New York, New York

by Penny Nelson

Peggy and I try to go out of town once each year, usually to a fiber festival.  We don't drive and don't vend.  We just go and get inspiration and new ideas and usually do our best to see that each fiber festival is a financial success.  The standard process involves at least one stop at a discount store to pick up additional luggage so we can haul our purchases home.  We went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival this way and the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival.  This year our trip was a bit different.  Peggy's cousin Kevin Ligon plays one of the principal characters in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.  How could we miss that?  Peggy's husband actually got the first invitation but decided not to go because he's getting ready to leave for a weaving class in Arizona soon.  I'm sorry he didn't go but I'm so glad he didn't go!  I got to go instead.

New York is vast.  I grew up in the Chicago area and trust me.... New York is amazingly huge.  We were there for six days and didn't even begin to scratch the surface.  There are so many different things to do, people to see, food to eat, monuments to visit, shops to visit, sights to see.  Wow.  Here is the list...

The Statue of Liberty - huge and moving and glorious to see even if they are still doing internal repairs.

Ellis Island - My father-in-law came through there in 1924.  It's moving and a wonderful museum.

Lincoln Center - Nicholas Cage and Cher were not there (Moonstruck) nor where Sigorney Weaver and Bill Murray (Goastbusters 2) but it was wonderful to see the theaters and listen to the acoustics.

We saw three plays.  All of them were wonderful.  Phantom of the Opera was enchanting.  Kevin took us back stage after the performance.  We met the two actors in the lead roles - the Phantom and Christine and they were delightful.  We got to walk across the stage and through the costume closet.  And we sat over dinner for hours.  Kevin could not have been nicer and it was fascinating to hear about Broadway from the actor's perspective.

Peggy and I saw Wicked here in Houston a couple of years ago but saw it again on Broadway.  There were some interesting differences in blocking and dialog but the actors who played Glinda and Elphaba in the roadshow performance here were the same ones we saw in New York.  Now we want to follow the road show around the country and see it in all the major cities!

We also saw Harvey starring Jim Parsons.  You may know him as Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory on  TV.  He is from Houston and we thought it was appropriately supportive to see him in Harvey.  I know he is a very intuitive actor and I was sure he would pick us out of the crowd and invite us to dinner with him after the performance.  OK.  That might be just a bit far fetched and no, he did not invite us to dinner.  But he did a fabulous job.  I'd go back and see him in just about anything.

Part of our trip had to be involved with fiber or at least yarn.  We managed to visit quite a few yarn shops and one weaving studio.  Most of them were wonderful.  Here are the ones we liked....

All these shops had beautiful fiber and yarn, great tools, nice and knowledgeable personnel.  We found some great bead shops too.  Look for more beads on our yarn and finished goods!

So now we are home.  I'm so glad.

New York was throbbing with vitality which is wonderful the first few days but made me feel like I would never be calm again.  I don't remember the last time I logged so many miles walked.  The constant noise level, the honking, the crush of humanity and the expense were all draining by the end of the trip.  I'm so glad we went.  We met lots of great people and had a blast.  I'm so glad we're home!

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