BWW Blog: Take Me Back to NYC

When Billy Joel sang "I've seen the lights go out on Broadway" I don't think he meant this. September 28th, this past Monday, marks the 200th day since the Great White Way went dark. That we've gone for this long without live theatre is unthinkable. I've resorted to spending inordinate amounts of my money on action figures, so when people ask me what my interests are they are just as disappointed as when I say "musical theatre."

Now don't get me wrong, readers, I give a lot of props to theatre companies that are able to produce virtual theater these days. With online shows, I no longer live in fear of Patti LuPone yelling at me if I'm eating my gummy worms too loudly in the audience. Bless you, mute button. There is so much about New York theaters, though, that make the Broadway experience all the more iconic. The slightly-too-small-seats! The excessive AC! The overpriced merch! Thankfully my college must understand my pain because our bus system has those first two points covered, and the bookstore's sweatshirts are $75 a pop. It's like I never left.

You'd be surprised by how much you miss crowds when you have time away from the city. I was, because I don't at all. This is probably fine because the closest I come to crowds these days is when my roommate and I go for the fridge at the same time. Apparently the "rush" I was getting from the hustle and bustle of Shubert Alley was the wind. That explains why everytime I felt that "rush" it was accompanied by the distinct smell of Junior's cheesecake and sweat.

Even those of us NYC "insiders" who know to avoid Times Square may be missing it. Sure, it's always congested and in reality it's just a bunch of billboards, but it's got more places to pee before a show than anywhere else. (You know you really miss the city if you can praise public bathrooms.) I even miss the costumed characters in Times Square. That's a lie. I miss the feeling of walking by them and thinking, "What a tourist trap. Poor suckers" on my way from the Disney Store to M&M World and Hershey's World.

What I think I miss most, though, is the joy that each Broadway performance creates. Leafing through a Playbill, hearing the first few notes of the overture, angrily glaring at the lady filming in the fifth row with a sense of theatrical superiority, all of it. The thrill of stage dooring after a performance is unmatched, and it's starting to get to me. The other day I had to get an academic form signed for the registrar and I asked my professor to "address it to me personally." If I ask my TA to autograph my arm at the end of the semester you have my full permission to slap me.

I hope you all are handling this theatrical drought as best you can. It is okay to feel sad- just remember that none of this is permanent. Theatre will return in full force and our community with it. Until then, I will continue to watch virtual theatre, support the arts as best I can, and

snootily complain that my school pizza pales in comparison to a "real New York slice." Stay safe!

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