Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Review: "Chicago" on Broadway (Ambassador Theater)

“Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, and treachery…all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts“…so begins the international award-winning Broadway and West End musical, CHICAGO.


What can be said about Chicago - one of the finest (and possibly my all-time favorite musical) - that hasn't already been said? With subtle, sarcastic lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, and intricate choreography by the great Bob Fosse, this musical engages all the elements of fine musical drama, comedy, satire, ballet, and burlesque.

I had the pleasure of seeing Chicago on four other occasions - twice at London's West End, once in San Francisco's Orpheum Theater, and two years ago on Broadway (in Ambassador Theater). However, I have to say that the Broadway version I saw on December 18, 2016, tops them all (though I never saw the original Broadway version starring Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart and Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly). Nevertheless, Chicago is a must-see musical, especially for Ebb & Kander aficionados. 

The roles of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart are extremely demanding. Performers playing these roles must be able to sing, dance, and act with fine precision. Luckily, both Amra-Faye Wright, as Velma Kelly, and Shiri Maimon, as Roxie Hart, have the right stuff to pull off these demanding roles.

Plot
Act I

In the mid-1920s in Chicago, Velma Kelly is a vaudevillian who murdered both her husband and her sister when she found them in bed together. She welcomes the audience to tonight's show ("All That Jazz"). Velma is eventually arrested for her crime. Meanwhile, we hear of chorus girl Roxie Hart's murder of her lover, nightclub regular Fred Casely.

Roxie convinces her husband, Amos, that the victim is a burglar, and Amos cheerfully takes the blame. Roxie expresses her appreciation of her husband's thick skull ("Funny Honey"). However, when the police mention the deceased's name, Amos belatedly puts two and two together. The truth comes out, and Roxie is arrested. She is sent to the women's block in Cook County Jail, inhabited by Velma and other murderesses ("Cell Block Tango"). The block is presided over by the corrupt Matron "Mama" Morton, whose system of mutual aid ("When You're Good to Mama") perfectly suits her clientele. She has helped Velma become the media's top murder-of-the-week and is acting as a booking agent for Velma's big return to vaudeville.

Velma is unhappy to see Roxie, who is stealing her limelight, and her lawyer, Billy Flynn. Roxie tries to convince Amos to pay for Billy Flynn to be her lawyer ("A Tap Dance"). Eagerly awaited by his all-girl clientele, Billy sings his anthem with a chorus of fan dancers ("All I Care About is Love"). Billy takes Roxie's case and re-arranges her story for consumption by sympathetic tabloid columnist Mary Sunshine ("A Little Bit of Good"). Roxie's press conference turns into a ventriloquist act, with Billy dictating a new version of the truth ("We Both Reached for the Gun") to the press while Roxie mouths the words.

Roxie becomes the new toast of Chicago, and she proclaims quite boastfully while planning for her future career in vaudeville ("Roxie"). As Roxie's fame grows, Velma's notoriety is left in the dust, and in an "act of pure desperation," she tries to talk Roxie into recreating the sister act ("I Can't Do It Alone"), but Roxie turns her down, only to find her own headlines replaced by the latest sordid crime of passion ("Chicago After Midnight"). Separately, Roxie and Velma realize there's no one they can count on but themselves ("My Own Best Friend"), and the ever-resourceful Roxie decides that being pregnant in prison would put her back on the front page.

Act II

Velma again welcomes the audience with the line "Hello, Suckers," another reference to Texas Guinan, who commonly greeted her patrons with the same phrase. She informs the audience of Roxie's continuous run of luck ("I Know a Girl") despite Roxie's obvious falsehoods ("Me and My Baby"). A little shy on the arithmetic, Amos proudly claims paternity, and nobody notices him ("Mr. Cellophane"). Velma tries to show Billy all the tricks she's got planned for her trial ("When Velma Takes The Stand"). With her ego growing, Roxie has a heated argument with Billy and fires him. She is brought back down to earth when she learns that a fellow inmate has been executed.

