There is a Light That Never Goes Out, The Smiths

On the second day of New York we got to experience Times Square. A part of town that is crowded like Disneyland on a bad summer day, but the spectacle is so worth it.
Our morning started by taking the subway to Times Square. Once I walked out of the station and onto the street I was amazed at all the signs and how tall it is.

Jon and I decided that we were pretty hungry so we found a small store and bought a toasted bagel with butter, and a fruit parfait. Surprisingly its simplicity was amazing and really good.

We then headed out to explore the area. With a stop at the M&Ms store (similar to the Vegas one), American Eagle, and the Hershey's store, we had crossed off the tourist part of our list.




It was then about time to go to our show, Chicago. Thanks to a good friend, I had seen the movie a few nights before our trip, and I have to say it made the musical easier to enjoy. The show starred Michelle Williams aka 1/3 of Destiny's Child who was an amazing singer, and somewhat of a good actress. Part of this is due to the childish and crazy role Roxie Hart. What I loved about the show was the consistency of black and red, the Fosse inspired dance numbers, the simplistic set design, and the singing was incredible. We had an excellent cast for the Saturday matinee.


After the show we went out and decided it was time for lunch at Carnegie Deli. My traveling adventurer and I decided to split a sandwich and both decided that the beef brisket was a good choice. I loved how stacked the sandwiches were, and the fact we got to sit next to random strangers. We happened to sit next to a British family, and then a couple that spoke Spanish. One hilarious moment of our trip was that our waiter had such a heavy accent that we could not understand a single word he said. What made this better was that the two groups of diners next to us had a harder time understanding him. Turns out we just nodded to what he said, and if a similar statement was made we asked him to say it again. Only in NYC!




After our late lunch we had no idea what to do, so we decided to try out for the Wicked raffle. What happens is that you line up and enter your name for a choice of 1 or 2 tickets. Most often these seats tend to be ultimate front row (or close to it) for only $25-ish a ticket. You must pay in cash, so make sure to have it in hand, and you must be present at time of drawing with an ID in your name! Jon and I had seen the Wicked previously so we didn't have a strong desire to see it, but if we won tickets we wouldn't object to it. There was about 50-75 people that had entered, and as fate would have it, we didn't get our names drawn.



The following are details about Broadway Raffles and Cheap Tickets for Students:

SHOW	Raffle Begins prior to Curtain
Hair	2.5 Hours
In the Heights	2.5 Hours
Million $ Quartet	2.5 Hours
Next To Normal	1.5 Hours
Rock of Ages	2 Hours
West Side Story	2.5 Hours
Wicked	2.5 Hours
Behanding	When Box Office Opens
American Idiot	2 Hours
Lend Me a Tenor	When Box Office Opens
Sondheim on Sondheim	When Box Office Opens

Student Tickets:

South Pacific: 1 per student, $20, 2 hours prior to start time.
Sondheim on Sondheim: 1 per student, half price seats, half hour before curtain.
Promises Promises: 2 per student, $30 each, limited, get when box office opens.
Mary Poppins: 1 per ID, $30, when box office opens.
Billy Elliott: 2 per ID, $40.00, 2 hours before curtain TUES, WEDS, THURS only.


We decided to kill some time off of a tip I had been given. In the Times Square Visitors Center you can ask the front desk for some tissue paper to write a wish on. All these wishes are then put on display for 24 hours, and added to the confetti they use for New Year's Eve! I think it's a cool way to help celebrate and make your wish come true.


We then walked briskly over to the Rock of Ages raffle and entered. There was little to no people there and we had a good feeling about it. Turns out that my name got drawn, so we got to Constantine from American Idol in all his glory. Our seats were on the first row of the balcony and were pretty impressive. The show was okay and not something that one would see twice. The musical is filled with rock ballads from the 80's, and multiple inside jokes from that decade. Also there was little to no dancing, unless you count the multiple strip teases that are part of the story line.




After the show, we were pretty hungry so we ventured to Ellen's Stardust Diner which was in Times Square. Who knew that heaven was on the earth. At the diner they have amazingly good food, with ridiculously fun entertainment. All the waiters and waitresses are Broadway bound superstars who perform the entire time! You can even request your favorite songs from musicals, or any hit song. I requested some Lady Gaga but apparently their Gags only works breakfast. BUT they did have one of their waitresses sing the popstar smash song, "...Baby One More Time." I loved it so much I could not help but shimmy and sing along. Sure enough the waitress singing came over to our table and we sang to each other. When you go, make sure to request a table on the main floor in the middle, since this is where all the action takes place! This whole experience is a MUST do if you visit NYC, especially if you have a fun group that likes to sing or dance!



Late Show with David Letterman is just down the street from Ellen's Stardust Diner!



On our way out of Times Square, I loved the way majestic glimmer of smiles looking up and being mesmerized by the glow of the lights. Times Square truly is a magical, yet commercial, place!