Trip report - part 4 - A whole day of Broadway!

Day 4 - the Saturday I had planned was packed. I had a ticket to the WICKED backstage tour in the morning, then I was meeting a friend for lunch and JERSEY BOYS, then that evening I was going on my own to THE WEDDING SINGER.

Turned out to be a good thing I had all these indoor activities planned within a short distance of my hotel, because Saturday was a nasty day with some heavy rain.

For breakfast, I ate the slice of pumpkin bread I had purchased at Union Square the day before. I%26#39;m not into having a big breakfast every morning and it just hit the spot.

I had a few trepidations about the WICKED tour, because someone had given it a so-so review in a recent trip report. But I have to say that I found it well worth the time and money. Even if you%26#39;re not a fan of the show, it%26#39;s a fabulous insight into the backstage workings of a Broadway production.

The tour was conducted by two of the actors, Sean McCourt, the current Dr. Dillamond (he also originated the role of Elphaba%26#39;s father), and one of the ';swing'; actors, whose name was Anthony (can%26#39;t recall his last name). A swing actor, for those who don%26#39;t know, is someone who can step into a variety of parts in a show%26#39;s production.

Both actors, not surprisingly, were very personable and clearly have a great deal of affection for the show. It was also obvious they enjoy talking about their work.

First we went to the vestibule outside the entrance to the orchestra seats. There they had several displays set up, including costumes for Elphaba, Glinda and the Wizard. There was a model of the set, and several of the actual props used in the show. It was fun to get to see these things up close, as many of the details are not visible from the stage.

Because the group was so large, half were taken into the theater for a short film and talk about the show, while the rest of us spent time looking at the displays. Then Sean and Anthony came out and began talking about the displays and the arduous task of being fitted for the costumes and the creation of the make-up and wigs. Anthony modeled the flying monkey wings and showed us how they worked. Sean was in the San Francisco production and talked about the process of creating a Broadway show out of town and all the changes they go through.

After they went through everything, my group went into the theater to view the film. Yes, it is basically a trailer for the road show, but it took no more than 10 minutes out of the hour and forty five minutes of the tour, so I don%26#39;t think it can be said the tour had too much ';filler.'; Then Sean and Anthony talked in great detail about the how the set works, the lighting and sound system, the way the show is timed, the mass of people who work behind the scenes during the show and the tough job of being the stage manager. Really insightful and interesting, I thought!

They also talked about other things like their lives as Broadway actors and the strong emotional response the show gets from the audience.

After that, they answered questions about the show or themselves. Then we could go purchase souvenirs and have them signed by Sean and Anthony if we wished. (I could not stay for this portion as I was meeting my friend and the tour ran overtime.)

I would just like to give a small rant at this point, not about the tour, but about Broadway theaters in general:

WHY can%26#39;t all the theaters be as comfortable and nicely thought-out as the Gershwin?

I know it%26#39;s because it%26#39;s a newish theater (if you can call one 35 years old ';newish';) but it is the only theater I have been in the last two years that had adequate leg room and didn%26#39;t make you feel like you were practically sitting in the lap of your neighbor. It also has escalators--ALL the other theaters I%26#39;ve been in are a nightmare for people with limited mobility (like my friend who uses a cane and me during this trip with an injured foot). I swear, sometimes going to the bathroom in these theaters is like taking a trip down to the gates of hell. Stairs, more stairs and MORE stairs! A lot of these theaters desperately need to be renovated and become more patron-friendly.

O.K., rant over.

After the tour, I met my friend at the Redeye Grill. I used to work in the building and went with a co-worker when it first opened, and remember having some awesome seafood. I was happy to discover that the food is still as good as I remember it.

We both had the jumbo asparagus vinaigrette--lovely (and HUGE) tender stalks of asparagus. I had the lobster roll and my friend had salmon, both excellent. My lobster roll came with shoestring potatoes, and when they said shoestring, they weren%26#39;t kidding. They were the skinniest fries I%26#39;ve ever seen! I had a s%26#39;more%26#39;s pie (complete with flaming marshmallows) and my friend had strawberry shortcake. So yummy.

We made our way (in the pouring rain) to see JERSEY BOYS. Now, this was my friend%26#39;s choice (I had chosen SPAMALOT last year when we went together). Frankie Valli is a bit before my time, but I love rock music so I thought there was a good chance I%26#39;d at least like it.

LIKE it? I freakin%26#39; LOVED IT!

Hands down the best of all four shows I saw on this trip. It%26#39;s more than an imitation, or even a recreation--it%26#39;s like TRANSportation to another time and place. My friend commented later that when they did the scenes of American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show, it was like you were watching the original shows at the time.

So much more than just a juke box show. They tell their story in a very engrossing way. And I defy anyone (unless they are a total grouch) not to get moving and bopping to the music.

The actors--AMAZING. The actor who plays Gaudio was out, but the stand-by, Matthew Scott, was incredible. (How good must the regular guy be, I wondered?)

If you want to go you have to plan way in advance. I only got tickets for this performance--three months in advance--because my friend has limited mobility and they always keep a few of those seats on reserve.

Afterwards, we went over to my hotel (right across the street) and talked about the show for a while. Then I walked my friend out to get a cab. I decided not to have dinner before THE WEDDING SINGER--I would eat after. But I bought a snack to tide me over.

