Hey cool peeps out there. It appears that I am going to fall even further behind in my attempt to get all my pictures up on this, but don't worry, that's just because I have MORE pictures to share.
This week, I was talking to Teresa online, and she was telling me how she was getting into New York this weekend, and she just casually dropped the suggestion that I come down, since she has the weekend free and doesn't start work until Monday. And I was like, yeah, that would be fun. And then I just thought to myself, well why shouldn't I go? There isn't a single reason.
Every single person in my class has made it to New York several times this year, with the exception of me. I just prevent myself from going, and I have absolutely no idea why that is. And 110 in the Shade is currently performing a limited run in New York starring Audra McDonald, and I DESPERATELY wanted to see it, and I start work this week, so didn't know the next time I'd have this chance would be. So spontaneously I decided, yes, I'm going to go down to New York for the weekend!
Before I had finished talking to Teresa online, we already had our tickets for 110 in the Shade, and I was SO pumped about this trip.
I went the next day to South station and bought my ticket for the bus on Saturday at around 11, bringing me into the city by about 4 so teresa and I could grab some dinner before the show.
But before I get to that, other exciting stuff happened. It appeared devinie intervention was at hand this week as I got to see not 1, but two of my good friends from Arizona. Julia came out to Boston for her sister's graduation. So on friday we got to spend the day together. Unfortuneately it was raining the entire time, and my attempt to brave the weather and walk the streets was short lived. So we came back to my apartment, made hot cocoa and watched casino Royale instead.
I also even go tup the guts to make Julia dinner. I am NOT a good cook, and am trying to improve myself, which I think I am accomplishing, and this was the first time that I ever made an actual dinner dish for anyone. It was my patented teriaky chicken.
So saturday came, and off I went to New York. I got to Time Square, and found Teresa and we went and got some Italian food for dinner (chicken alfredo that was amazing, but sat like a rock in my stomach for the rest of the night). We then went off to get our tickets for the show, but then had about 2 hours to kill. Two hours in New York city, and two crazy kids with a camera? What are the odds, we took pictures?
First, here is me on the bus ready to leave for the big city. the ride down there was really nice because it wasn't very full, so I had my whole row to myself, which I lied across and took a nap on...
Here is me in front of the Drowsy Chaperone poster in Time Square, attempting to be Mary Poppins
Teresa and I next moved on to Toys R Us, here we are, attempting to scale the lego Empire State building...
They even made a lego Captain Jack Sparrow, which I thought was extremely exciting. By the way I am SO excited for that movie to come out this weekend!!!!!!!!!
We spent an embarassingly long time in Barbie's house, just because it was really funny to say that we were in there for so long
By the way, I saw Shrek 3 at 10 pm the night before it came out (I don't understand how that was legal or how we managed that, but yeah). Very funny movie, though not as good as the others simply because the story needed to be developed more, or cut down so that which they did have was developed fully.
Here is me with one of the stars of said movie...
I really like that picture by the way, even though my hair looks brown again in it.
Another thing Garrett is outrageously exicted for?
In the Toys R Us candy station, they have all the characters from the candyland game (except for the queen whatever her name is, Teresa looked tirelessly for her)
Like a true theme park, they take your picture upon entering the store, and like true college students, we take pictures of the pictures instead of buying them.
Then we went to what I had been waiting for my whole life, a broadway show starring Audra McDonald!!!
I basically just took my picture with every poster of her I could find
And I finally got what I had wanted since last November when it evaded me, Audra's signature. I did not however get a picture with her, we were a little towards the back and I'm sure I would have managed it if I had been forceful and patient, but it started to rain pretty good and I was nervous cuz I had a poster and my signed playbill that I didn't want to get ruined. But I did get a picture of her!
She's so beautiful! And just for the record, the show itself was good, she was freaking fantastic! Tony award worthy all the way! I can't even begin to describe how impressed I was by her overall performance, she was histarical, and then she was heart breaking, and the amount of passion that just emminated when she breathed! It was Incredible. The story is about a woman who isn't able to find herself a man, because she's outspoken and smart and strong, and what have you. Then a rain maker comes to town who re awakens in her a sense of her own woman hood.
