Actress Martha Byrne Take on Two New Roles: NBC’s Crisis Role Coincides with New Role as CASA for Children Spokesperson

 Watch Martha Byrne on Crisis April 6^th, also appearing at Casino Night for Bergen CASA April 8^th. Tickets still available.

Martha Byrne is Spokesperson for Bergen CASA

If you’re a fan of TV, have watched NBC in the past month, or been on YouTube, you’ve probably seen the suspenseful promo for NBC’s newest crime thriller Crisis, starring Dermot Mulroney, Gillian Anderson, Rachel Taylor and Lance Gross.

In those intriguing commercials one may see a very compelling scene of a woman with a row of bombs strapped to her waist, standing in the lobby of the CIA, hysterical, about to push the button on the detonator in her right hand. She emits a terrifying, “Help me”. 

NBC Crisis Episode 1 Recap: If You Are Watching This, I am Dead - Airdate 3-23-14

If you missed the official first episode after the series premiere, here's the recap. The premise of the show is starting to unravel, but we still don't know the reasons for anything. Read on:

                                                                                                                       Recap by Diane Hunstein

(Finley) Lance Gross saved a student in the series premiere. Turns out
the boy is quite a know-it-all.

The show opens with Meg Fitch and her attorney at a table filled with piles of cash. Meg is complying with the demands of the hostage takers, with the hope that they return her daughter Amber.  Meg’s attorney advises her to disclose the deal to the FBI, but she does not agree.  Finley and Anton are debriefed by the FBI, and  Agent Dunn seems skeptical of Finley’s account of the abduction.  Gibson calls the Pakistani Ambassador, asking “what will you do

Recap of Series Premiere: NBC’s New Crime Thriller “Crisis” Puts You On the Edge of Your Seat

SuzeeBehindtheScenes will be following some new shows. The first of many recaps to come is NBC’s new show “Crisis”. Some have described it as 24-like, but will it have that staying power? The first episode had twists and turns, and left you dangling. Read on....

                                                                                                                                                                    Recap by: Diane Hunstein

Ready?  Breathe in. 

The show opens with a man in a field, activating a security override on a computer while an FBI agent comes running toward him.

The next scene jumps to earlier in the day, with parents dropping their teenagers off at Ballard High School in Washington D.C.  The students are boarding a bus for a weekend field trip in New York for

Cake Boss Opens New Bakery in Morristown NJ, Grand Opening March 20

Reality Star Baker and Entrepreneur Buddy Valastro is expanding once again. I've been to the Hoboken store, stood on line, and saw the show being taped there. It was a tourist attraction and worth the trip. I have not yet gotten to his Ridgewood location which opened about a year ago and now there's another to try, in Morristown. Here's the details on his new store:

http://longvalley.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/cake-boss-opens-new-bakery-in-morristown-this-week?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-2-post&newsRef=true

Di's Dish: The Lego Movie Builds "Block" Buster Momentum as Word Spreads It's Great Fun For the Whole Family

Di Reviews The Lego Movie. The Lego Movie has passed up 150 million domestically and over 200 million worldwide. The sequel has already been planned with a release date of May 26, 2017.

What do you get when you combine inventiveness, creativity, dry humor, a plot twist and a great message? You get the delightful Lego Movie.

Like many parents, I’ve spent countless hours over the years building and disassembling Lego sets with my kids. So I wondered…..was the movie going to be a venture into a nightmarish instruction booklet with robotic characters and a “let’s make it up as we go along” story line? Or was it going to be an assembly of familiar bricks and minifigures merging together to capture and retain the audiences’ attention? Unexpectedly, it was most definitely the latter.

I’m going to forego the usual retelling of the story. I decided to see it just as a child would – without any advance knowledge of what would be contained inside the one hour and forty minutes. And I’m glad that I did! It added an element of surprise to the viewing experience.

Event: Enjoy a Fashion Show With RHONJ's Melissa Gorga - 201's Style and Beauty Week Kicks off at The Manzo Brother's New Eatery The Victory Sports Bar and Grill

Update: For Post Event Story click here: http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2014/04/rhonj-melissa-gorga-headlines-201.html


If you've never been to the Meadowlands Racetrack because you're not a betting person, here's betting you'll enjoy this event.

