Tag Archives: America

Spiderman: Turn off the Dark, New York

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Spiderman the Musical has been in the press more than most Broadway shows – the multi-million dollar production has been “plagued with problems” since its 2010 debut. Several actors have been severely injured and the huge box office losses are well publicised.

Based on the Marvel comic character and set in New York, it is the ideal story to stage in the Big Apple. For tourists like me, it was certainly a novelty watching a show based on such a typically American comic. With such enormous costs, this is a musical unlikely to ever transfer to the London’s West End so watching it on Broadway felt like a special treat.

Fighting our way through the flashing lights of Times Square, we were relieved to spot the Foxwoods Theatre. Inside the place was swarming with excited guests of all ages, I began to wonder who had labelled this show a flop as the audience numbers certainly weren’t suffering when I went. Better still, everyone was having a great time – it is impossible not to be impressed by Spidey swooping over the stalls. I have seen the majority of musicals currently on in the West End and nothing compares to the stunts showcased here… it was more like a Cirque du Soleil production.

The critics have slaughtered Turn off the Dark declaring it “the worst show ever on Broadway” and since its opening two years ago, the production has been reworked provoking only slightly more positive reactions. We enjoyed the show immensely though noticed some its shortcomings. The narrative follows the life of protagonist Peter Parker from his normal daily routine at school to his extraordinary transformation into Spiderman and all the trouble he encounters on the way. The cast undertakes a massive challenge realising this show on stage, technically it is a minefield. Reeve Carney is very likeable as the nerdy Peter, he has plenty of energy and is convincing as the young superhero. Last time I saw a show on Broadway I was disappointed with the vocal quality, but the Spiderman cast has good intonation and diction throughout, and the lead characters, in particular Rebecca Faulkenberry as Mary Jane, have lovely tone and line. The choreography is striking and dynamic and has been mastered by the chorus; the band provide emphatic accompaniment.

Turn off the Dark is an incredible visual spectacle with extreme acrobatics and jaw-dropping sets, one thing is guaranteed… you will never see anything else like it.

Thanks to NYC & Co and The Broadway Collection.
More information: http://www.broadwaycollection.com/ (@BwayCollection)

Visitors need to book via a UK tour operator:  www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk

 

Sherry Netherland Hotel, New York

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We were completely awestruck when we arrived at the door of the Sherry Netherland Hotel. This iconic five-star establishment is on the corner of Central Park, in the middle of Manhattan’s most prestigious district. The 38-storey apartment hotel was designed and built by Schultze & Weaver with Buchman & Kahn and is a landmark in the neighbourhood. Since its grand opening in 1927 the Sherry Netherland has established itself as a place of refined taste and style and is now known as one of New York’s top boutique hotels. Sophisticated and yet relaxed – so we felt completely at home in this indulgent palace.

Travelling up in the vintage lift to the upper floors we took in every little detail of the glorious building. When the door swung open our jaws dropped: the suite was a fairytale room of beauty, elegance and ultimate luxury. The room sparkled with perfection, it looked too pretty to touch and use.

We ran excitedly to the huge windows which shed dappled light over the room, and here we spied our first glimpse of the breathtaking park and city views.  Staring out from this vantage point I felt like a film star. I couldn’t resist a quick Skype call back to England to boast while giving a virtual tour of our suite… we were like proud new house owners. The decor is beautiful at Sherry Netherland, our room was a quaint mix of pale blue and cream with fresh vases of flowers everywhere.

Suddenly exploring the city seemed like the less interesting option, instead we spent the afternoon enjoying our room. Our city view eyrie was complete with every luxury imaginable: king size bed with the fluffiest and softest duvet, marble bathroom, drinks stocked in our mini kitchenette, wireless high speed internet, and Godiva chocolates, mature cheese, grapes and crackers for nibbling on when we got peckish.

Our bathroom was so stunning we both made sure we made use of it as much as possible… needless to say we left very clean! A dish offered a selection of toiletries, providing every product you could ever need, including the often forgotten toothpaste and razor: Gilchrist & Soames products available in abundance.

I noticed the huge assortment of extra services and amenities on offer at the Sherry Netherland: fitness centre, shoeshine service, in-room massage therapy, barbershop, hair salon and white-gloved elevator attendants are just a few of the extra additions that make this hotel so special.

We were living in the lap of luxury for one night, and spent the rest of our New York trip reminiscing, desperately wishing we could return to the Sherry Netherland.

Rooms start at $499 per night.

More information here.

http://www.sherrynetherland.com/

http://www.mantiscollection.com/

THOROUGHLY MODERN MISS: Sex and the City Tour, New York

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As Manchester is the rainiest city in the UK, I took full advantage of miserable, wet days whilst at University by snuggling up with girlfriends on the sofa and delving into the Sex and the City boxset. How we all wished we were the SATC girls, living a fabulous life that revolved around gossiping, shopping and endless cocktails in New York City. I knew the words to practically every episode by heart and felt like the famous four were long lost friends. So when Milly told me that we would be visiting all the sites where our idols spent their time, I could hardly contain my excitement.

As 40 giggling girls, plus 3 men (obviously dragged along by their persuasive girlfriends) clambered onboard the tour bus in the Upper East Side, it started to rain, which immediately took me back to those days in Manchester, where my love of SATC first began. Milly and I adored our tour guide, a part time actress from Manhattan, who we decided we would quite like to adopt as our very cool and seriously fun older sister. She instantly had all 43 tour goers whooping and cheering, in the mood for a very good time.

As the tour navigated the city, various locations from the six series and the most recent films were pointed out. The coach was kitted out with small televisions, and as we drove past exciting landmarks, we were shown short clips that took place right where we passing. We started at The Plaza Hotel, where Carrie said goodbye to Mr. Big and also where Mr. Big hosted his engagement party – to another woman! Our driver took us through the Upper East Side, passing the New York Library where Carrie and Big nearly tied the knot, then stopping for a quick browse of the ‘Pleasure Chest’ where Charlotte bought her ‘rabbit’. A few tour goers made some cheeky purchases, which they were too embarrassed to ‘show and tell’ to the rest of the bus – I wonder why?! Moving downtown to SoHo, we were given enough time for a speedy pit stop for boutique shopping in Bleeker Street and more importantly to refuel with coffee and a super sweet Magnolia Bakery cupcake. After a walk around historic Greenwich Village, what better way to end the tour than heading to Scout, the bar Aidan and Steve opened on the show, for the cocktail SATC made famous – the  Cosmopolitan.

Our experience on the Sex and the City tour was so enjoyable, I would thoroughly recommend this to any girls seeking a small piece of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte’s fabulous New York lifestyle.

For more info, visit: www.screentours.com and www.nycgo.com

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Miss, Susie Hemsted.