We Have Come Full Circle

Well folks, the time has finally come. After 111 blissful days in the Big Apple, I must return home. Our plane flies out of LaGuardia this afternoon, so I will soon be back home in Lansing.

The past few days have been pretty wonderful - with an overabundance of full circles bringing this semester to perfect completion. It all started on Sunday morning, when Kelly and I attended mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. I first came to this church 5 1/2 years ago on Palm Sunday, during my first trip to New York. Attending an Advent mass has now brought my St. Patrick's experience FULL CIRCLE.


After picking up our final student rush tickets (FULL CIRCLE), Kelly and I attempted to eat lunch at the always-delicious Hale and Hearty Soups. This restaurant has eluded us in the past - for some reason, we can never manage to see it (even walking directly by it) and have walked blocks past it several times. Today, we attempted to eat at a location we had ne'er before been to - bad idea. We walked directly next to it, did not notice, and proceeded for 5 blocks before turning around. FULL CIRCLE. When we finally did find it...it was closed. So we sadly went to Pax Wholesome Foods instead, where I ate my final delicious chicken Caesar salad. FULL CIRCLE.


Sunday night, Kelly, Amy, and I made our final excursion to see improv at the Upright Citizens' Brigade. We waited in the cold for a solid hour and got into the show. Sadly, there was no one of great importance there, but the show was still solid. FULL CIRCLE.


Monday was a day of reminiscing and relaxation. During the day, we just kind of sat around and maybe even did a little packing. Come nightfall, Amanda, Sally, Kelly, and I ventured to the legendary Ziegfeld Theatre to see Nine in limited release - that's right, it isn't even out in Michigan yet! The film was decent - Marion Cotillard was great and "Cinema Italiano" will be stuck in my head for weeks (Guido Guido GuidoGuidoGuidoGuido!). I remember seeing this theatre when I first came to New York, so it was just lovely to finally be able to visit. FULL CIRCLE.

Tuesday was chock-full of full circles. My first order of business was to bid my final farewells to MTC and Theater Mogul. Of course, my goodbyes were long and drawn out, as I was more than heartbroken to leave these places I have loved so much. Before I left, Debra remarked that I was one of the 5 best interns she's ever had - she quickly switched that to one of the 10 best (3 of them were in the room...), but I'll still take the compliment. I reassured everyone that I would visit them during my next trip to New York - which will be no later than May. It was lovely to visit these beautiful places one last time. FULL CIRCLE.

Tuesday night, almost on a whim, Kelly and I decided to attempt the Hair lottery...again. It would be such a fitting end to our trip to see Hair one last time. Of course, my expectations were very low, given our dismal lottery record. We showed up to the lottery, and were delighted to find that there was barely anyone there! About three people in, they called out Kelly's name! They even picked me a few people later - we didn't need 'em. We got our tickets, and headed over to grab some quick dinner at the Sbarro at Times Square - where we ate our first dinner in New York at the beginning of the semester. FULL CIRCLE. Around 7:30, we entered the theatre only to find that our seats were even worse than the two times before. Fabulous.  I suggested we ask an usher if we could move - but I hate confrontation, so I made Kelly do it. The usher was surprisingly empathetic, and said we could move when the lights went down. So the show began and we sneaked to the middle of the mezzanine - absolutely perfect! We finally got to hear and see the show in all its glory. After one final dance on the Al Hirschfeld stage, we left the theatre on a high from the ultimate FULL CIRCLE.

After the show, Kelly and I wandered around Times Square for a while and said our final goodbyes. We visited the Colony one last time, purchased our final Jamba Juices (Peanut Butter Moo'd of course - hold the banana), and reminisced nostalgically atop the TKTS steps. FULL CIRCLE. This has been a semester of incredible opportunities, wonderful theatre, delectable food...and a whole lot more.

What more can I say? Some come to work; some to play. I was fortunate enough to manage both, and even learn a little in the process.

Broadway, Broadway: How Great You Are

And I would know, because I have literally seen it all. As of this afternoon, I have officially seen every show on Broadway (including national touring productions and exempting White Christmas and Burn the Floor - which don't really count). This semester alone, I have seen 30 Broadway shows, with a triumvirate of shows this weekend wrapping it up.

First, a quick quasi-digression: on Thursday, I returned to South Pacific, since I did not get to see Kelli O'Hara last time. Well, she was in the show this time and let me tell you - she was absolutely perfect. And Paulo Szot was even better when he had her to play off of - the magic of the two of them together was all a person could ask for. Sadly, Cable was still atrocious and Bloody Mary's understudy was pretty awful as well. But they didn't detract from the overall impact of the production, thanks to the power of Mr. Szot and Ms. O'Hara. I even got to see the show from house left this time, so I have an entirely new perspective. Yet another enchanted evening. Moving on...


