Graduation Trip to NYC

Guess what!!

I'm in Mexico right now. I figured while I was there, I would get this posted. I've had it written for a while, but I've never posted it. When better than now?

This is a trip I took in July of 2012.

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As a graduation present, my mom and I went to New York to see Broadway shows. Along with shows, we also did ALL of the touristy stuff. If you can name it, we probably did it. Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Broadway, Wall Street and MORE.

Times Square, only about a block from our hotel!

The only thing I said we HAD to do, was make the trek to Hoboken, NJ. 

And we did.

Hoboken was a lovely town that reminded me a lot of Wichita Falls.

There was hardly a line at all! We went right in and ordered.  Buddy wasn't there, they said he was at the factory more now. The funny thing about the bakery is that you never see the shop on the store's right. It's a super modern Verizon store. The TV show never lets viewers see it. Smart if you ask me.

Mauro came out to get a pastry and I got a picture with him! It was the best day ever. He was the only Cake Boss person we saw. 

We saw a show a night, giving us a total of five shows. Lion King, Wicked, Mamma Mia, Chicago and Newsies. I found out that if you wait outside the stage door after shows, you can get the cast members' autographs, which of course I, being a theatre aficionado, had to do.

Mufasa, Simba, Scar, Young Simba and Young Nala signed it. I also saw this show in Las Vegas and they were very comparable. AMAZING. I had a slight awkward moment with Scar. My fingernails were painted "Easter Egg Blue," according to him. I said "My shoes match!" We both looked down and I realized I had switched shoes. They were my Cozumel flip flops that in no way match "Easter Egg Blue."

Glinda, Elphaba (and her undertudy), Madame Morrible, Boq, the Wizard and Nessarose signed it.

I saw this show in Dallas with the same Glinda and thought it was phenomenal. After seeing Broadway, I thought Dallas was just average.  Glinda had gotten SOOO much better, so many more effects in the show, just better.

Most of the main characters!

Nothing special, it was good, I don't think I want to see it again, but I'm glad I did go. The set was really cool. The walls were on remote controlled wheels.

Most of the mains again.

Roxie was played by a Japanese theatre/pop star named Ryoko Yonekura. It was her first time performing the role in English. She was great! The set was NOTHING. There was a chair for each cast member that was all that was used. When the chairs weren't in use, they were sitting along the side of the stage and the chorus and minor leads sat in them the whole time. The orchestra was on stage as well. From what I read, the show tried to make it with an elaborate set and failed. They tried again ten or so years later with a minimalist set and scored big.

I got nearly every cast member!

This was the best show I'd ever seen! I also caught a newspaper that they threw into the audience.

Now I have to watch Smash,  because next season, the guy who played Jack Kelly, Jeremy Jordan is going to be on it.

The set was amazing, the singing was amazing, the acting was amazing. I would see this show every night for the rest of my life if I could. 

A few months later, I've tweeted and gotten replies from several of the cast as well as sending off and receiving three fan mail replies. They actually wrote me a letter back.

Now, it's time to vomit some photos up.

Macy's original escalators made of wood! I almost fell down them because I was watching them instead of where I was stepping.

The sphere from the World Trade Center with the new tower being build in the back. I love this photo.

Alexander Hamilton's tombstone in the Trinity Church.

Central Park from the top of the Rockerfeller Center

A driving range on a pier. Had the Titanic made it to New York, that is where it would have docked. 

CONEY ISLAND!!! I don't know why I insisted we go here since all the island has to offer are hotdogs, but I knew I had to see it even though I don't even eat hotdogs. I got to walk in the Pacific Ocean though and that was cool. I liked the boardwalk too. We also went to the aquarium there.

It was the best trip I'd ever gone on! I am ready to go back, even if I got blisters on my feet from EACH pair of shoes I had (including the new pair I bought.) I still have a scar from my ratty blue Vans on my foot. Eventually, I ended up getting a pair of Nike's from Macy's. 

Thankfully we waited until I got my new shoes to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. We took a subway across, ate at Grimaldi's underneath the bridge and then walked it back to our hotel.

We also saw Jimmy Fallon practice his monologue in his studio and would have caught a glimpse of Angela Lansbury if my mom would have waited until her show finished.

By far, my favorite thing was just seeing.

I got to see things that I've never seen before and might not ever see again.