Broadway is the most prestigious and sophisticated form of theatre in spoken english. Broadway shows are very popular in London and New York, or rather throughout USA. In fact in New York there is one entire street by the name broadway. Its the most happening street in manhattan and surprisingly it cuts through many avenues and is unlike all other streets which are in grid format.
Even in India, I was quite fond of theatre. Lucknow is ofcourse famous was 'Awadh ki Shaam' and I used to get passes for Hindi theatre/ plays. Even when I was in Delhi I was always awe-struck by the performances of the Dramatics society in LSR which was at par with the National School of Drama. Also the Bharatnatyam recitals/ Shakespeare plays in Kalyani auditoriam and Shri Ram Kala Kendra continued to impress me. Being a dancer myself I have a special love for' the stage' and respect for the artist community. I was a regular audience in most SPICMACAY performances also.
Broadway always had instilled curiosity in me and it was a dream to watch a broadway show someday. So the first opportunity came in London where I went for the show 'We will rock you'. After that I watched 'The Lion King' in New York. I also saw a music performance , a rock show but it did not have the classic charm of of thetre. The elegance and majesty of thetre is unparallel. It caters to a different taste and intelectual interest. In fact for me going to a theatre would an ideal romantic outing.
Then I got the chance to see the performance of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar at Lincoln Center Theatre. It was a narrative of the life story of parents of Shabana set in a old time Lucknow with lots of anecdotes and real life funny incidents. That was an evening to cherish especially being in New York, reminded me of the aura and air of Lucknow. I was also a witness to the world famous 'Christmas Spectacle' at Radio City Hall.
Radio City Hall is the oldest and largest auditorium in the world. It is popular for the stage mechanics which are controlled by hydraulic motors.I have done a guided walking tour of the back stage of the Radio City Hall and have seen the shadow of the history behind the different rooms, the stage, the washrooms, even the walls and the carpets. The dance troupe of the Radio City Hall are known as the Rockettes. To watch the Rockettes perform is a treat for anyone. The Christmas Spectacle was indeed a mafnificient stage show.
The most recent addition to the list of broadway shows is 'Mary Poppins' which I saw yesterday with my parentS. The feeling while watching the show is so exhilirating that one gets totally involved, emotional, awe-struck and passionate.It filled up all my senses, eyes with tears and heart with profound joy and I was left wih a feeing so overwhelming that one would wonder whether this is a show on earth or in the heavens. The stage settings, dance coordination, dialogue delivery, acting, everything is so perfect that I wonder how much effort would have gone to reach this level of perfection.
Even in India, I was quite fond of theatre. Lucknow is ofcourse famous was 'Awadh ki Shaam' and I used to get passes for Hindi theatre/ plays. Even when I was in Delhi I was always awe-struck by the performances of the Dramatics society in LSR which was at par with the National School of Drama. Also the Bharatnatyam recitals/ Shakespeare plays in Kalyani auditoriam and Shri Ram Kala Kendra continued to impress me. Being a dancer myself I have a special love for' the stage' and respect for the artist community. I was a regular audience in most SPICMACAY performances also.
Broadway always had instilled curiosity in me and it was a dream to watch a broadway show someday. So the first opportunity came in London where I went for the show 'We will rock you'. After that I watched 'The Lion King' in New York. I also saw a music performance , a rock show but it did not have the classic charm of of thetre. The elegance and majesty of thetre is unparallel. It caters to a different taste and intelectual interest. In fact for me going to a theatre would an ideal romantic outing.
Then I got the chance to see the performance of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar at Lincoln Center Theatre. It was a narrative of the life story of parents of Shabana set in a old time Lucknow with lots of anecdotes and real life funny incidents. That was an evening to cherish especially being in New York, reminded me of the aura and air of Lucknow. I was also a witness to the world famous 'Christmas Spectacle' at Radio City Hall.
Radio City Hall is the oldest and largest auditorium in the world. It is popular for the stage mechanics which are controlled by hydraulic motors.I have done a guided walking tour of the back stage of the Radio City Hall and have seen the shadow of the history behind the different rooms, the stage, the washrooms, even the walls and the carpets. The dance troupe of the Radio City Hall are known as the Rockettes. To watch the Rockettes perform is a treat for anyone. The Christmas Spectacle was indeed a mafnificient stage show.
The most recent addition to the list of broadway shows is 'Mary Poppins' which I saw yesterday with my parentS. The feeling while watching the show is so exhilirating that one gets totally involved, emotional, awe-struck and passionate.It filled up all my senses, eyes with tears and heart with profound joy and I was left wih a feeing so overwhelming that one would wonder whether this is a show on earth or in the heavens. The stage settings, dance coordination, dialogue delivery, acting, everything is so perfect that I wonder how much effort would have gone to reach this level of perfection.
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