NYC Life: Summer culture, live performances, and Tomato-Powered Creativity
Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens
Summer in New York is sizzling with star‑powered performances, off‑Broadway gems hitting the big time, a “Hot Tomato” lighting up the Triad, a brand‑new music salon debuting, free world‑class arts in Bryant Park, and even a Madison Avenue boutique that feels like a technicolor dream. From celebrity comedy to hot‑blooded swing, from soulful storytelling to global music under the skyline, this week’s lineup celebrates everything we Tomatoes love: creativity, community, and the irresistible magic of live performance. Check out our Renewal Summit Recap with photos and all the session videos too.
If You’re Seeing Just One Broadway Show This Spring, This is It!
“Funniest Show in Town, hands down!” — New York Post
“CRITIC’S CHOICE” — The New York Times
We love it when an off‑Broadway gem gets its moment on the Great White Way, and that’s exactly the journey of Celebrity Autobiography. With early support from our Tomato pal Jane Goldman, the show debuted at the Triad Theater in 2008, enjoyed a long run, and has now landed at the Shubert Theater — where another Tomato friend, Pat Addiss, is among the producers.
This comedy sensation features a constantly rotating lineup of stars, including MATTHEW BRODERICK on June 8, and other stars from TV, film, theater, and sports, performing dramatic readings of OTHER celebrities’ unintentionally hilarious autobiographies. The New York Times calls it “a merry compendium of the witlessness of the rich and famous,” and audiences can’t get enough. As they like to say, “We couldn’t make this stuff up!”
Calling All Hot Tomatoes
“Lemley is hot, hot, HOT!” – SiriusXM
“Delivers the goods” – Vanity Fair
“Dazzling” – The New York Times
“The genuine article, sung by a sassy hurricane” – Backstage
Broadway World “Best Female Vocalist” and Bistro Award winner Quinn Lemley brings the heat to The Triad Theater on Thursday, June 4 with “Swinging Hot Tomato”—a high-energy jazz residency bursting with rhythm, style, and a whole lot of personality. Backed by a sizzling combo (with special guest David Sexta on guitar), Quinn serves up a delicious mix of jazz, blues, and swing drawn from her seven albums—from Cocktails with a Twist to Live at the Half Note in Athens—plus inspired selections from her Grammy®-considered Rita Hayworth Revealed. TOMATOES GET A 15% DISCOUNT WITH CODE: Swing26
Triad Theater | 6:30 PM. GET TICKETS.
June 17. It’s Wonderful. It’s Marvelous. It’s Merrill.
We’re thrilled to present the launch of Merrill Stone’s Music & Life Stories Salon — a brand‑new evening of songs, stories, and sparkling conversation at the Triad Theater on June 17 at 7 PM.
For her “maiden voyage,” the show will feature 2026 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award winner, Marieann Meringolo, and her amazing pianist, Doyle Newmyer. Merrill will be singing a song or two with Marieann! And the show’s artistic consultant, Jeff Harner, just won best director for the 2026 MAC awards. Merrill is a Tomatoes’ Tomato through and through— a performer, producer, therapist, gerontologist, cabaret lover, and the beloved Singing Therapist who knows how to lift hearts and light up a room. She’s also the proud mom of comedy duo Stone & Stone, and her life story is as rich and entertaining as the music she loves. From singing at the Fontainebleau to modeling, to sending texts that could fill a novel, Merrill brings warmth, humor, and soul to everything she does.
Come celebrate her debut salon — an evening of joy, connection, and the magic of live performance. GET TICKETS HERE.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances Are Back
New York’s summer spirit springs to life again, offering a season of free, open‑air arts experiences when Bryant Park lawn becomes a cultural commons where music, dance, opera, global traditions, and emerging artists share the stage against the city skyline. Guests can stretch out on the grass, borrow a complimentary blanket, enjoy food from local vendors, and take in performances that range from jazz and classical to world percussion, indie artists, and contemporary dance.
This year’s lineup is especially rich, marking major cultural anniversaries and spotlighting artists from across the globe. Highlights include tributes to American history, a celebration of Ella Fitzgerald’s legacy, global music nights that turn the park into a dance floor, and a moving 9/11 commemorative performance to close the season. With 24 evenings of programming—each one free and many livestreamed—the 2026 Picnic Performances invite New Yorkers and visitors alike to gather, unwind, and experience the arts in one of the city’s most beloved outdoor settings.GET THE FULL LINE UP.
Roving on Madison Avenue
Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:
More often than not, the interior designs of the boutiques that line Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side blow me away. Le Double J just opened in a magnificent townhouse with a grand couturier provenance of previous occupants. Located at 18 East 69th Street, this New York City flagship store, founded by native Californian J.J. Martin, not only brings Italian-made products, including fun clothing and unique housewares, but also offers much more than that. Nicknamed the Lighthouse and designed around the theme “raise your vibration,” it does just that. The sheer energy from the vibrant textures, patterns, and colors is a great awakening for your aesthetic senses. The immersive surroundings and inviting architecture celebrate creativity and the art of fun, and the fine fashion that has trickled down from the other important Milan based designs of Missoni and Etro.
Taking it one step further, the Lighthouse also provides the Sisterhood, offering online and in-person healing practices with workshops, sound baths and community. Stop in to this mini museum to be inspired and reminded to have fun with your wardrobe, make a bold statement while being energized and calmed all at once.
~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”
Spotlight on Long Island Women
In this week’s Spotlight, our Long Island reporter introduces us to Robin L. Dunn—an author whose second chapter was born from survival, grit, and the healing power of storytelling. From EMS leadership to life‑altering illness, from her son’s cancer battle to her own, Robin transformed hardship into purpose, writing more than 25 novels that echo resilience, hope, and reinvention. READ MORE.
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
