nyc: day20.

today was another one of the greats, friends – a nice change of pace after yesterday.

i started off by sleeping in a little later than usual, which felt lovely. around eleven i was ready, and after a brief chat with my mom, i boarded the subway for times square. it was my plan to make today a double feature – theatrically speaking – and my first stop was the box office of a view from the bridge. kim had seen it a few days earlier and highly recommended it, and on top of that, it was receiving rave reviews. i didn’t need much more convincing.

upon arrival, i was a little shaken at the size of the line that had already formed. however, most of the individuals were buying tickets for later dates, so i needn’t have been worried. when i got up to the box office, i inquired about the availability of standing room tickets for that afternoon’s performance. the ticket man sized me up, checked his computer screen, and finally asked me how many tickets i intended to purchase.

“it’s just me,” i replied.

“well in that case, i can get you a seat in one of the boxes for $26.50 – it’s the same price as a standing room ticket and a heck of a lot better view.”

he didn’t have to ask me twice. i whipped out some cash and slid it under the window before he could change his mind.

jack. pot. thanks, guy.

feeling joyous, i headed down the street to the rock of ages box office. this new age musical featured not only a fun story line, but music i had grown up with – journey, pat benatar, reo speedwagon, and foreigner – to name just a few. i knew this was something i had to see.

unfortunately, when i arrived in the box office, the woman working (who might’ve taken a lesson from my other box office guy) not-so-nicely informed me that there would be no show that night.

shooty.

i didn’t let myself get too down, though – there were plenty of other shows to see. i finally decided on phantom of the opera, and lucky for me, i was able to get a ticket.

by this time, i had to get back over to a view from the bridge, as it was nearing two o’clock. as the usher showed me to my seat, i said a silent prayer that god would greatly bless the man who had sold me this ticket. it was an absolutely fantastic seat – full view and ample leg room – definitely my kind of theater.

arthur miller’s script was a challenging one, leaving me with questions and open endings right up to the curtain and beyond. in fact, i’m still thinking about it. the show starred two big time actors – liev schreiber and scarlett johannson – and they didn’t disappoint. i was captivated by their performances, especially schreiber. he was one hundred percent invested, and it was such a treat to watch. i was impressed with the rest of the cast as well, particularly jessica hecht, who played schreiber’s wife. during the two hours that the play progressed, i witnessed some genuinely raw moments. it was certainly a privilege to be present.

following the show, i lugged my laptop down the street to my favorite times square starbucks. i caught up on my blogs, sipped a hot tea, and watched the city go by – perfection in an afternoon.

around seven, i packed up my things and walked across the street to sephora – the mecca of make-up. even though i was going to tonight’s show alone, i wanted to do so in style. i walked through the revolving doors, sidled up to one of the make-up stations, and went to work. in five minutes time, i looked like a different girl – well, not different, but better. finally, i was ready for the show.

housed at the majestic theater, phantom of the opera is the longest running musical on broadway. i was excited to see it, as i had only seen the movie, and that was about four years ago. my seat was in the very last row of the mezzanine – comical, because the entire top section and most of the bottom section was empty. our usher – a small asian woman who spoke shrilly in her broken english – told us sympathetically that according to the theater’s policy, we must remain in our ticketed seats until intermission, but were then free to sit wherever there was room. this sounded ok to me, and as soon as the lights came up, i dashed to the seat i had stealthily selected – bottom section of the mezzanine, center of the third row. it was a fantastic seat, and i was proud of myself for not only spotting it, but securing it. all of the others had moved closer as well, but even still, there were so many seats leftover.

it was entirely unfathomable to me, then, that this other usher – a crazy looking woman with frizzy red hair – was running around and chasing people back up to their initial seating area. the place wasn’t even half full! the others protested, repeating what the asian lady usher had told us; however, the frizzy red head would not budge. single-handedly, she managed to move every person back to their original seat.

everyone except me.

i don’t know whether it was because i had moved so quickly – or because i sat in the middle of a group of people – that she didn’t notice me, but i was sure glad she didn’t. i was willing her not to. i just kept praying that the lights would go down already so i could let my breath out.

finally they did, and i was safe. score. big time.

the performance itself was such a delight. i had forgotten how much i once loved the score and the brilliance of andrew lloyd webber. it was like revisiting an old friend. every song brought back a new appreciation, and i felt as if i was being introduced to the musical for the first time. the spectacle of the set was brilliant as well – everything from the falling chandelier to the eerie candlelight of the phantom’s lair. vocally, the production was a pleasure, and it wasn’t until the final curtain that i realized the character of christine was played by an understudy. i would have never known – susan owen was amazing. the show was a lovely experience – i’m so glad i decided to go.

i made it back to the apartment safe and sound and crawled right into bed – a long day, but certainly a success.

‘night everybody.