Having been away from my grandkids for three months, we decided to spend a few days together on a “staycation” in the Theater District during their school break. It was a great getaway!
I was happy to finally be going back to the theater and feeling the beat of our great city. It didn’t disappoint, as we had an extraordinary visit.
We chose a hotel in Times Square to be in the center of our adventure. Soon after we checked into the hotel, we went for an early dinner to catch a 7 p.m. show of “& Juliet,” a fantastic new musical at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, just steps from Times Square.
I wasn’t prepared for the remarkably brilliant and talented cast singing and dancing their hearts out. Every stunning musical number received roaring cheers from the audience.
The premise of the musical story is based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and has many twists and turns.
At one point during the show, the audience was clapping and dancing at their seats. At the end of the performance, the cast received a much-deserved standing ovation with thunderous applause!
My grandkids — ages 11 to 17 — were enthralled by the story and the music.
All of the songs were written by the prolific and brilliant Swedish songwriter Max Martin. He has more No. 1 singles on the charts than anyone except for Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
I recognized a number of his songs in the show, including: “…Baby One More Time;” ‘It’s Gonna Be Me;” “Teenage Dream;” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” The words of his old songs were adapted to the characters of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The “new” story of “Romeo and Juliet” was told through the voice of Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway.
I laughed and laughed and applauded wildly.
“& Juliet” is a must-see production that should be on any bucket list of Broadway shows. What a night!
The following day, I brought my grandson Jonah with me to see the New York Mets’ home-opener at Citi Field. We visited Steve Cohen in his owner’s box and he was smiling ear to ear as he watched his team take a nine-run lead!
Cohen’s company Point72 is a contender to get a casino license and his staff has hosted a series of community “visioning sessions.” The goal is to hear from Queens residents and ask them what they would like to include in the plan that he will be presenting to the New York State Gaming Commission.
He is an extraordinary owner and makes us all feel his pride in our home team. He is a man of action and his caring persona will help to build our beloved Mets team into a World Series contender. He gets it!
Jonah was thrilled to meet his favorite star Ralph Maccio when we visited the owner’s box, which is a large and bright “living/dining room” space with comfortable seating for guests while looking out over the field. What a great view they have!
I met some terrific Mets staffers Maicy Schwartz, Nancy Elder, June Napoli and Cathy Montalto in person after many phone meetings.
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And watching the team win was the whipped cream on top of the cake of being at Opening Day!
The few days of family time continued with a delicious Italian meal at the intimate Don Giovanni restaurant on West 44th Street.
Thanks to Cary Scott Goldinger, on Sunday I took my granddaughter Addy to Barclays Center, where we watched the Brooklyn Nets be beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers. But since we own Metro Philadelphia, it was a win for my other “hometown” team!
What a sweet ending to a “staycation” in which we bonded and built lasting memories!
