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!

We Did The Mash! (We Did The Monster Mash)

Okay, so only two days out of the last week were actually dedicated to Halloween, but I felt terribly deprived of the Monster Mash song throughout the week, and as such I have decided to immortalize it as the title of this blog post. What now follows is a chronicle of the last week...

Tuesday and Wednesday were...(no surprise here)...fun show days. On Tuesday, I picked up some super-sweet student rush tickets for Memphis: front row. My eyes were just about in line with stage level, so it was a glorious view. I enjoyed the show a lot more than I expected to. The first act had some well-directed intense moments, and there were a good bunch of toe-tapping songs. Unfortunately, the second was kind of lame, and there were some extremely questionably book and lyric moments (Really, you just rhymed stupid with cupid? Really?!). The two leads were great - Chad Kimball owned his character and sang some beautiful high notes (even though he may have channeled George W. Bush a little), and Montego Glover could sing her face off - and the ensemble as a whole was incredibly energetic. All in all, it wasn't the greatest musical by any stretch, but definitely a good night at the theatre.

South Pacific, on the other hand, was another story. This was one of the most genuinely beautiful productions I have ever seen, which is a result of both the perfect writing and flawless direction. To my great disdain, the (supposedly great) Kelli O'Hara was out that night, so I was stuck with her (passable, but overall pretty dismal) understudy. It's okay though, because other than this girl and the absolutely dreadful Lt. Cable, the production was pretty much perfect. Paulo Szot gave one of the most heartfelt, effortless performances I have ever seen as Emile - he did win a Tony, and rightfully so. I wish they still wrote musicals like this. I would classify this night at the theatre as...(ahem)...some enchanted evening.

And now for the saga that is Halloween in New York City. I procrastinated a little in finding a costume, so I was left to whatever resources I had available...Fortunately, while looking around my room for inspiration, I spotted my good old reliable Snuggie. I put in on and paired it with a vest given to me by the lovely Chelsea Barberi. And through sheer serendipity, I had my costume: A Snuggie-clad Jedi.

The Halloween festivites began on Friday with a rousingly enjoyable party at the New York Arts residence. At 6:00, a pumpkin-carving contest was waged in the backyard. There were three pumpkins...and three people showed up. I competed against the well-equipped Kellie Holm and Jessica Black. I had neither the will nor the strength to compete, so luckily Kelly came to the rescue and pretty much single-handedly carved the pumpkin. At the eleventh hour, I made a crucial decision and carved out some hair for the pumpkin. Some would call this unnecesarry and bizarre, but I maintain that it was completely beneficial and genius. In the end, no real winner was determined - which is fine, because we all ate the championship candy throughout the course of the contest anyway. At 8:00, the real party began. The festivities included a donut-on-a-string race (I lost), a costume contest (I won "Most Creative"!), and a strange impromptu game that involved spraying whipped cream into each other's mouths (I did not partake). All in all, it was a wonderful evening of rabblerousing and camaradarie.

With Saturday came All Hallows Eve itself. I had been hearing talk for weeks about this famed parade that happens in West Village. It's supposed to be a grand time, and even better if you dress up and actually walk in the parade. So we all did just that. We got to the parade around 6:30, and promptly got let into the the parade...or rather, the waiting area for the parade. We waited around, packed in like sardines in a huge crowd for about an hour...during which time it started raining. I brought my umbrella, but that did not make it okay. We finally got moving, and endured this parade for a good 20 blocks. Maybe more. We basically just walked along the outside of the floats, cars, strange dancing people, and basically anything interesting - thus blocking the view of people trying to watch and detracting from their good time. We escaped a few blocks before the end and promptly headed to the Chelsea Square Restaurant for something to get our blood pumping again. There is nothing better than escaping the pouring rain in order to eat some delicious, nutritious breakfast food. By the time we got home, we were all completely exhausted. Bedtime: 11:30 p.m.

Sunday was a day of closing performances. The second closing, Off-Broadway's Still Life, was a less than enjoyable time. The play was alright, but overall jumbled and disappointing. I don't think anyone is too sad to see this one close.

