The Best and Worst

The Best of NYC in no particular order:
*Pink Berry
*Broadway - Favorite shows were Jersey Boys, The 39 Steps
*The Metropolitan Opera
*New York City Ballet
*The Metropolitan Museum of Art
*Alice's Tea Cup
*Street Vendors that sell one-of-a-kind items like the hat guy by Lincoln Center
*Waldorf Astoria Magic Show
*Central Park - Conservatory Garden, the jazz guys, the family that sings the African songs
*Shopping - Soho

The Worst of NYC in no particular order:
*The smell when it is hot outside
*The rats
*The subway - I miss my car
*Tourists that stop in the middle of the sidewalk to take pictures
*Walking four flights of stairs to my apt.
*Times Square
*People who swear constantly and use profanity as if it is everyday language with no thought of it being offensive or disrespectful
*hauling my laundry two blocks to the laundromat
*all the wierdos that try to talk to you and give you crap
*lack of central ac

Last Day and Celebrity Encounter #4

Sebastian Arcelus - Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys

Michael Longoria - Franki Valli in Jersey Boys

J. Robert Spencer - Nick Massi in Jersey Boys

Actor Christian Hoff - Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys

Today was my last full day in NYC and I didn't do anything especially exciting. As great as NYC is and can be, I am tired of city life and I have been anxious for several weeks to get back home. I took my time getting ready today and then took a brief shopping trip to Fifth Avenue. I found the Maison Du Chocolat store I wanted to go to - they fly the chocolate in every morning from Paris! I then decided to see the musical Jersey Boys again since it was my most favorite musical that I had seen here. After the show I headed to the stage door and got my program autographed by the 4 stars and I got to meet Sebastian Arcelus (sooooo cute)! I also got to meet Christian Hoff who won the Tony for best actor for his role in the show. All the performers were so nice and gracious. After that I was a bit hungry so I headed over to the Food Emporium Supermarket and guess who ends up behind me in line... actor George Wendt! He played Norm in the tv series Cheers! He is currently playing the role of the mom in the musical Hairspray which was playing across the street from Jersey Boys. I have a feeling he slipped out the alternative stage door so he could get to the store for some food without being mobbed. I then met my roommate Ashley at Central Park to see about a balloon ride but it was too windy so we headed to a restaurant that made yummy crepes and I had one filled with dark chocolate, strawberries, and blueberries - the best crepe ever!!

Presentation

Today I gave my end of summer presentation at work. I had to recap what I had done the last ten weeks. If anyone is interested, this is what I did:

Familiarized myself with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, it's mission, and programs

Developed study guides and activities for Met School Membership programs for the operas La Boheme and Il Trovatore

Helped prepare for Summer Institute, Documented Institute, Made evaluations of the recordings and notes taken at Institute

Learned more about curriculum design - specifically the backwards design model

Used backward design to come up with a starting point in developing teacher materials to help them through the new Opera Explorers program

Assisted with Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

Developed an idea and rough prototype of an Opera Explorers magazine/newsletter that can be distributed nationwide to students, schools, and families

Made some new friends and learned a lot about myself and my cababilities, developed more self confidence and knowledge about what I can do and what I enjoy doing

Celebrity Sightings Part 3

Actor Steve Guttenberg outside ABC Studios on Columbus

Yesterday as I was walking from the post office to work I noticed a very active crowd outside of the ABC studios where they film Regis and Kelly. As I got closer I saw that Steve Guttenberg was there signing autographs. He was a sweaty mess because apparantly he had been out running but he seemed to be enjoying all the attention. For those who don't remember who he is, he is famous for the Police Academy movies, Three Men and a Baby, and this last season of Dancing With the Stars.

Today during lunch I ran to this tiny grocery store and I was outside looking at the flowers and there were two men out there with me, each with a stroller and a child. Finally, after a few minutes, I realized that one of the men was Drew Lachey from the band 98 Degrees, Dancing With the Stars champion, and currently Broadway star in the musical Spamalot. I saw him in Spamalot and he was actually REALLY great - no kidding. I decided not to bother him but I probably should have told him what a good job he did in the show. Eventually I picked my flowers and his wife showed up with the wife of their friend and they all took off.

BYU Magazine

When I got home from my walk today there was a man outside my apartment buiding taking photos. I didn't think much of it until he showed up a bit later with my roommates when they got home from church. He was from Brigham Young University Magazine and someone had written a story about people from BYU who had moved to New York and had lived in this particular apartment building for a number of years. Apparantly the University thought it was an interesting article and sent this man out to take the photos for the piece. I am in one of the photos with my roommate Carlynne because we are both BYU alumni so I may end up in a future issue. Unfortunately I did not look my best and wasn't ready for a photo opportunity so it probably won't be the best picture if it even makes it in the issue.

