This summer I turned 21. I had to do something special because it is a big birthday. For months, my mom and I went back on forth on what to do. However, I knew for a fact that I wanted to go to New York City. I couldn’t decide if I just wanted to go around shopping or if we should see a Broadway show. After careful consideration we decided to do both.
Now we had to decide what show to see. This was a difficult choice because I would be seeing my first Broadway show and I wanted it to be special. One of my suggestions was Hamilton, but I have watched the pro-shot about 1000 times. My mom suggested Just In Time which is a jukebox musical about the life of Bobby Darin. I had heard a bit about it from social media and knew that one of my favorite actors, Jeremy Jordan, was in the show.
We decided on seeing Just In Time and we both started counting down the days. We would listen to the soundtrack on the way to work. I carefully picked out what I would wear and set it out the night before. My dad kindly drove my mom and I to the train station and even listened to the whole soundtrack on the way there. He dropped us off and we were on our way to the city.
We arrived in the city after several hours on the train. My mom and I made our way to American Girl Doll as that was somewhere we always went when I was growing up. Next, we had lunch at Junior’s and then made our way to the M&M Store. After browsing, it was time to head to the theater.
We went to the theater and patiently waited to be let in. We took some pictures with the signs around the theater. My mom and I were the first ones in the theater, and we waited a bit longer to be let in. I was in awe when we walked in. The theater was beautiful and very intimate. We took our seats and waited for the show to start.
I had seen several musicals before but never on Broadway. The show went beyond my expectations. The actors were amazing and I loved getting to see some of my favorites up on stage. Since the theater was set up so uniquely, we were very close to the actors. They would come up and down the aisles and sit at the several table seats that they had set up. The show never had a dull moment and even had a surprising plot twist.
After the show we decided to stage-door. I eagerly waited with my Playbill in hopes that they would come sign it. I had on my sparkly birthday sash which helped them notice me and spark conversation. It is never guaranteed that anyone will come out but they did. First, Joe Barbara came out but had to leave quickly as he had a haircut to get to. Next, Olivia Holt, who played Connie Francis, came out to sign Playbills. It was so cool to get to meet an actress that I have seen on TV and on stage in person. After that, Lance Roberts came out to sign. Lastly, Carrie St. Louis, who played Sandra Dee, came out and signed Playbills. That Playbill will be something that I cherish for a very long time.
Overall, the whole experience was amazing. I’m not a huge fan of New York City but I had a great time. If I could, I would see the show again. I will never stop talking about it because it was just a great experience.