New York. The Big Apple. Gotham City. So famous are its districts that Wall Street, Broadway and Madison Avenue are universally recognized shorthand for the industries located there. It is a global city, with worldwide influence over commerce, finance, culture and entertainment and the arts. It is also an important center for international affairs, hosting the United Nations headquarters. Unique among U.S. cities for its high use of mass transit and the density of its diverse population.

Below are some cultural attractions that you can experience while in New York.

August Wilson Monologue Competition

Award-winning Broadway director Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater Company is seeking the next generation of theater actors.  The August Wilson Monologue Competition Finals will be in New York on May 7, 2012 and are Open to the Public.

 Acclaimed playwright August Wilson's Century Cycle is an achievement in American theatre. Each of the ten plays are set in a different decade of the twentieth century. At the core of each work are soaring, lyrical monologues that take the song, laughter, pain, and rich content of African American life and place it in the mouths of a great and varied ensemble of characters.

The competition is open to high school students from participating cities. The winners at the regional level will travel to the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to participate in a weekend devoted to Wilson and the final round of the competition. Students will perform a two to three minute monologue from any of the plays in August Wilson's Century Cycle. The panel of judges will be comprised of theatre professionals from their respective communities.

Our Mission is to create a moveable feast of theatre grounded and centered in the rich canon of African American classics and branching out to include bold interpretations of world drama and a strong commitment to diverse new voices.

Watch the trailer about Kenny Leon and the August Wilson Monologue Competition and book your tickets now to New York City for a rare treat.

National Finals May 7, 2012

August Wilson Theatre on Broadway
245 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

Website:   Watch the trailer

Book Your travel early and save.

Other sites to see while you are visiting NY. . .

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a national research library devoted to collecting, preserving and providing access to resources documenting the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world.    

Website:    www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html

Harlem Renaissance

Experience the historic streets of America's African-American capital, visit cultural institutions, enjoy music, dine on delicious cuisine and shop at one Harlem's many outlets. Popular tourist attractions include the Cotton Club, Apollo Theater, Marcus Garvey Park and the African American Wax Museum.

Website:    www.harlemonestop.com

Museum of African Art

The Museum for African Art is dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of African art and culture. The Museum is recognized worldwide as the pre–eminent organizer of exhibitions and publisher of books devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary African art.

For more details visit: http://www.africanart.org/

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden is the product of more than 30 years of restoration and development to convert a 19th century home for retired seamen to a regional arts center housing myriad museum and arts programs as well as an active Artist-in-Residence program. It is the largest ongoing adaptive reuse project in America and is considered one of New York City’s unique architectural complexes and historic landscapes.

The 83-acre property is home to New York City’s first designated landmarks, which are considered the finest example of Greek revival architecture in America. Principal among the historical structures is the Greek Revival Music Hall. The second oldest music hall in New York City, this structure is one of the architectural gems of New York City and is the centerpiece for the performing arts a t Snug Harbor. Surrounded by a tall iron fence, shaded by century-old Norwegian maples and Austrian pines, Snug Harbor is not only one of the most architecturally and historically significant sites in the country, it is a place where history, architecture, the visual and performing arts, environmental science included in performing arts all come together to provide a rich and powerful learning experience for audiences young and old.

For more details visit: http://www.snug-harbor.org/

Brooklyn Museum

The second largest museum in New York City and one of the largest in the United States. The Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection includes more than one and a half million objects, from contemporary art to a world-renowned Ancient Egyptian collection.

Website:     www.brooklynmuseum.org

Bronx Zoo

Spanning 265 lush acres, the Bronx Zoo is the largest urban wildlife preserve in the United States, home to several authentically re-created habitats that house more than 4,500 critters. See zebras, giraffes and lions (including the zoo's "awww"-worthy lion cubs) roam the African Plains; take a safari through the 6.5-acre Congo Gorilla Forest; watch baboons play in Ethiopian highlands and meet lemurs, crocodiles and hissing cockroaches in the permanent Madagascar! exhibition—all before lunch. Daily activities, including sea lion and penguin feedings and primate and tiger training sessions, keep visitors busy all day long, while the Bug Carousel, Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure and the Children's Zoo are perfect for kids.

For more details visit: http://www.bronxzoo.com/

The Empire State Building

Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, United States, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It is 1,250 ft (381 meters) tall. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City.

For more details visit: http://www.esbnyc.com/

Central Park

One of New York City's most breathtaking and celebrated attractions, Central Park is a must-see for anyone visiting the five boroughs. Whether experienced during a fresh snowfall in the winter, the spectacular floral blossoms in spring, the steamy days of summer or the gorgeous, leaf-turning months of fall, Central Park is a sight to behold. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux between 1858 and 1873 and currently maintained by the Central Park Conservancy, the 843-acre park is an urban oasis of trees, gardens, rolling meadows, arches, sculptures, statues and vistas. The range of outdoor activities you can enjoy there is seemingly endless, from hiking, biking and ice-skating to simply lounging on a picnic blanket and listening to a live concert. 

For more details visit: http://www.centralparknyc.org/

Rockefeller Center Tour

Discover the stories behind the creation of Rockefeller Center. A Rockefeller Center Historian will be your guide as you travel through the buildings, gardens and spaces that make up this wondrous “city within a city."

Website:    http://www.rockefellercenter.com/