On Friday, Kelly and I attended the eagerly-anticipated revival of A Little Night Music. Yes, Angela Lanbsury was there. Yes, Catherine Zeta-Jones was there. Yes, they were both very good. Ms. Lansbury can really do no wrong, so I was obviously blown away by her performance - she was hilarious, engaging, and completely affecting. And Ms. Zeta-Jones was surprisingly great - she landed the comic moments beautifully and offered a moving, tragic rendition of "Send in the Clowns." Sondheim's score is undeniably brilliant, so that alone more than justified the price of admission. After the show, we hit up the stage door (our first visit to one in months). Catherine emerged and was more than cordial, signing Playbills and chatting away to the crowd's delight. Unfortunately, we were stood up once again by Angela (she also failed to come out in May when we saw her in Blithe Spirit). Oh well, I can still cherish my memories of seeing her and the rest of the cast and crew while they rehearsed at MTC. Isn't it rich, indeed.

On Saturday we finally (and I mean finally) got to see Ragtime. After millions of failed lottery attempts (okay, it was at least 8 though...), we took a safer route and bought tickets on TDF. The seats were wonderful - Row P, orchestra left. And the production: wow. All the production elements were absolutely gorgeous, and the direction was so picturesque and electrifying. Each and every actor was wonderful as well - Quentin Earl Darrington was powerful and natural as Coalhouse; Stephanie Umoh was great as Sarah (and she looked and sounded just enough like Audra McDonald to get me through); Christiane Noll was deeply moving as Mother; Bobby Steggert was a fiery, impassioned Younger Brother; the list goes on and on... It breaks my heart that I couldn't see the original production, but this one was so incredibly wonderful that I think I can make it through now.


And today, we finally attended the elusive Superior Donuts. This was our fall-back show when we couldn't get into anything else (generally post-lottery loss); but strangely, the student rush tickets were always sold out. So this time we showed up early and snagged our tickets - this was tragically our last early-morning ticket line of the year, so it was definitely a bittersweet experience. The production was very respectable. Michael McKean's acting was wonderfully understated and Jon Michael Hill gave a breakthrough, effortless, passionate performance. I loved the play up until the last quarter of it, which let me down somewhat. It could definitely use another rewrite, and the fight choreography was bizarrely subpar. The most tragic part is that this is the show that replaced the Pulitzer-prize winning August: Osage County, which we had expected to still be running. Oh well, I suppose we did see enough great theatre to make up for it...


So there you have it: the complete Broadway experience. It's gonna be incredibly strange to not be able to see every show as it comes out from now on. Next semester I will just have to sit back and imagine what the shows are like...that is until I return in the near future. And I mean soon. Very, very soon.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

They say that dreams come true. And this day in New York City has been a verification of that idiom. After weeks of weather reports promising no wintry precipitation whatsoever, the winds have changed. For an epic blizzard is currently sweeping through the city, covering everything in lovely white sheet of snow.

To christen this joyous occasion, Sally, Kelly, Amy, and I headed over to Bryant Park for some ice-skating on "The Pond". We strategically arrived just as the snow began to fall. We waited in a slightly length line, but were on the rink and skating to our hearts' delight within a half hour. The picture was truly perfect: we skated at a leisurely pace underneath the illuminated tree, framed by the light-falling snowflakes. And as much as I hate the song "Christmastime Is Here", I succumbed to its charm when it began to play mid-skate. We were just like the Peanuts gang in "A Charlie Brown Christmas". So yes, it was pretty much perfect. I was sad to leave the rink, but we had to move on. And besides, everyone loves a good Zamboni run. Me most of all...

It's Hard to Say Goodbye, My Love

Well, it's been fun. I had my last day at MTC today. It was a surreal affair, since I've gotten so used to working there - I don't think I really believed it would ever end. But unfortunately, this too must pass. The word on the street is that they are having quite a difficult time finding a replacement for me. But alas, I must go.

My last day was celebrated with a moderate amount of pomp and circumstance. It was also Andrew's last day, so Sunil and Caitlin pulled out all the stops. And by that, I mean they bought us pizza for lunch. The four of us split a medium buffalo chicken pizza and a large cheese pizza - and this is New York, so they here both HUGE. Impressively though, we managed to finish both. Other than an exciting lunch, I didn't do too much on my last day. I had to sadly turn in my key card, say my goodbyes, and walk out the door. Hopefully I can return someday...