I first wondered why a fashion event was being held at a racetrack eatery when the I realized the new Victory Sports Bar and Club is owned by Albie and Chris Manzo. This must be their second eatery in addition to Little Town in Hoboken, NJ.

Behind the Scenes Look: A Visit to Yankees Spring Training 2014- Exclusive Video of CC Hitting Grounders to His Son and Mark Teixeria doing BP at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium

Mark Teixeira warms up for the 2014 season at Steinbrenner Stadium

It was the first day for Pitchers and Catchers to report to Yankees Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. I had gone to dinner with my brother-in-law, Jack Curry of the YES Network, the night before, and he invited us to stop by the next day, prefacing it with,  "Even though there won't be much going on".

I had never been to spring training, but the first thing that impressed me was the size of George M. Steinbrenner Stadium and the grounds. The stadium itself, according to Jack, held ten thousand. It also just got a new scoreboard which was quite impressive-looking. There was a field to the right of the stadium and another on the left, closer to the

Buccaneers football stadium down the road which was clearly noticeable amidst the tall palms. The grounds were well maintained, with flowers and plantings using Zeriscape landscaping which was proudly noted on a sign. There were rows of tall palm trees adorning the stadium. There was a pond with a water feature with lots of ducks on it.

When we entered the grounds it looked like the crowd of about a hundred or so was walking from the stadium on the right, where it looked like some team members were just doing some exercises, to the main stadium. Jack had texted us that he was in the dugout on the main field behind the first base line, so we went in and he came out at sat with us.  Jack said that there will be twice the crowd there when Jeter comes, saying "he's like a magnet".

View: Paterson Plank Road Was No Super Bowl Boulevard

Photo: Eileen Hillock

NJ was very excited to have the Super Bowl in our own backyard. Yes, it should have been billed as a NJ Super Bowl because that’s where it was, but we live in the shadow of the greatest city on earth, and everyone around here takes advantage of that, so as a Northern New Jerseyan it didn’t bother me that we shared the title with New York.

Jersey City Fashion Week Holds Super Bowl Festivities

Emerging Designers Score a Fashion Touchdown and Make a Statement

The 2014 Jersey City Fashion Week Presents “Where Fashion Touches Down” Football Fashion Week - A Pre-Super Bowl XLVIII Fashion Event!

Proceeds Benefit DLJ Give To Live Foundation

Michael Strahan Presented with Pat Summerall Award at NYC St. Jude's Benefit

Michael Strahan, Marlo Thomas and Phil Donohue

Amidst the flurry of Super Bowl XLVIII events the week leading up up to the NY/NJ Bowl was the annual Legends for Charity Dinner benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at the Grand Hyatt/NFL Headquarters in New York City.

It certainly was worth the Battle of the Boulevard to get to Park Avenue for this event, which this year presented Former NYGiant, NFL on Fox Sunday Analyst and Live with Kelly and Michael co-host Michael Strahan with the Pat Summerall Award. Over 600 people attended with over 400K raised.

Athletes and Celebs Helped Support the Kids

Kelly Ripa and Man of the Hour Michael Strahan                      Photo by Eileen Hillock

NJ's Martha Byrne Joins the Cast of new NBC Crime Thriller CRISIS

Los Angeles: Two-time Emmy winning actress Martha Byrne, best known for her work on the popular former long-running daytime drama, As the World Turns, will be returning to television as she joins the cast of the new NBC crime thriller, Crisis, set to air March 16,2004 in the Sunday at 10pm time slot after the Sochi Olympics.

Crisis is a powerful crime thriller set in Washington DC, which centers around a school bus carrying some the the nation's most important people's children that is ambushed on a secluded rural road, igniting a national crisis. Just how far the parents will go to rescue their kids plays out in this edge-of-

Dance Aunt: Review of a Meet and Greet with Dance Moms Cast Members Chloe and Christie

I have two sons. My sister has two girls. She gets to experience the thrill of 3 hour baseball games through me and I get to go to dance recitals.

