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 Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean and Madeline Kahn team up in Clue, at the Sunshine this weekend. When it appeared in theaters in 1985 with three separate endings, the movie version of Clue (based on the popular board game) received mixed reviews. It has since developed a cult following and big appreciation for the charming performances by the heavy hitting ensemble cast featuring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Madeline Kahn and Lee Ving. If you like slapstick served with mystery mayhem and some brilliant deadpan acting, this is a great way to wrap up Spring Break. $10 // Friday and Saturday at midnight // 143 E. Houston.
 
 1994, from Bonie Lucas: "Collages" at Essopus Space March 29 - May 10, 2011 We were thrilled to hear that artist and local art teacher, Bonnie Lucas has had her show extended at Esopus Gallery. We profiled Lucas, who is a much beloved teaching artist at P.S. 110, last month. This is her first solo show in over a decade. If you haven’t seen the show yet, it’s very worthwhile, and now you have an extra week to do so. “Bonnie Lucas: Collages,” features 30 selections from two series of collages, one from the 1990′s and one from the past year. Esopus Space // 64 W. 3rd Street, #210 // Running through May 10th. Visit her Facebook page here.
 Photo by A. jesse Jiryu Davis.
The fifth of five street portraits from A. Jesse Jiryu Davis, made on the Lower East Side April 13, 2011.
 St. Mary's Church on Grand Street; Palm Sunday 2011. Mostly cloudy today with a high of 54. More showers expected tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. The high both days will hover in the low 60′s. Good Friday, the Easter holiday on Sunday and the continuation on Passover add up to a quiet weekend in the neighborhood. It’s also Earth Day. Check out our Calendar for some interesting enviro-oriented events.
 District Attorney Cy Vance New York District Attorney Cy Vance told Lower East residents last night he’s getting tough on repeat offenders, especially those accused of domestic violence. During a town hall meeting at P.S. 20 on Essex Street, he said, “I do not need to tell this neighborhood that the consequences of domestic violence can turn deadly.”
Vance’s office is prosecuting Raul Barrera, who is accused in the brutal murder of 23-year old Sarah Coit, inside their Clinton Street apartment two weeks ago. Barrera has a long history of domestic violence incidents. Vance did not address the case directly but noted that the numbers of domestic cases in New York City are rising. He discussed plans to create a Family Justice Center to deal with domestic issues.
After a fairly lengthy presentation on his top priorities, Vance opened up the town hall meeting to questions from residents. A number of people expressed concerns about violence in the neighborhood’s public housing developments. They also asked what the DA’s could do about racial profiling. “How can we prevent our kids from being stopped by the police for no reason?,” one woman asked. Continue reading DA Cy Vance Vows to Get Tough on Domestic Violence Offenders
Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side for this weekend:
 Foster McGinty FOSTER MCGINTY - Fri, Apr 22 І 7:30PM at the Mercury Lounge
Combining squirmy stage antics with tight pants and Mad-Hatter chapeau Foster McGinty is a frontman through & through. Though beneath his pencil moustache, McGinty is a prolific writer, turning out song after song in a psychedelic 1970’s sex-rock style. A skilled riff-slinger, McGinty hits the Mercury stage on Friday to release his new recording “Chateau Fiasco“. $10//217 E. Houston St.
Continue reading Weekend Music Picks
The long saga surrounding 180 Ludlow – one of the neighborhood’s most infamous stalled construction sites – is taking more strange turns.
Next month, attorneys for developer Serge Hoyda return to the Board of Standards and Appeals, seeking a variance — a request for an extension of time to complete a 20 story hotel. The troubled project has been an eyesore on Ludlow Street for four years.
This past month, Community Board 3 declined to support Hoyda’s application, in part because he could not commit to hiring at least 20% local workers once the hotel opens for business. But the setback at the community board appears to be the least of his problems.
