Broadway Shows - I've Seen a Few

Once upon a time I put together a life list of over 100 things I wanted to experience. I add to it sparsely, and I check things off at least a couple times a year. One of those things was to see a show on Broadway. I've seen dozens of Broadway shows on tour, most often at Gammage but also in Chicago and California. But when I made that life list item, I had no idea I'd have the opportunity to see a DOZEN shows on Broadway. I checked it off for the first time with my sister, Christy, on a trip to NYC for her friend's wedding in 2008. The show was Wicked and the experience was amazing. I returned to New York City for New Year's ringing in 2010, and saw Wicked again on Broadway, a suggestion from my then-boyfriend who felt that Wicked was the most approachable of all the musicals.   

Moving to and living in Connecticut has been rough and undesirable, to say the least. But the proximity to Broadway and the frequency with which we've had the opportunity to see Broadway shows can't be beat. I am certain that our proximity to Broadway will be what I miss most about our short time in Connecticut.

It's almost surreal that something people wish to do once in their lives - that I, at one time, hoped to do once in my life - has become almost routine and familiar.  I'd be remiss if I didn't feel and show gratitude for the opportunity we've had here. We've seen stars, award-winning shows, surprises, on-stage magic, and absolute wonder. 

We learned that there are a number of ways to get Broadway show tickets on the cheap. Many shows have same-day or next-day lotteries that you can enter entirely for free, so there is no risk or down-side. If you win, then you have just an hour or so to pay for the tickets. This was the most economic way we found, ticket prices were $10 for Hamilton ("the ten dollar founding father") and maybe $20 or $30 for most other shows. Then you have to get your butts down to Broadway to see the show. We utilized this a lot, although it made for some disruptive and hurried days when our initial plans were to veg or do things around the apartment. 

Obviously, this method only works if you are able to get to NYC quickly, within a couple hours, and can try repeatedly until you win. Otherwise if you're only visiting for a few days, the chances of winning are pretty slim. If you want to guarantee you'll see a show, Broadway Roulette, priced just a tough higher, around $40 per person, guaranteed a show for the day and timeframe you wanted, you just didn't know what show it would be! For shows that I was adamant about seeing, I would fork over the face value ticket price. 

Here is a complete listing of the shows we've seen, and how we acquired the tickets.

• Cats - won the lottery the day of
  

• Miss Saigon - bought tickets in advance

• War Paint - won the lottery the day of
  

• Waitress - played Broadway Roulette (won the lottery for Dear Evan Hansen the same day, but the primary lead was off that day, so we stuck with Waitress) 
  

• Groundhog Day - won the lottery the day before (actually I won five days in a row, maybe a marketing gimmick?)
  

• Hamilton - won the lottery the day before
  

• The Play That Goes Wrong - bought tickets in advance for Christy's visit
  

• SpongeBob - won the lottery the day of (won one other time and didn't notice in time - whoops!)
  

• Hamilton - bought tickets at face value before we even moved
  

• Elf the Musical - bought tickets in advance
  

• Radio City's Rockette Christmas Spectacular - bought tickets in advance
  

• Spamilton (off-Broadway) - bought last-minute tickets for the show's last day
  

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - bought last-minute tickets for the show's last week
  

• Lion King - won the lottery the day of
  

• Aladdin - bought half off tickets in advance
  

• Dear Evan Hansen - bought tickets in advance

Any Prize That I Desire

I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I was never excited to by in my 30s.  I owe this partially to my high-flying goals of what I would be before 30, and partially to the fact that my 20s were really quite amazing.  In my 20s, I studied abroad in Japan, had a spring break trip to Cancun, graduated with an Industrial Engineering degree, bought a house, got a dog, studied Six Sigma in California with the CEO of my supplier, studied kung fu with the warrior monks at the Shaolin Temple in China, bought a first year Chevrolet Volt and paraded it around in electric car shows and parades, got an MBA which included a second stint in China, dated lots of men, studied glassblowing, auditioned for a reality TV show, partied in Las Vegas, started a brewery tour business, tackled and completed some very ambitious hikes, went on a cruise vacation of a lifetime with my family, and a hell of a lot more.  I started this blog in my 20s, after a rough breakup, intending it to be a comedic dating blog, only to be cut short by a really wonderful relationship that put an end to my comically tragic single life.  I am reminded of a passage in Evita; musicals, in my opinion, are so powerful because they have a way of speaking to all emotions and aspects of life, no matter where you are in your life or what kind of life you lead.  Here's what Eva sings:

The choice was mine and mine completely
I could have any prize that I desired
I could burn with the splendor of the brightest fire
Or else--or else I could choose time
Remember I was very young then
And a year was forever and a day
So what use could fifty, sixty, seventy be?
I saw the lights and I was on my way

And how I lived! How they shone!
But how soon the lights were gone!