   

Christie and Daughter Chloe

Throughout the past summer, every time I was with my 12 year-old niece Amber, I would hear about Dance Moms. I wouldn’t just hear about the people on the show or how great it was but the geographic location of the girls in the show as well. Thank you Twitter. For instance, we went to see the Radio City Christmas Show in November. Did you know that two of the dancers were in  NYC the day before?  Very important information for a tween Dance Mom fan whose eyes were the on the lookout for them amidst the hundreds of people on the sidewalks of NYC perchance they hadn’t left yet.

So when I asked my niece what she wanted for Christmas, she politely and very neatly wrote down for me on the paper that I handed her the name of  the website where I could go to purchase tickets for a Meet and Greet for the dancers on the show. Then she listed all the people she would like to see. It took up most of the space on the piece of paper.

Luckily some of the cast was in the area, over the border in New York, and I was able to purchase tickets and surprise her on Christmas that we would be going to see Christie and Chloe. I asked her if she like those girls and how good they were. Having never seen Dance Moms, (but having watched many a Little League World Series), she politely told me that Christie was the mom. Then she went on to explain who the best dancers were and who got solos and all this other stuff that I know not what she spoke..

Almost TMI on Chloe from Dance Moms

Are you a Dance Moms fanatic? Want to know more about the life of Chloe, her dreams, her life, what she wants to do when she grows up? Then read on...

                                                                                                                       By Suzanne Ordas Curry

I recently took my over-the-top Dance Moms fan niece Amber who is a dancer herself to a Meet and Greet with Chloe and Christie. This was my first foray into the world of the reality show Dance Moms as well as real Dance moms. The event was perfect for a young girl, tween or teen. Chloe spent almost an hour going around the room and answering everyone’s questions until pretty much there was nothing left to ask. Never TMI to my niece, though.

If you love the show and Chloe, here’s a sample of some of the information you would walk away with if you went to a Meet and Greet.

Q:  What are your favorite subjects?

A:  Home Economics, Language Arts and Math. I like to read.

      (Note: Chloe is starting a book club.)

Live's Michael Strahan to be Honored at Legends for Charity Event in NYC January 30: Marlo Thomas, Rich Eisen, Erin Andrews, Antonio Pierce, Jesse Armstead Among Many Notables Slated to Attend

The 9^th annual Pat Summerall Award will be presented to New York Football Giants Super Bowl Champion Michael Strahan on Thursday, January 30, 2014, at the Legends for Charity^® Dinner in New York City. The dinner will be held at the NFL Headquarters Hotel, The Grand Hyatt beginning at 5pm, and once again benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. Tickets are available.

Former NY Giant and Live's Michael Strahan

As a player, Strahan recorded 141.5 sacks over 15 seasons, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team (2000s), and won Super Bowl XLII with the Giants. Strahan has found success away from the field as one of America’s most recognizable broadcast personalities, serving as an analyst for FOX NFL Sunday and as co-host

INTERVIEW: A Behind the Scenes Look at the Soap That Goes Behind the Scenes of a Soap, "Tainted Dreams"

Behind the Scenes: What happened to Austin?

Soap opera actors, producers and directors have been at the forefront of the movement and transition towards online programming. Securing investors, casting, lower-budget shooting and building audiences have become the new way of production. This new method breeds creativity and innovation because old boundaries are removed. The next challenge is finding the right platform, possibly sponsors, and an audience amidst the clutter of internet, streaming and traditional TV programming.

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

The latest entry into this genre is Tainted Dreams, a soap within a soap, produced by Emmy-award winning director/producer Sonia Blangiardo, who worked on As The World Turns, All My Children and One Life To Live. Tainted Dreams is the story of  the behind the scenes shenanigans behind a fictional soap, Painted Dreams. For all you soap fans, here's some trivia: Painted Dreams was actually the first daytime radio soap opera program, having been broadcast out of Chicago in 1930.

The cast is tremendous with a line-up of names any fan of daytime will recognize. I got a little melancholy just thinking about all these great dramas that are no more.