Two best scenes in the show, the one where the brother told Audra that she was ugly (I did cry, as did she) and teh one where the rainmaker got her to say that she was beautiful (I think the whole audience cried)
Best night at the theatre I have ever had. And when it rained at the end! SO GOOD!
We then went to teresa's hotel where she was spending the night, getting only significantly lost on our way there. Then I was caught in bed with my lover:
The next day I headed back to the theatre district nice and early in order to get student rush tickets for Grey gardens. However, there was no one else there, so instead I went over to rockerfeller plaza for a short while, got a jamba juice, then came back two hours later and was still first in line. Front row center for twenty dollars.
After that I ahd three more hours until the show, so I first went to central park (by way of a bakery that had these INCREDIBLE chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate) and I layed on the grass for about an hour, appropriately I listened to Sunday in the Park with George as I watched the people pass by.
I then went back and hit Colony music, which was a mistake because it took ever ounce of will power I possess to not drop about 200 dollars on stuff I wanted, though I was smart and wrote down the things that caught my eye ;)
Grey Gardens was an incredible show. It's based off of the documentary by the same name, about Edith and Edie Bouvier, the cousins of Jackie O. They were the socialites of socialites during the fourties, and their mansion in the hamptons was the hotspot of all activity. Yet thirty years later the two women remained in the house that had fallen into disrepair with 37 cats and virtually no plumbing. eventually the house was condemmed, yet the women refused to leave.
The show started in the fourties, and then went on in the second act to the documentary, thirty years later. It examined the relationship between this mother and daughter and how they could have fallen so ungracefully to the depths they descended. The two main women gave some of the best performances I ahd ever seen, actually the entire company (which to be fair was only like 8) all were extraordinary. However, the show itself (very strong book, great music, wonderful set) was really upsetting and very disturbing, but in a very good, affecting way.
So both shows were complete hits! I was very happy with this weekend, as it was filled with such great theatre. But something that I started to think this weekend, that will come across as maybe pig headed, or ass kissing, btu I find kind of exciting.
Broadway has always been in my mind this idealized sort of image of that which I some day aspire to, but is always just slightly beyond my grasp. For the first time this weekend, I felt like it is something that I'm not that far away from. As I was watching these shows I was sitting there and I was like, I can do this, and I can compete with this. It really was exciting. I feel like 2 years from now when I'm leaving this school, there's nothing that will be saying that I can't make it in whatever I choose except for that which I can not really help, my age, my height, my hair what have you. So, yeah.
Also, something that I discovered last time I went to New York (over a year ago) but reaffirmed, I really don't like New York City all that much. Frankly, I prefer Boston and Scottsdale to it pretty infinitely. Part of it is just because I am so unfamiliar with the city, but it is SO overwhleming to be there, and I get so claustrophobic and it's so much dirtier than Boston, just, too much for me. Even central park, it's TOO big. I prefer the openess of the common and gardens, and how much smaller they are, so I don't feel so disconnected.
This was a very long entry, but I hope yall enjoyed. More pictures are to come!
P.S. Shout out of Congratulations to Sara and JD!
It has been a long time since I last updated, so excuse me while I solve this problem...
Well I am now officially two weeks into my summer vacation. I have to admit, it was a bit of a rocky transition, but now that I'm fully submerged into the summer mode I'm really kind of enjoying myself.
Moving off campus was a bit of an ordeal for me, and I don't mean just the physical act of moving (though let me tell you, that was no piece of cake in and of itself). As I mentioned before, the thought of moving off cmapus is just very daunting, and it was extremely intimidating at first. I ahve lived in the Emerson bubble for the last two years, and I now am coming to terms with how little of the city I actually ever really saw on a day to day basis. So when I moved to the south end (not south boston, the south end, it's a BEAUTIFUL area famous for the red brick apartment buildings) I was pretty overwhelmed with the fact that I didn't recognize anything around me, didn't know what to do around where I lived, how to get places, how hard it would be to get to those places. I was a stranger in a strange land.
