Shows I've Been Seeing: Avenue Q, If/Then and Phantom of the Opera

Last Monday (over a week ago, ahhh sorry I'm so bad about updating!) I decided that it was about time I saw another show! SO after class I marched over to New World Stages and snagged the very last $27 rush ticket for Avenue Q. (I originally planned to see Heathers but I decided to watch the movie first.) When I got to my (front row, dead center) seat, I turned around and saw one of my friends from school! We had talked about going to Avenue Q together since she is also at a program in NYC, but I got a new phone and had no way to contact her...and we ended up sitting in the front two rows of the same random Monday night performance! It was great to see a non-theatre Vermont person! The show was also hilarious. I can't decide whether it is better to go to shows you know every word of or know absolutely nothing about. In the case of Avenue Q, it is probably best to know what is coming. I'm thinking of a little song called The Internet Is For Porn.
The second show I saw was If/Then. I didn't win the lottery but they had $40 tickets available in the orchestra (Wednesday nights are very slow) so I went for it! I had my gross yoga pants and tank top uniform on and no time to go home and change, so I literally bought a $20 dress at forever21 and some face wipes. I had wanted to see Idina Menzel live since about 6th grade, and I'm so glad I finally did! The show's concept was also really cool--it's something I think about a LOT. And LaChanze was fierce. Anthony Rapp wasn't there, but I'm still glad I went. Maybe I can go again when he gets back! I got Idina Menzel's autograph (the video is proof!). She was very good about signing all the Playbills. People went CRAZY.

On Saturday, I went to see Phantom of the Opera with my best friend who was visiting. We showed up at the last minute and got $90 6th-row tickets!  I have seen it on Broadway once before but the movie was the first thing we bonded over so it's kind of a big sentimental thing. Plus, Norm Lewis (nuff said). My uncle has been playing in the pit since the show opened over 25 years ago so he gave us a backstage tour and took us out to dinner. (Shoutout to Uncle Pete!) We kinda met Norm Lewis, the current Phantom for those of you who don't spend your Saturdays on Playbill.com, which was really cool. Like, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY COOL. And then when we were walking back to meet him at the theater before dinner, we walked by Audra McDonald! It was so weird because Porgy & Bess, hahahaha. I have been expecting to walk past Broadway stars or whatever and this, the day we met Norm Lewis, just happened to be the first time! (The first time this summer, that is. When I came down to audition I walked by Andrew Keenan-Bolger in Times Square and nearly had a heart attack.)
So yeah, those are the shows I saw last week! I just saw Pump Boys & Dinettes last night so stay tuned for a post on that one :)

The Takeout Alphabet: M is for Mexican

On Monday I had time to kill before Avenue Q, so I went to a Mexican restaurant on 9th Ave and 50th Street. I forget the name, but if you went there you could easily find it. It was the first time this trip that I ate at a restaurant by myself, so that was cool. I ordered the happy hour nachos and because they were $4, I figured they were an appetizer. Not so much. They were so huge that I was full after I ate them and had to take the entire burrito I ordered home! Everything was delicious though. And cheap, considering the restaurant was pretty nice. I would definitely go there again. Actually, I probably will!

The Takeout Alphabet: T is for Thai

I think I mentioned that I went to a Thai place on the Upper East Side. Well, that was over a week ago and I am FINALLY posting about it! I ordered tofu pad Thai, which was vegetarian, delicious, and inexpensive. It also came with a lime wedge, so brownie points for that awesomeness. Plus, the restaurant's name was a pun: "Enthaice." I ate the rest for lunch the next day. I could live on pad thai. But that would probably be unwise. Maybe once a week?

Catching Up!

Wow, it has kinda been forever! I have been busy this week, because I finally started seeing shows! More on that later.
Circle is going well! No blood so far, but plenty of sweat & tears. That is a good thing in MT land. :) We have been doing a lot of emotion and sense memory exercises. The schedule still changes all the time, so there is lots to make up.
My best friend has been in town these past few days, and it is great to have someone to explore with! I introduced her to New York bagels, babka, Central Park, Lincoln Center (where these pictures were taken), and Fairway. I made her walk a LOT! We both have extreme blisters.
I have been eating a ton of food since Sophie arrived so there are a bunch of takeout alphabet posts coming! Plus I will write about shows I have seen. And Broadway star sightings. And whatever else I feel like! Stay tuned!
I hope all is well in non-NYC. My cat got skunked AGAIN so I am a bit glad that I am not home...although watching the tomato juice bath would have been highly entertaining. Poor stinky kitty! Feel free to comment, or call/text/Facebook/e-mail/snapchat me. Yay technology that I have been mostly ignoring!

