"They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there's always magic in the air." -- "Broadway" from Smokey Joe's Cafe
As spring break draws near and my plans for visiting New York City loom in front of me, I can't help but breathe a sigh of anticipation. \nFor a theater junkie like myself, nothing is better than Broadway.\nI've only been to New York on three previous occasions, but I've managed to catch a Broadway show each time. \n"Miss Saigon" was my first Broadway experience. While I feel the show has degenerated over time -- it seemed like a much better show when I was 14 than when I was 20 and seeing it in the same theater -- I was completely awestruck the first time as I watched professional actors on a Broadway stage. And what could be better than "Damn Yankees," starring Jerry Lewis? (And the men dancing around in towels onstage?)\nThis time will be different. I plan on going to two or three shows if I can -- maybe even more than one in a day, if my mom (my traveling companion) is up for it. "Contact," "42nd Street," "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aida" are all high on my list. If my mom liked the singing group ABBA (I'll never understand how anyone could hate the group who brought the song "Dancing Queen" into the world), I would definitely be at "Mamma Mia." And "The Producers" would be a must-see for me if I ever thought I could get a ticket -- especially since Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick give their final performances March 17.\nMaybe I'll even do something different this time and go to a play rather than just musicals. I don't know of any that are playing right now -- I need to do my research -- but I'm sure there are a few I wouldn't mind seeing.\nI also wish I could be in New York when all of the new shows open -- like "Into the Woods," which is one of my all-time favorites. Vanessa Williams is no Bernadette Peters (the original Witch), but I'm sure she'll be fabulous. And seeing the little "Picket Fences" boy as Jack -- the role I played in community theater (who knows why I was cast as a boy?) -- can't be beat.\nBut am I buying my tickets in advance? No way. Any Broadway connoisseur knows the only way to do it is to stand in the TKTS line in Times Square, no matter what the weather, for hours on end. If it means not getting to see my first-choice show, since TKTS only sells the remaining tickets for that specific day, so be it. Sometimes that's the best way to see theater.\nSo if you happen to be in New York City next week, come look for me in Times Square. I'll be the one at the TKTS booth, staring up at my favorite landmark, the giant Coca-Cola sign.
