The Today Show Summer Concert Series

More than 10 years ago I took a business trip to New York City – I lived in Reading, Pennsylvania at the time – and managed to catch a performance by Chicago on NBC’s Today Show. At the performance, I stood right in front and almost got to speak with Al Roker. Little did I know that it was part of the Summer Concert Series, which has really caught on and is now in its 23rd year. Because of its popularity, good luck getting in the front row; in fact, some local radio stations often gives away passes to accompany them to a show, standing in the front row. This year’s series began on May 15 with Meghan Trainor and wraps up on August 17 with Cole Swindell. And here are the other performers:
• Charlie Puth on July 20
• Julie Michaels on July 27
• Keith Urban on August 2
• Jason Mraz on August 10

It’s a great way to spend a morning in New York City, but get there early. Get the full schedule at https://www.nycinsiderguide.com/today-show-summer-concert-series.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Advertisements

How Well Do You Know Broadway?

One of the categories on a recent Jeopardy! episode was “Characters in Broadway Musicals.” Here are the answers; just come up with the correct question for each. I’ll give those questions in a future post:
1. Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, Sitting Bull.
2. Elder Price, Elder Cunningham, Moroni.
3. Premiering on Broadway in 1975: Dorothy, Aunt Em, Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North.
4. Joe Gillis, Norma Desmond, Cecil B. DeMille.
5. Jack Kelly, Katherine, Joseph Pulitzer.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Happy Fourth of July!

I think that most Americans know enough about our country’s history to realize that today is a celebration of the signing and approval of the Declaration of Independence, beginning our fight for independence in 1776.  But I also think that most of us take the holiday for granted, and view it as just another day off from work, particularly this year when it creates a long weekend for many of us.  But few of us know much else about the holiday; in fact, I learned a lot as I researched it, such as:

1. In 1778, General George Washington gave his troops a double ration of rum to observe the date. Fortunately, they were recovering from the Battle of Monmouth and didn’t have to prepare for another battle.
2. In 1779, July 4 was on a Sunday, so the celebrations were held on Monday…perhaps that set the precedent for what we do today.
3. In 1781, Massachusetts was the first state to make it an official state celebration
4. The first time July 4 was referred to as Independence Day was in 1791
5. It was made an unpaid holiday for federal workers in 1870
6. It was finally declared a paid federal holiday in 1938
7. The oldest continuous July 4^th celebration has been held in Bristol, Rhode Island since 1785.

So whatever you do today, remember the intent of Independence Day as you celebrate!

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Questions to How Well Do You Know Broadway?

Here are the questions to the Jeopardy! answers in the category “Books to Broadway” I posted a couple of weeks ago:

1. “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” is based 70 pages of this 1,400-plus page Tolstoy epic.  – What is “War and Peace?”
2. The NY Times review of this man’s “1984” included a trigger warning for the intense torture scenes..  – Who is George Orwell?
3. T.S. Eliot poems that were adapted into this hit show include “Old Deuteronomy” and “”Mr. Mistoffelees.” – What is “Cats?”
4. “Runyonland” is the opening number of this show based on the stories of Damon Runyon. – What is “Guys and Dolls?”
5. Turning this man’s “Ragtime” into a musical won Terrence McNally the Tony for best book. – Who is E.L. Doctorow?

I only got 3 correct this time; how did you do?

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

20 Must-Dos in New York this Summer

       Now that summer is here, get ready to do some different and exciting things in New York, such a visiting a new shark display, seeing a one-of-a-kind parade, or hitting the beach.  See NYCGo’s recommendations at https://www.nycgo.com/articles/reasons-were-looking-forward-to-summer-2018?cid=NYCEM_TINYCVisitor_20180516.  Enjoy!

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

How Well Do You Know Broadway?

One of the categories on a recent Jeopardy! episode was “Books to Broadway.”  Here are the answers; just come up with the correct question for each.  I’ll give those questions in a future post:

1. “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” is based 70 pages of this 1,400-plus page Tolstoy epic.
2. The NY Times review of this man’s “1984” included a trigger warning for the intense torture scenes.
3. T.S. Eliot poems that were adapted into this hit show include “Old Deuteronomy” and “”Mr. Mistoffelees.”
4. “Runyonland” is the opening number of this show based on the stories of Damon Runyon.
5. Turning this man’s “Ragtime” into a musical won Terrence McNally the Tony for best book.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Questions to How Well Do You Know The Phantom of the Opera?

Here are the questions to the Jeopardy! answers in the category “The Phantom of the Opera” I posted a couple of weeks ago:

1. The longest-running musical on Broadway, “The Phantom iof the Opera” features a dramatic score by this composer. – Who is Andrew Lloyd Webber?
2. Act 2 opens at the opera house with a lavish masquerade ball to celebrate this festive winter night.  – What is New Year’s Eve?
3. Seventeen million people have seen Broadway’s Phantom ferry Christine to his home under the streets of this city. – What is Paris?
4. The first African-America actor to play the Phantom on Broadway, Norm Lewis donned the mask to perform this iconic song. – What is “The Music of the Night?”
5. So far on Broadway, 22 actresses have played Christine, but this soprano originated the Broadway role.. – Who is Sarah Brightman?

I’ve seen the show 4 times, but I only got 4 correct (I never saw it with Sarah Brightman).  How did you do?

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

It’s Memorial Day – A Time to Remember Our Veterans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of us think of Memorial Day as another Monday holiday, another day off from work, and baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie.  But the real purpose, as the name implies, is in memory of our men and women who died while in the military service.

On this day, I remember two friends who were killed in the Vietnam War.  The first is Jonathan C. Shine, who was in my company at West Point and graduated 2 years before me.  The second is Michael J. Callahan, a friend and neighbor when I was growing up in New City, New York.  Both are memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and which you can visit virtually at http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/.  Please remember those who have given their lives for our country.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Spending a Spring Day in New York

Now that Spring has finally sprung, are you looking for things to do in New York on a beautiful day?  NYC The Official Guide has published a great resource for such activities, and I’m sure you can find something that piques your interest.  It’s at https://www.nycgo.com/things-to-do/events-in-nyc/seasonal-calendar/spring?cid=NYCEM_TINYCVisit_20180418.  Enjoy the Spring!

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

How Well Do You Know The Phantom of the Opera?

One of the categories on a recent Jeopardy! episode was “The Phantom of the Opera.”  Here are the answers; just come up with the correct question for each.  I’ll give those questions in a future post:

1. The longest-running musical on Broadway, “The Phantom of the Opera” features a dramatic score by this composer.
   
2. Act 2 opens at the opera house with a lavish masquerade ball to celebrate this festive winter night.
   
3. Seventeen million people have seen Broadway’s Phantom ferry Christine to his home under the streets of this city.
   
4. The first African-America actor to play the Phantom on Broadway, Norm Lewis donned the mask to perform this iconic song.
5. So far on Broadway, 22 actresses have played Christine, but this soprano originated the Broadway role..
   

(Since it’s the longest-running show in Broadway history, I think it’s appropriate for my blog.)

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries

http://twitter.com/randolphmase

 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale