The last show on my "want to see" list that I made before coming to New York was Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. I had been waiting because unlike all the other shows, Priscilla had a lotto instead of a rush (no guarantee that you'd get to see a show that night). I had someone ask me to take a relative to see a Broadway show. With Priscilla as the last Broadway show on my list, I figured we could lotto it together (I heard the lotto was easy, and we'd have twice the chance of seeing it!). We entered our names and then I took Coco to the Disney store and Toys R Us in Times Square (a must see). We returned for the lotto drawing, and I was the second name called! After grabbing a quick slice of pizza, we headed back to the theatre and were led through pink haze to our seats by a feather boa clad usher (nice job setting the mood!). The show was fabulous. With drag queens, loveable pop songs, and outrageous costumes, how could it not be? I was asked during intermission, quite cutely, if the main actor was really a woman (answer: no). Raining glitter confetti down on the audience more times than I have ever been a part of before, I must say that Priscilla was a very fun night at a show that was surprisingly heartfelt! After the show, I took Coco to her first stage door experience (this was her first Broadway show too!). Every actor walked down the line, said hello, and signed our playbills. Hopefully, we created another fan of the great white way!
Maybe the title is a bit unfair. I rushed Mary Poppins this morning, and it turned out to be a really easy rush. I got there at what I thought to be 40 minutes before the box office opened, but it was already open and had no line. The guy actually sold me a ticket right away--no waiting! I hadn't originally planned on seeing Mary Poppins. My mom loves it, saw it last time she was in New York, and insisted I must see it. I told her repeatedly that I had no desire to see it unless the original London cast stars Laura Michelle Kelly (Mary Poppins) and Gavin Lee (Bert) were in. As luck would have it, they were together in the show starting in the middle of July. I caved. I love everything Disney and Broadway musicals, so I figured it would be a fun night. Well, it could've been. Don't get me wrong. The show was fun, the cast was energetic, and Laura was perfect as Mary in every way. So, what was wrong? Well, Mary Poppins had the rudest audience that I have ever had the displeasure of being a part of. To my right, a foreign school group of kids who could have cared less that they were at a Broadway show and gabbed away in French the whole show. In front of me, a dad and two kids who got up twice during the fist act to go buy different snacks and then twice again during the second act (how hungry can you possibly be? Why didn't you buy snacks at intermission?). To my left, a guy who pulls out a can of sour cream and onion pringles and muches away on them during the show (I like them too, but they smelled up the whole area!). To top that all off, I was really excited to hear and see the staging of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Right when the number started, I heard this sound that I swear sounded like someone ripping paper. In fact this noise got louder and faster and continued throughout the entire number (it tampered off a little after that but continued at odd moments throughout the rest of act 1). 
When intermission came around, I got up and tried to locate the sound. A few rows behind me under a seat with a child booster on it was a pile of shredded showbill (for those who don't know, Disney Broadway shows use "showbills" instead of "playbills"). What parent would allow their children to rip apart their showbill continuously and nosily throughout a show? This problem had an easy fix--take the showbill out of the kid's hands!!! Oh, and where were our ushers? This was a problem far more annoying and distracting then any of the people you yelled at for silently taking photos before the show even started. So, I was kind of pissed about my theatre experience. The show was great, but I just couldn't enjoy it. Afterwards, I still went to the stage door. Little Jane and Michael were cute kids and couldn't seem to believe that people wanted to meet and talk to them. Gavin came out and spoke to us too. 
Then Laura Michelle Kelly came out, and I just want to say that Laura has to be the nicest, sweetest person I've ever seen at a stage door. She walked down the line and had genuine conversations with every child there. She inquired what they were into (dance, theatre, singing, the like), asked them various questions, offered advice, and seemed to genuinely care what they each had to say. While the experience inside made me initially regret my choice to rush this show (again, not on account of the show), my stage door encounter was the spoon full of sugar that made the horrible audience go down.
I got there early and went straight to Jim Henson's Fantastic World before the movie. It was really neat seeing a film I grew up with in a theater and hearing people laugh along with something that I know so well. Craig Shemin, former Jim Henson Company staff writer and current secretary on the Board of Directors of The Jim Henson Legacy, led the Q and A and did a great job. Ever wanted to know how a scene was done? 
He knew. He was also giving out books to people as they asked questions, and I got one! You want to know something funny? On the first Saturday that I planned to do absolutely nothing Broadway related, he turns to someone in the audience and says, "Will you help me pass these out? Everybody, this is my wife Stephanie D'Abruzzo!" 
So, I was handed my muppets book by Broadway's Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q)! After the talk, I went and explored the rest of the museum. They had a sound room where you could dub yourself into movies (I became Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz), an area where you could record yourself on the movie wall (turns video into flipbook), and a workstation where you could create a stop motion movie. If you are ever in Astoria, check it out!
