I Am Steadily Aging

I have a pretty mean record going: 11 shows in the last 12 days. It started with Circle Mirror Transformation and ended this past Sunday with Nightingale. Please consult the list to your left for more information on the shows in between, for I will not elaborate on all (or even most) of them.

One of the highlights was In Therapy With Celine, which was a part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival - a three-week event that premieres 30 new musicals. We unforunately did not take full advantage of this event, but this show was still great. It sets the songs of Celine Dion to the therapy session of a sad, lonely girl (aptly named Celine). The idea itself is absolutely hysterical, and the show lived up to its promise for the most part. My absolutely favorite song was "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" - which twisted the songs lyrics to be about food obsession. During the line, "There were moments of gold and there were flashes of light", Celine accented the word "gold" by holding up a bottle of mustard and the word "light" by holding up a bottle of light mayonnaise. It was absolutely hilarious. I stood. I cheered.

Oh yeah, and it was my 20th birthday on Saturday. How does one celebrate a birthday in New York, you ask? Well...by going to a show, of course. Kelly and I got standing room for Jersey Boys. We stage was cut off by the mezzanine from just under halfway up, but it doesn't matter. We crouched if need be, and more importantly, we danced around! Not to mention that the woman next to us was from Detroit and was celebrating her wedding anniversary on the same day as my birthday - crazy small world. But anyway, the show was phenomenal, and moved so so fast - it was roughly 2 1/2 hours and felt like 30 minutes.

My birthday was sprinkled with some other lovely highlights. Kelly made some peanut butter cup brownies, and a modest size crowd gathered in the backyard to sing Happy Birthday to me. I also received an amahzing gift from Kelly - a picture of all our friends, made up of a collage of loads of photos. And finally, I picked up some Jamba Juice and made it a very happy birthday indeed.

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.

Perpetual Anticipation

I am super duper excited for this weekend - my mom and brother (Scott, that is) are arriving in la ciudad tomorrow afternoon, and the lovely Beka Kroesing is dropping in on Saturday. We have a cornucopia of fun things planned. And by "cornucopia", I clearly mean "empty chasm", as I have done little to no preparation. We'll figure something out...

But for now, back to the past week. Last weekend was actually packed with a cornucopia of fun (and mostly free) things. Friday brought the off-Broadway production of Blind Lemon Blues (comp tickets of course - I love my internship). The show is about blues-folk singer Blind Lemon Jefferson and is basically an excuse to sing his songs - no plot really, but mostly strong performances and some stunning music arrangements.

Saturday brought rain (of the steady variety, of course). Kelly and I ventured to Union Square and then north to Times Square, where we once again met up with her friend Michael...who ironically lives near Union Square. We ate a scrumptious meal at the Applebee's in Times Square (which is not too ridiculously overpriced) and got some complimentary desert shooters. We then pranced around H&M for a while (because the Disney store was sadly closed) before returning home.

Sunday was extremely eventful. I pretty much spent the whole day at the Friedman Theatre, home of MTC's The Royal Family. I got trained to work in the Patron's Lounge (abbreviated P.Lo for some reason) during the matinee. That is, I got trained until 20 minutes into the performance, when Tony Roberts (an actor in the show) experienced a minor seizure and the show was subsequently cancelled. Well after this I promptly headed to Central Park, where the New York Arts kids had a fun picnic. We ate. We drank. We played frisbee. We hit people with frisbees. We danced. We got weird stares from other people because of our dancing. 'Twas a wondrous time. And after all this hullabaloo, I finally got to see the night performance of The Royal Family! The show was absolutely hysterical, the set was gorgeous (it even got some applause), and the performances were very strong. And, of course, our tickets were generously provided by the Manhattan Theatre Club. Love it.

