Cutting the cord; how to get rid of cable
'Mary Poppins' adds more shows; letter to the editor
By Darren Johnson
Journal & Press
The readers of this newsletter, for the most part, are loyalists to a print newspaper — as we all should be — but that also denotes we may be a demographic that likes traditional media.
While I don’t think subscribing to a $42/year newspaper is that big of an ask, other forms of traditional media can be quite expensive.
Early in the pandemic I cut Spectrum — I had been using them for cable TV, Internet and even phone.
My bill usually hovered close to $200 a month, unless I had some deal that maybe saved me $50. Let’s say average bill was $175 a month.
During the pandemic, the service wasn’t working — again — and I had to have some guy from there, traipsing through the house more than a couple of times. Wires, modems, cable boxes, routers.
Dealing with the company by phone was always a nightmare. Their Spectrum store in Wilton is a case study on how not to perform customer service.
Eventually, I’d had enough.
Some say it costs the same to cut the cord, as all of these a la carte streaming channels add up, but is that really true?
Let’s break it down:
I got a $50 window antenna for local broadcast TV. Sometimes one of the dogs hits the antenna and I temporarily lose reception to a channel, so I’ll have to, say, watch CBS news as opposed to NBC news, but all of these news broadcast are all kind of the same. This was a one-time expense that will last many years, and you can find these antennas cheaper on eBay (mine’s a Mohu Leaf 50).
In case you haven’t used an antenna this century, it’s all digital now. You will get a lot of channels crystal clear with one — and, again, free!
I just use my cell phone instead of a landline (I’d only had the landline because occasionally I had to use a fax machine for newspaper stuff. But now everyone is good with scanning/emailing docs).
For Internet, Verizon offered me a 5G cube. You can stop by the Verizon Store — which is much friendlier than the Spectrum Store — and see if your address qualifies. I’m near the Hudson and close to a Verizon signal, so it works for me. As I was already a Verizon customer, this only adds about $40 to my monthly family plan bill. (I’m sure AT&T, T-Mobile and others also have similar cubes.) The Internet provided via my cube is excellent — and I’m a big streamer. And no routers, wires, etc.! And no service calls — if it stops working, I can just go get another, for free!
Channels: If you like those basic cable channels, like A&E, History and Lifetime, you could get Frndly TV for only $6.99/mo. They also have a DVR feature for a buck or two more. I no longer care for these channels, but a lot of people do like them. Shows from those channels, though, do show up on other streaming services, so you can also find them there.
You will need to either have a smart TV (which aren’t expensive anymore) or hook up something like a Roku Express stick to your TV. These may be a one-time expense of $30 or so. The Roku remote is exceedingly simple. There are buttons on it that say “Netflix,” “Hulu,” “Amazon,” etc.
Also, it’s important to note, once you have a smart TV or something like Roku, you now can get lots of free movies and channels.
Your local or college library probably allows you lots of free movies via an app called Kanopy. Just search for it on your smart TV/stick and download, then input your library info.
Sports — major ones come over the antenna for free, and streaming services like Amazon’s (which you get for free if you are a Prime member) often carry big games.
You can also broadcast tons of free YouTube shows to your TV from your smartphone. I watch an independent show regularly that way.
Streaming channels: I feel that Netflix is a must-have. There’s just so much on it and the original programming is decent. Hulu is good. Max (formerly HBO) has some good quality — they know how to curate the best shows — and is worth it; especially their lower-priced plan at about $10. I may add on a Peacock or Paramount if they have a hot series. Those usually run about $5 a month. So let’s say the above is $40/month, if you’re allowing that Amazon is “free” because of all of the free shipping you get being a Prime member.
OK, so what’s the monthly cost? $40 for the Internet cube, $40 for the premium streaming channels, maybe, say, $5 for the occasional add-on, and the hardware costs are negligible. So I think it’s fair to say my cost for TV/Internet is $85 a month.
Plus, when I had cable, I was paying for movie rentals and Netflix anyway, so my total bill then was definitely closer to $200 a month.
And no wires, routers, rude service people or service calls.
So go cut your cord — you’ll have to go to that purgatory known as the Spectrum Store to return your hardware, but, after that, you’re done!
And Now for the Comics — ‘Filbert’ by LA Bonté
‘Mary Poppins’ Sounds Great! Adds Third Weekend!
Fort Salem Theater announced the talented cast and creative team for Disney’s Mary Poppins, running from July 26 to August 11. Due to anticipated demand, a third weekend has been added to what is expected to be Fort Salem Theater’s biggest production to date. Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to reserve your seats now at FortSalem.com or by calling 518-854-9200.
