Sorry about my melodramatic rant yesterday. After I posted the blog entry, the shit continued. But now that it’s 24 hours later, it all seems a lot funnier than it was last night.
Tag Archives: New Victory Theater
Nevermore
Chloe and I spent the day together. We did some shopping and then went into the city to the New Victory Theater to see “Nevermore,” an operetta fictionalizing the life of Edgar Allan Poe.
Oh, the Crowds!
We went into the city today to see a show called “The Flaming Idiots” at the New Victory Theater. With a title like that, we knew it was going to be good, and we were not disappointed. A trio of irreverent, clever jugglers had the four of us in stitches from start to finish.
Before the paid entertainment got underway, however, we decided that we’d go in a little early and enjoy the festive holiday scenery. It took us an hour to get into town (it usually takes about 25 minutes) – not a good sign. The streets were full of throngs of people. To the point where I kept wondering what the hell would happen if there were any kind of emergency. The area around Times Square was so frenetic and so crowded – I haven’t seen it like that in a long, long time. Then again, that’s because I try to avoid New York City during Christmas week. Duh.
Anyway, we first went into Toys ‘r Us in Times Square. Nightmare! Fire hazard! Jammed with masses of tourists. We did, however, become the proud owners of a zhu zhu hamster. That Sophie creatively named Zhu Zhu. We survived the toy store, barely. And made our way, because we’re masochists, to Rockefeller Center. Never again.
After the show, we tried to go to dinner. First at Junior’s. A real epitome of gourmet dining. With a 40-minute wait. John’s Pizzeria was just around the corner. With a line of at least 50 people out the door and yet another line once inside. I told the bouncer-looking dude that while the pizza there was good, it wasn’t that good. So we walked back to the car and ate on the other side of the Hudson. New Jersey does serve a purpose, you see.
Cinderella
Sophie and I had a lovely mommy-daughter day with our neighbors. My friend has a daughter Sophie’s age and we took the girls to see “Cinderella.” Not the saccharin-sweet Disney version of Cinderella, but a terrific fractured fairy tale version of the story, in the form of a puppet show at the New Victory Theater performed by Shona Reppe Puppets.
I was a little apprehensive that Sophie would react negatively to the show, since the only Cinderella she knows is the blond-haired cartoon manifestation that makes her think of princesses and pretty dresses, and makes me want to puke. There was no need to worry, however. The Cinderella we saw today was irreverent and very, very funny.
Using a table with a drawer (Cinderella’s room) and cutouts on the surface that served as the front door, the fireplace, the dog house and the evil stepsisters’ bedroom, the set was simple yet incredibly inventive. Cinderella was a marionnette-like puppet. The puppeteer’s hands – covered in two different-colored gloves – played the roles of the evil stepsisters. There was no stepmother, only a stepfather who was alluded to in a bits of dialogue but never seen.
Sophie loved it. She laughed and clapped, and laughed some more. It was a great day.