Have you been inside the museum? We should go...

It’s about 11:30 on Tuesday night, Josh is reading my book on the couch and I’m sitting on the bed with his computer.  We’re listening to music.

I was woken up this morning at some unknown hour, possibly around 4am by a phone call from London.  My lovely friend Laura quickly realised I was in New York, not Australia and promised to call me back at a more reasonable hour.  She called at around 9:30am and the good news is, I have somewhere to stay for my first month in London.  That’s a relief, seeing as this time next week, I’ll be there.

So after that piece of good news, Josh and I got up and assessed the weather.  The autumn winds of yesterday looked like hanging around so we came up with a rainy day itinerary, got ready, and went to Aubergine for breakfast.

Our mission for the day was to hit the American Museum of Natural History, including the Rose Centre for Earth and Space.  When you get off the subway at 81^st Street you walk straight into the lower ground entrance.  The suggested adult ticket price is $16, but we decided to pay $10 each…  Weird and a little awkward to tell them you don’t want to pay the full price, but we’re on a budget so it was worth it.

We spent a while in the Rose Centre learning about space and meteorites and finding out what our weight would be if we lived on the Moon or Mars or Halley’s Comet.  We walked along a timeline that ran for 3billion years.  Space was tiring, so after conquering the Hall of Planet Earth we went in search of the rest of the museum through a series of hallways, cafes, and the endless stream of gift shops.

We were enlightened on theories of evolution; genetics and gems; minerals and mammals from Africa, Asia, and North America.  We spent a lot of time looking at sea creatures and marvelling at the giant whale suspended from the ceiling… Still not sure what’s keeping it up there.  That was slightly disconcerting. We walked through a model rainforest and looked at the world’s biggest tree stump.  Finally, we made our way to the top floor to meet the dinosaurs.

The museum swallowed us whole and kept us entertained for a good 4-5 hours.  It’s such a remarkable building.  Unfortunately, the entrance hall was under construction.  I imagine it’s a very impressive room.  We chose to focus of seeing the animals today, but looking back at the map, we didn’t actually miss too much (just through our meandering).  Of course, it’s the kind of museum you could visit again and again if you really wanted to absorb every detail.  So much learning.

Afterwards, sitting in Theodore Roosevelt Park we made a decision to see another show, so we caught the subway 39 blocks south and bought $27 rush tickets to A Little Night Music with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch.  So much excitement.

We had dinner at Chipotle, yes it’s a fast food chain, but I can’t believe I only discovered it today.  Basically, you purchase a burrito and then they pile any Mexican themed food item onto it, wrap it up in alfoil and hand it to you in a little basket.  I had chicken, rice with lime, black beans, mild salsa, sour cream, and cheese.  It was so delicious I nearly fainted with delight.  I need more.  I could eat another now… I’m making myself hungry.  I’ll move on.

Sitting on the steps of the Hilton Theatre (it’s unoccupied until Spiderman – The Musical goes up) we shared a ridiculous creation from Cold Stone, which is pretty much just like Cold Rock.  We had cake batter flavoured ice cream with sprinkles, brownies, and fudge mixed in.  I told you it was ridiculous.  And delicious.  

In the theatre we climbed the stairs towards the very top, to seating they clearly just decided to cram in around the follow-spot operators.  Still, I can’t complain, aside from a little (mocked) vertigo and some concern for Josh’s centre of gravity with regard to the low railing, they were perfectly good seats.

I absolutely loved this production.  It was so beautiful.  Everything about it.  Elaine Stritch was incredible and hilarious and Bernadette Peters was perfectly idiosyncratic (and therefore excellent)…  Everyone, everything was perfect.  Gush, gush, gush.  Aside from the fact that I want to play every female role in that show, it was just… I don’t know. I’m back in that awe struck place.  I loved it so much that I can’t articulate my view. 

It was both musically and visually beautiful with such clever characterisation.  I cried for half of the second act.  This time they were a mix of spontaneous musical theatre tears and tears of emotion… And I may also have cried due to the beauty of the closing image.  I’m spending half of my trip sitting in theatres crying.  I'm ok with that.

I was left in a daze afterwards, the last time I felt this way was after seeing Parade at The Donmar in 2007.

And here I am, basking in the afterglow of an amazing theatrical experience.

While it’s nice to sleep in comfort with a quilt and listen to the wind outside, I’m hoping summer returns before I leave New York next week.  I know all too well that I’m heading to the land of eternal winter (at least that’s what it feels like) and I’d like one more hit of sunshine… Please?

Love, Jules xx