"Hamilton," Finally!

I had been waiting to see the hit musical Hamilton for 2.5 years. I can practically name the day -- I got the soundtrack from the library in July 2016, and we listened to the the entire three hours or so on a long car trip one Saturday at the end of the month. I've been hooked ever since.

Less than a year later, that following March, it was announced that the traveling production of Hamilton would visit Columbus ... in two seasons. One year later, in March 2018, I finally had a date -- Hamilton would visit my city in January and February 2019.

We had tickets for this past Saturday, and it was every bit as good as I expected. I know the lyrics backward and forward (however, please don't ask me to rap them!), and even the kids know a fair amount. Even though the story held no surprises, it was fun to witness the visually comedic moments that you just can't hear -- and to listen to the reactions of fellow theater-goers who knew little about the musical.

The takes on the characters were often different than I was used to, having been exposed only to the official soundtrack. I would gladly see it again with a different cast (or, let's face it, even with the same cast once again). Many thanks to my mom and dad, who stayed with our kids while we were gone, even dropping them off and picking them up from a birthday party and staying overnight so we could have a leisurely dinner after our matinee. It was an unforgettable experience.

Evita on Broadway

When I heard last autumn that Evita was returning to Broadway, I knew without a doubt that I'd be seeing it this spring. My dad and I have a longstanding affection for the mid-'90s movie starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, and there's rarely a year that goes by that we don't manage to watch the movie on one of my trips home to Defiance.

So needless to say, we didn't hesitate to get tickets to the show, which opened just a few weeks before my mom and dad's visit. Ricky Martin was the headliner, but I was most interested in Elena Roger, the Argentinian lead. After years of listening to Madonna begging Argentina not to cry for her, it was a nice twist to hear it with a real Spanish accent.

And as a giant fan of the TV show "Fringe," I loved seeing Juan Peron being played by Michael Cerveris, the first Observer introduced on the show. Every time he uttered the word "observer," I giggled. He did it on purpose, right?

Anyway, we all loved the show -- it's in my top two or three of the 10 or so Broadway shows I've seen. I had the songs in my head the entire week before the show and ever since.

Theaters of George Abbott Way

The line of theater marquees stopped me in my tracks, and I pulled out my phone to snap a photo before crossing the street.

But by the time I transferred the photo from my phone to the computer, I had forgotten exactly what street had made me pause. I figured it would be easy to determine, however, and it was. A Google search of the theater names in the photo brought me to a Wikipedia page on the intriguing view. This section of 45th Street near 8th Avenue even has a name: George Abbott Way, after the Broadway producer.

You don't have to enter a theater to enjoy having them around.

How to Get the Cheapest Broadway Tickets

"Book of Mormon" ticket lottery

For last-minute discount tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, the Times Square TKTS booth isn't so much an open secret as an in-your-face must-stop for every single visitor to New York City. The booth is in a can't-miss location smack dab in the middle of Times Square, underneath glowing red stairs that offer a nice respite for aching feet.

The deals are there -- 50 percent off, more or less -- but not for every single show. And I'm not sure the discounts are ever on the cheapest seats (which are still pretty expensive). Instead, the discounts always seem to be on the really expensive seats, and slashing the prices in half often still make them pricier than the cheap seats in the back of the theater. So you basically have a choice: (1) Plan ahead and get the cheapest seats furthest away from the stage, or (2) wait until the last minute and get fairly good seats that are a bit more expensive.

The best Broadway deals, however, come from shows that offer "rush" tickets. But these tickets are far from assured and are inconvenient to boot.

First you have to determine if the Broadway show you want to see offers rush ticket lotteries. This page from Playbill is useful and frequently updated.

Rush policies vary by show, but here's how the shows we've wanted to see generally run their lotteries:

Get to the theater 2 1/2 hours before the show starts. Complete an entry card provided by the theater. The drawing takes place two hours before showtime. About two dozen seats are available for around $25 or $30.

If you're a student, you have it a bit easier. With a high school or college ID, you can often get discounted tickets when the box office opens. We arrived in New York too long after earning our diplomas to take advantage of that, however, so I'm not sure how many tickets are generally available or how easy they are to get.

As for the lottery system, we've had mixed success. The very first time we tried, we got two front-row tickets to "In the Heights" for $26.50 apiece. But I tried to get a rush ticket to "West Side Story" when Paul was out of town with no luck, and last weekend we failed to get lottery tickets for the popular "Book of Mormon." There had to be more than 100 names in the hopper.

On another occasion, I tried to get rush tickets for "A View from the Bridge," but there was no lottery system. Instead, you wait in line before the box office opens and hope tickets are still available. After waiting in line for two hours on a cold February morning, the last of the rush and standing-room-only tickets were gone four people in front of me.

So all in all, I would not unequivocally recommend trying to get rush tickets. If you have extra time and the weather is at least halfway pleasant, it can be a good deal and not a bad wait. But more likely it'll be a great waste of time.