I'm not going to lie, the first day or two I really just hid in my apartment and had a bit of a panic attack over how lost I was feeling. Everyone had left for the summer, and I was just alone in this new place. But then the inticing summer weather lured me outside, and I began to wander. David also helped (having lived in the south end himself during one point) and I got to start pounding the streets of Boston. I think that I have been covering at least 8 miles a day of this city since then, and my bubble has just exponentially grown.
I also came to realize how many people were still in the city. None of them my closest of friends, but people that I have now gotten to know better, and gotten closer to. And now I'm really having a lot fo fun living on my own in this beautiful city during this wonderful time of year. I really like just getting up and walking around, trying to see and find new things. Futzing around with friends, lying out in the sun on the common, and I started running again seeing as the wedding is coming up so soon, and I have to look good for all those pictures that are going to be taken.
On the topic of photos, I have a butt load of pictures to share with yall here over the next few days, I think I have around 50, so I'm going to be spreding it out just a little bit. See graduation was today, so over the last two weeks, the seniors have been experiencing their last taste of college freedom before they enter the real world. So there have been quite a few parties and gatherings of sorts, so lots of photos taken, none of course with any kind of mind altering drinks.
It's really weird that the seniors have now graduated. They were what I am now when I came into the school two years ago (I hope that makes sense, they were incoming juniors when I was a freshman) and just the thought of how short a time that seems, and that I will be graduating in really not that long. I'm halfway done with college! AH!
I can't lie, I'm not all THAT upset that this years seniors are leaving. I mean I liked them and all, but I was never really all that close with anyone of them. Kind of just vanilla feelings really. But what is shaking is the idea that I'm slowly growing to the top of the food chain. When I became a senior in high school it was really freaky at first ebcause I was so used to there always being this cushion of students above me. But then when they left it seemed so vulnerable, because I was the top dog that was cushioning people below me (that sounds kind of pig headed, but it's not meant to in any way).
Growing older is crazy, thank God I don't have to face the "real world" yet.
Ok, on to the main event. Pictures. This weekend was the senior showcase, where the BFA senior students put on a show to showcase themselves, and casting adgents from New York come to watch. So a few of my friends who had already left for the summer came back into town to see the show (which by the way was wonderful and truly made me proud to be a member of my department)
So while they were in town we decided to have a nice litte romp around the city of Boston!
Here's Grant, Angel, and Shawn as we waited for our food at California Pizza Kitchen...
Grant, making love to the camera
Grant and I in our new big glasses (that are polarized, which I thought was really cool cuz it means they're REALLY protecting your eyes)
Now there was something funny about this picture at the time we took it, cuz we thoguht somehting about it was hilarious. I just for the life of me can NOT remember what it was...
Boy band pictures
This one is just beautiful
grant and I hanging form trees while Ross throws flower petals
Daveed and I in the public gardens
Now some of you might have heard that yesterday in a stroke of inspiration I went and dyed my hair red. David does hair a lot (he pretty much is the personal hair stylist for our entire department) so I bought some dye and he did it for me. the color is called Hot Tamale! It's pretty extreme. So you might be abel to tell the difference in the next few pictures. It shows more in some than others...
This one is me candidly being bad ass
Here's Jordan and david as we were waiting for the T by their apartment
and me and Grant at dinner earlier tonight
The red hair is obviously not going to stay probably longer than two weeks from now, because that whole wedding thing, but when I get back from the wedding I'm planning on doing something REALLY drastic. Not decided on what quite yet, but trust me, it should be fun.
Well I've given you all enough to chew for tonight I'm thinking. There are a lot more photos to come, so brace yourselves. I hope everyone is doing well and planning when they are going to come out to Boston this summer to visit me, WINK ;)
