Sunday, November 24, 2013

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of...

As I was sitting in Maccas in Times Square at 2am after not sleeping for 36 hours and consuming a bottle of red wine that night, I realised I was living the dream. Well, I am not sure what kind of dream you call it, but I am sure it was someone’s dream that was being turned into a reality.

So that is how 54 Below ended – and what a great way to end, a walk through Times Square and a cheeky cheeseburger. Well, actually, as I have mentioned before a cheeseburger meal is 2 cheeseburgers… go figure.

Anyway, time to wake up for the first full day in the New York. We headed into Times Square – sober and warmer than we were 8 hours earlier just so the girls could get their bearings. Anyway, overnight I was not named Worlds Sexiest Man and there was a great excitement about it all in Times Square. The girls were all so caught up without me and a male model. Apparently he was in Zoolander… Anyway, after much persuasion from yong excited marketing assistance from People Magazine (I am actually surprised how much effort it took for the two girls to have their photo taken with one of the sexiest men in the world… anyway, I digress…)

As the girls were lining up, fate would have it that a staff member for David Letterman was walking the line offering tickets for the night show… All of a sudden our night plans were sorted! (Well, our afternoon as they start filming at about 5.30pm)

So it is now time to eat, check out some of the general sights and sounds of times square and then back to the hotel, refresh and get ready to watch Dave. Watching a “live” TV show being filmed is really interesting. Guest for the night was Jennifer Lawrence – star of Hunger Games and Blind Side. Apart from the fact that she is beautiful, she is funny… like actually funny, even left ‘Dave’ speechless once or twice.

So, you are herded into the theatre after a warm up / excitement from some junior staffers. Then there is the warm up guy who mainly made jokes about the Toronto Mayor… actually, the whole show was about that… Anyway, after Mr Stand Up, we then are entertained to a 15-20minute set by Paul Shafer and the CBS Orchestra before Dave comes out for a quick chat prior to the recording.

Show happens… Show finishes… Get out… So, we did this on Wednesday afternoon and our show was being shown on Wednesday night. But before we went in, they had filmed Friday night’s show. It is all too confusing for me…

OK, so we have just fluked amazing Letterman tickets (4th Row, centre) and needed to see our first Broadway Musical for this trip. Well, for the girls it was there first Broadway Musical Ever! We even did the whole TKTS experience to get our Motown Ticket. Turns out although our tickets are out on the end of the row… they were in about the 9th row… so was still pretty good.

Now, pre show drinks are always required! And on this occasion I know A LOT of people who are visiting New York so it was off to meet up with one of them. Then Motown.

After Motown, it was straight to the Laurie Beechman Theatre. I found this place last time after a Godspell performance Christmas Cabaret was here. Tonight was another one of those variety / open mic nights. Performers included the male lead from Pippen and the lady who took over from Alice Ripley in Next To Normal.

We were chatting with the host after the show and his connection with Australia was David Campbell and Judi Connelli – so we chatted about Ms Connelli and he gave us some advise on some more late night club options… Tonight’s recommendation – Don’t Tell Mamma’s.

I had been looking at the schedule for actual acts at Don’t Tell Mamma’s and there was nothing too exciting so we hadn’t planned on seeing a show there, but a late night piano bar seemed like fun. I can’t even begin to describe this place, it is probably actually like the Kit Kat Klub. Actually, when I was ordering a wine and they didn’t have anything by the bottle because it all came out of a cask, the waitress did say – “welcome to the dive that is Don’t Tell Mamma’s”. On a side note there were some wonderful performances from the lovely Lucy and Louise – oh and one of the leads from Kinky Boots popped in for a drink and a song of 4!


By the time they closed down at 3am – it was time for bed. I think it was a successful Full Day 1 in NYC!

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