And guess what? More comp tickets! Tonight we saw the off-Broadway play Circle Mirror Transformation. I kind of loved this play - it was very simple, but very funny and moving. The dialogue was very realistic, and the all of the performances were pretty much perfect. This may be my favorite off-Broadway experience thus far. And another great experience: I ran into Bridget Martin (sister of Claire) today! We just happened to pass each other on 8th Avenue - small city, no? We agreed to meet up some time soon, and I am real excited about it!

So there's the lowdown. I gosta got to bed - I have 3 long hours of work tomorrow. MTC was kind enough to let me off at 1 so that I can pick up some folks from the airport. Tomorrow's a big day, and it will be amazing. (Don't tell Scott, but we're seeing Billy Elliot tomorrow night - it's kind of a surprise). Alright, good night. And good luck.

Working 10 to 6: What a Way to Make a Living

One amazing work week down. Lots and lots to go. Although not enough, really. It's already October. Meaning I've been here for a month. Meaning I only have about two and a half months left. I kind of love it here and don't want to leave.

But anyway, this work week was really great. My coworkers are absolutely wonderful - there are a good 70 staff members and 15 interns working at MTC. There's always a lot going on, and lots of people to see. I am actually technically "Marketing Intern 2", as there is also an intern in the department named Andrew. I do not appreciate this second-billing, and I am determined to proof my worth...Actually, Andrew is incredibly nice, as are all of the other interns. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone.

The work I'm doing at MTC is very interesting - a lot of it involves gathering data to assist the Marketing directors in making decisions. I put together reports for daily wraps, single ticket sales, zip code breakdowns, show discounts, website visitor statistics, and loads of other things. It's really fascinating to see how they make important decisions - and of course, they couldn't do it without me.

Another cool aspect of working at MTC is that I can also work night and weekend shifts (for cash) at the front desk and theatre patron lounge. The company has rehearsal spaces that it rents out, so they need someone to work the front desk after normal work hours. In fact, I got my first go at it on Thursday - when the girl who was supposed to work dropped out and they needed a last-minute replacement. The job was real tough - I sat in a chair, directed a few people to their studios, surfed the interweb, and ate Taco Bell. And the best part about this job...the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music will be rehearsing in our space for about a month - which means I'll get to see Angela Lansbury, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stephen Sondheim, et al. up close and personal.

Yup, it's all pretty amazing. This Sunday, I am getting trained to work in the patron lounge at the Friedman Theatre, and I will also get to see our current Broadway show: The Royal Family. Things are looking up, and I kinda like it that way.

I Play It The Company Way

The Manhattan Theatre Club is just swell. I started my marketing internship on Monday, and I really love the place. I can't honestly say I've done too much yet, other than general office duties. There is a wondrous binder, though, that explains in detail all of my duties as an intern. I am excited for the weeks ahead, and all the wonders that this internship will bring. I'll letcha know.

And now just a few more fun things from the last two days:

Monday: saw the new "Fame" movie with a bunch of NY Arts folks. The theater was huge...the $4 sour patch kids were scrumptious...the movie was terrible.

Today: attempted the Hair Lottery once more to help Amanda out - I lost once again, she won. She and Sally got to see the show tonight, and I'm happy for them. Later in the night, Kelly and I made some ambrosial funfetti cupcakes with funfetti icing. They were a rousing success.

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...

A New Beginning

Will start today,
A chance to change and learn
And know a better way.

I have a new internship! The Manhattan Theatre Club called me today and offered me a Marketing Internship. I am incredibly excited about this opportunity - MTC produces shows both on and off Broadway. Their shows this season will include some people you may have heard of - Ana Gasteyer, Lynn Redgrave, Rosemary Harris, Laura Linney, Alicia Silverstone. Anyone?

The internship is pretty darn legit, too. I get to learn all about the wonders of marketing. I get my own desk, computer, phone, and e-mail account. I get to attend full-staff meetings. I get to attend weekly seminars. I get a mentor from outside the Marketing department so I can get a fuller experience. I may get to go to opening night performances. I will apparently be offered lots and lots of free tickets. Not too shabby, eh?

