A Thursday visit to NYC to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

For Teri's birthday, the girls and I gave her four tickets to Harry Potter and the cursed child. Back in February, Gabby at work told me Broadway was celebrating Broadway week for the month of February and she was going to see a play, I don't remember the name. She comes back the next day saying she had a great time. It reminded me how much I love Broadway. I used to go quite often. I hadn't bought tickets for a show for many years. THe last two shows I've seen, The book of Mormon and Jersey Boys, Teri bought. I purchased the tickets and thought March 3rd, a Thursday is a good night to go. After a few days, I decided to change the date of the tickets when I discovered that the tickets for April are ten dollars cheaper and I could give them to Teri for her birthday.

On Monday, the weather for Thursday is not looking very good. It is supposed to start raining on Wednesday,and rain on and off for the next two days. Wednesday, the rain clears late in the day, but comes back over night. Thursday morning is overcast, but dry, at least until about midday. The Yankees home opener has been canceled even before Thursday has dawned, but I remained hopeful. Teri has a doctor's appointment which would bring her home about four. I am getting out of work early and would be home by four. The girls have both taken the day off from work. Nastia has school and her boyfriend will drop her home around three.

The Curtain goes up at seven at the Lyric theater, plus we are a little short of money, so we will eat at home. Everyone is warned to eat at home. The girls and I have hot dogs, a sign of spring for me, and Teri has soup. we are ready to leave a few minutes after five. I'm thinking we'll end up standing in front of the theater for forty minutes waiting for it to open and someone will have to go. I'm determined it won't be me so I have stopped drinking anything as of three.

On a good day, you know March of 2020, high COVID you can get to the city in twenty minutes. I've gone to the city in an hour, hell, I used to be a salesman and occationally I worked in the city. I haven't been in the city much in the last eight years. Before this it was Christmas 2019, maybe when we went to see the tree. The weatherman's (or is it person in these thin skinned days) prediction for rain is, as the British would say, spot on. It's not cats and dogs, that will come later, but it is coming down. I have been married to Teri for twenty-seven years. When we talked about going to Hawaii for our twenty-fifth it seemed far away. Now it's in the past. In all of those years I've learned several things important about Teri. First and formost she is an awful passenger. I would rather let her drive if I could. II enjoy driving and I enjoy driving most of the time in the city. With all of that in mind, oh, yes Teri doesn't enjoy driving in the city or in the rain. The short of it is I'm driving, Teri is not, it's raining and she is not going to enjoy the trip, but I'll try.

I pull out driving Elena's car. She has a nice car, a Honda CRV. We are using it because there might be an extra charge for SUV's parked in garages. The gas tank is full and I'm taking it slow. The rain patters against the windshield, I'm a little tense, but life is good and we are on an adventure. I make a needless turn onto New Lake road in Valley Cottage because Teri doesn't like that hill on Storms road. I take Rt 303 all the way down into Orangeburg, then the on ramp for the Palisades, I'm driving the prefered route that Teri likes. We first hit traffic at the toll booths for the George Washington Bridge. All of us are a little shocked at the sixteen dollar price for the bridge. We inch our way toward the bridge. Traffic breaks a little on the bridge and we make a little time crossing. We have an hour to get to West forty-third. We'll park on forty-forth and walk around the block.

The West side is slow, but it moves. Rain continues to fall. I wait to make a left until I hit the forty-forth street exit. I remember when they were taking down the elevated expressway back in the 70-80's and what a mess it was. I'm driving into the city remembering it when Mike Bloomberg ran it. The last eight years and COVID have changed it. It feels like the 80's. Garbage piled on the sidewalks, cars blocking cross streets. I tell Teri this, she thinks I'm over reacting, I don't, it's not the same city. We get stuck at Tenth Avenue as car going down town will not leave an opening for the cross street (Where are the Police to keep it open??) I make a frustated turn to the right, the first rash decision and the first time Teri has seen my city driving. I dial it back down looking for a left to make to get back on course. A few streets late we are south of where we want to be and running out of time. I make a right onto fortieth street and we locate a parking garage. We are a few blocks south of the theater, it's in walking distance. Rain is light, but bearable

