June 13, 2022, Monday
I was awarded a Caregiver Grant from Road Scholar for a 500 word essay regarding my husband’s passing. The trip was originally scheduled for April 20, 2020 - just about the time Broadway went dark due to Covid 19. Twenty six months later, I am fortunate enough to have found the ideal travel companion to go with me, Nora (Rich’s 19 year old granddaughter), who loves the theater and has participated in school theater projects. We boarded an Amtrak train Monday afternoon full of anticipation; checked into the Hampton Inn Manhattan; walked to an Irish Pub for a lovely dinner with our group of 21 people from across the country.
June 14, 2022, Tuesday
We did a walking tour of the theater district around Times Square with our guide, Stephen Cole, ending in Bryant Park where we were provided a box lunch of our choice to enjoy under the shade trees. I cannot possibly recall all of the historic tidbits Stephen shared with us, but I took lots of pictures:
Shubert Theater
The famous Shubert brothers who built up the theater district did not talk to each other for decades - it’s unclear why. Their offices were across the street from one another and they would communicate with messengers running across the street to deliver messages …the organization now owns 17 theaters; Nederlander owns 9 theaters; and Jujamcyn owns 5.
The Paramount Theater is being renovated and is being lifted inch by inch to another level to create retail space on the street level.
Got caught up with the paparazzi waiting outside of the Today Show to see Justin Bieber’s wife exit and hop in a car. I feel bad for his devastating condition.
That evening we took the subway to Lincoln Center to see Brian Watkins’ off-Broadway play, Epiphany.
This play provoked a lot of discussion about what it was really trying to convey. While on the subway during rush hour, my iPhone 11 was lifted out of my purse. I was the last one to board the back of the car and had been so careful to keep my hand over the phone top - until the train lurched forward when it started and I reached for the pole with both hands. Moments later when I reached for my phone to take a picture of the sea of people on that car, there was no phone. There were two seedy gentlemen behind me who were already aboard and I turned to look at them. They were looking down… So what was I to say? Did you take my phone? I told Nora and when we got off the train she used her phone to put mine on “phone lost” mode which closes everything down so no one can access it. When I called Apple Care to tell them what happened, they assured me that my data (my life) was safe! Thank you, Nora! Then what does the thief gain from this? He sells it on the internet and when the buyer gets it, they basically get a paper weight that looks like an iPhone with no way of tracking it back to the crook.
June 15, 2022, Wednesday
Stephen Cole talked about "Writing for Broadway." He is an internationally produced, published and recorded writer. He has published three books, including “That Book About That Girl,” the unofficial companion to the Marlo Thomas sitcom from the 1960’s. He was a delightful host with his humor and inside stories he had to tell. The writer has the final say on changes and suggestions to the performance they wrote.
Professor Daniel Eagan has degrees in music theory from St. Olaf, the Eastman School of Music and Yale, where he is on faculty. He has appeared as soloist or ensemble singer with the New York Philharmonic Opera and was in the permanent ensemble at New York City Opera. He is very good at interviewing and putting thought provoking questions to us as well. He interviewed Emmy Award winning Annette Jolles about “Directing for the Theater.” She has coordinated a visit from the Pope, directed 9/11 Memorial from Ground Zero, as well as rocker-tape parades for NY Giants, NY Yankees, World Cup winner Soccer Team. She was the first woman director on Broadway and also teaches at Yale...
Directing:
-pick the piece
-page to stage
-hire Intimacy coach
-prepping can take 5-10 years
Learn it
Set
Costumes
Casting
Scheduling
Dan then interviewed Nicole Tinger, Manager of Play Development at Roundabout Theater Company, about "Not-for-Profit Theater in NYC."
Sardi’s for a delicious lunch…
We then saw a Matinee Performance of Martin McDonough's dark comedy, The Hangmen, which also initiated a lively discussion after the fact.
The whole gang of us!
After that Nora and I went to the TKTS Discount Booth in Times Square and got tickets for that evening to Beetlejuice, a fantasy comedy. The set, lighting and choreography were remarkable!
Walked to the AT&T store to replace my phone with iPhone 12 after paying off the balance owed on the stolen phone. I took out insurance on this one. I had taken out Trip Insurance and will see if I get anything from that. Almost 24 hours without a phone is terrifying. Thankfully, ALL of my data, apps, contacts, pictures, etc. were in the iCloud so easily moved to the new phone.
Dinner is on our own tonight so we (with the help of Nora’s mom, Nora) found a nearby Spanish restaurant, Boqueria, which was absolutely delicious.
June 16, 2022, Thursday
Dan Egan interviewed Christopher Sieber who came to our hotel before his performance that night in Company. Actors do eight shows each week (2 matinées and 6 evenings) an especially rigorous schedule after being nominated for a Tony because you are being pulled in different directions.
Dinner at a different Irish Pub
Then the crème de la crème…
Stephen Sondheim’s Company was nominated 7 times last week at the Tony Awards! They claimed 5 of them which was so perfect for our trip. To name a few of the cast: Katrina Lenk (Ozark’s biopharmaceutical liaison, Claire Shaw), Patti LuPone (Tony winner), Matt Doyle (Tony winner), Christopher Sieber (talked with our group at hotel before the show). This was a fantastic show and you can watch snippets of it on PBS Great Performances.
June 17, 2022, Friday
Wrapped it up with Stephen in the morning!
Other Things I learned:
- Off Broadway (less than 500 seats), Broadway (500 seats or more), Black Box theaters (less than 63 seats)
- Understudies are a crucial part in casting with the number of illnesses and Covid (e.g., Hugh Jackman in Music Man)
- A BOOK musical usually comes in three parts: the book (which means script, where the dialogue, and drama is contained); the music (arranged for various instruments within a band or orchestra); the lyrics (where the words to the songs are written underneath a piano part)
I highly recommend Road Scholar trips - the meals, hotel, shows were all excellent - well worth the price.