A Second Birthday on Broadway: Anything Goes

For my second birthday in a row, Paul presented me with tickets to the Broadway show I most wanted to see at that particular moment. It's a moving target, and Paul has evidently acquired the skill to keep up.

Last year we saw "South Pacific." This year: "Anything Goes."

I'd never seen the musical in any format ever before, but I became vaguely enamored of the Broadway revival when I heard that Sutton Foster was the star. She's been associated with happy memories in my mind since we saw her in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" during our honeymoon in 2003.

She won a Tony for "Millie," and she won one again just last month for her role as Reno Sweeney in "Anything Goes." That, two more Tony Awards (one for Revival of a Musical and another for choreography) and a toe-tapping performance during the Tony telecast replaced "How to Succeed in Business" at the top of my to-see list.

The show met expectations (and probably exceeded Paul's, since it also starred Jessica Walter, aka Lucille from "Arrested Development). I was whistling the title song all the way home.

The theater itself was interesting in one respect. Our seats were in the mezzanine, but we didn't have to climb any staircase. Instead, ticket-holders with stage-level seats had to go down a level.

Last year I lamented that we hadn't been taking advantage of the terrific shows at our fingertips. I've gotten better, but only very slightly -- in the last 12 months, I also saw a play in the fall. Birthday resolution: stop being so complacent.

My Birthday (Observed) at South Pacific

I turned 29 last Thursday, but my iPhone turned one.

They grow up so fast.

The phone was my birthday present from Paul last year, and we both knew he was going to have a tough time beating that. But I have to say he did pretty well this year. He got us tickets to see South Pacific on Broadway on Saturday.

When we moved to New York, I swore I was going to see a Broadway show every month -- or at least somewhat regularly. Regrettably, I've fallen into a lull. Why see it this Saturday when I can just go next weekend? As it turns out, South Pacific was only the fifth show we've seen in the last three years.

As the orchestra began playing the score, however, I wondered what had taken me so long to get there. It really was a beautiful production, with several of the original cast members (including Paulo Szot, who won a Tony for his role as Emile de Becque).

After the three-hour show, we lingered outside the theater. The night was hot but ever so much cooler than when the sun was out, and dozens of people were sitting on an elevated lawn outside the theater, or gathered around the fountain outside Lincoln Center.

The lawn, with Juilliard in the background, before the show

The fountain, after the show

I wanted to move to New York for experiences like these, and I left the theater realizing I must do a better job making sure they happen. Maybe that was the best birthday present after all.

Me

How Times Square Is Like Las Vegas (In a Bad Way)

Memorial Day in hot and sticky New York City -- not the best way to spend a long holiday weekend.

It wasn't all by choice. Tentative plans to spend a day at Fire Island or on a beach in the Hamptons were scrapped when Paul sprained his right ankle jogging before work Friday morning. And since we were going to be in town anyway, I decided to reschedule my appointment to get a small cavity filled and got a last minute slot on Saturday morning.

Between Paul's foot and my mouth, we were (as my mother would say) a couple of sad sacks all day Saturday.

On Sunday, however, Paul's ankle felt at least a little better, and I was again at 100 percent. So we decided to try to get half-priced tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square for the Broadway show "Promises, Promises."

Few New Yorkers like -- and even fewer would admit to liking -- Times Square. I like it ... at night. The neon lights are mesmerizing, and I don't even mind the crowds so much.

The middle of the day is another story. We got there about 2 p.m., and the temperature must have been well into the 80s. The unforgiving sun made walking elbow-to-elbow with sweaty tourists even less appealing. There's just nothing redeeming about Times Square in the middle of the afternoon.

It's like Las Vegas. It sparkles at night, but I've rarely seen an uglier city in the daytime. That's when you go to the casinos ... except in Times Square you have a choice only between Olive Garden and the Hershey store.

In any case, the TKTS booth had sold out of the tickets we were seeking just before we got to the cashier, and the tickets at the box office were too expensive. We spent the afternoon in Central Park, followed by an evening of sushi. Not the Memorial Day weekend I expected, but not bad nonetheless.

Two Hours in Line ... For Nothing

Last weekend I had yet another quintessential New York experience: Waiting in line.

I've really wanted to see Scarlett Johansson in the Broadway production of "A View from the Bridge." I'd planned to get discounted tickets for about $35, but they were sold out by the time I tried to order them. So my options were:

1) Not seeing the show.
2) $60 tickets.
3) Standing in line for 2 hours for a chance at $25 tickets.

Fool that I am, on Sunday I chose option #3.

The box office sells rush and standing-room-only tickets the day of the show, but you have to stand in line long before it opens to even have a shot. I got in line Sunday at 10 a.m. -- a full two hours before the box office opened -- and even still I was about the 30th person in line. In 35 degree weather.

The tickets sold out four people in front of me. My freezing feet like anvils, I unhappily dragged myself to meet Paul at a museum about a mile away (my Valentine's Day present to him was standing in line for the tickets by myself).