The trial date arrives, and Billy calms her, telling her if she makes a show of it, she'll be fine ("Razzle Dazzle"), but when he passes all Velma's ideas on to Roxie, she uses each one down to the rhinestone shoe buckles, to the dismay of Mama and Velma ("Class"). As promised, Billy gets Roxie her acquittal, but just as the verdict is announced, some even more sensational crime pulls the pack of press bloodhounds away, and Roxie's fleeting celebrity life is over. Billy leaves, done with the case. Amos stays with her, glad for his wife, but she then confesses that there isn't a baby, making her finally leave her. Left in the dust, Roxie pulls herself up and extols the joys of life ("Nowadays"). She teams up with Velma in a new act, in which they dance and perform ("Hot Honey Rag") until they are joined by the entire company ("Finale").



Cast
  • Velma Kelly - Amra-Faye Wright
  • Roxie Hart - Shiri Maimon
  • Fred Casely - Brian O'Brien
  • Sergeant Fogarty - Barrett Martin
  • Amos Hart - Evan Harrington
  • Liz - Naomi C. Walley
  • Annie - Rachel Schur
  • June - Donna Marie Asbury
  • Hunyak - Nili Bassman
  • Mona - Angel Reda
  • Matron "Mama" Morton - Raena White
  • Billy Flynn - John O'Hurley
  • Mary Sunshine - R. Lowe
  • Go-to-Hell Kitty - Jessica Ernest
  • Harry - Michael Scirrotto
  • Doctor - Jason Patrick Sands
  • Aaron - Denny Paschall
  • Bailiff - Drew Nellesen
  • The Judge - Jason Patrick Sands
  • Martin Harrison - Jermaine R. Rembert
  • Court Clerk - Barrett Martin
  • The Jury - Michael Scirrotto
Musical Numbers

Act I
  1. "All That Jazz" - Velma and Company 
  2. "Funny Honey" - Roxie 
  3. "Cell Block Tango" - Velma and the Girls 
  4. "When You're Good to Mama" - Matron "Mama" Morton 
  5. "Tap Dance" - Roxie, Amos, and the Boys 
  6. "All I Care About (is Love)" - Billy Flynn and the Girls 
  7. "A Little Bit of Good" - Mary Sunshine 
  8. "We Both Reached for the Gun" - Billie, Roxie, Mary Sunshine 
  9. "Roxie" - Roxie and the Boys 
  10. "I Can't Do it Alone" - Velma 
  11. "My Own Best Friend" - Roxie and Velma
Act II
  1. Entr'acte 
  2. "I Know a Girl" - Velma 
  3. "Me and My Baby" - Roxie and the Boys 
  4. "Mister Cellophane" - Amos Hart 
  5. "When Velma Takes the Stand" - Velma and the Boys 
  6. "Razzle Dazzle" - Billy and Company 
  7. "Class" - Velma and Matron "Mama" Morton 
  8. "Nowadays" - Roxie and Velma 
  9. "Hot Honey Rag" - Roxie and Velma 
  10. Finale - Company 


Monday, September 24, 2018

Review: Avenue Q Off Broadway (New World Stages)

Summary

A group of young puppets and humans living on Avenue Q try to work out their personal and financial problems.



Puppets
  • Princeton: "A fresh-faced kid just out of college."
  • Kate Monster: "A kindergarten teaching assistant, a bit older than Princeton."
  • Nicky: "A bit of a slacker who lives with Rod."
  • Rod: "A Republican investment banker with a secret."
  • Trekkie Monster: "A reclusive creature obsessed with the Internet."
  • Lucy: "A vixen-ish vamp with a dangerous edge."
  • The Bad Idea Bears: "two snuggly, cute teddy-bear types."
  • Mrs. Thistletwat: "Ancient, Kate's boss."
Humans
  • Brian: "A laid-back guy engaged to Christmas Eve."
  • Christmas Eve: "A therapist who moved here from Japan."
  • Gary Coleman: "Yes, that, Gary Coleman. He lives on the Avenue, too. He's the superintendent."



