Saturday, August 15th at 6pm, come see selected scenes and songs by Jonathan Larson for only $5.

The 2009-2010 season is just around the corner! Get your season tickets and save $5 on every musical. Call 931-645-7699.

This September, enjoy the timeless wit and charm of Mark Twain during MARK TWAIN: 100 YEARS OF COMEDY, a special performance only showing September 11th & 12th.

The hilarious musical comedy, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE takes to the Roxy Stage Friday, September 18th at 8pm. Visit our website at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org for more information about our upcoming season.

Opening nights for regular productions are Pay What You Can Night, where you name the ticket price. Call 931-645-7699 to find out about upcoming Pay What You Can Nights.

As people talked about Dunbar Cave in its heydays their eyes would light up.  I could feel their excitement as they described the place that put life into their worlds.

Dunbar Cave bought the latest entertainers and the latest sounds to Clarksville; it brought celebrities and made celebrities out of the locals.   Zoot Parker, a local known for his great dancing, said that Hollywood didn’t have a thing over Dunbar Cave.  For kids and young adults the Cave brought the world here to Clarksville and they weren’t afraid of it.

“…brought the world to Clarksville”

I thought of this again as I left the Roxy Theatre after a performance of Rent. 

The acting was so good that I felt like I was in New York City watching a Broadway show.  It is obvious that the actors really love doing the show; they give it 120%.  The singing is so awesome it is unreal.  The stage is always alive and the play reminds me of New York, there is always someone on stage watching, standing around, while the main actors have their conversations.  You’re never alone in the city; physically at least.  The glamour of NYC is pushed off in this play.  It’s a difficult place to live.

As they explore and show the dynamics of several relationships, the struggling artists exude with life and love that is communicated in song.

And Rent brings the world to Clarksville.  In Clarksville we are capable of missing the outside world.  Our values and our visions are influenced by the limits in our town.  A taste of the outside is refreshing and invigorating.  The Roxy has brought the world to us and it is brilliant; it is full.

The show runs Tuesdays through Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m.  Fridays and Saturdays it from 8 to 10 p.m. through August 21.  Get right out of town at the theatre! http://www.roxyregionaltheatre.org/nowplaying/index.html

Check out this actor! He appears to be as good as the professionals in the Broadway version of the show. And he’s a local kid doing Roxy Regional theatre school. Humberto Figueroa; Wow!

Jonathan Larson’s rock musical is the joyous, breathtaking and inspiring story of a group of New York City East Village artists struggling to find their voices and find love in today’s tough times, broaching controversial themes like homelessness, AIDS and drug addiction with compassion.

Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, RENT stars Justin Barnum as Roger, Chase Kamata as Mimi, Matthew Burns as Mark, De’Lon Grant as Tom Collins, Taylor Hilt Mitchell as Angel, Alicia Kelly as Maureen, Kami Smith as Joanne and Brendan Cataldo as Benny. Amanda Bailey, Chad Parsons, Humberto Figueroa, Skye Mangrum, John Moser, Anesha Ross and Hannah Carmona round out the cast.

Although the national tour has played Nashville, the Roxy Regional Theatre is proud to be one of only two regional theatres in Tennessee granted the rights to this award-winning musical.

RENT runs July 10 thru August 21, playing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm and Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on Saturday, July 18.  Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org or by phone at (931)645-7699 during regular box office hours (9am-2pm, weekdays).  This production is strongly recommended for mature audiences.

Visions Metaphysical Boutique will host Deborah Raleigh-Chandler, oils–impressionistic, still life; Afton Chandler, acrylics–modern, impressionistic; Amanda Harrison, acrylics–modern, impressionistic (some new pieces); Linda Cain, handcrafted sterling silver & gemstone jewelry (some new pieces).

The Roxy Regional Theatre–Clarksville’s Center for Arts and Education, will host the work of Beverly Parker Riggins in the Peg Harvill Gallery. The subject matter includes architecture from historic downtown Clarksville. They are large digital prints from manipulated polaroid transfer images. For the performing arts, enjoy Disney’s Mulan, Jr. playing at 6pm and tickets for the hit musical RENT will be on sale in the lobby.

