nyc: day17.

good news, people – my face is almost back to normal.  praise the lord.

today started out beautifully.  i was awake by nine (thanks mariah) and completely ready by ten thirty.  i even had time to pluck my eyebrows – which was badly needed, trust me.

mariah and i had planned on meeting in times square in attempts to get student rush tickets for god of carnage – the 2009 tony winner.  that fell through though, as mariah had some errands to run.  undaunted, i decided to head up to broadway anyway.  

after a rather unsuccessful stop at the god of carnage box office, i decided to try the jersey boys box office instead.  however, it was already one-thirty, so my hopes weren't high.  as i approached the box office, my spirits dropped even more - i didn't see anyone around.  

"maybe there isn't a show today," i thought.

fortunately, i was wrong.  the matinee began at three, and the box office lady was super nice.  upon my student rush ticket inquiry, she informed me that the theater typically only sells student rush tickets on weeknights, but kindly made an exception for me.  i was elated, and gladly handed over my $27.

ticket in hand and spirits high, i made my way down the street to the nearest starbucks.  armed with a chai tea, i was determined to catch up on the last few days' blogs. it was such a cozy place to work that my hour there passed in minutes, and before i knew it i was on my way back to the theater.

jersey boys surpassed all expectations and won my heart a thousand times over. frankie valli and the four seasons were a group and style that i had grown up listening to - it was agony not to sing along.  i was one hundred percent invested in the entire performance - i think it might be my favorite so far.

seeing a show alone was a new experience in itself.  i absolutely loved it.  i felt almost as if the rest of the audience didn't exist, and the cast was performing for only me.  it was so special - almost like a secret.  on top of that, my supposedly "partial view" ticket turned out to be a fantastic seat - i didn't miss a thing.  

thanks very much, nice box office lady.  you definitely made my day.. maybe even my whole trip.

after the show, i headed back to starbucks for a little more blogging and a smoothie (i packed a granola bar and an orange for supper, so i didn't feel guilty spending a little extra on something to drink).  while i was working, i met a couple gentlemen who were professional celebrity photographers.  i began visiting with one, who complimented my hair and face and asked if i was an actor or had ever done any modeling. i was flattered, of course, explaining that i was still a student, but hoped to be a professional actor one day. he presented me with his business card and told me that if i ever made it back to new york, he'd love to work with me.

so neat, right?  i was practically giddy..

anyway, i said goodbye to my new friends, packed up my laptop, and hurried over to the theater housing elton john's musical, billy elliot.  jordan and i had tickets for the seven-thirty performance, and we got there just in time.  we were shown to our seats - which happened to be box seats, overlooking the left side of the stage.  it was awesome to be in such an intimate setting - there were only two seats in the box - and i especially welcomed the extra leg room.

billy elliot was unlike anything i have ever seen.  i loved it.  the cast was so incredibly talented, specifically dance-wise, and the set was one of the best i've seen, moving seamlessly into so many different scenes and backgrounds.  my favorite character was the dance instructor, mrs. wilkinson.  the young boy who played billy was fantastic too, although it did confuse me that he was black while his family was very white and very blonde.  

full to the brim of theater and inspiration, jordan and i boarded the subway for home.  i put together a tasty little bedtime snack of egg salad and tortilla chips and decided to call it a night.

until tomorrow, nyc.  today will be a hard one to top.