Author: A Star-Revue Contributor

Arts

Marie’s Craft Corner Turn paper towel rolls into children’s playthings, by Marie Hueston

One of the tricks of making crafts out of recycled materials is letting the natural shape of the objects you choose inspire what they can become. Take paper towel rolls, for instance. Their long, narrow shape calls to mind other long, narrow things, like wands and flutes. Here you’ll find instructions for a magic wand, a fairy wand, a playful […]

Arts

Memorial Concert for Regina Opera’s Maestro José Alejando “Alex” Guzmán, by Nino Pantano

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 21st at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy of Brooklyn, in Sunset Park Brooklyn, a special memorial tribute to famed conductor José Alejando “Alex” Guzmán (1946-2021) was presented to his longtime fans at the Regina Opera. Selections from Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro and Don Giovanni; Beethoven’s Fidelio, Verdi’s Otello, Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, […]

Arts

OPERA REVIEW JANUARY, by Frank Raso

Tosca A Revival of Sir David McVicar’s production of Tosca opened on Dec 2. A Revival already happened of this production and a scheduled one got cancelled. So, a revival of this production, or Tosca in general, wasn’t very rare so it just seemed a typical revival along with so many others in the season. Yet, it was terrific. It […]

Arts

Craft Corner: Turn your empty delivery boxes into holiday crafts, by Marie Hueston

’Tis the season—to get lots and lots of packages! Before you flatten the boxes to put out with your recycling, consider transforming them into holiday crafts. Here’s a step-by-step guide to turn empty cardboard boxes into festive gingerbread houses. Choose your box. For this project, look for boxes that already resemble the shape of a house. Think rectangular rather than […]

Feature Story

Anime and Cosplay and Manga, Oh My! Anime NYC Returns to the Javits Center, by Erin DeGregorio

Midtown Manhattan’s Jacob K. Javitz Center – which was designated the United States’ largest vaccination site at its peak 10 months ago – served a new purpose and reminded many of a pre-pandemic past. It hosted the 5th Annual Anime NYC, an immersive and interactive pop culture festival that celebrates Japanese animation and culture, from November 19 to 21. “While […]

Feature Story

Anime NYC 2021: Q&A with Cosplay Entertainer Azulette, by Erin DeGregorio

While covering the return of Anime NYC 2021 at the Jacob K. Javitz Center, the Red Hook Star-Revue also spoke with Mexican-born cosplayer entertainer and self-taught costume designer Azulette who currently calls New York City “home.” She discovered her passion for cosplay during high school when her classmates gave her her first costume of Cardcaptor Sakura as a gift. Since […]

News

Red Hook Recreation Center closes for a while because of Ida

The Red Hook Recreation Center has closed indefinitely as Hurricane Ida which hit Red Hook in early September left the recreation center with a damaged boiler. I called the Parks Department but they weren’t able to give me much information on the situation and told me that the Recreation Center has no hot water and they’re not sure how long […]

Arts

DECEMBER OPERA REVIEW, by John Raso

Porgy and Bess Porgy and Bess is the rare American opera which is truly American. The music was written by George Gershwin who wrote many Broadway musicals throughout the 1920s with his brother Ira as lyricist, who wrote the lyrics for the set pieces within the opera. The text is by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward who had earlier collaborated on […]

Arts

ON DECK

The Sunn in the cloud. It’s not difficult to make an argument in support of a new Sunn O))) album, it’s just hard to fathom to whom one is arguing. With the band’s flooding of the marketplace and the fanatical fan base waiting in earnest, it might not be so off base to imagine that 95% of the buyers for […]

Feature Story

Peek-a-Boo: Kensington Native Launches Rock Painting-and-Hiding Group Before Halloween by Erin DeGregorio

If you’re walking around Kensington, keep your eyes peeled for a surprise sitting by a tree trunk or fire hydrant. Residents have been hiding and discovering homemade, painted rocks in public places around the neighborhood. This initiative is one branch of The Kindness Rocks Project that has captivated multiple U.S. and international cities since its inception in Massachusetts in August […]