Sitting bored at work and thought to myself, "what would my dream two show day be?" and it got me thinking. Here are my parameters: it can be two shows from any time period and do not have to had run at the same time. The only caveat is they must be two shows you have personally seen live. To cap it off, where would you eat in between shows?
I think I would start my day with a matinee of the Company revival, which I absolutely adored. I saw it 9 times while undergoing chemotherapy (making the trip down from Boston) during my senior year of college. It really meant so much to me. What a cast!
I would go to a spot called the Elgin on 48th in between. The food isn't that amazing, but it is a sentimental spot for my friends and I. Or I would just get Raising Canes and then a cocktail at Glass House Tavern.
I would end my day with seeing Here Lies Love - a recent one I know, but another very special show to me. It was the first show I really fell in love with after moving to New York last fall. While it had it's flaws, I found it so thrilling (Ended up seeing it 13 times I think).
1. Hugs and hopes that chemo is long behind you, never to be seen again! (F*CK cancer.)
2. I think, for me it would be any two Sondheim shows, and if I had to pick two? The OBC of SITPWG and Here We Are. (or Company)
3. Dinner: Red Rooster, up in Harlem.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
The best two-show day I've done (in terms of both company and show quality) was in 2019 when my best friend and I started the day at Junior's before a 1 PM King Lear. I know that production was divisive, but worth it to see Glenda.
Then we hung out at Schnippers for a while before Hillary & Clinton in the evening (doing a one-act at night gets you an earlier train home). Laurie came out the stage door within minutes and as a bonus we saw one of her guests, Tony Shalhoub.
I know this isn't the prompt, but Indecent in the afternoon and A Doll's House Part 2 in the evening was maybe the most perfect day of theatre I've had.
My best two show day was actually a three show day back in May 2007. Saw the matinee of "Grey Gardens" with Christine Ebersole, evening show of "110 In The Shade" with Audra M, and at 11pm saw Linda Eder at Feinstein's at The Regency Hotel.
The OBC’s of Evita and Sunday in the Park with George. I’ll leave it up to Mandy Patinkin to negotiate starring in two major musicals at the same time.
Honorable Mention to the OBC’s of Dreamgirls and Come From Away, each thrilling in very different ways.
In between I would eat at Zen Palate, the wonderful Asian vegan restaurant in the theater district that is no longer around. Loved that place. Big loss when it closed.
I've done a number of 2-show days over the years, but my favorite 2-show day was on a Saturday as part of a 3-show weekend. I saw the first two installments of Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia at the Beaumont on that Saturday and saw the third installment the next day. That leads me to my best 3-show day a few years later when I saw all three plays of The Norman Conquests revival at Circle/Square. The first play started in late morning - lunch break - second play - dinner break - evening performance. It made for a long day sitting, resulting in a sore butt, but it was worth it!