Plot

Act I


Princeton, a recent college graduate, is anxious to discover his purpose in life, but first, he must find an apartment and a job with no work experience and an English degree ("What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?"). Beginning his search on Avenue A, he finally finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q. His new neighbors are Kate Monster, a kindergarten assistant teacher; Rod, an anal-retentive Republican banker; Nicky, Rod's slacker roommate (a parody of Ernie from Sesame Street. who is green and has messy dark brown hair, an orange nose and wears a brown jacket that says "New York"); Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients; Trekkie Monster, a surly recluse who surfs the Internet all day in search of porn; and Gary Coleman, the building superintendent. Debates ensue over whose life sucks the most ("It Sucks to Be Me"), though they do conclude that Coleman's life sucks the most.

Nicky, who is straight, suspects that Rod is gay and assures Rod it is okay with him if he is, but Rod insists he is not ("If You Were Gay"). Princeton finds a lucky penny and longs to discover his purpose in life ("Purpose"). Kate dreams of starting a "Monstersori" school for young "people of fur." Princeton innocently asks Kate if she and Trekkie are related since they are both monsters, but Kate angrily pronounces his assumption as racist. Princeton, taken aback, counters that Kate's Monstersori School would discriminate against non-monsters. They and the neighbors agree that racism is an adult reality ("Everyone's a Little Bit Racist").

Princeton receives money from his parents, and the Bad Idea Bears, two charming troublemakers, convince him to spend it on beer. Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Thistletwat assigns Kate to teach the next morning's kindergarten class, her first solo teaching opportunity. She decides that her lesson will be about the Internet and all its educational attributes. Still, Trekkie Monster and the neighbors explain another reality of adulthood: Lots of adults—even "normal people"—use it to find pornography ("The Internet is for Porn").

Princeton gives Kate a mixtape. His song selections are puzzling, making her wonder what message he is trying to send, but eventually, she decides that he must like her ("Mixtape"). Sure enough, he invites her on a date to the Around the Clock Café. Brian, the café's MC, does his raunchy stand-up act ("I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today"). He then introduces Lucy the Slut, a skanky chanteuse who wows the guys, especially Princeton, with a seductive cabaret number ("Special"). The Bad Idea Bears suggest that Kate and Princeton order some "harmless" Long Island Iced Teas, and once Kate is totally inebriated, Princeton takes her home to bed.

Kate and Princeton have enthusiastic, high-decibel sex. Gary fields angry calls from other tenants but refuses to intercede ("You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want When You're Makin' Love"). Meanwhile, Rod hears Nicky say, "I love you, Rod," in his sleep and is jubilant—but eventually realizes he is dreaming. Kate and Princeton profess their mutual love, and Princeton gives Kate his lucky penny ("Fantasies Come True").

The following day, a hung-over Kate oversleeps and misses her teaching assignment. Mrs. Thistletwat berates her, and Kate angrily quits her job before she can be fired. Christmas Eve decides unilaterally that it is time she and Brian were married. At the wedding, Nicky blurts out his suspicion that Rod is gay. Rod, furious, insists he has a girlfriend named Alberta in Vancouver ("My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada") and tells Nicky he is no longer welcome in their apartment.

When Kate catches Christmas Eve's wedding bouquet, Princeton panics, confesses a fear of commitment, and asks Kate if they can just be friends. Kate retorts that she already has many friends and breaks off their relationship ("There's a Fine Line").

Act II


A despondent Princeton has been holed up in his apartment after breaking up with Kate but is coaxed out by the neighbors ("There is Life Outside Your Apartment"). Lucy is looking for a place to crash and seduce the rebounding Princeton. Kate is angry, but Christmas Eve explains that she would not be angry if she were not in love with him ("The More You Ruv Someone"). Kate writes a note to Princeton suggesting they rendezvous at the Empire State Building and leaves it with Lucy, who promptly destroys it. A homeless Nicky laments his fate to Gary, who confesses that he derives pleasure from Nicky's misfortune ("Schadenfreude").

