‘Waitress’ (Broadway Musical) – February 6, 2018

The casting lineup was definitely eye-catching: Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz. It was more interesting because Sara composed the entire numbers of this musical. In addition, she is my wife’s favorite singer, so there was no doubt we were missing this one.

On 47th Street

The line was long and filled with Sara’s and Jason’s fans. They were full of enthusiasm and curiosity, as was I: how well are these two great singers perform in a musical? With this in mind, we entered the theater. It was a small place, so there was no problem enjoying the show even at the very back of the back seat.

View from my seat

The musical itself was fairly standard, with story full of expected turn of events, multiple scenes with clichés, and the usual jokes. The composition of numbers was too standard to feel any strong emotions.

Jason Mraz was, of course, a great singer. He was successful in delivering great songs, mostly duet with Sara. Yet, his theatrical performance was not as outstanding. His role did not require as much drama, though — more comic, rather — so perhaps it was not much of a problem in enjoying the entire show.

“She Used To Be Mine”, a solo by Sara, might be the top one reason why you should watch this musical. At least this song is what everyone can empathize with. Listening to this song from the writer herself was another huge advantage. All the Sara’s fans must have enjoyed it too.

Thank you for a great performance!

In the end, this was a memorable musical, thanks to the two great singers who have displayed their unexpected theatrical talent.

New York Philharmonic (Jan 26, 2018)

Last week, I went to New York Philharmonic for an all-Prokofiev program. It was my first time ever listening to this composer’s music, so I was nervous and excited at the same time, not knowing what to expect yet looking forward to some novelty.

View from my seat

1. Prokofiev – The Love for Three Oranges Suite

This was an orchestral music for a fantasy themed opera. The music presented an interesting mixture of a fantasy adventure and love. I could definitely feel that the composition also presents a dreamy feeling while the orchestra carried us through a suspenseful adventure, especially in the movements March and Scherzo. The movement Flight suggests an intriguing ending, which conforms to the general ambience of the composition.

2. Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No. 1

This was a concerto that definitely has a Russian emotion. Prokofiev’s signature Scherzo movement was especially interesting, adding energy and enthusiasm to an overall lyrical concerto. The soloist meanwhile exhibited a carefully examined performance, which allowed me to enjoy Prokofiev’s composition in its entirety.

3. Prokofiev – Selections from Romeo and Juliet

This was a selection of pieces from Prokofiev’s ballet. It is worth noting that the ending that Prokofiev had originally intended was, unlike Shakespeare’s, a happy one where Romeo and Juliet successfully regroup. Although he later changed his mind and returned to an old well-known ending, the composition exhibits interestingly distinct interpretation of a well-known story. Displaying majesty and elegance, Dance of the Knights felt like set in a Russian palace than an Italian court. The death scenes of Romeo and Juliet follow down a narrow path towards a sorrowful consolation rather than a bliss favored by the composer.

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This was a great program where I learned about a rather unknown Russian Romantic-era composer, Prokofiev. I have a tendency to like the Russian compositions of around this time period, and upon listening to these three pieces by Prokofiev, I immediately realized that he will be included to the list as well. I look forward to listening to his other compositions that would best serve my taste.

Nougatine (Upper West Side Restaurant)

Last week, we visited Nougatine at Jean-Georges for NYC restaurant week lunch. This is an extremely popular restaurant, as it is owned by a top chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It is adjacent to the famous Michelin-star restaurant, Jean-Georges. We were lucky to snatch a reservation.

We had $29 prix-fixe 3-course lunch that is typical for NYC restaurant week. There were two choices for each course, so we decided to try out everything.

For appetizer, we had sea trout sashimi and creamy tomato soup.

Sea trout sashimi

Creamy tomato soup

Sashimi was quite interesting. It had a great balance between the fatty taste of trout and a fresh taste of mint. The drizzle of olive oil and pistachios added nutty taste on top of it. All of them combined produced a sashimi appetizer that does not leave a trail of fishy aftertaste.

