Big Apple Attractions

It’s vacation time for many, and that may mean a visit to The Big Apple. Consider the Old Globe NYC theatre tour. Here’s the buzz.

 

Matilda is as strangely alluring as promised. Imported from across the pond and based on the Roald Dahl children’s novel, the imaginative tale doesn’t enchant everyone, but it fascinates in a mesmerizing way. It earned 12 2013 Tony Award nominations.

 

The Nance, starring Nathan Lane, is a poignant show with lots of laughs as well as a tough ending. Extreme contrast between comedy routines and the performer’s private demeanor when offstage can be disconcerting, though, causing the audience to experience what one critic referred to as “signs of whiplash.” The esteemed Jack O’Brien, the Globe’s former artistic director and now artistic director emeritus, directed The Nance.

 

Take time to have a drink and dinner at the famed Algonquin Hotel, the former gathering place of “smart set” writers. They were editors, playwrights, novelists, screenwriters, and critics who were the absolute best in their fields. The hotel’s historical Art Deco decor is still intact. The venue is a little pricey, but spring for it.

 

Broadway’s Lucky Guy, in limited run, is a terrific show starring Tom Hanks. It’s a fast-paced and totally absorbing drama. The script was penned by the beloved writer Nora Ephron.

 

Tour The Players, a club established by the great 19th century actor Edwin Booth, Mark Twain, and others. Every floor is crammed with historical memorabilia. This club is a New York City Historic Landmark.

 

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike was directed by Nicholas Martin, who is an associate artist at The Old Globe and has directed productions there on a number of occasions, most recently Pygmalion earlier this year. Fortunately, Martin will be back in San Diego to direct a new production of Vanya and Sonia for the Globe’s 2013-14 season.  

 

Do visit Kykuit, the Rockefeller Hudson Valley estate. Built by John D. Rockefeller, the 40-room National Trust house sits on beautiful grounds, which were designed by Frederick Olmstead, the designer of Central Park. Nelson Rockefeller’s extensive art collection is exhibited in the home. 

 

Connect with Central Park. Ditto for Grand Central Station and the New York Public Library. Finally, spend time at the 9/11 Memorial, a beautiful and serene tribute to those who perished on September 11, 2001. It’s a place of contemplation and reflection, a site where recognition of impermanence exists alongside a sense of continuity. The 9/11 Memorial is both humbling and reassuring. DARLENE G. DAVIES

 

 

Photography by Joan Marcus