They say the neon lights are bright...

On Broadway!

I don't know about you, but I like to use black and white photos as the wallpaper on my computer. Since I sit in front a monitor for a good portion of the day, I like to personalize the screen... and what better way to spruce up my space than with a new photo?

If you're a regular to this blog, you know that I love to take pictures, so I have a quite a selection to choose from when it comes to adorning my desktop. And thanks to a little editing, I think this photo of the Broadway signs around Times Square will make for the perfect choice!

But I don't want to be greedy! So I've uploaded this photo in high-resolution, so you can use it for your own computer wallpaper, too!

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a lovely day!

Sunday = FUN DAY!

Yesterday was a really fun (and busy) Sunday. I took my camera phone with me everywhere- want to see what I did?

First up, I went to church.
Yesterday was a big deal at church- we celebrated the bicentennial and in addition to over 30 clergy members in attendance, we welcomed the presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church... it was really fun!
And that fun was compounded when I found out that I got to sit in the pew closest to the organ- I love watching the organists play the pedals on the fast pieces (it's quite a show)!
After church I headed uptown to another church.
A friend of mine was performing in an off-off-off Broadway show in the church's basement.
I'm really glad I could be there to support my friend!
After that it was back across town to attend the Richard Tucker Gala at Avery Fisher Hall.
The hall was packed to the gills with people- it was quite a sight!
But once everything calmed down and the program began, I was in heaven! The event featured performances by: PAVOL BRESLIK, FERRUCCIO FURLANETTO, ELİNA GARANČA, MARCELLO GIORDANI, BRANDON JOVANOVICH, SIMON KEENLYSIDE, ANGELA MEADE, ANNA NETREBKO, LISETTE OROPESA, DEBORAH VOIGT, and JAMES VALENTI (who was the Richard Tucker Award winner for 2010). It was an incredible evening of music featuring some of my favorite arias (hello "È la solita storia del pastore") and a surprise appearance by Susan Graham!
Now you can see why Sunday = FUN DAY for me... talk about a great day full of exciting performances! I hope you had a good weekend as well- thank you for visiting!

One of my guilty pleasures...

Yesterday my co-worker and I had tickets to My Big Italian Gay Wedding. Have you heard of this Off-Broadway show? It's a comedy that follows the trials and tribulations of a couple trying to throw a wedding... an Italian wedding, no less!
The show was quite funny- do you know why? (It's hard to tell, but this is a picture of the theater...)
Well, remember my hint from yesterday? (New Jersey?)
Guess who were the guest stars in the show for 4 nights?
That's right- The Real Housewives of New Jersey! The ladies, along with two of their daughters, had a limited engagement with the show as a fundraiser for Marriage Equality. As I've mentioned, I'm a Bravo junkie and TRHONJ is one of my guilty pleasures! My co-worker also loves the show, so when the opportunity arose to see the this play with our favorite housewives in the starring roles, we couldn't help ourselves! Our tickets were held for us at the box office, so last night we arrived to the theater about 45 minutes before curtain to pick them up... imagine our surprise as we exited the lobby and saw Caroline, Lauren, Ashley and Jacqueline! We were so excited, figuring that was as close as we would get to them all night.
Boy were we wrong! (Sorry for the picture quality- apparently Dina is just too pretty for my camera to photograph!)
We ended up meeting the cast after the show! The ladies were extremely nice, and we spoke to everyone for at least 5 minutes each! Dina was the show's producer, and we spoke to her at length about her work and how much we missed her on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She couldn't have been nicer or more interested in speaking with us- no wonder we all love her! Then we talked to Lauren about how funny she was in the play we had just seen, and she told us about how on the TV show her brothers outshine her, but in real life she's hilarious- we were all laughing pretty hard at that! Then Jacqueline ran by and shook our hands before jumping into her limo (apparently Teresa was ready to go and Jacqueline was making her late). And finally we got to see Caroline. She was absolutely wonderful in the play (her hairdos were insane, as you can see)- and she couldn't have been nicer in person. She asked how we felt about the show and thanked us for supporting a cause that meant so much to her!
As you can tell, it was a really fun night! Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great weekend!

Waiting for tonight...

A couple of weeks ago, I got a frantic email from my co-worker. There was a limited run of a show she and I desperately wanted to see, and in the span of five minutes we bought the last two tickets that were available. We were understandably excited about our amazing timing and we've been looking forward to seeing the show ever since.