We arrive at the theater with fifteen minutes to spare, the rain has stopped. Well in time, I think. I forget about the COVID protocols the theater district is still using. We arrive at the theater looking at the head of the line. We start walking and wewalk and we walk. As we are waking I remember I read that the Lyric theater was build in something like 1904 and seats about 1600 people. I think 1550 people must already be in line. It does move pretty quickly. They have been praticing this seven days a week for a while. Vaccine card, license. bag check and finally ticket check.

Inside the theater, it is beautiful. We walk past the bar and the refreshment stand. The voice of Julie Andrews in in the backround telling us we only have two minutes until curtain. I hate being late for the curtain. A quick bathroom stop and we make our seats. We are two seats off the isle and twenty-two rows back. THey are good seats, but not great seats. Great seats would have cost alot more. I'm just happy to be here on this wet Thursday evening at seven O'clock. The curtain goes up. When there is a lul in the action on the stage people are let in to take their seats. Some are quit, other are noisy like the people of to the right of us, in front. Have a little respect people!!

The play used to run over two nights. Post COVID it as been shrunk down to one night, three and a half hours. The story is about the possibility that Voldamore had a child and the lives of Harry, Ron, Herminie and Ginny and their kids twenty years after the defeat of Voldamort. I can see what used to make up the first night of the play.It is the first years Albus and his friend spent at Hogworts. It is quickly high lighted and we are moved on to the second night quickly. It seems people are starting to believe Voldamort had a child and some believe Draco Malfoy who had trouble having a child used a time turner to go back in time and did something, maybe Voldamort is the father. Harry and his youngest son don't understand each other and Albus has made friends with Draco's son whos is as lost as Albus.

As much as I don't approve of JK Rawlings any more, she is still a very good writer. The stage craft where charactors go back in time and it looks like the whole stage vibrates and a sound wave makes the scenary move are amazing. I'd really like to know how they do it. At intermission one of the girls ask, "Is that it?" I say "no, it's just half time" Teri goes toward the bathroom. Nastia grabs my shirt at the arm and guides me toward where the bar and concessions are. Elena follows behind. They are both hungry. I warn them the concessions are going to be expensive. I point out the bar and get a no and then I point to the refreshment area. The three of us get on a short line and they are introduced to $12.00 popcorn and $6.00 bottles of water. Now neither of these items are huge. The water is maybe twelve ounces and th epopcorn is maybe a liter. But they are hungry. I pass, I don't want to spend the money. I head toward the rest rooms after guiding the girls back to the seats. I have to remember their only other time at the theater was the Lion King and that has to be ten years ago and I'm sure they don't remember it. I head toward the men's room with Julie Andrews in the backround telling everyone four minutes until curtin. I see Teri on line. She waves and asks if I can get her a water. I make a u turn and head toward the concession stand again. It was a quick trip and I'll also get her a white wine at teh bar I have so much time. Back at the concession stand, the line is long and slow and Julie Andrews is saying two minutes until curtain. People paying the cashiers are slow and not organized. I change plans and pick up a popcorn and a water for Teri, not wine. I'm at the cashier, Julie Andrews is telling me to hurry the F@$k up, it's almost curtain. I'm orgainized it takes only seconds and I'm off to my seat. I met Teri on my way to the seats. We disturbe the two people in the isle seats and are seated. Julie Andrews is saying it is about time, the curtain is going up.

In the dark past when I used to go to the theater alot, I'd enjoy walking down to the front of the theater to see the stage up close. This time I didn't get the chance. Curtain rises and the play continues. I look over at Elena and Nastia, both are glued to the stage and are really enjoying the play. I hope this starts something and they go to Broadway in the future. I also hope they can afford it. I forgot to say when looking for tickets I checked out the Musicman with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, tickets were $700.00 a seat mid orchestra. Tickets for tonight are lower and further back, but are still $240.00 a seat.