For my little "Princess" friends

Bethesda Fountain


The Dakota

Before I came to NYC I told all my little cousins about where I was going and what I would be doing. In order to better explain to them exactly where I would be, I told them I was going to the city where the movie "Enchanted" was filmed. So today after church I headed off to Central Park to take a few pics of the area where the "How Will She Know You Love Her" song was shot. Near the fountain in an underpass there was a man and his children singing these beautiful African songs. I tried to film it on my camera but I was standing too far away and the sound did not pick up so I really want to try to go back next week to see if they are there again.

Retail Therapy

Last night I went with my roommate to Soho to participate in a bit of retail therapy. We hit a few stores and I found a beautiful sweater and found another great store with all sorts of shirts and sweaters in tons of colors. I branched out of my comfort zone a bit and bought a few things that had a little bit more "style" to them. I also bought two hats and I never buy hats but they were so great for the beach or lake and I'm totally excited to try them out! I hope to hit Soho one more time this weekend to get a couple more things. I got a lot for not very much $ so I was quite pleased!

Art and August

Tuesday I attended another teacher workshop at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The topic was geometry and math in art. It was really good but geared more towards helping older students. The wheels were turning in my head about things I could do with my students this next year. We were able to see most of the museum as we looked at various pieces of art. I have absolutely decided that the sculptures are my favorite and I loved the pieces by Rodin. Soooooo beautiful!

http://www.metmuseum.org/

Side note for my DI students: At the museum they have various Egyptian artifacts from Pharoah Hapshepsut! Totally wish you could have been there to see them!
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/egyptian_art/Seated_Statue_of_Hatshepsut/ViewObject.aspx?depNm=egyptian_art&pID=1&vW=1&Pg=4&St=5&StOd=1&vT=2&OID=100000386

That evening I went to the play August: Osage County. While I was waiting outside, Judge Judy and her husband showed up for the show. From a theatrical perspective the show was fantastic but from a personal perspective I must say I don't understand why there has to be so much swearing in plays sometimes. I don't see how people can say that using vulgar language is a sign of intelligence when really it shows a lack of it. I don't understand how people can speak so disrespectfully to each other and think it's okay.

http://augustonbroadway.com/land/search/noText.html

Yale

This morning I woke up early and caught the train to go to New Haven, CT to visit Yale. I really wanted to get out of the city and do something fun to get rid of some of the stress I have been dealing with. The train ride to New Haven was annoying due to a very loud child whose father couldn't control him very well. I got to New Haven and took a cab to campus and had a late breakfast at this cute little cafe place that my friend Kate had recommended. I got a piece of chocolate cake to go and it was really good! I headed over to the Yale museum of British Art and viewed the numerous paintings - absolutely beautiful. The watercolor exhibition was absolutely lovely! I made my way over to the bookstore and that was when the thunder and lighting started. I bought a shirt and an umbrella and as soon as I headed to the visitors center, it began to rain so hard and fast - I was completely soaked. I remained soaked until I got home about 5 hours later - I was not in a good mood after that. The campus was gorgeous - beautiful buildings!! The weather continued to be quite bad so I didn't think there was a point in staying in New Haven any longer so I got back on the train and headed back to nyc. I did not feel relaxed or that it was an especially fun day since I spent most of it walking around miserably wet so I returned to the city feeling just as stressed as when I left. But I was glad to see Yale - thumbs up!

http://www.yale.edu/

http://ycba.yale.edu/index.asp

Breaking Dawn

If you are not familiar with the Twilight book series, this blog will not make sense to you. All my gal pals in Texas went to the release party for the Breaking Dawn book in The Woodlands and I so wish I could have gone with them. Luckily my roommate Ashley is a Twilight fan so we headed to Borders at Columbus Circle to wait to buy the book at midnight. We reverted back to the immaturity of our high school days and got fake tattoos and listened to all the little teeny-boppers debate about Edward vs. Jacob. Ashley and I ended up being near the end of the line - my wristband was number 610 and we waited in line for 45 minutes, which really wasn't that bad considering the amount of people at the bookstore. So I have started to read and am only through the first couple of chapters but already have a few hunches about what will happen. I am looking forward to the Twilight movie in December and I will definitely be joing the bunco gals to see it!! I'm still trying to finish the other Stephanie Meyer book, The Host. I have only been reading it when I go to do my laundry and it has been slow going. Who knows when I will finish that one.

