I had a lovely time last night with my surprise visitors -- my sister Steph and her daughter Paige, who is 5 1/2. Paige called me as soon as their plane landed. She was so excited to be here on her special trip with Mommy.
I met them for an early dinner at Gramercy Tavern, which is conveniently located close to my office. While Steph and I enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine, Paige was thrilled to enjoy a Coke! (A very rare treat.) She called it her "beer," and the effects were almost immediate. She was buzzing from the sugar and caffeine. Of course, it was all part of Steph's plan to help Paige stay up through the Broadway show!
We went to see South Pacific, and the talent was fantastic. From the orchestra to the performers, the costumes and the sets, everything was breathtakingly beautiful. And Paige was such a trooper! We only saw two other children there, and she was definitely the youngest. Poor baby had gotten up at 4:45 a.m. that day to catch the plane, and she definitely got a zombie look through the performance. But she was completely well-behaved and everyone around us commented on her poise and maturity. And she was entranced enough in the story to stick it out until the end.During one of the opening numbers, a group of guys dressed as sailors sing "There is Nothing Like a Dame." We had incredible seats -- even the usher said they were his favorite seats in the house! They were situated on Row F in the orchestra and were overlooking a stairway where the performers would enter and exit. This meant no one was directly in front of us! During the "Dame" song, at one point, all the guys turned in our direction and seemed to be singing directly to us. I swear I caught eyes with one cute guy, and he continued to sing while maintaining my gaze. I felt my face go hot (I'm sure I was red) and it seemed to go on for several somewhat-uncomfortable minutes. I can't remember the last time I blushed, but it was such a powerful experience. I love Broadway! I love the talent, the live performance, the energy you get from the performers and even from the other patrons around you. I like the smaller theaters where you feel almost a part of the action.
All in all, quite an "enchanted evening," to borrow one of the popular songs from the show.
