New York City day 4: If/Then, Alice's Tea Cup, Lincoln Center, and Serendipity

We intended to get up early on Sunday morning, because we wanted to attend Sacrament meeting at a local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation before continuing our foodie and sight-seeing adventures. Alas, the person who was supposed to get up and shower first set her alarm for the time the last person (me) was supposed to get up. So, we ended up being about half an hour late for the 9am meeting at the same building the Manhattan Temple is located near Lincoln Center. On the plus side, we arrived in time to listen to the talks several of the members prepared. It was interesting that although their topics and approach were very different, each started with a little recap of how long and why they lived in Manhattan. I wonder if that was for the benefit of the visitors (there were quite a few of us, some with luggage in tow either coming from or headed to the airport), or simply because they're proud to be New Yorkers.

The Manhattan Temple

Kristen (imagining a future conversation):
"What show were you late for?" "Church."

After Sacrament meeting ended, we walked several blocks to Alice's Tea Cup, my favorite place for Sunday brunch in NYC. Our wait wasn't too bad. We had just enough time to walk to Central Park before the restaurant called to let us know our table was ready. We were all glad that we went to an earlier church meeting, because the wait at the Tea Cup got longer the later in the day you arrived... I guess that's true of most places where we dine/dined.

We ordered a small pot of "Hawaiian Delight" herbal tea, and an order of French toast all around. My mouth waters whenever I think of that French toast, and it was even better than I remembered. It was so good that Theresa and Kristen both considered buying the cookbook before we left.

It's impossible to sing the praises of this French toast too much!

We walked all the way to Lincoln Center before we realized that Levain Bakery was right next to Alice's Tea Cup. Whoops! Guess I'll have to go next time I'm in the city. Meanwhile, Larissa figured out the recipe for the famous chocolate cookies (her recipe is crazy good), so I could make them myself... you know, if I ever chose to bake :P

Anyway, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a series of buildings dedicated to, well, the performing arts. The organizations involved include the Julliard school, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic, among others. We are all theatre fanatics, but Theresa's dad is a high school orchestra teacher, and she herself studied the cello through college, so she was especially excited to walk around the courtyard, and visit the Metropolitan Opera building and store. Such a lovely, clean part of the city. A perfect place to spend a Sunday morning/early afternoon.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back downtown for our Sunday matinee. But first, we stopped at the Cake Boss Cafe on Times Square for some cannoli and some rugelach since we didn't know how long it would be before we could eat dinner.



Our last show during this trip was If/Then at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Starring Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, and LaChanze, it is the story of a woman named Elizabeth who moves to New York after a divorce, and imagines how one choice leads to two very different futures. In one, she is Liz, a busy career woman who royally screws up her personal life. In the other, she is glasses-wearing Beth and gives up her career for a family. Both storylines were engaging, and I had a definite opinion on which story I wanted to be the "real" one. *Spoiler* I had thought, based on the opening, I knew how it was going to end. I was relieved to discover at the end that I had been wrong. *End spoiler* I found the ending to be very satisfying.

Idina Menzel was luminous as Elizabeth. She is such a star. Because of her seamless transitions, I had little trouble following which storyline she was in. Her voice is incredible. It was good on the Tonys, but she's even better live. She had no trouble filling the theater with that voice, despite the theater being the largest of all the shows I saw over the weekend. I can't imagine how she keeps her voice healthy after belting like that eight performances a week! She was soft and vulnerable when she needed to be, and strong and forceful when needed, too. I believed her in both worlds and rooted for her eventual happiness. If she had been the only good thing about the show, the ticket price was worth it.

Happily, her costars were terrific, too! Anthony Rapp's character, best friend Lucas, had a different fate in each of the storylines, as well, and in both he suffered no small amount of heartache. He and Menzel performed together in Rent -- the original Broadway cast AND the movie -- so they had an easy chemistry; it was fun to watch the two of them together. LaChanze was a powerhouse as lesbian friend Kate. She commanded every scene she was in, and her character choices helped make sense of choices that Elizabeth made, too. I loved watching her. James Snyder was handsome and convincing as love interest and soldier Josh. He also had great chemistry with Menzel and I loved his singing voice. I hope I see him in something else soon!

In some scenes, the back flat lit up to show the 

different subway routes, and the floor reflected 

the lights. It was supremely cool.

