Broadway | Twice as Nice [Wonderland & How to Succeed, Part II]

While there are currently a great number of broadway shows to choose from, during my last full week in New York City I decided to see two of my favorites a second time-- Wonderland and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I honestly didn't think I would see Wonderland again while I was here, but when I heard that it was closing I knew I just had to see it one last time. I tried for the lottery on Thursday evening, and I won! For $30 I was sitting second row center. During the entire show I was sitting there having a wonderful time, but I was also so disappointed. How could this great show be closing?! It is filled with catchy songs, great choreography, fun costumes, and some of the most talented actors on broadway. It's a true shame Wonderland won't entertain any more audiences. 

Not only was I lucky to win the lottery that night, but after the performance Janet Dacal (Alice) and Darren Ritchie (Jack) held a talkback session to answer questions from audience members. For those of you that haven't seen the show, Ritchie's character in Wonderland is the lead singer of the "boy band" The White Knightz. Their main number "One Knight" was definitely my favorite part of the show. It's an amazing song, but it's supposed to be funny, and I die of laughter watching these guys. Click here to watch their "music video." 

Anyway, at the talkback session, an audience member asked Darren if he tries to act like any certain boy band member in particular. His answer? "Football player Justin Timberlake." I have no words! To view the entire talkback, check out the YouTube Video:

On Saturday, I woke up bright and early to head over to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre to stand in the rush ticket line for How to Succeed. I got there two hours early, and got a great spot in line (about the 16th person or so). I politely asked the lady at the box office if I could sit on the right side of the orchestra, and she searched to get me the best seat there. My motives? I just HAD to get  a decent spot at the stage door! Last time I was seated on the left side of the orchestra and I nearly got trampled just walking out of the theater. I was going to leave as soon as the curtain call started, but didn't want to be rude and push the other girls sitting next to me out of the way. Instead I waited patiently, and as soon as the doors opened, booked it out of there. I got a good spot in the second row with enough room to stick my Playbill out to be signed. The problem? Daniel didn't come out! Apparently he doesn't come out at matinee performances. Understandable, since he has another show to do in a few hours, but I was still disappointed.

Even though Dan didn't come out I was still hoping to get some other autographs, but it seems the other actors have grown accustomed to just walking through the crowds as fast as they can. The smiled and waved, and kept right on going. I knew Christopher Hanke who plays Bud Frump sometimes signs, but he didn't even come out! Alas, I saw another great performance, but have another naked playbill. Hopefully my friends and I will be able to road trip it to NYC this summer so I can see the show again. 

Broadway | The Lion King

As many broadway fans know, getting tickets to see The Lion King at an affordable price is nearly impossible. Thankfully, my internship program gets the opportunity to do one "cultural" event during our semester, and we talked our residence director into bringing us to see the show. The Lion King is definitely what I would call "broadway royalty." The show has been playing forever, and since it's a product of Disney, you know it's going to be a lavish production. I was blown away by the intricate costumes and beautiful set. They were definitely the best I have seen so far. What I found shocking, however, was that I wasn't truly amazed by the performers.

During the first act, I felt a little disappointed. Many of the actors including Scar, Timon, and Pumba, had speaking voices that perfectly matched their respectable characters from the film version of The Lion King. The vocals, however, were certainly not broadway material. Likewise, I wished Young Simba and Young Nala had stronger singing voices as well. Sure, they're just kids, but a lot of broadway kids have amazing voices (think Carly Rose Sonenclar from Wonderland). I was much happier during the second act when Simba and Nala came out with great voices. 

All in all, I'm glad I got to see The Lion King without spending any of my own money! We were seated in the back of the center orchestra, and our tickets were $142! Outrageous! If you can afford to drop that much (and more) on a ticket, you won't be disappointed. Of course, this show is great for families with children of any age.

Can't afford tickets? Hakuna Matata! There are plenty of other shows that offer discounts at TKTS and have rush policies. Make sure to check out my other blog entries for more information. You can also view a great blog called Broadway Informer for more in depth info.

New York to L.A.

After my internship ended, I had about two weeks free to relax before my final exam on May 16th. After my class on Monday night, I left for Los Angeles early Tuesday morning to visit my brother and sister-in-law. It was a great trip, and we got to do so many fun things! My traveling was smooth, too, which is always great. Below I'll outline my trip with each day's activities.