Happy (Late) Birthday, America: July 4th Weekend

Last weekend, I and most of the people in my group at Circle went away for the weekend. On Thursday, we also had Scene Study, where we mostly talked about our assignment and did a few exercises, and Singing Technique, where each person sang a song to show the teacher our voice. I sang this big, belty, obscure song which I have been wanting to do for ages and I'm so glad I finally sang it! Then she wanted something legit so I sang "Hold My Hand" by Jeff Blumenkrantz. We also had tap.

I got on the 6:00 bus to Albany, where my dad picked me up. It was on his way home from this big chamber music camp thing he does in the Berkshires. It's called "Heaven." The bus was over an hour and a half late, so we stayed in Bennington with my aunts. 

The next day, I was supposed to work at 10:00 so we had to book it home! In my town, there is a big 4th of July celebration with a parade and fireworks. After the parade, we sell $1 slices of pizza. Almost every single Hinesburg resident drops by and it's crazy! It was fun to work and I know I will appreciate the extra cash. After my shift, I went to see my sister's show, which was super cute. Then we watched the fireworks!

I worked again on Saturday but I also got to see some family and my best friend, who is going to be in NYC this weekend. Then on Sunday I grabbed the stuff I forgot (there was A LOT) and took the Megabus back here. It was 3 hours late, which was a huge pain. I got back at 11 instead of 8. Plus I am an idiot and left my charger at home. 

Well, I am glad to be back in New York! I loved seeing my family (read: the cats) (just kidding Mom and Dad, I love you too) and friends, but I am pumped for the next 6 weeks! Annabelle was here over the weekend, and she left the bunny, Cinnabun, here for me to take care of. She is the softest thing ever (Cinnabun, not Annabelle. Haha).

My Traumatic Subway Incident and Other Things That Happened Today

Since the Acting Technique class today was rescheduled, I didn't have to be at Circle until 11. Today was a matinee day, so it was a little different. We weren't allowed to go through the theater entrance during the break and couldn't leave our stuff around. We had our first class with Alan today though! He took us on a tour of the room and then gave us the list of scene options. I don't have to work on mine in class until Wednesday but some people have to go tomorrow, which is crazy. After Scene Study, we had our first Voice (like speaking voice) class. We actually didn't use our voices that much, and it was more physical than I was expecting (I was wearing overall shorts which may not have been the best choice). Then there was Speech, where we did a lot of anatomy stuff. It's really fascinating how everything works! The last class of the day was Classical Text, which we will normally have on Fridays (this was a make-up for the one we're missing on the 4th of July). Oh my God, this class knocked my socks off! The teacher is incredible. She's totally hardcore but she knows exactly how to get what she wants out of you. I didn't expect the class to be about acting so much as the text, so I was pleasantly surprised. Since we only have 7 classes, we are just doing Shakespeare. I am obsessed and I wish we had this class every day!
After my awesome last class, I just wanted to talk to people about stuff. But it was raining insanely hard so everyone was kind of just standing there to see if it would let up. I finally ran through a 3-inch-deep puddle to the 1 train...but as I was standing on the platform, I noticed other people from my program on the other side. I was like, "why are they headed downtown?" Then I realized it was me that was headed the wrong direction! So I quickly walked back up through the insane puddle and across the street...and my card wouldn't swipe. The screen thing said, "just used." I had no idea how long it would be before that thing went away and I was NOT about to stay in rainy midtown in my poor wet shoes. I tried to go to the customer service person, but there was a long line. SO I went over to the kiosk and paid $2.75 for a single ride. As I was fishing out the quarters, the intercom voice said, "1 train to 242 St. approaching. Please clear the platform." I miraculously got my single ride, swiped it and ran onto the train--actually, the same one as the CITS people I had seen when I was on the wrong side, haha! WHEW. I was kind of nervous all the way home because as it turns out, this is a tropical storm and there is a flash flood warning. The thunder is crazy loud! If I was at home, nobody would have power for miles.

The Takeout Alphabet: P for Pizza!

I know i said these posts would mostly be countries but pizza is practically a country, right? After the first day of classes, I went home and ordered pizza from V&T's, which Mom recommended. It was good but really messy! I actually wasn't crazy about the sauce to cheese ratio. It was a little much cheese for me. (I work at a pizza restaurant back home and consider myself a connoisseur. Go to Good Times Cafe everybody!) Ah well. I still had pizza delivered! This is a big deal because one does not simply deliver a pizza in Hinesburg, VT. I think GTC used to deliver but when everything is so spread out it's really difficult.