I love Broadway musicals. I was a TUTs season ticketholder for 2013-2014. I love Broadway musicals so much that I am willing to travel from Houston to NYC just to see a Broadway musical.
And that's exactly what I did last weekend. I couldn't allow the Broadway production of Cinderella starring Keke Palmer and Nene Leakes go dark without setting my eyes upon it. Sure, Cinderella would travel to Houston in May but sans the two aforementioned cast members. And...January 3rd was the last day. Sooooo, I did what any lover of the theater would do...lol
I took to Facebook to incite the homies. I wanted others to go with me, to revel in the Broadway magic (and to cut down on costs). Key members of my inner circle replied and that was all I needed!
We found reasonably priced airfare, got the hook-up at the Marriott, bought discounted tickets to the show in the front mezzanine and we were off!
You've heard me say this before....sometimes the traveling part of traveling can be a drag. So when we were delayed getting into Newark, I didn't mind too much. When we were delayed on the train to Penn Station for an hour...I got a little irritated. When the stranger asked me to use my cell phone to call his job...I was perturbed. When we had to return to Newark and switch to the Path...I was downright pissed. Once we got in the cab ride at the World Trade Center, I knew we were on the home stretch and I mellowed.
We finally arrive to the hotel, attitudes less than pleasant and starving, at 3:00am. We had dinner and then headed to Times Square for the NYC novice. See below:
Doesn't matter how many times I visit The Big Apple....I'm still always so impressed by the lights in Times Square. It was just days after the NYE celebration so there was still confetti falling...dancing around in the cold winter air and laying in piles on the street.
We spent Saturday morning in Saks, doing some minor shopping.....or major, whatever.
We had tickets for the 2pm show so we grabbed a bite to eat to fortify ourselves (all the shopping and lack of sleep had our blood sugar levels low). We rushed to the theater, shopping bags in hand, to meet my cousin just before showtime. Then the magic began....
We weren't allowed to snap photos during the show and the chick seated in front of me was reprimanded for attempting to do so. So, to save myself some embarrassment...I waited until intermission and the bows.
No lie, this was one of the best Broadway shows I've seen. The costumes, the way Cinderella's outfits were changed from rags to a ball gown seamlessly in front of my eyes was incredible. It was charming and witty and at the same time a visual spectacle. The dance numbers and eye-catching scenery...dazzling costumes....wow....really, just wow. I agree with the critics. It was totally top-notch.
After the show, we stopped into Crumbs Bake Shop next door for a sweet treat. To be completely honest...I've had better cupcakes.
We spent the rest of the evening sightseeing in the rain and dining in Little Italy oh....and partying lol. Then all this happened...no explanation required.
On Sunday...after we peeled ourselves out of bed, we visited The Met.
Finally....and most importantly...I had the chance to reunite with my clique from law school. Both of them are living in New Jersey these days and hanging with them this weekend made me remember the good ole days (I feel super old typing that, lol). True, good and loyal friends are really hard to find....I learned that the hard way in the past few months. I miss these two and will make it a point to go back and visit them at least two more times this year.
That night...our flight was delayed 2 or 3 hours getting back to Houston b/c of some weather in the Midwest (I could have gotten one last tootsie roll in at the party! Shoot!) Then we sat on the tarmac for a little over an hour waiting for the luggage to be loaded. Finally, we arrive in Houston around 2 in the morning only to realize we didn't have a ride home. We'd either have to wait 1.5 hours for our friend to arrive or take a cab. We elected a cab (for about $80-which you know means we had left our effs on the plane and just wanted to get home)...and I made it home by 4am...with a Monday morning at work looming over my life. Oh well...you take the bad with the good, right?
Welp....that was my (brief) adventure in the Big Apple...I wonder where I'm off to next? Stay tuned! (oh and I have more to tell you about China, too *winks*)
~GEV