Money Well Spent

I wasn't necessarily what one might call "frugal" this weekend, but I would like to think that my money was spent wisely.

Friday: Kelly and I ventured to The Colony - the world's great sheet music store. I resisted temptation to buy anything in the store, although I did fall prey to the homeless organization asking for money outside - I forked over $10. Yup, that one better come back around. And for my final smart purchase of the night: a Mango-a-go-go at Jamba Juice.

Saturday: Another mornin', another show ticket line. This time we got in line around 8:45 to get student rush tickets for the matinee performance of Hamlet, starring Jude Law. The cost was $35, and I got more than my money's worth. For starters, the show is over 3 hours. And what's more, Jude Law was surprisingly great, the whole cast (with the possible exception of Ophelia) was wonderful, the lights were stunning, the costumes were modern and sleek, and it steadily snowed! The day was capped off with hours of sing-along time in the "305" piano lounge - and that is always fun and free.

Sunday: The day started with a trip to the annual Broadway Flea Market. The place was stuffed with thousands of people clamoring for tons of Broadway memorabilia. I spent $8 here (for charity once again) and got a couple posters, some old-time Playbills, and a souvenir program or two. Not to mention that we spotted Seth Rudetsky (again), this time in the company of Audra McDonald(!). More creepy stalker pictures were a given. Later in the day I made the best purchase of the weekend: complimentary tickets to Off-Broadway's A Boy and His Soul, graciously provided by fellow NY Arts intern Edward. The show was very entertaining and moving - I feel like I actually made money from seeing it.

So lots of great purchases all around. You may also have noticed a great addition to the blog - a list of links to blogs kept by other members of the New York Arts Program this semester. Feel free to compare and contrast our experiences at your leisure.

In the morning, I'm off to work at the Manhattan Theatre Club. I am excited beyond belief right now. I'll probably be letting you know how it goes, as is my way. Just you hold tight...

So Much to Do in New York

So I was right - this weekend was fabulous. Lots of shows, lots of people, lots of fun times. It all started on Friday, with Race Music - okay, this show was actually pretty bad, but it was free so I'm not complaining. But the evening was topped off with a delicious late-night dinner in Chelsea, so it's all good.

Not too much happened on Saturday - except for 90 of the greatest minutes of my life. Sally, Kelly, and I got standing room tickets to God of Carnage and it was absolutely perfect. The cast came out to the stage door, and they were all so nice. Unfortunately, Jeff Daniels signed with such agility that we couldn't chat about Michigan. But Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Harden were incredibly kind. James Gandolfini didn't come out, but that's fine. The play was absolutely amazing, and the performances were flawless. And once again, the performance was followed up with some delicious Jamba Juice (we need to start practicing some self-control in that department...).

Sunday was incredibly eventful - the morning brought Broadway on Broadway to Times Square - the casts of all the Broadway shows came and performed for free! We were incredibly far away, but it was still cool. The highlight of the event: Seth Rudetsky made an appearance. Even better, we spotted Seth later in the day outside the Avenue Q theatre - we thought it best not to say anything, so I just took some creepy stalker pictures instead. But anywho, Broadway on Broadway was a wonderful experience, and came complete with a confetti-splashed finale.

Later in the day, we stopped by Radio City to see the red carpet action at the VMA's. We arrived at 5:30, and once we realized that nobody was actually arriving till 8:00, we promptly left. One fun thing came out of this though: my first subway ride of the season! Yeah, I think I might stick to walking - it's way cheaper and not that much more difficult.

Okay, I have just one more show to report - tonight Kelly and I saw Altar Boyz, which was absolutely hilarious.

So that's the weekend - lots and lots of shows for very little money. Now I'm back to work. If anyone is wondering about the internship scandal - I have sent in applications for some other internships and should hopefully have some news before the week is out. Hang tight, y'all.