Over this recent fall break, I spent the weekend with my mom in New York City.
It was a delightfully sunny fall weekend, with great weather and an overall cheerful energy about it. From Thursday to Saturday we tried new restaurants and explored uptown and midtown streets, but most importantly saw two Broadway shows, both of which I’ve wanted to see for so long. On the second day of our trip, we were walking down a charming street in Uptown on our way to dinner. We couldn’t help but squeeze through crowds of bustling city folk, waiting at intersections with crowds of people almost everywhere we went, especially around Broadway and Times Square. The energy of the city felt infectious; we couldn’t help but observe the melting pot of people around us, noticing all the languages we’d hear as we walked through the crowds. It was on this walk my mom recalled to my brother, who had come up for the night to join us, “Remember when everyone said New York City would die after the pandemic?”
This remark caused me to reflect back on that time in our lives, which nowadays feels like a lifetime ago. I never travelled to the city during the pandemic, or even the couple years after, but I remember seeing headlines from that time. I recalled photos of city streets completely empty as schools, restaurants, theatres, and businesses had to close down. For years, people wondered if anyone would ever want to go back to a bustling city like New York, which was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus.
I feel it is safe to say that in 2025 the answer is yes — people did come back. I travelled to the city over our most recent fall break, and I was delighted by the shocking display of people from block to block, from businessmen on their way to work, to street performers busking in Central Park, to a person dressed as the Statue of Liberty on stilts in Times Square! Returning to the city after several years, I felt more comfortable than I recall being going to the city as a young teenager. Though large and overwhelming, the city felt oddly comforting, especially at a time when many will lead you to believe major cities like this are losing their appeal.
Day one: Hamilton.
On Thursday, we began the trip by taking a Greyhound bus from my town in Upstate New York to the city, on which I listened to Taylor Swift’s now second most-recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, in preparation for her new album that was being released the following day. That night, we would sit down for an average yet expensive dinner, then head to the Richard Rogers Theatre to see Hamilton. Anyone who knows anything about this production knows the original actor for Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom Jr., is currently reprising his role with a new cast. I had never experienced Hamilton on the stage, only the pro-shot on streaming, or through blasting the soundtrack in the speakers of my car or my headphones in the halls of my high school. I was so thrilled to not only see Leslie Odom Jr. reprise his role, but also to see this production I know so well with a new cast. I’m happy to say this production exceeded my expectations. I can’t even really say that, because I knew it would be amazing and it was. Leslie Odom Jr. not only sounded exactly the same as he did in 2016, but he seamlessly blended in with a fresh cast, matching their unique choices, and not sticking out like a sore thumb as I partially assumed he would. He didn’t go through the show with a “Can you guys believe I’m here right now?!” attitude, but rather he played the same role he once did with a new inflection, providing a not identical but still amazing performance. The rest of the production was equally amazing. Seeing the show that I have had memorized for years, even down to some of the ensemble’s choreography, being blown up on the stage was so surreal. I thought it would be weird not recognizing any faces other than Burr’s, but these actors were so good I was immediately invested in the story with their new interpretations, finding appreciation for how much a new take can do for a role. Some of the portrayals of characters I loved the most were Eliza, who was played by an understudy this night and she absolutely killed it, Lafayette/Jefferson, and Mulligan/Madison. I think if you are a fan of Hamilton and you have never seen the production live, if you are able to, you should absolutely see it. It’s so wonderful we have access to the original cast on streaming, but seeing it in real life was a truly unforgettable experience.
Day two: “The Fate of Ophelia” — Orpheus, & Eurydice!
Friday was a big day to say the least. The release of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, was an integral part of my weekend as I will forever associate this album with my first listen in my NYC hotel room. Prior to this trip, my mom bought tickets to the The Life of a Showgirl premiere, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which I most likely would not have gone to see myself, but I couldn’t toss up the offer to see it in the Times Square AMC on release day. The theatre was electric, filled with excited Swifties in their orange and teal, all buzzing from hearing the new music earlier that day. Seeing “The Fate of Ophelia” music video for the first time on a movie screen was a tantalizing experience. I fell in love with the music video instantly, and seeing the lyric videos for the rest of the album, as well as behind the scenes footage, made me appreciate this album even more. Listening to the tracks as I walked through the city, the sun shining down on me, felt inherently joyful, despite the unrelenting controversy this album has held upon its release.
On Friday night, we saw our second show of the weekend, Hadestown. I knew significantly less about this show than Hamilton going in. The only information I had was of the original Greek tragedies, such as the story of Eurydice and Orpheus, as well as Hades and Persephone. Still, I knew some about this production and I was very excited to see it live. I knew the current Orpheus is being played by Jack Wolfe, notable for his role as Gabe in the West End production of Next To Normal last year. I absolutely loved this production, and was excited to hear Jack Wolfe singing live. Similar to Hamilton, I had no doubt this production would be great, even given that I wasn’t as familiar with the music. Jack Wolfe was absolutely wonderful, as was his counterpart Eurydice played by Morgan Dudley. I could list every character and give them their flowers (no pun intended) because everyone was amazing. This show was so devastatingly beautiful; it’s the kind of show you can be just as devastated watching knowing the ending of the story as you would be if you didn’t. I knew the story of Eurydice and Orpheus from various discussions of Greek tragedies in school through the years, but expecting the ending does not make it less impactful, in my opinion. They even acknowledge this, singing the same song at both the beginning and end of the show: “It’s an old song. It’s an old tale from way back when, and we’re gonna sing it again!” I also recommend you see this production if you can; the moving set mixed with the live performance made this show incredibly immersive. Even my brother who doesn’t know much about theater said he thoroughly enjoyed this production!
My takeaways.
I reflect back on my trip to the city this eventful weekend, and I recall the news headlines from the era of the pandemic. I can’t help but feel joy, even in times of uncertainty, for weekends like this one. My heart was so full of creativity from experiencing the magic of theater twice in one weekend, exploring a major city like New York City for the first time in years, as well as getting to experience a new album from one of my favorite artists. There isn’t a grand conclusion here, more so that I encourage you to find outlets for joy whenever you can. Whether it be completing a hobby or project, taking a trip, watching a film, listening to an album, trying a new fall drink… anything! It’s very easy, especially in Fall semester, to feel overwhelmed, as though joy and recreation are on the back-burner. Places like New York City are far from “dead”, and the same goes for creativity, outlets for joy, and finding community where you may not expect.