2000 and Thin: 168-169: Honest Living and the Gay Pride Parade

I remember last year when I used to rave to my Tita Chona about how enchanting New York City was. The lights. The sights. The sounds of Broadway. The hectic, always on-the-go hustle and bustle. It was every bit the lifestyle that I dreamed of. Wining and dining in restaurants before and after the show. Catching a Broadway show everyday. Shopping til you're a-dropping all night long. It was heaven. Then she said something, "You're saying that now because you're in New York with a wallet. Try being here when you don't have any money." Wow, I never really thought about that.

I was with Harvey last night, out in the town, talking finances and what not. I was telling him that lately, I've been thinking twice, and even three times, about the things that I spend on. I don't go about shopping on a whim, accumulating tabs of epic proportions, or tearing down the store without even looking at the price tag. Now, I only buy like 2 to 3 items at a time, and these are well thought of, well considered, and by process of elimination, the last items standing. I'm more aware now of my expenditures and the things I spend my money on.

I know it's a good thing. Yes. But also, it's kinda weird coz all of a sudden, I don't wanna be here in New York anymore because every corner I turn, I can't help but spend. On food. On shopping. On Broadway. It's terrible. So lately, I've been killing my time between shows by taking the subway back to my brother's apartment and just watching my downloaded movies of HARRY POTTER. I am currently in the Chamber of Secrets. Or just surfing the net. It's better to be indoors and not spend, rather than be outdoors and spend. New York demystified? Life elucidated.

On a less emo note.. here are some pictures from the Gay Pride Parade that happened last Sunday. Fun!

(photos taken from the net since mine were like... slipshod)

BROADWAY REVIEWS

Day 168 (Sunday)

3pm: RED
RATING 5/5

When I first saw this on Broadway.com, I already knew it was going to be special. I don't really know Alred Molina but his name rings a bell. I saw a brief overview online and when I read that it was going to be about art, I just knew I had to watch it. And boy, I don't regret moving things around just to be able to catch the last show. Alfred Molina was amazing. And that Redgrave dude who acted alongside him was just amazing. I believe they both won Tony Awards for this performance. The show was basically a series of socratic debates on art. There you have Molina, high-brow, coming from a puritanical place of how his art is hoisted on a high tower, lambasting neo-artists like Andi Warhol who would make a can of Campbell soup seem like art. And then you have a youngling like Redgrave who would take in all the convulsions of Molina. A quick learner, he starts to challenge the thoughts of Molina and level with him in a hopeful, almost idealistic stance. The show was the right mix of humor and drama for me. Goosebumps.

7pm: AMERICAN IDIOT
RATING 4/5

I had to check this out. It's a musical featuring the songs of Green Day. Now, I only really knew 21 Guns and American Idiot. But I had totally forgotten that they had written WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS, BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS, and TIME OF YOUR LIFE as well. The musical also starred that dude who won the Tony Award in Spring Awakening as the lead guy. The set was amazing. The choreography was amazing. The costumes were amazing. The lights were amazing. Everything in the show was amazing. But at the end of it all, I found myself asking, "What's the point?" Maybe it was the lack of story. It reminded me of WE WILL ROCK YOU where the plot was just sort of forced into it just to the make the songs of Queen work. You have three friends. One left to like have drugs. Another stayed because his girlfriend got pregnant. And another was shipped off to the military. I'm like... ummm what? There was no emotional hook for me though it had all the ingredients and the makings of a great show. Maybe that's why it didn't win the Tony Awards unlike its predecessor Spring Awakening. It was a show made by the same producers which is why I saw a few familiar faces in the cast. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Day 169 (Monday) NEXT TO NORMAL
RATING 4/5

I don't know why I decided to watch this show again. Maybe 'coz the first time I saw it, I left with goosebumps and tulala for the longest time. The show was excellent, poignant, powerful and it left me speechless. The music was superb, as was the acting of Alice Ripley and the rest of the cast. Besides being late for the five minutes, I remember that I regret catching it on one of my last nights on Broadway so I didn't really have the chance to see it again. Well, so now, I did. And well, I don't know. It sort of fell flat for me. Brian D'Arcy James who replaced the original dad sounded good. He played Shrek by the way. However, I dunno... I found myself not really caring. The new son was annoying. I still prefer the old one but of course, after his stint in Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty, I don't think he'll be returning to Broadway anytime soon. I found myself drifting instead to the aesthetic and technical elements of the show. Taking cue of the light, the sets, and even the choreography. It's still pretty good, don't get me wrong. But maybe I shouldn't have wasted my money on a show that I had already seen...