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTiaKvXqOtQ

We're Not Gonna Pay Rent!!

At Bryant Park wating for the peformance

Diane and Crew

Everyone sing..."Five hundred twentyfive thousand six hundred minutes...."

"Because everything is RENT!"

Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal

I woke up really early to go to Bryant Park and watch the taping of Good Morning America and see their Friday morning concert series featuring the cast of the Broadway musical Rent. Someone told me to get there early to avoid crowds and so I did but it was quite unnecessary. It was a good crowd but not that huge but I stayed along the back and didn't try to make my way up to the front. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal from the original cast/cd were there and sang a song and the current cast was there as well and sang "Seasons of Love" (of course)! I got to see Diane Sawyer and she had the most perfect blonde hair ever - I was a bit jealous! I tried to upload the videos of the performances that I shot with my camera but it was taking forever so I think I may need to change the videos to a different type of file or something. For now you can check out the link below. Click in the middle where it says summer concert series and you can view the videos of the RENT performances.

http://abcnews.go.com/gma

To my friend Bonnie - I totally you wish you could have been there with me! We will have to meet up when I get back to TX and have a RENT sing-a-long party!!

Some Enchanted Evening....

Today we got to meet Mr. Bernard Gersten who is director of the Lincoln Center Theater! We spent our lunch hour with him and he was quite entertaining to listen to. He has been in the theater business his entire life and has worked with various companies and individuals in the arts and film. He was an intriguing individual and it was definitely a pleasure to hear him talk about his life and experiences.
In the evening I attended the musical South Pacific at The Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center Theater. I was really excited to go because Kelli O'Hara was starring in the show and I love her voice - she was soooooo good as Nellie! Paulo Szot played Emile and he was AMAZING!! He is an opera singer, not a broadway singer and he had this stunning baritone voice (to all who don't know, I love baritones)! When he sang "This Nearly Was Mine" It was outstanding, outstanding!! It is one of the best Rodgers and Hammerstein songs and when you get the right person to sing it, it is fabulous! Broadway star Matthew Morrison was Joe Cable and he did a great job too. It was a great production but as much as I love South Pacific I still hate the Happy Talk song - it's soooo annoying!! If they could just get rid of that song - the show would be perfect!

http://www.lct.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpj832F2VQk

RENT - Good Morning America

Tomorrow morning I am going to try to be at Bryant Park bright and early at 7am for the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series featuring the Broadway cast of RENT! If anyone reads this and can possibly DVR/TIVO/RECORD it for me then that would be so great and I would be extremely thankful and appreciative!!!! Thanks so much!!

Finally!

Yesterday the other interns and I finally got a backstage look at The Met! It was really cool and although we couldn't go on the stage or into the pit we got to see the rehearsal halls (yes, conductor James Levine has a special chair he sits in), costume area, and set storage areas. I got to see some pieces of the set for the new production of Il Trovatore which is one of the operas I have been writing about. The backstage area at The Met is HUGE! It's full of all sorts of elevators, storage areas, and hallways - it's amazing how much goes on there!
Today after work I went with intern Staci to Chinatown and we found a jewelry place with some awesome deals - got quite a bit for only $19. I went on a purse hunt to find a knock off of a Coach bag but I didn't like any of the ones I found. I would rather have the real thing so I am accepting donations to the "Hillary needs a cute, new Coach Tattersall tote bag with matching coat" fund. I will accept gifts in any amount (ha, ha).
Thursday I get to meet the theater director at Lincoln Center and also attend the musical, South Pacific. I am really looking forward to both events!

I Think I've Seen Everything

My friend David and I at the Statue of Liberty
Shea Stadium

Top of the Rock

Statue of Liberty

My friend David came to visit me this weekend and it was soooo nice to have a friend in town to do things with! Friday we walked around the city and saw St. Patricks Cathedral, Grand Central, and the musical Spamalot. The next day we headed out bright and early to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Note: If you go to the Statue of Liberty be perpared to surrender your liberty as you make your way through various security lines - It was horrid. After that we had a late lunch before heading out to Queens for the Mets game. Mets fans are crazy and they drink a lot. We had happy drunks on one side of us and angry drunks on the other. There was a guy who apparantly was a huge Fernando Tatis fan and he was entertaining to say the least. Shea Stadim was huge and a bit of a disappointment. I definitely prefer the ballpark in Houston. Sunday consisted of Church, Top of the Rock, and The Cloisters. I had done a lot of walking and after this past weekend I think I have come close to seeing practically everything in the city (probably not but I feel like I have). It was a fun weekend but I think I will be in recovery mode for a few days!