I think this is why I dreaded turning 30, and why I am still not convinced that my 30s will be better than my 20s, as so many others ahead of me have tried to assure me from their experience.  I had a kick ass decade in my 20s, and I really struggle with how I can top it.  What's more, I'm somewhat paying for it now, by way of being overweight, having debt from my schooling, and being tied to a house that has until recently been under water.  In my 20s I consumed life, anything and everything it had to offer.  Fly to California to deliver a presentation?  Sure!  Join kenpo so that I could study martial arts in China?  Sounds good!  Go on a date with a little person and his buddy (at the same time)?  Good for a laugh!  Try my hand at interior decorating?  Let's do it! 

I feel like in my 30s, I should have a focus, and I struggle with what my focus should be, and so I tend not to dive into anything because I'm afraid it's not the right focus.  I feel the burden of responsibility and adulthood weighing on me, in combination with the reality that my life plan hasn't panned out completely - I was going to be rich and in management by now - and it has the effect of indecisive paralysis.  I am grateful for all the things I do have, even little things like the ability to dance and move and think - I learned not to take those things for granted from immobilizing back injuries and migraine headaches.  I am loopy right now from a migraine semi-smothered by drugs, so I hope you'll excuse my if I am a bit tangential.  I am not sure how my sentences will end as I start them, and by the time I finish them I can't remember how they started - that's what I call migraine brain.  I can't hold a full thought in my head, so it becomes something like streaming consciousness. 

I remember the worst migraine brain moment I ever had was when I was working at Honeywell - my head hurt so badly that I realized work was actually not possible because I couldn't think, and it was in the afternoon so I figured I had put in enough time.  I got halfway down the outdoor stairwell when I realized I didn't have my jacket with me.  So I turned around and walked back towards my desk.  But my jacket wasn't at my desk.  It was on a desk in a completely different row than mine where nobody was sitting.  I could not remember placing the jacket there, or even grabbing the jacket in the first place, or dropping it, or walking down that row.  It was as if my migraine caused a five-minute blackout in which I did something that made no sense at all.  I drove home that day, and vomited from the pain immediately after parking in my garage - I almost puked in my car!  After about an hour, I was able to hold down a piece of bread. 

Migraines are no fun, but I am not very eager to try any more serious medication because I saw such treatment destroy my sister's health.  She's better now, thankfully, but she has to avoid her "triggers" and has a cocktail of drugs she uses when a migraine hits.  I use meditation, heat, massage, aromatherapy, and if necessary, OTC drugs to deal with my migraines.  And usually something will work sufficiently for about a day, and the migraine will persist for three days so I have to keep at it until the thing finally leaves. 

But I digress...  my point that I think I was going for was that I haven't been very positive about my 30s because I'm weighed down and have nothing to lift me up.  That is to say that I have no real big aspirations that I'm super stoked for.  I've done so much that I just can't imagine topping it.  I've wanted to go

back to Japan for several years now, in fact, I started yearning to go back during that whole nuclear crisis following the tsunami, which seemed like a bad time to visit but seeing it on the news just stirred me up.  Yet, even as Jaiman and I plan a trip to Japan, I'm not super excited about it.  I want to be, but I'm not.  I love all trips with Jaiman, we have a lot of fun together, and really, I just like spending time with him.  He's a great travel partner, and puts up with my early rising, tackle the world, no rest for the weary attitude.  I think what pains me is the fact that I've wanted to go to Australia for, like, ever, and instead of doing Australia, we're going back to a place I've already been.  Now, granted, I spent my time in Hiroshima, and we're mostly staying in Tokyo, so there is a difference there.  But to most Americans, Japan is Japan is Japan, and Australia is completely different.  I suppose that if we knock out Japan, that Australia will naturally be the next big trip, if I don't ship off to Germany or somewhere in Europe first.  More and more I want to get moved to Europe, and I've been working diligently on my German, despite my dislike for the language and the difficulty I've had with it.  I don't particularly like most German foods or beer, and I hear the weather is pretty dreary there.  Still, it's an adventure of a lifetime to move to a foreign country temporarily, and to be able to take weekend trips to one of many nearby countries that I have yet to explore.  I think it will be great.  But where does Australia play in to all of this? 

