Previous blogs:
First off, you have my promise that this blog won’t be as long as all the rest of ‘em. I mean, I was home watching Dropout by midnight. We couldn’t have possibly fit that much into half a day, right?
Well, we tried.
We woke up, and I packed all my stuff at least ten different ways before I was happy with how it all fit together. I wasn’t checking any bags and was allowed one carry-on and one personal item, so I had to get creative, especially since I was planning on bringing home some bagels.
I think we got out of the house at about noon. It was just me and Aubz again, bopping around the city. Before getting on the Subway (on Mother’s Day), we headed to a bodega for breakfast sammies and smoothies.
I copied Aubrey and got Pork Roll on a croissant. Y’all, I do not recall the name of the place. We popped into so many little corner spots, I could not keep track. I’m sure by this time next year, I’ll have favorites. This would probably be one of them. My smoothie was so bright and juicy, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. The croissant was somehow both crispy (on the inside) and squishy (on the outside), and the pork roll and cheese were the perfect salt, creamy compliments.
I love food so much, y’all.
And food was our next stop, too. I wanted to get some of the best NYC bagels to take home to Mickey (and future Jacki). So, while I was packing one billion different ways, Aubrey was doing some very important research on the best bagels in New York City.
Best Bagel in NYC?
We narrowed it down to a couple and decided on Best Bagel and Coffee. Y’all, the instant I stepped in there, I knew we picked the right place. The air smelled like yeast and dough and baking and warmth. And the bagel options? So many. I think I blacked out because I do not recall what I ordered.
I know there were plain, egg, and maybe salt involved? But plain and egg for sure. That is something about me that you may not know yet. I love trying the barest version of things as a meter of goodness. If it’s my first time at a donut shop, I’m getting a plain glazed (and then whatever else catches my eye). A new pizza place? Give me a normal pepperoni, plz. I guess I feel that by trying the simplest preparation I know they are good at the fundamentals. Why that is important to me, I do not know, but I’ll probably figure it out one day.
So, yeah, of course I’m bringing home plain bagels. And egg, because those bright yellow babies are always my favorite. And, I will also remind you that at this time in my journey, I was at the height of my bagel sandwich phase. And of course I made some with these bagels when I got home, and they were fucking incredible. Sorry to get all blue on you, but there are no other words.
Once my order came through, I rolled the top of the bag and put it on my hip and said, “I have my bagel baby and I’m ready to go!”
“Go where?” Aubz asked.
Oh, yeah, that’s right, we hadn’t decided yet. I looked at my watch (I had a flight to catch after all).
“Should we go see ‘The Walk’?” I asked.
See, we had been toying with the idea every morning… should we go see the exterior walk that Tom Francis does at the opening of the second act? Every other day, we found something more important than that to fill our time.
Sunday, though? It seemed like the time for it. So we headed back to Broadway.
Please keep in mind that during the following stories, I have a brown paper bag of a dozen NYC bagels on my hip, protecting it like it was my baby.
It was. It was my Bagel Baby.
Tom Francis’s Walk in “Sunset Blvd.”
Now, we had a couple of hours to wait until the walk began, so we took that time and headed to Broadway Books. Before I get to that, I will re-explain what “The Walk” even is.
- Act II opens with Tom Francis (Joe Gillis) projected on screen, backstage in his dressing room.
- He walks backstage, through the front of house, and out into Shubert Alley.
- A live camera follows him the whole way.
- The footage is projected in black-and-white on screens inside the theater.
- It creates a seamless blend of live theater and film noir.
- The moment is immersive, cinematic, and happens in real time.
Sunset Blvd. was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The more I listen to it, think about it, and read it, the more layers of what this production did to elevate this material are revealed to me. It’s just magical. I’m hoping to see another Jamie LLyod production this fall… he’s directing Alex Winters and Keanu Reeves in Waiting for Godot. I love this combination SO MUCH.
So, yeah, we went to see the walk. We already saw the inside on my first day there, so it felt like really nice bookends to see the outside on my last day there. You know, let Tom Francis change my life one more time.
But, First? Books & Booze!
We had about an hour or so to kill before the window for “The Walk” opened. First, we slipped into Broadway Books, and I was instantly in love. We were there for two reasons.
- I wanted to get D a copy of the John Proctor is the Villain script. I’d just read the beginning, and it activated the creative parts of my brain so much that I knew she would also love it. Note: When I got home, I read it in full (a lot of times), and the way this play is written helped me realize that this is something I can do, too.
- I mean, books. You put me in a bookstore and I’m happy. And this was filled with plays, scores, and memorabilia.
I searched fervently for some sort of souvenir from my favorite little-loved Broadway show, The Life, but there was none to be found. I found the John Proctor script easily and kept picking things up and putting them down. If I bought everything I liked, I would be in great debt right now.
At the register, they had a small bin of film snippets from film reels. There were a bunch of different movies. Aubrey picked out a Return of the Jedi or Empire Strikes Back scene to bring home to Caleb. I dug through the bin looking for A New Hope, because, according to Mickey, the rest are just fanfic. The human at the register noticed my search and disappeared to the back, where he found exactly what we were looking for.
We checked out and moved on to John’s Pizza, where we sat at the bar and gathered our thoughts before heading outside to watch “The Walk”. I had my first non-tequila cocktail of the trip, as a way to signal the end of the NYC heydays, I guess. Aubrey and I chattered along, finished out our drinks, and headed outside for…
Tom Francis’s The Walk
Here are some things you should know:
- We didn’t even know if we were allowed to watch.
- We didn’t know where to stand, if so.
- We didn’t know how to look or act casual.
More than once, random ladies would slide up to us and ask, “Is this where we watch ‘The Walk’?”
We would shrug our shoulders and say, “I think so” to each and every one of them. We struck up conversations with some, and others were only fleeting interactions. Everyone we spoke with had already seen the show from inside the theater and returned to see the exterior portion of events.
One lady even extended her trip by a day so that she could see it. (No, it was not me)
We waited in one spot where we thought Tom Francis might walk. Then, some burly security fellows set up some barricades, so we stood behind those for a hot minute. And yes, it was hot out, y’all.
Then, those same security guards moved the entire crowd across the street to watch from right outside the theater where Boop! was playing.
And that’s where we stayed.
Y’all, it was electric. Like. Crazy electric. I debated on taking video and instead just living in the moment.
I lived in a moment for a moment, then I hit record. And I’m glad I did, so y’all can experience it too:
I still can’t get over that the first Broadway show I ever saw might be the best show I’ll ever see in my life.
I’m headed back in September to see Color Theories by Julio Torres and Hadestown, so we’ll see. You know I’ll tell you all about it here, right?
Oh, here is a shot that I took from the window of the car as I rode to the airport. (I needed a feature image for this blog and didn’t take many, so this is it.)