Metropolitan Art Museum - Caldecott Workshop

I know these are small images but here are pics from Bemelman's Bar in NYC!

Today I attended a workshop at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The workshop was about the Caldecott Award winning books. For those who don't know, the Caldecott Medal is awarded each year for illustrations in children's literature. The Museum has works by 6 of the medal winners so we got to see some of their drawings and learn about types of print used in books. We also got to look at all 60 Caldecott winning books and pick our favorite to present to the group. I picked "The Hello and Goodbye Window" which won in 2006. The colors were so bright and happy and the story was great and I thought of a lot of ways to use the book with my students. We developed lessons and art ideas to use for some of the books also. Afterwards we went to the famous Carlysle Hotel to look at the murals on the wall at Bemelmans Bar. Ludwig Bemelman was the creator of the famous Madeline children's book series. He actually lived in the hotel for a time and painted the walls in the bar.

Note - The Caldecott winner for this year is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick and contains pages of amazing pencil drawings. I highly reccomend it just for the artwork!

http://www.madeline.com/author.htm

http://www.thecarlyle.com/

http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/data/books/tgpdf/07868091401500.pdf

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm

Weekend

Friday after work I went with the other interns to a place called Alice's Tea Cup. It was this cute little place that served tons of varieties of teas and scones (the best ever)! After that, my fellow intern Josephine and I headed off to Chelsea to see the new Batman movie. I really liked it. Christian Bale is hot and Heath Ledger was fantastic as The Joker. Thumbs up for Batman!

http://www.alicesteacup.com/

Saturday morning I did my homework for awhile and then headed out to the Morgan Library. The Library contains an extensive book collection of Pierpont Morgan, father of JP Morgan. You can't touch any of the books or publications but it is an impressive collection and there were hundreds of Bibles and other religious books as well as numerous copies of Shakespeare books and other famous novels as well as rare publications.

http://www.themorgan.org/

I also went to the New York Public Library and it was such a beautiful building. I liked the inscription on the outside that said, "But Above All Things Truth Beareth Away The Victory."

http://www.nypl.org/

Saturday night I went to a small party at Maggie's (works at the Met Opera Guild), with the other interns. We had munchies and fun conversation but after a couple hours I was really tired and so I left early.

Sunday I went to church, came home and took a nap, finished some homework, and caught up with friends.

Weekend

This past weekend was busy. Friday after work I went with my fellow interns to a cute little place called Alice's Tea Cup on 73rd and Columbus. It was this cute little place that had the best scones ever and tons of different teas. I passed on the chocolate chip mint cupcake but I'm sure I will be back there to try it. I also had Magnolia Bakery cupcakes the day before - YUM!
After the tea house, my friend Josephine and I went to Chelsea to see the new Batman movie - loved it. Christian Bale is totally hot and Heath Ledger did an awesome job as the Joker. Thumbs up for the new Batman movie!

http://www.alicesteacup.com/

http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/

Saturday morning I worked on homework for awhile and in the afternoon I went to the Morgan Library to check out the enormous book collection. The Morgan library contains an extensive book, print, and music collection of Pierpont Morgan, Father of JP Morgan. It was very impressive but they were all shelved and you can't actually handle them at all. There were hundreds of bibles and prayer books as well as numerous copies of Shakespeare collections and other famous novels and rare publications. There was an art exhibit of drawings and inks of artist Philip Guston but I wasn't especially impressed with it.

http://www.themorgan.org/

Afterwards I went to the New York Public Library and wandered around there. It was a beautiful building on the outside and on the inside. There was a photography exhibit there that had lots of photos from around NYC.

http://www.nypl.org/

Burgers and Ballo

Sitting at the burger joint at Le Parker Meridien Hotel

Tonight I went with co-worker Michael and intern Josephine to Le Parker Meridien Hotel for... burgers. That's right, burgers at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. It is the wierdest but coolest thing ever because you walk into this fancy place and hidden in the corner behind these large silk curtains is the small burger joint. Great burgers but not very big for the price you pay. http://www.parkermeridien.com/

Afterwards, Michael and I went to see a small opera production of Verdi's, A Masked Ball. Not my favorite Verdi opera but it still has some fabulous music. This production was interesting and I'll leave it at that.

Thanks Paul Gruber!

