NY IS JUST SPECTACULAR: Rockettes reviewd

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Nothing says Christmas like New York and what better reason to plan a trip to NY then to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall doing their Christmas Spectacular.   After waking up before the sun, and boarding a local charter bus, we were on our way.  We arrived in the city at 9:30 am and had some time before the show.  We ventured to Rockefeller  Center to see the biggest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen.   There were tons of people there to capture as many pictures of the famous tree as they could.  Many trying to perfectly frame themselves in with the tree.  As we wandered around the city, you could feel the spirit of Christmas coming alive.  Stores were decorated in their holiday finest, and the people that were collecting money for the Salvation Army weren’t just standing around ringing a bell, they were putting on a show with music and singing.  Some of the merely passing by even got into the act by dancing & and singing along with them.

Over Thanksgiving, we saw a HGTV special that aired where Thom Filicia had the honor of decorating Radio City Music Hall for the 2011 Christmas Season.  We were amazed at all the work that went into putting all those special touches on such a huge space.  We hoped that this would was a current airing of the show and that this was what was waiting for us.  We made our way to Radio City Music Hall after admiring the window decorations at Saks 5th Aveune. We wait in line to be searched, and then searched again. When we entered the lobby, we were not disappointed.  It was really cool to see the HGTV show and then see the finished work in person.  Before the show we had just enough time to use the restrooms, have  our picture taken with Santa Claus who expressed his beard envy to me and make it to our seats just in time to sit down as the curtain went up for one of the most spectacular shows I’ve ever seen.  There was synchronized dancing, many costume changes, an amazing lighting and video display, topped with Santas & their dancing shadows.  With scenes so believable I thought they recreated the front of RCMH inside the building.  The production was phenomenal, the orchestra rocked, and the memory of the Christmas spectacular will last a long time.  I highly recommend checking the show out if you have the opportunity.

With time to kill before we got back on the bus, we ended up at NYC Times Square visitors center, where we got to write wishes on paper that will be dropped along with the ball on New Year’s Eve.  We topped of our day with lunch at the Roxy Delicatessen, where I scarfed down half a sandwich that would make even Dagwood Bumstead envious.  With the rest of my sandwich and a piece of Cherry Cheesecake to go, we stopped by  M&M World to fill up on some needed chocolate and headed back to the bus where we enjoyed watching Elf on the ride home.

Being in NY is great anytime you get the chance to go.  NY at Christmas time is just spectacular.

5/5 High Kicks
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A Normal Day In NYC: The Addams Family on Broadway reviewed

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My wife and I took a day trip to New York City to celebrate my 40th birthday.  We took a 3 hour bus trip that landed us at the NY Port Authority smack dab in the middle of the Big Apple.

While there we explored the NYC library where a scene from the Ghostbusters was filmed.  The library seemed more like a museum, with it’s grandiose architecture & gallery displays.  On the way out, I reenacted the scared run out of the building (ala Ghostbusters).

Our next stop was an unplanned one.  As we were walking down the street, I saw the Trump Towers building and decided to take a peek in.  Learning that we would not be having a meeting with the Donald, we instead settled for a water & coffee from the Starbucks inside.

We proceeded to the Apple Store, with it’s glass exterior leading you down either a glass elevator or a set of winding steps to a regular, extra large Mac store you would see in any other location.

We took a small walk through Central Park & on our way to the main event of our day, we stopped and had gyros from a street vendor.

As 1:30 approached, we headed to the Lunt Fontaine Theatre to catch the musical The Addams Family with Bebe Neuwirth as the family matriarch Morticia Addams.  Our seats were perfect – first row mezzanine.  The show opened with the classic theme by Vic Mizzy with the audience clapping in place of the finger snapping.  The sets and cast were amazing.  Having been a fan of the original TV show of the 1960s and then discovering Charles Addams Macabe cartoons, the visuals of the show did not disappoint.  The story is about Wednesday Addams (as the poem goes, Wednesday’s child is full of woe) falls for a “normal guy” and wants just one normal night with him and his family.  Of course having a family as off kilter as the Addams, trying to be normals is a tall order.  The show was a great imagining of some of Charles Addams best and most famous cartoons and the production and music was fantastic.

After the show it was back to the Port Authority to catch the bus home.

A trip to New York City was a great way to spend my 40th birthday and I highly recommend if you have the opportunity to take a trip and catch a show.  And don’t for get to stop by FAO Schwarz and take a slide down the keys of the giant keyboard a la Tom Hanks in Big.

4/5 Fester Heads

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