nyc: day7.

it’s official. i have been in new york for one week, and already i have fallen in love. everything about this gritty city enchants me. i am under the spell of its architecture, its pace, and the way i feel being a part of those things.

the day began with a brisk walk to meet kim and her friend michelle in times square. michelle is a long time broadway actress, originating several roles in the span of her career. she was super friendly, and it was great to meet her. following the introduction, the two headed off to get some lunch, and the rest of us split up to begin our own adventures – jon and i in the direction of theaters housing billy elliot, jersey boys, and next to normal. we were on a mission to find out lottery times and student rush pricing. fortunately, we are going to be able to get some good deals.

soon after, we met mariah at foot locker (she finally got her easy-tones!) and hit the drama bookshop. i was in heaven – a tiny, quaint building with any play you can imagine. jordan was already there and had saved me a chair. i left my gloves on the chair to save it, and ran down the block to the nearest starbucks – the only thing that could make the afternoon more perfect was a venti chai latte.

luckily, there is a starbucks every one hundred feet here, so getting my fix was no problem. plus, the man who made me my latte called me sweetheart and told me he liked my hair.

love it here.

i spent almost four hours in the drama bookshop, and could have stayed all night if jon hadn’t come to pick me up. we were on our way to the lottery for next to normal. unfortunately neither of our names were drawn, but we did get a reduced rate for being lottery losers. we were shown to our seats – which were to be fantastic – and just happened to be seated right in front of the director, the man who also directed the original cast of rent.

so. cool.

anyway, the show was incredible. it wasn’t the typical broadway musical, happy songs-happy story-happy ending, but i loved it anyway. the music was fantastic, and most of the actors were part of the original cast. after the show, jon and i waited at the stage door for the actors and were able to get a few signatures on our playbills. it was so surreal! i was a little disappointed in the fact that alice ripley – tony award winner and star of the show – didn’t make an appearance afterward. she did, however, have a small asian woman hand out business cards.

somehow, though, it wasn’t quite the same.

i swore to jon that when i made it big, i would greet my fans after every show – every single one. it wouldn’t matter if i was twenty-seven or seventy-seven. and i promise i will.

after finally making it back to the apartment, i brushed my teeth and hit the sack.

day seven. definitely a success.