Sketch Comedy Troupe: HARVARD SAILING TEAM

Despite stormy weather and tumultuous waves, the Harvard sailing team prevailed for the third consecutive year, defeating Princeton and winning the Ivy League championship regatta. Just kidding! That didn’t happen. Or maybe it did—but it doesn’t matter, because we’re profiling  the Harvard Sailing Team, the hilarious and awesome NYC sketch comedy troupe, not to be confused with the prestigious university’s athletic team. We were first introduced to HST when nymag.com featured their satirical viral video duo, Boys Will Be Girls and Girls Will Be Boys, and since then we’ve been hooked on their comedy, showing off their collection of videos as part of our online video repertoire. The group--Jen Curran, Rebecca Delgado Smith, Clayton Early, Faryen Einhorn, Katie Larsen, Adam Lustick, Billy Scafuri, Chris Smith, and Sara Taylor—first met while studying together at NYU, but it was only post-graduation that Chris and Billy (who had started writing together) formed the team, who have since won the 2011 Nightlife Award, the Friars Club Sketch Competition, and the ECNY and INNY awards.  

So if a comedy troupe that bonded through a collective affinity for argyle intrigues you (how could it not?), read on--and be sure to or check out their videos online and their weekly show at the People’s Improv Theater (PIT).
Photo credit: Eric Michael Pearson

Stirrings Naked Bartender: CARLO ROMERO

Carlo Romero has brought the Naked Bartender fantasy to life. After leaving the trading floor at a Wall Street bulge bracket firm, Carlo moved to a career in modeling, when he nabbed the role of spokesperson for Diageo’s highly-enjoyed “Stirrings” brand. Diageo is a premium drinks business with a collection of international brands across spirits, wine, and beer (including Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guinness, and Jose Cuervo), and Stirrings is their line of all-natural drink mixes that make quality cocktails easy to come by. Its motto, “The Naked Bartender believes that nothing should come between you and simply better tasting cocktails,” (implied: not even clothes) is brought to life by the fun-loving and bold Carlo, who at age 26 epitomizes going “au naturel.” Carlo’s expressed mission is to hit the road and shake drinks à la nude, “spreading joy, fun, and good times wherever he goes.” Jealous yet?

Luckily for us, Carlo calls New York his home, and upon hearing that Carlo makes event appearances, Stirrings has suddenly become our favorite brand for the holiday season.

 

Cinematographer: DARREN LEW

Darren Lew brings artistic excellence to everything he touches. The award-winning cinematographer has grown an impressive and diverse filmography, applying his talent and creativity to produce an array of acclaimed commercials, short films, and documentaries. He’s recently received attention for the visually stunning, black-and-white Levi’s American “Go Forth” commercial, for which he was the 2010 AICP Show Winner for Cinematography and Visual Style and the 2010 Cannes Lions Festival Bronze Winner in Cinematography. Darren’s first project was working with Steven Meisel on Madonna’s SEX book, and he has since photographed commercials for Lacoste, Nike, Clinique, Versace, VW, HBO, and Calvin Klein, among others, and has worked the camera for notable short films including BUGCRUSH directed by Carter Smith, Bastard and Welcome directed by Kirsten Dunst, and Streak directed by Demi Moore. Darren also contributed his cinematographic talents to the recently released documentary Freakonomics, adapted from the best-selling book and directed by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney.
 

Experience Darren’s cinematography first-hand (above), then catch a glimpse into his thoughts (below).

 

Author: STACY KRAMER

Comic writer Stacy Kramer plays many roles in the world of entertainment. Having spent time at major film studios Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox, Stacy broke into the industry as a story editor and worked her way to the top of the chain as a producer, creating classic indie hits The Last Seduction, Jawbreaker, and Igby Goes Down. After years in production and the births of her three children, Stacy decided to retire her producer’s hat and challenge herself to begin writing. From magazines to books to television, Stacy flourished and her career took off: a humor column for the Village Voice, comic pieces for Elle and Marie Claire, episodes for TV show Lizzie McGuire, and the Warner Brother’s TV-movie starring Lindsay Lohan, Labor Pains. And Stacy's latest focus? Writing to entertain the complicated and sassy "tween" demographic. Together with long-time friend and coworker, Valerie Thomas, they wrote and released the hit pre-teen novel, Karma Bites this Fall 2010. Stacy confesses there aren’t any vampires in the novel, but she and Val have been bitten by the charms of the young adult market, where the book has received sparkling reviews.

We know Stacy has the formula right when her humorous, smart, and often sarcastic writing makes both tweens and adults laugh in unison. 

DJ: JON WIENNER

Jon Wienner got his first set of turntables at the ripe age of 12. Growing up in Connecticut, he seized any opportunity he could to experiment with spinning. At 18, he moved to New York City to attend Sarah Lawrence College, where he was able to use the resources of the city to hone his DJing skills. Now, at only 19 years old, Jon has spun at many of New York City's most popular nightlife venues, with 1Oak, GoldBar, the Rivington Hotel, Greenhouse, and Tenjune among the notches on his belt. 


Jon relies on patience and practice that allow him to do what he loves-- keep a room dancing. 

Brooklyn Academy of Music: KAREN BROOKS HOPKINS

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) featured its first performance in 1861, and has been a fixture of Brooklyn and New York City culture ever since. Now, more than ever, BAM is bursting at the seams with international drama, art, music, dance, and film, as home to the Howard Gilman Opera House, Harvey Theater, and Rose Cinemas. The woman at the helm is none other than its president, Karen Brooks Hopkins. And what does the president of such a prestigious cultural center do? The answer, in short, is: everything. From managing finances to pleasing clientele, Karen is the force that has brought BAM into the spotlight over the past couple of years. 