On the Empire State Building's viewing platform, Kate, thinking that Princeton has stood her up, throws his lucky penny away. A hundred stories below, Lucy, walking by on Fifth Avenue, is knocked unconscious by the penny. Kate and Princeton unsuccessfully try to work out their problems over Lucy's comatose body. Despite clearly missing him, Rod is too proud to accept Nicky's repeated apologies and tearfully consults on Christmas Eve. Princeton, Kate, and Nicky dream of returning to happier times ("I Wish I Could Go Back to College").

Princeton gives a still-homeless panhandling Nicky a quarter and marvels at how fantastic he feels. Since thinking only about himself has gotten him nowhere, he decides to raise money to build Kate's Monstersori School. He solicits everyone, even breaking the fourth wall, to shake down the audience, but the results are disappointing ("The Money Song"). Then Trekkie Monster, recalling his own traumatic school experiences, donates ten million dollars—and explains to the astonished cast, "In a volatile market, only stable investment is porn!" ("School for Monsters/The Money Song (Reprise)").

Kate joyfully opens her new school. Brian lands a consulting job, and Christmas Eve finally has a paying client (Rod), so the newlyweds move to a better neighborhood. Rod finally comes out, to no one's particular surprise, and takes Nicky back in. Nicky finds Rod a boyfriend—Ricky, a muscle-bound hunk who otherwise looks and sounds exactly like Nicky. The Bad Idea Bears discover Scientology. Lucy, recovered from her head injury, becomes a born-again Christian and takes a vow of chastity. Kate and Princeton agree to give their relationship another go ("There's a Fine, Fine Line (Reprise)").

A new college graduate inquires about the vacancy in the building ("What Do You Do with a B.A. in English (Reprise)"), and Princeton has an epiphany: maybe his purpose is to put everything he learned into a Broadway musical. Everybody, especially the new guy, immediately ridicules him. The cast reminds Princeton that, in the real world, many people never find their purpose, but life goes on, and everything—both good and bad—is "only for now." ("For Now").

Musical Numbers

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Review: Waitress on Broadway (Brooks Atkinson Theater)

Summary

A pregnant waitress with an abusive husband tries to bake her way out of her problems while having an affair with her doctor.


Musical Numbers

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Review: My Fair Lady on Broadway (Vivian Beaumont Theater)

Plot

Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the stellar cast - led by Lauren Ambrose, Harry Hadden-Paton, Norbert Leo Butz, Diana Rigg, Allan Corduner, Jordan Donica, Linda Mugleston, and Clarke Thorell - tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a "proper lady." But who is really being transformed?





Cast
  • Professor Henry Higgins - Michael Halling (usually played by Harry Haden-Paton)
  • Frank, the Bartender - Michael X Martin (usually played by Michael Halling)



Musical Numbers
Act II
  1. "You Did It" – Colonel Pickering, Professor Higgins, Mrs. Pearce, and Servants
  2. "Just You Wait (Reprise)" – Eliza
  3. "On the Street Where You Live (Reprise)" – Freddy
  4. "Show Me" – Freddy, then Eliza
  5. "The Flower Market/Wouldn't It Be Loverly? (Reprise)" – Eliza and Male Quartet
  6. "Get Me to the Church on Time" – Alfred Doolittle and Ensemble
  7. "A Hymn to Him" – Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering
  8. "Without You" – Eliza and Professor Higgins
  9. "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" – Professor Higgins
  10. "I Could Have Danced All Night (Reprise) / Finale" – The Orchestra

Friday, September 21, 2018

Fall in New York City

For my 50th Birthday, Inna arranged a secret trip to New York City! She did not tell me about it, making it difficult to guess her intended destination.

