How did you take advantage of the long weekend?
Did you get to the new Hot Wheels show at the Children's Museum? Were you one of the first to experience "Flights of Fancy" at the Indianapolis Zoo (see my thoughts here.)? Or were you in the crowd before the 500 Festival parade?
Perhaps you beat the heat by staying in an catching up on movies you missed.
Whatever the case, let me know below what A&E you experienced this weekend.
Your thoughts?
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Saturday we saw the new version of Porgy and Bess. Audra McDonald gave a stunning performance as Bess. She left the audience cheering one moment and gasping and crying the next. Norm Lewis' portrayal of the crippled yet unbroken Porgy was both heartbreaking and life affirming. The surprise performance was David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life. I only knew Grier from his comedic performances on film, so I was rather surprised at his music and dance talent. I've since learned that he has a lot more Broadway chops under his belt than I knew before. With the exception of the lead actors, we had the pleasure of meeting and getting autographs from the rest of the cast, including Philip Boykin whose portrayal of the violent Crown brought me to tears and earned him "boos" during curtain call. After the show, Boykin made a point of ensuring that everyone knew he was really the nicest guy in the cast, hugging everyone, posing for pictures, and even signing the pizza box being delivered backstage.
Saturday night we caught Roundabout Theatre Company's preview performance of Harvey starring The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons. The original Jimmy Stewart movie has always been one of my favorites. I can't think of any current actor who could capture the innocence and quirky optimism of Elwood P. Dowd better than Parsons. Big Bang fans will get a kick out of Dowd's reference to choosing between being smart or pleasant. Parson's continued to be "pleasant" after the show by making sure to stay and sign autographs and personally thank everyone for coming to the show. My autographed "Bazinga" shirt and photo of Parsons with the back of my head is now the envy of my coworkers.
Sunday we revisited Gershwin with Nice Work if You Can Get It and crossed Matthew Broderick off our Broadway Bucket List. The real standout performer was Kelli O'Hara, but it was still thrilling to be able to see Broderick perform live.
We finished the whirlwind weekend with a dinner/dancing sunset cruise on the Spirit of New York.