Broadway
She Loved New York
Mar 14th
My well-traveled daughter, Jenny, was back in Chicago for just five days after her Europe sojourn before she and her good friend Emily took off for their final spring break trip. The two seniors gave themselves a graduation gift (with a generous kick-in from Mom and Dad) of a five-day trip to New York City. It was a first-time trip to the Big Apple for both, and they were extremely excited to experience as much of the city as they could. Her trip triggered memories of my own college graduation trip to New York with my roommate Diane, 30 years ago.
Jenny believes one of the best parts of the trip was their accomodations at the Duane Street Hotel in the TriBeCa neighborhood. She had had her fill of youth hostels and the YMCA after her two months overseas, and she and Emily spent plenty of time researching to find a nice place that could accomodate their budgets. Located conveniently not far from Wall Street and the financial district and in a trendy area with great restaurants and shopping, the Duane Street Hotel sounds like it would meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers. The girls appreciated the fact that they could hop on the subway just two blocks from the hotel and get to the myriad sites on their extensive list of “to-sees.” With only 45 guestrooms, this was a good choice for them, and they found the staff friendly and very helpful with tips and directions. They also appreciated the property-wide free Wi-Fi, warm cookies available 24/7, plush bathrobes in the room and a spacious, well-appointed bathroom.
I got a kick out of Jenny’s Facebook posting on her first morning in New York: “You know you’re in NYC when: they are filming Law & Order right outside your hotel.” Another New York moment (on the other end of the thrill scale) was spotting rats on the subway platform, but it seems everything else was pretty much a thumbs-up. Both girls were moved to tears at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (just blocks from their hotel) but were glad to have experienced it. They also visited MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took the ferry to Liberty and Ellis islands, stopped in at a jazz club on the Upper West Side and saw The Lion King on Broadway. They wandered around Little Italy, compared New York pizza with the Chicago variety they know well and, of course, enjoyed the shopping (“Mom, no sales tax on clothes!!!”). One disappointment: They weren’t picked up by Cash Cab.
Arriving back in Chicago late Friday night, Jenny now looks ahead to her final months of school. She will graduate not only with her formal degree but also some great real-world experiences gained on her travels. Best of all, she’s grown in confidence in herself and her ability to navigate a big new city (even if she mistakenly ends up in Brooklyn at some point!) and has gained a grand appreciation for the world and its peoples.Â
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
Love of Broadway
Jan 28th
This weekend I am going to see The Lion King with my parents and boyfriend. When I learned that this will be my boyfriend, Sean’s, first Broadway show, I thought to myself of all of the shows I’ve ever seen: Jersey Boys, Wicked, Spamalot, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Rent and Les Miserables.
In sixth grade, before I ever had any interest in Broadway, I came home from school and started channel surfing until I came across a PBS special celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Broadway musical Les Miserables. The special was about halfway over, but I found myself completely mesmerized by the music. It was Eponine’s solo number, “On My Own,” sung by Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga, that had me hooked. I was in love with the music and desperate to learn the whole story.
For about a week, PBS aired this special, and every day I would run home and try to catch it from the beginning so I could tape it on VHS. Each day I would tape a bit more and learn a little more of the plot until I finally had the entire performance on tape, available to view as much as I wanted. I watched it every day, learned the music and the story and shared it with my family. It wasn’t long until my parents and sister jumped on board with my new obsession. I bought a copy of Victor Hugo‘s novel and started reading it.
Finally, one summer, I was sitting in my room when my dad called me to the bottom of the stairs. I remember him taking a long pause and looking at me before he finally said, “We’re going to see Les Miserables on Broadway in New York.” I was speechless. I had never been to New York City, and I had never seen a Broadway show. The rest is history!
I can only hope that Sean’s first experience on Broadway will open his world to a whole new love of music and performance.
– Courtney Centeno, account executive
This is the Dawning …
Oct 20th
Over the weekend, I saw HAIR on Broadway with my parents. HAIR was the first show my dad took my mom to when they first started dating in the ’60s. My parents were far from flower children, who are the main focus of the show, but they lived through all of the elements that make up the main story lines of the show. The musical is bringing these story lines back to modern audiences.
The show reflected the generational change in attitudes toward war between parents and children during the Vietnam War era. The main character, a high school student, struggled with many things that all teenagers struggle with, including appeasing your parents and finding your own identity, coupled with vast generational differences, the war and the reality of a draft.
My parents thought the show was well done. I felt that while the singing proved uplifting, the story line was still heavy. Themes ranged from recreational drug use to the burning of the draft card. The themes came through clearly. The audience was a great mix of people, from those who lived through the generation to people my age, locals and tourists alike. At the end of the show, everyone was on their feet, singing and dancing — especially the 100 or so people from the audience they invited to dance on stage!
After the show, my parents recapped how they lived through listening to my father’s draft pick on the radio and leaving their fate to a lottery. Luckily, my father was not picked in the draft, but my uncle was deployed overseas, but not to Vietnam. Today, they speak about it calmly, but I’m sure their nerves ran through them differently then. I came to a new understanding of the “flower power” generation after seeing the show. I can’t imagine the real-life scenarios of people burning their draft cards or the protests and riots that arose.
Whether you lived through the ‘60s or not, HAIR is another Tony award-winning musical that is a must-see your next time through NYC!
–Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
Beat the Heat
Aug 20th
This summer in the city has been hot! As I deal with the summer heat, outdoor beer gardens are the last thing on my mind. I consider myself an outdoors type. During the summer, I think about beaches and bike rides, kayaking and fishing. I’ve had to make one big adjustment since moving to the city — learning to deal with spending time indoors in the summer.
A short trip to Massachusetts, Connecticut or upstate New York is sometimes enough for me. I get my outdoor fix over the long weekend away. On the weekdays, however, I feel a strong desire to move to an apartment with central air. I love the outdoor beer gardens scattered throughout Brooklyn, but with the extremely high August temperatures, my favorite city commodity has quickly become useless.
Museums, movies, shopping, dining out and Broadway musicals are some of the best ways to beat the heat during the city summers. Broadway offers great discount prices, and museums offer discounts and, in some cases, free admission! The Museum of Modern Art hosts Target Free Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. After reading Alex’s blog on Tuesday, I think I may have to look up some more great shows on Broadway.
–Courtney Centeno, account executive
