12 North Shore Towers Courier n May 2016 WILLKOMMEN Special edition of popular 92nd Street Y series gets the cinematic treatment By Stephen Vratos On May 16th at 7:30 p.m., the monthly presentation of the 92nd Street Y takes center stage in the Towers Cinema. Would anyone expect any less when the featured guest is none other than Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning performer Joel Grey? The Broadway icon has recently wrote a memoir, appropriately titled “Master of Ceremonies,” after the role he is best known for portraying in both the original Broadway production and subsequent film adaptation of “Cabaret.” Interviewing the legend will be none other than bestselling author and former New York Times reporter Gay Talese who’s written for The Times, Esquire, New Yorker and Harper’s among others. Born Joel David Katz to a flamboyant American family in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1932, Joel began his life in the theater at the age of 9, starring in children’s productions before moving to the main stage. From Vaudeville performances with his father, Mickey Katz, to the seedy gangsterfilled nightclubs of the forties, to the bright lights of Broadway and dizzying glamour of Hollywood, Grey has devoted his life to the entertainment of others. “Master of Ceremonies” follows a life lived in and out of the limelight, including Joel’s public admission of homosexuality when he was 82. Hosted by the always-entertaining Fred Chernow, the 92nd Street Y program has continued to grow in popularity among the residents of North Shore Towers, so much so that a second matinee showing of the monthly series has been added. Chernow started the program about three years ago and opens each installment with a lively introduction and then leads a animated discussion with residents afterward. In order to accommodate the tremendous turn-out expected for the Joel interview, which has people already talking, management felt the 400-seat Towers Cinema with its stateof the-art production system and renovated theater to be the perfect venue for such an event. And Chernow cannot thank enough General Manager Glen Kotowski and his staff for making this amazing event happen. Plus, as an additional treat, Chernow has two copies of “Master of Ceremonies,” which he will be giving out to a pair of lucky audience members after the show. Raffle tickets will be given to each person upon entry, so everyone has a chance to win. But in getting the opportunity to enjoy an evening with an icon of the Great White Way, the audience has already won. COMING SOON June 20: Distinguished newswoman Lesley Stahl interviewed by newsman Tom Brokaw NOW SHOWING SFF@NST launches www.nstshortfilmfestival.com Three years young, the SFF@NST (Short Film Festival at North Shore Towers) is a certified success and is expected to continue to grow in the future. The popular festival recently announced the dates for the upcoming fourth season—running two nights, September 13 and 29, 2016—and if the response is anything like last year’s, it is sure to be a success with nary a single free seat in the Towers Cinema during both evenings’ showings. So SAVE THE DATE. And now the little festival that could takes another step in its growth with the announcement of a dedicated website: www.nstshortfilmfestival.com. NST resident Marilyn Chris, who founded the SFF@NST in 2013 with her husband, Lee Wallace, says the website is still aborning and will continue to grow with the festival. “The festival is really hot stuff,” Chris explained. “A website is long overdue and I hope to feature video clips of past winners and upcoming films; news updates and profiles of filmmakers.” Chris revealed that she and the festival’s committee, which includes husband Lee, Board Member Fred Chernow and residents Dr. Robert Eagle and his wife, Marilyn, have already received more than 300 submissions for next season, and out of the 150 or so, they’ve reviewed, only three are under serious consideration to make the cut. Quality is obviously a factor, but Chris and the board also try to compile a mix of genres and types of storytelling. “We don’t want a slate of all depressing movies,” she said. “We try to strike a balance and include humorous offerings as well.” One such film in contention for the fourth season is one created by a member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), who Chris met when she was performing a reading of a play in New York City. The two became fast friends, so it was only natural, that when the woman’s own project was completed, she showed it to Chris. “It’s a wonderful film about a wacky grandmother and her granddaughter,” she revealed, without giving away any of the plot details. According to Chris, much of the credit for the website must go to Marty Ragusa of Towers Video Productions, whose unfortunate ankle injury sidelined him amidst the project, which caused its delay. “Marty did a Yeoman’s job,” Chris said. “The website would not have happened By Stephen Vratos
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