New York, New York!

I spent the last few days up in New York on business, but managed to take a few hours to play. My brilliant friend Liz managed to get us reservations at Per Se for dinner Monday night. I've never had any food that comes close to the Per Se culinary experience. It really deserves it's three Michelin stars. The staff treated us like princesses, we dined enjoying an amazing view of Central Park, and the nine course tasting menu was fabulous.

After 2 amuse-bouche, 2 starters, 2 fish courses, 2 meat courses, 1 cheese course, and 2 desserts, we were shocked when a the waiters bombarded our table with a final flourish of sugar:
As if two desserts weren't enough, we got candy, doughnuts, cappuccino ice cream, truffles, macaroons, chocolates, and caramels (all made by Per Se). Liz compared it to the grand finale of the firework show. It was dessert shock and awe!

I also managed to catch a Broadway matinee on Sunday. I had always wanted to see Wicked. I managed to read the book which really didn't impress me (and was terribly sad), but I heard rave reviews of the musical. Now I know why. The show is a beautiful production with a compelling story.
This is a shot from my favorite musical number: Defying Gravity. Check out the link which goes to a YouTube clip of the song. In the scene, Elphaba learns to fly...because "Everyone Deserves the Chance to Fly."
Of course any Broadway show wouldn't be complete without my own commentary on costumes! Above, I've included a photo of some of my favorite costumes in the production: the Emerald city costumes were visually stunning. Galinda's costumes are by far the flashiest, which makes it easy to overlook the delicate and beautiful gown that Elphaba wears during the peak of her "Wicked Witch" years. Take a good second look, and note the amazing details/frills/lace that went into this costume.

I was amazed by the evolution of Galinda the student to Glinda the good witch:When we first meet Galinda Upland, she's a pampered young woman from an affluent family on her first day at Shiz University. We begin to see Galinda evolve. Here, she has adopted the new name "Glinda" and wears a traveling gown as she and Elphaba visit the Wizard at the Emerald City. After agreeing to work for the Wizard, Glinda takes on a more sophisticated look. I love the hair and hat! It reminds me of the styles popular in the 30's and 40's. We next see Glinda at a ball. Her gown is clearly evolving into a style more reminiscent of the Glinda we all know and love from the Wizard of Oz movie.SPOILER ALERT! Stop reading unless you want to know what happens at the end of the musical.

Finally, we see Glinda in her prime. A large fluffy dress, enough sparkles to blind, and the bounciest curls of the North. I really like that the costume designer steered away from pink and instead chose a soft blue for Glinda. But Glinda is no longer a puppet of the Wizard - she is a strong and confident sorceress. She ousts the Wizard, and is ready to take up Elphaba's cause and lead Oz.