The media has been flooding viewers with images of a recent mass demonstration in New York City’s Times Square – dubbed the world’s most visited tourist attraction. It was the site of an “Occupy Wall Street” march last Saturday night, which thousands of people attended.

I had plans that evening to meet my daughter at the Gershwin Theatre in the city’s famous theater district — home to all things wonderful and adored by Broadway fans. We had tickets to see the musical “Wicked” with fellow parent/student pairings from Pace University.

I was already in the area exploring sites my husband recommended — the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library and the Morgan Library & Museum. I walked up Madison Avenue to 42nd street, then cut across to the theater.

I could tell something was up because various police vehicles in my path were mobilizing and heading towards Times Square. My daughter discovered the protestors as she exited the Times Square subway station, and began to worry she wouldn’t make it to the theater on time.

Though she beat the curtain time for “Wicked,” a show we’ve previously enjoyed at ASU Gammage in Tempe, others weren’t so lucky — trickling in during the first half an hour of the show. I’m assuming it’s not a typical occurence along the “Great White Way.”

The event reminded me that Lizabeth took a lot of pictures last month at a 9/11 commemoration in Times Square called “Broadway Unites.” As the world is watching for images of protests in places like Times Square, it seems the perfect time to remind folks of other gatherings that have taken place there.

If you’re planning a trip to NYC, visit the Times Square Alliance online to learn about current offerings and events. Those of you who can’t get to New York for Broadway shows can enjoy touring productions at ASU Gammage, Mesa Arts Center and the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix.

Fans of “Wicked” will be thrilled to know that the musical returns to ASU Gammage early next year (tickets go on sale at 10am on Mon, Nov. 28). Theater League presents “The Wizard of Oz” in the Valley this December, and true fans of the classic L. Frank Baum story will want to enjoy both shows.

Protestors are popping up all over the place these days, but remember as you’re planning travel to NYC that Times Square is more than just a site for periodic protests. It’s home to shows that amaze and bedazzle — and some of the finest entertainment our great country has to offer the world.

– Lynn

Coming up: Reviews of “Wicked” and “Billy Elliot The Musical” on Broadway

Tags: Book of Mormon, Broadway, Broadway in Arizona, Broadway Unites, Chicago, F. Frank Baum, FDNY, Gershwin, Godspell, Kara DioGuardi, Mesa Arts Center, New York sightseeing, New York tourism, Occupy Wall Street, Orpheum Theater, Pace University, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, protestors, TImes Square, Times Square Alliance, Wicked, Wizard of Oz

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