This was my one bad food choice of the trip. I went to a place called Tuck Shop, that sells Australian meat pies and sausage rolls. I have no idea what the authentic kind are supposed to taste like, but I did not like these at all. They were over-seasoned (I think with black pepper) and tasted very odd to me. I could only manage a couple of bites of each. (And if you%26#39;re Australian and that%26#39;s how they are supposed to taste, sorry, don%26#39;t mean to put down your cuisine. I already got into trouble in another part of my report for making a less than flattering comment about Belgian beer, LOL!)

I thought that would be enough to keep me from starving during the show, and it did.

THE WEDDING SINGER is a very cute show, but anything seen right after JERSEY BOYS was bound to suffer a little in comparison. (Funny that both take place in New Jersey!) Not that I didn%26#39;t like it--I did, very much. I adore the movie and thought they did a good job of translating it to the stage. Loved the big disco ball, the colors and all the 80s kitsch. The audience just ate it up, especially the 80s jokes. It%26#39;s bright and funny and joyful. Stephen Lynch is adorable! I also really liked the actress who played Linda and her Pat Benatar-ish numbers.

After the show, I headed to 9th Avenue for a late dinner. I chose Pietrasanta, which was recommended by NYCgirl and QB. Very nice little restaurant. It was kind of cool by then so they had the windows open and it was fun to people watch while eating.

The caesar salad I had wasn%26#39;t anything special, but the pumpkin ravioli in the red pepper sauce was SO good. I kept cutting the ravioli into smaller and smaller bites so I could savor the filling. The ravioli was cooked firmer than you usually find in restaurants (which is O.K. with me, because I hate limp ravioli). I asked what kind of gelati they had that day and one of the flavors was cinnamon, which I thought would go well after the pumpkin. It did! Very spicy and interesting--like eating frozen Red Hots candy.

Service was great, attentive without being intrusive, just how I like it. Another good spot if you%26#39;re dining on your own.

After that I headed back to the hotel--a full day of wonderful shows!

Trip report - part 4 - A whole day of Broadway!

This is my kind of day - a tour %26amp; 2 shows. I think it is a great way to spend a day in NYC, and how ';lucky'; for you that it rained--hahaha.

I also absolutely loved Jersey Boys and enjoyed the Wedding Singer, too, so I can appreciate your comparison.

I am glad that you enjoyed Pietrasanta, their Sunday brunch is a great bargain,too.

Sounds like the foot problem was no p[roblem at all.

Trip report - part 4 - A whole day of Broadway!

Perfect desserts, S%26#39;mores and Red Hots, yum! And how nice that you didn%26#39;t have to travel far on your bad foot!

I love Pietrasanta. Great resto. Another good one is Le Madelaine, on 43st st between 8-9 AVes (closer to eighth - on the north side of the street. They do a very big pre-theater business......I have walked in on Saturday for lunch. I think they are open til 3pm, so if you are not going to the theater I would go in about 1:30pm, when the theater-goers are getting ready to leave.

I enjoyed your report, devan----nicely written and full of detail. I liked reading about the Wicked backstage tour. I%26#39;d like to do that myself.

Sounds like you had a nearly perfect day in NYC!

As an Aussie no that is not what our food tastes like. Furthermore none of the so called ';Aussie Food'; in the USA that I saw was very Australian. the worst offender is the Outback Steakhouse!!! It is just American food with Australian suburb names as the dish names and the fit out of the restaurants is a little Aussie. It is Australian food Americanized to suit the American palate.

These are just great. I%26#39;m trying to persuade my other half to go to a show this next trip (never done it before!) and The Wedding Singer was going to be it. Perhaps I should try forJersey Boys? Some great restaurant reviews as well. Thanks for all the help you%26#39;re giving.

Karen--If you want to see Jersey Boys, get your tickets now. We already have ours. Devan--Frank Valli is a bit before your time? Really? He was singing solo well into the 70s....Well, anyway, I look forward to seeing it. The backstage tour sounds like an interesting thing to do.

Love reading your trip reports, I am just hoping Jersey Boys is still playing when I go.... otherwise I%26#39;ll have to cahse it around the country! lol! And I would agree with anna, that Aussie food in America is not Aussie food. That%26#39;s not saying that I won%26#39;t check these places out for a laugh!

What a wonderful report - so glad you had a ';good'; day - make that great instead!!! Topped by Red Hots! Wonderful. Look forward to reading more. Ta. MMM!

Sue, when I say ';before my time'; I mean he was no longer the huge star he once was--that kind of music was out by the time I became musically ';aware';--acid rock was the thing during my pre-teen years, then big-hair rock, etc.

One thing I remember about them, though--sometime during the late 70s I was listening to the (late, lamented) WNEW rock station in New York. At the time, Springsteen, the Stones, the Who, and the like were what made up the airwaves on WNEW. One day while I%26#39;m listening, the DJ all of a sudden played several Four Seasons songs, like ';Sherry'; and ';Walk Like A Man.'; (I was like, did I turn on the wrong station?) The DJ came on afterwards (I think it was either Dave Herman or Pete Fornatele) and almost apologized for playing them, but he said, ';Aren%26#39;t they GREAT? I LOVE Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!'; I thought, yeah, they ARE pretty great. But it was something that just wasn%26#39;t ';in'; at the time and you didn%26#39;t admit you liked them!

Steph, don%26#39;t worry about the show still playing--it%26#39;s a monster hit and will likely play for several years.

LOL at the comments about the bad ';Aussie'; food in the U.S.