My last day at Theater Mogul occurred prematurely. I finished work on Wednesday, and left thinking I would return on Friday and say my goodbyes. But I got an email on Thursday, explaining that I didn't need to come in on Friday since everyone was working from home: the office was robbed Wednesday night, and the computers are gone...wow. So they basically said their goodbyes then and there. But I won't stand for that - I'm for sure stopping by next week to wrap it all up. I'm also making a last stop at MTC to bid farewell to Debra.

So clearly I just can't stay away. Other last-week-happenings include dinner on Wednesday with fellow marketing intern Andrew and a joyous intern breakfast on Thursday morning. The semester has come and gone, and I loved it so.

Fabulous Fun with Friends and Food

These past few days have been filled with merriment, camaraderie, and a smörgåsbord of delicious food. I like each of these elements individually, but together they constitute a delightful time for all.

On Monday, the New York Arts Program had its annual festive holiday party! 'Twas a lavish catered affair, overflowing with joy and sweet treats. I chomped down on cupcakes, pizza, chips, cheese, crackers, et al. Most of the interns this semester showed up, along with all the advisers and even some interviewees. In fact, Michael Fentin of Albion College was in town for the occasion (interviewing for next semester), which was absolutely lovely. I got to mingle with fun folks and catch up with an old friend. To boot, a whole bunch of us gathered in the lounge afterward and watched a nice...um...Christmas movie: Mary Poppins. Christmas movie? I beg to differ...

And tonight was just as eventful...if not even more so! The day at MTC was capped off with a wonderful seminar with Lynne Meadow, the artistic director. She is a hilarious, fun, engaging woman, and I so enjoyed everything she had to say. After work, I headed over to the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) to see a play called Heaven Knows, because fellow NYAP interns Kevin and Sally are working on the show. Well, on the way out of MTC, I randomly asked Maddie (another MTC intern) what she was doing after work, and she said she was going to see a show at EST. Crazy - so was I! So we waltzed on over to the theatre together and waited for the show to begin.

The play was very strong and intense. I didn't love all the performances, but altogether the end result was cohesive and powerful. And of course, Sally rocked the wardrobe supervision, while Kevin assistant stage managed to perfection. After the show, we made a much-needed dinner stop at the Westway Diner. Our waiter was absolutely insane, and had quite possibly the most frightening smirky smile I have ever witnessed. Much to our delight, though, he managed to successfully split up our bills (see picture for our bewildered excitement). My Mexican chicken wrap was less than adequate, but we made up for it on the way home by stopping at Baskin-Robbins for some scrumptious ice cream - I got three scoops for the price of two! Food. Friends. Fun.

And finally, my semester has come completely full circle. You may recall that a couple of weeks into the semester, I went to a show entitled Race Music. Well, the one good actor in that play was a man named Chris Ceraso - who I subsequently have seen all around town - in subway stations and even at MTC. When I spotted him at EST tonight, I knew something was up. Well, it turns out that he is a teaching artist at MTC and the author of Heaven Knows. This man has been all over my life, and it has provided this semester with a bizarre connected thread. Thank you, Mr. Ceraso, for the memories.

The Reign Is Over

Today marked the end of a wonderful era at MTC: both of our current productions, The Royal Family and Nightingale, closed today. Being the sentimental person that I am, I could not resist attending the closing performance of The Royal Family. I brought Kelly and Amy along with me, and we had a rick-rollicking good time. We even crashed the patron lounge and took our fair share of coffee/water/m&m's/chocolate almonds.

As for the show, I had not fully appreciated just how brilliant it is until viewing it again...but it is seriously hysterical, perfectly paced, and deeply moving. Jan Maxwell is truly a comic genius (Kathie Lee said this on The Today Show, and she was right), and I am seriously going to miss watching her catastrophic meltdown at the end of Act Two. The cast of course got a rousing standing ovation, and Ms. Maxwell and Rosemary Harris were thrown more roses than they could possibly know what to do with. I am so proud to have worked at MTC during the run of this show. It had a great run (or should I say reign?).

This night, we were all discouraged about attending UCB, since it was raining so intensely. Fallon, Lisa, Amy, and Bryce braved it and waited outside for 2 hours to get front-row seats. Kelly and I finally decided to go, and headed out way later so we would only have to wait 45 minutes or so. Upon getting outside we were delighted to find that the rain was over (see what I did there? Refer to the title of this blog post for the pun). Well, we still got second row seats, directly behind the rest of our crew. There was nobody particularly famous this week, but the monologues and improv were simultaneously hilarious and bizarrely inappropriate.

So all in all, it's been a good reign. Rain? Reign.

More Than I Bargained For

Some pretty extraordinary things went down at MTC this week. Out of all of the excitement galore, two events in particular stand out in my mind.

