NYC 3.31-4.3.11

This was my mom's birthday in NYC weekend! We had such a busy weekend! We came in on March 31, Thursday morning, and we checked into our hotel--2 blocks away from Times Square!! Our plan for the day was to relax, and then grab food at Carmine's, which was enough food for 4 people to share! We had penne and meatballs, and we made that food last 3 days!!
After Carmine's, we headed to our first show, My Big Gay Italian Wedding. It was an off-Broadway show, and it was promised to be hysterical! I enjoyed the show, but I think they could have cut out a huge chunk of it. It was very Jersey Shore reminiscent. Fun, but very Tony and Maria's Italian Wedding, which I have seen on dinner shows.


Then it was Friday, April 1. We got up early and hopped on the subway to go to the NY Aquarium. It was right next to Coney Island, so it was about a 45 minute subway ride. It was a rainy day, but most of the aquarium was indoors, so that was no problem! It was a nice aquarium, I enjoyed seeing the animals, especially the jellyfish!






At night we went to see Sister Act the Musical. All I have to say is, "Take Me To Heaven!" It was an amazing show, songs are up beat 70's/80's style songs, and it makes you want to get up out of your seat and dance!! For those who need a refresher, Sister Act is a movie starring Whoopi Goldberg as Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer in Vegas who gets in a pickle when she learns her boyfriend has murdered someone. Now they are looking for her! For her safety, she is placed in a convent and dressed as a nun to partake in daily nun activities so she can lay low awhile. Deloris is not great at laying low, and soon becomes the choir director, leading the other sisters in song and making a name for the church. Such a big name, that the church is headlining everywhere, and gives her ex boyfriend clues where to find her, and track her down. Eventually, the sisters band together to help Deloris, and she stays safe and her boyfriend and his goons end up going to jail.

Cast:
Deloris Van Cartier-Patina MIller
Michelle-Rashidra Scott
Tina-Alena Watters
Curtis Jackson-Kingsley Leggs
Joey-John Treacy Egan
Pablo-Ceasar Samayoa
TJ-Desmond Green
Eddie Souther-Chester Gregory
Mother Superior-Victoria Clark
Monsignor O Hara-Fred Applegate
Mary Robert-Marla Mindelle
Mary Patrick-Sarah Bolt
Mary Lazarus-Audrie Neenan

Fantastic show, I can definitely see why this one got a Best Musical Tony Nom!
I didn't stage door, it was raining too hard!




Saturday April 2, we had a busy busy day! We went to the Central Park Zoo, which I had never been to before and LOVED!! It was sunny today, finally! So it was nice to walk around outside! It was almost magical, being in the zoo in the middle of a giant city! You could ALMOST forget you were in a city! I loved the polar bears, they were my favorite!









After the Central Park Zoo, my mom went to see Phantom Of The Opera as her matinee, and I headed to my first Broadway PLAY, Lombardi. (For those who are confused and think I always see plays, I do not! I see MUSICALS. Musicals are not plays. Plays do not have music in them, and musicals do. So, 2 different animals!)
It was at the Circle in the Square Theatre, which I had never been in and liked. Small theatre, but it worked for this show!

It was the story of Vince Lombardi, Packers Football Coach.

Cast:
Vincent Lombardi-Dan Lauria
Michael McCormick-Keith Nobbs
Marie Lombardi-Judith Light
Dave Robinson-Robert Christopher Riley
Paul Hornung-Bill Dawes
Jim Taylor-Chris Sullivan

Did not stage door for this one as I could not find the Stage Door!



After Lombardi, we ended up going to Shake Shack and bringing back yummy burgers and shakes to our room! SOOO good!


Then we got ready for our evening show, Catch Me If You Can, The movie-turned-musical about Frank Abergnale, Jr, the con man! This show was another phenomenal show! The music was real Broadway, as were the sets! It was perfect! Another show I can see why it got a Tony nom! I did get to stage door for this show! I met Tom Wopat, Kerry Butler, and Aaron Tveit!

