Out & About NYC Magazine was founded to offer the arts and lifestyle enthusiast a fresh new look at New York City. We will showcase the established and the emerging, the traditional and the trendy. And we will do it with élan, and panache with a dash of fun.

2/9/23 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine (A capella)


The incomparable R&B legend Marvin Gaye shows us he can bring the house down without music. Watch him slay his classic  I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Continue reading

2/13/23 O&A NYC DIVA ALERT!!!: Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show


Rihanna opened the show with a rousing rendition of her hit song, “Bitch Better Have My Money” and then pumped up the crowd with her dance hits “Where Have You Been” and “Only Girl (In The World).” She kept the energy up with new arrangements of “We Found Love” and “Rude Boy.”
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2/13/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990)

Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990) is a 1985 documentary based on film historian Donald Bogles’ book Brown SugarOne of the best docu-film about black female entertainers hosted by actor Billy Dee Williams. Continue reading

2/11/24 O&A NYC MOST MEMORABLE SUPERBOWL HALFTIME SCANDAL: Nipplegate-Janet Jackson And Justin Timberlake

Janet Jackson set off a 2004 Super Bowl firestorm when her right breast was bared during her nationally televised  halftime show.  The incident became known as Nipplegate and had a severe effect on Jackson while her partner Justin Timberlake tried to distance himself from the “wardrobe malfunction” .  Continue reading

2/7/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Keith Lee- First Black Soloist at ABT (American Ballet Theater)

Keith Lee describes his early Harkness experiences as a story book tale. While a student at the High School for the Performing Arts (aka Fame High) this dance phenom received a full scholarship to the Harkness House for Ballet Arts. This experience had a lasting impact and helped shape his own unique artistry as a dance, director, teacher and choreographer. In 1970 Lee made history when he became the first American of African descent to earn soloist status at American Ballet Theater. 

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2/7/23 O&A NYC INSPIRATION TUESDAY: Maya Angelou- Still I Rise

“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” – Maya Angelou Continue reading

2/5/23 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Yolanda Adams – This Too Shall Pass

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This Too Shall Pass, a song written by Yolanda Adams, was released as the last single from her 2005 album Day by Day.  

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1/4/23 SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: John Henry- Dance Theatre of Harlem

John Henry is the tale of the steel drivin’ man who fights against automation. He challenges the steam drill and wins, but dies with his hammer in his hand. Choreographed by DTH Co-founder Arthur Mitchell in 1988, his ballet is a testament to the singular perseverance that allowed the folk hero to triumph over impossible odds. Continue reading

2/4/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Mary Price Boday- Each Day I Offer Gratitude

Harkness House touched the lives of everyone who ever dashed up the circular marble staircase for class. An American Ballet Story takes us into the stages and studios of the Harkness Ballet through the stories of the dancers who were there. The documentary about the all too short life of the Harkness Ballet of New York, will have it’s New York live screening premiere on April 20th at the New York Public Library Performing Arts – Bruno Walter Auditorium. O&A NYC Magazine Editor in Chief Walter Rutledge will moderate the post screening Q and A. . The screening is free but you must reserve seating in advance. 

If you have a stories you would like to share about your Harkness experience please send your articles (250- 500 words recommended) and  photos to walt.harkness@gmail.com. Continue reading