Well, tonight's the night! The curtain rises at 8 pm, and we can't wait! I promise to fill you in on all the shenanigans tomorrow... but in the meantime I'll give you a hint about what we're seeing:
Have you guessed yet?

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a wonderful day!

Not that Graceland...

Remember this weekend when I was in Times Square?
I was actually on my way to see a show.
Nope, not Everyday Rapture...
I was headed to that intimate little theater just to the left... The Duke!
I had tickets to see a new show: Graceland! While previews started on May 3, it won't officially open until May 17. I was offered these free tickets at work, and I couldn't turn them down... plus, I was curious to see the theater. I hadn't seen a show here before, and was pleasantly surprised with the "black-box-esque" space!
Now, I must tell you right off the bat... this show had NOTHING to do with Elvis. Rather, the play centers around a pair of siblings who are burying their father at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Here's the program- do you recognize this actress?
If you watch Two and A Half Men, she plays Jon Cryer's ex-wife on the show. The play also featured Brian Kerwin, who you might know from 27 Dresses (he played Katherine Heigl's father).

Now, I have to tell you- this show is considered a comedic drama. While parts of it are pretty funny, there were other parts that made me slightly uncomfortable. For example, there was a make-out scene. Normally, that wouldn't bother me in the least... except look where I was sitting:
That's right- second row! I think I spent half the show with my hands over my face... what a nerd!

As for the play, it was... interesting! I'm not sure I'd recommend it to everyone, but I really appreciate that new productions are being produced in this economy. Plus, watching a play written by a Chicago playwright took me back to my college days, which was fun. So, if you're in the mood for inside jokes about Chitown and a May-December romance, this is the play for you! It's playing at 229 W. 42 Street through May 29.

Thank you for stopping by- I hope you have a great Tuesday!

GIVEAWAY: Snack Time!!

Over the last few months, I've shared a lot about myself.

But I'm not sure I covered my weakness for clever packaging. Whenever I see a nifty product tag or a snazzy container, I'll want to buy... and sometimes I won't care what's inside. Now pair that with my love of NYC, and I'm toast!

So when a local drug store started selling this new brand of snacks, I knew I was a gonner!
Get a load of THAT! Let's look at the peanuts first:
First, the company names their flavors in the cutest way- like Nuttin' Honey!
And then they turn the bar code into artwork and place it on the front of the package!
And to top it all off- inside are the yummiest looking peanuts I ever did see!
Not to be outdone, how about the pistachios?
Of course they're seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper... this is NYC people!
And the packaging on this one cracks me up- see how the window to the nuts is actually a story in the New York Times? Just below the picture, the byline reads: NYC GOES NUTS!
The performer in me loves the dried fruit.
Ooooh... premium...
And to showcase these show stoppers, a lovely stage and curtain!
There are also mini bags of snacks... like sunflower seeds!
Don't you love the bar code on this one? Lady Liberty!
But my favorite one of all is the Nut Raisin Trail Mix.
Energy mix for city survival... doesn't everyone need that now and then?
Plus, this is my favorite bar code: it's the elevated subway!
And if you aren't as impressed with the packages as I am, check out what's in that yummy bag o' energy mix:
After all that hype, wouldn't you like to tear into these cute little bags?

Well here's your chance!

I'm going to give away all these bags of snacks to one lucky winner! To enter, just leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite New York City landmark. Please leave your comment by Thursday (Jan. 28th) at 8 pm EST, and I'll post the winner next Friday morning!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend- thanks for stopping by!!

Takin' in Times Square

I had to run a few errands after work last night.
One of the errands took me to 45th Street...
And in order to get home...
I had to cut through a very famous landmark.
Times Square!
I only had to go two blocks...
But there sure was a lot of stuff to take pictures of!
If you haven't been to NYC in a while, then this might come as a surprise: the city has closed off portions of the street and converted them to pedestrian areas, complete with cafe tables and chairs.
And while the pedestrian areas are new, the billboards and lights have been there for years...
Even if the items they're advertising change with startling frequency!
Last year the TKTS booth was finally finished, and now all kinds of people can walk up these red stairs...
And enjoy some pretty incredible views. This is one of my favorites- doesn't it make you want to spend your whole paycheck on tickets to Broadway shows? (No? Maybe it's just me, then!)
A block to the west, you can find the Hershey and M&M stores... yum!
And though I've lived here for a few years...
I never get tired of this!
Thank you for visiting my blog- I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!!