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.

Passtime Potpourri

These past few days have been eclectic, to say the least. It wasn't my same old routine (work-->show; repeat) - I shook it up a little bit. On Saturday I did actually have a double shift working the patron's lounge for Nightingale. But I had four hours between shifts, so I hoofed it over to Central Park to (finally) get a look at the fall foliage! And let me say I was not disappointed. Sure, it was drizzling out, but the leaves were still all sorts of lovely colors - and the rain even added to the autumnal ambiance. That is until I reached the dead middle of the park...and it started pouring. Buckets. Vats. Dams. (It was raining very hard). I could not escape it, and even though I had my umbrella, I still got a got soaked. I hope the patrons at the night performance didn't notice my soggy clothing and the faint smell of mildew...











On Sunday, a whole gaggle of NYAPers went to see improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade. On Sunday nights, there are free shows - all you have to do is wait in line for an hour so, at which I am a pro. The show is basically an hour and a half of improv - the troupe performs skits based on improvised monologues given by a person called the "monologist" (who is generally famous). This was actually my second visit to the UCB - last time there was a whole slew of famous people - lots of SNL cast members, including Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, and Bobbie Moynihan, as well as Jack MacBrayer from "30 Rock" - and the show was absolutely hysterical. This time around, the troupe didn't have any particularly famous people, although the monologist was none other than...Chevy Chase. That's right, the Chevy Chase. His monologues were actually incredibly strange and not terribly funny (and the ensuing improvs were a little sub-par as well), but being able to see Chevy Chase up close was alone worth the trip. I shall be returning very soon.

And now comes Nick's advice for the day. This one is for prospective NYC tourists: if you want to win tickets to a Broadway show via a lottery, go for Rock of Ages. I tried this on Monday, and the contest was virtually nonexistant - roughly 14 people vied for 28 tickets (at 2 per person), so everyone got in. I had my hesitations about this show, but I cannot lie - I actually liked it. A lot. It does for 80's rock songs what Mamma Mia! does for ABBA - and it even does it slightly better (although sadly without the exclamation point). The show is just downright silly, and I even recognized most of the songs! Not to mention that the vocals were absolutely phenomenal. I really went for Kerry Butler, who did Xanadu last year - I know, you wish you had seen that one, right? She was hilarious and sassy of course. And Constantine Maroulis (of "American Idol" Season 4 - back in the day when I still watched) was surprisingly great. Add to the mix the battery-powered lighters they handed out and the glittery confetti at the end of the show, and I am sold.

And finally, tonight I attended a taping of "Inside the Actor's Studio" with the Strasberg Institute - Kelly got comps, and I tagged along. The special guest was Kate Hudson, so it wasn't the most intriguing of discussions. Although I do love her work in "Almost Famous" and am super excited for "Nine". In the end though, it was just amazing to see James Lipton in the flesh - he seriously had a colossal stack of note cards and went through all of them. So look for the episode to air later this year and listen for a sustained scream during the final applause - that would be me.

If I Won the Lottery...

I would see lots of shows! And indeed, Kelly and/or I won several lotteries this week, and saw three phenomenal shows.

On Monday we attended the lottery for Next to Normal. As always, I had my doubts - it's always better to go in expecting the worst. Well, the lottery drawing began, and I fortunately did not have to wait long before my frown was turned upside down. My name was called...first. Let's repeat, shall we? First. Once more: first. Yup, I am officially a lottery master! Kelly's name was also called about eight in, but it matters not, for we only needed my two tickets. I am actually seeing N2N again with my dad and bro over Thanksgiving, but it's totally worth a second viewing. The music and lyrics are (appropriately) eclectic, and the direction and performances are all spot on. Alice Ripley (who is cah-razy in real life) plays a bi polar mother/wife to perfection - although, let's be honest, it's not really that much of a stretch for her. My fave was actually Jennifer Damiano, who played the daughter - her storyline was the most moving and she has some great material. I'm really excited to see it again...from further away. Because we were in the front row and very close.

