Standing O~Grease Weekend 7/26/08

[Tricia]

I am so happy with all of the recaps that have been written after our wonderful weekend. I like reading all the different experiences that people had and seeing the weekend through other people's eyes. Great job all!

I usually don't write recaps because after I come back from one of our adventures I am usually so busy catching up that I just don't have the time. But, I wanted to do one this time, even if it took me a couple of days to write it. Anyone who knows my writing will know that this won't be short. I think I will post in parts since I noticed the forum had issues with scrolling on Gretchen's post.

Part 1

I met my traveling companions, Margaux and AH in Nashua, NH where we picked up a bus to bring us to South Station in Boston. We took Amtrak's Acela to Penn Station in NY. This is definitely a great way to get to NY, the whole trip was easy and stress free, I would definitely recommend it! I would also recommend traveling with Margaux and AH. They are awesome traveling companions. I'm sure the people around us were wishing we would shut up, because we talked the entire time!

Once in NYC we took a cab to our hotel, the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. AH had made all the arrangements for our room, where Liz would also stay, and for another where Amyrebo, DebD, Niky and Katie would stay. Thank you AH for doing this, and thanks to our hotel guardian angel Jennifer! The hotel was very cool, sort of modern, but retro modern, if that makes any sense at all. These are some shots from the lobby. There were definitely comments about some of the lobby details! An NESP rorschach test of sorts - what do you see in the first and last photos.







The room was very spacious, particularly for a NYC hotel. Our room looked out the Broadway side of the hotel and our view was of a stock ticker, giant Hershey's candies, a huge screen that showed ads and CNN news, and an enormous billboard of Diddy.

The Saturday evening boat ride on the river to view the Waterfalls and hear a bit about NYC history was so much fun. It was a beautiful evening and the tour guide on the boat was pretty funny. We had dinner at a restaurant right at the Seaport. Amy and I wondered if we should order the "strawberry shrotcake" but thought better of it.

Back in a cab, a little rest in our room where we were joined by Kathy and Diane, and then off to the stagedoor to check out Taylor. The sound of the crowd screaming for him as he came through the door was music to my ears. You could tell by looking at the gathering, that the people who were waiting were mostly non-SP people, and that made me very happy! He's definitely doing it his way - one fan at a time!

Then Diane took us to The Marriott Marquis. First, we took a very fast glass elevator ride up to the top of the hotel, the 45th floor. We cramed at least a dozen women in the elevator, and I think we may have frightened one young gentleman who dared to get on around the 30th floor! Then we had a drink at the Broadway Lounge. Yes, a drink - that was all we could afford at that place!

The next morning it was off to the Carnegie Deli, where a dozen of us experienced a NY deli breakfast of eggs, blintzes, latkes, egg creams, hashes, and some cheesecake. After breakfast we went our separate ways. AH and I decided we wanted to go to the Museum of Modern Art. In our neck of the woods we don't see a lot of modern art, so that drove our decision to go to MoMA over the other museums. And what a great decision it was. Unfortunately when we went in, we somehow missed the fact that there was an entire Dali exhibition on the 6th floor. We ended up finding it, but didn't spend that much time there since we were tired and it was getting late. If we had known, we would have started there. But regardless, we saw some fascinating pieces - pieces which I had only ever seen in books before and now I was standing in front of them!

A painting I had never seen before, but one of my favorites from the day. I wish I could remember the name, something about soccer.



The Show - Part 2 to Come!

[TayFan76]

Sounds like everyone had a blast; wish I coulda been there. thanks for sharing all your stories, I enjoyed reading them all

[marymagdalene]

Tricia Wrote:Anyone who knows my writing will know that this won't be short. I think I will post in parts since I noticed the forum had issues with scrolling on Gretchen's post.

There were problems with scrolling on my post?
I'm sorry!
I did not mean to cause any trouble!

Very interesting photos of the hotel, and there are 2 things that immediately came to my mind when observing the 2 photos in question...

[AgingHippie]

Happy dancing to have stable internet again - didn't get home until Tuesday night and then had provider problems for the last couple of days. It was really annoying to either continually lose the connection or take so long to load that it timed out - so finally gave up trying to do much !
Have decided it is even more fun reading the recaps almost a week later though ! !


It was so nice to finally meet azure and tishlp who I've posted with "forever" - lol - - you are both just as you appear on the board - and that is a compliment in case you are wondering - - hope our paths cross again. So happy you got such a positive response from Taylor for your act of kindness, azure - - seems to suggest he is much more aware of people and their actions than we may think.
It was great fun meeting the rest of you too - THawks, PBoyers, Taylorbug, Txsoulgal, nys1emt, bates, Claireb7tx , and Skeeter (briefly) - - think I got all the people
I hadn't met at all before NYC ? [ hope ! ] Taylorbug - I'm still chuckling btw.
And to the regular "motley crew" - - always so much fun to get together - KEB - it was nice to meet you again when I was fully awake and functioning ! LOL



On to the show -- so much has been said - and far better than I can - so only adding some impressions.
One being that eating a little crow isn't too bad with some salt, pepper and a generous amount of garlic - - the tail feathers make good toothpicks too.

