Two Snaps Up!

Thursday was supposed to be a rainy day in New York. When I went out for another run in the morning, I expected to see grey skies and rain. I was very (pleasantly) surprised when I saw blue skies and sun instead. Had a wonderful run in Central Park, even passed a couple of people. I always like that :).

Because of the nice weather I thought that, after shower and breakfast, it would be a good idea to do a guided biking tour through Central Park. I was the only one who signed up for that particular biking tour. So a private tour for me, yay! Helmets were mandatory, I must have looked pretty funny with a helmet on ;). I had a very nice tour guide, who gave me a lot of interesting information and plenty of photo opportunities. I finally saw Belvedere Castle, which offers you a beautiful view of downtown Manhattan. I always thought this would be a big castle, but it is actually quite small (a very cute building indeed).

I ended up biking for almost 10 km, yes, Central Park is that large! It was not an easy bike ride, a bit of a challenge. There are two big hills in the Park (and many smaller ones). But I managed quite well. All the running finally pays off ;). I can now honestly say that I have seen most of Central Park! Love the big piece of green and quiet in the middle of this big, hectic city. I fully recommend a guided biking tour through Central Park. It is not cheap, but you will the Park in a relatively limited amount of time (exploring almost the entire Park by foot would probably be a little too much). Besides, you are guided by an experienced guide, who can effortlessly lead you to Central Park’s biggest attractions. By myself, I would probably get lost in this gigantic Park :P.

After the biking tour, the weather was still holding up. I thought: probably a good time to walk to the Rockefeller Center and take the elevator to its Observation Deck. When I saw the high fees at the entrance though, I decided not to go to the so-called Top of the Rock. I walked a little further and entered St. Patrick’s Cathedral instead. It is a truly beautiful Cathedral. A mass was going on. I stayed for a while and listened intently. Very annoyed by the people who took pictures using a flashlight. Very considerate towards the people who were in the Cathedral to actually attend the mass, NOT!

I walked back to Times Square and checked out the lines at the TKTS Booths again. Had decided to see another Broadway musical that night. But the lines were (unsurprisingly) ridiculously long, so onto South Street Seaport once more. I first wanted to see a bit of the Flatiron District, and especially the Flatiron Building. Funny thing, during all my previous visits to NYC, I never went to see this fascinating structure. And fascinating it is. Since I had done quite a bit of walking (I walked from Central Park to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to Times Square to Flatiron Building), I took the subway to South Street Seaport. When I came out of the metro, it had started raining. It was not that bad though, I did not even have to use my umbrella.

When I got to the TKTS Booth, there was only one person in front of me! Now I just had to decide which musical I wanted to see. Difficult. So many good shows in town. Finally picked The Addams Family, mainly because of the involvement of Nathan Lane! Nathan Lane was one of the original cast members of The Producers (my fav musical probably along with La Cage). Never got to see him in The Producers. Now I would finally have the chance to see the live Nathan Lane! Had no clue if I would actually like The Addams Family though. Would it be my kind of musical I wondered??

I had something to drink (Lemonade, my favorite American drink) and made my way back to Whole Foods (by metro, my feet deserved some rest) for dinner. I picked some New England Clam Chowder, Salad and Fruit for dinner. Delicious, especially liked the Clam Chowder!! At the hostel, I put on my less casual clothes and quickly checked into my flight (I would already be leaving New York the next day ).

It was still raining when I left the hostel, so back into the metro. From the metro station it was still quite a walk to the theater. The amount of rain had increased, so I was happy when I got to the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, the large theater where The Addams Family would be performed.

I got myself a magnet of The Addams Family (my fridge now has magnets of four Broadway shows: next to The Addams Family and La Cage aux Folles also Cyrano and Curtains). I just hoped that I would like the musical. Short summary of the show, again from the Broadway.com site:
“That lovable family of creepy kooks is alive and well and living in their super-spooky mansion in Central Park. The Addams family, led by the elegantly gaunt and seemingly undead Morticia and her ever-devoted husband Gomez, is in turmoil. Their daughter Wednesday, now 18, finds herself falling in love—a sensation that is unsettling for both her and her family of endearing misfits. When the teen invites her new boyfriend, Lucas Beineke, over with his “normal” family to get better acquainted with the Addams household, comic chaos (including everything from an amorous giant squid to mixed-up potions to a scorching tango) ensues.”

Turned out that The Addams Family WAS my kind of musical! It is so creepy and macabre, but yet so very hilarious :D. The humor is, let’s just say, very very dark: “For my birthday you gave me anthrax, oh, I was so excited.” Ok, that was actually one of the “milder” jokes ;). Songs were good, liked most of them, “When You’re an Addams” probably being my favorite. And I still have trouble getting The Addams Family theme out of my head. Darn, why can’t I just snap my fingers!!

To the top performers:
- Nathan Lane: Gomez Addams. A riot, great comedian. Dangerously charming as Gomez. Loved it! Surprised how strong his voice actually was. Has the tendency of sneaking out after a performance though, almost never meets his fans. Booh! All the other stars came out of the Stage Door to sign autographs.
- Bebe Neuwirth: Morticia Addams. Also “Lilith” in Frasier/Cheers, thought her name sounded familiar! She was priceless and deadly (a real Addams so to say :D), good singer and dancer. Wonderful chemistry between her and Nathan Lane. Oh and their Tango De Amor (Gomez’ and Morticia’s famous dance) was lovely.
- Krysta Rodriquez: Wednesday Addams. Young lady, blessed with a very nice voice, a talent.
- Jim Borstelmann: understudy for the role of Fester Addams. He did great, had big shoes to fill understudying for a Tony Award nominee. I don’t think an understudy usually gets such a big applause!
- Zachary Jones: Lurch (not alive, not dead, but undecided). Wow, the sounds he makes (Lurch doesn’t really talk/sing until the very end), impossible!
- Terrence Mann: Mal Beineke. I don’t really understand why they gave him only one itty-bitty song to sing. This guy has a beautiful voice! Such a shame!
- Harvey Fierstein: did not perform in this musical. But I did see him at the Stage Door. One of creators of La Cage aux Folles, bless him. That is why I thought he was worth mentioning ;).

Another great musical in the pocket! Hurray!

The weather had improved after I left the theater. Walked around Times Square a bit. Love this area after a Broadway show(remember it is usually 11 pm by then). It is still so full of live! Ok, I have to admit that I ALWAYS love the Times Square area! Day and night.

Back at the hostel I realized that I
had just one more day left in the Big Apple :(.