Paul Gruber has worked at The Metropolitan Opera Guild for over 30 years and during that time he has worked in various capacities, from tickets and subscriptions to music series to merchandising, and public programs. He spoke to us today for a couple of hours and shared about what he did, some of his experiences and showed us some of the videos he has put together about opera artists. It was so interesting to hear about what he has done and the video segments were great. I really liked learning a bit about the childhood and history of some of operas greatest performers - Marilyn Horne, Kiri Te Kawana, and I LOVED the segment on Marian Anderson! He is working on an entire program on Marian Anderson for schools to use and is hoping it will be ready for Black History Month next February. We watched footage of when she sang at The Lincoln Memorial years ago and also when she toured Asia as an ambassador for the UN. The segment where she was at the statue of Ghandi in India and sang they hymn, "Lead Kindly Light" was so moving! We also were able to view a video segment of an interview he conducted with opera star Leontyne Price (love her voice) and it was so neat to hear her talk about what music meant to her. In the video she stated that whatever gift it is that God has given us, we have a responsibility to nourish that gift and to be the best we can be always. She said that even at age 80 she tries to hit that high C each day to make she is able to nourish and maintain the talent she has been given. Thanks Paul for sharing so many great things with all of us today!

Link to Marian Anderson in India

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8kEHKoEtPg&feature=related

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Lead Kindly Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1fF4sZd6ZI&feature=related

Leontyne Price singing O Ptria Mia from Aida - voted as most memorable met moment last year on pbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKAzbh3_S5U

Opera Stars and Broadway Stars All Around

Today at work we got to meet international soprano star, Jane Marsh. I must admit I was not familiar with her at all and then when I found out about everything she had done and accomplished in her life as a vocalist, I thought, "How is it I am not familiar with her"? She was an absolute delight - so friendly and an absolute hoot! I was so glad to meet her and all of us enjoyed talking with her.
http://www.janemarsh.com/

As we all left work today to make our way to the Off Broadway Clothing Boutique, I stopped suddenly when I realized Broadway star Matthew Morrison was walking past me in the opposite direction! I became a Matthew Morrison fan after I heard him sing on the CD of the Broadway musical, The Light in the Piazza, several years ago. If you have a cd of the original Broadway recording of Hairspray, he is Link Larkin. Currently he is performing as Lt. Joe Cable in South Pacific which I will see next week! As soon as he walked by I looked for intern Staci because she is madly in love with him and there she was with her mouth hanging open. I tagged along with her and co-worker John to try to meet him. I stepped aside and let Staci enjoy the opportunity to meet him. He seemed like a really nice person and I don't think she will ever wash her white sweater again since he put his arm around her for the picture. I was just glad to be there to see him! He has a great voice and The Light in the Piazza is absolutely one of my most favorite musicals ever - beautiful, romantic, gorgeous - I love it!

http://www.mattmorrison.net/index.html

Celebrity Run In

On Saturday as I left the theater after watching the musical Jersey Boys, I literally almost ran smack dab into actor Alan Alda (Mash)! I looked up and there he was walking with two friends talking and I about ran right into him and had to step aside to avoid bumping him. So after a month in New York I had my first, up close celebrity sighting encounter!

Pics and Fire in the Subway!

My friend Michael and I at HK Lounge for his b-day bash!

Met guild employees strutting their stuff on the streets of Manhattan after eating a fabulous lunch at Sapphire Indian Restaurant

Stacie and Kate playing with my camera

This morning when I left to go to church I was about to head down to the subway when I noticed the MTA lady standing there on the phone and I heard her calling NYFD because apparantly there was a fire down there. So I tried to find a cab to take to church but because they were evacuating all the trains it was craziness so I went back to my apt and left a bit later with my roommate Carlynne to go to church with her at one of the Singles Wards. I survived it and actually met up with an old friend from BYU, Megan. I was glad I avoided most of the subway chaos today.

Busy Week

Interns Josephine, Melanie, Stacie, Kate, and Jake enjoying lunch at the educator's institute

I got to meet Jane Remer who is a Columbia Professor, Author, and Artist and works with different organizations to promote arts education in schools. My friend Josephine is on the Right.

It was a busy week! Things at The Guild were a bit crazy because we were hosting a 3 day institute for teachers who are involved with one of the education programs. I met some fantastic people, teachers and artists, who worked together to participate in activities and discussions about using the arts in education (side note to my principal Christine - if you are reading this I have some great ideas to share with you and the other teachers! I sense some more Foundation Grant money headed our way)!! I won't bore everyone with workshop details but it was great and I am really excited to share what I learned with my fellow teachers and associates.

