
I always like to give an experience as part of a Christmas gift. Tickets to a play, dinner out, a getaway - some memory to be made and shared at this special time of year. And so this year I gave both my mom and husband tickets to 42nd Street at the Fulton Opera House in downtown Lancaster. Of course that meant that I got to go along! Yeah.
This performance was every bit as wonderful as when I saw it on Broadway in New York City. Great music from the 30's, lots and lots of tap dancing and spectacular voices make your feet wish they were up there on the stage. The talent never stops for a second and you can't help but notice a possible similarity between the times - the Great Depression and what we may now be facing - a very real recession. But all that is forgotten by the upbeat music that gets stuck in your head for days as you try to remember the words.
You need only to look around at the little girls (that are no doubt trying to learn tap) to see the thrill of the theatre in their faces. This is the place where dreams are made.
And then there is the magic of the Fulton itself. Restored in 1995 to its original splendor of 1852, what would it have been like to see Mark Twain, W. C. Fields, Marcel Marceau or Sarah Bernhardt? They all played here. The gold is real, the lights look like the first light bulbs, and the rich burgundy of the roping and velvet drapes make you glad you dressed for the event. Of course, there are those stories - most will say that the Fulton is haunted. There are certainly plenty of reasons to think so. But more on that some other time - to find out, join us for our Paranormal weekend on October 30 & 31.
If you'd like to catch 42nd Street you'll have to hurry - the last performance is January 4, 2009. Or plan your visit around future shows. Les Mis is coming in June. Now I just need to come up with a reason to give another gift of tickets...