9 AUGUST THE DAY HAS DAWNED!
What great excitement abounds as the group prepares for their tour to New York and after months of intricate planning, I pray that not only will all go according to plan, but that the content & joy will surpass our greatest expectations. I am in Paris with my group of students, but am very much with you all in spirit tonight as you prepare to board flight KL592 to Amsterdam. I will update the site tomorrow, once I have heard from Catherine Desmarais or Pauline Green, who is their 24 hour Tour Escort in New York.
10 AUGUST ONWARD TO NEW YORK CITY!
I have just received a short mail from Pauline to confirm that all have arrived safely and are in high spirits, albeit somewhat exhausted! A reminder that they will be staying for the next 6 nights at the very comfortable Excelsior Hotel and the telephone number is + 1 212 362 9200.
11 AUGUST A FULL DAY IN NEW YORK!
After a good night’s sleep, all were rearing to go this morning and I have just received an update from both Catherine & Pauline. Catherine writes: “As expected, this trip is turning out to be the experience of a lifetime and we are all 'soaking the city in'! Our local tour guide is efficient at moving us to where we need to be at all the right times and is constantly answering questions that come from the students about sights and about life in the US. The 3hr walking tour was jam-packed with interesting facts and stories and we saw all the main sights including Times Square, the Rockefeller Centre, the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station. We then participated in a Theatre Workshop where we not only learnt about the historical significance of Broadway, but also trained ‘hands on’ with a Broadway actor ~ there was such euphoria in the room when we got to do some performing of our own! We met the original actor for the voice Audrey II from the Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors and his advice was that if performance is in your blood, it will follow you forever! Our first show "Sister Act" was a highlight - we laughed and laughed and enjoyed every second including the standing ovation. We all then lined up like real ‘groupies’ after the show for autographs and photos with real Broadway stars!! We are eating way too much good food and our hotel is comfortable when we manage to squeeze in some rest!” Pauline continues: “The day went really well and we started with a 3 hour walking tour of Manhattan, exploring locations connected with theatrical and film stars, where they lived, both now and in the past. The local guide is a theatre ‘buff’ and so extremely knowledgeable and after lunch we had the first workshop, which was both entertaining and valuable - I think everyone fell in love with James, the actor who ran the programme! Dinner was at the Sombrero Restaurant and all found some Mexican dish to their liking. Sister Act was the show’s last night and our group was delighted able to get some autographs from some of the cast!”
12 AUGUST ON THE GO IN NEW YORK!
What a wonderful diary entry we have today, thanks to the 2 emails received ~ the group really sounds to be having the most incredible time! Catherine writes: “Our Sunday was a clear day with less humidity - perhaps we're all getting used to the climate now and perhaps we've caught up on most of our sleep because the energy among the group was more evident today! We went to the top of the Rock – the Rockefeller Centre and "WOW"!!!! What an unparalleled view of the city! We took pictures and soaked in the views all the way around. After that we had lunch in a typical American sandwich Bar followed by our second workshop -Stage Combat! The teacher of the class had a great sense of humour and kept us enter tained whilst teaching us how to pretend to really beat each other up on stage! It was impressive how each member of our group mastered a choreographed fight sequence that was convincingly terrifying to watch!! We then had a couple of hours of shopping time followed by an Irish dinner and much happy chatter among the group”. Pauline also has much to tell us: “We went to the City this morning and ascended to the Top of the Rock for the magnificent views of New York City. Even though one of the girls had a fear of enclosed spaces (elevators) and heights, she conquered this fear and enjoyed her experience of arriving at the Observation Deck on the 70th floor, as did everyone else in the group. Many good pictures taken as the weather was clear and skies were sunny. Indeed, it was hot and sticky yet again. We had lunch at a small cafe that made up sandwiches and salads to order, which really suited everyone. We continued to Times Square and then on to the Stage Combat workshop. What a delightful experience that was and all learned a great deal, including the teachers. There was then some free time for shopping and some of the group purchased theater tickets for tomorrow to see Rent. Those that are not going to the theater are going with me to Bryant Park to see a free movie. Everyone is adept on the Subway system and they know their way around now. I am told all the group have contacted their parents by email and some by phone, so they know they are safe. We are having an early night so we are full of energy for tomorrow when we have a grand walking tour around Soho and Chinatown”.
13 AUGUST CONSTANTLY ON THE GO!
A lovely update received from Pauline: “What a busy day, which started with another great workshop experience. The group had one of the actors, Caesar, from Sister Act lead the programme - he was enchanting (as they all are) and has a wonderful presence. The music director taught the group the opening song to the show and they learned the words by heart in 30 minutes! They then had the choreography with Caesar to the same number and again they learned it in record time! They then paired the two and the song & dance was done by everyone - what a blast that was and such fun! After lunch we met our local guide, Lee and we took the subway to South Ferry terminal, where we boarded the Statten Island Ferry (think the movie Working Girl). This offers the best and closest views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without actually going to those locations - the return ferry trip shows Manhattan at its best. Lee then took us into Chinatown where the obligatory shopping took place! Thereafter we visited Greenwich Village instead of Soho, so we could see where New York University is located and Washington Square ~ many novelists went to NYU as well as theatrical stars. Returning to Times Square we had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe before some went to see the show Rent, whilst others went shopping and then back to the hotel for some much needed sleep! Your students are so wonderful and take everything in their stride!”
