Mexico and Europe. He first choreographed his version of Don Quixote in Vienna in 1966 and it would later become one of his greatest successes. Nureyev’s Don Quixote is based on the Marius Petipa-Alexander Gorsky production familiar to him from his days with the Kirov. The focus is not on Miguel de Cervantes’ hero but on the romance between two of the novel’s minor characters, Basilo and Kirtri. The production is danced to the score by Ludwig Minkus, arranged by John Lanchbery with sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis.  

After the production, head over to the South End with a short walk or drive to 28 Degrees – the perfect post-ballet venue to dine and discuss this great performance. Or stop in before one of the 7:30 performances to make sure your stomach doesn’t roll with hunger at a quiet time in the play. With the warm weather finally here, take this opportunity to try our new spring menu items – delectable additions to our already famous entrees, desserts and drinks.

For ticket information or more about the Boston Ballet and Boston Opera House:
Boston Ballet – Don Quixote – Tickets
Boston Opera House – Calendar of Events

Visit 28 Degrees on Facebook and Twitter!

Steps away from 28 Degrees at the Boston Center for the Arts, and running all month, is the new play “The Luck of the Irish” by the Huntington Theatre Company. Playwright Kirsten Greenidge is the author of Bossa Nova, Milk Like Sugar, Rust, The Curious Walk of the Salamander, Sans-Culottes in the Promised Land, 103 Within the Veil, and The Gibson Girl.

A bit about the play:

When an upwardly mobile African-American family wants to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood of 1950s Boston, they pay a struggling Irish family to act as their front. Fifty years later, the Irish family asks for “their” house back. Moving across the two eras, this intimate new play explores the complex impact of racial integration in Boston and the universal longing for home.

Reviews of the play have been impeccable, with the Village Voice raving, “Kirsten Greenidge is a writer of OBVIOUS AND UNUSUAL TALENT.” The Los Angeles Times agreed, “Kirsten Greenidge is a writer of rare lyricism and dramatic punch.”

 Artistic Director Peter DuBois tells us more about the production in this video:

More details, including cast bios and ticket information can be found here.

Make sure to complete your night and stop by 28 Degrees (1 Appleton Street) before or after the show for delectable entrees and inventive drinks. Come and see why 28 Degrees has become known as a Boston treasure.

For the Top Restaurant in the South End, 28 Degrees Cannot Be Beat

To find the best in Boston events, art, entertainment and dining, there’s no better source than Style Boston, airing on WCVB-TV Channel 5 Saturdays at 11:35pm! Recently, 28 Degrees was featured as one of their picks for the Standout 7, a Facebook feature highlighting top restaurants from all around Boston. See what Style Boston had to say about our fantastic South End restaurant!

28 Degrees – South End
This upscale urban atmosphere complete with plush modern furniture and dim lighting is as romantic as it is chic. 28 Degrees is great because although it boasts sophistication, there is still a comfortable atmosphere about it. With great cocktails music and food, including a late-night menu (which is amazing for anyone craving a late night snack), this is the place to be for a drink and appetizer before a night out on the town, or your spot to come and relax after you’ve gone out.

Like what you’ve read? Then stop by 28 Degrees at 1 Appleton Street TONIGHT to try our amazing food, fantastic cocktails and experience the great atmosphere for yourself! Be sure to Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter and share photos of your visit!

Changing with the seasons, warm weather means it’s time for new menu items from your favorite South End restaurant 28 Degrees! Our chefs are pleased to present delicious new entrées and appetizers that include Burrata, Grilled Asparagus, Mahi Mahi, Pear Pizza, Seared Scallops and Steak. These dishes will be sure to have your taste buds buzzing, and with food that looks this amazing, it’s a feast for the eyes as well!

Burrata with Arugula, Shaved Mushrooms, Pickled Red Onions, Grilled Bread and Truffle Oil

Grilled Asparagus with Garlic Lemon Zest

Pear Pizza with Caramelized Onion, Fontal and Gorgonzola Cheese and Vicotto

Seared Mahi Mahi with Black Quinoa, Pearl Onions and Glazed Globe Carrots

Seared Scallops over Fennel Puree, Oyster Mushrooms, and Spinach

Steak with Asparagus, Potato Gratin and Roasted Radishes

Along with all these great new additions, we still have your favorite 28 Degrees staples available including our spectacular $1 oysters! Available ONLY at the bar Tuesdays-Fridays from 5-8pm, this savory seafood is always a crowd favorite. Look for more updates about new Spring cocktails coming soon and visit 28 Degrees to start Spring off right!

We’d love to hear from you, so when you stop by to try any of these great new items or classic 28 Degrees favorites, tweets us @28DegreesBoston! Feel free to share pictures with us and be sure to Like us on Facebook – we might feature a photo you send!

Tomorrow, March 6 starting at 7pm for general admission, 28 Degrees and other Boston South End restaurants will feature their best culinary creations for attendees to enjoy at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts (529 Tremont Street). We will be showcasing our fantastic bright, fresh Tuna Tartare as well as crowd-pleasing Shrimp Tacos with 28 Degrees’ signature crispy corn tortilla!

In addition to delicious samples, guests will enjoy live cooking demonstrations, a silent auction and raffle and extensive wine tasting and beer sampling! All food samples, wine and cocktails are complimentary with the $95 cost of admission. You can also enjoy VIP status when you purchase your $150 VIP Tickets which gets you access to the Chef’s Reception at 6pm, providing an exclusive opportunity to mingle with the Chefs of the South End, early access to your favorite restaurants and complimentary champagne before the crowds arrive. During the event, VIPs will enjoy the VIP Lounge with additional treats from Summer Shack, UpStairs on the Square, and Artisan Bistro, and complimentary cocktails courtesy of Double Cross Vodka. Finally, VIPS are admitted to the exclusive after-party at the Beehive from 9-10pm.

Each year, Taste of the South End is the talk of the town, delivering a spectacular evening of food and wine tasting in support of a vital community organization, AIDS Action. Don’t miss what is sure to be another great event this year! Click here to purchase tickets.