The music was gorgeous. Since the writer was the same for Next to Normal, I expected going in that If/Then would be a "Rated R" musical, and it was. I had the most catchy song -- "What the F---" in my head for days afterwards. The music was passionate and displayed the performers' abilities wonderfully. I also liked the way they used the stage. The sets were generally minimal -- almost sketched in -- just enough to let you know where the characters were supposed to be. I liked it that way 'cause it put the emphasis on the story. By the end, I was exhausted by the emotions and dedication demonstrated by the performers. It was a fitting end to our six plays in four days.

A little note about the users at the Richard Rodgers Theatre staff: the ushers hated me. I was yelled at by those ushers more than I was the entire rest of the trip. I guess I understand they're used to thoughtless, awful tourists, and they wanted to get home as soon as possible to enjoy the rest of their Sunday, but I didn't think that, say, stopping to get a drink of water while in line for the bathroom was cause to snap at me! I was very relieved to finally get outside after the show!

We couldn't help but wait at the stage door. Unfortunately, we dawdled so much that Theresa and I ended up behind a massive crowd and couldn't see a thing. Kristen is tall, so she pushed her way through a tiny bit and then took photos over people's heads. To her credit, Idina Menzel signed absolutely everything put in front of her. It must have taken her 20 minutes to get around the entire barrier. When she was done, she climbed into an SUV with darkened windows; let's be honest: if anyone had seen her walking down the street she would have been mobbed.

Tired and happy, we rode the subway one final time to Serendipity 3, the restaurant for which the movie was named (and where scenes in the movie were filmed). We waited about an hour but, again, I think it was worth it. It was about as expensive as Sardi's (you may remember I thought that place was overpriced) but the atmosphere was fun, the staff delightful, and the food drool-worthy. I ordered the "One-Eyed Jack", an open-faced roast beef sandwich with a fried egg on top, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the fried parsnips that came on the side tasted like slightly sweetened potato chips -- yummmmmmmmm! Now I know that parsnips are delicious, I must eat them more often. We ordered the famous frozen hot chocolate, and were all a little disappointed that it didn't live up to the hype. We should have ordered the lemon version that our server recommended. You live and you learn.

Could these menus BE any bigger?!

Our last meal in NYC: meatloaf, ravioli, and the One-Eyed Jack

I don't know when or how it was decided I was in charge of deciding where we'd eat each meal. I had asked around before the trip, so I had a bunch of ideas, and Theresa had a recommended list as well. Though most of the restaurants/bakeries/food stands on our lists overlapped, it was not a task I undertook lightly. Eat at the must-eat places and keep the costs down? A big job for anyone. Fortunately, we made out ok. It helped that I plotted beforehand which restaurants were near other sites we planned to visit. We missed Levain Bakery, but that's about the only "must" on my list we didn't get to; we did go to several I hadn't thought planned on and turned out to be delicious.

We watched part of Miss Congeniality while we packed that night. I wished I could have gone home with the others the next day, but I still had my business trip to look forward to. I am glad that my original intent to do the business part first didn't work out; it was great to have the fun trip first when I was mostly well-rested and had my friends with me. They were terrific, easy-going, thoughtful travelling companions. I'll even be so bold as to say I would take them anywhere!

Phew! I made it through this last post! Sorry it took me so long to finish them all. I had fun reliving the memories. I need to plan another trip -- to New York sometime and to someplace this summer -- soon. I was ready to come home after these trips were done, but I'm ready to explore somewhere else now!

Playbills, magnets, a book, a bag, a danced-on newspaper,
a hat, and a t-shirt. Not a bad haul!

For a recap of day 1, day 2, and day 3 in New York City, click the links :-)

Are you headed anywhere fun this summer? Do tell!

New York City day 3: Newsies, Cabaret, and the Top of the Rock

It never fails -- on every trip someone takes a photo of me sleeping.
Thankfully, this time my face is hidden :P

Day four began early with breakfast at Tiffanys. Savvy people know that Tiffany & Co is a jewelry store and not a restaurant, but we bought drinks and pastries at Starbucks -- white hot chocolate and pain au chocolat for me -- and loitered in front of the store anyway. They weren't open yet, so I don't think we were bugging anyone. Besides, there were other folks loitering and eating right along with us! Popular spot!

