I've taken a traveller to see life through my eyes - in this case, it's a night out to see Mary Cleere Haran and a small chunk of the New York Cabaret Scene.
I volunteered to be a guide for the local Youth Hostel for a few of the cabarets and performers I know in New York City. March is a great month since most of my favorite singers are doing shows out in full force - especially some of the folks from my Chicago trip years ago.
Here I am, strapped with my camera, film and a tripod. I knew I don't have to use everything, but I had to be equipped. Only one hostel guest made it. She was from Canada and Australia, rip-roaring to go see New York my way. I left directions for the laggards to the World Financial Center, and we were on our way downtown.
Tonight's show was in the World Financial Center - Mary was doing her show about lyrics and lyricists. That didn't throw me off guard because I saw the same thing (only scaled down to an hour) in the Ravinia Festival. I asked some of the high mucky-mucks about permissions to take pictures during the show, but one of the guys from Lincoln Center (the producers of tonight's performance) said no. Fine, I take my camera down.
The only thing I didn't like about this performance was Mary doing It Had to be You un-miked in the Winter Garden. It's not the Ravinia, with the acoustics of an indoor theater. Okay, I was sitting three rows from the stage last year.
I met up with Mary and she had to say I was a dedicated fan, going to Chicago and whatnot. However, she kissed me on the cheek like always.
I took the guest (Patricia was her name) to 46th and 8th - Restaurant Row. I wanted someone to see one of the spots that made the Cabaret Scene the way it is. Don't Tell Mama Piano and Cabaret Bar was the place. We had drinks (everything was on me, since I only had one guest), and we were talking to each other and the bar regulars. I even met up with a gay Catholic guy who was with his mom and his lover because the night was after Ash Wednesday. He was talking about his life, his confession for today and his promise to give up alcohol starting now. Patricia found out somebody's wireless phone was swiped, and they were talking about stuff from then on. I told the Catholic to come back after Easter, and I'll be back too.
I dropped off Patricia in the uptown subway back to the hostel, and I went back home.