A Note: Things lately just seem to be breaking as I approach the deadline for filing my column. Andrew Cuomo has resigned. His resignation is for the good of New York. But he must be held accountable for the things that he did. And the lives that were lost and the people he hurt. Without this, his resignation is meaningless!
But Let’s think positive this week. I had a great weekend last weekend. On Friday night I attended the magnificent wedding of a family friend, postponed a year by the pandemic. Mazel Tov to Mariel and Jared, and in particular long time friend Wendy, mother of the bride. May the couple be inscribed for a blessing in the Book of Life and share many happy years together!
Saturday night I went to see my first Broadway play in over a year and a half. The play is Pass Over. Pass Over is Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s “powerful and provocative” (Arifa Akbar, The Guardian) new play, currently the only play open on Broadway other than Bruce Springsteen’s show.
Moses and Kitch talk smack, pass the time, and hope that maybe today will be different. As they dream of their promised land, a stranger wanders into their space and disrupts their plans. Evoking heartbreak, hope, and joy, PASS OVER crafts everyday profanities into poetic and humorous riffs, illuminating the unquestionable human spirit of young men looking for a way out.
The play is in previews now. It was wonderful. So glad that the first play to open on Broadway since the theaters were closed last year is a theatrical success. When the audience was seated and the curtain was ready to go up, the announcement ‘Welcome to the August Wilson Theater’ brought massive applause. Yes friends, the ‘Lights are back on Broadway!’ I hope you get the opportunity to see the play during its 9 week run.
But my purpose in discussing the play is not only to tell you how great it was but to comment on the whole experience of attending the theater as we continue to be in the midst of a pandemic. Hopefully I will encourage you to attend this play and the many that will open in September and following months.
First, the staff at the August Wilson Theater was truly welcoming and could not have been nicer as we lined up to enter the show. You could tell that they too were excited to be there. Their welcome was so refreshing as many people are nervous about attending large scale events.
Everyone entering lined up. Now this is a phenomenon that has only existed I would say for the last 10 years pre-pandemic. There use to be a mob of people in front of the theater and they would trickle in as curtain time approached. But now people queue up. I think it makes out of town folks feel more comfortable.
But lining up is now even more critical to the theatrical experience. The theater staff is checking your proof of vaccination, identification and the fact that you are masked. Many people had their laminated vaccination cards with them (Staples and other retailers were laminating the vaccination cards at one point free of charge.) Others showed the New York State Excelsior App on the telephones. Others had taken pictures of their vaccination cards and were pulling them up from the photos section of their smartphones.
Everyone attending the show had to be vaccinated and have proof of it. That will be standard procedure for the time being on Broadway. Frankly, no one was complaining.
Staff were also checking for masks. Now I have decorative masks as you do but if I were you, going into an environment with a large group of people you don’t know, I would mask up with the 3 ply surgical masks or a KN95 mask. It’s for your safety and the safety of those around you. (By the way and I am no doctor, even if you are vaccinated I would mask up when going into a CVS, Walgreens, a drug store or a place where you know sick people may be.)
Wearing the mask during the show was no big deal. Most of the Broadway theaters are old, and they have installed sophisticated ventilation systems for your safety. These systems allow air to circulate better in the theater. I noticed the theater was a bit colder than usual. I suggest that ladies bring a sweater or a wrap and men wear a long sleeve shirt when attending a show. These new ventilation systems do a super job with air circulation, but just to be on the safe side make sure you have something to put on in case it gets cold.
It was such a pleasant experience to see the hustle and bustle on 52nd street where the August Wilson Theater is located. It reminded me of the good old pre-Pandemic days. I’ve had the occasion over the last year and a half to be in the theater district and the area was eerily quiet.
Sadly, some restaurants where I would go for a quick lite bite to eat prior to the theater (I hate going to the theater after eating a big meal) have shuttered. Many Starbucks in New York, the place where you would meet your friends for coffee prior to the theater close their doors at 7:00 p.m. But there are still plenty of restaurants at all price ranges that are open before and after the theater for a good New York meal.
My advice on dressing warm for the theater applies to movie theaters too. There is nothing better than going to the movies and seeing a flick in the company of an enthusiastic audience. Gets you out of the house too, something we all need to do.
Another thing about the movies. If you are planning on eating at the theater (frankfurters, chicken fingers, movie noshes, etc.) make sure that the concession stand at the movie theater you are going to is open and serving food. Many movie theaters have limited menus, and you don’t want to be surprised and have to fill up on candy and other non nutritional offerings.
The Lights are Back on Broadway! If you see me please say hello. I might even buy you a drink, or of course you can buy me a drink and we can celebrate together!
HOT TOPICS: Shame on the Governor and State Health Commissioner for their refusal to give local school districts guidance on reopening. The local school districts do not have the resources the state has at its disposal. Kudos to the State Education Commissioner for calling the New York State Health Department out for their refusal to offer guidance.
What rocket scientist came up with the idea of changing all the exit numbers on the Hutchinson River Parkway without telling anybody and barely no notification. Aligning the numbers with mile markers makes sense, but do you see mile marker signs along the Hutch as you do along the New Jersey Turnpike and other area roadways? I’m sure someone got paid big bucks to come up with this idea but sadly no one thought about its implementation.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