But the day wasn't a total bust. With our extra time not spent in a theater, we instead tried Pinkberry for the first time (not quite sure what all the fuss is about) and made my first spontaneous purchase in about 7 years-- Rock Band 2. Could've been a worse day!

Times Square: Take a Seat!

Times Square is now a pedestrian zone.

At the end of May, several blocks around Times Square and Herald Square became car-free. In their places are tables, chairs, and plenty of tourists.

Folding chairs in place of cars

I rarely drive in New York and never in Manhattan, so not being able to motor through the middle of the borough certainly doesn't bother me.

Even so, the lack of vehicles definitely takes away from the frantic feel that was part of the charm of Times Square when I was a tourist and not a resident. But as a resident, I think the pedestrian zone is a great idea-- the sidewalks (and streets) are crowded, but not packed. That means no more dawdling behind visitors who haven't yet learned that yes, you can cross the street even when the sign says not to.

That being said, I couldn't help but feel a bit of a thrill last weekend, walking right down the middle of Broadway. If the number of camera flashes were any indication, others obviously felt the same way.

And I have to admit that it was nice -- even relaxing -- to find a couple of empty chairs in the middle of the hubbub and take in the city right at its heart.

In the Heights, Front and Center

About a month ago I read that a few lucky people get cheap front row tickets to select Broadway shows by entering a lottery at the box office a couple of hours before the show starts. I did a little research and found that this was true for just a handful of shows, including one that I really wanted to see: In the Heights.

That's why Paul, me and about 80 other people crowded outside the Heights box office Saturday night. Put your name in the bucket and if your slip is drawn, you are the proud owner of two front row tickets for $26.50 apiece. Regular price: $120.

Only 22 tickets were available, so are chance were fair but not great. But whose was the fourth name drawn? Paul!

Our seats were nearly dead center, above and behind the conductor and orchestra pit. During the standing ovation, we easily could have reached out and shook hands with the stars of the show. We were close enough to see each bead of sweat, and even to get spit on a few times (maybe a few rows back would've been better after all!).

It was an amazing experience-- I got both my best and cheapest Broadway tickets on the same night!

I was first introduced to In the Heights when I watched this year's Tony's, where the show won Best Musical. You can see a clip of the cast's performance here:

Cheesecake and Spam(alot)

On Sunday we met everyone at Junior's Cheesecake in Times Square for a pre-show dinner. The original is in Brooklyn, not far from where Paul works. He told me about the large portions, but he hadn't tried the signature dessert.

After we ordered, our waitress brought us a bowl of sauerkraut topped with pickles and a small bowl of pickled beets. No one else wanted the beets, and I had never tried any before. Not as good as the cheesecake, of course, but still pretty tasty.

I convinced Paul to split an entree with me so I would have more room for dessert. In fact, that's what each couple at our table did. Then came the main attraction. Paul and I quickly decided on the Devil's Food Cheesecake -- a layer of cheesecake about two inches thick surrounded by several layers of cake and fudgy frosting. I wish I would have taken a photo of it. We had enough left for a third person.

Junior's food is about average, but the cheesecake will definitely warrant a second trip.

We had tickets for the 7 p.m. show of Spamalot, and we could see the theater from our window seats at Junior's. I had never ever seen more than a couple of minutes of anything Monty Python-related, but I still thought the show was really funny.

Of course, we all took photos outside after the show.




By the time the show was over, it was dark and Times Square was bright. After a few more photos, we picked up Sam and Don's luggage from Jannette and Curtis' apartment and made our way to Bay Ridge. More about our day in Brooklyn later!

Jolly holiday

Paul's mom and sister visited us last Thursday through Sunday, so that meant more exploration. This time, however, we stuck mostly to our neighborhood.

Paul and I had never walked to the shore since we moved here, so that was the first order of business. It's an easy 20-minute stroll, and the views are lovely. Across the bay is Staten Island. Look south and you see the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Look north and you see lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. A nice hiking/jogging/walking trail hugs the bay, and I'm sure I'll be using it more next spring.

The shore is also lined with beautiful multi-million dollar homes with garages (sigh), along with more modest (but still outrageously expensive, I'm sure) houses on the side streets. We also walked down Third Avenue, which has a long stretch of restaurants and stores.

On Friday we rode the Staten Island Ferry and visited Chinatown and Little Italy. But I was most looking forward to seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway that night. For a little under $40 a pop, we got the second to last row in the balcony. No matter. I love the movie, and I found the show surprisingly different but still fun. The show has a few different songs (but "Jolly Holiday" was still included, hence the title of this post. I hope someone got that reference!), but the spirit is still the same. The backgrounds were beautiful and ornate, as was the theater itself.

Paul, Sherry and Becky went to the botanic gardens on Saturday morning, while I headed to the main Brooklyn Public Library. Another thing to add to my list of annoyances: I can only reserve five books at a time. In Columbus, I would reserve 10 or so books and just make a visit every month or so. In any case, I had to print out a few pages from the computer there, so I took the time to pick out a handful of books. The branch closest to our apartment is small and doesn't have much of a collection, so it was nice to actually be able to browse.