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Published: August 31st 2014
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It's hard to believe that this day is already here, but today is my last day in New York City. Since last posting, I've been busy seeing family, friends and shows.
Thursday, I got to spend lunch and the afternoon with my friend from high school, Melissa. She just started graduate school, and it was great to catch up with her. Later that evening, I had the opportunity to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. After seeing The Book of Mormon and Wicked (both of which I had seen in Chicago), I noticed one major difference between theatre in New York and Chicago: the sets are much more established and built into the theatres in New York. For example, at the Gershwin, there was a huge wall covering in the lobby of the theatre with Wicked-related drawings. Also, there are many more motorized set pieces and people/objects coming out of the stage.
Friday, I started the day by taking a tap class at the Steps on Broadway studio, which was quite an experience because it moved faster than any tap class I have taken before. But, I was able to learn and keep up fairly well and it was
overall a great learning experience. Later that day, I joined my cousin Maura for lunch and we walked across the High Line, which was very beautiful. Later that evening, I saw Les Miserables at the Imperial Theatre, which was an incredible experience. All of the singers were exquisite, and the sets and costumes were top-notch.
Saturday, the morning was started by a brunch with John, Wadad, Faris, Maura and Will at The Smith, which was delicious. I then rushed to Times Square to make it to the New Amsterdam Theatre to see Aladdin, which was spectacular. From the moment that it started, it was an explosion of color and energy that was incredibly impressive. The lavish costumes continued to appear, and each dance number seemed to outdo the previous one. All of the cast members had so much energy and athleticism, which was so fun to watch. And of course one of my favorite parts was the epic tap number in "Friend Like Me." I then ran to the Elektra Theatre to catch 50 Shades! The Parody musical, which had some funny moments but generally fell flat in my opinion. After grabbing a quick dinner, I went to the
New World Stages to see Avenue Q with Maura and Will. This completely exceeded my expectations. I was amazed at how well the puppeteers could make the puppets display emotions. Additionally, the actors all played multiple roles and voiced each one completely differently. Tired from a full day of theatre-going, we grabbed a quick snack before retiring for the night.
This morning, I realized that I hadn't purchased any souvenirs from NYC, so I hopped on the Subway to Times Square to see what I could find. Surprisingly, I noticed that when I wasn't looking for souvenir shops, they were everywhere. However, now that I was looking for them, they were suddenly extremely hard to find. Eventually I found one and made my purchases. I then decided to go to lower Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty. It was a beautiful day on the edge of the water, and there were beautiful views to be seen. I'm not back at the apartment, finishing packing before getting dinner with my other cousin Larry and then heading to the airport to catch my flight to London.
All in all, it's been such a fun few days in the city
that have been filled with such high quality theatre that has really been inspiring to watch. I am a bit sad to be leaving NYC, but I am also incredibly excited about the rest of adventures that my journey has in store.
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Virginia
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Safe travels
Jack, I am amazed at all the shows you were able to squeeze in! I had to take a nap after I just read all that you saw!! Safe travels on your flight. Thanks for sharing your adventures. I am enjoying your blog and your entertaining writing! Have fun! Virginia