Cast:
Frank Abergnale Jr-Aaron Tveit
Agent Branton-Joe Cassidy
Agent Dollar-Brandon Wardell
Agent Carl Hanratty-Norbert Leo Butz
Agent Cod-Timothy McCuen Piggee
Frank Abergnale Sr-Tom Wopat
Paula Abergnale-Rachel de Benedet
Cheryl Ann-Rachelle Rak
Brenda Strong-Kerry Butler
Roger Strong-Nick Wyman
Carol Strong-Linda Hart




After the show, we stopped at Famiglia for Pizza! Such good pizza!!

Sunday we went to the Pompeii Exhibit at Discovery Center Times Square. It was a great exhibit, showed all artifacts from Pompeii, which was cool because I had been to Pompeii and it was nice to see! After that we went to Sardi's, and had dessert. I loved Sardi's! I had never been! I got some pictures of caricatures.




After that it was time to get our bus and go back home. What a great weekend!

March 25-26-27 2011

I normally only post shows I have seen in NYC here, but this weekend was amazing! Saw Next to Normal 3 times, 1 time a night, and we stage doored Saturday and Sunday, and we got to meet ALICE RIPLEY!!! Perry Sherman was an understudy in the cast, and on Sunday he came out and gave us all signed Playbills which was awesome! :)

New Year, Old Shows 1.08.11

Today was a bittersweet day. Let's first talk about the fact that it was snowy and chilly!!

Hayley, Kristin, and I went to see 3 shows between us that are closing this week and next. Hayley and Kristin went to see A Little Night Music as their matinee, and In The Heights at night. I went to see In The Heights for my matinee(I HAD to see Lin-Manuel Miranda perform as Usnavi!) And Next To Normal as my evening performance. We hung around the city in the morning visited our favorite show theatre's for the last time before they closed. We took some shots of the theatre, and posed with our favorite characters on the Booth Theatre doors for the last time. Hayley with Adam Chanler-Berat, who played Henry, Kristin with Kyle Dean Massey, who played Gabe, and Me with Louis Hobson, who was Dr Madden/Dr Fine.









After lunch, we went to our shows. In The Heights was phenomenal, I enjoyed it so much better than the first time, probably because Lin-Manuel Miranda was there, and to me he is the ONLY Usnavi!
The energy was amazing, and you almost really believed it was boiling outside and the middle of July, instead of freezing, snowing, and the beginning of January! I believe I gave a synopsis for this show and Next To Normal previously, so I will skip that and list the cast!

Cast:
Graffiti Pete-Daniel J Watts
Usnavi-Lin-Manuel Miranda
Piragua Guy-Ruben Flores
Abuela Claudia-Olga Merediz
Carla-Courtney Reed
Daniela-Andrea Burns
Kevin-Tony Chiroldes
Camila-Priscilla Lopez
Sonny-Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Benny-Christopher Jackson
Vanessa-Marcy Harriell
Nina-Arielle Jacobs

I did stage door, it was a crazy mad house, but I managed to get from the very last row in the theatre to the very front of the stage door barricades, and I was able to get a picture with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and tell him that his song, "Everything I Know," was an an integral part of my life in 08, when the show came out as my grandfather died that year and I re-wrote the lyrics to fit our family! He seemed very touched by that! It was sad that such a wonderful show was closing.



After the show, I had some time to kill, so I decided I would talk a walk up to FAO Schwartz and Dylan's Candy Bar. On the way, I passed by a still light Christmas Tree near Bloomingdales, and by Bloomingdales itself, which was still decorated as well. I had fun shopping and watching the Big Piano demonstration!














After FAO and Dylan's, it was time to see Next To Normal!
This show made me MORE sad than In The Heights that it was closing! I just love this show!! I saw it three times in NYC, stage doored 4 X, and The cast is small, so you feel like you can really connect with them!

Cast:
Diana: Marin Mazzie
Dan: Jason Danieley
Natalie: Meghann Fahy
Gabe:Kyle Dean Massey
Dr Madden/Dr Fine: Louis Hobson
Henry: Adam Chanler-Berat

I had great seats, 4 rows from the front! I did stage door for a few minutes after, while I waited for Kristin and Hayley to get out of ITH, and I did get a picture with Meghann Fahy, who I had never gotten at the Stage Door before, and my favorite, Louis Hobson.(Who I asked what his next show would be, and he said The People In The Picture, through Roundabout, and I told him I would definitely see anything he was in, so I will be seeing that show!) I also got a picture of the set. It was a long day, sort of sad, but very fun!