GTNY 2010

On our annual Girl's Trip to New York (GTNY!) we went to see the Broadway play, Next to Normal.  Wow.

It is not by any stretch of the imagination what one would call an uplifting play.  At most parts there were tears running down my cheeks and many others where I was downright sobbing.  Sometimes I even had to laugh because during quiet scenes you could hear other people sniffling and stifling sobs.  I guess the emotions would hit different people at different times.  The theatre was charged -- at all times -- with the energy that these actors put into their roles.  At the end of the play, Maren Mazzie who plays Di, the mother who has led her life since the death of her son in depression and diagnosis' that include bipolar disorder, looks physically drained and exhausted.  I can not imagine playing that part everyday.  When the play ended, everyone stood up almost immediately.  There was no question in anyone's mind that we had seen all these actors had to offer -- from beginning to end.  Amazing.

I loved it so much I would go see it again.  Hallie enjoyed it, and Maddie and Emma, who are 17, also enjoyed it as well.  They related to the teenaged girl, whereas there is no human mother who hasn't felt crazy like Diana at one point in their lives. The music is incredible, the set absolutely captivating in its simplicity and you sit on the edge of your seat from the moment it starts.  I didn't want intermission to come, and I didn't want it to end either!  GO SEE IT!  You won't be sorry.  And as an added bonus, you can get reasonably priced tickets.  We sat in the second row mezzanine, and due to the fact the set is in three tiers, it was a perfect spot.  Perfect.  I am listening to the soundtrack now.  Powerful.

This year we mixed it up a little -- and stayed in SOHO instead of Times Square.  I didn't miss the hubbub of Times Square at all, and loved the "realness" of the area we were in, which allowed us to access by foot the Village, Little Italy, Tribeca, SoHo and China town.  What is especially nice is that you don't have to battle any crowds in that part of the city -- it was pleasant walking around (though China Town was a bit mobbed) and we had amazing sunsets from our hotel looking out across the river at New Jersey.  The statue of liberty was within our view too.  It was great.

There were no snowstorms to drive through -- in fact both drives down it was sunny and blue skies -- we hit next to no traffic because we took the "back way," which was through Vermont and Western Mass. versus picking up the southern crowd in Londonderry and heading there through Worcester and other highly traffic laden areas.  Loved that!  My sister didn't like the idea of traveling 50 miles north to go south, but even she HAS to admit that at rush hour dealing with mountains and darkness versus stop and go traffic was a plus!  (RIGHT?!!!!!!)
 


Just before we left the city yesterday around noon, we made a stop in Dean and Deluca to grab some sandwiches for the ride home.  Wow.

 At first I thought how amazing it would be to have such a place nearby, but after purchasing a handful of items and gasping at the cost, I think it is just as well it is out of my reach! 

So that is the story of  GTNY 2010.