Baby Steps and a Great Performance

It may not seem very significant to many people but I attended a play by myself for the first time this weekend. I have always had a special respect for actors who can put themselves out there night after night for the world to see without the opportunity for retakes. In fact, I attended my first Broadway play at the age of twelve with my sister.  We saw "Funny Girl" staring a 23 year old Barbra Striesand. It was amazing even though we had no idea that we were witnessing the beginning of an extraordinary career. I will never forget that night.
When I decided to move to New York for a few months I told myself that this would be an opportunity to see some plays that I had wanted to see for a while. I do have a stream of  welcome visitors coming very soon but last Sunday I went to see a play alone.

Now, I love my friends and family very much but it is sometimes difficult to accommodate various schedules when making social plans. There is always a series of emails and phone calls and checking with spouses to determine if a certain date will fit.  This was so simple.  I had wanted to see Cynthia Nixon in "Wit", the story of a college professor who was dying of ovarian cancer.  I had seen this play on HBO with Emma Thompson and had been moved by the drama and wanted to see it performed live. I was walking by the theater where it is playing a week ago and I simply went in and purchased a ticket. Not a very dynamic thing to do but for some reason the simplicity of the transaction was somewhat exhilarating. I don't mean to sound anti-social but doing something like this alone is quite significant for me.  It pales in comparison to the idea of choosing a restaurant that I would love to try and making a reservation for one and actually eating alone but it is a "baby step".

I was overwhelmed by Ms. Nixon's performance and although the subject matter was terribly depressing the interpretation and the material was both dramatic and  at times humorous. How incredible to possess all of that talent.  Cynthia Nixon was literally on the stage for the entire performance.  The play was nearly two hours long with no intermission. The brilliance of the performance and the entire production had such a profound impact on me that I walked home after the play.  I had taken the subway there but somehow I felt the need to walk in the sunlight with the vibrance of the city. I know I have written previously about feeling at home in New York and I do but on this walk some of the awe of simply being here returned. As my phone rang and I began speaking to Tom I was simply amazed that I was walking past Rockefeller Center where I could watch the ice skaters. Now that is pretty awesome.



You didn't think I could end a post without a picture of the cutest baby in the world did you?