Oh my goodness, I have so much to write about and no time. I haven't written about China! It was absolutely fabulous. I cannot say enough good things about the trip. I am so, so glad I went. I was with a really cool group of people, and we saw some amazing sights. It was so strange to come home and not be surrounded by the people with whom I had spent the previous eleven days, to not gather around the table with them and share food and stories and to not constantly look around me while walking to make sure they were nearby. I was astounded by so much of what I saw. I think the highlight for me was the Great Wall. It was much more of a climb than any of us anticipated, but I managed it fine (I'm used to hiking). I reached the tower and the view just filled me with awe. The Terra Cotta Warriors were another favorite site. Pictures don't do it justice. You walk into the largest pit and can't help but be overwhelmed by the massive army of lifelike, unique soldiers. It's mind boggling to think of the work that went into the creation of the thousands and thousands of figures. I'm so glad I was able to see the site in person. We saw cities (like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, and Suzhou) and the countryside, and there is such a marked difference between the areas we saw. It was such a learning experience to be able to travel around some of the country and see the way different people live in different places. We encountered beautiful scenery and beautiful artifacts. I am so grateful I was able to take this trip; it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a whirlwind tour (five flights in eleven days, not a lot of time to rest and no time to recover upon returning home), but I can't express how wonderful it was. I have LOTS of photos here, or here's a slideshow:

Click here to view these pictures larger

On to another random topic, here's one of the reasons I love Nashville (the TV show). My favorite thing about the show is Connie Britton (duh), but how amazing are these girls?

And finally, Broadway show reviews! I think I've seen three Broadway shows since my return from China.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
 I was happy to get a seat front row center for this. It's got a great cast, featuring Sigourney Weaver, David Hyde Pierce, and Kristine Nielsen, three very talented actors who play siblings all named after Chekhov characters. Mr. Hyde Pierce (Vanya) has a hilarious, sharp, and intense monologue in act two raging against today's youth that showcases his talent, and he is very, very funny in this play. Surprisingly, Ms. Weaver (Masha), playing an aging movie star, is the weakest link. Ms. Neilsen (Sonia) steals the show. She does a spot-on impression of Maggie Smith, and she's so versatile; she can make you split your sides laughing one minute and make you want to cry the next. Shalita Grant is absolutely hilarious as the siblings' housekeeper, Billy Magnussen is ridiculous (in a good way) as Spike, Masha's much younger boyfriend, and Genevieve Angelson is lovely as a young neighbor. Christopher Durang's play provided for a fun afternoon escape.

The Assembled Parties
I enjoyed this show very much, largely because of the performances of its two leading ladies, Judith Light and Jessica Hecht. I adore Jessica Hecht. She's so strong in every play I've seen her in. I guess non-theatre audiences might remember her best as Susan on Friends or as one of the other many supporting characters she's played in TV shows and movies, but I think she's really established herself as a talented stage actress. In this play, her character is vulnerable, optimistic, and very witty. Judith Light also gives a wonderful performance. Her monologue in act two is the highlight of the show; it brought tears to my eyes. To me, the bond between these two sisters-in-law is the heart of the show. There are some confusing plot points that need to be clarified (I'm not the only one confused; there's a thread on BWW full of people asking questions and speculating about certain characters' fates). There is a twenty-year gap between the two acts (act one takes place on Christmas in 1980 and act two takes place on Christmas twenty years later), and it's not clear what happened to many of the characters who didn't live to appear in act two. Overall, despite the need to tighten the plot, I enjoyed the show.

The Testament of Mary
I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy this one. It's a one-woman show (those are popular this season) featuring Fiona Shaw, who's a well-established, very talented stage actress (and I liked her as Marnie on True Blood). I guess it didn't help that I saw this show while I was still suffering from jet lag after my China trip. I didn't have high expectations going into it, but I was still disappointed. I couldn't keep my eyes open and kept nodding off, and I never fall asleep during shows. I just couldn't stay awake. The show is based on a book of the same title, and it's told from the point of view of Jesus' mother. Fiona Shaw is definitely a great performer and is completely committing herself to this role, but I really only felt for her character at the end when she delivered her last lines. For most of the play I felt like she was just yelling at the audience, and I couldn't connect with her. I didn't get the purpose of a lot of the set pieces. It wasn't a great night at the theatre.