NYC Day 2

Leaving Newark

We got up and ate the hotel breakfast, which was pretty good (all I could eat were the scrambled eggs, which were surprisingly tasty), then checked out. 

Jon and I wheeled our luggage a few blocks to the train station--a very old building that was probably built when trains were first invented. As we approached, we could see a train leave, which was going where we wanted to go. So we had to wait for a bit til the next train. Eventually we made it into Manhattan. 

Manhattan New York LDS Temple 

We got out of the subway, and as we were going up the stairs to the street, we could see the Manhattan Temple. Beautiful! We went inside (they stored our luggage for us in a closet) and just missed the 11am session, so we hung out until the 12:30pm session. It was so quiet and peaceful -- the perfect way to start our time in NYC. Just behind the recommend desk was a wall of stained glass, and then in the endowment room it felt like the Sacred Grove. (Inside the other part of the building is also an LDS chapel and a stake center.) 

Exploring the Area

Afterwards, we took the subway to Times Square so we could check into our Airbnb. Conrad and Sarah had arrived and were waiting for us. We were HUNGRY. It was time for the nearest pizza place we could find. I had a really good chicken salad. 

We just felt like walking around the general Times Square area, so that's what we did.  So many huge buildings, so many people. At times it felt exciting, and other times overwhelming. 

We were really close to lots of places, including NBC!

Barrow Street Theatre

After a while, Jon and I said goodbye to Conrad and Sarah, because we had tickets for a show. We got on the subway and headed to the Barrow Street Theatre in lower Manhattan. We still had about an hour so we wandered and found stuff. 

This was a place that sold juice and shakes, but it also had gluten-free, vegan bakery stuff! I had the chocolate donut. I haven't had a donut in years. So tasty! 

Apparently donuts spawn creativity, so I sat and wrote the beginning of the next chapter of a book I'm working on. I felt so New Yorker-ish. 

We found this very interesting bookstore. It just felt so... unoppressive and non-imperialist in there. 

Then it was time to head back to the Barrow Street Theatre for some Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd summary:

A man gets off a boat to old London after 15 years of being imprisoned on a trumped up charge. He's mad at the man, Judge Turpin, who sent him there. So he seeks revenge and figures he should change his name to Sweeney Todd and no one will be the wiser. 

But then he finds that his wife is gone and his daughter is in the care of the very same judge. The plot thickens. 

Sweeney meets the owner of a meat pie shop, Mrs. Lovett, and he rents out the top of her pie shop so he can go back to his old profession as a barber. Only, he starts to use his razors for more than just shaves. 

For this production of Sweeney Todd, the Barrow Street Theatre was transformed to meat pie shop! It was so amazing. 

During the production, actors jumped onto tables, rubbed miracle elixir on the bald men's heads, and generally terrified all of us. We loved it! 

Norm Lewis was equal parts scary and endearing -- exactly what you want in a demon barber. Mrs. Lovett made us laugh out loud the whole time. Toward the end, Norm Lewis was looking for Tobias and ran around the theatre, and was right next to us. We almost fainted. 

Sweeney Todd - Norm Lewis
Mrs. Lovett - Carolee Carmello 
Judge Turpin - Jamie Jackson
Tobias - John-Michael Lyles
Pirelli & Beggar Woman - Stacie Bono 
Anthony - Matt Doyle 
Joanna - Alex Finke
Beadle Bumford - Brad Oscar 

The music was by just a piano, violin, and clarinet. The musicians were incredible. 

This show was a huge highlight of our trip! Jon tweeted about it and Norm Lewis liked it. :)

More about this production: http://www.sweeneytoddnyc.com

Continue to NYC Day 3>>>