RHONJ Dina Manzo, Producer Sonia Blangiardo and Anthony Wilkinson

The cast includes: Alicia Minshew (All My Children), Austin Peck (As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, One Life to Live), Collen Zenk (As The World Turns),  Terri Ivens (All My Children), Kelley Menighan Hensley (As The World Turns),  Grant Alexsander (Guiding Light), Walt Whiley (All My Children), Natalia Livingston (General Hospital), Marnie Schulenburg (As The World Turns), Michael Lowry (One Live To Live and All My Children), Bobbie Eakes (All My Children, Bold and The Beautiful),  James DePaiva (One Life to Live), Nathan Purdee (One Life To Live),  Larkin Malloy (The Edge of Knight and All My Children), Illen Kristen (One Life to Live and Ryan's Hope) Tonja Walker (One Life To Live). 

From Jacqueline Laurita's Hometown Newspaper: House is Up for Sale and will she return to RHONJ?

From the Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes PATCH:
Jaqueline and Chris Laurita are planning to stay in Franklin Lakes, according to reports.

Posted by Jessica Mazzola (Editor) , January 14, 2014 at 06:17 PM

Comment  Recommend  

Real Housewives of New Jerseystars Jaqueline and Chris Laurita have officially put their Franklin Lakes home on the market, and they are asking $2.85 million for it, according to multiple reports and the home’s online real estate listing.

Goodbye to Two Sitcom TV Legends, The Partridge Family's Reuben Kincaid and Gilligan Island's "Professor"

                                                                                                                By Suzanne Ordas Curry
Growing up in the 70's, I tell my kids, there really wasn't a whole lot on TV to watch. I don't think they can even fathom the fact that we had about 7 channels to watch. And we had to change those channels by hand. On the East Coast in the NY area, this was CBS, NBC, ABC, a local channel on 5, 9 and 11 and fuzzy PBS on 13 and maybe something else fuzzy if one played with the channel dial a bit. UHF, VHF? It was just fun trying to find something else.

Gilligan's Island was a staple. Every girl my age wanted to be like Ginger or Maryann. And we pined for The Professor. Not so much because he was so handsome- but he was- but maybe because the only other males on that show were Gilligan, the Skipper and Mr. Howell. 

The Professor died yesterday at age 89. Think of the song. So now's it just ".......and Maryann". There were two versions of the theme song and he didn't even make the cut in one of them.

He was just too darn smart. He would invent things and make contraptions out of  things that clearly could not be found on the island, but he would give some kind of explanation so we all thought it was possible. Just  he couldn't figure out how to build a boat. Better not to think while watching that show.

Jersey Boy & NBC News Anchor Brian Williams Talks About Life with Jersey’s Jack Curry of the YES Network on JCTV

Daughter Allison of HBO's Girls and Son Doug Following in his TV Footsteps

NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams is by far one of the most recognizable news anchors in the country. Not many people know that this hard-working, personable and intelligent guy is from Jersey. He was born in Ridgewood, NJ, moved to Elmira NY and then finished high school down the shore, in Middletown. When Brian did his Superstorm Sandy report in 2013, you could tell that the shore was in his heart.

Brian was a volunteer firefighter when he lived in Middletown, NJ. His first job was at a Perkin’s Pancake House as a busboy. He started his news career at a local station in Pittsburgh PA.

INTERVIEW: Brazilian Beauty & PopStar Natalia Damini - Exclusive First American Interview for First Album "Beautiful" Includes Song with Nicki Manaj and Paul Walker Tribute

"Gracias! Gracias!” exclaimed the young Natalia Damini as she ran out of her local video store, clutching her very own copy of  Dirty Dancing. “No one else but you rents it, and you’ve rented it so often, you can just have it,” the store owner said. "That movie was my inspiration,” stated Natalia. “I love the dancing and the music. I would practice the choreography, and of course, I wanted to marry Patrick Swayze.”  Flash forward a decade or so and Natalia is doing her own dirty dancing, up on stage to her own songs, performing over 80 concerts a year.  She is about to release her first album, Beautiful in January 2014. A recognized music artist in Brazil  she’s teamed up for a single on the album with one of America’ hottest artists,  #Nicki Manaj entitled Hot Fire. Other collaborations include those with Gucci Mane and Shop Boys. It’s also got a song on it, Letter on a Bullet Train, dedicated to actor #Paul Walker (video below). Her latest EP release from the album, Bad Girl, debuted at #32 on the Itunes Pop Music

Rosie O'Donnell Makes NJ Her Home - as seen on NorthJersey.com

Loved her show years ago; it always put a smile on my face.. She paved the way for so many other talk show hosts, especially female ones. She's also got a great foundation for children to learn and participate in the arts. Read about Rosie's Theater Kids on her website, www.rosie.com.