First off, we had not one, but two seminars this week. One was with Barry Grove, the executive producer of MTC (as he has been since the company began, some 40 years ago). His life is pretty fascinating, and he's such a legend in New York theatre that it was incredible to be able to hear what he had to say. My favorite quote from the meeting: "You have to be like a chameleon and change colors...there are also some fish who change colors as well. I'm more of a fish person, so I associate better with water animals than with land creatures."...WHAT?!

But the other seminar was possibly even more exciting. This one was run by a special guest: Bill Pullman. That's right, the Bill Pullman. Of such classic films as "Spaceballs", "Casper", and "Independence Day". It was fantastic to hear him speak about his life as an actor - he has done a lot with both theatre and film, and he took a crazy road getting to where he is. He even has a Master's degree in directing - who knew?! Of course, we theatre interns were most interested in his work with Edward Albee, who is cah-razy. He told wondrous anecdotes, and we were even provided with free snacks and refreshments. An exciting time indeed.

And finally, I have saved the best for last. Around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, I got a call at my desk from Kelly in the Casting Department, who was frantically looking for someone who can play the piano. They were doing auditions for a musical version of "The Hudsucker Proxy", and their accompanist had to leave. There were still three auditions left, so they wanted me to play for them. Of course I took them up on the offer. I hurried downstairs and into the audition room, where sat Lynne Meadow (MTC artistic director) and Glenn Slater (Tony-nominated Broadway lyricist), as well as some others. And the first audition was with Broadway star Jenn Gambatese. These auditions were legit, and I rocked all three (well, the last was a little sketchy, but it was mainly the girl's fault...). So basically, I made some good impressions in front of some big-time Broadway names. My professional accompanying debut, and I didn't even have to seek it out...

In return for coming to the rescue, the casting office delivered to me a bottle of red wine and card thanking me for "saving our bacon". They also said I should give them my resume for them to put on file as an audition accompanist. So yeah, I count this experience as a rousing success.

Happy to Have MET You

The past two days have been incredibly productive...in two completely different ways. Last night, I got home from work at about 6:30, unbelievably exhausted from my lack of sleep (which has accumulated slowly but surely over the past 3 months). I decided it was time to catch up - so I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. (yup). And I woke up today at 8:30 a.m. 12 1/2 hours was exactly what I needed.

And it's a good thing I slept that long, because I could not have gotten through the day without it. For tonight, Kelly and I went to the METropolitan Opera to attend a performance of Puccini's Il Trittico. Running time: 4 hours. We left at midnight.

I got in line for the tickets this afternoon at 3:00, waited 3 hours, and purchased the two $20 Orchestra tickets at 6:00. And the performance was absolutely wonderful. I don't know how they do it, but the MET rotates about 4 different productions every week, each with its own separate massive set. Il Trittico is a collection of three one-act operas (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi), so each act had its own elaborate, huge, gorgeous, awe-inspiring set. And in front of each seat there are "MET titles", where one can read the translations. This place is so legit.

All three acts were phenomenal in their own way, but the third was my favorite - it was genuinely hilarious and beautifully presented. Not to mention that at the end, the room in which the whole act was set descended to reveal the roof of the building, set against the skyline of Florence. It was absolutely breathtaking and spectacular. Everything was great: the music, the orchestra, the performances, the sets, the lights, the costumes, the direction. I shouted "Bravo!", "Brava!", and "Bravissimo!" as loud as my lungs would allow.

And if you're wondering: yes, I felt exactly like Cher felt when she went to the MET in "Moonstruck". Except my experience was better: Nicolas Cage didn't come with me.

It'll Fill Your Heart With Christmas

Today was a festive day indeed, filled with much mirth and Christmas cheer. The events that transpired at the Manhattan Theatre Club and subsequently at Radio City Music Hall got me in a happy holiday mood.

First off, Sunil (my MTC sponsor) is out of the office until Wednesday, so I have had the honor and privilege of completing his complicated weekly reports. I did the sales summaries and daily wraps for both The Royal Family and Nightingale, as well as the weekly Subscription Report. It literally took me a full 5 hours to complete the three reports, but I did indeed do so with much success. Debra even gave me the ultimate compliment - she said with all the work I had been doing with these reports, I could pretty much work in the General Management office. Thanks, Debra!

But even better than a successful day at work was the MTC Holiday Party that followed. We at MTC take this party very seriously, particularly the Pie-Off Competition - which awards winners in both the fruit and non-fruit pie categories. A presentation accompanying each pie is required. The grand prize: the coveted Golden Spoon!