We last visited New York during the Christmas break in 2016. We had a fantastic time (despite a couple of freezing spells).


We were scheduled to fly out of San Jose airport (SJC) on JetBlue Flight 670 at 10:06 p.m. (red-eye), arriving at New York City's JFK airport at 6:35 a.m. on Saturday, September 22.

On Friday, September 20, we expected to depart for San Jose Airport at around 8:30 p.m. However, we received JetBlue notification that the aircraft was delayed until 10:58 p.m. However, at about 7:30 p.m., we received another notification that it was now "undelayed" and the original departure time of 10:06 p.m. would be honored. We decided to use UberX for a short ride from our home to the airport (UberX cost was $27.61 from South San Jose to SJC airport).


We landed at New York's JFK airport on time at 6:20 a.m. We even got the best seats - row 2 by accident! Upon landing, we took UberX to our reserved Belleclaire Hotel, arriving there at 7:30. (Our UberX ride cost us $67.82 from JFK to Belleclaire Hotel) Since we arrived too early for check-in, we dropped off our bags and headed for breakfast at the nearby Maison Kayser French-style patisserie.


I ordered a Salmon Tartine with egg, and Inna selected the Croque Madame sandwich. We tried the unique Eclair Pistachio for dessert, which was quite delicious.


After breakfast, we headed for Central Park, stopping by the Alice of Wonderland Statue and watching the small remote-controlled sailboats race in the nearby pond. We explored other parts of Central Park - namely the Conservatory Garden - where we took photos of fluttering butterflies and beautiful flowers.


Finishing with Central Park, we stopped by our favorite Austrian restaurant - Cafe Sabarsky, where I ordered the "Käsekrainer mit Sauerkraut & Rösterdäpfel" or  Smoked Bratwurst stuffed with Cheddar Cheese, Riesling Sauerkraut, Roasted Potatoes & Mustard. The Bratwurst was really outstanding!


Inna chose the "Kartoffel – Rösti, Räucherlachs, Kräutersalat" or Potato Pancake, Smoked Salmon & Herb Salad. She really liked her potato pancakes. Unlike most American restaurants, the chefs at Cafe Sabarsky know how to make potatoes the delicious Austrian way!


We shared the "Himbeer - Joghurt - Mohntorte" or Raspberry, Yoghurt & Poppyseed Cake for dessert. The cake was delicious and reminded us of the cakes we tasted at Cafe Demel in Vienna, Austria.


After lunch, we decided to stop by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Inna discovered that today (September 21 was a free museum day), and admission was free (with online registration). There were many exhibits on color and textiles, but it didn't really impress or interest me. I was happy that I didn't have to pay the $36 admission fee (as I would have been severely disappointed).


We were tired and returned to our Belleclaire Hotel (we received that room #607 was ready). We picked up our bags, checked in, and rested a bit. This particular room in Belleclaire was on the 6th floor and very noisy. The air conditioner was extremely loud, and the room was tiny. It looked like a room from a 1-star hotel.

In addition to the street noise, the water pressure in the shower was relatively low. We eventually complained to the hotel staff and exchanged the room for one on the 1st floor (which was much quieter and had better water pressure). Although we really liked our Belleclaire Hotel's location on the Upper West Side (near Broadway and Central Park), the actual room was many grades below the one we rented during Christmas 2016 at Barclay Intercontinental.


For dinner (before seeing My Fair Lady on Broadway), we stopped by Sala Thai restaurant. It was a unique-looking restaurant, and we ordered some unique Thai dishes. We ordered two Thai Iced Teas for drinks, but they were too sweet. Our waitress advised us to try the "Gai Hor Bai Toey," or Chicken wrapped in leaves for the appetizer. It was tasty but not overly attractive. Inna selected the "Mango Salad with Prawns," while I chose the "Kad Hor Bai Bua" for my main course.


I really enjoyed the "Kad Hor Bai Bua" and the unique atmosphere of this restaurant.