"Then I said: 'What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?' He said: 'I think I remember that film...'"

Sufficiently sated, we headed over to 30 Rockfeller Center, NBC studios headquarters in New York. I'd talked with several friends about must-see spots in New York, and a few said they like the view from the Top of the Rock (TotR) even more than from the Empire State Building because you can see the ESB from the TotR. We underestimated the popularity of the attraction, so when we arrived we found a line that stretched outside the doors. Thankfully, we had this gorgeous chandelier/crystal installation to gaze at when we finally got inside and down the stairs. We had a matinee at 2pm, so we were a little nervous to buy tickets for 12:15pm -- the next available time -- but we decided to live dangerously.

We had a little over an hour wait until the start time, so we wandered around the grounds and through the NBC store. Weirdly, none of us bought anything, despite the fact that Theresa and I were lamenting the cancellation of Community, and all of the seriously great Friends paraphernalia! There was also a Museum of Modern Art store. I bought a cool children's book illustrated with art by Vincent Van Gogh.

30 Rockefeller Center, or 30 Rock

The statue is Prometheus, the God who gave fire to the humans and sparked creativity
(or something like that).

Alas, this was not to be. But the five seasons Community had were fantastic!

This could be the shirt I wear every time I help someone move!
(As previously stated, I didn't buy it. Sadly.)

The closest I got to Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show

Across the street from 30 Rock

We got a good laugh while waiting in line for the bathroom. There were so many in the line that the lady security guard had us move so we weren't blocking another entrance. She was very diligent about telling all the people about to cut in front of us (not seeing the continuation of the line 20 feet from the entrance) that the line was "back there." Hooray for bathroom line enforcers!! We met a Vietnam vet selling hats to help fund the homeless. He taught us a Sanskrit phrase "Jee nita gorah" (spelled phonetically, 'cause I don't know Sanskrit) which means "Happiness and good fortune." We also met a man selling tours who said his name was Muhammad Ali. I forget how we got on the topic, but he showed us his celebrity strut and was very entertaining. NYC people are cool.

My TotR package came with a digital photo. Woot!

When our appointment time finally arrived, we took the stairs, elevator, and escalators necessary to get to the top of the building. Saying it was beautiful is an understatement. It had rained the day before, but that day it was clear as anything. There weren't any clouds at all! We could see all the way to the bridges on all sides, and had fun looking at my map and pointing out the famous buildings.

North side, overlooking Central Park
(the expression is an homage to G-unit)

South side, with the Empire State Building on the left

We started freaking out about time when we had to wait in multiple lines to view our digital photo and get down from the roof. It took longer than we thought... everything always does, right? But my companions indulged one last request and let me grab lunch at the Potbelly in the basement of Rockefeller Center. I was worried I wouldn't find one in Washington D.C., and I LOOOVE their sandwiches. Theresa and Kristen both agreed that the Italian was delicious.

So, so delicious!

Thanks to Kristen's amazing subway-deciphering skills, we managed to get to the Nederlander Theatre with time to spare; time we spent buying souvenirs :D The saleslady told us that if we bought $50 worth of items we could have a free cap. Well, between Kristen and I, we managed to get one for each of us! Woo-hoo! I am so grateful that lady likes a good deal!

Did I mention that our Saturday matinee was to see Newsies? NEWSIES ON BROADWAY!!!!!!!!! After Matilda, I think this one was my favorite. It was always meant to be a Broadway musical. They made a lot of changes to put it on stage, pretty much all of which I agreed with, though I thought it weird they changed lyrics to existing songs. They made a good call getting rid of Davy and Les's sister, and replacing her (and newsman Denton) with a female reporter named Katharine. I liked that she empathized with the newsies because she knew what it was like to be underestimated and taken for granted. I also liked that they made the song "Santa Fe" the through line for the show; there were several reprises, including an effective Act I finale, and at the end *spoiler* Jack's friends got to talk him into staying in NYC, creating the home and family that Jack had craved all along. *end spoiler*

The dancing. Ohhhhhh, the dancing!! I was amazed at the energy flowing through the arms, hands, legs, and feet of those young men. It was fun just to watch; I can only imagine how much fun it was to perform! I remember thinking that the choreography wasn't impressive during their Tonys performance. It's definitely better live. Crutchie was one of my favorites to watch. He didn't do all of the dancing, but any he did was done with one leg and the crutch -- I believed his other foot didn't work at all. It made for a great effect and character choice: "Never give up! I can do whatever they can!" The scenery was mostly three sections of scaffolding that indicated a fire escape, balcony, or anything else, and it was used to full capacity. This was the only show we had orchestra tickets for; we sat in the upper balcony for all of the other shows. I was disappointed that we couldn't see the actors when they climbed to the top. It was darn cool, though, when Jack walked right past my aisle seat on his way to the rally. I can't wait for it to come on tour so I can see it again!