Much to my delight, the Intern Brigade entered two pies (Scotch-Infused Pecan Pie and Vegan Pumpkin Pie Shots), and we whipped up one hell of a presentation to go along with it. Inspired by the song "The Juggernaut" from The Wild Party (which MTC produced 10 years ago), we sang and danced about baking pies. Have a look at our presentation here!: Intern Brigade 2009 Pie-Off Presentation

Upon viewing the video, you can see that we delivered a polished, flawless performance...Well, shortly after all the presentations were complete (others involved readings of children's books, short skits, dance routines, and song parodies), the winners were announced. Taking the prize for fruit pies was Laurel, who performed an inspired version of The Captain & Tennille's "Pies Will Keep Us Together." And the winners of the Golden Spoon for non-fruit pies...THE INTERN BRIGADE!!!!

So the party was a rousing success. I enjoyed the lovely potluck dinner (I supplied some scrumptious scallions rolled up in cream cheese and ham - they're called (w)rapscallions) and chatting it up with the employees at MTC. I really love working with these people - so it was wondrous to be able to relax and have a good time with them.

Directly after our win, I had to rush over to the Radio City Music Hall...for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes! It was the most beautiful, extravagant thing I have ever seen: the Rockettes kicked up a storm, took a trip around Manhattan, and performed the signature Wooden Soldier routine; Santa flew in 3-D (yup, we even got glasses) and made Patrick believe!; camels and donkeys strutted across the stage for a live nativity scene; and best of all, it steadily snowed! There is no better way to get in the holiday mood in New York City. The commercial jingle for the show is as follows:

It's fill your heart with Christmas
Take everyone you love
To the Radio City Christmas Show!

Seriously, everyone should see this show. Merry Christmas! (I know, we still got some time, but I couldn't resist...)

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

...Everywhere you go. Seriously, with this last week came the emergence of millions of mini-lights, an abundance of Christmas Trees, and even a little bit of snow! And we here at NY Arts have been taking full advantage of the seasonal opportunities.

On Friday, I finally made it to Rockefeller Center to see the wonderfully illuminated tree! It really is a wondrous sight - the lights do a little flashing dance sporadically, and the tree is topped with a nine-foot Swarovski Crystal star. Not to mention that Saks Fifth Avenue next door is bedazzled with with huge light-up snowflakes that do a dance to "Carol of the Bells". Of course, the tourists go mad around these parts and it's a mess to navigate through, but it's definitely worth the sacrifice.

On Saturday, we saw our first hint of snow. It really started off as rain, and turned into a wintry mix of sorts halfway through the afternoon...but there were definitely some clearly-defined snowflakes at times. Amanda, Kelly, Sally, and I used this as an excuse to visit Bryant Park and have a look at all the shops and the tree. Unfortunately, it was too wet out to ice skate, but we will surely return when the time is right. We then hiked on up to Rockefeller Center (yup, twice in two days for me) to have a look at all the madness before calling it a night.

And today, Fallon, Kelly, Sally, and I headed down to the Union Square Holiday Market. There are all sorts of fun shops in the square, selling knickknacks and scarfs and snacks and hats and ornaments and all sorts of crazy things. Sally and Kelly each purchased a delicious gingerbread woman, while I opted for the non-human-shaped form of same cookie. It was potentially the best cookie I have ever had - and paired with some delicious hot apple cider (or as I prefer to call it, wassail), it was exactly what I needed.

So New York has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland of sorts. Hopefully the snow will actually come down with conviction at some point in the next couple of weeks. And finally, coming up tomorrow night...the ultimate New York Christmas experience...The Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes! I cannot contain my excitement!

Four-Letter Words

This has been the week plays with four-letter word titles. On Tuesday, Kelly and I saw Fela!, and followed it up today with Race.

Upon glancing at the list directly to the left, I have realized that Fela! is the first show we have seen this semester with an exclamation point in the title - which is tragic, because I love and exclaimed show title. Well, Fela! definitely delivered on its promise of exclamation. The show is about Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician and composer who pioneered Afrobeat music. The show's choreography is absolutely explosive - and we audience members even got our turn to break it down. The best part of the show: Sting was in attendance. Not to belittle the merits of the show (it really was phenomenal), but everyone loves a good celebrity.

Wednesday was definitely...um...eventful. Kelly and I planned on hanging out at Rockefeller Center for a few hours to see the lighting of the Christmas Tree. Well, we got there around 5:30, and the crowd was out of control...not to mention that it was raining. We were far away from the tree, couldn't hear the performances, and were getting wet, so we decided that the New York Arts lounge would be a much more comfortable place to watch the event. So we did just that - although, sadly, I managed to get distracted during the countdown to the tree lighting, and completely missed it. So I went from expecting to see the tree lit in person to missing it altogether. Oh well, at least I was warm and comfy inside.