The same cannot be said about Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon, which tragically closed on Sunday after only a week of performances. It was seriously one of the greatest things I have ever seen on the stage. It was deeply moving, heartfelt, and genuine. I don't think I've ever been so affected by a play. The set was intricate and gorgeous (done by Jon Lee Beatty - who also designed The Royal Family) and the performances were right on. Who can say exactly why the production didn't succeed, but the marketing campaign definitely didn't do any good (I know these things - I work in Marketing...). After the show, we waited around the for the actors. The first person to emerge was this old man who none of us recognized. People started swarming and asking for autographs, and Amanda, Kelly, and I stood by and pondered loudly (and rudely) who this man was. A kind gentleman next to us informed us that was indeed the Neil Simon...whoops. Well, we promptly rushed over and got his autograph as well. The rest of the cast exited carrying all of their dressing room decorations - it was a very sad sight, but they still gladly signed for us. I sincerely wish I could see this production again, as well as the sequel Broadway Bound (isn't that an ironic title...), which will not open now. Oh well...(sigh)...at least I know what Broadway should be.

Well, the Manhattan Theatre Club is a-hustlin' and a-bustlin', as usual. Last week, all kinds of fun things happened - I met with my mentor Jeff (the Director of Finance) and we discussed all kinds of fun things concerning finance and life in general. I also had my midterm review with Sunil and Caitlin, and they informed me that they think I'm a great intern and they love having me around. This week will be phenomenal as well - tonight is the opening for Nightingale Off-Broadway, so I will be heading to the post-show reception. In the morning, it's review day, so I have to come in early and compile all the reviews - then, in the afternoon, I get to go to an exciting quote meeting! I'll learn all about how they choose quotes and design the post-opening ads and all that mess. It should be a good time.

And finally: quite possibly the two most exciting things that have happened thus far:
1) Today, I finally got to see Angela Lansbury in the flesh. A fellow intern informed me that she was downstairs, so I promptly headed down. She was sitting in the lobby studying her script. We didn't talk or anything, but that is enough for me.
2) I will finally have my name in a Broadway Playbill! The final edits have gone through for the November Playbill for The Royal Family, and I will be listed under the Interns. This is pretty much the pinnacle of my career, and I can stop working now.

So that's the week (and then some...). All this posting procrastination has given me (and you, I'm sure) a real big headache. I will be getting back on track this week. I swear it's true this time. Okay, ta-ta for now.

The Gang's All Here

I apologize for the incredibly lengthy delay in post time - I have most certainly set a new record. I know all of you out there are have been pining for more news of the city. Although, let's be honest, more than half of the people who read this blog were in the city with me last weekend anyway. As such, there is lots (and lots and lots) to report.

It all started last Thursday. I picked up mom and Scott at the airport around 2:00. We arrived at the "305" around 3:30, got settled in, and went to eat lunch at my favorite place in town: Dinersty! This is cheap, disgusting Chinese food at it's best - they have the most exquisite Sesame Chicken in town. I go to this place so often, they just see me and know to give me Sesaly Elliot, The Royal Family, Nightingale opening, Central Park, God of Carnage, Staten Island Ferry, La Mela, Empire State Building, Jamba Juice, Shrek, Today Show, Chicago, parade, Columbus Dayme Chicken. (Although I once ordered General Tso's instead and they disregarded my order and gave me the Sesame - not that I'm complaining). Anyway, mom and Scott enjoyed their meals immensely - unless they were just being nice, but I sincerely doubt it.

We took it easy for a few hours before heading out to "dinner" in Times Square (wink wink). I strategically took them to Times Square through a Subway that would give them a good view right upon exiting - I remember my first Times Square experience well, and I try far too hard to replicate it for others. We wandered around the area for a while before heading down 45th Street. We told Scott we were going to dinner at a restaurant called Charley O's - which is conveniently located kitty-corner to the Imperial Theatre, home to Billy Elliot. Mom and I had been putting all our effort into averting suspicion - although there was a frightening moment in which Scott almost read my last blog post. Luckily, I put a stop to that...Anyway, we arrived in front of the theatre, right across the street from the fabled Charley O's, and I turned around and proclaimed, "You know, is anyone really that hungry? Because I do have three tickets to Billy Elliot here..." This is where Scott went crazy - he had absolutely no idea. We entered the theatre, took our seats, and the curtain went up. The show was amazing - a little different than expected, but still great. Phenomenal dancing of course, inspired performances (we got a Tony Award-winning Billy, thank goodness), and wonderful direction. Surprise!

