Back When I Was 13...

Last night I went with my dad to see this musical called "Thirteen." My dad's company, Broadway Across America, is a producer on this show and the company's COO, Beth Williams, told me about this show this past summer while I was in New York interviewing for internships. At first, when she mentioned it in passing, I thought it was based on the movie "Thirteen," which is about this girl who gets really fucked up. But then she explained, and it turns out it's about a kid getting ready for his Bar Mitzvah, and the whole cast is 13-year-olds and even the band is 13-year-olds (although some of the band guys looked a LIL older, and the conductor was offstage aka an adult). The show was alright, but I don't think it'll do great since it's hard to relate to it if you're not within a few years of 13. Even I could barely relate, and I'm only 5 years away. And only really 4 away from Bar Mitzvah season. Also, it won't really appeal to adults since it's kids actually acting like kids (nothing really coyly sexual or tongue-in-cheek or pop culture referencing for the adults in the audience). The lead girl looked JUST like my NYFA roommate from 2006, Chelsea Glass, and there was another girl in the cast who looked like my sister's friend Bella, if Bella were black.

Anyway, back on the subject of kids playing kids acting like kids, etc. Over the summer I saw "Hair," which was AMAZING and invigorating, etc, but the point I'm trying to make with this is that it's about young kids in high school and college but clearly half the cast was over 25. And that didn't make a difference to the message of the piece. Although that's probably a bad example, since that show is really serious and moving, and "Thirteen" is a really light comedy about friendship. I guess a better example would be that spelling bee musical, with adults playing little kids that was supposed to be really funny and stuff (I never saw it). Also, there was one kid in "Thirteen" that looked way older than the rest, which I guess is kinda what middle school is like, but I guess all in all it's a pretty fun musical. It's SUPER short, though. Under two hours. That's good for a musical geared at kids, though, because then kids can go to shows at night and not have to stay up too late (i.e. it's good for PARENTS of those kids, who worry about them staying up too late!).

Also, yesterday, on my way to Times Square for the show I switched trains at Grand Central Station. On my way to my second train I passed this little old man playing the violin with the case open for donations. Now, usually to get scheduled time at the location you want in the subway you have to be selected as part of a yearly audition process and added to a roster of artists. That's why you usually get pretty decent subway musicians/singers/etc... However, this guy was TERRIBLE at the violin. It was so sad I nearly cried. I felt so bad for him! I reached into my purse and grabbed a handful of change to give him, because it made me so sad. When I dropped the change into the case, I noticed that it was all shiny quarters in it, which led me to believe he'd dropped some quarters in so it looked like people had given him stuff (always a good idea), which means I was the only person to give him money. And I feel like 76 cents isn't really what he'd hoped for.

At the other end of that train, in Times Square, there was this GREAT jazz/funk band. I took some pictures with my phone but those are even harder to upload than digital camera pictures. So it was like two ends of the spectrum on that train ride.

Also, yesterday I found out that one of my bosses got engaged last Thursday during her trip to Ireland, which was exciting. Her boyfriend (fiancee now!) proposed outside a castle!

This week there are a lot of readings at the public, which is good. Now I'm going to walk to my aunt's apartment since my cousin just got in to NYC and I think we're gonna order some Indian food.