I was able to go to The Jewish Museum and see some paintings and works by Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and Andy Warhol. I really liked the Jackson Pollock paintings. Many people are critical of him and his famous "splatter" paintings but they really are fantastic and I promise there is meaning to the madness.

http://www.jewishmuseum.org/

Thursday night I went to the American Ballet Theater production of Giselle. It was a very beautiful production. ABT performs shows that are much more story driven - very Nutcracker. I actually enjoyed the New York City Ballet, that I saw a few weeks ago, much more than ABT. NYC Ballet had much more technicality, creativity, and modern dance integrated into their performance and I loved it. Traditional Ballet is great but I definitely prefer modern ballet. A side note regarding the story of Giselle - why in the world does Giselle defend the count and still proclaim her love when he was a jerk by being engaged to someone else the same time he professed his love to her? Wise up woman!

http://www.abt.org/



Friday night I went to Queens and my new friend Michael who works at The Guild with me cooked me dinner and we hung out a bit. I hadn't been to Queens yet so that was a first. Because the date on Friday was 7-11, we stopped at the Seven Eleven by his apartment to get our free slurpees - YUM! The next day was his birthday so he invited me to his b-day party at a club downtown in the Fashion District. I didn't know anyone there except Fred from accounting so he and I chatted a bit and eventually I left after not too long. I've never been into clubbing so it was an environment I wasn't really used to.



Saturday morning I took my midterm and decided to reward myself by trying to get a standing room only ticket for the musical Jersey Boys. I got to the theater early to get my ticket and had two hours to kill so I went to eat a sandwhich at The Carnegie Deli. I hated the Carnegie Deli - crowded, overpriced, rude staff, horrible service. I will never go there again. After that I wandered aimlessly toward fifth avenue and then, there it was in all it's glory... H & M!! This is a great clothing store - trendy and inexpensive and I loved the accessories section. I headed back to the theater for the show and had to stand up the entire first act with part of the top of the stage cut off from my view. Fortunately it didn't make any difference. The show was AWESOME!!! I loved it, loved it, loved it! I fell in love with one of the actors - he was so great and likeable. The show is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons so all of the songs were these great tunes from the 50's and 60's and it was so much fun. It wa so hard no to clap or feel like dancing - the whole audience was into it! This was the best show I have seen here so far - fantastic!

http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/broadway/



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM4fMmMq1S0&feature=related

Magical Evening at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Magician Steve Cohen and I - He is holding the tea pot used for his "Think a Drink" trick.

View of lobby of The Waldorf Astoria Hotel

GORGEOUS flower arrangement in lobby at The Waldorf Astoria

A beautiful and classy woman standing next to the gorgeous and giant flower arrangement at The Waldorf Astoria

View of lobby chandelier and flowers at The Waldorf Astoria

Tonight my roommate Carlynne and I attended a Magic Show at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel. A few months ago I was watching CBS Sunday Morning and they did a segment on a man named Steve Cohen who is known as "The Millionaire's Magician". I thought it looked awesome so I bought tickets. This is not a Vegas style magic show - this is a really classy production. Everyone meets in a suite on The Presidential floor of the hotel and it is only a crowd of about 50 people or so. It is cocktail attire so you have to get all dressed up to go. Everything that happens, happens right in front of your face and it seriously AMAZING! He did card tricks, some mind reading tricks, and he did one where he made a coin disappear and then it changed into a brick - I got to hold the brick! You can watch the CBS news segment at the link below. I definitely recommend this show if you come to NYC - it is unreal!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quoJxg9fSBk



http://www.chambermagic.com/

Everybody Sing, XANADU, XANADU...!!

Today I didn't have any fixed plans so I headed to dumb Times Square to see about going to a show. I decided to go see the musical XANADU. Yes folks, XANADU - Based on the ever so popular 80's movie starring Olivia Newton John. It is now a Broadway musical and I was a bit skeptical but I kept hearing great things about it and it was nominated for best musical at the Tony's so I went and I LOVED IT! It was sooooo fun! I had a perfect seat too - fifth row, center. It is the dumbest plot and really cheeeezzzzyyyy but it was awesome and hilarious. There were some great lines, and the characters were so great and the music was upbeat and fun. The stage was really small and there were even audience members seated on the stage so the actors interacted with them a bit which added to the fun. They even roller skated around on the stage which was quite impressive since the space was so small. Thumbs up for XANADU! If Manhattan had a disco roller rink, I would probably go! Check out the website to listen to the music and watch video clips!!

ps - Darla this is just for you!!!

http://xanaduonbroadway.com/

God Bless America...........And China Too!

Fireworks on the East River

This pic didn't turn out the way I wanted but these fireworks were soooo beautiful! They looked like golden waterfalls and I love waterfalls!

