January 10, New York

Better late than never!

I had my last day in New York all planned out, with only 2 things that I really wanted to accomplish; a trip to visit Mt Vernon and a visit to Dylan's Candy Store. Thankfully they are quite close together so this was an easy thing to do.

Firstly though I thought a little shopping at Macy's was in order. Because my hotel was quite close (only 2 blocks across from the store) I took this to be a sign from above that shopping was a good idea. So shopping I went, some shirts, a new pair of slippers (that I won't be able to wear for at least 6 months!) and a few other bits and pieces.

After that I trekked back to the hotel to drop it off, and then I was off uptown to visit Mt Vernon.

I caught the 'E' train to 53rd and Lexington and then walked uptown to 61st Street, and then down toward the river. While it may not sound like far (less than 10 short blocks) it actually is further than you might think, add to that biting cold wind and a person sniffling and trying to blow their nose with gloves on, well it's not a pretty picture.

I'd read about Mt Vernon on a blog somewhere. It's another of the grand old houses of New York. It was originally built as part of the estate of Abigial Adams (daughter of a president) and her husband, it was originally a carriage house built in 1799 and part of a huge estate. It was sold, and became a 'Day Hotel' for New Yorkers who wanted to experience the country. They would drive up to Mt Vernon, have drinks, go sailing or visit a nearby race track. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

The tour costs $8, and you aren't allowed to take photos inside the house so I only have some snaps from the garden. It was bustling with school children (good to see them getting interested in history, and quite well behaved too!) but this meant that I think I ended up with the tale end of the docents. She really didn't seem to know much about the specifics or details of the house, and I found the tour quite boring.

On leaving the house I headed back down town to visit Dylan's Candy Store. Mum and Dad visited this place the last time they were in NYC (a few years ago). Not 2 days before I'd seen it featured on Gossip Girl. Being the inveterate Gummi Bear lover that I am I had to visit, and they sell my new favourite candy, Chocolate coated Gummi Bears! So yummy.

I then wandered over and through Bloomingdales. Of all the department stores in Manhattan this is the only one I've never visited. It's probably because it's off the beaten track, a few blocks over from the main strip.

By this stage I was getting a little bit peckish, and I had a craving for a New York slice. As I headed down town (and across to Fifth Avenue) I came across a bustling Pizzeria so stopped in to have some lunch. Nothing compares to a slice of New York Pizza.

After this I wandered for a few hours, picking up souvenirs and presents and generally enjoying the city. One of the problems was the sun, surprisingly walking down the Avenues in the afternoon is difficult because of the angle of the sun. I walked past a shop I was looking for, and had to go back and find it again later that night.

I did end up back at the hotel to drop off my purchases, and have a rest and get warm.

Then it was time to head out again. For dinner I had chosen 'Five Guys' burgers and fries. We'd seen it on an episode of some kind of food show Mum and Dad had been watching, and apparently they have the best fries in the US. A little more expensive than your usual fast food outlet but the burger was very good and the fries were equally crispy and yummy. They also had a cool soda fountain that provided an almost limitless supply of Coca-Cola products. I chose to have Vanilla Coke, but could have had Vanilla Cherry if I'd so desired (didn't know it existed!!).

After this it was time to head to the theatre to see Tony winner 'Once'. Most theatres open their doors around 7.30pm for an 8pm show. Unlike our theatres at home they have almost no foyer space (perhaps a metre if lucky). I arrived early intending to go to the toilet (prior to the rush) and get to my seat before the ushers got to the 'rude' part of their evening. I was therefore a little surprised to find that when I showed up at 7.30pm there was a queue of people waiting to get into the theatre! It was moving quickly so I happily waited and got inside out of the cold.

Upon entering I encountered a very cool set up. The stage for Once is a giant semicircle on the stage with a bar at the back, and 2 double doors that serve as entry points. The walls of the bar are covered in mirrors, but not new polished shiny mirrors, rather they are old mirrors with bits that have faded. In addition the walls behind the mirrors are also mirrored. Scattered along the walls are candle type lights. At roof height the staging stops and the rest of the theatre has been stripped out so that you can see the bricks that make up the rectangle of the back of the stage.