It seems Hoyda is also having to fend off a lawsuit from Ira Yavarkovsky, whose family owned three parcels that make up the hotel development site. The Yavarkovsky’s operated a paper products company at 180 Ludlow from 1898-2007. The suit claims Hoyda only made one payment of $1.67 million and, four years after the title was transferred, still owes almost $12 million. Continue reading Rabbi’s Ruling Complicates 180 Ludlow Lawsuit
 Coming soon to the corner of Essex and Rivington: Hakki Pizza There’s lots of food news around the neighborhood this week:
- On the pizza front: Hakki Pizza has taken over the Visco discount clothing store space at 123 Essex, at the intersection with Rivington; this week, the former corner store is gutted, Hakki’s signs are up over the doorway, and construction work continues apace. New pizza options are springing up all over the LES; Fork in the Road reported last week that Goodfellas Brick Oven Pizza is scheduled to open in about two weeks in the former Kebab House at 144 Orchard. St.
- Sorella has put together a sumptuous-sounding menu for Easter brunch on Sunday. From noon to 5 p.m., choose an appetizer, entree and dessert for $48 per person. The duck fat English muffin with chicken liver mousse and coconut-cream filled bomboloni with chocolate passion fruit sauce are not to be missed. Know of other Easter specials in local restaurants? Email us here.
- Time Out magazine is really (really!) unimpressed by Octavia’s Porch, the 2nd Street creation of Top Chef alum Nikki Cascone.
- Dora, the coffee shop at 221 East Broadway, continues its weekly cuppings (tastings) this Saturday at 2pm. More info on their web site.
 Photos by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis. Continuing our series of street portraits by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis, photos made on the Lower East Side April 13, 2011.
 Richard Mosse, "Near Tecate" (2008), Courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery, at the Tracing the Unseen Border at La MaMa La Galeria Curators Ian Cofre and Omar Lopez-Chahoud have put together what looks to be a fascinating show. The La MaMa La Galleria will host this opening tonight – it would make a good “detour” on your Third Thursdays gallery night adventure. They write: Tracing the Unseen Border… takes a look at the dynamics surrounding the border between Mexico and the United States. Continue reading Group Exhibition at La MaMa Explores U.S./Mexican Border
As we reported last week, Community Board 3 and city planning officials are holding an open house next week — and they’ve invited anyone who’s interested in the Seward Park redevelopment (SPURA) issue to stop by. You’ll be able to examine a 3D model depicting several building height/mass and open space options under consideration.
CB3 has now posted on its web site a large number of photos showing the model from various vantage points. If you’d like to study up before the open house, here’s your chance! They’ve also uploaded a power point presentation used by Beyer Binder Belle architect Neil Kittredge at last month’s SPURA committee meeting.
All of these slides will probably make more sense if you have a look at our report from the meeting. You might also want to read the city’s zoning glossary (particularly if you’re mystified by terms like “Floor Area Ratio” and “As of Right.”
After the jump, see a few versions of the 3D model. Continue reading SPURA in 3D
- The widow of a Bronx bus crash victim and Chinatown resident is granted a travel visa from China (NYT).
- Soup kitchen at Trinity Parish imperiled (DNA Info).
- “How the East Village died;” 120 St. Mark’s Place edition (EV Grieve).
- Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation tells the story of the Mars Bar and looks ahead to an uncertain future (Off the Grid).
- Lawmaker wants to “punish real estate agents for inventing neighborhood names and for falsely stretching their boundaries.” (NYT)
- James Franco looking “homeless and hot” at Fatta Cuckoo (Post).
 Photo by elbrozzie.
Mostly sunny early in the day; turning windy this afternoon as more storm clouds roll in on Friday. Expect a high of 57. Continue reading Good Morning!
 Some bad news. Frankies Sputino and Cafe Pedlar, 17 Clinton Street, are dropping their weekday breakfast and lunch service.
Eater reports: “the two connected restaurants will only open for lunch on Fridays beginning at 11 AM and for brunch on the weekends, starting at 9 AM. The rest of the week it’s dinner only.”
The move is apparently connected to the opening of Frankies on Hudson Street, which is apparently stretching the restaurant’s staff too thin.
“A rep tells Eater that it’s “part of our ongoing quest to improve service and food. Once Hudson street is open, we will be serving breakfast and lunch every day at that location.”
As for the Lower East Side? Sounds like we’re out of luck.
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