Youtube clip of someone who taped the fireworks from their roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd2AegS1KbY

Fourth of July in NYC wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I saw more excitement in the streets the weekend I arrived here when everyone was celebrating Puerto Rican Pride Day. I celebrated 4th of July by stimulating the economy and making several purchases on Canal Street/Chinatown. I browsed through store after store of vendors selling knock off designer handbags and I found one for my sister and one for myself. I almost got caught in the middle of a raid. The vendors who sell the illegal bags out of suitcases along the street and in the back of some of the stores, very suddenly and quickly packed up shop upon the appearance of a police car. They seem to have a system down so they don't get caught. I also found a really pretty skirt and a beautiful black top. My hunt to replace the cute black shoes I bought in Chinatown last year was unsuccessful. I came home and took a power nap and then went with my roommate Carlynne to a bbq at someone else's apartment. There were probably about 30 people there from the lds singles group there. I felt a bit awkaward since I don't attend singles activities at church too often but I met some very nice people. It started to rain some but we headed out to Brooklyn where we waited among the large crowds of people to watch the fireworks on the east river. The fireworks were beautiful and lasted almost 30 minutes - one of the best displays I have seen! I was wet and tired at the end of it all but I think it was worth it. Getting back home from Brooklyn was craziness - it took way too long because of all the crowds of people and subway traffic. So in the end I would like to say God Bless America for being the greatest country on earth and God bless China too for making cheap knock off handbags that look great and that I can afford and also for making fantastic fireworks! If we could only get China to improve it's human rights policies and government, we would have another reason to celebrate.

Die Soldaten

Last night I got to see a final dress rehearsal for a production of the opera Die Soldaten. I had never heard of it before but the ticket was free so I went with a few people from work. I don't want to waste a lot of space talking about it but in a nutshell I thought the set was cool, the plot was boring and unimaginative and even confusing in places because the libretto was not clearly written. It felt rushed in places and drgged in others and it had some parts that were just really strange and wierd. I didn't even care for the music. The opera is a modern one written in the 1960's I believe by a German named Zimmerman. Apparantly this was some type of breakthrough piece at the time and it is very different but it really isn't that great. I will manage just fine through this life if I don't see or hear Die Soldaten again. While there were some things I could really appreciate about the production, there was plenty that I didn't care for.

Have a Nice Shower!!!

Yesterday I got to leave work early and decided to engage in a bit of retail therapy. I walked up Broadway to explore a bit and all of a sudden I found it - the greatest bath and body store ever!! It wasn't very big but they had some awesome products and everything was on sale so of course I made a few purchases. They sell these giant bath balls that have flower petals inside and they have a mineral bath mix which turns the water into a detox cream bath (sounds strange but it was seriously one of the coolest things)! I noticed that as people left the store, the employees would say "Have a nice shower" instead of "Have a nice day"! It added some more fun to the experience.

http://sabonnyc.com/

Just One of Those Days...

Do you ever have one of those days that just isn't very good even though things aren't bad? Today was one of those days. I woke up with a lot on my mind and ended up being distracted most of the day at work so I didn't accomplish much and that made me feel even worse. To top it off I left my TR in Texas so I couldn't go to visit The Mormon Temple here in Manhattan and I wanted to go so badly - especially today. I was near tears.
I can't even really explain why I was so upset today. Things are going well in my life and I have to much to be grateful for. I guess sometimes we feel anxiety or upset for reasons we can't explain (which can be a frustration itself ) but I suppose it is best to just let things work themselves out the best they can.
My best guess is that the feelings of uncertainty I have about this next year finally caught up with me and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm not sure why I let it get to me since I don't have to make any big decisions in my life right now. I hope the rest of the week goes better.

Week In Review

Team Intern Summer 2008 (L-R) Michael, Melanie, Stacie, Kate, Josephine, and Yours Truly.

Monday evening was my roommate Carlynn's birthday so I went with her to a little party some people from church were throwing for her. She had requested a chocolate cake with skittles on it - interesting combination - but she was the birthday girl so that was what she got. It was nice to meet some more people and for that reason I was glad I went.

Tuesday evening I went to the play The 39 Steps. It is an Alfred Hitchcock thriller turned into a comedy. I didn't know much about it until I watched the Tony Awards a couple of weeks ago and noticed that it had many nominations and the audience cheered loudly each time it was mentioned. I was also intrigued with the concept of the show which was that only 4 characters played all the parts and there was hardly any set. Well I went and it was HILARIOUS and I loved it!! Fantastic acting, great story, and the utilization of objects and sound effects to create stage pieces and scenes was wonderful. Thumbs up for The 39 Steps!!!
http://www.39stepsonbroadway.com/

Thursday at work we had a party for the volunteers who work at The Met Opera Guild. We had a fiesta theme so I made numerous tissue paper flowers to decorate the room with. A good time was had by all. The photo above was taken the day of the party.