The post-show scene was an event in and of itself. We stopped by the stage door to see the cast and get some autographs. They were all very nice, and gladly obliged to photos. Alice Ripley was, of course, absolutely crazy...and she has the most bizarre autograph I have ever seen - it involves block lettering and takes a good 15 seconds to complete. Anyway, after this, we happened to pass by the Minskoff Theatre next door, where Bernadette Peters's benefit concert was just getting out. We decided to stick it out at the stage door and see some celebs...and indeed we did. We first spotted Martin Short, and then shortly thereafter Mary Tyler Moore - I was starstruck. And then came the greatest of all - Bernadette Peters herself emerged, in all her amazing glory. She is seriously 61, and looks like she is 38 or so. My life has been changed.

The next two days were not so kind for lotteries. On Tuesday, I attempted the Ragtime lottery (again) and promptly lost. On Wednesday, I gave Hair another stab (again) and promptly lost (again). On the bright side, it was nice to have some quiet nights at home. And Wednesday's loss gave me the opportunity to return to Ice Gleem Social Wednesdays! Let's be honest, they have been falling apart without my presence. I got a three one-dollar scoops and watched a lovely episode of "Glee". Not too shabby.

On Thursday, the victory continued! I couldn't make it out of work in time, but Kelly hustled over to the In the Heights lottery. I arrived too late to put my name in, but just in time to hear her name called! So once more we won the lottery and saw a show from the front row. The show is absolutely amazing as well - the set is exquisitely detailed, the songs are rhythmic/driving/beautiful/powerful/etc., the dancing is pulsating, and the performances are sound.

The best part of the occasion though was my triumphant return to the Richard Rodgers Theatre. This is where I saw my very first Broadway show, Movin' Out, just a mere five years ago. So returning was a homecoming of sorts - full circle, you may say. I found the area where our seats for Movin' Out were, and took some nostalgic pictures. I was just a bright-eyed young child when I saw my first Broadway show, and I have now seen 27. With many more to come...











Speaking of which, on Friday I attempted the Hair lottery once more. This is the eighth time I have attempted, and the first time my name was called! Last time we saw the show, we had the last row in the boxes (behind lots of heads) and could see - um - stage right only. This time I was hoping for some better seats, and we were given...the exact same ones. So we couldn't see much more of the show than before. But it was still absolutely phenomenal. And this time I had an aisle seat, so I got my hair tousled by cast members a few times. I tousled their hair right back. And of course, we danced onstage at the end, and had a ball. After the show, Will Swenson auctioned off the pants he wore that night to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. They ended up going for $600. That's right - SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS. I wish I had that kind of money to throw around willy-nilly.

So yes, this week was a rousing success. We have pretty much conquered all of the lotteries - the only ones left to win are Ragtime and Rock of Ages. I have confidence that it will happen. We will succeed!

The Sun Sits Low

Time is slipping away in the City of New York. There are but six weeks left to cram in all the excitement possible. With the departure of daylight savings time, it gets dark here at roughly 5:00 p.m. As a wise man once said, you don't know what you got till it's gone. Seriously, my every waking moment of daylight is spent indoors working (not that I don't love my internship). But it is already halfway through fall, and I am yet to experience the true wonders of autumn in New York City. I tried to make it to Central Park yesterday to see the vibrantly colored leaves (as I assume they are), but upon my arrival circa 5:00, the sun promptly disappeared, leaving me no gorgeous sights to behold. Time is precious and it's slipping away, and I've been waiting for you all of my life - yes, I'm talking to you, NYC fall foliage.

And with that, I will transport you back to Tuesday. The Manhattan Theatre Club officially took over my life this week. Let's count the hours, shall we?
Monday: 8 / Tuesday: 11 / Wednesday: 10 / Thursday: 8 / Friday: 4 / Saturday: 8
And the grand total: 49 hours. AHHHHH!
Of course, this tally includes 12 paid hours and 3 hours at the opening night party, but still. This week was full of crazy hijinks at MTC - opening night party for Nightingale on Tuesday, review day and fun quote ad meeting on Wednesday, Associate Artistic Director seminar on Thursday, double Patron Lounge duty on Saturday, etc. Not to mention that I worked at the front desk for an hour on Thursday and got to buzz Angela Lansbury into the 8th floor for rehearsal. We made eye contact - we made a connection.