And tonight we saw David Mamet's Race. It was definitely a step (or two or three) above the current production of Oleanna. It's about a law firm made up of two black lawyers and one white lawyer who have to decide whether or not to defend a white man who has been accused of raping a black woman. So...do we understand the title yet? The production was great - in classic Mamet style, it was incredibly provocative. James Spader and David Alan Grier were excellent in their parts, Kerry Washington was good but not great, and Richard Thomas was kind of awful. But the best part of the event - it was a press preview, so I was joking that we might see Ben Brantley (chief theatre critic for the New York Times) at the show. After taking our seats, I went down to use the bathroom, and who do I spot...but Mr. Brantley himself. BTW, He is just as frightening in person as he is in the picture to the right. We even stalked him a little at intermission, and found him outside reading an article about the show...making that exact same face. Absolutely frightening. A lovely evening at the theatre.

To Have and Have Not...

Sunday was another case of the good and the bad (well, more like the ugly actually), compliments of (respectively) the Upright Citizens Brigade and the Roundabout Theatre Company.

We kicked off the day with a visit to the theatre to see After Miss Julie. Amanda, Sally, Kellie, Kelly, and I picked up our $10 tickets and took our seats. Sadly, the lovely discounted tickets are the last good thing I have to say about the show...it was pretty awful. Sienna Miller did not deliver what the title character needed, a good 20 minutes of the play was unspoken, and there was a large table around which the characters walked at least 40 times - including one fantastical sequence in which Johnny Lee Miller pounded his fist while hopping bizarrely all the way around the room. Roundabout produced this play (along with Bye Bye Birdie...eek), so I'm not really sure what to think of them anymore. Yeah, I'll stick with MTC.

But at least the post-show activities were exciting. We trekked on up to Blockheads and had a delicious Mexican fiesta of a lunch. My nachos were spectacular. On the way home, we made a much-needed stop at Duane Reade. I can't honestly recall why we went in, but suffice it to say that we left with (between all of us) two large bags of peanut butter m&m's, a Diet Coke, two boxes of Christmas cards, a Sprite Zero, a bag of sour gummi worms, two festive holiday garlands, a box of decadent chocolate, and then some. A productive stop indeed.

And of course, the night was topped of with an always-hilarious visit to the Upright Citizens Brigade. Kelly and I chose to stand in the back, which was fine other than the two girls to my right who snuck in and slowly but surely ousted me from my prime position. So I took the passive-aggressive approach to stand directly behind them and whisper loudly to Kelly about how upset I was. Regardless, the show was absolutely hysterical. Amy Poehler showed up once more, as well as Jason Sudeikis from SNL. Both the monologues and the skits were enjoyable this time. I love being an Uptight Citizen!

Cornucopia: Meaning Bountiful...A Lot Of

Thanksgiving in New York City has come and gone. My dad and brother came to visit, and we tackled a cornucopia of exciting activities. The festivities began on Wednesday and lasted all the way to Saturday. Nonstop.

First things first: I get word that the fam has arrived in North Bergen, New Jersey at around 5:00 on Wednesday, and they board a bus around 6:00, poised to arrive in the city within 15 minutes. So I scurry on over to the Port Authority Bus Terminal...only to discover that there bus is caught in ca-razy holiday traffic. So I wait (and wait (and wait)), and they finally arrive around 7:15. We quickly scarf down some pizza at Famiglia and hoof it on over to the Helen Hayes by 8:00 for a hysterical performance of The 39 Steps. It was just as funny the second time around, and provided a lovely start to the weekend ahead.

With Thursday came Thanksgiving itself! And what does Thanksgiving in NYC mean?...Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Live! In person! A large group of NYAPers headed out early (really, it was 6:30 a.m., a small price to pay), and we scoured out a prime spot on 42nd St. & 7th Ave. - the parade made a turn here, so we got to see the balloons and floats coming at us, and then do their wondrous turns. After two hours or so of waiting, the parade finally began! We could literally see it coming at us from a mile away - straight up the street from Central Park. And the parade did not disappoint: the balloons were massive and made some frightening turns over our heads/through narrow gaps, the floats were exquisite, the celebrities were...present (I either didn't really know who most of them were, or just didn't care), and the crowd was massive. The experience was thrilling.












After this, we made a trek up to Rockefeller Center (where the not-yet-lit tree stands) and then to Central Park. After accidentally riding an express train all the way up to 125th St. (we wanted 72nd), we finally made it to the park. We stumbled upon the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir, which is huge and I've strangely never seen before, as well as Strawberry Fields, which was sadly not decorated - the homeless man who usually brings the flowers and does the work took the holiday off. We then rested for a little while in preparation for Thanksgiving Dinner, which was not to happen until late at night.