Friday: incredibly eventful. It all started with the Today Show - I could unfortunately only stay for a few minutes, but I hear that Scott and Diane enjoyed it very much - they even stayed for Kathie Lee and Hoda (but who wouldn't, really?). After I got out of work at MTC - it was a very eventful day, what with The Royal Family reviews coming out and all - we headed to Central Park. We went to the wondrous Belvedere Castly, saw some crazy street performers, and stumbled upon Strawberry Fields - and get this: it was John Lennon's birthday! There were a good 150 people or so packed in and singing along to a whole bunch of Lennon songs - what an amazing coincidence. That night, we ate dinner at Monetti's - so they could get their first taste of New York pizza - and then got standing room for God of Carnage. Everyone loved the play of course, because it is amazing. We even got to chat with Jeff Daniels (who did not seem to care that we are from Michigan), James Gandolfini (who does not pose well for pictures), and Marcia Gay Harden (who unfortunately had to hurry out because she had some sick children). A grand time was had by all.

Saturday: Beka arrived in town! We started the day off by heading to the Staten Island Fairy and taking lots of unnecessary Statue of Liberty pictures. We then checked out the 9/11 memorial before heading to Greenwich Village to check out some beautiful apartments we could never afford. After this, we decided Chinatown would be a lovely place to visit...it is not. It smells stank nasty and is dirty as all hell. So we wandered around for a while (led by my misguided direction) before finally finding Little Italy. We stopped in for a delicious dinner at La Mela Ristorante. We were taken down a dark, scary hallway before emerging into a lovely dining room. The food was delicious and there was even a wonderful two-man band that played some lovely Italian songs, my favorite of which was "That's Amore" by the incomparable Harry Warren. Penultimately, we made a visit to the Empire State Building - a la "Sleepless in Seattle". We all felt just like Meg Ryan waiting for Tom Hanks, and we even got in some lovely sightseeing in the process. New York is gorgeous at night. To cap it all off, we stopped by Times Square (Beka's first visit - she was astounded) for some more sights and sounds, and some delicious Jamba Juice (this was Scott, Diane, and Beka's firsts - they were all astounded). Wow, we did a lot.

Sunday: Mom and Scott had to head out in the early afternoon, so we walked around the town a little more before heading to the airport. We said our goodbyes, and I headed back to meet up with Beka and Kelly. We headed to Beka's first Broadway show: Shrek. It was a riotous good time, and clearly warranted a Stage Door visit. Beka got some lovely photos with some cast members, although we were unfortunately stood up by Sutton Foster once again (this also happened when Kelly and I saw it in May) - but we are determined to meet her at some point. We headed to Jamba Juice once more, and then layed down for a good night's rest.

Monday: We woke up bright and early to check out the Today Show. We got there around 8:00 to find a mob of screaming little girls. We couldn't get within 200 feet of Matt and Meredith. "Why?", we asked. Well, it was apparently all because 15-year-old singing sensation Justin Bieber was performing - he is now all of our nemesis. Luckily, the screaming girl crowd cleared out around 9, after Justin Bieber left, and we were free to enjoy the Today Show as we pleased. Kelly had to go to work, so Beka and I hung around for Kathie Lee and Hoda (again, who wouldn't?), and we may have even managed to get on TV. Soon after, we stumbled upon a Columbus Day Parade - apparently, in New York, this day is an excuse for Italian Americans to celebrate their heritage. The parade was overall pretty lame, with the possible exception of a crazy winged girl on roller skates and a man we met dressed up in Italian garb, complete with glasses with windshield wipers. Beka enjoyed her first NYC pizza, and Kelly rejoined us for dinner at Applebee's and Beka's second Broadway show: Chicago. As always, the show was phenomenal - this was the best cast of the three times I have seen it. And of course, we stopped by Jamba Juice after for a perfect ending - our new best friend is now Jesus, the man who works the register there.

On Tuesday, I dropped Beka off at the airport bright and early...well, "dropped off" isn't really the right phrase. There was all kinds of drama because they thought Beka owed $25 for her luggage from Detroit, and they were not at all hasty about solving this problem, even though her flight would leave in 40 minutes or so. We waited around for a while, and Beka was finally able to get in line (where I understand there was even more drama), and finally onto the plane. I took a lovely bus/subway ride to work and my normal routine began again.

So that's the amazing weekend. I know what you're thinking - there is another week to cover! Well, I'm exhausted, and I will give you the rest of the update tomorrow (hopefully...). So everybody calm down and I'll be with you shortly. I hope you can forgive me for the delay, and will all stay the faithful followers I know you to be.