Great Info on the Strike.

Here is an excellent informational article that explains exactly what is going on in New York City. I'm not expecting to see any Broadway shows up and running by the time my vacation is over.

And I'm totally okay with that.

What To Do in the Big Apple.

Well, the stagehands' strike continues indefinitely. I have my precious ticket to Young Frankenstein, which I plan to love despite the lukewarm reviews. I have no doubt it will be entertaining. The other Broadway shows that are up and running do not interest me, particularly after seeing bits of them in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I mean, Xanadu? Mary Poppins? Not so much.

What does interest me is Liz Callaway's cabaret show, Between Flights. I had the opportunity to see her (and meet her) here in Chicago a couple years ago in concert with her sister, Ann Hampton Callaway, and I'm a huge fan. And at $30, it's a steal.

Also intriguing is The Piano Teacher, an off-Broadway play starring Elizabeth Franz. I saw her in Death of a Salesman opposite Brian Dennehy, and she was fantastic. I think these little off-Broadway jewels appeal to me anyway, because VTG, where I do a lot of theatre, is very much like some of those venues in terms of physical space as well as material.

I will make the obligatory visit to the Roxy Deli for a hot pastrami on rye. I will stop in Colony Records. I will most definitely spend an afternoon at the Drama Bookshop. And I will visit the Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS office to purchase some Christmas gifts.

Beyond that, I'll just let NYC do its thing and take it all in. Alone in the big city, for the first time.