I think I first planned Australia in 2009.  When that didn't happen, I was determine to ring in the new year of 2010 there with Rick.  Something fell through, I think it was too expensive, so it didn't happen.  So Christy and I were going to do it in 2011.  School and work got in the way, so it would be 2012, and so on.  Here I am not 7 years later and still haven't made it below the Equator.  Argentina and Brazil are also on the list.  So maybe I need to make my 30s about exploring other continents, like, all the other ones.  And, starting a new business.  And, making my day-to-day life a little better.  I mean really, I have proven to myself that I can accomplish a lot if I set my mind to it, so I just need to name the prize that I want in my 30s. 

It may start with people.  I have done a lot on my own in the last few years, and I spend a lot of time with Jaiman (usually just watching TV, though).  I think I've ostracized myself from my friends, and I think it's time to correct that.  I have found time and time again that sometimes just sharing with someone what is on my mind or what I am trying to achieve has spurred generous contributions to help me achieve my goals.  Even if I don't directly benefit from my friends in that way, having good conversations always energizes me, and I have been feeling a little lackluster lately.  So, I will improve my life by meeting with friends more, and by finding other ways to make my life easier. 

What Musicals Can Teach Corporate America

I have always found inspiration, encouragement, and wisdom about life in musicals.  But it occurred to me not too long ago, that big companies could also learn a thing or two from the life lessons our on-stage heroes learn through song and dance.  Here are a handful of lessons I came up with.  Please feel free to add your own in the comment section below!

 

Pippin

While every company can dream about being extraordinary, and enter into spaces they know nothing about, only to fail, not everybody can be the next great battle hero (or facebook, or Apple).  Still, it is better to live, to make, and to have, then it is to mount a burning platform and die. 

Music Man

Be wary of the manager who comes along saying that there's something very bad going on here, and he has just the solution.  The manager who commands a reorg is the Music Man of the corporate world.  He need not be accountable for the results, because he will be on the next train, to the next town, before you can reach him with tar and feathers.  Oh, YOU got Trouble with a capital T when the Music Man comes to town.

Wicked

Sometimes perception becomes reality.  Acting on the best intentions can be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and made to look wrong.  However, being popular is also lonely and disappointing.  It's not enough just to do the right thing for the right reasons, or what you believe to be right, and it's certainly not enough to look good on the outside without actually doing good; charisma and presentation are are just as important as the actions.  

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Even in the face of the most extreme adversity, you can still rise to fulfill your dreams.  Be good and honest and good at what you do, and others will recognize your value.

Shrek the Musical

It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside; it's what's inside that counts.

Pirates of Penzance

When you make a commitment, make sure it's the right one, and that the terms are correct.  Catastrophe can be avoided with a little double checking and due diligence.  

Rent

Treat people right, because you never know when you'll need them to be on your side.  

On Mantras

I recently noticed a theme in my life that I hadn't really realized touched on so many aspects of living - mantras.  Now mind you, I am very action- and results-oriented, so words alone don't mean much to me.  But my realization was that some words drive action and results for me that others don't - and that makes those words, or sequences of words, very powerful.  My hope is that by sharing these very personal insights, others can use them or a variation of them to inspire and motivate themselves.

Last weekend I took the APICS Train-the-Trainer class again; I had not taken it in several years and I have grown as a presenter, instructor and public speaker substantially since that first class.  But I recalled the key to getting over my nerves in public speaking, and it was a mantra I had learned in that class:  

"The audience wants to see you succeed."  

There was more to the idea, to be sure.  Nobody in the audience wants to see a speaker flounder, break under pressure, stutter, talk too fast, or do anything else that distracts from the message.  Indeed, the audience comes to hear a no-name speaker generally for one reason - the message, or content, that speaker has promised.  Thus, it is our jobs as speakers, instructors, lecturers, whatever we may be, to deliver the content or message in the best way we are able to.  This idea, somehow had the power to break me of my shaking, stuttering, talking too fast, and sweating, that accompanied giving a speech or lecture.  I have grown into a comfortable, casual instructor.  It is especially easy when I know the material thoroughly, but for material I am less confident in, rehearsing can prepare me to be just as comfortable in front of the audience.  The envision-everyone-in-their-underpants trick never worked for me, and no other public speaking trick I've heard of has helped, but hearing and believing that the audience wants me to succeed did, and still does. 