Freakishly talented Corey Cott prudently wore
his wedding ring outside the stage door.

Did I mention that Jack, played by Corey Cott, was dreamy? Holy cow, could that young man sing, and I liked his character choices! Everyone was terrific. We had a blast waiting at the stage door for photos and signatures and seeing everybody close up. Talented, cute, AND nice? That's the jackpot! I had to giggle when the kid who played Les, Luca Padovan, walked outside and all of the teenage girls freaked out. Cougars in the making (I admit, he was adorable)!

A failed attempt at a photo where I do a Newsies-style jump

Blurry...good enough!

We thought we'd grab an early dinner at the famous Sardi's restaurant. Little did we know that we were under dressed, and the food was more expensive than we expected. We ordered appetizers and sodas, took some photos, and got out of there as quickly as we could so the waiter could hopefully get some higher-paying customers in before whenever his shift ended (he pretty much ignored us anyway, as most waiters do when we say we aren't ordering alcohol). On the way to the bathroom, we snapped a photo of Theresa with the drawing of Kermit the Frog featured in The Muppets Take Manhattan. The whole experience was worth it to see her so excited.

Can you see Linda Ronstadt's portrait on the upper left?

I ordered the salad of endive, pears, grapes, blue cheese, roasted walnuts, and pear vinaigrette.

It's official: I don't like blue cheese. It made my small, expensive salad kind of disgusting.

We walked around a neighborhood bazaar, looking for deals. We also found a store dedicated to the Tony awards. It featured paraphernalia from Tony award winning and nominated shows, like clothing, snow globes, and music (print and Cd's).

Before we knew it, it was time to split up to see our respective evening musicals. Theresa and Kristen headed over to Violet and Sutton Foster, and I walked ten blocks or so to find Studio 54. The walk didn't take as long as I thought it might, so I wandered around for a little bit, and found the David Letterman theater and the theater where Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is playing. Crumbs bakery was next door, and I briefly considered getting a treat, but I wasn't that hungry (I did chuckle as I remembered the sad fate of my Crumbs cupcakes during my previous trip).

As soon as the doors opened, I entered Studio 54 and found my seat for Cabaret! Studio 54 was remodeled into a theater. Instead of an orchestra section, there were tables and chairs as befitted a night club (the actual orchestra played on a balcony behind the stage). I sat in the upper balcony -- still pretty close to the stage since the space was so small. I was next to the wall, but the other two men on my row had already arrived. The one next to me, Matthew, apologized that his chair "plays a musical note every time I sit down" and we all laughed when it did. He and his husband, Tony, have been together for twelve years, and they proved to be delightful companions. Matthew was more than happy to tell me their life story, and Tony warmed up and chimed in when talking about their 8 year old daughter. They live in Connecticut and take the train frequently to see the shows in NYC. I am so jealous! I replied that I go to Disneyland a lot, but felt a little silly saying so. They gave me the rundown on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which they saw the night before, and I gave them my recommendation for them to take their daughter to Aladdin and Matilda. They were a darling couple. I was glad to have such nice people to talk with.

I have been obsessed with the 1998 revival soundtrack for several years, and the knowledge that I would finally be hearing all of those songs within the context of the show was thrilling! The current revival is a remount of the 1998 version, with Alan Cumming as the Emcee, and Michelle Williams as down-on-her-luck Sally Bowles. I realized soon after I sat down that I didn't have a program, and neither did Matthew or Tony, so I took the excuse to flirt with the hunky usher (who flirted back in the manner of someone willing to play along but was ultimately not interested, which was ok with me) and ask what was up. He said they want to preserve the illusion of the Kit Kat Klub, so they hand out programs after the show. Cool, no?