I was also in the process of doing a final interview for Nederlander Worldwide. Yes, the Nederlander - of Broadway producing fame. Unfortunately, I had to call and tell them I was no longer interested. I was scared that this would mean that I would never be hired in the theatre industry again - who do I think I am to turn down Nederlander?! But luckily, they were incredibly understanding and supportive. Amanda, the secretary I talked to, was even quoted as saying "I'm just sorry that we couldn't snatch you up first." I guess I am just in demand.

Well, the great work begins on Monday. This internship is only part-time, so I may still get to work at Theater Mogul a few hours a week. I am super-excited, and you should be, too.

Let the Sun Shine In (Finally!)

The streak has been broken! I am a Hair lottery winner! Yup, tonight I finally got to see Hair. And it exceeded my wildest expectations. But more on that in a minute...

So remember a minute ago when I said I won the lottery? Yeah, that was a lie. Here's the real story: I decided to go for the Hair lottery tonight. Kelly had rehearsal so she couldn't go to the lottery (this brings our odds down significantly...). Luckily, as I was about to leave, I told Amanda (a fellow NY Arts student - read her blog!: go<3yourowncity) that I was going to the lottery, and she offered to put in her name as well to increase our chances. Well, thank gawd she did. Her name was called! (And not mine - ergo, I am still not a winner). Amanda so kindly let Kelly and I have the tickets. We seriously owe her big time.

So now for the show...wow. Our seats were in the back of the stage-left boxes, so we really couldn't see too much onstage. But no matter - we could hear, I could see a fair portion of the stage, and Kelly (who could see basically none of the stage) got her hair tousled by at least 5 tribe members. The show was directed flawlessly and moved so darn quickly that it pretty much flew by. The band was phenomenal, and the music direction was absolutely top-notch. Let's be honest, I even sang along a little bit. The cast was absolutely perfect - incredibly well-defined characters, even in the tribe. And yes, we did indeed go onstage during the curtain call and dance around. It was pretty surreal, absolutely amazing, and scorching hot.

The stage door was lovely as well. Everyone in the tribe is just so nice, and we got a few beautiful pictures. If you're wondering what in the world is with Gavin Creel...well, after the show, some of the cast members were going bowling dressed as Goth Hippies. We literally had to wait 30 minutes for him while he put on eyeliner, nail polish, and that wig. So worth it, though.

And if any are you are worried about the fate of the Failed Hair Lottery list (I'm sure someone out there is concerned...), fear not. I plan on seeing Hair a minimum of 3 more times, so I will surely lose the lottery a few more times before this semester is over. Yay?

Let the sun shine in, y'all.

Peace.

Hilarity and Riot

Fun developments in the internship department...well, soon-to-be developments I suppose. Today I set up two additional interviews with another to be set for next week. These agencies are pretty much begging me to work for them. Hopefully I'll know something by early next week.

But now for the real fun news...Today, the New York Arts theatre kids had the best seminar ever - a free performance of The 39 Steps! I have ne'er seen the Alfred Hitchcock film of old, but it mattered not. The play takes the movie's plot and turns it into a farce of sorts, with four actors playing all the parts. Hilarity ensues. The script was hysterical, but the real highlights were the physical and visual gags: two actors swapping hats every second to switch between 5 characters, a silhouette depiction of a police chase, etc. The lights were awe-inspiring, the direction was precise, the acting was great. How could this get any better, you ask? Well, add on a post-show talk back! And that is just what we got - this crazy comedian woman moderated and the actors talked about how much fun doing the show is. I am jealous. And for the grand finale...the actors posed for a picture with us outside the theatre! What a wondrous seminar experience.

A Weekend in the City

Buckle your seat belts, folks - this is gonna be a long one. This weekend was just a bucket of fun, so there's lots to report.

First off, you may have noticed a brand new addition to my blog - The Failed Hair Lottery list. Kelly and I have thus far attempted to see Hair four times (once in May, and thrice this semester), and none have worked out. I can only assume that this will happen several more times, so feel free to check the list frequently for fun new updates!

