Every year after Christmas I go to New York City for a few days to see theatre. I try to cram in as many shows as possible, and this year was no exception: four shows in two days. I also stuffed my face with delicious meals.
Let’s start with the FOOD! I have a folder in my inbox called “NYC and Food” where I send myself restaurant recommendations anytime I hear about them on-line or via word-of-mouth. That way I always have a go-to list of options when I’m in the city. This trip I checked out a few:
Cookshop at 156 Tenth Ave. at 20th St. (212-924-4440)
I got the “Holiday-jito” with muddled mint, pomegranate-vanilla grenadine, fresh lime, fresh pomegranate, orange bitters. My friend Emily ordered a classic Bloody Mary.
I chose the Amish Chicken Salad — chicken over red and green cabbage, carrots, celery root, toasted walnuts, apples, dried cranberries, and sherry vinaigrette.
Then we got fancy and ordered the dessert sampler. It was all delicious.
Westville at 210 W. 10th St. between Bleecker and W. 4th (212-741-7971)
My friends Carrie, Emily, and I grabbed dinner at this adorably cute cafe in the West Village.
We started by splitting four sides. They have a LONG list of sides, so narrowing it down was a tough decision. We settled on pesto mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts in a dijon sauce, ginger sesame snow peas, and sweet potato fries.
I ordered a salmon salad for dinner, but dove in before I remembered to snap a photo.
And I got soup at Two Tablespoons in Bryant Park. I tried the Broccoli Lime Coconut — delicous. The other flavors are Sweet Potato Chipotle, Five Herb Chile, and Lentil Ginger.
We also ate at Cafeteria (119 7th Ave., 212-414-1717) but the food was so tasty that I forgot to take a single photo. I give it a solid two thumbs up and will absolutely go back.
And here is a recap of my theatre agenda!
Water by the Spoonful at Second Stage
I was under the impression that last year’s Pulitzer Prize winning play was about an Iraq vet returning to his daily life in the U.S., but this show is really about struggling with addiction. It’s part two of a three play cycle by Quiara Alegia Hudes. Several individuals around the globe lean on each other in an Internet chat room as they fight every day to stay drug-free. Over the course of two acts we find out how these people are connected to the recently-returned Iraq vet and his cousin, who are preparing for a family funeral. This may sound like it’s all over the place but Hudes skillfully weaves these strands of story together. The cast delivers solid performances.
One of the main characters comments about addiction, “On the good days I only think about it every hour.” Water by the Spoonful is a heavy show. It’s also quite good.
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The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Studio 54
Such a fun evening! This musical is based on the last novel Charles Dickens wrote; he died before completing it, so we don’t know what became of the central character Edwin Drood. So mid-way through the second act, our narrator announces Dicken’s death, and the audience gets to decide the ending. The cast scatters to each section of the theatre to tally up the votes for who murdered Edwin Drood. Then we vote by applause on the identity of the mysterious detective, and which couple should end up together. Based on the outcome, the cast performs a different ending every night (I’ve read there are up to 400 possible outcomes, although predictably certain characters are more popular choices). On the night I attended, Chita Rivera’s Princess Puffer was selected as the murderess, Jessie Mueller’s Helena Landless was the mysterious detective, and Betsey Wolf’s Rosa Bud and the teenage Deputy were chosen to sing a love song (hilarious). And to add another layer of hilarity, the musical is actually a show within a show — so the actors are playing actors in a company putting on The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Lots of hijinks ensue.
The moody sets are unapologetically Dickensian. The costumes are incredibly fun (especially the infamous bustles). The music is fluffy and forgettable (“Off To the Races” is the only song I can remember at this point). It was neat to see famed conductor Paul Gemignani perched in front of the orchestra in the balcony; he high-tailed it out of there the second the show was over! I had a blast and actually wish I’d sprung for better seats to see it all up close.
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I saw this one week into previews and it was already in strong shape. (I spied director Rob Ashford in the lobby as we exited the theatre. Ironically we walked outside and found ourselves looking at the stage door of Evita, another show he directed that could not be more different from this one.) I had my doubts about Scarlett Johansson but she set those to rest within the first few minutes — she plays Maggie with such depth and fierceness that I forgot I was watching a film actress. The first act is almost entirely her and Benjamin Walker bickering, and both are so adept at disappearing into their roles. Also, Ben Walker wears a towel (and just a towel) for most of act one. If you sit in the right place you’ll see the full monty.
I’d never seen a production of this classic Tennessee Williams drama before, so I enjoyed the discovery process as the plot unfolded. His typical themes shine bright: family drama, the South, homosexuality. (I just unfairly reduced Mr. Williams; his plays are too accomplished for me to boil down like that.) I was glad to finally encounter this work, which the playwright identified as his personal favorite.
Also, props to Michael J. Park (soap actor and multiple Daytime Emmy winner) for playing Brick’s brother, the second favorite son.
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The Old Man and the Old Moon by Pigpen Theatre Co.
I was about 90% sold on this show by intermission, and then 110% sold by its conclusion.
Pigpen Theatre is a group of really cute 20-something males who recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon. They concocted this original fairytale about a Man whose job is to fill the moon with light. But one evening the Man’s Wife hears a familiar song and takes off after it. The Man sets off on an epic journey to the ends of the earth to find her.
This troupe of actors uses minimal props and staging to tell their story. They are particularly creative with light, shadow, and puppetry to demonstrate some of the large-scale action. And they play original music! Swoon. It’s Irish-sounding and just delightful.
I heard someone describe this show as a mash-up of Peter and the Starcatcher and Once (both shows I loved). I’d concur with that description.
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Whew, that was a quick and fun two days. Can’t wait to get back. Many thanks to my theatre buddies Emily, Carrie, and Julie! And special thanks to Carrie for hosting me!
