Wednesday's problem

It is a double-bill day, as we see a matinee of The Addams family, as well as an evening performance of God of Carnage.

After breakfast (and we are finally waking up at semi-normal times for this time zone) in the room, Margie set out to do some serious shopping by herself, to the "world's largest store", the main Macy's at Herald Square across the street from our hotel. I think a sweater followed her back, just in time for the coming warm weather! Today it is windy and coldish, but not raining.

Lunch was Hale and Hearty again, and this time I opted for the Shrimp Chowder. Mmmm. Due to the cold weather, the place was mobbed. But service is surprisingly swift. Most take their soup to go.

Following lunch, we headed to Times Square on the R train again, and to the theater for the Addams. We located our seats in the Mezzanine, and settled in for a show we had been looking forward to since last year when we got these tickets (along with Spiderman, since delayed, and tickets refunded)!

The show was OK. They made Wednesday a teen ingenue, played affably by Krysta Rodriguez (part of the original casts of "Spring Awakening" and "In the Heights"). And in this one change, you can see the whole plot emerging. Well, at least I saw it all coming last year! Wednesday brings home a man, neither the Addams nor Wednesday perhaps future in-laws like the match, and something akin to Romeo and Juliet occurs. Actually, if they had followed that plot, and both Wednesday and her suitor had died at the end, it would have been better than what actually happened! And you can probably guess it was a happy ending. Far be it to challenge anyone with non-sitcom material.


I did like the Death Mints purchased at the theater bar. They were lousy mints, but the threat of death made them worthwhile.

So you see the problem. Nathan Lane was good as Gomez (although he would have made a better Fester, in my humble opinion), Bebe Neuwirth was a perfectly adequate Morticia. The rest of the cast was top-notch, with some really good voices, decent dancing and acting, etc. The sets were good. The special effects excellent, but... The material was sadly lacking, and the music wasn't at all memorable. In fact, the only song that was even catchy was the opening number (When You're an Addams) added specifically for the New York show after the Chicago version was panned.

The comedy was decidedly low-brow, with an over-dependence on puns, and nostalgic references to the TV show. In fact, it almost seems like someone wrote the book with a checklist in hand. Morticia cuts the heads off roses. Check. Thing makes an appearance. Check. Same for a Cousin Itt cameo. Gomez wields a sword. Check. Wednesday tortures Pugsley. Ok, that was new, and not altogether pleasant! When they were both little kids, that was one thing, but when Wednesday is an older teen, stretching her brothers arms and legs, to his immense pleasure, well that is just weird. Let's save the sado-masochism for Gomez and Morticia, please?! Overall, while enjoyable, this was a miss.

We had booked a table at a Cuban restaurant in the theater district, so we headed off to Havana Central on W 46th St. near Times Square. Again, they insisted we sit front and center on the balcony. I was beginning to think maybe we looked responsible, so we wouldn't be tossing empanedas over onto the people sitting below. If only they knew my inner self!


Anyway, this table had these low, uncomfortable bar chairs, and since we were near the roof of the place, smoke from fajitas (?) or whatever accumulated. Finally, they put some huge groups of people up there! So the environment could have been better.

We started off with an appetizer sampler, pictured here. You can see the 1960s bar chairs we are sitting in as well. Included were a goat cheese and Spinach empaneda (all for me, and quite light and tasty), Tostones, Chorizo slices, Maduras, Chicken Chicharonnes, and herbed corn on the cob-ettes. It was all good.

Unfortunately, less than 5 minutes after giving us the sampler, they brought our main courses, which we sent back. As we were almost finished, they brought the main courses back again, and these were the exact same plates! My Ropa Vieja plate was practically glowing red from being under the heat lamps. But it was quite good, as was the yellow rice and bed beans which accompanied it. I make something like this at home, but not nearly as good. A new challenge!

Margie had a mango salmon salad, and since her plate could not be put under heat lamps, the salmon had gone cold. But it was still perfectly cooked and she enjoyed it. Since they had slammed us with food, we had to skip dessert. And by then the place was so filled with people and smoke we didn't want to hang around anyway. Give them 2 Castros and 1 Elian for the efforts.

Since we had lots of time before the show, we headed into the crush of Times Square to look around. We sauntered into Toys R Us to see the giant animatronic dinosaur. And Margie got some candy too. We also saw the world's most expensive legos sets, and a bunch of other high priced crap no self-respecting parent would purchase.

God of Carnage was just wonderful. This is the 3rd cast in the year plus the show has been on Broadway (2009 Tony winner), and they were cast against type. Dylan Baker (pedo in "Happiness"), who was nominated for a Tony, played the role originated by James Gandolfini. Lucy Liu took Marcia Gay Harden's place. Jeff Daniels ("Squid and the Whale") took the role that Dylan Baker had originated.

Two pre-teen boys get in a fight at school, and one knocks out 2 teeth of the other. They are never seen. The whole 90 minute one act play takes place at the home of one couple, as they try to sort out what to do, or not to do, with their boys. In the process, you learn a lot about the parents. Great acting, and a wonderful tight book give this play the highest honors.