On the first day out and about in the city I caught a matinée of Mrs. Doubtfire, went skating in Bryant Park, and saw the Broadway rendition of To Kill A Mockingbird! Read on to discover how Covid has changed our NYC adventures and how you can make the most of your next NYC trip!
After a long travel day, I made sure to sleep in this morning before ordering in a super yummy breakfast of yogurt, granola, orange juice, and english breakfast tea to start my day. I took my food into a window nook in my hotel room and got to enjoy breakfast overlooking the city!
After my slow start, I was finally ready to hit the town! Armed with my face mask began the day with really no plan, just walking down Time Square and taking in the sights. Sometimes no plan is the best plan and it definitely was for me today! After walking for a while, I remembered that Bryant Park is right next to our hotel, and having never been before, I went to check it out. I was certainly not disappointed!
The park was transformed for the holidays! Small businesses were lined up in hut-like booths and there was a beautiful ice skating rink set up. The rink was huge, had lots of room for observers to sit, and even boasted a Lodge lounge full of food and other wintery items. We scanned a QR code to purchase tickets for later in the day and went to the United Chocolate Works booth for some incredible hot cocoa. The regular option came decked with torched marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles!
Pro Tip: Make sure to order your ice skating tickets ahead of time and arrive at least 10 minutes early! The skate rink has timed ticket entry and they can be bought online or purchased by scanning a QR code on posters at the rink.
We scanned a QR code to purchase tickets for later in the day and went to the United Chocolate Works booth for some incredible hot cocoa. The regular option came decked with torched marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles! Now it was time to walk to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre for a matinée showing of Mrs. Doubtfire, the new Broadway rendition of a hilarious comedy film.
Pro Tip: Make sure to have your Covid vaccine card, identification, and mask with you when going to a Broadway show. You must be fully vaccinated to enter and properly wear a face mask during the show. Some shows are being canceled due to Covid so make sure to check your phone for cancellations. Also, no snacks or drinks are served so make sure to come fully nourished.
Mrs. Doubtfire was absolutely incredible and I recommend it to anyone! Leading actor Rob McClure was show stopping, as were all the other actors. It was a mix of laugh-out-loud comedy and heart-wrenching emotion that left audiences joyful, fulfilled, and with a wholesome message. The show is great for all ages and handles the topic of divorce with great care and sensitivity.
After the show, we went back to Bryant Park to finally ice skate! The line for our 5:20 pm skate time opened at 5:00 and we received a drawstring bag to carry our shoes while we enjoyed our 55 minute stake session.
Pro Tip: The rink has a strict policy about no phones, cameras, or headphones on the ice, so if you want pictures, be sure to have some one off the rink take them.
Budget Hack: Skate rentals are cheaper at Bryant Park rink in the mornings! Before Noon on the weekdays or 11 am on Weekends or holidays you can expect cheaper rental prices or skip the rental entirely and bring your own skates.
It soon grew quite cold on the ice so I packed up and headed off to find some dinner before the next show. I didn't have to search for long before finding a delicious gyro from a street vendor. Sometimes they really are the best! I did a quick outfit change and was soon back on the street headed for the Schubert Theater to see the To Kill A Mockingbird play staring Jeff Daniels.
The play left me in shock and awe. As someone who has read the book twice and watched the film, I was blown away yet again. The actors all did an incredible job of portraying the culture of the South in the 1930s and the culturally relevant themes of race and social status truly made me think deeply about the society we live in today. The play featured actor Russel Harvard, who is deaf, in the roles of Boo Radley and Link Deas - characters who are not traditionally deaf. He spoke a bit but did most of his acting in American Sign Language while other actors narrated along. This approach was maybe even more expressive than traditional actors and I feel that this casting is a good sign that theater is on its way to becoming more accepting of people with disabilities.
To finish off the day, we ordered in Joe's Pizza and played some board games before drifting off to sleep to the city sounds.
Our second day in New York was a blast and day 3 is sure to be as well! I hope you are enjoying the final moments of 2021 and I hope you stick around for the rest of this NYC NYE adventure!
Always,
Paris
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