I can sum up the whole show in one word: powerful. It was funny, uncomfortable, thoughtful, disturbing, beautiful, melancholy, clever, shocking, hopeful, and inappropriate, and emotional. It's definitely rated R or worse (I knew that going in). Alan Cumming was as brilliant as I'd hoped. He was totally in his element -- comfortable and magnetic as our guide in the macabre world of a disreputable, pre-World-War II, Germanic speakeasy. He commanded the stage, even when in disguise. I couldn't help but laugh near the beginning of the second act when the Kit Kat chorus girls all come out to dance in matching black wigs and little black dresses... and then you realize that one of them is slightly more bulky and masculine, and the Emcee steps forward and says: "It's me! I changed!" and gleefully goes back to dancing. He pulled a few audience members on stage at one point for a slow dance, and teased playfully when it seemed one man's relationship status was in question. I was floored when Matthew leaned over and whispered, "He just turned 50." Mr. Cumming had so much energy and spunk, I never would have suspected it. He's still got it!

The cast was made of up incredible dancers/musicians (most of the ensemble also made up the orchestra), and the story was haunting and tragic. *Spoiler* It isn't a happy musical. I was glad that it wasn't as depressing as the movie (which I hated because it was missing a lot of the songs and storylines), but it's still sad. I think that's why the flamboyant sexuality didn't bother me much -- it was offset by a feeling of desperation and a live-while-you-can attitude. It began with decadence and depravity, and ended with stark reality, which was even more disturbing. *End spoiler* I wasn't a big fan of Michelle Williams's Sally Bowles, probably mostly because the speaking voice/accent she chose was so grating, and she wasn't the best singer, but she acted her butt off and I was sad for the character in the end. The elderly couple, Linda Emond and Danny Burstein, was darling -- sincere and honest. I can see why they were both nominated for Tonys.

I couldn't easily find the stage door, so I headed home. It wasn't a very far walk, but as the crowds grew sparse I started to be a little afraid. The last two blocks were empty so I walked fast! I did stop to take this photo, though => I want to say it was on 5th Avenue.

I had enough time to get ready for bed before my companions returned home. We ate the last of the cheesecake and tried to go to bed early... and were unsuccessful. We still hoped to get a good night's sleep before our last day in the city that never does...

Stay tuned for a report on our last day in NYC.
Click the links for a recap of day 1, day 2, or day 4.

May days

The main event in May were my epic New York City trip and first business trip, but I remembered to take photos of a few other notable things, too:

• I hung out with my friend Mattie June and her tiny baby girl on the same day I saw this article about drawing eyebrows on your baby. I mentioned the idea to her, and she LOVED it. For the record: the mustache and Sheriff costume were Mattie June's idea!

Face scrubbed and girly pajamas after the silliness was over.

• Mother's Day!

"Happy Mother's Day to the one women for whom I will do things I don't want to, just because I know it means a lot to her. Plus, heaven knows she sacrifices for me even now. Thank you for being my dear friend, cheerleader, interior decorator, and so much more. I love you, Mom! #mothersday"

My older brother framed this poem along with his handprint.
He is the reason I will never win "most creative" or "funniest" gift -- haha!

Three generations of gorgeous blondes.
I am grateful to have these women in my life.

• Pre-wedding-trip dinner at Stella Grill to celebrate Aaron and Heidi's elopement. It was the first time both families were together, and it won't be the last!

I'm sad that the sun was so bright, and that the photographer/server
didn't count to three to let Heidi know when to smile.

Missing: Jordyn and PJ
Hiding: Alex and Heidi's nephew

• Kristen's company's annual company picnic and rodeo. Kristen invited me along as her date! I had a blast eating yummy food, meeting her coworkers, and watching Kristen win at Bingo (I played, too, but wasn't nearly as successful). Thank you for inviting me, my friend!

• Dinner at Robintino's with some of my Kiss Me Katians. We always have so much fun together. We should do it more often. Thanks for getting us together, Mandie!

That's all folks. If you wanted more, please accept this compilation of television character catchphrases as consolation:


I'm a little nervous about June and the rest of the summer. It's been a long time since I wasn't cast in a summertime play, and I'm not sure I remember how to enjoy the warm months like a regular person. Pools? Movies? Seeing shows? Barbecues? Long evening walks? I guess I'll figure it out!