Around 8:30, we finally met up with the Voigt family and headed down to SoHo for our lovely feast at Bistro Les Amis. We arrived just before 9:00 (the time of our reservation) and discovered there were no tables available...so we waited outside (and waited (and waited))...until finally, we were seated at 9:30. Luckily, the wait was well worth it. The meal consisted of bread, carrot ginger soup, salad, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, squash, mashed potatoes, turkey stuffed with sausage and mushrooms, and a choice of pumpkin pie or cheesecake for desert (I had a little of both...). Each and every course was delicious, delectable, and festive. Properly stuffed, we headed back and hit the sack for the night.

Friday was the day of the museum. We first headed back to Central Park to visit the Museum of Natural History. I've missed this place since my first visit more than 5 years ago. The best parts are all the animal exhibits, which display all sorts of creatures in their natural habitats. And of course, the forest, biology, space, and dinosaur exhibits are all fascinating as well. What a wonderful tour - I even learned a little something in the process. After this, we headed to another museum for a less intellectual experience. Yup, we went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. It was so worth it, too. I got my picture taken with all of my favorite celebs: Tyra, Whoopi, *NSYNC, Shakira, The Spice Girls, and even Madame Tussaud herself. They look so real!










Saturday was the last day for dad and Scott in the city. So how did we kick it off? By heading to New Jersey of course! We hopped on the NJ Transit and headed to downtown Hoboken, home of Carlo's Bakery (of the show "Cake Boss"). Unfortunately, upon arriving, we discovered a huge line looping around the block - and it wasn't moving, so it was surely a good hour wait. Well, we didn't have time for that, so we just snapped some pics of the front facade and then headed out. Around the corner, though, we spotted the back alley behind the shop. And emerging from it, bearing two enormous sheet cakes for the crowd, was none other than Mauro (we didn't know his name at the time - I just looked it up). Well, he offered us the cake (I took one of each - chocolate and red velvet) and then we got a nice picture with him. These people are incredibly nice. It was so worth the trip.

After moseying around a nice park in Hoboken for a while, we re-boarded the NJ Transit heading for the World Trade Center. Except that we ended up somewhere else in Jersey and had to wait for the correct train to pick us up there. We ended up a good hour out of our way. The NJ Transit only has five trains, but it's still so confusing. Well, we finally got to lower Manhattan, saw Ground Zero, perused the memorial, and walked along the southern shoreline, catching a distant glimpse of the Statue of Liberty as the sun set. Wow, that was beautifully stated...

And for our last event, we attended a performance of the groundbreaking musical, Next to Normal. Upon entering the theatre, I was disheartened to find that the amazing Alice Ripley would not be performing in the show (let's be honest though, neither dad nor Scott cared - and her understudy was phenomenal anyway). Again, this was my second time seeing the show - and it was even better this time around. Everybody loved it - how could they not?!

So that's the amazing holiday weekend. It was great to see my dad and brother before I embark on my last month in the city (ah!). And it was also terribly convenient, because they drove in, and I was able to send a whole bunch of unnecessary things home - because I can't take it all on a plane. Now that Thanksgiving is over, bring on the winter!

It Won't Be Long Now

We have officially reached the one-month countdown to saying goodbye to New York City. Not that I will actually be counting, because that would just be tragic. There's so little time, and so much left to do...I suppose. I guess other than seeing the rest of the shows on Broadway, I don't have much planned. We'll see where the road take us.

One thing I will definitely miss (and am sad that I discovered so late) is the free improv at Upright Citizens Brigade. I returned there for a third consecutive week this past Sunday, and it was the best show I have seen yet. The troupe this time included Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers once again. Oh yeah, and did I mention Rachel Dratch?! That's right, the Rachel Dratch from SNL partook in the improv hilarity. Honestly, it doesn't even matter what she says, because I will laugh regardless. And Fallon and I took a seat on the floor, practically on the stage, so we were dangerously and awesomely close to the stars and the action. I love celebrities. I love comedy. Put them together, and I will have a good time.

Speaking of a good time, one can also be currently be found on Broadway at Studio 54, home of Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking. And actually, the formula is pretty much the same as UCB: celebrity + comedy = good time for Nick. Kelly and I got some wonderfully discounted tickets for $10 (!) and the house wasn't sold out, so we even got to move closer to the stage. Now I've never been the biggest Carrie Fisher fan (although I do love her work in "When Harry Met Sally", and paricularly in "Scream 3"), but she is actually absolutely hilarious. She makes fun of herself and her ridiculous life (complete with lots of Star Wars references), and focuses on her struggles with addictions and manic depression. Another amazing part of the experience was the theatre itself - Studio 54 was a nightclub back in the day, and they have kept the wooden floors and cheetah-print carpet intact. Loves it.

