Nov 10 NYC

 Our last full day in the Big Apple..

We met Greg at 11:30 for brunch at the Carnegie Diner (the deli permanently closed 🥲).  We had a wonderful but short visit!  We talked about the shows we just saw & the shows he has done over the years & what he’s up to now that he’s no longer dancing.  Presently he’s working costumes at Wicked so he had to leave at 1:00 to work. Always a joy to see him! 

Our afternoon was free so we decided to go to a movie. We saw “Priscilla.”  I did not realize it was directed by Sofia Coppola and I think that made it effective, if imperfect.  It was entertaining.  

Tonight’s show was “Gutenberg: the Musical” with Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells— both best known for “Book of Mormon.” What a pair!  It really felt like a two hour improvisation. It was a two person show. Extremely unusual. You really go to see them more than the show. The audience was ecstatic about them & their antics. But it really wasn’t a typical Broadway musical by any stretch.

So overall, we saw a great variety of musicals and had a lovely time.

Nov 9, 2023 NYC

Today we only had the night show so we became tourists. We had a very yummy lunch at La Bonne Soupe: fondue & salad.  Delicious. 

 With our hotel reservation came a free voucher for doing “the Big Bus” which is like the hop on/off tour bus. It was too late to actually get off & on so we just rode it around the downtown loop. On the way we passed a big crowd protesting Israel…grrr… When we returned to Times Square there was a HUGE mob watching the Korean boys band BTS performing live and on the BIG screen in Times Square.  The crowd was rabid!  We got separated in the crowd but fortunately I had told Joni that if we got separated we should meet at Junior’s restaurant for a light supper before the show.  I was happy that they had matzo ball soup and a latke!  The restaurant was next to our hotel and to tonight’s theatre where we saw “ Kimberly Akimbo.”  OMG. It won multiple Tonys including Best Musical.  This is what Broadway is all about—-flawless show.  Anyone who has a chance must see this one.  

Our short trip is winding down.  Just 1 more day & show tomorrow.  I regret not adding on 1 more night and show.  Oh well…

Nov 8 NYC

 I arrived last night and today is Wednesday so it means ——-2 shows!  

1) An early Sondheim revival: “ Merrily We Roll Along”.  I have never seen it before as the original wasn’t considered a big hit but the revival has made enough changes (I am told) to improve it.  The cast included 2 Hamilton alums: Lindsay Mendez (who did Eliza in Hamilton) and Jonathan Groff (who did King George).  Also staring Daniel Radcliffe, who needs no introduction.  I enjoyed seeing them all; they were as good as the script would allow.  To me what was special was hearing songs I have loved for years being staged for the first time e.g.: Opening Doors; Our Time; Old Friends; Not A Day Goes By.  Wonderful music & lyrics—-thank you Mr Sondheim.  The revival book (by George Furth based on an original play by Kaufman & Hart) I am sure was improved but my overall impression was: very good but not great. The BEST part was Sondheim.  

We walked around Times Square a bit after the show.  It’s pretty chilly out—upper 40s, low 50s.  But thankfully no precipitation.  

Dinner was at a restaurant where I ate last time I was here: Blue Fin. I had a lobster/crab roll & wedge salad  YUMMY!  And it’s close to the hotel & theatre.  

2) Tonight’s second feature: “Some Like It Hot.”  I particularly wanted to see this one because I love Christian Borle (I last saw him in “Something Rotten” in NY) and because I was in the earlier musical version of this show: “Sugar” in the 70s.  To me  it seemed  a lot was very close to “Sugar” in the script but all the music was new.  I don’t know what freedom the authors had to borrow from the original story and from Sugar.  The acting & singing were terrific.  The dancing was especially outstanding in this show—-such production numbers!  

So—— A perfect day on Broadway!

Broadway here I come!

 November 7-11, I will be in NYC to see four Broadway shows. I will meet up with my friend Joni at our hotel late on November 7. We then have two shows Wednesday, one Thursday, and one on Friday. All four are musicals.

Merrily We Roll Along

Gutenberg: the Musical

Kimberly Akimbo

Some Like it Hot  

We are staying at my favorite hotel: the Marriott Marquis. From there, we can walk to all of the theaters.

Looking forward to a fun 4 nights in chilly NYC!