NYC mini-trip with my parents!

There are a few categories of formative music albums in my life. While I think I was fairly knowledgable about 90s alt rock, my high school listening memories are dominated by the Frank Sinatra/Tony Bennett Duets album and the 1960 Lerner & Lowe’s Camelot cast recording that features Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Robert Goulet. Dad would drive me into school and he picked the music, saying that he could only handle so much (aka, not 90s alt rock) in the morning. Another strong sensory experience that went along with the music was how cold it was in the grey Oldsmobile where the heat would finally kick in just as we got to school!

So, when I heard that there was a Broadway revival of Camelot this Summer, I had to go! I bought tickets for my Dad’s birthday weekend and we were set! Until it I got an email saying I needed to rebook or get a refund since the show was ending its run early. Oh no! After a few texts with my Mom, we figured that we could make it work in July. Hooray!

So, I took a red eye flight into NYC arriving Friday morning. Red eyes are not as easy as they used to be, but they are very convenient! Mom and Dad arrived via Amtrak. We met in the Moynihan Train Hall, which is beautiful. It is full of light, clean, and with an awesome food hall. While I was waiting, I got a H&H bagel (good) and a Blue Bottle Americano (ridiculous $$$).

We went to the Iroquois hotel, where we were able to check in. Score! Then we decided to take a walk towards the Met. First, we passed St. Patrick’s cathedral and Rockefeller Square. We stopped for lunch at Fleming by Le Bilboquet, which was delicious. As a bonus, they served on of my Mom’s favorite sauvignon blanc by the glass, Cloudy Bay!

Then we went to the Met for a bit, but it was crowded. In addition, I was pretty tired so we went back and I took a power nap before the evening. I’m very glad I was able to do that!

We went for a pre-theater dinner at Le Rivage. My parents enjoy French food and, when we walked in, we realized it was an extra good choice since it was Bastille Day! The dinner was enjoyable. Then we were off to the theater! We took a ride share, which gave Mom time to order intermission drinks (pro move!).

Then, we took our seats which were first row! It was awesome! We loved seeing the actors expressions and it felt so immersive. It was also fun to see the musicians although they sort of faded into the background during the show. The sound was the tiniest bit imbalanced with the orchestra dominating based on the actors’ location on the stage but since we knew all the words, it totally worked.

I thought the show was amazing. The actors playing Guinevere and Lancelot were the star principals and they had such amazing voices. Arthur was played by his understudy who definitely held his own. It was really magical seeing music I knew so well be brought to life in a full show. So, I strongly recommend seeing it.

After the show, it was pouring! The heavens were crying for the loss of Camelot! We eventually made our way to the subway and grabbed a nightcap in the Algonquin. It’s a really beautiful bar, but different than my Dad remembered. The bartender was very personable and created a great vibe. Then, it was back to the hotel and off to bed!