Welcome to NJ and hope to see you 'round town Rosie.

Rosie O'Donnell buys Saddle River home - NorthJersey.com

INTERVIEW: Lauralee Bell of The Young and the Restless on the Making of www.MiPromise.com - A Dramatic New Series About Texting and Driving

"If I Save One Life It Will All Be Worth It" - Lauralee Bell Martin

                                                                                                                                                                                                 By Suzee

My son just turned 17 and got his license on his birthday. Here in NJ, the anxious kids get their permits as soon after they turn 16 when their parents realize the inevitable has approached, they shortly thereafter learn how to drive, they log in the required hours with a certified instructor, and the piece de resistance is being able to schedule their lesson for first thing in the morning the day of their birthday. That day the kids don’t care how early they have to wake up to get to the DMV. Then they proudly drive to school that day. So on this date of my son’s 17^th birthday, he took the car to school after his successful driving test in the wee hours of the morning. 

Riley's first day with her new car

School lets out at 2:19 and he should have been home by 2:40 the latest. Time passed and I kept looking at the time. It was 3:00. I called him on his cell and he did not answer. That made my nervous but then again I always tell my kids (my older son already drives) not to pick up a phone while they driving, even on Bluetooth. I tell them to pull over safely and answer if they think it’s important.

A few minutes later after convincing myself he was alright, he walked through the door. I ran to the door and gave him a big hug, then delivered the warning. “First thing you do is tell me where you are going and when you will be home!” He answered, “Tommy (his BFF) wanted to go cruising so we cruised around for a few minutes.”  I replied, “That is fine but next time you have to tell me”.

  

In another household across the country, the same scenario played out in Riley’s house in California when she got her license on birthday (where the driving age is 16). Riley got a car for her birthday, and after the celebration, she took it out for a ride. This was every teen’s dream, freedom.

Riley was having a great week. Besides getting the freedom she yearned for, she was having some good luck with a boy she liked, Robbie. It was possible that he could become her boyfriend. So as she was out enjoying her first ride alone, Robbie was on her mind. Then, Robbie was on the phone. She knew this, because, like every teenager, the cell phone was in full view as she drove. She saw who the text was from. She knew she shouldn’t answer it. Her brain was telling her it could wait, but that teenage heart and that must-reply-instantaneously belief of the teen won out and she texted back.

Then the screen went blank. And her world was never the same.

What is www.MiPromise.com by Lauralee Bell?

A Short Series of Videos on the Dangers of Texting and Driving Sure to Entertain and Educate

Lauralee Bell, award-winning actress, writer and producer, best known for her role as Christina Blair on The Young and The Restless has turned a tragic event in her life and a realization of  21^st century life into a message for hope and change.

The site, www.MiPromise.com, contains a series of 6 videos that depict a fatal event in the life of a teenage girl full of hopes and promises.

Laurlee Bell plays the mother. Cassidy Ann Shaffer (Kimmy from Disney’s Austin and Ally) plays the daughter Riley, who makes the fatal mistake of responding to a text from the boy of her dreams the first day she gets her license.

Also in the cast is: Brayden Shaffer (the brother), Peter Weber (the handsome beau), James Liebman (dad),  Howard Dell ( the doctor)  Sabrina Bell (friend) and Haley Ogas (friend).

Michael Strahan is 2014 Honoree for St. Jude's Legends for Charity Dinner

Michael Strahan

A great event for a great cause. To be held at the Grand Hyatt on January 30, 2014 proceeds go to help St. Jude's Hospital. Michael Strahan will be honored, so expect a room full of sports figures as well as soap and other celebrities. For tickets go to www.legendsforcharity.com. Tickets are $500 each. 

