Oh, that?

NBD... Just my home for September 2011- September 2012.

Dearies, I am going to the land of tea, Ben's Cookies, and all things British.

Also, I am hoping to run into Prince Harry. You never know.

I'll be working on my Master's at King's College and I could not be more excited.

Composers Sing Composers

Working in theater, I have come to the conclusion that for every Stephen Sondheim, there are about 200 equally talented individuals who are capable of writing music that is just as beautiful. New musical theater is big in NYC, and while you may not have heard of many new musical theater composers, I am here to tell you that they run this industry. Years from now, their work will be produced on a Broadway stage and I hope to be the one who does that.

Last month, Ashley and I produced Composers Sing Composers. It's exactly what is sounds like. We took eight of the most talented new musical theater composers and gave them a stage to sing on... They sang their own songs and each other's songs and in the end, it was a fantastic night. It was rewarding to see these amazing composers take the stage, and share their music proudly rather than having another Broadway name perform it (as is usually the case).

The concert was held at Le Poisson Rouge, a very trendy venue, and the evening went quite well. We had the pleasure of working with some of our favorite people from Trails which was great...

Here are some of my favorite videos of the night:



Mrs. Sharp by Ryan Scott Oliver performed by the full cast


Drew Gasparini singing Run Away With Me by Kerrigan & Lowdermilk


Half a Gun written and performed by Zoe Sarnak, featuring Joey Contreras


My Best Friend written and performed by Jonathan Reid Gealt, featuring Drew Gasparini


Gaby Alter singing The Seraph by Ryan Scott Oliver


Alaska written and performed by Adam Gwon

BOSTON

A few week ago, I traveled north to visit my old roommate, Anne. It was fun to catch up and talk of things as they were and things that will come. The Boston trip had a double purpose though... Mr. Creel was headlining the A.R.T. production of Prometheus Bound and I wanted to check it out.

MAJOR BACKFIRE

I got majorly sick. He was majorly sick. He didn't go on that night. I saw his understudy (who was amazing, and amazingly beautiful BTW). I was way out of it the whole time and basically hated the show. It may have had a lot to do with the fact that I did not appreciate being screamed at for 1.5 hours in a groggy state. The show was just not my cup of tea in terms of content. I DID love the direction, and I will always enjoy learning to see things through the eyes of Diane Paulus. I think she is brilliant at what she does, and for that reason, I am glad I saw Prometheus Bound.

The next morning, Anne, her roommates Krissy and Jasmine, the puppy and I headed ever farther north to New Hampshire to go maple sugaring. We didn't actually DO anything, but we learned the process and got to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast courtesy of our gracious hosts. 

We headed back to Boston and I headed out on the town following the recommendations of Anne and Jasmine. I ended up at the Public Garden and walked around for a bit until I ran into this...

Clearly, the moon was in the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars or something, because I PROMISE I was not looking for it. Once I ran into it though, I couldn't resist. I waited in the rush and got a great seat for $25.

The rest of the evening included a walk downtown and over to Faneuil Hall and dinner at Subway ( I was a little sugared out). 

I went to HAIR and as always, had a great time. I even got to say hi to sweet Josh and catch up for a bit during the dance party.

The next day, the girls and I headed to watch General Conference at the Stake Center and then I jumped back on a bus and headed to the city.

My little trip was fantastic and I loved being away from the city for just a little time... it always makes me love the city that much more.

Did I tell you...

That mom visited me on my birthday?

It was intended as a surprise... but alas, it is nearly impossible to surprise me.

C'est vrai.

But still, we had a lovely time.

We visited China Town which doubles as mom's favorite NYC attraction and my

 least favorite attraction in NYC, or possibly the world.

We ate delish Italian at S.P.Q.R. in Little Italy

(which is actually the first Little Italy restaurant we visited as a family in 2006).

Momma in Hoboken

Good thing this is a once-a-year event.
 I could have eaten that WHOLE thing... It was so delicious.

We visited Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, and proceeded to purchase the

most amazing chocolate ganache cake I have ever seen/tasted.

We celebrated with friends at the super chic Room Service Restaurant,

which looks far more expensive than it really is.

We bought many gifts for the munchkin...

because when you're the only member in our family under the age of 25,

you get a lot of presents, obvi.

We walked through the European Decorative Arts section of the MET,

which is my absolute favorite part of the MET.

We went to the movies, and ate yummy salads at Chop't

 (after a weekend of nothing but canoli and cake, we needed variety).

I had a party. Lots of people came and Mom made new friends.

Me with Rob

KLR & Karene

Mom and her two new best friends

KLR, Tash and Brad

Mark, Brody, Stef, Jane Madsen, Tashi, Liz and Rob

On her last day here, I treated mom to a true NYC brunch at Good Enough to Eat

which is quite possibly the best brunch spot in the UWS.

It was such a treat to see my mom. We share a very special bond and I miss her every single day.

 The best present I could have gotten has her company on my birthday.

What a lucky girl I am!