Well, that's that. My dad and brother arrive in the city today! And tomorrow is Thanksgiving! So lots of fun things are in store - seeing The 39 Steps tonight, going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow, and seeing Next to Normal on Saturday. I'm not really sure what we'll do to fill in those gaps, but we'll figure something out. It should be an exciting time.

Some Guys Got It...And Some Guys Don't

These past few days have been a strange combination of the terrible, the mediocre, and the amazing...all rolled into one. I guess it's been a guilty pleasure sort of week. Let's start with the worst and build our way up...

Well, first let me provide you with some more advice for NYC tourists: if you are looking to see a Broadway show, do NOT - I repeat, DO NOT - see Bye Bye Birdie. Kelly and I have realized that we are roughly 8 shows away from seeing everything on Broadway, so we figured why not go for it? The downside of this effort is that it may require seeing some atrocious things - case in point, the revival of Bye Bye Birdie. Now I am actually a fan of the show itself - I think it's pretty funny and has some very catchy songs. But this production may have changed all that. Let's start with a list of the good things: Jayne Houdyshell's performance as Mae Peterson. [.....silence as people wait for the list to continue.....]. Sorry, but that's where it ends. She gave an admirable performance (and notice I said good things, not great) and provided the only genuine laughs in the show. The rest was pretty terrible - John Stamos and Gina Gershon both have terrible voices and gave weak performances...not to mention that the latter had a CD for sale in the lobby - who let her record a CD?! The kids were trying so hard to give the show energy, and some of the teenage boys were hilarious in how much they committed to their roles. Bill Irwin, who played Mr. MacAfee (a role I once perfected myself...), was clearly aware of how terrible the show was and as a result gave an unrestrained, out of control, admirably awful performance. In the end though, this was one of those shows that is so bad that they I began to enjoy it for that very reason.

One thing that was not so bad (other than our terribly distant seats) was Girl Crazy at City Center Encores! (that exclamation point is a part of the title - not that I'm not excited anyway). MTC got some comp tickets, and I snatched them right up. Amanda accompanied me, and we had a ball. This is a show from 1930, so there was basically no substance to it. However, the book was pretty darn funny and Gershwin's score was played to sumptuous perfection by a huge orchestra. There were some pretty big names, too - Wayne Knight (Newman on "Seinfeld"), Broadway star Marc Kudisch, and Ana Gasteyer ("SNL" and, of course, MTC's The Royal Family). The best part of the event was just to be able to hear Gershwin as it should be played - because they just don't write music like that anymore...

And now for the greatest guilty pleasure of all...This week, Kelly and I had the honor and privilege to attend a taping of "The Tyra Banks Show". We got to sit through the filming of two episodes. What more could one ask for? We kind of got jipped on the seating - we were way in the back corner of the section they don't film that much - but it was still a blast. They divided the audience up into 5 sections, and each had to compete against the others to cheer the loudest and be the craziest. During the first taping, our section (Section D!) were the clear winners...but they gave it to Section A. Which means that they got Tyra shirts. Not cool.

That's alright though, because I soon made up for my lack of prizes. Before the second episode, they selected a representative from each section to take part in a contest. Because of my insane enthusiasm, I was selected to represent Section D. And then they revealed what kind of contest this was: a dance competition. I was doubtful about my odds, because I was up against three black girls and a Latina. But I broke it down and held my own. So after the dancing was over, the four women were presented with a bag of various products, and I received the grand prize: a $100 gift certificate to Levi's.

The taping of the show itself was pretty terrible...and wonderful. The first episode was a makeover show - three average people gave makeovers to strangers they found on the street. There was also a beautiful segment in the middle in which Tyra gave a quadriplegic fan a makeover. Tyra really knows how to tug at my heart strings...Now the second episode was a strange potpourri of sorts. Topics include little girls struggling with body image (this was sad and frightening), a boy wrongfully accused of a crime who was proven innocent with the help of Facebook (really, Tyra?!), a woman who has had three plastic surgeries without anesthesia (eek), and organic skin treatments (lame). So we didn't really get the best episodes - but gaining $100 and experiencing Tyra up close in all her madness made it more than worth the trip.

And of course, no indulgence of guilty pleasures is complete without a visit to Jamba Juice. On Friday night, Amanda, Anna, Bryce, and I spontaneously headed up to Times Square to get some late night refreshments. That is the farthest I have ever traveled strictly to get Jamba, but it was more than worth it. Actually, this time I didn't feel so guilty, as I tried a delicious Jamba Light, and found myself very pleased with the slimming decision.

Coming up this week, we have Thanksgiving, which means family, turkey, parade, shows, fun tourist activities, and (strangely) lots of work. Although I get off at 2 on Wednesday, I am working some crazy front desk and patron lounge shifts (for cash) that will keep me busy all the way up until break begins. I don't hate it.