May 3, 2011

I arrived in Los Angeles at around 3:00PM on Tuesday. After settling in my brother's apartment, we all went out to eat at a great Italian restaurant called Micelis. Not only was the food delicious (especially the bread), but there is a piano player and the waiters sing. Although it was a bit weird that the pianist was playing Christmas tunes a few times, the music was fun to listen to during the meal. 

After Micelis, we went to Scoops for dessert. It's a small ice cream shop that makes its own ice cream in flavors you've never seen before! I wanted to try the Earl Grey Tea, but they were all out since we went at the end of their business day. Instead I tried chocolate hazelnut and chocolate vanilla. Both were really delicious. 

May 4, 2011

For my first full day of the trip, my brother and I went to Disneyland. I had been once before, but it's always fun. Since we went on a Wednesday, there were barely any lines! The longest we waited was for the Indiana Jones ride, and we had gotten a Fast Pass for that one, too. We pretty much went on everything in the park, except for a few that we chose not to ride. I loved the Captian Eo Tribute show with Michael Jackson. It's a 3D film made in the 1980s that they brought back after he passed away. Definitely check it out if you're in Disneyland. You can also meet Mickey Mouse if you take the tour of his house in Toontown! We took a picture with him for fun:

May 5, 2011

On Thursday, my brother and I went to the L.A. Zoo. The heat was quite tiring, as the zoo is huge and you do a ton of walking. The animals and exhibits were really cool, though. The zoo was doing a lot of construction when we were there, so some of the animals weren't out. I still think we got to see a lot while we were there. Here are some photos I took:

 

 

May 6, 2011

When we went to the zoo, we purchased a combo ticket that gave us a discount price on the Aquarium of the Pacific, so we headed over on Friday. Although not as big as the New England Aquarium, the Aquarium of the Pacific still had some cool exhibits. You could pet sharks and sting rays, and feed lorikeets. Here are some photos from the aquarium:

 

 

After the aquarium, we decided to stay and look around the Long Beach area where it is located. For $12, we took a 45 minute cruise around the harbor. It was so nice outside, and the cruise was a great time to relax and learn more about the area. We got to see the Queen Mary, sea lions, and more. Check out the pictures:

 

May 7, 2011

On Saturday, my sister-in-law was off from work so she could come do fun things with my brother and I. First we headed to Olvera Street, a Mexican area with lots of cool shops and restaurants. For lunch I had tacos with rice and beans, and a churro filled with chocolate for dessert. Olvera Street is a great place to walk around and look at a different culture. 

Later on, we went to Melrose, a shopping district. There were lots of little boutiques and a creepy store called Necromance. My favorite place was called Crossroads Trading. Crossroads is a store that buys and sells gently used clothing from great brands. Sometimes you can even find new clothes hidden in the racks. I got a new shirt from Urban Outfitters, a new shirt from Naked Zebra, a Betsey Johnson t-shirt, and a scarf for under $48. Not only was it a great deal, but my sister-in-law and I had lots of fun shopping together. We even got our nails done while on Melrose. My poor brother was so bored!

We ended the day by having Indian food for dinner. I had never had it before, and I admit it was quite good. I really enjoyed it. The bread was great. My favorite part of the day was going to Menchies, though. It's a frozen yogurt bar. You pick whatever flavors of fro-yo you want, put on whatever toppings you want, and then pay by weight. They have unique flavors, and lots of toppings to choose from. Please come to the East Coast now!

May 8, 2011

Sunday was my last day in Los Angeles before my travel day on Monday. My brother, sister-in-law, and I went to a couple antique malls to look around. It's always cool to see what old treasures you can find. I didn't end up buying anything, but it is fun to look. We also went shopping in another store much like Crossroads called Buffalo Exchange. The prices were a little more expensive, but I did find a cute top for around $10. 

After shopping, we went to an awesome mini-golf place. They had three different courses, and we played them all. The weather was nice and it was great fun. My sister-in-law even got 3 holes-in-one! The place also had a pretty cool arcade, where my brother and I played air hockey. Overall, it was a great end to a wonderful vacation. I hope I can visit again soon!