Scrappy Travels

Last December, I happened to see a show in NYC that made me fall head over heels in love with it.  And I meant to tell you all about it at the time, but Christmas got in the way, and it flew right out of my head. That's going to change right now. "Something Rotten" is sort of high concept and sort of hard sell if you're trying to explain it to someone but here goes - Pretend it's the 1590s and Shakespeare is vying with another playwright to stage the very first musical in history.  See?  It just sounds ridiculous, which it is - ridiculously funny! If you're a Shakespeare geek or a musical theatre geek (2 for 2 here), then you'll spend the entire 2.5 hours trying to catch all the hidden references and Easter eggs the show throws your way.  That is of course, while you're not laughing loudly because of a perfect song or sarcastic comment.  It's just so very funny. For a taste of the humor, see the video below from the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Imag

There are so many, many things to love about Manhattan.  It's hard to put into words just how much this city means to me.  I got my first taste for my 16th birthday and it's fair to say it was love at first sight.  There was just so much to see.  On that first trip, I we saw the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, The Twin Towers (I have a beautiful photo of them taken from a boat that I'll always treasure), the view of the city from the Top of the Rock, and the piece de resistance, a real-deal Broadway show; my very first!   Just as my love for the energy of the city was instantaneous, so was my love of the theatre. From the first chords of The Phantom of the Opera , I was hooked. I'd never be able to sing and dance like the amazing people on stage, but I could totally keep finding ways to see these glorious shows - and that I did!   Over the years, I've become a little less of a tourist in the city.  I now have favorite restaurants that are off the