Tuesday was a marathon of epic proportions. I went straight from working at my internship from 2 to 6 to working the front desk shift from 6 to 10 to the opening night party until 1 a.m. The party was a grand (and classy) time. It was held at the Beacon <--- seriously, click on that link - you can tell just by looking at the home page that this place is legit. I had an absolutely amazing time at the party - all us interns hung out for a few hours and bonded. We all discussed what we plan on doing next semester - about half of the interns are sticking around, and I really wish I could, too. Realistically, though, I need to get back to school so that I can graduate - yikes. But anyway, it was really great to be able to hang with the other interns - they're all really cool and nice and I don't get the chance to see them enough (if at all) outside of work.

At the same time, I am simultaneously impressed and frightened by the sheer ambition all of the interns have. They have grand plans to direct and produce theatre - and what's more, a lot of them are already doing these things on a significant scale. I'm just happy to be working at such a prestigious theatre company, getting experience in the field and learning about it all. I don't have so many strong, unflinching goals considering my future. It has been comforting, though, to talk to my adviser Sunil about such things. He definitely hadn't figured things out at my age, and at 30 he is still discovering where he wants his career to go. I think it would be advantageous for me to develop stronger goals, but I also need to accept that I will never really be able to fully figure everything out.

Anyway, I digress. I also packed in two shows this week. On Wednesday, I got student rush to Oleanna. I accompanied Sally and Kelly, who had comps for the performance (in orchestra seats far better than my third row paid-for mezzanine seats). I thought the play was good, but I wasn't completely sold on the direction and performances. Bull Pullman was solid and Julia Stiles was passable (of course nothing can beat her flawless performance in "Save the Last Dance"), but the show just didn't flow and build to the climax like it should have. This production promised to be incredibly provocative and apparently after original production many couples left the theatre arguing. Leaving the theatre, I expressed my disappointment that I didn't feel there was much to argue about... Of course, immediately following this statement, we began arguing - although it was more about the merits of the production, and not the subject matter. Oh well, it was definitely an educational theatre experience.

Although I'll tell what's not so educational - the poetry seminar I've been taking for the last 3 weeks. It is uniformly agreed that no one has gotten anything out of this class - it had its interesting moments, but was overall pretty lame. For our last session, the class went to a poetry reading that took place in an art gallery. This idea is pleasant enough on paper...except that it turns out that all of the poets were pretty bad. I enjoyed the second woman, because she was just a precious old lady, but other than that they were pretty expendable. I'm rather excited to have my Thursday nights back - more time to see shows or watch the leaves change...oh wait, it gets dark at 5:00.

On Friday night, Kelly and I (after losing lotteries for both In the Heights and Ragtime) attended In the Next Room or the vibrator play. I know, sounds classy, right? Well, actually, strangely, it was. It is a Lincoln Center production on Broadway, so you can rest assured that it is well done and legit. The show is a dramatic comedy of sorts set in the 1880s, during which time doctors were apparently treating women for hysteria using...well, you know. But the play turned out to be a surprising poignant commentary on human connection, and I found the ending stunningly beautiful. I won't give it away, but let's just say that it steadily snows - which is always a plus for me. In fact, check out my new list of shows I've seen that feature onstage precipitation!

And you may have noticed one gaping absence in my blog as of late. Well, no worries, I have ended my hiatus...and made a triumphant return to Jamba Juice! Yup, as it gets colder, my love of Jamba grows fonder. A good Peanut Butter Moo'd can turn any frown upside down, as it has indeed done for me many a time. And with that, have a plentiful Jamba week!

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.

Statues and Stories

This weekend was chock-full of of good times. Friday was actually strangely eventful. I finally got trained for the patron lounge shift at the Friedman Theatre. (If you'll recall before, my earlier attempt at training was cut short when actor got sick during The Royal Family and the performance was cancelled). Well, this time, everything went as planned...actually, even better than planned. There were a couple celebrities in the house, and to my delight, they stopped by the patron lounge. The first to stop by was Judith Light - I had never heard of her, but she is apparently in "Ugly Betty" and was incredibly nice. During the first intermission, we got a visit from Jenna Fischer of "The Office". Her presence set the patron lounge abustlin' with excitement. She took a few chocolate-covered almonds and some coffee. When she returned for the second intermission, a few people mustered up the courage to talk to her. She was very amicable, but I prefer to keep my distance. This is wondrous job indeed.