John Glass, a wood craftsman, is this month’s featured artist at ARTifacts. John has an gift for working with wood and has used his gift to focus on building boxes from paneling he salvaged from his construction job 10 years ago working on the United Methodist Church on Madison Street. John was able to salvage most of the paneling from the church during the reconstruction of the building after the tornado. Now he has many beautiful boxes made from these materials. He has also created planters, boxes with secret compartments and display boxes for flags and other items.

Hodgepodge is featuring Adam Yarbrough. An APSU student and ROTC cadet, Adam explores art in a variety of media. His show at Hodgepodge will feature several figure drawings in pen, ink and charcoal, as well as many other works. Stop by Hodgepodge to meet the artist and enjoy some refreshments.

The Downtown Artist Co-op will host DAC Member artists, Peggy Bonnington’s solo exhibition titled : “Part and Parcel” July 2-Aug. 1 with the Opening Reception, Thursday, July 2, 5-8 pm as part of First Thursday Art Walk. Peggy states, I cannot remember a time I was not drawing or being encouraged to draw and paint. I always loved beautiful images, rich color, lush and interesting texture; and I tried even in early childhood to capture likenesses or create interesting patterns that felt exciting to me.”

Strawberry Alley will have two new businesses to visit: Ingredients and Collector’s Pride Antique Mall. They both plan to participate in future Art Walks, so stop by and give them your encouragement!

When the first televised ad for the movie version of Broadway’s RENT cabled into our home a couple of years ago, my eldest granddaughter heard the strains of Seasons of Love and the verdict was in: a die hard fan was born and the film version hadn’t yet been released. Yes, we saw RENT (the movie) together, several times, applauded, cried, let the music run through our minds on instant replay. Last summer that granddaughter, Brandi, accompanied Clarksville Online to the live production of RENT at T-PAC in Nashville. Clutching the programs and her newly acquired T-shirt with RENT splayed across the front, Brandi sat with us, mesmerized by this piece of Broadway that had fallen our backyard, so to speak.

Click here to view the embedded video.

RENT closed in New York in June, with a spectacular finale that was filmed in its entirety. That closing night production was captured on film, and arrived in Clarksville Wednesday night for the first of four screenings. Brandi (wearing her RENT T-Shirt), her sister Rochelle, and Clarksville Online were there for every last note. This type of production, like the Met performances which also originate in New York City, run about $20 a ticket, much more than the average movie ticket. But you get what you pay for, but in the case of this Broadway finale of RENT, it would have been worth it at twice the price. And we each want our own DVD of this production.

Cast of RENT in the closing Broadway performance, now caught on film for the world to see

Like the The Met Live in HD, which local theaters do not have an interest in screening, this kind of film is the closest thing to front row center on Broadway. The intricate camera work not only stays focused on the stage as a whole but circumnavigates the action with stunning close-ups that reveal the power and the passion and the joy of this musical.

RENT is Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

Set in New York City’s gritty East Village, the revolutionary rock opera RENT tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. “Measuring their lives in love,” these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic. The subject is tough, gritty, and not for young audiences, but it is a modern musical marvel.

Played on a single multidimensional set, the story begins on Christmas and ends on the following Christmas Eve. Through that passage of time, one character, the doomed Angel, enters on a whirlwind, touching the lives of every character with love. The music includes the poignant “Without You,” “I’ll Cover You,” and “Will I“,  the vibrant “You’re Living in America“, a rowdy “La Vie Boheme,” and the finale “No Day But Today.”

The creators of RENT pulled together a cast of storng voices; there are no weak spots, even among the supporting players. The subject matter, the performers, the staging and the music is all strength and power,  and it wrings emotion right out of the viewer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This production stars Will Chase, Adam Kantor, Michael McElroy, Rodney Hicks, Tracie Thomas, Justin Johnston, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Eden Espinosa, and is directed by Michael Grief.

