I had a wonderful opportunity to go to New York City for a day and see Broadway’s The Lion King! It was an all-paid trip through my university, UMass Amherst! The trip was called “Spring Blast”, where students from UMass were able to go on these cool trips to different places. I’ve never seen a Broadway musical before, so I had to pick this trip and document this magical experience!Â
Early Morning!
The bus planned to leave at 8:00am on March 8th. So that meant I had to wake up at 6:15am to get ready and grab some breakfast to go! By the time I got to the bus stop, there were over 100+ students waiting to go on their trips, and another 100 students joining the “walk-in” line, hoping to get a spot. During this time, we could grab our lunches which were provided by UMass Dining Grab and Go. I got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a water bottle, a granola bar, and chips. Honestly, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the lunch options because I can get those items anytime from Grab and Go. But, I can’t complain since everything, including transportation, was paid for by the school.Â
Afterwards, we met with our chaperones and exchanged numbers in case we got lost in the city. I sat with my friend on the bus, and the bus was packed! Luckily, the seats were comfy. It was spacious, there was a charging port, a fan, and temperature setting we could control, and best of all a BATHROOM! I was so glad because it would’ve sucked holding it in for a 3 hour ride!Â
It took about 20 minutes to check everyone in and get settled on the bus. Around 8:07am, we were on the road to New York City!
Midday!
The bus ride was honestly not so bad! I had a peaceful time listening to music and eating snacks on the way. They gave us so many nostalgic sweet treats like Gushers and Rice Krispies! It felt like I was back in elementary school going on a field trip. We also didn’t hit my traffic until we were closer to the city. Overall, the ride was smooth and I’m glad I didn’t get motion sickness!Â
As we got closer to the city, I started taking pictures and videos from the bus window! I haven’t been in the city since 8th grade, so it all felt new to me again. I really enjoyed looking at the view, the buildings, and the people out and about.Â
When we got there, we literally parked right in front of the Sketcher’s shoe store which was right in the middle of the city. So you can imagine there were a lot of people walking back and forth as we got out of the bus. At this point, our chaperones told us we could go anywhere we want for the next two hours as long as we make it in time for the show.Â
We basically went to all the cute plushie stores! It was so pink and adorable!! I bought a Hufflepuff themed scrunchie for my friend as a souvenir! Afterwards, we went to Jollibee (honestly to just use the bathroom). It was my first time going, and I gave it an 8/10! I only got fries and a coffee freeze to get a receipt with the bathroom code so I couldn’t judge the food too much.
Then, we went to a comic book store and on our way there my friends said they saw a woman pull down her pants and pee on the sidewalk. I was so glad I minded my own business and didn’t see anything, but that’s New York City for you. The comic book was cool, I’m not really into that but my friends enjoyed it a lot! Overall, exploring the city was so fun, and the weather wasn’t that cold to be honest so it was a win-win!
The Show!
The theater looked extravagant! As a first time Broadway watcher, I was easily impressed by everything I saw! There were a lot of people waiting in line, but the line moved faster than I expected.Â
We got to our seats and we had a great view of the stage! Since we had time before the show started, I went to the souvenir shop and got myself a tote bag and a Simba plushie keychain! I also got myself a playbill of the show with the title of acts, the actors involved, and other advertisements for other shows.Â
Finally the show started! I’ve only seen Lion King a few times in my life, but let me just say the Broadway version was a totally different experience. I genuinely loved it! The singing, the dancing, the lighting, the high budget production was phenomenal. I was glued to the stage the entire time! The kid actors impressed me the most because they were so young yet had amazing voices, dance moves, and could remember all of their lines in front of a live audience. It’s crazy to me since my young self was probably not capable of doing what they were able to do.Â
I’m not a theater kid, so my explanation of the show is probably not as detailed, but I will say the show made me, and others, feel so deeply about certain things. For example, when Mufusa died and Simba found his dead body I was almost in tears. I definitely think the actors really pulled it together, but the sound production, lighting, and the live music added so much to the scene. It felt very dimensional and added all of these elements really made it feel interactive. Overall, the show was something I’ll never forget, and I hope I can come back and bring my future children someday!Â
Spring Blast was definitely…a blast! I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to go on this trip and have this fun, unforgettable experience! I would totally recommend it, and do it again in the future.Â
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