A beautiful, Wicked world.

Last nights performance of Wicked on Broadway was stunning. So much talent. I don’t know how I’ve avoided seeing the musical production all of these years, but time, place and space came together and I found it fitting and somehow the perfect and only time I would have been ready to see it.

Much of the day was spent in my hotel room downtown near Wall Street working away on mortgage and travel agent business. I think I finally showered and left the room around 2p and was back by 5 to get ready for the show with a 7p curtain time.

It’s amazing what one can accomplish in a few hours in a giant city like NY. I walked past Wall Street and the NYSE, the Wall Street Bull, then went inside Federal Hall (the site of George Washington’s Inauguration) before venturing to Eatly, and the 9/11 Memorial.

I walked the entire perimeter of both pools at the 9/11 Memorial honoring all 2,982 people who are memorialized. I get emotional each time I visit and today, set against a cool and wet afternoon, was no exception.

Afterwards, I walked towards Trinity Church and then down to Fraunces Tavern.

From their website:

Est. 1762 

New York’s oldest and most historic bar and restaurant, Fraunces Tavern® is a National Landmark building that once served as a watering hole for many of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

This building is most famous as the site where, on December 4, 1783, George Washington gathered a group of his officers, nine days after the last of the British troops left American soil, to thank them for their service and bid them an emotional farewell before returning home. The only first-hand account of the Farewell comes from The Memoirs of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge, which Fraunces Tavern Museum has on display. Fraunces Tavern® Museum is the only Museum in New York City that allows visitors to discover the American Revolutionary past in NYC’s oldest standing structure.

A tavern older than the country itself, Fraunces acted as the headquarters for George Washington, as a watering hole for many of the Founding Fathers, and today, as a testament to it all. So brush up on New York’s revolutionary past, with a pint and chicken pot pie — it was Washington’s favorite after all.

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The bar was adorable, the service was awful so I snapped a few photos and left to go find Dead Rabbit, a recommendation of my cabbie on the trip into the city from LaGuardia on Wednesday evening.

Dead Rabbit, named the Worlds Best Bar in Forbes 2016 publication lived up to its hype. It’ll become a regular stopover on NYC stays in the future. Memorable…

Back to Wicked, the movie came out this week too, and that will be on the agenda very soon, but the Broadway musical has won my heart. I knew the music, of course, but the visuals and actors made me pinch myself.

I started to message a friend, but stopped from sending it, a reflection on life. How a gay boy from rural Michigan got here. Life hasn’t been easy, a lot of that from my own doing, but I am still here, strong…happy. Even I am amazed at how far I’ve come.

It’s a life that has undoubtedly given me more than I deserve. I feel it’s derived from being open to the opportunities and then acting on them as they come. Unbound by other obligations, but thankful for those that have come and gone from my life to help make me who I am today.

I didn’t realize how much stress I was under until yesterday. It all hit, in 3 different instances of amazement and disbelief. As I said yesterday, a new book is being written. I wonder who will write the score. (I hope the harmony is worthwhile and the comedy strong and campy😉)

The night ended with a trip to Brandy’s Piano Bar and a few more songs from Will TN Hall, a new friend introduced by a friend. I Ubered back down to the hotel around midnight, in bed around 12:30a with a 5:30a wake up call for a passport renewal appointment.

Not enough time in the day. No regrets.

Cole from Colorado

Over and Out

See WICKED Stars Mary Kate Morrissey and Alexandra Socha Perform a Exclusive Rendition of "For Good" (posted the day I saw the show) LINK