Broadway Magic

By Monday morning the rain had passed. Monday we had by far the best weather of the trip. It was clear and relatively warm (50 degrees). It really did not ever get too cold on this trip so we were pretty lucky.

This was the first morning of the trip we had to get up early. We were meeting a tour group at 9:15 am in Times Square. We would normally not sign up for a tour in NYC, but we had an opportunity to go on this tour free of charge. It was through the same company we used for 3 tours in Italy. 2 of the tours were exceptional and the other one was very good. They requested feedback and I candidly told them that although that tour was good, some audio issues detracted from the tour. Since the tour did not meet their high standards of excellence they offered to let us take another tour free of charge. Since they also offer tours in NYC we signed up for the Exclusive Disney on Broadway Tour: Behind the Magic at the New Amsterdam Theater tour.

It was a spectacular tour. Our tour guide Collin really made it a special experience. He has a unique background - before leading this tour he spent 4 years performing on Broadway in Matilda. He took us around Time Square. As we walked he told us about the history of Broadway and its 42 theaters. He also told us about life as a Broadway actor. It was all very interesting and Collin was funny and engaging.

After we walked around Times Square we ended up at the New Amsterdam theater. This theater is currently home to Aladdin on Broadway. We got to tour this Theater and learn about its unique history. The most interesting part was that the theater was totally abandoned in the 1990s and overgrown with thousands of mushrooms. It sounded like a complete disaster. Rudy Giuliani worked with Disney to restore this theater as part of his effort to make the Times Square area more family-friendly. Because of that arrangement, Disney has a 99-year lease on the theater that costs them $1/year (and a percentage of the box).

We got to go up on stage and learn a little about how the on-stage magic works. Then we got to see some props from Disney’s Broadway shows including Mary Poppins robe, umbrella, and bag. We also got to handle the lamp from Aladdin and some masks from the Lion King. 

After the tour, we went to Schmackary’s because Collin claimed they have the best cookies in New York. When we asked him if they were better than Levain, he told us he classifies Levain more as a meal. We kind of had to agree considering their cookies weigh in at 6 ounces. While Schmackary’s has very good cookies Levain is most definitely our favorite.

After the tour, we headed over to 34th street to visit Macy’s. Alison made a reservation for us to visit Santa land. She had read it was pretty magical. On our way, we stopped by a deli and had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. We arrived at Macy’s and discovered that even with a reservation there was a huge line to go through Santa land and visit Santa. It looked like it was a least an hour long. We decided to bail.

Instead, we went over to South Street seaport. We wanted to check out the TKTS offerings for that night. The South Street Seaport location worked great for us. We obtained excellent seats to see School of Rock before the Times Square location even opened. Once we had our tickets we explored the South Street Seaport area. It is a cool little area with great views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

We continued to make our way downtown to Battery Park. We love this area. I was especially excited to visit during this trip because I recently learned that one of my ancestors traveled here when he entered the United States of America. I have been very interested in family history lately. Whenever I am at work I walk past the following sign on the way to my desk:

Our Stories

Each of us is part of a story that started long ago. Much of who we are is influenced by who came before us, and as we learn about our ancestors we understand more about ourselves.

Discovering the history of our family ties us to people, places, and events in rich and meaningful ways, and our DNA shows how our story crosses continents and ethnicities, revealing just how connected we really are.

I often read this sign and contemplate the truth it conveys. This year has been one of personal exploration. I have delved into family history and spent hours learning about those who came before me. As I have learned about my family I have been inspired and I have gained a deeper understanding of myself. During this trip to New York, Alison and I wanted to take some time to remember some of our ancestors who were immigrants to this nation. They traveled here, following the invitation memorialized near the Statue of Liberty:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

This is my great-great-grandfather, Jan Troff. He emigrated from Rotterdam, Netherlands, and came to America through New York City. He traveled via ship on the Maasdam. The Maasdam was destroyed by fire at sea while voyaging to New York in October 1884, less than 6 months after Jan completed a similar journey. Jan arrived in New York City on April 14, 1884. He would have come through the Castle Garden, which served as the official immigrant processing center of the nation between 1855-1890. Eventually, he settled in Iowa.

This is Alison’s great-great-great grandfather, A. C. Nielson. He emigrated from Denmark and came to America through New York City. Eventually, he settled in Ephraim, Utah. He arrived in New York City on October 6, 1864. He would have come through the Castle Garden, which served as the official immigrant processing center of the nation between 1855-1890.  

After walking around Battery Park, we began to make our way uptown. We stopped by Trinity Church. This is one of my favorite churches. It is a beautiful old church. We wandered around the churchyard noting the graves of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton as well as their son Phillip (although the exact location of his grave is unknown). We also spent a while looking for the grave of Angelica Schuyler Church. It took us a while to find her grave because we thought it would be closer to Alexander. She was buried in the north cemetery on the opposite side of the church.

We wandered over to the 9/11 memorial. We love this area and have watched over the years as it has been rebuilt. It is pretty incredible how vibrant and beautiful this area has become. When we finished wandering we headed back to Trinity church to attend a prayer service. Alison wanted to attend because she likes to say that to truly understand your own religion it can be helpful to experience other religions. It was a nice service.

We grabbed pizza for dinner and headed back uptown to catch the show. Most Broadway shows are dark on Monday. So we were glad that the one we wanted to see, School of Rock, was not. This was a fun show. We also had fantastic seats. We were 5 rows back and in dead center. The show is very similar to the movie, but Andrew Lloyd Webber crafted an updated score. The real stars of the show were the kids. They were incredibly talented. They all played their own instruments and were great actors and singers. It was a fun show to see on Broadway. After the show, we called it a night.