Broadway Week - Cats

When Mom and Dad visited recently, we all took a trip to the Jellicle Ball one night. Cats was intended to be the highlight of their visit. The set was beyond amazing - so unique and interesting! The show itself wasn't our favorite though. We enjoyed seeing some of our favorite cats, but the story seemed to drag a bit. Those cats needed a little more pep in their step...or something!

We didn't take advantage of it, but at intermission the audience members were allowed to go on stage and take photos with Old Deuteronomy. As we discovered, they only let a certain number of people on stage so we decided to just watch the fun from our seats. Speaking of our seats, we were in a section that ran along the entrance/exit route for a handful of the cats so we really had some up close encounters throughout the performance.

Leona Lewis is currently playing Grizabella, but we didn't think she performed all that well the evening we saw the show. My all-time favorite cat is Mr. Mistoffelees, but I also liked Gus (the theatre cat), Jennyanydots, and Rum Tum Tugger in this performance. Although, in the end, we weren't blown away with the performance as a whole. However, if you want to see an extraordinary set and some fantastic dance numbers then Cats is the show for you!

Have you ever been to the Jellicle Ball?

Andrea :)

Broadway Week - Fiddler on the Roof

I was excited to see Fiddler on the Roof because I knew a handful of the songs, but wasn't entirely familiar with the full story. I find it is always a bit more fun when you don't have pre-determined expectations since experiencing a show for the first time is impossible to replicate. The emotions on stage in this one span the spectrum from laugh out loud humor to tear jerking heartbreak. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Learning more about the cultural roles of mamas and papas and sons and daughters in the community proved fascinating. I enjoyed the Biblical references complete with side conversations to God and SO many of the songs - particularly If I Were a Rich Man and Sunrise, Sunset. My dad often plays Sunrise, Sunset at weddings (ours included!) so it was really exciting to hear that one performed live. Fiddler on the Roof closes in December so find a way to get your tickets soon. I highly recommend it.

Are you familiar with the Fiddler on the Roof story?

Andrea :)

Broadway Week - Les Miserables

I caught Les Miserables the week it closed so the theater was packed! I was in nearly the back row at the Wednesday afternoon matinee. I was lucky they even had a seat for me. I had previously seen the movie, but the Broadway show proved much more exciting. I was curious how a number of scenes would be portrayed live. The production did not disappoint. The music, as I'm sure you all know, is fantastic! The set was also pretty neat especially during the battle scene. I debated on whether I wanted to see this one before it left Broadway, but I am so glad I did.

Have you seen the show live, watched the movie, or read the novel?

Andrea :)

Our September Date Nights

Fall is here. Ready or not. For our September date nights we decided to check out some new (to us) restaurants in Long Island City. We often venture into Manhattan for date night, but we enjoyed changing things up a bit this month. It was a bonus that we were able to take advantage of the last bit of nice weather as we walked to and from the tasty locations.

I went with a burger spot - Petey's. We both liked the burgers, but we definitely should have split fries because the portion was massive. The restaurant itself is small, but did have a TV playing movies which was kinda different. We'd likely opt for delivery next time, but certainly plan to add it into our restaurant rotation.

Chris selected a Thai restaurant - Gaw Gai. It is very close to our apartment, but we hadn't ever taken the time to stop in. There are only a couple of tables in the restaurant so I think it has mostly take out service, but we liked it. The food is a bit spicier than some of the Thai restaurants we frequent in Manhattan, but I was able to handle it without issue. Glad we found this local spot!

Do you have any favorite restaurants in your neighborhood?

Andrea :)

Five on Friday!

{ONE}

I was ecstatic when Sarah Rodriguez selected me to be part of her book launch team! I have followed her journey for years and am completed mesmerized by her strength and courage as she has overcome so much in such a short time.  When I received my advance copy of From Depth We Rise, I absolutely couldn't stop reading! It is a beautifully written love story. A love story filled with happiness and joy as well as sacrifice, pain, and loss. Sarah's journey from a single 20-something headed off to the adventure of New York City to a single mother of two back home in Oklahoma is a true page turner. The book is divided into two sections - The Depths and The Rise. Both are written in a way that allowed me to become completely engrossed. This story of faith and God's blessings amidst tragedy is certain to speak to your heart. And be sure to keep some tissue at hand because there will be tears with each twist and turn.  Go HERE to grab your copy - it is worth EVERY penny of the $8.52 paperback price!

{TWO}

About a month ago now, Chris and I decided to cap off our summer of running with the Sunnyside One Mile Run. It was a tad unorganized, but we survived it. I prefer the NYRR 5th Ave Mile, but it was nice to support some local Queens charity groups.  Not so much fun to include a hill in a one mile fun run...

