I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Hi.  

I lied.  

I didn’t post in NYC.  I brought my computer.  But I didn’t take it out of the bag once.  

I was having too much fun, and was exhausted when I got home every night.  

However, the fog seems to have lifted.  

It was gone by the time we crossed into Manhattan last Monday.  

Last week was a whirlwind. 

11 shows in 7 days.  

Lots of great meals.  

One fucking amazing meal. 

Lots of great walks.  I’m very grateful for my new knee.  

One of the best afternoons I had was sitting in Central Park, people watching.  And by people watching, I mean watching shirtless boys jog by.    

It really was a great week. 

As for the shows.

They all had merit, and in case you haven’t noticed in the 15 years I’ve been posting about theater, I rarely ever tell you a show is bad.  Too many people, work too hard, for me to post publicly that it’s not worth seeing. 

That being said.

Hell’s Kitchen.  Wonderful.  Those actors sang their asses off, and the voices.  Amazing.  We saw it the day the Tony’s were announced so there was a special energy in the room.  I actually made Adam wait by the stage door with me, which I never, ever do.  But then it rained before the leads made their way out.  

The Notebook.  Oh, my goodness. I had never seen the movie, or read the book.  Had no idea what it was about.  I boo hooed through the whole show.  Although.  Not as loudly as the girl sitting next to us.  You’d have thought her mother had just died.  

Mother Play.  Disturbing.  Deep.  So well-acted.  But hard to watch as a gay man.  

Suffs was fun.  And I love that it will have a long, long, long life after NYC in regional theaters, colleges and universities, and it’s only a matter of time till a high school produces it.  

The rest were all fun and I’m glad I saw them.  But these moved me the most.  

It did feel good to pull into the driveway last night though.  

We were glad to be home. 

It was weird driving each way.  When we left yesterday, NYC was in full spring mode.  It was green from the rain on Sunday.  Trees had leaves.  There were annuals in pots on the streets.  

As we drove north, things became less green, until we got to Maine, where the trees have buds on them, but most do NOT have leaves yet.  

We also saw a few famousish people.  

J. Harrison Ghee saw Hell’s Kitchen a few seats down from us. 

Judy Davis sat behind us at lunch.   

LaChanze.  

Micheal Grief.  

Ronnie Larson.  

Patti Lupone was in line with us when we saw Oh Mary.  She sat in the orchestra, we were in the balcony.  

And we saw Rollerena, a NYC personality if there ever was one.  

When you are a New Yorker you don’t bother famous people, and you definitely don’t ask for an autograph or take a photo.  So.  I have no proof of these encounters.  

We also used my friend David’s theory on parking tickets while in the city.  We chose NOT to move our car for alternate side of the street parking.  The first time we did NOT get a ticket.  The second time we did.  It was worth the price of the ticket to not have to pay to park, and to not have to get up and move the car.  

All in all it was a great trip.  

But.  

It feels good to be home. 

I feel better than I did before I left.  

And.  

That’s what I’m most grateful for.