The Roxy Regional Theater will close its 2008-09 season next summer with a staging of this show.

*This stage presentation addresses adult themes and controversial issues. It is not recommended for children.

The Roxy Regional Theatre’s 26th Season will enrich all the senses!

Although the 2008-09 season opens September 19, the annual gala is slated from September 20. The first play to hit the stage: The Robber Bridegroom, book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry, music by Robert Waldman, adapted from the novella by Eudora Welty.

One of the only genuine bluegrass scores ever heard in a Broadway musical, this unusual tale of the Natchez Trace has a distinctive sound all its own. The Robber Bridegroom is the story of the courting of Rosamund, the only daughter of the richest planter in the country, by Jamie Lockhart, a rascally robber of the woods. The proceedings go awry, thanks to an unconventional case of double-mistaken identity. Throw in an evil stepmother intent on Rosamund’s demise, her pea-brained henchman and a hostile talking head-in-a-trunk, and you have the recipe for a rollicking country romp. Play dates are September 19, through October11.Then, for one week only, the Roxy presents The Last Five Years, words and music by Jason Robert Brown. It’s a contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up… or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. The Last Five Years is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view. The Last Five Years manages to reinvent the familiar musical formula and offers up one of the brightest, freshest scores of the new century. Roxy fans have one only to see The Last Five Years, which will be staged October 15-18.

The C.S. Lewis classic, 2pm October, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, dramatized by le Clanche de Rand, is the heroic tale of love, faith, courage and giving: the life and death struggle for control of Narnia and the grandeur of the triumph of good over evil has enthralled audiences of all ages. This innovative treatment features two actors and is available for touring to all groups. It runs October 4 and 11.

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible continues the season. A compelling drama of paranoia and superstition, The Crucible is set in 1692, in a small American town, a group of mischievous girls are caught dancing in the woods, while conjuring spirits. To escape punishment they accuse others of witchcraft. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, neighbors and friends are forced to sentence the accused or risk being accused themselves. This magnificent work continues to resonate and is as relevant today as when it was first produced. The show runs October 25 through November 15.

On October 31, at 6 p.m., it’s a halloween mixes of sci-fi horror and history in the recreation of H.G. Wells classic radio play, The War of the Worlds, in its “Other Place” theater, upstairs at the Roxy. An example of mass hysteria, this staged reading of the infamous Mercury Theatre 1938 radio broadcast is one of the earliest and best-known depictions of an alien invasion of Earth and caused public outcry as many listeners believed that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.

An older classic emerges in time for the holidays; an adaptation for the stage by Artistic Director John McDonald of the Charles Dickens favorite, A Christmas Carol. This rollicking holiday morsel will sweeten your taste buds and warm even the hardest of hearts. Ebenezer Scrooge meets the spirits of Christmas while rediscovering its true meaning. A Christmas Carol runs November 28 through December 20.

In January, 2009, Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues makes it annual appearance in The Other Space. Spread the word! They’re back for the seventh year! This touching, often hilarious series of monologues about women and performed by women has played to packed houses around the country. It runs January 9-31.

A midwinter delight for children of all ages is the Roxy rendition of Pinnochio, adapted by John McDonald from the story by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto carves a puppet named Pinocchio! However, he must earn the right to be a real boy by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish. Joining the Cat and the Fox on a hilarious journey, learning life lessons along the way, he risks his own life to save Geppetto, who has been swallowed by a whale! Three matinees performances, Janury 17, 24, 31.

Music returns with Altar Boyz, book by Kevin Del Aguila, music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker. Altar Boyz is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. As they perform their signature hits such as “Rhythm In Me,” “The Calling,” and “I Believe,” the Boyz question their loyalty to each other and ask whether or not faith is really holding them together. They finally deliver a message of unity, that “there is no star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice.” This production runs February 6 -28.

Drama steps on stage in March in the form of William Shakespeare’s classic, MacBeth. An anatomy of the relationship between ambition and corruption, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most bloody and fear-filled tragedies. Often regarded as archetypal, the play tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of friends. Based loosely on the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland many superstitions are centered on the belief the play is “cursed”, referring to it instead as “The Scottish play”. The show runs March 6-14.