Executive and Artistic Director Kyle West shared his excitement: “This production is a fantastic opportunity for both experienced and new performers of all ages to share the stage. It’s the perfect family-fun musical for our summer season, and one that kids and adults alike are sure to love.”
Based on the book by P.L. Travers, this beloved nanny (made famous on film by Julie Andrews) is “practically perfect” and knows just what “A Spoonful of Sugar” can do to help a posh pair of children seeking the perfect nanny. The musical brings the Disney favorite to life with songs like “Let’s Go Fly A Kite,” “Step In Time,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The musical is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, with original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, a book by Julian Fellowes, and new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. It was co-created by Cameron Mackintosh.
Jaynie Parmenter stars as Mary Poppins. Jaynie returns to the role, having won the HSMTA Award as Mary Poppins in 2017. She then performed at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway as a Jimmy Awards nominee and now has several songs available on Spotify, including her single, “over u.” She appears opposite Michael Nichols-Pate as Bert. Michael is an Upstate-based performer, director, and producer who has most recently been seen onstage locally in “Cabaret” (Emcee), “Seussical” (Cat in the Hat), “Cinderella” (the Herald), and the world premiere of the musical “Solstice,” where he originated the role of Danny Romero.
Guest artist James Kidd makes his Fort Salem Theater debut as George Banks. James has performed in three National Tours, including "Annie," "Peter Pan," and "A Christmas Carol," plus numerous professional performances at Mac-Haydn Theatre and Park Playhouse. On TV, he appeared on “The Blacklist,” and in numerous crime dramas including "Redrum" and "Evilm" and the History Channel miniseries "The Men Who Built America." As his wife, Winifred Banks, Lauren Schirnhofer returns to FST, having recently appeared in “Into the Woods.” Lauren is an actor, singer, and teaching artist who has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and internationally, from Europe to South America. Her European credits include the French premieres of the musicals “Edges,” “Ordinary Days,” “Island Song,” and “Next Thing You Know.” Her US performances include “The Robber Bridegroom” (Rosamund), “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” (Sally), “Rock of Ages” (Mother/Waitress #1), and “Into the Woods” (Baker's Wife, Cinderella), plus shows at Feinstein's 54 Below in NYC.
The Banks’ children are comprised of Luke Snyder of Salem and Nathan Graves of Greenwich as Michael, and Evelyn Clary of Cambridge (who recently appeared in the Batman film “Out of the Darkness”) as Jane Banks.
The full cast includes Alanah "Jackie" Grant as Mrs. Corry, Kathi Waters as the Bird Woman, Mary Jo Greco as Mrs. Brill, Chandler Hansen as Robertson Ay, Maureen Cossey as Miss Andrew, Liam Reynolds as Neleus, Warren Shultz as Admiral Boom & Bank Chairman, Vanessa Riley O'Neil-Moffre as Valentine, Kim Crossway as Katie Nanna, Molly Waters as Miss Lark, Anthony Jones as Park Keeper, Tara Graves as Miss Smythe, Lily Reynolds as Queen Victoria, Natalie Heneghan as Annie Corry, Scarlett Bashaw as Fannie Corry, Chandler Morris, Finn Allen, Heidi Pedersen, Vera Clary, Naomi Fitzpatrick, Narissa Mongiovi, Zurie Adams, and Julia Steidle (who understudies Miss Andrew and the Bird Woman).
The production team is no stranger to the musical. Fort Salem Theater’s production is directed and choreographed by Kyle West, who worked behind the scenes on the Broadway production in 2007-2008. Music Director Tom Odell once played Bert, and Assistant Director Jenna Wilkinson coincidently played Mary in a previous production. Rounding out the creative team is Assistant Music Director Lily Gallagher, Stage Manager Julia Steidle, and Resident Scenic Designer Charles J.I. Krawczyk. Additional creative team members will be announced soon.
Mary Poppins performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 2:00PM from July 26 to August 11. The historic theater is located at 11 E. Broadway in Salem, New York. Tickets range from $20-$30, with discounts available for groups 10+. Get yours before they “fly” away at FortSalem.com or by calling 518-854-9200.
Letter to the Editor
Yes, people still send us physical letters. Here’s a nice one commending columnist Lance Wang.
Why not send us one? We’re prefer it by email (400 words max) to editor@journalandpress.com.
Get it to us by tomorrow and it will get in our next paper!
That’s it for today! Please subscribe to this newsletter, if you haven’t already. We just saved you over $100 a month vs. your cable bill, after all!
Great articles!
Thank you!
What a great “How to” for cutting cable! Thanks. And we will definitely show up for Mary Poppins!