What a whirlwind!
The BTPM Travel Club’s NYC Theater Adventure packed in five unforgettable shows, behind-the-scenes access, iconic New York landmarks, and meals worth their own standing ovation. This was our 3rd annual NYC Broadway excursion, planned in partnership with Horizon Club Tours, a division of AAA of Western & Central New York.
We kicked things off at the New York Public Library with a private tour of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive — a true theater-lover’s dream. We also caught an exhibit on Black theater that could have filled an entire day. Fun fact: the library records Broadway productions for posterity, and each show can only be watched once. Ever. No pressure!
That night, Jonathan Groff brought the house down in “Just in Time,” delivering a velvet-smooth voice and serious acting chops as Bobby Darin. The next day took us ina totally different direction with “Operation Mincemeat” — a surprisingly hilarious musical based on a real World War II mission that fooled the Nazis and changed the course of history. Its simple staging and rapid-fire dialogue made a sharp contrast to that evening’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” a lush, emotionally charged spectacle. Between the roaming band, intricate choreography, and time-hopping storytelling, it held us spellbound — and lodged itself deep in the heart.
Our final full day included a walk through the Museum of Broadway, which warmed this Gen X heart with nods to the shows that shaped a lifetime love of theater, from “The Phantom of the Opera” to “Annie.” That afternoon, we went “off” Broadway for “The Play That Goes Wrong.” If you love British comedy, this live-theater chaos — clever, physical, and gloriously ridiculous — absolutely delivers, just like the television show, “The Show that Goes Wrong.”
The trip closed with “Maybe Happy Ending,” a simple, beautiful musical with jazz interludes and two retired “helper bots” at its center. Sweet, funny, and deeply human, the show tugged at the heartstrings — and featured a surprisingly familiar piece of 1950s furniture that exists in my own home. Proof that even futuristic love stories set in South Korea can feel close to home.
Between shows, we dined at legendary spots like Bond 45, Sardi’s, and Carmine’s, and started each morning with a buffet breakfast at the Marriott Marquis Hotel — right in the heart of Broadway. By the end of the trip, all 20 of us were fast friends and already dreaming about where the BTPM Travel Club will take us next!
