NYC Life: Free Preview Tickets & What’s Happening Around the City
Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens
This week, Tomatoes are invited to free preview performances of The Paparazzi, a new off‑Broadway musical at the AMT Theater. The countdown is on for our inspiring Renewal Summit, promising a day of resilience, longevity, and community. At the Museum at FIT, Art X Fashion explores the creative spark between designers and artists, while the Museum of the Moving Image honors The Sopranos with screenings and behind-the-scenes exhibitions. This week’s Spotlight on Long Island celebrates author Robin Lieberman. And Chinatown is gearing up for the 28th Lunar New Year Parade, filling the streets with color, tradition, and joy.
FREE Preview Tickets to THE PAPARAZZI
Our friend Joan Pelzer/AMT Theater is inviting Tomatoes to previews of a new off-Broadway Musical, that sounds like a sure hit, premiering at the AMT Theater, NYC.
About the show: When Christie Barnes arrives in New York from Kansas her dream is to write thoughtful, meaningful, relevant stories on the people and events who shape our world. Unfortunately, the only job she can get is writing for the New York Beacon, the trashiest tabloid in town. What starts out as a short-term assignment transforms into something quite different as Christie is seduced by the bright lights and star power of celebrities, abandoning her principles and goals and embracing the world of the paparazzi, with profound, unforeseen consequences.
AMT Theater, 354 West 45th Street (close to Ninth Avenue)
DATES & TIMES
Wednesday March 4th 2PM | Wednesday March 4th 7PM | Thursday March 5th 7PM
PLEASE EMAIL: Joan@JoanPelzerSocial.com for your free ticket request.
Include: Name, email address, date & time, and number of tickets
Renewal Summit
Join us for a day of inspiration, connection, and fun! We have a stellar lineup of speakers talking about resilience and longevity. Sign up now and get a fabulous gift bag and a chance to win a vacation at five- star Caribbean resort. GET THE DETAILS.
Art X Fashion at The Museum at FIT
The Museum at FIT’s newest exhibition, Art X Fashion, celebrates the dynamic exchange between artists and designers. Through bold garments, expressive textiles, and visually striking installations, the show reveals how art and fashion continually shape—and elevate—one another. Visitors can explore designer pieces inspired by fine art, artist–fashion house collaborations, and archival sketches that illuminate the creative process. It’s a vibrant look at how imagination moves across mediums and becomes culture. Learn more about the exhibition here: https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/
The Museum of the Moving Image Celebrates The Sopranos
The Museum of the Moving Image is honoring one of television’s most influential series with Celebrating The Sopranos Season 3: Three Evenings with David Chase and Special Guests. From February 26–28, 2026, the museum will screen three standout episodes from the show’s groundbreaking third season—each followed by in‑person conversations with creator David Chase and special guest stars. It’s a rare chance to revisit the season that pushed the boundaries of character, storytelling, and the very possibilities of prestige television. movingimage.org
This special program invites fans to dive deeper into the psychological complexity and cultural impact of The Sopranos, exploring how Season 3 reshaped the landscape of serial drama.
Plus: Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos
While you’re there, don’t miss the museum’s companion exhibition, Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos—on view February 14–May 31. The exhibition showcases original set designs, production materials, and behind‑the‑scenes artifacts that reveal how the show’s visual world was built, from the Soprano family home to the Bada Bing. It’s an immersive look at how design and storytelling merged to create one of TV’s most iconic atmospheres. movingimage.org
Explore the full program and exhibition details
Spotlight on Long Island: Author Robin Lieberman
Some afternoons remind us why women’s stories matter. Yesterday’s Spotlight on Long Island gathering at the Irish Times Pub brought together twenty‑six vibrant women to meet author Robin A. Lieberman and explore her compelling novel, Past the Pavement. What unfolded was more than an author event—it was a shared moment of courage, creativity, and community. READ MORE.
March 1. 28th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
The Year of the Horse galloped into New York City with a spectacular start at the annual Firecracker Ceremony—an explosion of color, sound, and community spirit that set the tone for a vibrant season ahead. And the celebrations are far from over. Our roving photographer was there. See her coverage below.
Next up is one of Chinatown’s most beloved traditions: the 28th Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival, returning on Sunday, March 1, 2026, with all the pageantry, lion dances, and joyful chaos New Yorkers adore.
March 1, 2026 | Sunday | Parade Start: 1:00 PM
Festival & Booths:
11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Bayard Street between Mulberry and Mott Streets
Come early, bring your energy, and celebrate the Year of the Horse with a community that knows how to do Lunar New Year right.
Roving in the New Year
Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:
It was the tail end of the snake. I roamed around New York’s Chinatown on the eve of the Chinese New Year, seeing the calm before the bold and beautiful red storm. The new moon on Tuesday morning ushered in The Year of the Fire Horse and 15 days of global festivities.
Manhattan’s Chinatown nestled between the Lower East Side and Little Italy, is still home to an active ethnic group and includes the largest group of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere. Every time I stroll through this unique neighborhood I witness what could easily be locals buying groceries from the corner market and fish monger, looking just like it did decades ago. The energy has remained the same which I find comforting to watch and feel. While so many areas dissolve into the greater city around them, Chinatown is one of the few places that is still genuinely distinguished by its local culture.
For an authentic experience, step into the Hong Kong Supermarket at 157 Hester Street. This enormous emporium is a well stocked and well priced Asian dream. The chain was founded in California in 1981 and opened its New York store in 2000. It is clearly a center of daily life in this ever-bustling neighborhood. Here you can buy everything you need to cook your own Chinese feast to celebrate the Year of the Horse, symbolizing independence, endurance and moving forward. Happy Chinese New Year!
~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of the “The Long Pause and the Short Breath.”
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