Check out this link for a great photo of the set, plus some videos.

The bar, at the start of the show (and at interval) actually operates as a bar. With the audience going up on stage to purchase drinks! It was like Rock of Ages only better. A few stage hands on the sides monitor the numbers on the stage and at times there was a queue to gain access.

At about 7.45pm so people with musical instruments emerged and began to play. A couple of violinists, a cellist, lots of different versions of guitars (ukulele, banjo etc), a pianist. They stood in the middle and had their own jam session. At one point, one of the ladies with a violin was playing so furiously that I was watching the strings on her bow break.

Finally the crowd on the stage cleared, the lights went down, and the show started. These were not just musicians on the stage, but rather, the cast of the show.

Once is a musical for a musician. The people on the stage are their own orchestra, there is no pit, no backing tracks, they are it. It is the set in Dublin, and is the story of a girl and a guy (and that's what they are called in the program, we are never given their names). Guy is a musician, who's girlfriend has moved to New York and who has given up on life, instead working in his father's Hoover shop. Girl is also a musician (a pianist), from Czechoslovakia, who is married with a little girl, but the father of her little girl has gone back home. She comes to the guy to have her Hoover fixed, and in the process reinvigorates his life. Encouraging him to embrace his talent, record his songs and start living his life again.

Essentially the songs that make up the show are guys, although at times girl adds lyrics. And they are beautiful. My favourite is 'Falling Slowly'.

While the set is essentially a bar, it also becomes the Hoover shop, a bank, guy's bedroom all using the audiences imagination. Mostly too, the actors (and the cast is quite large) sits on the stage, and add the voices of their own instruments, and their voices to the music.

One of the most amazing set transformations (without very much change) was when girl and guy escape the recording studio and go to look at Dublin from the cliffs over the sea. They leave the 'bar' area through one of the doors, and emerge standing on the top of the wall. The bar area goes black and little fairy lights appear to show Dublin. It was beautiful. More beautiful because guy asks girl some questions, how to say things in Czech (all translations appear below from a projector ... they also use this to translate into czech when they should be speaking in czech but aren't.) You can see that they are falling for each other, but she informs him that her husband is coming back, he asks her in czech if she still loves him, (after asking her how) to which she responds, in Czech 'I love you'. It was at this point I started to cry.

Guy records his music, and at the encouraging of girl, goes off to New York to meet up with the ex-girlfriend who has been missing him. At which point they sing the last song 'Falling Slowly'.

I have never seen an audience provide a standing ovation so quickly or completely. Everyone just stood. I don't know how many others were like me and having an cry, but all I could think of, was how they would never get to make this beautiful music again. The hopeless romantic in me believes all love stories should end well.

It's not all tears though, the show is very funny, most of the best lines provided by girl, who just has a manner about her. It's gorgeous.

The show was AMAZING. I don't know if they could ever stage it in Australia. The quality of musicians and actors required is complex. Girl needs to play the piano, maintain a Czech accent, speak Czech and sing and act and that's just one example.

For an example of the show go to youtube, and check out the song the cast presented at the Tony Awards, you'll see a guy dance while playing a cello!




If you're in New York, go and see it!

Finally I think the reason I've loved both the shows I went to see is because they made me believe the story was real. I see a lot of theatre, and I've kind of become numb. What I'm seeing is a story, it'll end in 2 hours and I go home. No point caring. But both the Heiress, and Once I CARED. I became emotionally involved in the story, I felt the anguish of the characters, I wanted to help them, and when they were hurt I hurt too. This is what great theatre does, it drags you in to the story, so you forget that they are actors on the stage, so you become part of the emotional journey of the story. Ultimately it means that when you leave you take the story with you, part of your own life story.