I am back from my first trip to New York City and my Carnegie Hall debut! I had a blast checking these (and other items) off of my bucket list. I am blessed that I was able to share this experience with my love, Chris, and among friends, existing and new. I hope you are cozy because this is a long post! :)
March 26th, 2015 - Day One: Arrival, The Rockettes
Chris and I had a relatively early morning to get to Billy Bishop International Airport for our 11:45am flight. We were anxious and excited for our first trip to NYC and our first time flying with Porter. Our flight experience was fantastic! We arrived early enough to be bumped to an earlier flight, and we enjoyed the perks offered by Porter (complimentary coffee and snacks) while waiting for boarding. We both indulged in a complimentary beverage (beer for Chris, wine for me) on board!
Upon arrival at Newark International Airport, Chris was taken aside for additional questioning because his name is, apparently, a common one. I waited patiently, soaking in the excited atmosphere of the airport, and people watched. Once we had our checked bag, we embarked on using the transit system to get to our hotel. We both had a vague idea of how to get there, but their system is so intricate that we wanted to be sure we were going the right way. We nearly got lost a couple of times, but the people from whom we asked for directions were very friendly and helpful!
I had a New York moment when we exited Penn Station. We were among the crowds, we could see Times Square in the distance, and were walking along Broadway. The excitement in me intensified and I nearly cried. As much as we tried to navigate around Times Square to get to our hotel, it was difficult and confusing because The Manhattan (our hotel) is on 7th Avenue, which intersects Broadway, confuddling the street numbers. After asking a gentleman on the street for directions, we discovered we were walking the right way! With luggage in tow, we managed to walk with the crowds of Times Square to our hotel.
After check-in, we unpacked and enjoyed our room for a couple of minutes. We then made our way to the Park Central hotel (most of the members of newchoir were staying here) so I could obtain my performer pass! By this point, Chris and I were famished. We needed to eat and it needed to be something quick. We walked across the street to Ray's Pizza and had our first (and sadly, only) New York slice! Delicious!
After satisfying our hunger, we made our way back to our room to get ready for our first New York show. It was off to Radio City Music Hall for the New York Spring Spectacular starring the Rockettes! While waiting in line, we were offered branded bags and sunglasses by ladies dressed in costumes similar to those used in the production, and each guest was given a wristband that would be used in the show. Radio City Music Hall is a beautiful venue, evoking the era of the 1920s. I was not prepared for its magnificence and beauty.
I loved every minute of New York Spring Spectacular. The opening number with the Rockettes, choreographed by Mia Michaels, affected me so greatly that I welled up with tears. One of the first movements is simply the Rockettes walking downstage. However, seeing 40+ esteemed dancers move confidently in perfect formation(s), and in unison, toward you is quite powerful. As this show is an ode to the city, there are moments of campiness and cheesiness, but it works within the context of the performance, appealing to the broad age range of the audience. I was so excited when the Rockettes were getting in line for their kickline, and ecstatic to witness them execute it so flawlessly!
I give a huge round of applause to the entire cast and crew of this production. I appreciate both sides of producing a show of this size and calibre. The transitions were seamless, and the performances were outstanding, making this 2 hour show (no intermission) fly by. I definitely did not want this performance to come to a close. Without having experienced a lot of New York yet, I had started to fall in love with the city from this experience alone. It was a fantastic way to cap off my first day.
March 27th, 2015 - Day Two: First rehearsal, Times Square, Cabaret
Rise and shine! It was an early day for me to get to the first rehearsal! Chris walked with me to the rehearsal venue, which was just west of Central Park. I felt very anxious and nervous. I didn't know what to expect from this rehearsal. Aside from his work on Pitch Perfect and The Sing-Off, I knew very little of Deke Sharon.
Whatever expectations I did have were beyond surpassed! If ever you are in need of meeting an inspired, spirited individual, find Deke Sharon. He is infectiously passionate about spreading the love of music and song. All he wants is for people to sing! That's all. Just sing. He's charismatic and humble, and his joy for the art set an uplifting tone for the day, and for the whole experience.
This was the first time that Deke Sharon would be hearing us (The Blenders, Serotonin, and newchoir) sing these arrangements. He worked with us effortlessly and efficiently to fine tune and finesse each song. And, with the extra time we had at the end of rehearsal, he taught us some vocal percussion! It was very cool.
After rehearsal, I met up with Chris. While I was singing, he was walking through Central Park. We decided to get lunch around the corner from our hotel at Ellen's Stardust Diner: Home of the Singing Waitstaff. This 1950s diner has a very interesting atmosphere. I would describe it as dinner theatre meets karaoke. I only say karaoke because the waitstaff are singing to recorded tracks, not live accompaniment. There is no doubt that these people can sing. Their dream is to make it in the performing arts industry, and I commend them for choosing a place where they can practice their craft on a regular basis. I was certainly entertained by their talents as I dined. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of One Day More from Les Miserables.