Gotham The Series Now Available on Vimeo on Demand

Martha Byrne's award-winning series about a couple re-uniting after many years, shot in NJ and New York is now available on demand.

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/martha-byrnes-gotham-vimeo-demand

Keep On Dancing: Dance With Me USA hosts grand opening of new Fort Lee studio | Bergen.com

Keep On Dancing: Dance With Me USA hosts grand opening of new Fort Lee studio | Bergen.com

RHONJ Stars Aligned for Dina Manzo's Project Ladybug Goddess Night Out

Dina Manzo, Project Ladybug Founder   Photos by Suzanne Curry

A Starry Night in NJ                            By Suzee

I had not been to one of Dina Manzo’s Project Ladybugs fundraisers yet, but there were five of them before this year’s. I have a feeling they got better with age as this year’s fundraiser was fantastic.

Held at the luxurious Venetian in Garfield (which used to be the old Cameo), the graceful European architecture and sweepingly grand high ceilings sets the stage for a truly mystical and magical Goddess Night Out.

Teresa was as sparkling as her Fabellini

It was billed that Dina was the host and the Teresa Giudice would also be there, as she was listed as a part of the organization. It was also publicized that Kathy Wakile would be there. I had not seen any mention that  Melissa Gorga was also going to be there so it was a nice surprise to see her there as well. Four housewives in one place with no fighting going on. :-)

Dina was dressed in her goddess best, an electric blue gown with a jeweled wreath in her hair, which was full of long curls. Theresa was stunning as usual. I don't think I've ever gotten a bad picture of her. She wore a silver, shimmery, figure-fitting gown which was like flowing tinsel and also wore a wreath on her head with her hair down for the event. Kathy Wakile went the traditional route of the goddess with a white, toga-like gown on with a simple belt. Melissa Gorga gave life to a perfect little black dress.

After you went in  the entrance there was long hallway lead you to the grand ballroom  illuminated by magnificent chandeliers. Right before the ballroom was the Step and Repeat area, which was accessible to everyone. Off to

Kathy had the Roman Goddess thing going on

the right of the room was what I will call the “basket” room, for lack of a better term. The over a hundred baskets were elegantly placed on tables in the center of the room.  Along the walls on both sides were vendors selling all kinds of wares that appealed to the Goddess in all of us, like blingy clothing and jewelry. There were two or three cupcakes vendors giving out cupcakes but it must not have been a cupcake-eating crowd  (it was a definite Spanx night)  and the other food was so good because there was a lot left over at the end of the night. For the more practical Goddess there was a wellness area where people could receive complimentary services. It was pretty busy.

Melissa Gorga speaks to Bergen.com's Heather Zwain

Teresa had a special table in the Grand Ballroom and was signing copies of her book amidst a backdrop of a Fabellini poster. There was always a line there because Theresa chatted and took a photo with anyone that asked.

As with all fundraisers, there was an introduction and thank you presentations. Dina Manzo took the mike and called the attention of the audience. She started out by thanking everyone who helped her - friends, family, volunteers and the other housewives, at which point in time they joined her in a line to her left. (See my other post for the video). She also thanked the staff of the Venetian for their hard work, and then with a smile said, "Yes, this was not held at the Brownstone, but it was just because they didn't have the right date available - don't read anything into that!" She also had her friend do a meditation, which was unusual for a fundraiser but nonetheless interesting.

Dina Manzo's Project Ladybug; What is it?

Dina Manzo recently held her 6th Annual Project Ladybug Gala at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ. This event was entitled "Goddess Night Out " and was attended by over 600 people, which was capacity for the Grand Ballroom. Besides the atttendees, the vendors and volunteers, supporting her there that night were RHONJ Teresa Giudice, Kathy Wakile and Melissa Gorga. CC Sabathia's wife, Amber also supported the cause.

Project Ladybug is the brainchild of  Dina Manzo. She explains how it is run by women and states, "It is amazing what women can do when we all come together." During the evening, one of the speakers, Author Latham Thomas, said that it started with a "thought in her consciousness that became action".

Project Ladybug, simply put, helps children who are sick. If you are a mom or love a child, I think that anyone's biggest fear is the thought of that child getting sick with a deadly or chronic disease. Project Ladybug helps support the children and the families of those children at a local NJ Hospital, St. Joseph's in Paterson. Over a million dollars has been raised so far.

