Candy Girl, Jersey Boys and Stardust

So last night after work I took the subway up to 50th St.  The rain started just as I was walking out of the station.  I ducked into an alcove with an awning and opened my umbrella.  Good thing, too, since the the rain . . . Well. It was good that I only had to walk two short blocks to the August Wilson Theater, because by the time I reached the theater and was safely under the marquee, the skies had opened up and the rain eas coming down in torrents.  52nd St. was starting to look like a river!  Poor Drew . . .he had a leaky umbrella and arrived at the theater looking like a drowned rat.

Usually we like to eat dinner before the show, but with a 7:00 curtain that wasn't possible.He made do with Twizzlers and bought me a chocolate bar . . . He knows me so well.

"Jersey Boys" is a Broadway staple, a show that's been running " forever", but neither of us had seen it.  The show tells the back story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and features the best of their music.  Each of the members of the group gets to narrate, to share his perspective.  Of course we loved it.

After the show we walked around the corner (the rain had stopped)  to Ellen's Stardust Diner.  You know how much we love this place.  Drew had a burger -- always a good option here -- and I tried something new.  It had been years since I'd eaten a Sloppy Joe.  Their version has a sweet taste (they use brown sugar in the mix) and comes plated with killer waffle fries, a couple of onion rings and baked beans.  I was so full from the sandwich that I couldn't finish my fries and never even tasted the beans.

I love the singing waitstaff.  Sometimes the performances are awful, but mostly they're very good and occasionally remarkable.  They pas around a bucket periodically - donations pay for singing and dancing lessons for the performers.  Last night one of the staff members said that in the 15 years tge place has been open, many former employees have gone on to roles on Broadway.

One small detail I didn't like.  When Ellen's first opened the waitstaff had fantastic uniforms/ costumes. Back then management was striving for a 50's vibe, with guys in bowling shirts and girls in poodle skirts.  More recently the uniforms went 60's -- black pants for the men, short black skirts for the women, and very bright, glittery shirts for everyone.  As of last night, however, the glittery, "mod" shirts were gone, replaced by brightly-colored t shirts.  It just doesn't feel the same. 

Afterwards, as we walked back to Penn to catch the train home, Drew said something about seeing Frankie Valli the next time he did a concert around here.

This morning the papers Valli is making his Broadway debut with 7 shows in October.