They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway...

One of the best things about New York, or any large city, is the access you have to an amazing variety of cultural events.  I hadn't been to a play in a year until recently, and that streak was broken with tickets to see David Mamet's provocative new play Race in December, and then West Side Story this past weekend.  Two very different experiences, both memorable and impressive in their own way.

In the course of my Amtrak adventures on Saturday, a fellow traveler who was missing out on seeing Race that night told me she could hardly wait to go both because of her undying crush on James Spader and her general love of David Mamet.  Wherever she is, I hope she gets to see it someday because Mr. Spader is indeed very good.

Major standout in the West Side Story cast: Karen Olivo as Anita.  Great singing, great dancing, and stage presence to spare.  Turns out she won a Tony last year for the role, so either I am really late to this or I just have excellent judgment on stage performers.  In this New York Magazine interview, Ms. Olivo reveals that she uses her own hair on stage and recently stopped being a vegan!