The world premiere of All Quiet On The Western Front, adapted for the stage by John McDonald from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, gives us the story of a young soldier facing profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I. First published in German in 1929, it sold 2.5 million copies in twenty-five languages in its first eighteen months in print. In 1930 the book was turned into an Oscar-winning movie of the same name. Now in these uncertain times of war All Quiet on the Western Front will speak to a new generation from the stage. This show plays from March 20-28.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical, CATS, based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats and the poetry of T.S. Elliot, tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical theatre phenomenon, featuring the classic “Memory,” CATS opened in London on May 11, 1981 and ran for a record-setting 21 years and was nearly matched on Broadway where it ran for just over 18 years.This musical runs April 10 through May 2.

The second children’s production, Honk!, based on the Ugly Duckling by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, is the story of Ugly, whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. Separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry Cat, Ugly must find his way home. Along his rollicking and harrowing journey he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms. Witty and hilarious, but also deeply moving, Honk!(s) charm, humor and message of tolerance is perfect for a family audience … and every audience. This one runs May 9,16,23.

Disney’s Cinderella Jr. blends timeless fairy tale with the magic of Disney in this adaptation of the treasured animated film. Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and denied a chance to go to the Royal Ball. With a little help from her mice friends, and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella goes to the ball, meets the Prince, and falls in love! With a beautiful score including “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and the classic “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” this musical will charm its way into your heart, and remind you that dreams really can come true. this production is presented by The Roxy Regional School of the Arts. Book adapted by Marcy Heisler; lyrics by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston and Mack David; music adapted and arranged by Bryan Louiselle; music by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston and Mack David. The fairy tales plays May 26 through June 13.

The Andrews Brothers, a new play by Roger Bean Mistaken identities, madcap comedy and the greatest music of the 1940’s fill this hilarious new musical. Three soldiers find themselves giving the performance of a lifetime when a certain singing trio of siblings fail to arrive at the USO gig. “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, ”Slow Boat to China”, “Shoo Shoo Boy”, “Stuff Like That There”, and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” are but a few of the favorites in this valentine to the heroes of World War II. It runs June 12-27.

Walt Disney’s Mulan, Jr., travel back to the legendary, story-telling days of ancient China with this action-packed stage adaptation of Disney’s Mulan. The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous sidekick Mushu to save the Emperor! Including favorites like “Reflection,” “Honor to Us All,” “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” as well as new songs that will get your audience up on its feet, Mulan JR. is a heartwarming celebration of culture, honor and a fighting spirit. (Presented by The Roxy School of the Arts) It runs June 19-July 3. Based on the 1998 Disney film MULAN and the story FA MULAN by Robert D. San Souci.

Once again the Roxy will end its season with a blockbuster musical, RENT!. Jonathan Larson’s rock musical is the joyous, breathtaking and inspiring story of a group of New York City East Village artists struggling to find their voices and find love in today’s tough times. Based on Giacomo Puccini’s classic 1896 opera, La Boheme, Rent broaches controversial themes like homelessness, AIDS and drug addiction with compassion, and thrills audiences of all ages with its moving tale of hopes and dreams. The show runs July 10 through August 22. RENT! Book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson.

For ticket information and reservations, call the Roxy box office at 931-645-7699 or visit the box office on Franklin Street from 9-12 a.m.  Musicals are $20.00 adults, $15.00 13 and under. Plays are $15.00 adults, $10.00 13 and under. Jr. Musicals  and Other Space tickets are $10.

I smiled and said, “then it’ll be a refreshing change.”

All kidding aside, there’s plenty to say about visiting our country’s most populated city. Its history is replete with everything that makes for great movies, including making movies. It was Hollywood before Hollywood. The country’s comic book industry began there. It’s the first place in the world where “going up” meant REALLY going up. Skyscrapers became the norm as early as the 1920s. They hit their heyday in the early 1930s when the Chrysler Building and the legendary Empire State Building was built.