After work, in honor of Bastille Day, I walked to a french bakery to sample their macaroons (can you say yum?). Afterwards, I went back to Lincoln Center and had a picnic dinner while listening to the Midsummer Night Swing band. Mainly, I was killing time while I waited for the doors to open at the Metropolitan Opera House where I had a ticket to see the Mariinsky Ballet perform Anna Karenina. I was particularly excited because other than the Nutcracker or young children performances, I cannot think of any full length ballets that I've seen. And to see one in the Metropolitan Opera House? Being able to go in and explore the venue is a treat in itself! The ballet was fine, despite the fact that it received pretty bad reviews. I am not familiar with the story of Anna Karenina, but I don't think any story could possibly involve so much stomping around. I had expected more from what I have learned of the Mariinsky's reputation, but now I can say that I saw a well known ballet company in world famous venue!
In a time filled with Hollywood movies turning into flashy musicals, I was still surprised when Catch Me If You Can announced that it was going to take a spin on the Great White Way. Don't get me wrong--I loved the movie. It was very clever and kept you guessing all the way through. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of its Broadway counterpoint. Now, now. I will concede that I already knew the story this time around, but even when watching the movie a second or third time, you still ride the roller-coaster that is Frank Abagnale Jr.'s life. Despite the lack of twists and turns, Catch Me does deliver some Broadway style. The framing device, a 60s musical tv show-flash back, is cleverly used and maintained throughout; in fact, it was probably one of the better things about the show (I happen to thoroughly enjoy when characters are aware that they are in a show and make mention of this to us, like when Frank asks the conductor for "a little light piano" or when he tells Brenda at the beginning of her song that "the spotlight’s on you now"). Personally, I felt they spent way too much time on his parents (particularly his mother!) and not enough time on his relationship with Brenda. 
Kerry's one song, the eleven o'clock number, was quite lovely, and I, like most other critics, feel she use very under-used (can we see Kerry a little more please? We all know she's backstage!) . I'd like to take a brief moment to make up an award and bestow it right here and now. Ready? *Ah-hem* I'd like to present Catch Me If You Can with the award for sexiest chorus girl ensemble! (Though I have no doubt in my mind that they are already fully aware of this!) Every number had leggy chorus girls strutting their stuff across stage, whether the song called for it or not. The number that took down the house was not lead by these beauties though, no-no. It was lead by the clear star of the show: a stooped over, shuffling, mumbling, middle-aged and overworked Carl Hanratty, played here by the brilliant Norbert Leo Butz. 
Butz was the best thing about this show, hands down. Forget that he's chasing Frank, his quirky lines and wonderful delivery made you wish he was back onstage every time he left. I would recommend this show to someone, but only so that they could experience Butz's phenomenal performance (after all, he took home this season's Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical!).
Stage Door: It was a lot more crowded than I expected, mainly because I saw a Saturday matinee (While I generally avoid matinees, I knew the stars would come out today because they were all scheduled to be at Broadway Barks). The main stars all came out and signed. Norbert would say "I am not posing for photos" and then strike poses for people to take while he was signing (If only I had someone with me!). I mainly wanted to get a photo with Kerry to continue the "Kerri" collection (the past two times I've been to NYC, I've gotten my photo with something "Kerri"-related. First, it was a photo of "Kerri with Kerry," when I met Miss Kerry Ellis at the Wicked stage door. Then, it was "Kerri at Carrie's" when I visited the filming location of Sex and the City. Now, once again, I went for a "Kerri with Kerry," though this time with Miss Kerry Butler). I did get a photo, though thanks to tourist who snapped the shot for me and no thanks to the pushy crowd around us, it is an extreme close up (She couldn’t back up). Oh well. I still got to meet Kerry, and she was very sweet and lovely. I did get a photo with Aaron Tveit as well. 
Funny side story here: I've actually met Aaron before, and it was when I was taking my last "Kerri with Kerry" photo. Aaron happened to be playing Fiyero in Wicked at the time, so while I did get his signature on my playbill and told him he did a fantastic job, I didn't get a photo with him because I didn't know who he was, granted, at the time, he wasn't the big post-Next to Normal star he is now (also, his role on Gossip Girl must be a decent size because he had a ton of fan girls waiting for him for that reason).
For the Fourth of July, my roomie and I set out for a Roosevelt Island adventure. What's exciting about going to Roosevelt Island? Mainly, it's the trip getting there. You see, to get to the little island you take a tram ride over the river! 
While walking to the tram station, we happened to find the famous Dylan's Candy Bar. Being someone who loves everything sweet, I just had to go in, explore, and take some ridiculous photos! After our brief detour, we finally made it to the tram station. The ride was pretty short, but worth it with great views of the city and river. Being only about 2 miles long, we walked around the whole of Roosevelt Island, taking pictures all the while. Come sunset, we ventured out the Macy's Fireworks show. 
It was wonderful to see and be a part of, but I don't know if I'd go again. Why? Well, if you think Times Square is too crowded, or if you think Disney's Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day is too densely packed, you my friend have never tried to leave the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks show. Talk about a lot of people...
