Broadway bound!

This week I’m headed to the Big Apple for a couple of days thanks to my thoughtful hubby. For my birthday a couple of months ago he surprised me with tickets for us to see Newsies on Broadway. It was almost two years ago when I mentioned here about how one of my favorite Disney movie musicals was being adapted for Broadway. Since then, it has nabbed eight Tony Award nominations, making it a bon-a-fide hit. So, I’m just a little excited to see it, and only wish I could bring my fellow Newsies superfans along (shout out to Heather and Sarah)! 

At the moment, I’m in the midst of crazy pre-trip madness that comes along with taking a couple days off from work and parenting, but I know I’ll have a great time once I’m there. And I’m incredibly thankful to have family so willing to care for and love on my toddler for a couple of nights while we’re away. 

Thanks, Phil, for the chance to visit The Great White Way! I must say that I’m truly amazed at your ability to select thoughtful gifts for me that you also gets to enjoy! Yes, I’m married to one smart man. And actually, his birthday is coming up next month, so if anyone has ideas of things I could get for him that will also benefit me, do tell! (For instance, is there any way I can make hiring a cook and house cleaning service seem like a gift primarily for him?)

Defying Gravity

Broadway + Heather = Happy! What more can I say? While I love to blast the show tunes from my iPod (as I've been doing all day today), there’s nothing like seeing it live on stage. And as Broadway musicals go, nothing tops Wicked in my book. Having just seen it for the fourth time, I'm ready to paint myself green and fly around Oz for the rest of the weekend.

Nothing I can write about it would do it justice. So on this beautiful September weekend, I'll simply leave you with this clip. (Goose bump alert at the 2:50 mark.) Enjoy!

My night 'In The Heights'

In the midst of seasonal busyness, I snuck in a night at the theatre last week to see the 2008 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical: In The Heights. Since I don’t get to travel to the real Broadway too often, I always anticipate the annual announcements of the Twin Cities’ Broadway theatre season. When I heard In The Heights was making a stop, I knew it would be the year’s must-see for me. So, after holding on to my tickets for months, I finally saw the show and understood its award-winning appeal.

I would describe In The Heights as RENT meets West Side Story, with some poetic rap for good measure. Here’s the real summary: In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan's Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

Since you probably didn’t see it, I’ll quit rambling about it and just leave you with a clip:

If you happen to be in NYC soon or lucky enough to be on an upcoming tour stop…check out this show!