Ali and I went to The City yesterday to see The Producers on Broadway. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have reprised their roles for a short time, and we were lucky enough to get tickets.

Ah, but I’m getting a head of myself …

This was our second time going to The City since we moved to New York last June. The first time we went was Thanksgiving weekend to meet Adam, who was in from Portland, Oregon. I’m not sure why we haven’t gone more as it only takes us about 3.5 hours with about 2 hours of that on a train. Needless to say for us to get to The City it is a piece of cake; contrasted with what Ashley went through to get there you might even think it boring.

One thing to offset the boredom is that we pass a lot of cool sites on the way. While on the car part of the trip, we have to cross over the Hudson River, and we pass by several places of note in the Hyde Park area: the Culinary Institute of America, one of the Vanderbilt mansions, and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt .

We are planning to tour these sites this summer. I secretly have a desire to enroll in the CIA, but I haven’t acted on it yet (and I guess it’s no longer a secret).

From Poughkeepsie, we take the Metro North rail into the City. The tracks run right along the banks of the Hudson River, and so I enjoy just watching the scenery for the duration of the ride. On this day though there were three drunk fools (one man and two women) at the front of our train car that also made for good entertainment. They have conductors on the train that come around and collect tickets. They have a uniform, which includes a conductor hat, and though I had never seen one before the first time we took the train, somehow I knew exactly what they would look like.

Along the rail we pass some cool stuff on the river. There is a castle like structure on an island. We also pass by West Point Military Academy, and several bridges. One thing I think is peculiar is that at every train stop there seems to be a public park.

The train comes into Grand Central Station, which is a magnificent building. From there you can walk to any place in Manhattan. Our destination was of course to Broadway, which is at Times Square. This is the first time I had been to that part of The City it is quite captivating to say the least.

Ali had not told me anything about The Producers, and so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I like musicals, but I favor dramas. If she had told me it was by Mel Brooks I would have been boiling over with enthusiasm. The show was hilarious, and I even think Mel Brooks made a brief cameo. Our seats were in the balcony so I can’t be sure, but Ali independently had the same thought so we are reasonably confident. At any rate, I would highly recommend this show whether on Broadway or Off (or Off Off) Broadway.

After it was over we had dinner at an Irish pub called “The Pig ‘N’ Whistle”. It was most excellent. I got a bar-b-que sandwich, and the sauce reminded me of the Goal Post in Anniston (Oh how I wish it was still there). I know it is still there but the original owners sold, and the new owner was unwilling to buy their sauce recipe, which is what made their bar-b-que exceptional. Anyway, the Pig ‘N’ Whistle wasn’t a pit bar-b-que place, so even though it was good, I know it could have been better.

Well I’m heading to Killington in a few minutes, so I need to go finish getting ready.

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