#129 It’s a Wonderful World in New York City
Another weekend trip to see a new musical and more.
Photo by Joan Naidorf
Our family of five just took a chance on the late December weather in New York City for another whirlwind weekend. The mid-town area was packed with people coming into see holiday lights and all the sights around Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Everyone layered up the jackets, gloves, and hats as the evening wind chill dipped into the low teens.
We caught a Friday morning train from Union Station in DC and arrived at lunch time at New York’s Penn Station. We wheeled our bags through the streets to BXL Café in the Times Square area. We enjoyed the wide selection of Belgian food and beers on tap. They even have the beaker style glasses for Kwak. If you know, you know.
Our stop a few hours later for pre-theatre dinner was Frena on Tenth Avenue. Chef Efi Naon features dishes from several countries that is marketed as Frena Fired Modern Middle Eastern Cuisine. The bread is baked on site with a nice selection of spreads. We chose the small plates selection and the kids quickly found the Manhattan $22 cocktails to enjoy.
A short walk east on 54th Street brought us to the space that was once Studio 54 and is now the Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54. The family was delighted by the production of “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” We could hardly believe how versatile actor James Monroe Iglehart replicates the raspy voice and that famous eye rolls of the jazz trumpet great.
I had no idea if my three “Millennial” adult children would even know about Armstrong, who died in 1971. What they got was a charitable retelling of the life, career, and personal foibles of one of the most beloved performers of the 20th Century.
The show has a pleasant combination of Satchmo’s most famous tunes combined with the original ballads sung by the four ladies who play his jilted wives. The singing and dancing numbers are blended with the narrative of this man who was seemingly exploited by most of white people as well as the black people that he worked with. Armstrong struggles to find his own voice in matters of racism and political activism is featured in the production.
Although I found the running time of the show to be a bit too long, I highly recommend it. Armstrong was a complicated man and the audience gets to enjoy the lows and the highs of his amazing career. The show even includes a sing-along version of his much-loved version of “Hello, Dolly!” Just go and enjoy.
Our Saturday plans got upended when our other play choice, the Tammy Faye musical, closed in early December after poor reviews. We pivoted to chose an afternoon performance of The Big Apple Circus, in residence at Lincoln Center, right next to the Metropolitan Opera House. We braved the pre-Christmas hoards of families with small kids to see the tightly orchestrated show.
photo by Joan Naidorf
As a family of poodle-lovers, we came mainly to see the act of “The Cartoon Poodles.” From their website:
“The Cartoon Poodles, a family of 6th-generation circus performers and animal trainers from Chile, specialize in working with poodles. For their human family, these poodles are more than just a tradition; they are considered part of the family. Over a dozen poodles live in luxury with their owners and have access to their own mobile outdoor exercise yard.
Training these poodles is straightforward, focusing on love, motivation, and treats. These lively and talented dogs entertain hundreds of spectators daily with their energy and charm.”
These are some pampered performers who walk on their hind legs, jump over plumes, and one standard even rides a scooter. These are the only animals who perform in the circus. The other clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and trapeze artists worked hard to delight the crowds. The very enthusiastic child behind me spent most of the show yelling commentary and kicking the back of my chair.
After a short rest, we took the subway downtown to catch the L train to Brooklyn. A block from the Lorimer Avenue stop is the Williamsburg Brooklyn institution: DeStefano’s Steakhouse. We heard that this was even better than that other famous Brooklyn steakhouse. We were not disappointed by the stellar service, gigantic steaks, and delicious sides. It felt very much like the neighborhood joint that every community would love to have. It’s another great choice.
The weekend went a little south with my husband suffering through a GI virus overnight on Saturday and into Sunday. We were lucky to medicate and get him on the slightly delayed evening train back to DC. Fortunately, the rest of us stayed well and got to sing hello, Dolly, to our very excited miniature poodle at home. It was so nice to be back where we belonged.
