Noo Yawk

After we finished the reunion, G and I had one more night to enjoy in New York City. We went back to the hotel to change for dinner and a show. A friend had recommended the restaurant Rain (right around the corner from the hotel), so we had a delicious pan-Asian dinner of roasted duck with cabernet-hoisin sauce, served with moo shu pancakes and grilled vegetables, plus a curry eggplant and tofu dish. The restaurant was so beautifully decorated that it felt like an oasis from the crowded city streets.

After dinner we took a taxi to the theatre district to see Legally Blonde, a new musical based on the movie of the same name. Same plot too, but the musical was almost entirely sung. It wasn't really a traditional musical where the cast breaks into song every so often, but more like an opera in that so much of the dialogue was sung. We didn't leave the theatre humming one particular song, but the show was funny and clever and well-done. The canine members of the cast were particularly talented as well.

After the final bow, the cast stayed on stage and Laura Bell Bundy, who played Elle, gave a speech about how their company was participating in a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and asked for donations to support this worthy cause. Since I spent four years working for the NW AIDS Foundation (now Lifelong AIDS Alliance) and held a box for donations on several occasions at local theatres, I was happy to make a contribution and to see that we in Seattle had indeed followed the Broadway model exactly. I complimented the cast member who took my donation on the show and her performance and told her my story. She said she'd love to play in Seattle some time and I told her I'd love to see her on a Seattle stage.

All in all, a very satisfying evening!