I Wonder When He'll Take Me

I've never been to New York.  Okay, I take that back.  Technically, I've been to NYC and spent the night, but only because my flight from Copenhagen, Denmark was delayed and we missed our connecting flight out of JFK.  To say, however, that I've really visited New York, well, that's a definite no.

Back in my high school years, I was a huge fan of Broadway.  I knew every show that was playing at the time and had memorized nearly every song.  I always dreamed of being on Broadway (I mean, really, who hasn't?) and being on stage every day.  But, instead of Broadway, I landed in the world of financial aid.  *sigh*  Somehow, my plans went awry.

Over the years, I lost track of the shows and what was going on in my never-attained dream world of costumes, characters, and lights.  I stopped singing in choirs after I graduated from college and that was pretty much it.

But then we moved to our new town and I joined the church choir.  The director of our choir is absolutely phenomenal.  He is the director of the show choir for a huge, ginormous high school in a neighboring town.  His partner (yes, my church accepts gays) is a tenor who sits behind me in choir.  He owns his own dance theatre in the same town and was in the ORIGINAL BROADWAY CASTS of "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Starlight Express." 

Did you just read what I wrote? 

He Was A Member Of Original Broadway Casts!

Ho.Ly. Smokes.

And while he's obviously not on Broadway any longer, he is still heavily involved in the business.  His resume is a mile long and he is one of the most talented men I've ever met.  (And as a side note, he told me one time I had "a beautiful voice."  I seriously walked on clouds for days after that comment.  I even called my mom on the way home from practice and yelled, "OMG, HE SAID I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VOICE!")

Moving on....

A few times each year, my choir director takes a group of his students to New York City for a whirlwind New York City field trip.  Well, he just took one such trip this past weekend.  Last week, when we were talking about his upcoming trip, I informed him that I'd never been to New York before.

"WHAT?!" he said in his full on, flamboyant gay man voice.  "You're *KIDDING* me!  Ohmygosh, we would have SO much fun in New York together.  Okay. You. Are. My. Project.  I am getting you to New York!" 

I told him that he has to keep his promises and if he didn't take me to New York before I died, I would be mad at him for the rest of my life.  He said he promised and I know he'll follow through.  But, I wonder when that time will be! 

We actually talked about it again last night at choir practice.  He was debriefing us on the adventure he just experienced with his students.  How they ate at some diner where all the servers are Broadway folks and they sing to you.  He told us that saw "Newsies" and 3 other shows that I haven't heard of (again, I've totally fallen off the Broadway bandwagon).  He told us about the lights in Times Square and how Times Square (and Cinderella's castle) are his favorite places in the entire world.  He told us that they got 1-on-1 time with the casts of one of the shows.  That one of the producers for the Disney Shows sat with his students and talked about the business.  How he actually tried on the Lumiere costume that was used on Broadway for "Beauty and the Beast." 

He went on and on and on and on...And I salivated and salivated and salivated and salivated.

Oh, my friends, how I DREAM of the day he'll take me!  He and his partner know the city like the backs of their hands.  They are so well connected to the people who DO Broadway.  The experience would be once in a lifetime.  And if I'm gonna go, I certainly want to go with people who know what's up.

Like I said, I know he'll take me.  I'll just keep pestering him and wishing and hoping and praying for that day to arrive!  And when I go, I'll send you a postcard.