If my increasingly-faulty memory is working, I think the last time Suzie and Elaine were in town with my Mom and me was in the nineties, for a showing of ‘Chicago’ (which back then was taking place in the same theater where we had just seen ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. Time changes and shifts, moves on and retreats, advances and recedes, and suddenly we are back years later in older bodies and different mind-sets, but still thankful for being together. We should really do things like this more often as none of us are getting any younger. Rather than hasten the pace, allow me to slow down and return to the start of Saturday ~ our last full day in New York City for this Mother’s Day weekend.
It began in sunny form, with warm temperatures and blue skies that felt foreign after all the nastiness we’ve had lately. We made a breakfast of crepes at the Plaza Hotel ~ a brush with elegant living that stands out as one of those treats that is made all the more appealing for its fleeting and infrequent nature.
Following that, we strolled down Fifth Avenue for a morning of window and traditional shopping, starting at the fragrance counter of Bergdorf Goodman and working our way to midtown. It was a relatively restrained shopping expedition, more enjoyable for the company and ease of relaxation than any material procurements. Shopping is sometimes more than a means to an end ~ it is an act of pleasure regardless of outcome, at least to some of us. Being in the proximity to beautiful items, seeing mannequins and store windows decked out in extravagant fashion ~ they each lend themselves to inspiration and well-being, providing a pretty buffer for a world not always occupied with exquisite things.
The afternoon arrived, and with it the sun soared to its zenith. It had been so long since we had seen that bright orb, we took our time returning to the hotel. Eventually we made it back to dress for an early dinner with Suzie and Elaine, and one last show.
Aureole provided the sumptuous backdrop for a dinner with three of my favorite ladies on the planet. Suzie and Elaine were in-between Harry Potter plays, in the dim and dark space of an alternate land where dementors had taken over the world and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named had come into power. Mom and I were heading into’The Cher Show’ ~ yet despite our disparate theatrical journeys, we returned to family form for dinner.
I’ve known these three women for all forty-three years of my life, and it’s always a happy occasion when we find ourselves together, especially in such an exciting set of circumstances. Even our casual meet-ups at someone’s home carry the glad frisson of a shared family history. For instance, one of our earliest Broadway get-aways was with Suzie and Elaine. At that time Suzie was more aware of what was on Broadway, and she chose ‘Lost in Yonkers’ and ‘Six Degrees of Separation’. The first starred Mercedes Ruehl and an actor we had never heard of before: Kevin Spacey. The latter featured Stockard Channing in the role she would take to the movie (as well as full-frontal male nudity). That’s always fun to see with your mother. (Maybe Suzie and I should have taken them to the Gaiety all those years ago…)
On that early trip, we traveled to various locations and times in the rich history book of New York simply by attending two plays. It taught me that theater was a safe way to escape from the drudgery of everyday life, while pushing and challenging your own perceptions and belief systems.
After dinner, we made our way to our respective shows. Mom and I ambled up to 52ndStreet to check out ‘The Cher Show’ and while we expected it to be fluffy and fun, it actually turned out to be unexpectedly moving and poignant, and more than a little empowering. To say nothing of the costumes, which rivaled what we had just seen at the Met. It just goes to prove that old adage: when in doubt, go big, go sparkly, or go home.
The night closed around us, and our annual Mother’s Day Broadway weekend was coming to an all-too-swift close. We had one more breakfast the next day, and Suzie and Elaine were joining us before we all boarded trains back upstate…