Afraid I am still not a fan of Grease itself - - but I didn't hate it and did have some laughs - - the cast as a whole does a credible job and there are some very good voices in the group. For me, with the exception of Rizzo and Frenchie, the guys have it over the gals as singers and even more so in acting abiity. Just a personal opinion - no tomatoes please.
The set is really interesting if you have ever done college or community theater and struggled with how to make scenes work on a shoestring budget. Would have loved to get a closer look at all the backstage doodads and gizmos and how they function. Especially liked the way they handled the transformation of the car.

I never doubted that Taylor would do a good job with the part - - but he has definitely taken it over the top into the realm of "camp" and made the cheesy Teen Angel into something truly fun and memorable. I even kinda like the costume in person (she admits grudgingly ) The increase in the audience energy and excitement is palpable when Taylor hits the stage. He does indeed put his own stamp on everything he touches - and I feel a bit sorry for whoever follows him.

The Talkback idea is fantastic and wish it was easier for individuals to do - - think many people would be willing to make donations if there were a way to join one without the group ticket sales requirement. As others have mentioned, I was very proud of our group for showing interest and enthusiasm for all the cast members who took the time to speak with us. Enjoyed listening to the comments from all who participated. It was also nice to see the easy camarade Taylor has with them.

I'm not comfortable with the bus lines at concerts and the stage door was no different - so I found myself stepping back and observing as usual.
(and no I am not in the pictures - my choice - but wish our Admin had been front and center - and where the heck was Liz ? )
When I'm crowd watching I tend to look for faces that don't seem to be part of the "official traveling fandom " - I like to see how they are reacting - and that was fairly easy to do both Saturday and Sunday night.
I had accepted that this was a good move from a business perspective - so having that reinforced by what I saw and heard made me smile - a lot.

T'was a nice diversion - - now back to patiently waiting for a new album from a very talented musician . . . . .




The rest of the crow - - -

It is a very different New York from the one I remembered - - just as you promised, Diane.
Am so glad you and some others - Margaux especially - talked me into going.
I not only didn't hate it - - I had a great time !

BTW thank you for the photo of the Crown bag, Diane - it went from my friend's workshop to a pocket in the suitcase - never crossed my mind to take a picture.

Am going to do a quick commercial for the Times Square Renaissance - it's always scary to chose a hotel for other people but couldn't have been more pleased with the property and the staff and would happily recommend it to anyone.

Others have mentioned some of the things we did as a group - - but Sunday afternoon Tricia and I took off on our own and went to MoMA - - it was a highlight of the trip for me so have to touch on it - - but if art's not your thing then feel free to stop here

For this gal who lives amid farmland and trees - it was a little like being a kid in a really nifty candy store - with so much to absorb in so little time. I'm a fairly selective fan of modern art - there is much that raises my eyebrows way into my hairline - but we stood in front of some incredible pieces that - like a couple of my favorite musicians - have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

Have always been intrigued with Jackson Pollock for example, but now have a whole new depth of respect for his work. And it was so different seeing Monet's Large Water Lilies as a full connected work - the grandeur of it is lost when seen in pictures of the separate panels. The detailed scale models of actual incredible buildings were fascinating (Spain had the coolest ones hands down btw) as were some high tech textiles from a company in Japan.

As Tricia said it was unfortunate we didn't know to start with the Salvador Dali gallery - but what we did have time to take in was simply incredible. A quote of his always comes to mind when I see his work - - "The difference between a madman and me is that I am not mad."
It seems to me a Surrealist would have to dance on the edge of madness to find such incredible visions of the world.
One of his earlier works that I particularly like was on display - The First Day of Spring



Being from Maine, walking around a corner and finding myself a few feet from Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World" will be a very special memory from this trip..



The painting is based on Christina Olsen who lived in Cushing, Maine where Wyeth did a number of paintings - this one being one of the best known American paintings of the 20th century and is considered a modern masterpiece.


Shutting up now with this final thought from a die-hard skeptic - -
The only thing I regret about my NYC / Grease adventure was that it ended too soon - - well - could have done without the $10 Tanqueray & tonics too -

[amyrebo]

This photo cracked me up (thanks Taylorbug). Once again, my dear sister front and center.

[AllyKat]

Sounds like everybody had such a great time!
Thanks, everyone, for posting your recaps & great memories for us all to share.

[SegerHicks]

Amy,
When I saw Diane's first goup pic I was wondering who the woman up front next to Taylor was...I recognized more than half of those in the shot but several I had no clue....now the mystery of YOUR SISTER is solved!!

You can give her a hard time about that for a lonnngggg time.
She's supposed to let you get the best position, right?

SH

[LISA]

:shocked:Your sister shoulder to shoulder with Taylor. I'd be razzing her for a LONG time.Hell come to think of it I make her stay home from now on,Segar's right she should of hauled your ass up there to the front!!Perfect that made my rainey Monday morning.Give this to your sister from me I'm glad all of you had a great time.