{THREE}

Another book I'd set my sights on long ago was The Light Between Oceans. When I began to see the movie previews for it, I decided I better get busy reading.  As it turns out, I ended up going the audible route. The book was good, but definitely a bit slow in places. I saw the movie with my friend Rachel the afternoon after I finished the book...and it was a bit slow in places, too. The movie was fine, but (as usual) I much prefer the detail of the book. The movie left out a handful of info that helped round out the light keeper himself, but overall it closely mimicked the book.

{FOUR}

As we move into fall, I've been doing a bit of reflecting on summer. Chris turned me into a bit of a running spectator this year. It might have been on accident, but it happened nonetheless. Chris discovered that he was best able to train and prepare as a runner when he had a race scheduled.  Besides the one mile run I mentioned earlier and the 10k race we ran together in June, he completed four additional races over the summer months. I am incredibly proud of him. It was a lot more stressful than I realized to be the spectator part of a couple. I'm not great at spotting people in large crowds so I was consistently concerned I would miss him at the various checkpoints we'd set.  I didn't, but the worry never ceased. I was so happy to be cheering him on to his goals race after race.

{FIVE}

We saw our final show as 2nd Stage Theater season ticket holders a couple of weeks ago. The Layover proved quite interesting though we both agreed we weren't too keen on the ending. We couldn't put our finger on exactly how we had hoped it would end, but what we saw on stage wasn't it.  Otherwise, we really enjoyed the play. As season ticket holders, we have loved our experience each time we attend a 2nd Stage production. It has truly become our go to spot!

How are things in your world?

Read any great books?

Run any fun races?

Andrea :)

Big Apple Tour with Mom & Dad: Part Two

As I mentioned in part one, when Mom and Dad visit they sure do make the most of it. Along with all the fun I talked about before, we took a Circle Line Cruise around the island of Manhattan, watched Sully at the 42nd Street movie theater, and spent some time taking in the gorgeous views at One World Trade Observatory.

I was a little leery of the Circle Line Best of NYC Cruise when Mom expressed interest, but it turned out to be one of the highlights. Definitely worth the price of admission. Although, in retrospect, we probably should have sat on the lower deck because we had to really strain and contort ourselves to see everything from the covered upper deck. Other than that, the guide was full of knowledge and always kept us intrigued with stories about each area as we passed through. My favorite part of the tour was passing by Long Island City and seeing our building, but it was also neat to see the Statue of Liberty and the more spacious and grassy areas of upper Manhattan. We also passed through an Amtrak train track crossing area where the bridge holding the train track had to be opened and turned for us to squeeze through. Quite an endeavor to say the least.

Near the end of the tour, our guide briefly discussed the impact of the flight that landed on the Hudson a few years ago. His version only varied slightly from what we witnessed the day before when we watched Sully at the 42nd Street movie theater. It truly is amazing how quickly emergency personnel responded to the downed flight as well as how capable the pilot was in landing safely.  The movie was worth a watch though a bit slow in a few spots. My buddy Tom Hanks is one of the best so I am always happy to support him by seeing his work!

Our final exciting adventure was a trek to take in the beautiful views of One World Trade Observatory. We purposefully arranged to be there just before sunset so we could see the city in daylight AND all lit up. Again, it proved fun for Chris and me to attempt to find our apartment from such a high vantage point. We attempted to get a photo with our building in the background before descending back to street level. Dad even answered a trivia question the guide claimed he'd never had a guest correctly answer before. Bonus points go to anyone that knows the official name of Lady Liberty. Any guesses?

Stop in next week as I present Andrea's Adventures version of Broadway Week. We saw three shows together, but I also recently saw two solo as well. A full week of Broadway reviews is headed your way!

Andrea :)

Big Apple Tour with Mom & Dad: Part One

When my parents visit the Big Apple, they sure do make the most of it. We always find something exciting to do when they venture up to the city. This time, we started with a free informational and historical tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The tours all begin at 10am though the day of the week varies. The amount of knowledge the guide provided was incredible. We really enjoyed learning more about the beautiful structure. The most interesting Saint we learned about was St. Anthony - he helps when you need to find something that has been lost.

Later in the week, we made our way out to Coney Island for some Nathan's hot dogs and a whirl on the Wonder Wheel. Mom decided not to try the Wonder Wheel when we noticed that the carts actually move as the wheel turns. Dad and I gave it a go, but were terrified once we started moving. We survived, but not without a few yelps along the way. After briefly watching the ocean waves, we were off to the next adventure.

Our sporting event for the trip involved a short train ride to Jersey for a NY Red Bulls soccer match. Chris was excited to share his wealth of soccer knowledge. Mom and Dad hadn't ever been to a soccer match, but they seemed to enjoy it. We even managed to see a couple goals - double the fun!

I made a rice krispie cake for Dad's birthday...and he even found his way to the infamous Marilyn Monroe grate to celebrate!

Stay tuned for part two later this week...and I'll be having my own version of Broadway week on the blog next week!

Andrea :)