Sure, I knew all this before we arrived in Manhattan. No matter how much about New York I thought I knew, I could never have been fully prepared for the staggering reality that the Big Apple would present.

Legendary Empire

We only had a few days to see the City that Never Sleeps. My time was even more limited since I had to attend a seminar while in town. I didn’t complain a whole lot since the class was held inside the Empire State Building. I admit, I was a bit nostalgic the entire time.

One of my favorite books of all time is Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer-prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It’s a story of two Jewish boys that live in 1930’s New York City, who created their own comic book that was eventually published by Empire Comics – you guessed it – with an office in the Empire State Building. If you’re even half the comic book nerd I was as a kid, then you’ll not be able to put this book down.

My best friend of 30 years called while I was in the elevator, the very same best friend who suggested – no, demanded – that I read Kavalier. He asked what I was doing. “Oh, I’m getting off an elevator in the Empire State Building.”

“You suck!” he said. I knew he had been to New York before, but he never made it to the Empire. We talked a little about the book, and he reiterated just how much he hated me at that moment. I never felt better.

By the way, there’s a comic book store right across from the ESB on 33rd Street called “Empire Comics.” I resisted the temptation to go into that store – my bank account can only take so much!

My seminar was in itself an experience, as it was a class called “Train the Trainer.” Part of my profession is to conduct training classes in Photoshop and other Adobe products, so this is a step toward the needed certifications.

The class itself was small, with seven other training professionals (including the instructor), all from New York. Once they knew I was from out of town – a Southerner, even – they went out of their way to welcome me. I enjoyed telling them about my home state as much as they enjoyed telling me about all their favorite eateries and hangouts.

The conversation migrated to the events of September 11, a topic I really didn’t want to broach. After all, those atrocities happened right there in New York City. I felt a ping in my spine the first time I saw the skyline from the George Washington bridge; a skyline without the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

One man, Obinna Nwoke, whose family hailed from Nigeria, told with teary eyes how he went to work even mere days after the 11th. “The smell from the buildings – it was horrible – it lasted for months,” he said. Even after more than six years, it still brings tears to his eyes. He told of how he had to go through several checkpoints in order to get to his job, which happened to be in Lower Manhattan at the time. He described it as constant state of fear. “I just wanted to go to work,” Nwoke said. He added, “We were scared every time we went into a building.”

I finally understood what that line in RENT meant: “I’m a New Yorker. Fear is my life.” I couldn’t imagine what they went through during that horribly dark time. I recounted how we gathered around our television sets that morning. To actually be in the city where the buildings collapsed, well, it’s a whole new feeling of comprehension. The men I got to know in that room all had their own story to tell. Ultimately, though, they were stories of overcoming. They overcame their fear, their anxieties, and found a renewed strength and passion to do their jobs; terrorism be damned. I felt a sense of pride as an American as I got to hear their stories.

There was a sense of even greater urgency as we discussed these events in another of the world’s tallest buildings, a building that had itself been hit by a plane once. When I left the Empire later that afternoon, I did so not as a visitor, but as someone who was welcomed as a fellow New Yorker, even if it was to be just for a few days.

Subway – Which Way?

Aside from big buildings, New York City has one major challenge for all visitors from out of town: public transportation. The city boasts one of the world’s best public transportation systems (and arguably the most taxis per capita I’ve ever seen).

Whether you want to take a bus or the Subway, you’re sure to get around town very quickly (as long as you don’t drive).
That is, once you figure out just where the hell you want to go. Central Park? Take the A, B, or C train. Uptown? Take the D or F train. Downtown? Take any of these trains, but be sure you’re going the right direction. Crosstown? Take the 1, 2, or 3 trains. Whew. Thank heaven the local NYPD officers were so helpful (and patient) for visitors to ask which train to take.

