Happy Harvey Holidays

"Oh, oh, oh
Woke up today
Feeling the way I always do
Oh, oh, oh
Hungry for something that I can't eat
Then I hear that beat
The rhythm of town
Starts calling me down
It's like a message from High above
Oh, oh, oh
Pulling me out
To the smiles and the streets that I love..."
("Good Morning Baltimore" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)

That's the opening song from the musical, Hairspray, and I totally feel that way almost every day in Manhattan. There's a music and beat to this city that simply captures my heart.

This weekend my guy and I did our traditional holiday run around town. Rob's sister comes up every year from PA to celebrate Rob's birthday and to catch some of the New York holiday spirit. We always join the crowd at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree...

...and Lani likes to do some big-city-shopping, so we hit all sorts of shops including "the mall" at Columbus Circle. They do a really neat light show with stars.

This year was extra special because we decided to catch Hairspray on Broadway. It's closing January 4th and some of the original cast members have come back to take the show out in style, including Harvey Fierstein (pictured below with Lani and Rob).
I saw Harvey this summer in the musical, A Catered Affair, which was more like a play with music. It was almost operatic in its beauty, drama and high emotions. It also marked my friend, Kristine Zbornik's Broadway debut. She and I worked together in The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. Then after the show, my sweetheart, Rob, proposed to me! So needless to say, it's been a good year!

We greatly enjoyed seeing Harvey and the gang in Hairspray on Broadway. Rob and I are both fans of John Waters' original film, and Rob's little sister reminds us greatly of the forward-thinking, trend-setting Tracy, so we had to have her join us at the show. It was a great treat for all of us, and I hope you can catch this musical before it closes on January 4th.

I can't think of a better way to end 2008 and ring in the New Year than by singing and dancing to "You Can't Stop the Beat!"

Rock on!