Monday Is Memorial Day: Here’s What’s Open and What’s Closed

by Paul Riegler

Monday is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday that honors Americans who died while in military service. This Monday also marks the third time the holiday has taken place during the coronavirus pandemic.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and marks the unofficial start of summer. Since 1970, it is a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May.
The manner of observance stems from the ancient idea of …

The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical

by Anna Breuer

The Outer Critics Circle award winners for the 2021-2022 Broadway season were announced Tuesday morning. The awards encompass 27 categories and include both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
“Six” and “The Lehman Trilogy” were awarded Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Broadway Play, respectively, while “Take Me Out” and “Company” took home honors for Outstanding Revival of a Play and a Musical, respectively.
“Prayer for the French Republic” was recognized as Outstanding …

Some Broadway Theaters End Proof of Vaccination Requirement, But All Maintain Mask Mandates

by Anna Breuer

Sunday marked the first day since the reopening of Broadway last summer that many theaters will not require theatergoers to present proof of vaccination to attend a show, although all Broadway houses will continue to mandate that they don face masks.
The change came as New York City raised its Covid alert from low to medium, amidst a high number of new cases clustered in Manhattan.
The Broadway League, the group that …

Should I Still Mask Even If No One Else Does?

by Kurt Stolz

While the federal mask mandate in the United States ended rather abruptly last month – some travelers were told mid-flight that they could unmask if desired, an announcement accompanied by much cheering in some cases – it has left responsible individuals wondering when they should don a face mask.
The court ruling that ended the federal came just as Covid cases in the country started to trend upwards.
The 7-day average of …

Great Moments in Travel History – May 2022

by Jesse Sokolow

May, the fifth month in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars is typically the epitome of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and of autumn in the Southern. May Day, typically celebrated on May 1, is an ancient Northern Hemisphere spring festival that celebrates the season. It is also a public holiday in many countries, in most cases referred to as Labour Day or International Workers’ Day, and intended to commemorate …

Apple AirTag Batteries Start to Fail, Without Alerting Users

by Jonathan Spira

For Apple users who are used to an audible notification, such as a chime, when their MacBook Pro battery is dangerously low or a stern message to that effect on an iPhone, it may come as a surprise that there is no active alert when an AirTag – which may be stored away in an automobile or bag or on a dog’s collar – no longer works.
As we noted in …

‘The Lehman Trilogy,’ ‘Harmony’ Lead 2022 Outer Critics Circle Nominations

by Anna Breuer

The 2022 Outer Critics Circle award nominations were announced Tuesday, although, due to continued pandemic disruptions, there was no formal ceremony at the storied Oak Room in New York City’s Algonquin Hotel this year to mark the pronouncements.
Leading the nominations was “The Lehman Trilogy,” a three-act play by Stefano Massini that follows the lives of three immigrant brothers who founded what becomes a successful investment, their descendants, and the firm’s …