The Subway has a mystique of its own, which presented to me an experience like I’ve never seen: The subway preacher. One afternoon while I was headed toward Columbus Square, I entered a train that would be at least a five minute ride to the next stop. An African-American man entered the train with a huge duffel bag and began his inspiring message by asking for donations to help his church feed the homeless.

After a few “God Bless You’s,” he began his fiery sermon of how he was once a crackhead, and now he’s filled with the Holy Spirit, changed by the power of God. He spoke with passion and power. Interestingly, though, the entire car largely ignored the man. They listened to their iPods (I think there are more iPods per capita in New York than anywhere else in the world), they read their copy of the New York Post. For me, it was a fascinating experience. For everyone else on the train, it was just another day on the Subway.

My companion and I both bought MetroCards for use around town, which is essential. There are kiosks around town that sell the ubiquitous cards – giving every New Yorker a chance to get around town at their leisure.

Lights, Camera, M&Ms!

If any particular place in New York is overwhelming to this Southern boy, then it’s certainly Times Square. We’ve all seen films that feature this legendary intersection, as well as the countless New Year’s Eve events. There’s seeing it on TV, and then there’s actually seeing it! The lights are as dazzling as they are breathtaking. They move, they dance, they have forty-foot video screens. The Coca-Cola sign, in its latest incarnation, is a broken-up computerized gizmo that has dozens of smaller screens to make up the whole.

In short, the whole experience of Times Square was “Bambi, meet headlights.” I’ll freely admit it: I gawked the entire time. No matter how mentally prepared I was, the dazzle of the Times Square lights was enough to give me a sense of being incredibly, hopelessly small.

I don’t know what came over me. I was instantly on a beeline to some place special. I couldn’t help myself. I was irresistibly drawn to the M&M World store. Call it curiosity, or just call me a “sucker,” but I couldn’t help myself. I HAD to see that store. My sister told me of it, so I knew it was going to be an unique experience. Boy, was it ever!

The store features a myriad of M&M-themed items, all of which were stamped with either the “m” logo or had one (or many) of their M&M mascot characters adorning them.

Along two inner walls were vast columns, each filled with a single color of M&Ms. Combined, they formed a confection spectrum that drew dozens of people at a time, each filling their own bag of M&Ms with their favorite color. I created a red-white-and-blue bag for myself. For my purple-centric partner, it was to be a bag of purple and teal candies.

Now the big question is whether we want to eat them – alas, I’m sure the nostalgia will wear off eventually. I suspect that if I bring them to the office, that my fellow artists will devour them in just a few minutes

The Big Apple in the Big Apple

I admit it. I’m an Apple nerd. I’ve turned over a new leaf. This former windoze-only guy has now been converted into a Mac evangelist! Want to play? Windoze is fine. But if you want to get real work done, then get a Mac! There. I did the “get-a-Mac” spiel. Now go buy yourself a Mac so you can be cool like the rest of us.

Being cool isn’t the only reason to get a Mac, however. When you have a Mac, you can be one of the millions of people who get misty-eyed every time you walk into an Apple store. What’s more, you can visit Apple’s flagship store on 5th Avenue, near Central Park. It is heralded by a giant glass cube with a simple apple logo hovering in the middle of it.

A friend of ours offered to meet us at the Apple store on Wednesday before we went to dinner. Who was I to complain about such a wonderfully brilliant idea? We quickly agreed.

We also deliberately arrived at the store about an hour early so we could properly drool over all the new Macs – especially that nifty little MacBook Air. It’s small, it’s sleek. It’s incredibly light. But no optical drive. Oh well. I’ll stick with my two-week-old MacBook Pro instead.

I know. I’m such a nerd. I was also a nerd in a store full of fellow Mac nerds, and it was indeed Mac heaven. I’m even getting misty-eyed just thinking about it. I actually felt a little depressed that I was already content in my Mac ownership that I didn’t even need to get that mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter. Oh well.

Everything is RENT

One simply cannot visit New York without taking in one of the many shows on Broadway. I found out that RENT, the popular play that opened in 1996 to rave reviews, was due to close this year. It spawned a major motion picture and at least two major soundtracks.

