New York, NY

Today started with an exciting achievement – finding an ATM that worked with our travel card. Sweet. Next was two hours of behind-the-scenes goodness with the Wicked “Behind the Emerald Curtain” tour. So it doesn’t literally go behind the scenes, but two cast members of the show spent two hours with us all, talking about just some of the incredible hard work that goes into putting a show of this calibre together. I also now know the difference between a track, a role, and a swing. Yup, totally showbizzed up…

Lunch was next – a pay-by-weight Italian buffet, what’s not to love! The good news is that garlic bread’s pretty light 🙂 A side-visit to m&m world followed, which was pretty amusing – three whole floors of candy-coated chocolate and merchandise dedicated to it. Couldn’t resist the customise-your-own-m&m machine though – sure my nieces will love their very own m&m’s.

The weather was starting to turn so we headed indoors to that very unbroadwaylike entertainment medium, the movies. We saw Pain and Gain. It was… a movie. The complex we saw it on was probably more noteworthy – 25 cinemas spread over 6 very tall floors, it literally (as in literally) took us 10 minutes to get from the ticket hall to the cinema, which of course had to be number 25, right at the top.

Tonight’s show was “My big gay Italian wedding” – a play held in a small converted church… Well, looked like the basement, I think. But it was good space, and an excellent show. It was hilarious, the audience were having fun, and you could tell the cast were having a hell of a lot of fun with it (and us) as well. A great night. It was a bit surprising to hear people I the audience talking during the performance though, that was a bit odd. After that we walked back to the hotel, through the crowds and past the taxis with their blaring horns. You know why every New York movie or tv show always featured the sound of car horns? Because it happens. Everywhere. All the time. Mainly it’s cab drivers tooting at pedestrians to get out of the way, or at other cars to get out if the at, or sometimes I think it’s just for the pure joy of it. Regardless, there is a LOT of it going on. All the time. But I can’t complain, it just seems to be just another one of those things that makes New York, New York. Tomorrow: Another show. Who could’ve guessed that!