Broadway Wish List

Broadway has always been my favorite part of living in Manhattan and I'm no longer playing around.  Shows are always closing before I have a chance to see them and  determined  not to let that keep happening.  I have tickets for Cabaret and Into the Woods, two shows I've seen years ago, as well as On the Twentieth Century and The King and I.  I still have a long list of shows I absolutely have to see:

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

The Book of Mormon 

Pippin

Matilda the Musical

Motown the Musical

On the Town

And opening soon:

The River

An American in Paris

Gigi

Noises Off

New York For Life

I have had more fun in the last eight days than one person should be allowed.  Last Saturday night A and I went to see The Real Thing on Broadway starring Cynthia Nixon, Ewan McGregor, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.  Typically, I do not like plays.  I find them to be boring if I even understand them in the first place.  This Tom Stoppard story was another story.  It was hilarious and hands down the best play I have ever seen.  I even liked it better than The Odd Couple with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, the only other play I've ever enjoyed.  The dialogue was fierce, the acting exceptional, and our seats were awesome.  I cannot recommend this show enough to anyone who enjoys witty dialogue and smart writing.

Last night I saw my favorite Christian band, Jars of Clay, for the second time.  I believe it was 2003 when I last saw them at Irving Plaza.  This concert was at the Highline Ballroom, a new venue for me.  I only recognized three songs The Art In Me, Flood, and Love Song for a Savior, which they did as their encore, all from their self-titled album which I included in my top ten favorite albums six years ago.  I might alter that list today, but Jars of Clay would firmly remain.  They mentioned that Flood has been the source of both their greatest success and their greatest failure, which I found to be interesting.  

Then tonight I went to see If/Then the musical, thanks to my generous friend R.  We haven't seen a show together since college and she was the most perfect person to see it with because she appreciated it as much as I did.  The show was fabulous.  Idina Menzel was perfection and Anthony Rapp was awesome.  I had seen him in the ten year anniversary of Rent and although I thought it was my first time seeing Idina Menzel live I now I realize that I probably saw her as Amneris in Aida back in college.  I saw the show three times, first with Heather Headley, Adam Pascal, and Sheri Renee Scott, then with Maya Days and Adam Pascal, and then with Simone and Adam Pascal.  I believe Taylor Dayne was in it one of those times but it's been so long.  I guess I will have to go through my old playbills to see for sure.  I never made the effort to see If/Then because it didn't get the best reviews.   Thank God I got this opportunity because it was an incredible show with great songs, an enthralling story, and an absolutely impeccable cast.  There was not one weak voiced or so so actor on that stage.  Screw the critics because this show makes a person think and feel so much.  The concept is unique and the music is great.  Have I ever mentioned that I love New York?

Speed Read

The best books are ones that you simply can't put down because they're good.  These three books share that in common if nothing else.

   

Arm Candy tells the story of a small town girl who ends up a model in Manhattan.  It follows her entrancing love life from her teen years through age 39.  A Plain Death is a murder mystery whose protagonist is a computer science/information systems whiz who moves to small town Ohio and unexpectedly gets an Amish roommate on her rumspringa.  Finally, Imperfect Bliss chronicles the life of a recent divorcee living at home with her parents while trying to finish up her PhD, while her younger sister participates on a reality show called "The Virgin."  I've read other books by these authors and while the three couldn't be more different, they all know how to capture a complex female character in a smart fun read.