Like any wonderful night the show has to end. It is a great show and I start to stand up to clap. I hear Nastia say me should leave now. I'm a little pissed that she doesn't want to show the cast some apprication, but I've also forgotten this is their first time at a play in ten years and don't know better. I struggle to stand up. My bad knee and seats designed for small people make it difficult. I clap as each group of cast members appear on the stage and bow. A single cast member appears on stage asking for donations to the Broadway cares. Elena is asking something and I can't hear. I tell her to shut up. I regret it as some as I say it and tell her I'm sorry. I feel real bad and don't want to ruin this night. It's about 10:45, Teri want to hit the rest rooms once more and I'm following with Nastia and Elena when Nastia realizes she has lost her boyfriends Atlanta Falcons hat. It's no big loss, it's still teh wrong team on the hat, but we go back for it. I tell Elena towait for her mom. Back at the seats there is no hat. Nastia gets down on hands and knees, still no hat. We leave the empty theater going to find lost and found when we hear someone talking about losing something and do they have it. We head to the small group and the hat is recovered.

We find each other at the stairs for the restrooms, work our way out the doors into the weather. It is raining again or is it still at this point. It's not too bad. We stop to take a few pictures and we head off in the direction of the parking garage. I'm in the lead. I pride myself on my sense of direction, it is usually very good. We arrived at the theater for a certain direction and are leaving in that direction, everything is good, but the stores don't look familar. We walk through Time Square and I remember it in the backround when we parked, so it should be good. I stop and ask for a picturewith the Hard Rock Cafe in teh backround. The rain is not bad and everyone complies. The rain starts to get harder and I'm having more doubt we are heading in the right direction. I start to get flash backs to when Teri and I went to Philadelphia for the day and spent a couple of hours getting to our car bacause I walked us in the wrong direction. I stop and check the ticket for the parking garage. I put the address into my phone and I realize we are heading in the slight wrong direction. The rain is getting heavier. We continu on, it rains even heavier, it finally reached cats and dogs heavy. We stop under a large portico and get out of the rain. Teri asks if we are heading in the right direction. I tell her yes. It's Nastia and I in the lead, Elena and Teri bring up the rear. We are soaked, so even if God is throwing buckets of water at us now we are going onward. We turn onto 40th and the end of our journey is in sight. Nastia and I have gotten ahead of Teri and Elena. I'm so focused on the garage that I am even out pacing Nastia. I don't care. I want to get to the car and pay for it so when everyone arrives the wait is short, or so I tell myself. I pay for the car. Nastia turns the corner into the garage. We wait for the guy to get our car. A few moments later Teri and Elena arrive. It is still pouring. We wait in an empty garage for our car. I have fifteen dollars in my hand to give the guy. After a while I take a five away. We are still waiting. An Uber driver on a bike comes in and a guy gets on the car lift with him and goes up, we are still waiting. I'm considering taking the ten away and giving the five when the lift show up with our car. I hand him the ten and we get in.

There is always a comfort getting into your car when you've been out in the city. Tonight, even more so. I slowly drive to the garage door and flick on my wipers as we hit the rain. I make three right hand turns and head toward the Westside Highway. I have trouble seeing the white lines and I resist saying this is 1980's New York. On the Westside the rain is still hard and we splash through the occational puddle. Across the G.W. Bridge all is well. It's almost midnight. I decide to get off at the 303 exit on the Palisades. Rt 303 seems more direct to home. The rain has cloesed Rt, 303, back on the Palisades. Teri said it would be better to go to the thruway and this time I listen to her. Back at home it's 12:30, maybe later and I'm the last one getting into bed. It's been a night of memories that I hope everyone will remember for a lifetime. /