Our post-lunch activity was walking through Times Square. It is insanely busy! I'm not one for crowds, so it's not really my thing. The energy through the square, however, is electrifying. A friend of mine requested that we visit the M&M store, where I made Blue blush!
Chris and I made our way back to the hotel to relax before getting ready for Cabaret! I had been planning on seeing this particular production for months, the main reason being that Alan Cumming was reprising his role as Emcee, but also because I'd been in two productions of it and had yet to truly see it in its entirety. I don't remember much about Studio 54 except that the carpets are leopard print, and the seats on the balcony are so cramped that they should be giving tall people, like Chris, kneepads.
The lights dimmed, and the anticipation of Alan Cumming's entrance as Emcee was enough to give me goosebumps. OH. MY. GOD. Alan Cumming was everything you would expect and more. He is a brilliant performer. I had fairly high expectations anticipating a great performance from him, and he surpassed them. It was such a joy to watch him revel in every second of stage time. Sienna Miller really impressed and surprised me with her performance as Sally Bowles! Linda Emond and Danny Burstein were delightful as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, respectively.
The seamless transitions, the impeccable timing of lighting, set & sound cues and entrances & exits, combined with the phenomenal performances of all cast members made for an incredibly moving piece of theatre. This was an outstanding production, and I am so lucky that I was able to get tickets before it closed.
I was scheduled for rehearsal for most of the day so Chris and I made use of the little time we had together. We had breakfast at Lindy's and went for a snowy stroll through Central Park. I can only imagine how beautiful and lush the park is when the trees are full of leaves, especially the cherry blossoms!
The day's rehearsals were as fantastic, if not more, than yesterday's! We continued to finesse each song, and started to rehearse with the guest artists: Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Chesney Snow and Sean Altman. The reality of performing on the Carnegie stage was beginning to sink in.
Today was also the day we got to rehearse the group solo songs. The Blenders' barbershop rendition of Plain White T's "Rhythm of Love" was heavenly. I am already a fan of all things oldies, so it was a given that I would enjoy any song performed in the barbershop quartet style. Their performance was fantastic! I had goosebumps. Deke Sharon helped us (newchoir) fine tune the flow of our song, John Mayer's "Waiting On the World to Change". There are a lot of words to sing, but he helped us keep the articulation without making it too disjointed and staccato.
I left the day's rehearsal with a little buzz of excitement as it was the night before show day! Did I mention that it was sold out? It was an energizing feeling/thought to part with. As much as I would have liked to take in some of NYC's nightlife, I went straight to bed to fight off as much of the cold I had caught, and to get as much rest as possible to be performance ready.
March 29th, 2015 - Day Four: Carnegie Hall, Shake Shack
Much of this day is a blur. Did I have breakfast? I think it was applesauce, but I can't even remember.
I do remember that we were called for sound check for 10 am. I wish I could show you a stage view of the hall, but I can't because I didn't take any photos (union house has rules). I can tell you that it is stunning, slightly overwhelming, and a little intimidating. It is a HUGE space. Our soundcheck went smoothly, setting the perfect mix of excitement and nervousness prior to showtime!
Chris was kind enough to buy lunch for him and me to eat in the hotel room. It was nice being able to get ready at my own pace within the time that I had. We had sandwiches that he'd got from a local deli, though I don't remember the name. The show was at 2pm, but since newchoir was part of act 2 we weren't called to the venue until 2:15pm. It was very strange to be getting ready for a performance and arriving after it had already started.
Walking onto the Carnegie stage to a full house of cheering audience members was unbelievable! As much as I tried to breathe and soak it all in, the performance went by in a flash. I remember walking on, looking out at the crowd, Deke Sharon entering, we started singing our set, and then I hear Deke Sharon say, "We have one more for you." and in my head I thought, "Already?!". I know they say time flies when you're having fun, but that was just too fast! We finished by singing The Lion Sleeps Tonight with the whole audience. It was magical.
The performance went by so quickly that it feels like a dream. The experience was fleeting and ephemeral. And it still hasn't sunk in that I sang and performed at Carnegie Hall!
For the evening, I filled myself with food and beverage. First, at The Manhattan Club at Rosie O'Grady's with all of the Act 2 choirs for the post-concert reception. This was delightful. I stepped out of my shy, reserved comfort zone and mingled and made new choir friends! As we're all performers, each choir took opportunities to perform a cappella songs for each other. The mood was fittingly celebratory and cheerful!
After the reception, Chris and I went to the Shake Shack! The place was packed! We were originally just going for dessert, but as we were standing in line, seeing and smelling the food was too much to pass up. As we'd both already eaten dinner, we shared a burger and cheese fries, and each had our own custard concretes. We barely found a place to eat our food, which was DELICIOUS!