Creamy tomato soup was great as well. It was straight to the basic and flawless.

For entrée, we had flounder and roasted chicken.

Flounder with soy yuzu broth

Roasted chicken

Flounder with soy yuzu broth was a great dish, and we wish we had more. The broth was not too salty, but added umami to the spaghetti squash. The spices on top made this dish more exciting.

Roasted chicken was juicy and well cooked to the right degree. Roasted vegetables were neatly coated with oil and salt, adding just enough extra taste.

For dessert, we had chocolate cake and roasted pear.

Warm chocolate cake and caramel ice cream

Roasted pear

The chocolate cake was an interesting dish. The cake was made entirely out of chocolate, and had a warm “lava” inside. On its contrary was a cold salty caramel ice cream. The pair went well together.

Roasted pear was sweet, and I liked that the whipped cream was not too sweet, so that I could enjoy the taste of pear.

Overall, it was a great 3-course lunch. Every dish was shouting excellency, like an exam paper with 100 points out of 100. It was delightful to enjoy the calculated details of each dish. We would definitely return to try out other dishes as well.

Boqueria (Upper East Side Restaurant)

This is a Spanish restaurant we usually go to for paella. Apparently, it has several locations in Manhattan, and we go to the closest one.

Jamon appetizer

They have a variety of selection for tapas and appetizer. Since their dinner service start at 5:30pm, if we get there too early, we have one or two tapas. In fact, the restaurant is actually famous for tapas, but we always opt for the paella.

Paella de Mariscos

The paella is very delicious. It is full of seafood: calamari, shrimp, clams, mussells, and fish. It does not have much spice, but the flavor from all the seafood is enough to make my mouth water.

Churros con Chocolate

Real chocolate!

For dessert, I highly recommend churros con chocolate. They serve the legit Spanish version of it: melted chocolate and plain (not sugar-coated) churros. It is a must-try for everyone.

New York Philharmonic (Jan 12, 2018)

Last Friday, I visited the Lincoln Center once more for the New York Philharmonic.

Orchestra rear

1. Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto

This is actually my favorite piece of my favorite composer. I have listened to many different versions of this concerto, but this one was unique and outstanding. The soloist’s take was a tender and soft interpretation, even mellow. This was quite different from my preconception of a manly Russian romanticism. I had thought that, partly because of the grandiose finale, the theme of this concerto is to show grandeur and majesty. However, the soloist proved otherwise. The smooth and not so rugged execution was vivace at the same time. It was a masterful performance.

2. Esa-Pekka Salonen – Helix

This was a 2005 composition of Esa-Pekka Salonen, the composer-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic. The governing concept of the music was helix. Starting from a slower tempo, the music gets faster while note values take longer. Thus the concept of helix, which consists of concentric circles with decreasing diameter. The composer completes the helix by brining the music to an abrupt end, the vertex of the helix. It was an interesting piece.

 

The Great Wave, Hokusai

3. Debussy – La Mer

In three movements, Debussy portrays the various scenes of the sea. He must have a good understanding about the imagery, since he has dreamed of being a seaman. The composer was also motivated by the Japanese print “The Great Wave” by Hokusai. Therefore, the music contains a Japanese taste; calm yet sometimes bizarre. That is, after all, the appearance of the sea as well. It appears calm, but no one knows when it will turn upside down.

Debussy has produced a musical imagery of the mild tidal waves, the bubbling sea waves, and the raging stormy waves. And as a person gazing at the ocean (or listening to La Mer), I am sometimes at peace and at other times with a heightened spirit, as I watch (or listen to) different forms of waves. It is a symphonic depiction of nature that is not repetitive, presenting new scenes and phrases throughout the piece, just as every natural scene is different. Yet it is always the same body of water and the mass of wind that produce such diverse scenery.

New York Philharmonic (Jan 5, 2018)

Last Friday, I went to a concert at the New York Philharmonic. The program featured Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Haydn.