Going all the way back to Thursday...after losing the Hair lottery once again, we decided to head to the TKTS Booth for some happy people-watching. On the way we passed Jamba Juice, where I experienced a true test of character. Kelly wanted a delicious smoothie, but I decided that I did not need it - so for the first time in my life, I resisted the temptation of a Jamba Juice! But the story doesn't end here...no more than 15 minutes later, while walking down the street, I could no longer resist. So I turned around, went back to Jamba Juice, and shamefully purchased myself a smoothie. The overwhelming pride I had gained now diminished as quickly as it arrived. I guess I simply cannot resist a delicious, nutricious Jamba. But who can, really?

With Saturday came my first early-morning ticket line of the season. Kelly and I arrived at the Gerald Schonfeld Theatre at roughly 7:45 in the morning to get tickets for A Steady Rain, starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig (yes, Wolverine and James Bond). Sally joined us around 8:30 or so, and we gleefully purchased our tickets at 10:00 a.m. Seriously, shows are the only thing I will wake up early for. I'm excited for the next outing.

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of either Hugh Jackman or Daniel Craig, and I was only mildly excited to see this show. But they both did a phenomenal job, and the show was very well-written and directed. We were particularly nervous about the accents - an Australian and a Brit doing Chicago accents could be pretty bad, but they both pulled it off very well.

What was even more exciting than the show itself was the stage door scene - we were some of the first people outside, and there were already a good 50 people waiting. These were people who did not see the show, but just wanted to see the stars. Not cool. Even less cool were these two ladies who trotted on over from the theatre next door, where they had just gotten out of God of Carnage. They decided it would be fun to squeeze into the chaos of people. But once they got into the crowd, they would not stop complaining about how little room they had, and how one of them had just undergone physical therapy and it wasn't safe for her to be here - this literally went on for 20 minutes. But Hugh and Daniel were both very nice and signed everyone's Playbills - even better, Diane Sawyer made an appearance. All in all, 'twas a wondrous Saturday afternoon.

And a wondrous Saturday evening. Unfortunately, the New York Arts Program is full of indecisive individuals, so it took us roughly 3 hours to figure out what to do for the night. We finally decided to head down to SoHo and dine at a cute little restaurant called La Esquina (The Corner, if you don't happen to speak Spanish - or have simply forgotten what the word means, like me). I enjoyed some scrumptious and exquisite bistec tacos, and a grand time was had by all. Sure, we may have stiffed the waitress on the tip a little, but what the hey.

Sunday may well have been the best day of all - Kelly, Fallon, Amy, Jessica, and I ventured down to Coney Island, the home of lots of world-famous things: the boardwalk, Nathan's Hot Dogs, the Cyclone rollercoaster, etc. First things first: we rode the wondrous Wonder Wheel. Now this isn't your average everyday Ferris wheel - the gondola was on a track and rolled frenetically back and forth...I would explain more, but I will just let this video do the talking:

........................................

We also visited the boardwalk and the beach before stopping by Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs for some lunch. We went to the original location for our meal - or so we thought...we would later discover that the actual original is located just down the road - but we can pretend, right? Anyway, the hot dog was absolutely delicious - as were the fries, which came with these precious miniature pitchforks for ease of handling.

And finally, we of course stopped by the historic Cyclone for a ride. I have been wanting to ride this rollercoaster for roughly 10 years, so this was an absolutely amazing experience. The Cyclone was built in 1927 and is still running - it's crazy old and crazy fun. Thank you, Cyclone, for making one of my childhood dreams come true.

So that's the weekend - back to work in the morning. I have an interview or two this week, so new things will hopefully be developing.

And one final note: there is a distinct lack of comments on this blog. If you have gotten to this point in the note, you clearly are dedicated and probably have something to say. Hit me up!

Peace and love.