What I wore: favorite dirty jeans, Chinese-made Australian boots, new Brooks Brother floral blouse, tan cardigan, yellow striped scarf that I think I bought at one of those gifty shops at U Village in Seattle a couple of lifetimes ago, black Baker-plaid trimmed quilted jacket
What I did beforehand: disregarded recent filings by the Department of Labor and went to B&H to buy headphones that don't go in my ears for listening to audiobooks when I vacuum because the in-ear ones from Apple deliver regular shocks from static electricity; walked 31 blocks up 9th Ave from 34th to 65th; stopped and ate hummus with dry pita at American Table at Alice Tully Hall where my three dollar tip was noted with a hearty "Thank you."
Also the hummus here is kind of bland and the pita bread is quite stale.— Hamster d'Relish (@hamsterRelish) March 22, 2016
Who went with me: My cousin (the one who requested I see "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time") texted me a couple of months ago, saying she and her husband would be in town, and that she had gotten tickets to "The King & I" on this night.
How I got tickets: online, full-price
Why I saw this show: see "Who went with me," above
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| I could have vomited into the pit |
Where I sat: Row C, seat 403, in the front row on the end. I had a view of the orchestra pit beforehand, and regular eye-contact with the bassoonist.
The oboist is lit— Hamster d'Relish (@hamsterRelish) March 22, 2016
Things that were sad: I was an alto in the chorus, starting in junior high school, and we sang a medley of the best songs in this musical. As the exquisitely talented Kelli O'Hara sang the opening phrase of the first song ("Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect, and whistle a happy tune..."), I began to cry. I also cried during "Hello, Young Lovers," which I thought was a stupid song in 7th grade, and during, "Shall We Dance?"
Things that were funny: Afterward, I asked my brother about some of the things I was uncomfortable about in this musical, and he said:
There are only three ideas white people have about black and brown people--1) how to get things/labor from them2) how to save them from themselves 3) how to protect us from themThings that were not funny: How do I see a show like this and not talk about the "barbaric" King of Siam being rescued by insistent teachings of the spunky and opinionated English woman? Or about the fact that Asia is a huge continent, but any Asian face passes for Thai (or Burmese) on an America stage? Or about the broad and sometimes unintelligible accents? The underwear gags?
What it is: A Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that gets revived regularly for the Broadway-musical-loving world. It is nicely staged in this venue. The singing and dancing were great. And it was nice to see my cousin and her husband.
Who should see it: men (there was a very long line to the cramped maze that is the women's restroom before the show, and an even longer line at intermission), people who can hold their pee
What I saw on the way home: seven mounted NYPD officers, riding up 10th Avenue in formation
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| The best way to go uptown |
I met a fluffy dog named Henry in the elevator and I almost like NYC now— Hamster d'Relish (@hamsterRelish) March 23, 2016
And I lost a glove.