Lincoln Center

View from a box seat

1. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 17

The concert started with this concerto by Mozart. It was a delightfully beautiful opener for the program. It was yet another Mozartian piece in which I thought I know how the music will proceed, only to find later that Mozart had prepared a phrase I haven’t heard of.

The performance of the conductor/pianist was solid. His dual job was successfully carried out – his minute control across his solo parts and the orchestral parts was intriguing and exciting.

2. Tchaikovsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme

This short composition was a stage of exploration for cello. In this piece, Tchaikovsky was trying to revive the charm of Rococo music, and especially was trying to portray Mozart’s style. However, the music is definitely the one of Romantic era, and it was interesting to listen to the Romantic master composer’s interpretation of Classical era.

This piece must also be a cellist’s dream; Tchaikovsky allowed his fellow cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen to revise the solo parts before the premiere. The cellist at our concert also seemed to be enjoying her solo performance.

3. Haydn – Symphony No. 98

This was a Haydn symphony, yet with more freedom and a bit of ingenuity. This piece was composed in London, during the composer’s hiatus from aristocratic courts. I could sense melancholy, yet robust tunes that are freely exploring outside Haydn’s typical themes. The connection with Mozart can be found in the second movement. It includes references to Mozart, who has passed away at the time of this symphony’s premiere.

The finale is the culmination of Haydn’s free exploration. It features many turns, exciting the audience until the end, where the fortepiano played by the conductor himself comes in for a moment. The entire piece was full of excitement and I enjoyed it.

Barraca (Greenwich Village Restaurant)

Yesterday, I went to a Spanish restaurant in Greenwich Village, Barraca. The restaurant is participating in the NYC Restaurant week, and is serving a 3-course dinner at the fixed price of $42. After visiting Spain 2 years ago, we fell in love with Spanish food, especially paella, so we made a good use of this deal.

Barraca

It was happy hours as well, with $6 deals on sangria drinks. We ordered Rioja sangria.

Rioja sangria

It was a tempranillo-based sangria. It tasted great and matched well with the food. I think Rioja and Valencia are two most popular sangria in this restaurant, as those two containers were mostly empty.

First, for starters, we had two tapas: datiles con bacon and croquetas de jamon.

Datiles con Bacon

Croquetas de Jamon

Jamon croquette was fabulous. Its creamy texture and savory taste was enjoyable. However, bacon-wrapped date was a bit off-balance: too sweet and too salty at the same time.

Our main dish was paella de langosta.

Paella de Langosta

With the halved lobster on top, it was visually pleasing. It was also full of calamari, mussels, and artichokes. The rice was soaked with flavors from lobster, making us chase after every grain. It was a great paella done perfectly in Barcelona style.

For dessert, we had churros and flan.

 

Flan

Churros

With cookie crumbs and whipped cream on top, flan was very delicious. Churros was a bit disappointing. The churro itself was fresh and chewy, but the fillings were just plain caramel and nutella.

Overall, we enjoyed the dinner and experience. If we come back next time, we would just share a pan of paella and have glasses of sangria.

I highly recommend this place if you are looking for an awesome Spanish food in Manhattan! Hope you enjoy.

Yankee Stadium

Yesterday I went to the Yankee Stadium for a game against Cincinnati Reds. My friend gladly shared a free ticket she had, so I went instead of her. (Thank you!) The game would start at 1:05pm, so I got there two and a half hours in advance to take a tour of the Monument Park and the stadium.

I took a 4 train and got off at 161 St Yankee Stadium station. The Yankee Stadium is so huge (seats nearly 55,000), I could already see its exterior from the train station.

161 St Yankee Stadium

I was quite sure that food is going to be expenseive inside the stadium for its quality. So after getting off the train, I went to a local deli and bought sandwiches.

The nearest gate to the Monument Park is Gate 8. While waiting on line to get into Gate 8, I could see the pictures of the heroic Yankee players placed on the wall.