Saturday I saw the musical Mary Poppins. There were some things I liked about it but it wasn't the most impressive show I've seen. I hate to say it but... thumbs down. The musical followed the book more closely than it followed the movie and I suppose that was why I was so disappointed. I had a few flashbacks to when I was five years old and I thought I was Mary Poppins and I would wear a coat and open an umbrella and pretend I could fly like she could. I even had a Mary Poppins record - Yes, record (you know, the vinyl kind). The Actress who played Mary Poppins, Ashley Brown, had an outstanding voice - loved it!!! She was perfect for the part. http://disney.go.com/theatre/marypoppins/#/home/

Saturday evening I attended the New York City Ballet. This season the ballet was performing numerous numbers choreographed by Jerome Robbins who has been one of the great choreographers of our century. You probably are most familiar with his work if you have seen the movie West Side Story. I watched them perform variations from Brahms and Handel and it was outstanding! I absolutely recommend the NYC Ballet. http://www.nycballet.com/nycb/home/

Sunday afternoon I went to see The Frick Collection. It is a home/museum located along 5th Avenue and houses numerous paintings and small sculptures collected by Henry Frick. It was a lovely building and an impressive collection. The Museum was not very large but had some gorgeous pieces. I also found two outstanding books to use with my students at school! http://www.frick.org/

This week at work I was able to hear a 5th grade choir sing at their graduation ceremony in Brooklyn. They were part of the urban voices program. I also met with my supervisor to discuss some things and I feel a lot better about what I have been doing the last couple of weeks. I am still finding it hard to be confident about being an effective contributor to the group because my background is not in the arts like everybody else but I am learning a great deal and I am so grateful to be here.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

I have to say Happy Birthday to my Grandpa, Charles Lane, in Portland, Oregon! He is 98 years old today (or should I say 98 years young)! I love my Grandpa very much and I want everyone to know what a great man he is! He has accomplished so much - he is a cowboy, a WWII vet, a teacher, a principal, a volunteer fireman, rock collector and jewelry maker, fisherman, music man -plays the bones, spoons, and harmonica, a dad, a grandpa, and a great-grandpa!! Grandpa I love you and I wish I could be there on your special day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

photo disclaimer - yes I am aware my hair is sticking out - ugh!

Weekend

Yesterday I went back to the most annoying place on earth...Times Square. Full of tourist and slow walking people - very annoying. I went to go see the musical, Legally Blonde at The Palace Theater. I really liked it - it was a really cute show. It had some fun songs and I loved all the clothes/costumes that the lead character, Elle Woods, wore. She also had an amazing voice. I really liked the character of Emmett - totally cute and likeable. I can see how being familiar with the movie is a bit helpful in seeing the show. Of course the UPS guy was super hot.

http://www.legallyblondethemusical.com/

Today I walked around the NE corner of Central Park. I found some beautiful garden areas - absolutely gorgeous!

Met Summer Concert June 20th, 2008

French tenor, Roberto Alagna singing Nessun Dorma

Romanian soproano, Angela Gheorghiu singing Caruso

Sorry about the poor resolution of this pic. I was far away and had to zoom in quite a bit.

The Venue - located at Prospect Park, in Brooklyn New York.

I don't know who the woman is in the picture but she must be important because she is standing next to Peter Gelb (middle) who is the President of The Metropolitan Opera and Joe Clark (right) who is the Technical Director for the Met.

Check out this beautiful, New York girl!

Last night The Metropolitan Opera hosted a summer concert at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I had been looking forward to this for awhile because of the performers - Soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna. They are two of the most sought after opera performers today and they are also married to each other. They were married at The Met in New York City a number of years ago after they both performed in a production of Puccini's La Boheme. They were married backstage after one of their performances - I think it's a great story! Very romantic!

I hadn't been to Brooklyn before and I didn't see much of it but I really liked what I did see - cute apartments and row houses and the park where the concert was held was beautiful - green, huge, gorgeous trees. You can't see any buildings towering around the outskirts of the park like you can in Central Park and I really liked that. The concert was great - both singers were outstanding but I was puzzled by some of their music choices.

I attended the show with another intern, Josephine, and also a group of about 14 lds singles from the Manhattan area. Last week I met a guy named Sean at a get together in my building and so he arranged to get some people together from several of the ysa wards to come. I met some really nice people - very friendly and easy to get to know. They were all around my age and working professionals. I was really grateful to have the chance to make some new acquaintances.