Saturday December 15, I went to NYC with a co-worker on one of two buses hired for the day by our company. Our bus had mechanical troubles starting out and we switched to another waiting one in Bridgeport. Our NYC arrival time was a half hour later (10:45AM) but it was better than being stranded later on a broken-down bus. As we drove down 5th Ave.my buddy Russ got dropped off at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I went for the Rockefeller Center dropoff. I went to a deli for a fast brunch and then across the street to Barnes & Noble. I checked my shopping list and found one of three opera DVDS and a two CD anthology of Duncan Sheik's music. Since he wrote the score for the Broadway show we were seeing at 2:00 and I knew nothing about him, this was a practical choice. I did recognize his one (?) hit 'Barely Breathing.'
My next stop was The Virgin Megastore on Times Square. I did better than expected on past visits. I was looking for four Joni Mitchell CDs and they had ALL of them! B & N had none. I finally found the elusive Mitch Ryder Greatest Hits (see HippieFest blog). There were many bargain tables of CDs & DVDs for $10 where I found an acclaimed Russian horror film called Night Watch and the Broadway Soundtrack for Wicked for my wife. Another must-buy was the movie soundtrack for Curse of The Golden Flower, an epic Chinese film and I also got a good deal on James Taylor's recent CD/DVD concert. I couldn't find the other two operas but I'll get them for Xmas gifts.
I met Russ at the theater for our 2:00 matinee of Spring Awakening. We were seated in the second to last row but it was a small theater. Here's the website. Watch a video for a song:
And what a show! Most of the original cast was there and so were all the original band members onstage in the rear keeping the energetic choreography pumping. The 'Bitch of Lving' video is the perfect example. The score switches easily between rocking showstoppers and yearning ballads, This musical is based on a controversial play: Here's a description and comparison of both: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Awakening_%28play%29
There were graphic simulations of sex that are central to the drama but they never overshadowed the performers and musical numbers. As I write this, I'm listening to the Sheik anthology, I can hear the similarities in his show. A minimal set vibrated with constant lighting changes to evoke different moods for different scenes. This was adult entertainment at its best and I can see why this musical swept the 2006 Tony Awards, Broadway's equivalent to the Oscars. Our only quibble was that the closing number should have been an up tempo one. Broadway shows are $$$ but are worth it to us.
We dined again at a famous restaurant that we tried last year. They have a good prix-fixe dinner deal we devoured with a nice bottle of white wine. Check out their site: http://standrewsnyc.com/
We did some last minute shopping before leaving at 7:00. We saw the huge Xmas tree from Shelton, CT., outside at Rockefeller Center. It was a good day for us and although it was cold, we were home before a snowstorm arrived overnight.
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