After dinner, we walked 15 minutes to the Lincoln Center, where our My Fair Lady musical played in the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Since we arrived a bit early, we strolled around the area, marveling at the fact that we had never seen an opera at The Metropolitan Opera or listened to a symphony at the David Geffen Hall (two more to add to our bucket list)


We watched My Fair Lady on Broadway, which I wrote about in a separate blog post, returning to our hotel around 11:00 p.m.



Sunday, September 22, 2018

We stopped by our nearby Maison Kayser French-style patisserie in the morning for breakfast. Inna ordered a croissant with ham & cheese, while I selected a plain croissant with some jam. Even though it was Sunday, Maison Kayser was quite busy, and it was interesting to see all the families with children eating breakfast there.


We did not have definitive plans for places to visit. After breakfast, we decided to head to Chelsea and explore the well-rated Rubin Museum of Art. The Rubin Museum focuses on Nepal's Buddhist art.



We arrived there at about 11:15 (it opened at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday) and spent a few hours looking at various religious artifacts. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable museum.


One fascinating exhibit on the museum's ground floor was a wall of people's anxieties and hopes called "A Monument for the Anxious and the Hopeful." Inna and I spent time reading people's anxieties and hopes on cards hanging on the wall. There were many anxieties about everyday human problems. These included unhappiness with current life, health, personal relationships, financial, and career problems. There were several cards with hopeful writing about the world getting better. It was interesting to see a large mix of hopes and anxieties.


We stopped by for a hot tea and snack in the museum's well-decorated cafe when we finished the tour. From here, we headed to the Chelsea Market. Initially, we wanted to stop by for an authentic lunch at Westville Restaurant (but it was too crowded). The Chelsea Market was nearby, with many shops selling clothing, food, and other articles. It also had many informal restaurants, but it was extremely noisy. Inna shopped around at her favorite Anthropologie while I explored the rest of the market. There were many interesting stops, like a Cafe dedicated to Matcha. I did not like the atmosphere for eating, so we headed back to Westville for our lunch.


At Westville, I ordered a cold Gazpacho soup (with bits of Avocado) and a Greek Salad, while Inna chose an "Avocado Toast" combo. My soup was okay - not comparable to the delicious Gazpacho I ate in Cafe Demel in Vienna, Austria.


However, the Greek Salad was quite good, with generous portions of vegetables. Overall, I enjoyed the entrees in Westville, but they were not of extraordinary quality.


While eating there, we considered visiting some nearby Art galleries but realized that many were closed on Sunday. Instead, we explored The High Line Park, built on old railroad tracks overlooking the Hudson River.


Although it was slightly drizzling, we enjoyed the views of New York and the many interesting new buildings built in a contemporary style.


Finishing the long walk on the High Line, we headed to Broadway for our performance of The Waitress at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. Since we arrived a bit early, we decided to relax by enjoying coffee at the nearby St. Kilda Coffee shop. While I ordered a Mocha, Inna selected a delicious tea. We rested there briefly and then headed to the Brooks Atkinson Theater.


I detail the performance of The Waitress in a separate blog post. The waitress finished at around 9:30 p.m.; we were hungry and decided to stop by the Japanese Barbecue restaurant with a funny name - Gyu-Kaku.


The restaurant no longer accepted guests for regular tables, so we sat at the bar and ordered a few items. Since it was still happy hour, all of the drinks were half-price, and Inna and I ordered a Coco-Mo (Rum, Coco Lopez, Mint, Pineapple, Soda) and Geisha (Vodka, Malibu, Cranberry, Orange, Pineapple) cocktail. They turned out to be too sweet for our liking.


However, the Spicy Kalbi Ramen soup was quite delicious, and the Inna Sukiyaki Bibimbap rice bowl was filling. We enjoyed our food a lot and hope to be back again.