According to the website, "The Ladybug Fund at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is an initiative dedicated to providing important resources to seriously ill pediatric patients and their families as they face lengthy treatment regimens. The Fund strives to help families face the financial and emotional hardships during their child’s treatment.  Project Ladybug will provide assistance to the patient and his/her family that is rarely given by other local and national organizations.

Update: Bad Parents Film by Caytha Jentis Premieres on HBO - This Comedy about Soccer Parents Stars Janeane Garofalo, Kristen Johnston, Cheri Oteri, Michael Boatman, Ben Bailey... and even a Real Housewife of New Jersey - Enter to Win a DVD Copy

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Update: This is an updated article on Caytha Jentis' film Bad Parents, which as of January 2019 is now available on HBO. 

If you've got kids in sports, this is the movie for you to see. The move is a satirical slice-of-life film about obsessed soccer parents. That's enough said there if you have children or have been at any organized sport activity where the parents have just a little too much to do with what is going on. Or perhaps it will make you sit back and think.

Bad Parents is LOL. It stars Janeane Garofalo (Truth About Cats and Dogs, and Jerry's female equivalent in Seinfield), Michael Boatman, Kristen Johnston (Third Rock, Music and Lyrics), Cheri Oteri (SNL, Grownups2), and Christopher Titus (Titus). Also in the cast is Ben Bailey (Cash Cab), Reiko Aylesworth (Hawaii 5-0, Lost), and Rebecca Budig (All My Children) and Bill Sage (American Psycho).

Bad Parents was filmed in NJ by writer/director Caytha Jentis, who has not only several films on her resume including The One and Then Came Love with Vanessa Williams but also the highly successful "The Other F Word Series" about a bunch of interesting ladies going through their second chapters now showing for free on the www.The Girlfriend.com. Bad Parents held a top spot in Redbox sales when it first came out.

Here's the trailer:

Fans of  the Real Housewifes franchise will enjoy looking for Jaqueline, though it's a brief cameo.. Caytha Jentis and and Producer Dorothy Fucito said that they were happy to have Jaqueline in the movie and that she was a pleasure to work with.

ENER TO WIN A DVD AND T-SHIRT OF BAD PARENTS

You can also enter to win a copy of Bad Parents on www.BehindtheScenezz.com. Just scroll to the bottom right of the homepage, enter in your email address and write "Bad Parents Movie Contest" in the box. (Your name won't be shared or used for anything but this contest.)

Follow us on Facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/BehindtheScenezz/

Goddess Gorga's On Display Gets the Crowd Going at Dina Manzo's Project Ladybug Fundraiser

Dina Manzo hosted a grand fundraiser in NJ entitled "Goddess Night Out". This annual benefit raised money for Project Ladybug, Dina's own charity, which helps children with cancer and other pediatric illnesses at St. Joseph's Hospital in NJ and now also Sloan Kettering in New York (see other post for details).

RHONJ Melissa Gorga having fun on the dance floor

Billed as appearing were Dina, Teresa Giudice and Kathy Wakile. I think everyone was happy to see Melissa Gorga there as well. Part of the evening was dancing. Melissa was on the dance floor when her song was played, she seemed surprised. It's a great song to dance to.

RHONJ Cook Off #1 – Goddess Dressed Chicken Marinated with Yogurt & Fresh Herbs

Goddess Kathy Wakile shares a recipe to keep us all Goddess-looking

In honor of Dina Manzo's Goddess Night out  here's a recipe for a healthy goddess!

RHONJ Cook Off #1 – Goddess Dressed Chicken Marinated with Yogurt & Fresh Herbs

This recipe was shared by Blogger from KathyWakile.com

Di's Dish: A Tribute to Glee

Goodbye Finn, Goodbye Cory

GLEE puts together a superb tribute in “The Quarterback.”

I have been a fan of Glee from day one and have seen every episode.  Finn Hudson was one of my favorite television characters of all time.  He was lovable, talented, earnest, and was always trying to do the right thing.  The creators of Glee tackled a difficult subject with the untimely death of Cory Monteith, and they delivered a tasteful and moving episode.  They also delivered an essay on grieving.

