How 2BA New Yorker
Walking through the throngs of people as I hop off my bike and start the treacherous walk to the Planet Hollywood is simply the worst and, of course, to top things off, it begins to rain. Just a typical night in Times Square, but the perfect prelude to the play I'm about to see, "How 2BA New Yorker."
My watch now reads 6:57 p.m. and my date is running late. I run inside to grab our tickets from 'will call.' "Ahh, Ms. Salazar, we've been waiting for you. Table 11," says the blonde woman at the box office. I proceed passed the box office desk into a candlelit screening room with a buffet style set up to the right. I place my wet backpack on one of the chairs and head over to the buffet to begin serving for my tardy date and me.
Time goes by, and I am on my second glass of wine while my date's glass of Chianti sits all by its lonesome. A text from my date comes through reading, "I'm here!" and I keep glancing over at the door, ready to greet her. The door opens and two old people enter slamming the door behind them, talking loudly and asking people at the tables questions like, "Whatcha got there?" "That looks good, can I have some?" "What's ya name?" "Ya from around here?" I soon realize the show has begun.
Written and performed by Margaret Copeland and Kevin James Doyle, "How 2BA New Yorker" takes us on a little journey through New York history with funny costumes, accents and stereotypes of the people who reside in it.
From hailing a cab on the busy streets of Eighth Ave and morning train ride commutes, to Upper East Side snobs to Bad-ass Brooklynites, if you're a true New Yorker you'll get it, and if you're a tourist you'll understand it. It is most definitely a love/hate relationship when you're here in the Big Apple.
Both Copeland and Doyle interact with the audience, which most definitely gets a lot of laughs. They even pull a tourist up on stage and dress him up like a true "New Yorker", which consists of sunglasses for people watching, large headphones to block out sound, and if you're not a fan of words, the New York Post in one hand and Starbucks coffee in the other.
Copeland, like myself, is a true New Yorker, born and raised here. Doyle is a transplant from Ohio who moved to New York after college to make a living. Both seem to jive off one another with their own experiences here and that's certainly reflected on stage. We all have our own experiences, which can make New York City both a tough but awesome place to live in.
When the show is over, my date and I head out and walk through the sea of people to try and hail a cab. As we're trying to flag one down, another couple stands right in front of us, trying to hail a cab as well. I turn to my date and say, "Only in New York." She scoffs in disbelief so I take her by the hand and we jump into the first cab that stops in front of the four of us.
"How To Be a New Yorker" enjoys an extended run at The Screening Room Theater at Planet Hollywood, 1540 Broadway. For information or tickets, visit http://www.how2banewyorker.com/