Pride in New York City is nothing short of a marathon of rainbows and marchers. This year's festivities started with a boat ride along the Hudson and East Rivers, stopping to admire the major, iconic fixtures of NYC. While I've seen the Statue of Liberty plenty of times, there's nothing like seeing it up close and personal on a boat, drinking a beer, and listening to dance music pumping at maximum volume. Even the Empire State Building was lit to commemorate the weekend's celebrations. One of the best parts of the annual boat ride is just being out on the water and seeing the city, including Brooklyn and Queens, from a different perspective.
As the sun set over New Jersey, the skyline exploded with color and lights as NYC woke up from its Saturday afternoon siesta. The beer kept flowing and once we got off the boat, it was time to figure out where to go next to celebrate the weekend! There is no shortage of late-night locations to enjoy in this city and with such a big event going on, there were plenty of revelers anywhere we went.
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| Courtesy of Faith Little |
The next day was the big march down Fifth Avenue to the Village and, while it's exciting to see the huge crowds and the creativity of the participants, it can get a bit overwhelming, especially at the four-hour mark, when the parade is still only half over! The great thing was Von getting us access to a cafe in the New School, so we could be out of the heat and above the crowds (the only way to fly). Once we finally had enough, we took our leave and found a place for food and drinks, away from the throngs of people and the police barricades that made traveling through the West Village more difficult than we wanted to tackle.
Friends are the best part of the events each year; seeing those I don't get to see as often as I might like and meeting new ones from out of town or from across town. Von and Faith are my constants these days and they are always up for fun, shenanigans, and just plain hanging out at home. Even when I'm dripping and soaking my shirt from the humidity, I can't believe my good fortune in being able to live in a place like NYC with these awesome folks.
I've said it before (and apparently I'm going to say it again), but theatre is certainly a major plus in living in this great city. Following up Pride, Von, Faith, and I took in an outstanding performance by Alan Cumming, reprising his Tony award-winning role in Cabaret. I've seen him one other time on Broadway, when he did a one-man version of Macbeth and that was truly an awe-inspiring experience. He's someone I've come to admire for his fearlessness and commitment to his roles, plus his genuine appreciation for the audiences that come to see him perform; after Macbeth, he stayed until absolutely everyone got an autograph, to the delight of my visiting, freezing mother (she's a trooper for standing in the cold for as long as we did).
For Cabaret, we made our way to Studio 54 and we couldn't help but wonder what kind of debauchery occurred when this used to be THE dance club to see and be seen in (even if you were just in the crowd and couldn't actually get in). This seemed to be the perfect setting for a musical like this, since it has to do with a racy nightclub that caters to those looking for some dark and twisty fun.
We had great seats (thanks again, Von!) and even had table service since the entire lower area was set up as a nightclub. Now, Faith had received a call the night before to let us know Michelle Williams wouldn't be performing as Sally Bowles during our show, so I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the understudy. Besides, wasn't I there just to see Alan anyway? Don't think I'm obsessed with Alan Cumming, he's just so damn good!
The show did not disappoint! From the first song to the last, it was engaging, funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking. The actress playing Sally Bowles was great and since I had no basis for comparison, she was the only one I could picture playing this character next to Alan's Emcee. The cast worked the entire stage and even flowed into the audience. Throughout the show, Alan's character addressed the audience, including those in the balcony ("Hello poor people!"), to make us all a part of the story as it unfolded. I think this made the impact of the finale all the more heartfelt; as the Nazis gained power and influence in Berlin, people had to choose what side they were going to be on, whether for self-preservation or the belief that these things would pass soon enough. This was another theatre experience that brought history to life, albeit an ugly part of it. I have to say, Alan's choices like to challenge us and remind us how important it is to be who we are, because it can all be taken away in a moment.
It seems appropriate seeing Cabaret the same week as Pride occurred; both events were about being strong in our convictions and unafraid in our expression. Til next time.....
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| Courtesy of Chris Reed: Can you see us up there? |
SIDE NOTE: THE FRIEND/FAMILY FACTOR
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| Courtesy of Chris Reed |
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| Courtesy of Alex Hudson |
I've said it before (and apparently I'm going to say it again), but theatre is certainly a major plus in living in this great city. Following up Pride, Von, Faith, and I took in an outstanding performance by Alan Cumming, reprising his Tony award-winning role in Cabaret. I've seen him one other time on Broadway, when he did a one-man version of Macbeth and that was truly an awe-inspiring experience. He's someone I've come to admire for his fearlessness and commitment to his roles, plus his genuine appreciation for the audiences that come to see him perform; after Macbeth, he stayed until absolutely everyone got an autograph, to the delight of my visiting, freezing mother (she's a trooper for standing in the cold for as long as we did).
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| It's Alan Cumming! |
For Cabaret, we made our way to Studio 54 and we couldn't help but wonder what kind of debauchery occurred when this used to be THE dance club to see and be seen in (even if you were just in the crowd and couldn't actually get in). This seemed to be the perfect setting for a musical like this, since it has to do with a racy nightclub that caters to those looking for some dark and twisty fun.
We had great seats (thanks again, Von!) and even had table service since the entire lower area was set up as a nightclub. Now, Faith had received a call the night before to let us know Michelle Williams wouldn't be performing as Sally Bowles during our show, so I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the understudy. Besides, wasn't I there just to see Alan anyway? Don't think I'm obsessed with Alan Cumming, he's just so damn good!
The show did not disappoint! From the first song to the last, it was engaging, funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking. The actress playing Sally Bowles was great and since I had no basis for comparison, she was the only one I could picture playing this character next to Alan's Emcee. The cast worked the entire stage and even flowed into the audience. Throughout the show, Alan's character addressed the audience, including those in the balcony ("Hello poor people!"), to make us all a part of the story as it unfolded. I think this made the impact of the finale all the more heartfelt; as the Nazis gained power and influence in Berlin, people had to choose what side they were going to be on, whether for self-preservation or the belief that these things would pass soon enough. This was another theatre experience that brought history to life, albeit an ugly part of it. I have to say, Alan's choices like to challenge us and remind us how important it is to be who we are, because it can all be taken away in a moment.
It seems appropriate seeing Cabaret the same week as Pride occurred; both events were about being strong in our convictions and unafraid in our expression. Til next time.....
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