July in New York (Part 5)

So Saturday morning, I skipped the closing session of the conference (it was just a chat back about Next to Normal) instead, wandered around looking for a good breakfast place on the Upper West Side. Finally, after wandering a bit, we just popped into a deli, grabbed a bacon, egg and cheese bagel and ate them while looking at art being sold on the street next to the Met Museum.

Both of us had tickets to The Norman Conquests: Table Manners which began at 11:30am. Around 11:00 (still up by the museum) we decided we should go- and- being stupid- decided to hoof it all the way to 51st street.

We made it to The Circle in the Square Theatre just in time- reeking of sweat (and hiding our sodas in our bags). Table Manners was hilarious- but Jackie was nervous because she had tickets to 9 to 5 at 2:00pm- and Table Manners got out at 1:50pm. Jackie ran away to her next show while I had Thai food and a cookie from Amy's Bread to tide me over for the next Norman Conquests show: Living Together. I was supposed to see Billy Elliott with the conference- but since I already had seen it, I sold it to a lady at the conference.

The Norman Conquests is a trilogy of plays that involve 3 couples- the plays take place over a weekend in July- all at various times. You can see each individually and have a great time OR, you can do what I did, see all 3 and witness playwright Alan Ayckbourn's genius at having one play take place in the dining room, one play take place in the living room and one play take place in the garden. It is a comedy- and it's structured brilliantly. This production was produced by Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic in London- and the entire cast came over from London to do it on Broadway.

After Living Together I met up with Jackie for dinner at the Stage Deli- it's famous and expensive. We've done it once, now we don't have to do it again (I like Carnegie Deli better for their cheesecake and a bowl of pickles).

After dinner, I went back to catch the final play Round and Round the Garden. All of these plays were directed by the same director as God of Carnage- and Boeing-Boeing which I had taken our group to in 2008. The Norman plays were even harder to direct because they were in the round.

After Round (all 3 plays were hilarious by the way- and if you're in NYC this next week, see them cause they close on Saturday) I felt bad for the actors doing 3 plays in a row in one day- but happy I got to see it. Jackie had gone to see the Pulitzer Prize winning play Ruined at the Manhattan Theatre Company. It started to rain as we walked to Magnolia Bakery (now at Rockefeller Center) to get some cupcakes.

It was a short night's rest because we had to be at JFK by 5:00am for Jackie's flight. We checked out at 4:30am, took a cab to JFK- Jackie's flight landed in SLC at 10:30am and mine landed at 12:30pm. Our whirlwind trip to NYC in July of 2009 was over- and it was great.

You too can have your own adventure in New York with me and Jackie- just put in your deposit before Oct. 1st to come with us June 8th-14th 2010!