NYC 2011 Highlights

Larry and I were lucky not to be arrested by the fashion police after modeling the hat I bought for Emily from a very authentic lookikng vendor on South Broadway on our recent trip.

Thursday night  we arrived in NYC in plenty of time to head to the TKTS booth where we picked up half price tickets for Lombardi at Circle in the Square. The ushers informed us we were sitting in the "end zone" I can only assume this is a football term. I've never heard it used in the theatre before.

It was a little odd to see people with cheese head hats and Packers jerseys at a Broadway show. Judith Light was impeccable as Marie Lombardi. I predict a Tony nomination if not an award for her. I loved her on One Life to Live and Who's The Boss. It's always fun to see an actor you admire up close.

Friday we were off to the intimate  Mitzi Newhouse theatre in  Lincoln Center to see the best show of the trip, Other Desert Cities with Linda Lavin and Stockard Channig.

After being so impressed by her in The Sisters Rosensweig a few years ago I was afraid I might have set my expectations too high. Impossible! The woman is a comic genius. (despite all those episodes of Alice). It was great to see Stockard Channing live for the first time. She did not disappoint. Elizabeth Marvel who played the daughter who returns home after a six year absence was right on par with these two great stage actresses.

Saturday morning we headed downstairs to the overpriced diner in the hotel but no one minded since we were having brunch with my old college friend, George Lightcap and his lovely wife, Jean. Is there anything better on earth than the opportunity to catch up with an old friend and complain about the current governor of New Jersey at the same time?

Saturday afternoon we got to see Harvey Firestein and Jeffrey Tambor in La Cage Aux Folles. Jeffrey was striking in his wig. So was Harvey although he got to change his more often.

 It's easy to see why New York audiences adore Harvey. We got to see them in their first week of performances after replacing Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge which led to a few surprises like seeing Jeffrey cracking Harvey up with unexpected business on a couple of occasions and seeing Jeffrey wrestle while he tried to put on his wig for the finale.

I adore Harvey but listening to him croak out a tune takes some perserverance. Jeffrey isn't much of a singer either but since I often complain about musicals where no one can act it's only fitting that I sit through one occasionally where no one can sing.

Well now I have to take that back. The show does have Christine Andreas singing The Best of Times in Act II. I hadn't seen her on stage since The Scarlet Pimpernel (version 1.0) Warning to anyone who is going to be in my cabaret revue this spring: we will be doing The Best of Times for the closer again.

Larry loves Mamma Mia so much that I gave in and let him go see it Sat. night. At first it was good to hear some good singing but after the umpteenth Abba tune and all the emoting that went along with it  grew a bit tiring. The energetic young cast never lets you know for one minute that this show has been playing almost ten years now. And at least they booted Cats out of the Winter Garden to house it. The curtain call was the best part of the show. Maybe they should just chuck the script and do a concert.

Sunday we got to see at least part of  That Championship Season with Chris Noth, Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric. Our seats were so far to the right in the mezzanine we were unable to see much of  the action (or inaction since the actors were sitting on a sofa down stage left, out of our view) in Act I. Act II was better in this regard. When I called Telecharge to complain later they actually listened to me. I don't know if they will do anything about it but it was nice to be heard.

Jason was perfectly cast as Kiefer's alcholic brother and Kiefer played a bit of a loser which was a nice stretch for him. Chris Noth's character was a bit more in line with his image but Larry agreed with me he didn't quite have the acting chops to carry off his emotional breakdown at the end of Act II. Somehow we both forgave him. I can't think why.

Monday morning NYC got another snowfall a small one in comparison to other snows it has had this year but it was enough to make Central Park which was two and a half blocks from our hotel even more picturesque than usual. We weren't the only tourists snapping pictures that morning. And for once Larry took my advice (which Fox News has given a 100 % approval rating to so you know it has to be accurate) and headed out before the light snowfall stopped. We were out in it just as it hit its peak.




Since neither of us had spent quite enough money yet we had the bellman at the Wellington book us a limo for the drive to the airport. It must have been a slow day for limo service because when it arrived it was  stretch limo complete with beautiful little LED twinkle lights in the ceiling. Finally I get to travel in a style befitting my station. Of course if the state of Illinois finds out about this they are sure to reduce my pension.