Art and cultural programs return Downtown
David Greenspan performing musical delights in his show One Night Stand with Downtown Live on May 16.
BY DEAN MOSES
In anticipation of the May 19 statewide
opening, the Downtown Alliance got
the party started early.
The Lower Manhattan group launched
the fi rst of two weekends of outdoor entertainment
as an open invitation to plan
a trip to Lower Manhattan where visitors
can dine, shop, and, most importantly of
all, have a good time.
Driving life back into the Lower Manhattan
area — particularly in the Battery and
South Street Seaport vicinity—is an endeavor
the Downtown Alliance has strived
to achieve since before the pandemic.
However, the COVID-19 onslaught
caused a blitz of shuttered businesses,
and the sidewalks along Pearl, Water, and
Broad Streets have been nearly barren for
more than a year.
Thanks to the vaccine rollout and the
unwavering determination of the Downtown
Alliance, the southernmost part of
the city was once again bustling with life
over the weekend.
“New York City has a long history of
being the cultural epicenter of live theater,
music and the performing arts. It’s
embedded in our DNA and an essential
component of what makes our city tick,”
said Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance
for Downtown New York, in a press
release. “Our festival, Downtown Live, will
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
be an exciting and safe way to help bring
live performances back to Lower Manhattan
and a great signal of what lies ahead.”
Morgan McGuire and Ana Semedo starred in Lost and Found.
As the warmer weather invites individuals
to enjoy the splendors of outdoor dining,
museums, and other shops, Downtown
Alliance developed Downtown Live to exhibit
over 30 artists in largely outdoor and
well-ventilated venues throughout Lower
Manhattan, including a loading dock at 4
New York Plaza, an arcade along the Stone
Street Historic District at 85 Broad St., and
a harbor view at 1 Battery Park Plaza.
“It’s so great to see you all together! It’s
been too long,” David Greenspan said,
greeting audience members before singing
Broadway-themed musicals, such as Mae
West’s “My Man.”
Sunday’s line up featured a spectacular
theatrical performance by David
Greenspan with Jamie Lawrence on piano.
Greenspan who belted out renditions of
“Ordinary Woman” and “Deep Blue Sea”
much to the delight of spectators.
While those seated at 85 Broad St.
lapped up the show tunes, outside diners
and passersby couldn’t help but also stop
and marvel at the entertainment.
Confessing to lip-syncing to Barbra
Streisand as a child, Greenspan not only
enraptured the audience with his singing,
but he also sent them into fi ts of hysterical
laughter as he shared his personal introduction
to Broadway.
However, the performances at Downtown
Live aren’t all musicals, visitors were
also treated to live plays. Kaaron Briscoe
and Meghan Finn: Lost and Found, a
short and witty presentation showcasing
a woman’s struggle to make amends for
cheating on her boyfriend by fi nding the
lost memory of when they fi rst met.
Searching through a trove a knickknacks
and found-items, actresses Morgan
McGuire and Ana Semedo uncover exactly
what makes New York City great and the
importance of cherishing our beloved
memories as much as each other.
Downtown Live is not the only venture
attracting individuals through the arts,
the Tribeca Film Festival is back and is
naming The Battery as one if it main sites.
While Broadway is still set to open in the
fall, Downtown Alliance wants to fi ll the
artistic void for entertainment seekers and
theatergoers.
If you are interested in learning more
about Downtown Live’s free performances—
the events are ticketed to help maintain
social distancing—visit www.engardearts.
org/downtown-live/
Attendees, both adults and children, were enraptured by David Greenspan
and Jaime Lawrence’s performance.
4 May 27, 2021 Schneps Media
/www.engardearts
/www.engardearts
