Times Square and the Theatre District: Bigger is Better

No trip to New York would be complete without taking in a Broadway show. We actually saw two shows: a classic, The Phantom of the Opera, and one of this year’s darlings, Promises, Promises. The sheer magnitude of the sets and special effects of Phantom forces you to feel the glitz and glamour of Broadway. Need I even mention the amazing score? Its 20 year run on Broadway attests to the power of this musical. And we joined the mass of fans who loved the musical. I have to admit to thinking before we went that it wouldn’t be that much better than the movie. But seeing it on stage was something special. The closeness of the sets brought you right into the action on stage: the chandelier rises from stage at eyelevel to eventually take its place right above your head. All the time with you watching, thinking “it must be magic.”
Warning: English-y part coming up. I also found, as an audience member, that the meta-theatrical references and parody of the operatic form were heightened. I especially love the moment when the theatre owners suggest that their lives could be an opera. Also, the use of the ballet replicated the use of ballet in the French opera houses, a practice which has since ceased. And there was just something wonderful about sitting in the beautiful Majestic theatre, in the pit I might add, that made me feel as if I was at the Opera Populaire in Paris.

Promises, Promises was definitely a good show, but it lacked the glitz and glamour of Phantom. Fortunately, it made up for this lack with sheer talent. Sean Hayes, of Will & Grace fame, and Kristen Chenoweth, from Glee, were the leads in this show. I have to admit that the resonance of seeing them on stage together made the show for me. Kristin Chenoweth has a phenomenal voice and it was really cool to see her on stage. And Sean Hayes, well, he’s just hilarious. He has great comic timing that shines through at the start of the second act when he (while drunk) picks up a drunken woman in the bar. The plot and the music are quite forgettable, but it is a fun show. For me, it resonated because I knew both of these actors and they just brought the cool factor up for me. I have to admit to being a bit start struck . . .

As for Times Square, well, that’s the biggest and brightest part of New York. I think it’s just as iconic as the Statue of Liberty and, for me, it definitely lived up to images of it as bigger than life. I especially liked the colour from all of the ads. It just screams at you to try to take in all the excess. In an attempt to experience the excess, we visited two massive American chocolate shops: Hershey and M&M. I have to admit that M&M wins the excess contest because it had three floors worth of M&M paraphernalia. I mean three floors? How much stuff can you possibly emboss with the M&M characters (albeit cute characters)? Then again, who doesn’t love chocolate? We definitely indulged.

From the distant past to the present, New York has remained a presence in my imagination. Ok, so it proves that I watch too many American movies, but still there was something special about New York City.