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Groff Preview

Broadway favorite Jonathan Groff is stepping into the shoes of a music legend, bringing the electrifying life of Bobby Darin to the stage in just in time. Bobby Darin wasn't just a singer, he was a showman, a quintessential New Yorker who could command a stage. With a snap of his fingers. From the timeless tunes like Swish Splash to the swagger of Mack the Knife, Darren's music was larger than life. Now this brand new immersive production transforms the circle in the Square Theater into a swinging nightclub complete with a big band. Because he performed in nightclubs, Bobby Dan's best relationship that he ever had in his life was the relationship between him and the audience. This is the one relationship he was perfect. And successful and so we are we are we are sharing that love. The show is hopefully a love letter for the audience. Groff takes the audience on a journey through Darren's incredible catalog. It's called the Great American Songbook for a reason. I mean these songs that he covered so brilliantly, including Mack the Knife, is just one of the greatest songs ever written. But beyond the music, the show dives deep into Darren's extraordinary yet complicated life. So they were very poor living in the Bronx. Um, but then he was also a really sick child. He, uh, had a weak heart when he had these bouts with rheumatic fever. The doctor said he wouldn't live past 16 years old. He lived to be 37, which is still young, but always felt like he was living on borrowed time. Since we're road tripping to Broadway to see Groff shine, we just had to ask Jonathan what's his favorite road trip. OK, road tripping is one of my favorite things ever, and I, my family is all from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and so the road trip that I take the most often is from New York to Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania back and on my days off I will occasionally do this road trip and so for me I love driving alone. I find it really therapeutic. I Brough's unmatched talent and Darren's timeless charm, this world premiere swinging onto center stage at the end of March is set to be an unforgettable experience. On this Broadway road trip, I'm Rebecca Saran.

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You're a seasoned golfer or just swinging for fun. Top Golf in Holtsville brings a high-tech twist to the classic driving range experience. Yeah, it's a great place from toddlers to adults. They supply fun for the whole family. New spells answer at Bordi has this week's road trip close to home. Have you ever wanted to try your hand at golf? Well, you could do so here at Top Golf in Holtsville, no matter what the weather or your skill level. Now let's go hit the green. Winter, as you know, look at this. There's snow outside on the ground and we're still here warm. We have heaters right above. The temperature is great at the base, so you really don't feel it. So here's how it works grab a club, swing it in front of this red dot to get your ball to come out. And then swing away. That was just practice. I meant to do that. This is an experience. You come in, you rent a bay. We have different games that you can play. It's a lot of fun. You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to be a golfer. It could be your first time and you still have fun. Top Golf has 3 floors where you could take aim at the giant outfield targets. The HDTVs above help keep score for you. This is more organized. You play a game. You can see where the ball goes. Where else can you get that round of golf in and still get that hole in one feeling at Top Golf in Holtsville for this road trip close to home, I'm Antoinette Yordi, News 12.

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Welcome to Nickarley's. Have one on me. I have one on me. Come for the pints and stay for the company in the East Village. We have generations of the same family that have been coming here year after year. Owner Gregory De La Habre keeps history alive inside New York City's oldest continuously running saloon. The Pulitzer Prize winning photo of Babe Ruth. That's the day they retired his jersey at Yankee Stadium. That was taken by Nat Fine, who was a regular here for 30 years. We have an original wanted poster for the murder of Abe Lincoln, an original invitation to the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, printed on Tiffany paper. Every president, all the old Irish gangsters. Inside these doors, no matter who you are, everyone drinks beer together and follows the same rules since 1854. Be good or be gone. I love the sawdust floors. The family's been bringing the sawdust for 90 years. It's like time stops, traditions honored, the walls speak to us and remind us of how far we've come. For De La Habra, he has a personal past here that continues to live. And I work with my wife every day just passing glances. While she pulls the tap and he serves the pints, De La Habre never imagined this 42 years ago. I was at the end of the bar one day drinking and I met her father. And then he introduced us. And for the last 30 years, he and his wife have been serving it up to guests. Cheers, boys. All we serve is light and dark ale, a beer, and beer makes everybody happy. And a staple of the Irish pub back in the day is still on the menu. Serving the McCarley cheese plate since 1854, and that's cheese, raw onion, the house mustard with crackers. The place is one of the mainstays in New York City. It's some place that always has been and always will be and that one. So this is 10 right here. The cash only bar is open till one a.m. and just how many beers get served daily? Only the leprechaun in the basement knows. On this road trip close to home, I'm Julie Chan.

