The Monsters of New York

After a hot and humid week in Miami and Key West, I hopped on a plane and headed to New York.

Come on! I can't not go there if I'm on the East Coast, right?

The city looked ominous to me on the drive from the airport.

Those skyscrapers looked like monstrous shadows of all the reasons why everyone who is anyone, is hard pressed to leave the city in the first place.

My voice teacher, MaryJo Duprey, a native of New York, who is currently a professor of voice at UCLA, put it perfeclty when she said,

    "New York is like a hot young lover who knocks you around and messes with your head, who you just can't get enough of; while Los Angeles is like a husband, warm, cozy, easy to live with, but maybe sometimes just a little bit boring in comparison to the lover." 

If anything this time around, I was determined to see a Broadway show, while visiting my old 'lover'.

I saw Venus in Fur right before it closed on Broadway. I had to after watching the fabulous Nina Arianda win that Tony! Hurray for complex, strong women characters!

Dinner at El Quixote with an old friend from NYU and dinner again at Keens in mid-town with the same old friend. Oh, we had some catching up to do!

Late nights talking, singing, walking, and reminiscing. Caught a film audition while I was out in New York! Nice timing!

Then headed upstate to visit another friend from New York Sports Club to see her new life and new family. It's so different, the lifestyles of my non-actor friends. Stable, secure and full of responsibilities that I don't have yet. Though, I'm sure the rhythm of juggling them would be different either way.

Then back down on the train to Grand Central. Lunch with a long time actress friend at The Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant.

Then I sprinted crosstown for coffee with another actress friend near Penn Station, before hopping on the train down to Maryland, for my cousin's wedding in Virginia and much needed family time.

At this point in my trip, I begin feeling homesick for Los Angeles. Again.

But the truth is, every once in a while I need a jolt of the New York fervor to charge my artistic batteries.

It's more than traveling and taking time off.

It's about facing the monsters that forced you to be brave in the first place; the monsters within and the ones that will always tower above you.

Next stop...things you see at a Chinese Wedding Banquet. And I'm not talking about the Ang Lee film.

(photos courtesy of Mark Temme, Keens steakhouse and yours truly)

Yours truly -- Ann Hu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[anushabizconn]

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[Justine]

Having lived and spent time in both cities, I feel like New York is "the real world" and LA is "the glamorous life." (I live in NYC now) This is not to say that NYC can't be quite glamorous, or that people don't struggle in LA. It's just my own POV and generalization, and largely to do with the weather---as you know here in NYC we struggle with harsh winters and trudge through them on foot or going to the subway station, since most of don't drive cars here!

I love love love New York. But I can totally see why some actors prefer LA, for many different reasons.

Cool you got to see Venus in Fur-yes Nina Arianda has been getting huge buzz and praise for this role.