That’s the thing about New York—everyone‘s always going.
-Carrie Bradshaw, Season 4, Episode 3
Living in New York, with its 8 million residents, means having a social circle that’s in a near constant state of growth. And with each new acquaintance, there comes an inevitable invitation to some event that the person holds near and dear. There is the guy in 2B’s screening of the documentary he made about competitive squash players, your co-worker’s experimental stand-up gig, your 2nd-cousin-once-removed’s ’80s-themed birthday party (Did you know that Uncle Tony’s granddaughter Denise lives in New York? You two should get together!) And while many of these things prove worthwhile—the documentary on squash surprisingly suspenseful, cousin Denise a hoot—sometimes you just want to do the truly extraordinary things that lured you to New York in the first place.
I am thrilled that this past week I was able to attend, not one, but two events that I chose based on merit instead of social obligation. The first was Mike Nichols’s revival of Death of a Salesman at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Willie Loman. Having spent many years working (or trying to work) in the theater, I now find that I have little patience for it. I am skeptical, overly critical, and often bored. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Death of a Salesman, however, seemed like a no-brainer. I love the writing; if nothing else, I just wanted an opportunity to hear Miller’s words. And Philip Seymour Hoffman just killed it. The whole thing left me breathless. Details HERE.**
The second outing was an evening with character actor Stephen Tobolowsky (better known as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day). Tobolowsky, or Tobo as his listeners call him, has a podcast on which he shares stories from his 30-year career in show biz, as well as wacky and endearing musings on love, God, family, and the meaning of life. My husband discovered the podcast about a year ago, and we spent hour upon hour with Tobo’s voice as we road-tripped through Scotland last summer (Almost Carrie, 9.1.11). Seeing him live in a room of 200 other fans was delightful. Check out The Tobolowsky Files HERE.
** And if you need more of a Sex and the City connection to convince you to go, Molly Price (aka SUSAN SHARON) plays the role of Willie’s mistress.
Emily Sproch is a writer and a Sex and the City tour guide. Each Friday, she chronicles the fine line between reality and fiction in her column “Almost Carrie.”
