A theatre buff’s guide to musicals and plays in NYC

The task: see as many shows as possible in three days in New York City.  The players: two British Columbians on a work assignment in Toronto. The result: mission accomplished!

A couple of hams taking a bite out
of the Big Apple

This trip on the first weekend in May came together rather quickly when Erin McInnis and I decided to hit Broadway one more time before we’re in full TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games mode. No visits to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building or museums on the agenda for this trip. The focus was theatre. Thanks to Erin’s research, we had our hit list – past Tony Award Winners, a revival and this year’s Tony nominees – and every show at a discount.

Tip 1:  Go to the TKTS Discount Booth at South Street Seaport for same-day discount tickets for evening shows and next-day tickets for matinees.

Tip 2: Once you purchase a ticket at the flagship TKTS location in Times Square, keep the stub and jump the queue into a short-cut line the next day. We met two locals from New Jersey in the line-up (who said they grew up with the real "Jersey Boys") who had just discovered this benefit.

It took some work, but we saw five shows – three evening performances and two matinees. Here's a quick recap of the revival, play and musicals:

On the Town  You can’t go wrong with this classic about three sailors and their 24-hour adventure in New York, New York (it’s a helluva town).  It’s a Tony 2015 nominee for best musical revival.

 

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder:  The 2014 Tony winner for best musical. This is a quick-paced, funny, operetta-style story of an heir to a family fortune who sets eliminate the relatives who stand in his way. The relatives are all played by the same actor. 

It's only $17-cocktails on a Saturday
evening at the historic Algonquin

It’s Only a Play:  This one is totally Broadway – a play about the aftermath of the opening night of a play. It’s a treat to see pros Nathan Lane and Stockard Channing exchange barbs. I was looking forward to seeing Matthew Broderick, but his alternate was on the stage for this performance. Of note in this show is 2015 Tony nominee Micah Stock (featured actor).

Something Rotten.  This show is filled with comedy, big show-stopping numbers and moving sets as we discover the birth of the musical in the Shakespearean era. There’s nothing rotten to report here with 10 Tony nominations this year including best musical.

Avenue Q  Winner of the 2004 Tony for best musical and best score. A story of discovery, social issues and acceptance, told with music and puppets.

 

On Monday, with no matinees available, it was time for a walk in Little Italy and along the Highline. This is worth seeing as it is a great example of urban renewal. The Highline is an out-of-use railroad trestle that’s been transformed into walkway – a trail above Manhattan.

 

 

Side note – I wasn’t overwhelmed by the hoopla and fan experience around Madison Square Garden for a Rangers playoff hockey game. I expected more! And no, we didn't spend $250 to see the game.

 

 

Fine spring weather in May. Perfect for a Sunday walk in Central Park. The best time to visit NYC!

 

Planning is underway for another NYC task – how many shows can one see in 48 hours? I may find out in September.

 

Chicago – home of the skyscraper

I found this descriptive quote in a brochure that sums up my view of Chicago – “the city of broad shoulders and vertical dreams.”

View from 360 Chicago, top of the John Hancock Tower

 

Most of my spring 2015 trip to this Great Lakes, mid-west city (I was taken to task by a native of Chicago when I called it a city in the east) was focused on discovering the volume of tall buildings.

Willis (Sears) Tower in the centre

So, why does this “second city” ("second" to New York, "second" built in the same site) have so many skyscrapers or cloud busters?  After the great fire of 1871 wiped out the Chicago, the landscape was a blank canvas. It became the centre for innovative architects with towering ambitions who participated in many contests to build recognizable landmarks.

The construction continued through the 20^th Century with modern office towers, company headquarters, mail-order distribution centres and eventually condominiums (Marina City – the first urban residential city within a city in 1963) stretching the skyline along Lake Michigan. 

The theme – taller was better. For a quarter century, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was the tallest in the world. 

Trump Tower on the Chicago River

 

Marina City

 And in this century, the building hasn’t stopped with the latest triumph – the 98-storey Trump Tower. However, I was told by my local tour guide that the large TRUMP letters gleaming onto the Chicago River are a source of controversy for the locals.

 I took two walking tours, an architectural river cruise and a trip to one of the observation decks in the sky – great ways to see, explore and learn more about Chicago’s vertical masterpieces.

Speaking of masterpieces, the Art Institute of Chicago is filled with famous paintings and works from around the world.

 

 For a Canadian, one of the best Americana experiences is a baseball game on a sunny afternoon. The 101-year-old Wrigley Field is the iconic place to do that.

 

 Chicago is no slouch when it comes to live theatre with plenty of choices. I took in two plays – a comedy/drama and a musical.

 As the song says – Chicago is my kind of town.