We ran into the Birdland Jazz Club but were a bit too tired to watch anything there. Next time. Since we wanted to see Times Square again, we stopped by there. It was as full as ever, with crowds of people roaming around.


Eventually, we decided to head to Grom Gelateria to try the latest gelato flavors. Grom gelateria was open until midnight, and we made it just in time. Inn and I tried many flavors, eventually settling on Nocciola (Hazelnut), Crema di Grom, and Pistacchio. Inna found the gelato too sweet, but I greatly liked it (and helped her a bit).



Monday, September 24, 2018

We stopped by our nearby Maison Kayser French-style patisserie in the morning for breakfast. Inna ordered a croissant with ham & cheese, while I selected a plain croissant with some jam. I also tried a "pain au raisin," which was delicious.


Since the weather application predicted partly cloudy weather in the morning, we decided it would be the best time to visit the top of the newly built World Trade Center. From our Belleclaire hotel, we rode the "1" subway to the World Trade Center, where we purchased tickets and rode the elevator to the top of One World Observatory.


I expected to see long lines in the morning, but I was relieved they were not extended. We enjoyed many magnificent views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, State Island, and New Jersey from the top.



After an hour in the observatory, we returned to the surface and ate lunch at Eataly (one of our favorite restaurants). When will Eataly open in San Francisco?


It was not very busy when we sat down at noon in Eataly's pizza/pasta restaurant section. I ordered a Margherita Verace pizza (Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella di Bufala from Campania, Fresh Basil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil From Sorrento). Inna selected the Mozzarella Bar dish.


It was small but delicious. After lunch, we stopped by for a sample of gelato. Inna and I shared the flavors of the pistachio and amarena (cherry) in a small cup.


After lunch, we decided to burn off our calories by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.


The bridge was quite crowded, with most people walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan. It was fun, and we arrived in Brooklyn around 2:00 p.m. We strolled around but decided to take a break at Joe Coffee Company, where we nursed a couple of green teas while we rested. I almost forgot my Chase credit card there (after paying for green tea).


We saw a few Citibikes available to rent and decided to try them out. We installed Citibike apps on both iPhones, but it took some fiddling to unlock the bikes. Although a bit heavy, the bikes worked well, and mine had an exciting gear selection with infinite adjustments possible. As we rode to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, we saw many kids practicing soccer, an almost empty ice skating rink with a few skaters practicing, and lots of joggers.


We were surprised by how less hectic and less noisy Brooklyn was - compared to the relentless movement in Manhattan. The bikes cost $3 per 30 minutes or $6 per hour.


After riding for about an hour, we returned our bikes and decided to eat an early dinner at Clark's Restaurant nearby. I ordered a "Greek Salad" while Inna selected the "Pastrami Reuben" sandwich. The prices were very reasonable, the food was well-prepared, and the classical music was excellent.



After dinner, we rode the subway to 50th Street to get closer to our Avenue Q Off-Broadway show in the New World Stages theater.

Since we arrived early, we decided to try some coffee and snacks at the Bibble & Sip coffee shop. Inna tried the matcha latte (which she liked), and I drank the Matcha tea (which was good - but not as good as in Japan).


However, what made Bibble & Sip really special was the delicious Matcha cream puffs and the mango-mango pudding. Inna and I loved the pudding and the matcha cream puffs!


At around 7:30 p.m., I headed to the New World Stages theater to pick up my tickets and watch the show. My review of Avenue Q will be published in a separate blog posting. We had lots of laughs! It sucks to be me!


After the show, we rode the subway to our Belleclaire hotel. What a fun day!


Tuesday, September 25, 2018

We stopped by our nearby Maison Kayser French-style patisserie in the morning for breakfast. Inna ordered a croissant with ham & cheese, while I selected something new to me - "Epinards & Chevre" (spinach, herbs goat cheese, organic egg, light bechamel) from the Les Cocottes menu.