Near Gate 8

At 11am, which is two hours prior to the start of the game, the gates were opened. Upon entering, I proceeded to the Monument Park, the home to the Yankees retired numbers and memorial plaques.

Monument Park

There are so many people trying to see this place, so you are forced to follow a streamline of people to view the entire monuments. First, I met 3 of the “Core Four” players.

  

Of these 3, I remember Jeter most vividly. He was consistent until the day he retired, and even hit a walk-off single on his last home stand.

Next, the older retired numbers. My favorites are Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly. Babe Ruth, the foundation of the Yankees and maybe baseball history; Lou Gehrig, a talented player who became more renowned for his tragic illness; Yogi Berra, because “it ain’t over till it’s over”; and Don Mattingly, an unfortunate captain who led the dark days of the Yankees.

   

Then my most favorite Yankee player, Mariano Rivera.

No. 42, Mariano Rivera

He is the definition of closer. All time saves leader in both regular season and postseason, he sealed the Yankees victory in its glorious moments. Not to mention he was a victim of its most devastating defeats. 😉

Mo’s Plaque

It was a bit disappointing having to move continuously while only being able to take pictures, because I expected to read each player’s history and contemplate on it. But it must also be telling that there are so many people who want to see the Yankees history.

You are only allowed to stand still near the exit

After leaving the Monument Park, I enjoyed the outfield view.

Panoramic view from the outfield

There were a number of people who went down to the ground level to get to the players as close as they can.

Yankee players warming up

It was also my first time to get to see the Yankees bullpen. Yankee Stadium was built in 2009, so the bullpen is located in a secure place and neatly arranged.

Yankees bullpen

Next, I moved on to the Yankees museum. It is located on the second floor (200 level), one floor above the ground level.

New York Yankees Museum

In this museum, 100 years of Yankees history and its artifacts are displayed.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

Derek Jeter

There are also the World Series Champion Rings displayed, including the most recent one in 2009.

The 2009 World Series Champion Ring

Yogi Berra

And of course, The Comissioner’s Trophies (seven of them) are displayed.

2009 World Series Champion Trophy

Finally you can see a miniature of the Yankee Stadium and grasp how big it is.

Miniature Yankee Stadium

Exiting the museum and coming back to the ground level, you can see the Great Hall. This is what you see if you enter through Gate 6. Banners of legendary Yankee players are hanging on the wall, and there are numerous vendors selling the Yankees product.

The Great Hall

Then I walked towards my seat, which is on the third base side. While I was walking, I could see the view from the backstop.

Backstop View

Finally I arrived at my seat in Section 225. It was around 12pm. I ate lunch that I bought earlier and got prepared to enjoy the game.

It was still 30 minutes to the game start, and the ground crews were preparing for the game: clearing the grounds, installing bases, and laying the lines.

And the game began. It seemed like the Yankees was proceeding with a slim 2-run margin, but starting at the 6th inning, the Bombers battered the Reds pitchers.

Gary Sanchez preparing to hit an RBI double

Reds had to make frequent pitching changes

The final score was 9 to 5 and the Yankees celebrated the third win in a row.

Leaving the stadium, I enjoyed the view of the grand stadium once again.

Yankee Stadium Gate 4

Yankee Stadium seen from the 4 train platform

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For the past few years, Yankees only showed a shameful performance for the money it spent. However, something different is happening this season. The young players who were promoted in the recent years, namely Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier, Jordan Montgomery, and Luis Severino are playing like veterans. The team also has a strong team of closer: Dellin Betances, David Robertson, and Aroldis Chapman could easily eat up 7, 8, and 9th innings. Yet there are some weaknesses: the starters won’t hold up through the mid-innings and the offense is not as strong except for a number of players. However, the team is not losing hopes for the postseason, and is expected to even better in the years to come.

It’s time to get the Bronx Bomber flying again.

For the 28th World Championship!