14 AUGUST SHOPPING + ANOTHER FULL DAY!
Thanks to Catherine for another lovely update: "We decided not to go to Central Park today as shopping seemed a better idea – everyone really wanting to get their gifts and memorabilia for friends & family back home! We will however be going there before dinner at Babba Gumps tomorrow. On the NBC tour we saw some studios and heard about the filming AND Chanté got to read the News from a tele-prompter at a real News Desk, which they filmed and she now has her very own copy!! After this we went to Madame Taussauds, which was PHENOMINAL!!! Everyone of course took photos alongside all the wax stars! We then attended a fabulous make-up workshop, where we learnt about some of the backstage tricks used in shows like The Lion King, Shrek and Mary Poppins. We are all so excited for the musical performance of Mary Poppins tonight!!"
15 AUGUST THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS!
I have received this lovely update from Catherine: “The Italian dinner last night was the biggest tastiest pizza EVER, with a yummy chocolate gillatto (spelling?) after!! This is the start of our last ‘full’ day and by that I am only referring to time! In truth every day of this tour has been ‘full’ - full of sights, experiences, food and fun. We are all up and out early again to get to our final workshop by 9:30. The ‘technical’ workshop will teach and enlighten us about another side to the theatre that we do not think about when we watch shows - a side that is a large contributing factor to the 'magic' of a show. Last night's Production of Mary Poppins was indeed ‘magical’ in every sense of the word and all of us can confirm that it is a valid Broadway sensation. We loved the music, the staging, the story and the tricks (like when Poppins flies about 4 stories up off the stage and over the audience’s heads. The little Banks children were so sweet and both gave such professional performances in the show - I think it is safe to say every one of us rather envies them to be so little and already performing in a production on Broadway! We are all so happy and well and ....busy, busy, busy!! Love to all back home - we miss you, but will see you soon!" Pauline has kindly sent a follow up email: “We had the final workshop on Technical Theatre and it was a great way for everyone to see how all the pieces come together with stage hands, actors, costume people etc all being a part of the whole production. As everyone was so tired, they had the option after lunch of taking a rest at the hotel but some of the girls could not resist some shopping with me on 5th Avenue prior to taking this rest time! We had planned a walk in Central Park for an hour, but we had serious thunder storms and drenching rain, so that was put on hold until the final morning tomorrow. After dinner we proceeded to the theatre production of ‘Fuerza Bruta’, which is a most unusual production and very difficult to describe! There is no talking, everything is action, from running on a treadmill, to high wire flying round the room, to swimming in water above the audience. The music was like being in a nightclub and the actors were in the audience dancing, with the people attending….everyone really seemed to enjoy it!!”
16 AUGUST FAREWELL TO NEW YORK - WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!
It is unbelievable how quickly this week has flown by and they have seen & accomplished SO much! The group is scheduled to fly out @ 18h00 this evening on KL642, arriving in Amsterdam @ 07h25 on Friday 17 August. They will then connect to flight KL591 which is scheduled to depart at 10h20 and I am sure I do not have to remind you that they will be arriving at OR Tambo @ 21h20 on Friday evening! All flights have been confirmed and our ticketing agent has assured us that all will be seated together on both flights. Pauline has kindly sent her final mail: “So today dawns bright and clear, with much cooler temperatures than we have had of late and a fine day for flying. We plan to walk in Central Park this morning and I also hope to take the subway to 14th Street so we can walk along the newest attraction, the High Line gardens. Once this is completed, we will return to the hotel grab something for lunch and our coach will pick us up at 1:30pm for the drive to JFK airport. I will be staying with the group until they go to the security gate and then return to the hotel to check with housekeeping that nothing has been left behind. It will be a tearful goodbye from me as I always get SO attached to my travelers. Please send my personal thanks to the school and parents for entrusting their travelers to me on this tour. I do hope I get to meet some more South African students some day as, they were such a delight to be with - so polite and so gracious!” Catherine Desmarais has been such a pleasure to work with on this tour and your children have certainly been very privileged to travel with such a warm, caring and knowledgeable person. It is only fitting that she therefore has the last words: “It feels like we blinked and it was over. Although there is that sadness to say goodbye to this FANTASTIC city, there is also a sense of relief to get home to loved ones and a great deal of excitement to share the many amazing tales we have to tell! We are all coming home a little poorer financially but A LOT richer in spirit and heart. Thank you to all who made it happen - thanks Moms and Dads for giving your children the opportunity to experience this, thank you to Jenny for arranging everything we requested and thank you to Pauline Green for all her care, love, knowledge & help. The common thread among all of us in the group is that we are saying ‘au revoir’ to NY City now - but it's only goodbye till we come again!!”