It was a cultural phenomenon as well, and created a whole new class of play attendees called “RentHeads.” These are people who wait at the door in the hopes of getting a chance to sit on the front two rows for only $20 a ticket. After all, what good is a story about bohemia if bohemians can’t see it?

Written as an adaptation of La Vie Boheme, it tells the tale of a group of friends in the late 1980’s who all must endure the impact of HIV and AIDS. What makes the story so universal in its appeal is that while there are indeed some gay subplots, they are merely parts of the overall story.

RENT was written by the late Jonathan Larson, who died of a heart attack the night before opening night. It cast a huge, dark shadow over the entire production. That shadow didn’t last long as the popularity of the play grew into the spotlight once everyone realized that it was actually a great play. Larson’s death actually grew into the mythos of the play, appearing to give it a boost from beyond.

If you’ve seen the movie or heard the soundtrack, you know that there’s a scene during which Maureen encourages the audience to “moo” with her. Yes, we mooed. It was icing on a very rich cake of an evening of entertainment.

An Unexpected Pleasure

One of the most unanticipated delights of the trip was an impromptu visit to a small French diner that’s just across from an ornate French restaurant that looked too expensive to read the sign (maybe that’s why I don’t remember the name of the restaurant). This quant little diner presented a classic 1950’s décor that offered relief from the cold and rain with two older gentlemen who offered a quick dessert and coffee.

I ordered a simple cup of hot tea (with milk instead of lemon) and a Greek salad. I didn’t realize it came with anchovies. I figured, “what the hell?” and tasted one. My dad loves them, so why not? My taste buds apparently haven’t changed very much since the last time I tasted anchovies when I was a child. They were revolting. Not wanting to be an unwelcome guest, I simply moved the rest of them off the plate. Yuck. No more anchovies for David.

The diner itself looked a little out of place in modern New York City, but that was part of its charm. Anchovies aside (literally), there’s nothing like a cup of hot tea on a cold evening, especially after miles of walking in the country’s most storied city.

Oh, the walking. How could I forget? I remembered how much I felt the “burn” after walking through the Sequoia National Forest last year. Even that paled by comparison this time around. We walked so much that even my rear end hurt. I forgot there were muscles back there!

The Exclamation Point

In all, the trip was entirely too short. We visited the Museum of Natural History, only to be chased out after a couple of hours since it was close to closing time. I chuckled at the sight of a standee of the Ben Stiller film, “A Night in the Museum,” which featured the Natural History museum. The planetarium featured a “Cosmic Collisions” film narrated by Robert Redford, and a short film about the Big Bang, narrated by Maya Angelou.

On the other side of the museum were large dioramas and life-size replicas of animals that populate the globe. One room featured a full-size model of a blue whale. Another exhibit featured a cutting from a giant Sequoia. “Been there,” I thought to myself. It was over fourteen feet in diameter. It was a small one.

We took the subway back to the parking garage, and began our gridlocked trip out of town. I’m really glad we weren’t in a hurry, since it was plainly evident that we were going nowhere fast. I started to understand why there was so much advertising plastered all over the walls in New York – What else are drivers going to look at?

We left town via the Holland Tunnel, located on the south side of town. It’s a mile-long tunnel that literally goes under the mighty Hudson River. We emerged on the New Jersey side and began the journey to our next destination.

When we crested a hill a couple of miles later, we saw her. Yes, her. Lady Liberty. Sure, she was a good mile or two away, but there she was in all her glory. The sun had begun to set by then, and the lights were turned on, so she appeared to glow over the horizon.

My breath was completely taken away. Nothing in New York was as breathtaking as seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. I didn’t even think I’d be able to see her, but there she was. God, she was beautiful. I can only imagine the audible gasps that immigrants would release upon seeing her for the first time after a long sea voyage.

This trip was one experience in delight after another. To see the Statue of Liberty at its closure was as fitting of an exclamation point as I could imagine.

Leaving New York City was like leaving a new friend. I don’t think I’ll ever want to live there, but I sure want to go back.