With Saturday came a trip to the (in?)famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. The place is HUGE - I think I was in denial about just how much time it would take one to navigate through. We probably saw roughly 15% in just over 3 hours. The Greek and Roman collection was lovely and exquisite, the Africa/Oceania/Americas section had its moments, the Modern Art collection was crizazy (of course) and at times interesting, and the photography showcase was intriguing. Much to our chagrin, the musical instrument collection was temporarily closed. My favorite part, though, was the European Art. There were paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Seurat, Degas, Picasso, and all of their friends...Although I was disappointed by the distinct lack of the Mona Lisa and Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. But we still got to see some amazing stuff, so I'm not complaining. Don't tell the MET, but I may or may not have come very close to destroying a classic Monet painting - I went to point to it and somehow found my finger dragging across. I scurried out of there as fast as I could...hopefully, they'll let me back in some time in the future so I can explore the rest.

And finally, today I had my midterm review with the savvy Dana Tarantino. She thinks I'm doing just swell, but is of the opinion that I need to see fewer shows and get out and see the city a little more. I think I may agree with her. So what did Kelly and I do tonight to change this trend?...We saw Mary Poppins! We got quite possibly the best student rush ever - front row of the mezzanine, close to the center. The show was actually much better than anticipated. The set, particularly the house (complete with an attic and roof that fly in), was awe-inspiring. Our cast was so legit - we had Laura Michelle Kelly, the original Mary Poppins in London, and Broadway star Christian Borle. The musical had some questionable moments (particularly the terrifying life-size stuffed animal nightmare sequence), but the choreography and performances were wondrous. And it doesn't hurt that Mary Poppins flew at the end - not just on the stage, but out into the audience. She came literally within 5 feet of our seats. I felt like a child again.

Hi-Ho, The Glamorous Life!

The Broadway cast of A Little Night Music has arrived! They started rehearsals earlier this week at The Creative Center at MTC, just one floor below where I work. Of course, I am starting to eat my lunch downstairs in the lobby with increasing frequency. Today, I did just that, and sat at a table just a few feet away from one occupied by none other than...Catherine Zeta-Jones. Unfortunately, I am yet to spot Angela Lansbury. Nonetheless, I did listen in on a some music rehearsals, and I am pleased to report that the cast sounds amahzing. I am super excited to see the show...and of course to creepily stalk the entire cast whilst I can.

In other news, the New York Arts theatre kids saw Finian's Rainbow on Tuesday. The entire group uniformly hated it. I didn't think it was so bad - once I reconciled myself to the fact that the play itself is extremely dated, bizarre, and altogether kind of terrible. I enjoyed a few of the performances, the dancing was nice (although it hit a little too close to home in its similarity to Li'l Abner), and the rainbow at the end was gorgeous. Not to mention that it steadily rained paper at the end of the first act...and we all know I'm a sucker for any kind of precipitation onstage. All in all, I would classify this play as a notch or two above a really good high school theatre production. Thank gawd for free tickets!

And in other amazing news, I finally won a Broadway ticket lottery! On Wednesday, I put my name in for the West Side Story lottery and they picked it...although the man pronounced my name "Libban" - a variation I have ne'er heard before. The seats were lovely - front row just off center. The stage was a little bit above our heads so we couldn't see the dancing feet, but I think we got the point(e). Jerome Robbins' choreography from the original production (and movie) has been reproduced here and it is absolutely explosive and brilliant. Tony and Maria were kind of lame, but Karen Olivo was terrific (and a little bit saucy) as Anita. She alone was worth the price of admission.

And finally, tonight a whole bunch of us (5 to be exact) saw "Where the Wild Things Are" in IMAX - which is kind of funny, because the kid's name in the movie is Max. But anyway, it was very cute and funny and I even cried a little bit at the end. Dare I even say it was better than "Fame"?! Yes, yes I do.

So in closing, I leave you with a selection from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music:
Bring up the curtain, la la la
Bring down the curtain, la la la
Bring up the curtain, la la la
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!

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.