Saturday, May 2, 2015

mystery ride

I am meeting Susan to see Chita Rivera in The Visit. We bought $14.50 tickets on Play-by-Play. 

We are meeting at 7:30; I leave at 6:30. Plenty of time. 

I walk over to the subway on 77th and Lex. There's a piece of thick yellow tape across the entrance. It's the weekend. I guess the MTA is improving or fixing something. So that leaves the bus. A much slower means of transport.

I get  on the Lexington Avenue bus, heading south. Around 72nd Street, the bus driver takes a left. This is unusual. Maybe unprecedented. Passengers begin talking amongst themselves. Loudly. "Hey, where are we going?" "Why is this bus turning?" "What's going on?" The female bus driver looks normal but acts otherwise. She remains mute. It doesn't feel like a hijacking. But still, why is the driver saying nothing? Finally, an irate passenger yells, "HEY BUS DRIVER, WHY DID YOU TURN OFF LEX?" As if just realizing that an explanation is needed, the driver says the bare minimum; "Lexington is closed."  "So where are we going?" shouts someone else. "I'm heading over to Second and then up 57th."  She neglects to a add that while on Second, the bus will be making all local stops.

Some people laugh at the absurdity of this driver randomly choosing her route. Others, myself included, are not happy, as now a 30 minute trip will take over an hour.

I make it to the theater in time. Barely. Our tickets end up being in the third row. This Kander and Ebb musical, based on a monstrous fable, is haunting; and Ms.Rivera (at 82) makes an impressively cold heiress.  Getting to the theater is challenging. Staying throughout is not.


No comments:

Post a Comment