March 30th, 2015 - Day Five: The Met, Top of the Rock, Carnegie Deli
Chris and I extended our stay in New York so that we could do some sightseeing together! This was his first time in New York, too, so it was special for us to experience some of the major items on our to do list together.
We made a pit stop first thing in the morning to Top of the Rock to get our tickets for later in the evening before heading to the Met. We stopped at a street cart for bagels and coffee to fuel us through the museum. I am just going to admit this right off the top: I am not one for museums because I get bored really easily. I definitely appreciate art and artifacts, but I can only handle so much of it at one time.
Chris and I spent 5 or 6 hours wandering the halls, filling ourselves with art and culture. I most enjoyed the works of Degas and Juan Gris. What can I say? Music and dance appeal to me! There were also pieces by Kolomon Moser, Gerrit Rietveld and Gino Serverini that caught my attention.
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| Dancer=Propeller=Sea - Gino Severini |
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| Violin and Playing Cards On a Table - Juan Gris |
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| Dancers in Blue - Edgar Degas |
Once Chris and I had had our fill of art, we got lunch: hot dogs! We ate them on the steps of the Met. Then, since we had some time before our scheduled time for Top of the Rock, we walked through Central Park, making sure to see the Alice in Wonderland sculpture and the John Lennon memorial.
I had a great time taking in the view of the city from the Top of the Rock! Taking a suggestion from a fellow newchoirista, Chris and I timed our entrance so that we could be there for sunset. It was GORGEOUS! It's a view that I would love to visit on days when I am writing songs. Chris and I both said that we would love to just stay there and enjoy the view all of the time!
Once we finally made our descent, it was off to dinner! We decided to go to Carnegie Deli because we kept seeing line ups out the door! We wanted to know what all the fuss was about. We shared a turkey club sandwich and fries. Before you judge us on sharing a sandwich, you need to see the size of it. The sandwich was a mile high! I didn't even know where to begin to try and tackle this monster. It's the first time that it was necessary to use a knife and fork on a sandwich that wasn't open faced. I was so full by the end, but as I said to Chris, "I will not be defeated by dessert!" and we got strawberry cheesecake. Despite the crust not tasting super fresh, this was one of the best cheesecakes I have ever eaten! It was so creamy and rich!
March 31st, 2015 - Day Six: Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 memorial, Eataly, Malatesta Trattoria, Empire State, Grand Central Station
Chris and I had a lot planned for the day! We started our day around 8:30am or 9am by making our way to the C train to get into Brooklyn. Once there, we walked a short way to a bagel cart for our Brooklyn breakfast to have while we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. It was a great day for the bridge because the sun was shining, and there were few clouds in the sky..jpg)
Once we were back in the city, we walked over to Battery Park for the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. The lines were long, and the time to get to the statue was longer than the time spent admiring her beauty. But, it was worth it. The statue is amazing! She's a magnificent work of art with a depth of symbolism that is truly moving. I could have spent hours looking at her, admiring her, and loving her. This was definitely a highlight of my trip.
We visited the 9/11 memorial which was heartbreaking. Having just visited the Statue of Liberty, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had to pause and reflect on all of my blessings, and I was filled with a sense of gratitude for the life that I have been given and all the opportunities in which I've had the privilege of participating.
After our time at the memorial, Chris and I continued our walk up to the New York University campus, eventually making our way to Eataly. We wandered the market for a little before settling on having a some desserts. They were delicious!
At this point in the day, it had started to rain, but Chris and I (stubbornly) continued to walk to all of our destinations. Next up was Malatesta Trattoria for dinner. It was a cute little Italian restaurant in the West Village. We got there at a great time because it started getting busy just after we'd ordered our meals. Chris and I shared a carafe of Pinot Grigio, I had cheese ravioli in a rose sauce, and Chris had spinach gnocchi in a cream sauce. Both were so delicious!
Despite exhaustion starting to kick in, we decided we would try to find our way over to Chinatown. In the dark. In the rain. We eventually gave up because the weather was not getting better, we were cold and getting grumpy. :( We both knew that we needed to start making our way back to the hotel, and we still wanted to stop by the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station, which we did. I like the constellations on the ceiling of the Grand Central. It was a very neat effect. I look forward to visiting both of these landmarks on a future visit!
April 1st, 2015 - Day 7: Central Park, Departure
Chris and I decided that the best way for us to spend our last morning in New York was with breakfast in Central Park. We walked to the park stopping only to get our bagels and coffee, and sat on a bench facing south. We people watched and talked about the highlights of the trip and what we were looking forward to doing on our next visit. On our way out of the park, we bought some honey roasted almonds! With our broken suitcase in tow (one of the wheels is falling off), we walked through Times Square to Penn Station, to catch the NJ train to Newark.
Bye bye NYC! See you soon!
Until next time,
Tif xo
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