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Published: December 15th 2009
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Million Dollar Quartet
This is destined for greatness. Opens April 2010. Can hardly wait for an opportunity to see it on Broadway! Every so often we receive an invitation for a marketing preview of Broadway Shows through Group Sales Box Office. For a recent Monday early evening performance, we grabbed an afternoon Amtrak out of Albany and arrived in Penn Station in plenty of time to walk up 7th Ave to Broadway and the Marquis Theatre for the 6pm show. We were treated to two hours of snippets from 10 Broadway Shows and a bonus Off Broadway Production. Of the three musicals sampled featuring rock n roll themes, one, "Jersey Boys," is already a big hit; and the other two, "Million Dollar Quartet" (to open spring 2010) and "Memphis" are very promising! "Million Dollar Quartet," celebrating a famous jam session with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, was our absolute FAV and could go over the top at the Box Office. Million dollar songs from our teen years like Blue Suede Shoes, Great Balls of Fire, Walk the Line, Hound Dog and Folsom Prison make the show a stand out. The play is brilliantly casted - the Jerry Lee Lewis character sits atop the upright and plays with his hands behind him, Elvis is the “young” version, and the Johnny
Billy Elliot Poster
It's been around and was a movie first; but can hardly wait to see this show on Broadway! Would be grand if the tour comes to Proctors, Schenectady. Cash "voice" is remarkable. Another standout performances on the program included an incredible dance and song solo from young “Billy Elliot.” "Million Dollar Quartet," "Billy Elliot," "West Side Story," and "Chicago" top our 'must see' list. "Finian's Rainbow," 2008 Tony Award winner "Into the Heights," and "Avenue Q" were good; but might not get our Visa swipe! The off Broadway production was "Love, Loss, and What I Wore!" It has a revolving cast of 5 women and is an amusing stage reading about favorite dresses and wardrobe accessories. Do your relationship a favor and leave hubby home for this one! A word about the train - it was on time, had comfortable seating (I used the pull down tray to write a few Christmas cards), but was a bit too warm. There isn’t a food / beverages car, but you are free to pack your own snacks and drinks. We usually sit on the Hudson River side of the train; but opted for the opposite this time and were rewarded with views of interesting architecture, small towns, vacant duck blinds, and pretty swans swimming in the back water. Our train tix were $34 each for a round trip including a
Chicago
Some revivals can be revived over and over - like Chicago - and all that jazz! $10 senior citizen discount. A word about Times Square - expect the same colorful, hustle bustle as always. We had been told not to miss the Charmin Rest Rooms, installed across from the Times Square Marriott for the Holiday season. This was a fun and hygienic “pause that refreshes.” There were costumed characters, uniformed attendants and a talented “MC” doing stand up and spontaneous jokes as he controlled the line to the potties. Each stall was roomy and spray cleaned by attendants right after use. The "lobby featured a computer so we could tell our face book friends where we were, free photos on a giant commode, a toilet tissue roll "crawl" (like the ball crawl favored by 4 year olds, and tons of clever "potty grafitti" that never quite crossed the bad taste line. A word about the Marriott Marquis - we had been to the restaurant that faces Broadway on a previous vistit; so this time we tried the Atrium for a drink before the show and the revolving 47th floor, “The View," for dinner after. Both were fun for people watching. We watched little boys in suits and little tuxes with footballs tucked under their arms headed
Jersey Boys
Loved it the first time we saw it and would love it again! for a Heisman Trophy event from our Atrium perches. "The View" has two restaurants. We opted for a window table in the lounge, which "Surprise, Surprise" had an excellent buffet supper and dessert for $36 pp. Most of you are very aware of how I do not usually tolerate buffets. This one passed muster with four stars for covered serving dishes (small enough so you know they get refreshed frequently) and very, very nice items on the buffet. The menu included braised short ribs, roasted chicken, a very nice chicken salad, shrimp and veggies in a great sauce, antipasto and other salad items and a separate dessert buffet (available for $15 by itself) with a selection of great cheeses, pastries, and a chocolate fountain. The value for the food was reasonable. The drinks and coffees were another matter. Wes’s martini was $17, my wine was $11, and the coffee was $5. The view was splendid at "The View," the room rotates a full circle every 40 minutes. New York at night from the 47th floor is amazing. The cocktail napkin (see photo) gave us a little graphic to follow as we did our 360! After this wonderful evening, we took
West Side Story
When You're a Jet You're a Jet All the Way! Or, are these the Sharks? a cab back to Penn Station ($7 plus), caught the 10:45, and got home after 2am (had to stop at the GE parking lot in Schenectady to pick up a car). It was a Long; but lovely day! About the pictures, you need to know that I didn’t take the show pix; rather, I downloaded the photos posted with this entry, from individual web sites.
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Jill
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Good story!
Once again, very jealous! Your stories are too good! ( ;