My second mantra is what finally kicked my butt into gear to start exercising and eating healthy again.  I let myself get into a habit of eating whatever I enjoyed, and stress eating, and not exercising as much as I should because I had so many other things to do.  I realized a while back that getting back in shape would never work if I didn't commit myself 100% of the time to that goal; some goals can be worked on sporadically, but health is not a goal like that.  Dieting and exercising needs to be priority number one, or it is not going to succeed at all.  But even after those realizations, I had a hard time getting myself committed - I knew it took commitment to do it consistently, but I just couldn't find the motivation within me to commit.  Finally, I had had enough.  It was a little over a month ago that I declared to myself (and not really anyone else except those impacted by my commitment), that I was going to turn this thing around.  The mantra I have found to help me stay committed is this: 

"There is nothing more important to do today than to get healthy."  

Sometimes I phrase it into questions: "What is the most important thing I need to do today?  Is it (whatever else I'm considering doing)?  Or getting healthy?"  Invariably, unless I have a specific appointment I need to attend to, when I ask myself these questions, I end up at the gym or working out in some way.  It also keeps me motivated while I'm at the gym.  When I find myself thinking about all the other things I want to accomplish that evening, I start thinking about cutting my workout short.  But then I stop and ask myself what's more important, and I stay on track with my workout. 

I think it's important to note that some quotes or mantras don't work for some people.  For example, I've had this quote on my closet door for years, in hopes of inspiring me to work out every morning: 

"This is not about instant gratification. You have to work hard for it, sweat for it, give up sleeping in." - Lauren Fessenden  

Unfortunately, despite its fantastic placement next to my alarm clock, it has done nearly nothing for me.  It seems compelling to me, and yet, it has compelled me to do very little.  Maybe it will inspire others as I thought it would inspire me.  For some reason I can't put my finger on, it just didn't work on me. 

It's been a while since I've needed this next mantra, but it was very effective.  It was for when I was single, and feeling like I'd forever be single.  I simply looked at a couple comprised of individuals I see nothing desirable in, and say, "If THEY can find someone to love them, then surely there is a match out there for me."  Kind of mean, but you know, it's better than just saying I'll never find anyone.  It kept me looking for love when it seemed impossible to find love.  It didn't get me all the way to my current relationship, but it got me mostly there, and luck, and good friends got me the rest of the way.  Now, of course, I don't need the mantra because I have found a love who makes me so overwhelmingly happy it's hard to believe he's real.

Music has also been very instrumental in pushing me forward throughout my life.  I don't recall exactly which song it was, but I remember having one song that was current at the time be my motivation to finish my calculus homework for an entire semester.  I borrow from musicals quite extensively; Wicked's "Dancing Through Life" when I need to de-stress and enjoy life more, and Pippin's "Extraordinary" when I am feeling trapped. 



Now, to reward you for sticking with me so far, I'm going to tell you a very strange personal secret.  I don't remember when or how it started, but for as long as I can remember, I've had this mantra running through my head: "I make over $100,000 a year."  I don't, in reality, and I never have thus far.  But it is certainly a goal of mine.  The weird thing is it might run through my head 40 times a day.  When I'm walking, when I'm in the elevator, when I'm brushing my teeth, when I'm applying deodorant, when I'm showering, it plays over and over again in my head.  It bothers me a little bit that I can't make it stop; I'm not sure if it makes me feel like I'm greedy, or too narrowly-focused, or what it might say about me psychologically.  Someday, I'm sure, I'll achieve that goal, and maybe that voice will be quiet.  Or maybe it will pick up a different mantra.  Or maybe, it will simply increase the quota.  I don't know.  All I know is that it drives me, everyday, to do my job to the best of my ability (or seek out a new job that I can do to the best of my ability if I don't see my job going anywhere), so that I may one day be the kind of person to make $100,000 a year. 

I can't think of any other real mantras that I've used, but now that I am more aware of their power, I may create new ones or realize more that I've forgotten here.  I am also curious to know what mantras other people have used to help them through something.