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Well, her career took her from the Metropolitan Opera to the New York Philharmonic and to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, all while breaking racial barriers. For most of her life, famed opera and spiritual singer Marian Anderson called Connecticut home. News 12 photojournalist Laurie Goliath takes us to her studio in Danbury in this week's road trip close to home. We are currently in the Marian Anderson studio on the property of the Danbury Museum. She was one of the most, um, incredible contraltos uh of all time, and Marian's voice, uh, moved our nation. It moved people through the civil rights movement. Marian's voice is the voice of our country. The Marian Anderson studio is a practice space that Marian Anderson's husband Orpheus, uh, King. Uh, Fisher built for her and uh it is uh the place that she would practice her art when she was living in Danbury. Marian Anderson suffered from racial discrimination for the majority of her career. One of the most defining moments of Marian Anderson's career was uh the concert at, um, in Washington DC in 1939. Marian is invited by Eleanor Roosevelt, uh, to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on that Easter Sunday. Uh, because she had been denied the opportunity to sing at a concert venue in DC that had caused all kinds of consternation, and it became part of the American question who are we? How can we deny an American artist a stage just based on the color of her skin? Who are we if we let that continue? And Eleanor Roosevelt, uh, took a a a premier role in helping to. Answer that question of who we are as Americans and providing the venue for Marian to sing that concert and she sang to hundreds of thousands of people. In front of her across the city, on the radio across the United States. That was the moment when Marian became not just an incredibly well known singer and performer, but she became an American icon. Marian Anderson uh defined our US understanding of who we are as a people, and the fact that she chose Connecticut and Danbury to call home should be a point of pride for everyone who chooses to call Connecticut and Danbury home. This studio is a sacred space of American history, of African American history, of Marion's history, and of Connecticut history. Guided tours are free, but reservations are appreciated. For more information on the Marian Anderson studio or other tours at the Danbury Museum, go to news twelve.com.

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This week we're visiting a welcoming space for kids of all abilities to try unique fusions of food, and News 12's Nikita Ramos is taking us there in this week's road trip close to home. Swings, jumps and goodies. New Rochelle has it all, even this unique gym called We Rock the Spectrum, where fun knows no bounds. This is an amazing place for all types of kids with all types of ability. This sensory playground offers a safe space for kids to build on skills. I find that they're getting more confident as we come each visit. The indoor gym is buzzing with. And moments to learn and understand beyond what meets the eye. This space is a necessity for exposure for the neurotypical and the neurodivergent. In the calming room, pick up a book, decompress, and of course explore the senses. And speaking of senses. A taste of two sides of the world in one place at Rockin Ramen in New Rochelle. We carry a traditional ramen. What we add is the Caribbean flavors. That's right, we're talking curry, jerk, and spices from the Caribbean combined with tastes from Japan, like the oxtail buns, a truly blended masterpiece filled with sweet plantains and Japanese mayo. And for the main event, the jerk barbecue chicken ramen takes the spotlight. With this barbecue jerk chicken, it adds just the right spice to an already amazing dish. Savor the smiles on this road trip close to home in New Rochelle, Nikita Ramos loses 12. The calming room. How do, how do we get it I know, yeah, and then after that I'm calm and I want to eat something, right? So that's the road trip, but the ideas don't stop there. No, they do not. Tonight we are showcasing even more great ideas. We are heading to Warwick for a combination of candles and craft beer. You can actually make your own scented creations and even try some local crafts, and you might even see a bird in the sky as well. Joining me tonight for a road trip close to home at 7 and 9:30 only right here on News 12.

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We're bringing you on a road trip to Williamsburg, where love and risk led a couple to fuse together something special. News 12's Caitlin Ulrich takes us to Shalom, Japan, where you can travel the world with your taste buds. For Aaron and Sawa, food is their business and love language you know because we're in like a Chinese restaurant was like you know the uh the lazy Susan in the middle and it was like very tight, you know, eating and we're like, hey. The two met through mutual friends in 2011. They then moved in together a year later and while visiting Sawa's home in Japan, we had like just moved in together and while we were in Japan our like our apartment burned down. Yeah, we had a fire in our in our building. The couple were in between gigs already, so life forcing them to start over was a good time to take a risk. You know, like, you know, like why not? Let's do it. It certainly paid off because Shallom, Japan was created, a restaurant blending Jewish and Japanese cuisine, honest food like food that we're familiar with that like we grew up eating. Some of their best known dishes include the juegg, the Waggu pastrami sandwich, and the matzo ball ramen. Made a version of it for her and I was like, I don't know. I just haven't really found like the right the right noodle yet and you're like ramen. That was easy for me. And just last year they opened a new cafe on the other side of the building called Toki Toki, a Japanese cafe with classic Japanese comfort food. There's like rice. When you try any of these recipes, every bite is a new experience. A good reason to come here is to see what happens when like two people from like two completely different backgrounds like get together. Start a life together. That's based around food and the table and then um see what happens when. That happens. Of culture and love fused together right on your plate in Williamsburg, Caitlin Ulri used 12.

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Well, sports can bring people together, and a new exhibit at a Middlesex County museum pays tribute to the county's rich athletic history. News 12 New Jersey's Amanda Ess takes us to that museum in Piscataway. Welcome to the Cornelius Lau House, the uh Middlesex County Museum. This is a historic building that was built in 1741. We do exhibits here about the county's history. These are, um, rotating exhibits, uh, within the space and the historic nature of the house and the historic architecture serves as a great backdrop for these exhibits. The current exhibit is titled Hometown Pride. It's the power of sports in Middlesex County, uh, and it takes a look at the, the history of sports, uh, through different gallery spaces. I think I love this room the most. I do. Uh, we have information about, uh, sports from Rutgers University, uh, also Middlesex College, uh, as well as local community, uh, high school sports as well. Here we have Ann Alvarez, East Brunswick, uh, table tennis, uh, and her, uh, her outfit here. I love the outfit from, uh, the early 1990s. That is unique. There's something here for everybody. You don't have to be a sports buff or a history buff to come here and uh and enjoy the exhibit uh because again it speaks to the larger stories about the importance of our communities and the people that are there and what they represent, and you can kind of see and you'll see that as you go through the uh through the exhibit.

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