While the musical Gypsy was the spectacle of this year’s Masterpieces field trip to Broadway, the show itself isn’t what made it special. Indeed, the experience of exploring Times Square was enough.
Waking up early for a six thirty departure is never pleasant, but our bus driver (Debbie) made the experience less painful. Debbie was requested by Mr. Kott because of how fantastic she was with The Great Gatsby field trip just a couple of weeks ago. Debbie has an affinity for taking turns gently and avoiding potholes. Plus, she made sure that we were on time to be able to use the express lane into the city for buses.
We arrived at Times Square around ten thirty, giving us plenty of time before the two pm matinee. We were given a shocking, yet refreshing, amount of freedom for a school sanctioned event. Outside of avoiding scammers, staying in Times Square, and sticking with our groups of three or more, we could spend the next two and a half hours however we pleased.
The majority of my group went to the Gatsby trip just a few weeks prior, and enjoyed the tea shop “HeyTea” so much that they demanded we go again. A short walk in the calm rain took us to the futuristic-looking tea shop. With matcha, boba, and even slushies, this shop boasted options for everyone.
I, along with four others, got the “Supreme Brown Sugar Boba”. Supreme it was, with insanely soft tapioca soaked in brown sugar, a perfect ratio of milk to tea, and a crown of cheese foam on top. Every sip was different, one having the sweetness of the tapioca, another having the creamy bitterness of the milk tea, and another with the tart smoothness of the foam. Every aspect of the drink felt intentional.
Drinks in hand, we meandered our way to “Ichiran Ramen”, our destination for lunch. Ichiran is an introvert’s daydream. Customers order on tablets off of a simple menu, consisting of veggie ramen, classic ramen, and some sides like edamame and seaweed. Every personal preference like sodium amount, oil amount, spice amount, and toppings were alterable.
With receipt in hand, we ducked through the curtain into the seating area. Each customer gets a cubicle, with the choice of collapsing its wooden wall to speak with others, or stay on their own. Like HeyTea, Ichiran had the air of supreme quality. Everything down to the soup spoon–notched in order to neatly hang on the side of the bowl–was perfect. That was not to mention the flavorful broth, chewy noodles, and hearty add-ins (whether that be meat or vegetables).
With the amazing food settling into my stomach, I almost forgot what the point of the trip was. With that–lets head to the Majestic Theater to see Gypsy. The theater itself, like any building in New York City, was insanely vertical. Climbing from the below-ground restrooms to our seats at the very top of the theater had my thighs burning. However, despite our seats being considered nosebleeds, I enjoyed being able to see the whole stage from above.
The view, in particular, allowed me to see scene changes as a whole. This aspect of theater is the most interesting to me, as I was in stage crew for three years of high school–including spending one as a manager. I have only ever seen amateur school productions where everything is built and moved by hand. Gypsy, on the other hand, had a full sized car which was remotely controlled, along with set pieces that moved on tracks. The actual design of the set was extremely professional too, with every set piece–whether it be Rose’s dingy house, or Gypsy’s glittering dressing room–having clean edges and intricate details.
I haven’t sung since sixth grade chorus class, so I’m not exactly qualified to review the vocals and overall musical aspects of the show. However, I can still recognize the raw talent of the child actors, particularly Marley Lianne Gomes who played Baby June. Gomes went from doing splits, hitting high notes, and popping out cartwheels all in the span of a few minutes. As for the adults, Joy Woods (who played Louise) had a voice that akin to powdered sugar: sweet and airy, yet powerful. Though I enjoyed Mama Rose’s acting, I didn’t enjoy her creative choices when it came to her singing. For example, in “Rose’s Turn”–a song meant to be a dramatic climax and turning point for Rose–she went slow and shaky, when I wanted her to be punchy and powerful. From her performances throughout the show, I could tell she was vocally capable of doing so, but just chose to do otherwise.
Before this trip, I viewed New York city as a glorified, smelly, shopping center. In reality, it contains unforgettable culinary and art experiences; a revelation that I wouldn’t have had without this amazing field trip opportunity.
