Tuesday, May 17, 2016

NYC!

Times Square in New York City
A few years ago I was able to take a theatre trip to London with Pioneer Theatre Company.  I saw an advertisement for the trip in a playbill and spontaneously signed up to go even though I didn't know a single person who was going and I had to take a week off from school in April.  It was the trip of a lifetime and I have always looked back on this experience with fondness because I got to see a revival of My Fair Lady with Anthony Andrews, a brilliant production of Stones in his Pockets, and an incredible performance of King Lear at the Old Vic with Timothy West (who was amazing) in the title role.  I also got to see The Lion King and Mamma Mia for the first time (I cried when the elephants walked by me in The Lion King).  I literally met my roommate for the first time at the airport but I had a blast running around London with her.

Last fall I saw a similar advertisement in a playbill, this time for a theatre trip to New York City with Hale Centre Theatre.  Once again, I didn't know a single person who was going (including my roommate) and I had to take a week off from school in May (which, in case you were wondering, is not a good time to be gone) but I spontaneously signed up and I am so glad that I did! I got to see seven musicals in five days (including Hamilton which absolutely blew my mind), I got to do some fun touristy things (like visit the Statue of Liberty and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge), and I met some of the most amazing people who love theatre as much as I do (my roommate and I talked until 2:00 in the morning every night!).  I will recap my adventures in the next few weeks but here are some details if you are thinking of visiting New York City.   Where to stay:  I loved the Belvedere Hotel in Midtown Manhattan because it was conveniently located near Broadway and Times Square.  What to do:  I had a 7-day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, which lets you ride the subway and all MTA buses, and a 7-day New York Pass, which gives you admission to most tourist attractions (and lets you jump to the head of the line at said attractions) as well as a two-day Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ride.  My tour also included four Broadway musicals but I got tickets to three more shows here and here.  Where to eat:  My favorite restaurant while I was in New York was Amarone.  I recommend the Eggplant Fritters!

Note:  Don't be afraid to do something that is outside your comfort zone.  Amazing things can happen when you say yes to opportunities that come your way.  I usually don't regret the things I do but I almost always regret the things I don't do.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...