We then headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since the heavy rain showers, we decided to use the M79-SBS bus. We waited for 20 minutes (it is supposed to run every 7 minutes) and arrived at the Met around 11:20. Unlike buses in other states and countries, one buys the ticket before boarding the bus (this was news to us).


The Metropolitan Museum was very busy, but we used the side entrance and were quickly ushered in. We headed for the French Impressionist painting on the 2nd floor, where we spent most of our time looking at Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Pissarro. We found a great Met tour guide explaining the philosophy before paintings and how impressionism emerged.


Edgar Degas focused on painting situations unlikely to encounter - i.e., dancers' dressing rooms - giving the viewer a voyeuristic view into the secret lives of dancers and other artists.


Cezanne moved away from painting reality toward post-impressionism (Picasso's cubism). His painting of fruits showed physical impossibilities- fruit that should have fallen off the plate but did not.


After some time, we decided to find a place to eat lunch. The cafeteria was awful, and we eventually waited for a table in Petrie Court. Inna and I shared a turkey sandwich and a salad. It was acceptable but nowhere near the quality of Japanese or French museums. It's disappointing that such a fantastic museum (the best art museum in the United States) would have such low-quality food.


After lunch, we returned for a 2nd viewing of the 19th-century French impressionist painters. In addition, we also looked at a few Van Goghs and Picassos on display. Finishing with this section, we also looked at an exhibit of Delacroix paintings.


When the museum closed at 5:15 p.m., we headed for dinner at the nearby Italian Grazie restaurant. For my 50th Birthday Dinner, I ordered a "Fungi pizza," while Inna selected "Gnocchi." Both the pizza and gnocchi were delicious. It was a nice, quiet, romantic restaurant after the museum.


Since we had our last Broadway musical to see at 8:00 p.m., we strolled across Central Park to the subway station to catch the C train to 50th and Broadway. Unfortunately, we stepped on train "B" and had to get off one stop early - on 60th Ave. With the heavy showers, we stepped into Argo tea to dry off.


After drying, we headed to Ambassador Theater on 49th & Broadway for our Chicago musical. I write about Chicago in a separate blog post. Chicago is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and this was the 2nd time I have seen it on Broadway (I have seen it twice at London's West End and once or twice in Curran Theater in San Francisco)


When the musical ended around 10:30 p.m., we stopped by the Russian Samovar restaurant (which was surprisingly empty). We had a few late-night snacks: oliv'yea salad,  cherry-filled varenyky, and hot tea.


Wednesday, September 26, 2018

We stopped by our nearby Maison Kayser French-style patisserie in the morning for breakfast. Inna ordered a croissant with ham & cheese, while I selected a plain croissant with some jam.


After packing and storing all our belongings, we walked to Central Park to rent bikes and ride around. We found a station near the American Museum of Natural History and rented two Citibikes. It was hot and humid outside, so our ride was not the most pleasant, but we managed to ride about 5 miles around the whole park.


After an hour of riding, we returned our bikes and decided to spend some time in the park, reading our books and enjoying the beautiful scenery.


Here is our Relive video of our 6-mile bike ride:



We stopped by Alice's Tea Cup restaurant nearby for lunch. It's a cute little place that serves 150+ varieties of tea.


We ordered the Mad Hatter special, which included two pots of tea, two sandwiches, 3 scones, one dessert, and many cookies. We enjoyed our tea and pumpkin scones, but the sandwiches were ordinary.


After finishing lunch, we headed to our Hotel Belleclaire to pick up our luggage and order UberX for our ride to JFK airport ($69.90 using UberPool). This time, the ride to JFK took a lot longer. We expected to arrive at 3:30 p.m. but were delayed for 30 minutes by heavy traffic.

In addition, our JetBlue flight #669 was delayed due to poor weather on the East Coast. Initially, it was supposed to depart from JFK at 5:25 p.m. However, we did not actually start flying until 7:15 p.m. We landed in San Jose at 10:50 p.m. (about 90 minutes behind schedule) and then took UberX home ($25.32).