Four Days in New York City (June/2022)
I went up to New York City for four days and had a blast.
This trip was planned way in advance, as I had to be in the city for the theatre I work at. It was our thirtieth birthday party, so that was something I definitely could not miss! I booked all my theatre tickets in advance, as I’ve been on a musical theatre kick lately, and bought Hamlet ticket last minute. I also made plans with friends I haven’t seen in awhile, so it was a mini reunion a bit.
Despite all the plans in the world, there are some things you can never predict. I have taken the Megabus for years now, but had a horrific incident while going up to the city this time. I sat next to a man—as there weren’t many seats left by the time the bus stopped in Baltimore—who attacked me multiple times and tried to steal my phone charger and wallet.
I thought the first time he hit me in the face I thought it was an accident, but when I saw him going through my tote bag I knew something was up. He then hit me another two times in the face then sprayed chemicals in my eyes, and the bus driver said I was accusing him of stealing my wallet and holding the bus up (yet, somehow, my wallet found its way from the bottom of my bag to underneath his bag?).
I ended up cancelling my MoMA ticket because of that and sat in the theatre from shock. My boss yelled at the cops and driver though, and bought me Jollibee for dinner. I didn’t let this ruin my trip, however, and I had a great time overall. I did almost have my tote bag stolen at a subway platform later in the trip too, but thankfully I got that back.
I saw three Broadway shows in two days, and one Off-Broadway show.
Company
I saw this the night I was assaulted and had actually bought the ticket way before they announced they were closing or won the Tony Award for best revival. This is now my second favorite show I’ve ever seen, but I think if they hadn’t gender-bent it and kept Bobbie as a man, I would not have enjoyed it as much. I wrote a review Company here.
The Phantom of the Opera
I will admit, I kind of wish I bought tickets to A Strange Loop instead of Phantom, but this buyer’s remorse kicked in almost two days after I bought the tickets. I became obsessed with the soundtrack for A Strange Loop after a couple of days of listening to it already, and now I’m full of regret. Though I don’t regret seeing Phantom, I just wish I saw A Strange Loop before it closes on Broadway. I only really saw this show because they had a Thursday matinee, but I absolutely hated the audience and the show felt very outdated. More on it here.
Dear Evan Hansen
I bought this ticket because I had heard the rumor the show was going to close and saw the sales metrics, plus I knew when a show has cheap tickets, that almost always means that it’s not doing well. I got a seat for $50, called it a day, and then they announced they were closing a week later. DEH is a bit problematic when it comes to its subject and its main character, but I did genuinely enjoy the music. More on Dear Evan Hansen in this blog post.
Hamlet
This was a last-minute purchase because I saw it on TodayTix for no fee and only $50. I didn’t realize these were their rush tickets, but when I saw it was a solid four hours and had Alex Lawther in it, I shrugged and said why not. I have seen Shakespeare many times on the stage, especially versions that have tried to adapt it for contemporary audiences, and I really liked what this version does. I also like the fact Lawther looks fairly young, which adds a covert layer about youth mental illness. More on Hamlet here.
Girls’ Brunch + Old Friends
I met with my dearest New York friend Salam the Thursday morning before my Dear Evan Hansen and Phantom double feature. We ate brunch at Flippers, where we ordered the strawberry pancake and avocado toast. The Japanese pancakes were delicious, but expensive for what you get (two pancakes that are a bit smaller).
We were full though, then attempted to head over to Lafayette in order to get the chocolate croissants that have been trending all over TikTok. Unfortunately, we arrived just as they sold their very last croissant for the day. Dejected, we wandered around Washington Square Park and NYU in search of a coffee shop, then headed over to The Strand to browse the books for a bit.
The next morning, I met with an old friend from my NSLI-Y Korean program. We last saw each other randomly at a SIK-K and PH-1 concert, but because he is interning in NYC, we got lunch at Farida, my favorite Uzbek joint near work. They were out of the usual orders I go for, so we ordered a Kazakh tea, the Kazakh national dish, and the chicken plov. The chicken plov is good, so is the Kazakh tea. I was not into the other dish as much.
New Perspectives Theatre Company
The real reason I came up was to work at NPTC for our birthday party, which went smoothly. Lots of people showed up for our intimate party, and I ate a lot of prosciutto and kettle chips from Costco. I also made some new connections, which is always lovely to have especially because I do not live in New York City. It’s all nice to stay in NPTC because it reminds me of why I love theatre, which my interest is renewed during this trip.
In-between shows and when I had nowhere to go, I just wandered Times Square for two hours in a big circle. I stared at all the big theatre signs and thought about my future, about how I wanted to create something that impacts a lot of people. In order to burn some time I wrote in a coffee shop until it closed, then a pizza joint that had $3 greasy slices.
Company really touched me, and when my boss recommended buying a TDF membership, I saw the price and went for it immediately. My next trip in August will be stacked! I feel really inspired about creating new work, especially for my next visit, and hopefully, I won’t get beat up by a random stranger next time.