Karen is committed to delivering cutting-edge art while leveraging all of the creativity and character that Brooklyn has to offer. For more information about BAM, please visit www.bam.org.
 

Nightlife Director: ADAM ALPERT

Adam Alpert proves that, in New York, "Anything Can Happen." From running a spontaneous college business venture at a spot on the Upper West Side to a career in nightlife hosting events like celebrity-studded album release parties, Adam chose to pursue the nightlife industry because he not only likes it--he knows it.  Plus, he has learned from the best. Adam got his roots interning in college for Steve Lewis, who at the time was viewed as the king of nightlife (tied to infamous clubs Studio 54, Tunnel, Palladium, and Limelight). There, he met Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva, who partnered up and opened Butter that year. By the time Adam graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, he had opened his own nightlife promotions and marketing company, and in 2006, Scott and Richie asked him to fill the role of Director for their 18-month management deal to open a mini-nightclub in the basement of the Hotel Gansevoort called G-Spa. In addition, he managed their Monday night party at Butter, and contributed to preparing for their first big nightclub, 1OAK ("1 Of A Kind"). Together, the three opened 1OAK in 2008, which is considered by many to be one of the best nightclubs in the world.

Adam takes a tempered approach to an overwhelming scene by keeping his own partying in check and staying grounded with the people he loves...as well as his dog.

Actor: SPENCER CLARK

Spencer Clark has evolved from a child actor to a burgeoning movie star. He's our personal favorite--not only because he's our friend, but also because he explains so well what it feels like to watch yourself on screen (and is wholly unaffected). You may remember him as the young Lucius Verus in the Academy Award winning film Gladiator, or know him as the (all grown up!) teen son of the bad guys in The Last House on the Left .  He has also appeared in Unbreakable, Mystic River, and on the television show, The Good Wife. But these days, Spencer has been focusing on playing the role of "college student," attending Columbia University full-time and majoring in political science. He's talented both on screen and in the classroom. When asked what his upcoming projects were, he duly responded: "My only project right now is somehow making it through this next week of school!" We feel your pain, Spence. 

Insider tips: If you camp out in Morningside Heights, you might spot Spencer riding his bicycle around Columbia. And if you want to see his baby pics, click here. 

XL Recordings: JULIA WILLINGER

Julia Willinger explains that she gets "a gut feeling" about good music. Although she is only twenty-three and would modestly insist that she doesn't deserve such a confident accolade, she is an expert. Julia is already a label coordinator at the independent record label, XL Recordings, which represents notable artists such as Radiohead, Sigur Ros, M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, Beck and the White Stripes, among many other huge names in the industry. Julia has worked in music throughout college, holding positions at Fuse TV and Sony Music, and acting as the Tulane University managing concert coordinator (which is both an extreme responsibility and highly sought after role). After graduating, Julia extended her industry experience at an imprint of RCA Records, Black Seal Music as the youngest member of the team. 

Julia is poised and committed. Out of a crowd at a concert, she is one audience member whose attendance an aspiring musician should hope for. 

Morphoses: CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON & LOURDES LOPEZ

Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company was founded in 2007 by ballet celebrities Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez. The company, based in New York City and London, has revolutionized the ballet world with innovative and contemporary choreography, costumes, music, set design, and programming to attract a wider audience. Christopher is the company's Artistic Director and one of ballet's most respected choreographers. He has created ballets for renowned companies including the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and, most notably, the New York City Ballet, where he served as resident Choreographer from 2001 to 2008. Born in Somerset, England, he danced with both the Royal Ballet and the New York City Ballet before retiring as a dancer to pursue choreography in 2000. Lourdes, the company's Executive Director, is a former New York City Ballet principal dancer, and served as the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation. Born in Havana, she is also a founder of the Cuban Artists Fund, a company that supports Cuban and Cuban-American artists.

Whether choreographing for the New York City Ballet or tangoing at a wedding, Christopher and Lourdes live for the freedom and expression of dance--after all, "Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery."
  

Saturday Night Live: MARIKA SAWYER

Many people think they're smart, and even more people think they're funny, but the writers of NBC's Saturday Night Live prove that they're both smart AND funny every weekend without fail before millions of viewers. Marika Sawyer, who fell into a career as a writer for the show, approaches the daunting task of making America laugh with confidence and a lot of hard work. She started at the studio as a receptionist and script PA, and after years of typing other peoples' scripts, Marika decided she would give writing a try herself. Now, at twenty-five years old, she has been a core writer for the show for four years. As a result of the vision and long hours of quick wits like Marika, SNL has remained a staple of late-night television for thirty -five years. So, we present to you one of the creative minds from behind the scenes. 
  

William Morris Endeavor: BRANDON COHEN

Brandon Cohen started at premiere talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) in the mailroom just like every employee--whether straight out of college or equipped with a Harvard MBA. WME is considered the number one firm after traditional William Morris, founded in 1898, merged with Ari Emanuel's (the real life Ari Gold) powerhouse Endeavor this past year. At WME, Brandon has secured a position as an assistant (think: Lloyd) and has moved from the L.A. office back to his native New York City to work in the East Coast headquarters. If you think this business is all glamor and TV-watching, think again. 


Here's Brandon Cohen, non-scripted:"True Life: I Want to Be an Agent"