The show opens beautifully with “Seasons of Love.”  The setting is spare and appropriate.  The song is performed by cast members past and present, grouped into sort of a pecking order.  This is a good choice.  As a fan of the show, I did not think the newer characters should have a central role in the tribute.  Their relationship with Finn was fleeting. 

Next we see Kurt preparing to travel to Ohio from New York.  Kurt is devastated of course, yet grieving with determination. 

INTERVIEW: Meet Actor Marc John Jefferies - Or Have You Met Him Before?

 Marc John Jefferies may not be a household name, but he's most likely been in your home on many an occasion.

When he was a very young boy he was a cast member of the illustrious and ground-breaking Cosby Show.  He's also been on such hit NBC shows as The Tracy Morgan Show, ER, Law and Order SVU, HBO's Treme and several others.

He's also done many voice-overs for TV and film. He's been in #Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc, Bill Cosby's Fatherhood, Justice League, Dexter and others. His movie appearances include Haunted Mansion (in which he played Eddie Murphy's son), Notorious,  Get Rich or Die Tryin', Spider Man 2 and Stuart Little. In a movie that also starred Halle Berry, Jessica Lange, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson Marc played the adorable and fought-over Isaiah in Losing Isaiah. 

Marc was nominated for 2 Young Artist Awards, one in 2002 for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - guest starring Young Actor in The Practice (1997) and one in 2004 for Best Performance in a Feature Fill - Supporting Young Actor for The Haunted Mansion (2003.

Stories to Inspire: Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine

There is a commercial on TV now about children going through cancer treatments, and is shows the tiny victims playing in their bedrooms. In the background is the melodic Beach Boys Song "In my Room". It is very hard to watch.

Indeed, alone in one's room is where the fear of cancer or what is going with their bodies and their lives rears its ugly head. But to remedy this, in steps the beautiful face of a caring parent.

Ava Rasmussen is a little girl from northern NJ who is going through treatment for leukemia. In order to help her cope and answer her questions,

INTERVIEW: Behind the Scenes at a Reality Show - The Big Bang Theory Gets a Reality Check on Discovery Channel's The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius

A Behind-The-Scenes shot of the cast of the Big Brain Theory-Pure Genius

Did you ever wonder what it was like to get on or be on a reality show? Suzee goes Behind the Scenes with Eric Whitman of Discovery Channel's "The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius" who gives us a vivid picture of what it was like to "live" on a reality show!

Many thanks go out to Eric for this interview and his time. Eric is as near to a real Big Bang Theory cast member as you may find though he may not appreciate the analogy. Eric is a is graduate of Princeton University who studied Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is currently in the Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute specializing in bipedal walking.

If you didn't catch "The Big Brain Theory" while it was on, find it! The premise of the show was that a cast of very, very, intelligent individuals trained in engineering, science, physics and all those subjects that were the hardest in high school (for most people anyway) were challlenged to build structures and devices that would meet certain seemingly unattainable goals that made you wonder, "How the heck are they gonna do that?" There was a lot of blowing up things, robots, races and welding goin' on! I have to say, every project looked complicated, but read on, and you'll see if Eric thought so too.

SBTS: How did you get on the show? How did they find you? Did they seek you out personally (as some people for reality shows now are) or did you answer an ad?

I saw a link to the casting call on an internet forum associated with FIRST robotics, a high school robotics competition that I'm involved in as a mentor for a local team.

SBTS: What was the interview process like?

The casting call asked for some basic information and a paragraph about why I would be good.  I also made a video because it seemed like a good idea.  First they called me asking for a video.  I

Fashion and Charity Highlight Jersey City's Fashion Week

The catwalk at Liberty Science Center

   

The second annual Jersey City Fashion Week took place in various places in Jersey City, NJ in late September. Boasting local designers, merchants, fashion schools and sponsored by an array of prestigious and local businesses, it was a week to celebrate this up-and-coming, historic and yet struggling city. Credit is owed to the organizers, Desha Jackson, Program Manager for the DLJ Give to Life Community