Note: I got my inspiration for this blurb from Bonny’s last blurb. I liked her style so much that I wanted to try it. Since I don’t know the little girl’s name, I decided to accredit Bonny by naming this piece after her.

Although I was disappointed that my eyesight was not good enough to see the performers’ faces from my seat, I was glad that I did not sit in the orchestra section of the theater. Julie Hanson, who played Christine Daaé, sang with such an intense soprano voice, and Howard McGillin, who played the Phantom, sang “The Angel of Music” and “The Phantom of the Opera” so loudly and powerfully that they probably injured some eardrums. In one of the most provocative scenes, the Phantom, dressed in a black cloak, caressed Christine in a slow, graceful, and seductive manner while the couple sang “The Point of No Return,” my favorite song in the show. The duo sang with a lower pitch that made the song soothing to the ears, and with such immense passion that was so captivating that I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat. Even when the song was over, I still heard it echoing through my head.

I think that the sets of The Phantom of the Opera are probably the most complex and incredible of all Broadway shows. As the Phantom was leading Christine into his underground labyrinth, the stage filled up with smoke, and candles rose from the stage floor. The Phantom then rowed Christine around his secret, dark lair in a small boat that moved about so smoothly on the stage. In making the transition between the scene of an opera performance and the scene when Christine kisses Raoul on the roof of the opera house, the stage turned dark and was relit after just a mere ten seconds. Somehow, in those ten seconds, the stage was transformed into a winter rooftop scene, and Christine and Raoul emerged from a staircase in the stage floor that was not there previously. Some of the transitions between scenes utilized flashing a spark, which blinded the audience for about three seconds. I was amazed to see that when I saw clearly again after the flashes, the set has changed. Perhaps the most beautiful set of the show was the one for the masquerade ball. The curtains rose after the intermission to reveal a huge, grand staircase that took up about three-fourths of the stage. The entire cast, dressed in elegant gowns and suits, was on the staircase.

I entered the Majestic Theatre that night expecting the show to be fantastic, and I am glad that my expectations were met. The Broadway performance of The Phantom of the Opera was a lot similar to the movie, but it was a whole different experience to actually hear the voice of the performers, see the extravagant costumes, witness the amazing sets, and be excited by the vivacity of the show. I recommend The Phantom of the Opera to anyone who is dying to watch a Broadway show and wants to be pleasantly surprised and charmed.

I remember going to the NY Hall of Science when I was in elementary school. I had so much fun there then that I had always wanted to go back. I can still remember running around the place wildly, fooling around more than learning about science. When Eilene, Aniruddha, and I planned to revisit the Hall of Science, I was a little worried that I would not find it an exhilarating experience like I did ten years ago because I am older and more mature now. I also worried that I would not find art there. After all, it is a Hall of Science, not a Hall of Art. However, I found that the Hall of Science contains a variety of exhibits that not only engage visitors in creating their own art, but also is extremely appealing to people of all ages.

I remember playing with my friends in a slanted room with a checkered floor ten years ago. I did not imagine I could still be able to fit into that room ten years later, so I was very surprised when I was able to go to the end of the room where the distance between the floor and the ceiling was substantially smaller than that at the entrance to the room. Ten years ago, the slanted room was nothing but juvenile fun to me, but now I discovered the room created illusions. When Eilene stood at the end of the room, she appeared to be huge. When she stood at a corner next to the entrance, she appeared tiny. When I stood outside of the room and watched as she walked from one side of the room to the other, she appeared to be growing. This is because the floor is constructed to converge with the ceiling at a vanishing point, and the checkered tiles on the floor display perspective because they are smaller near the end and larger near the entrance. We all took turns taking deceptive pictures in this room that gave the illusion that we were either gigantic or tiny.

We had all sorts of fun doing things like staring at spinning disks and then seeing colorful patterns on a white wall, and making our own music by turning frequency knobs. The most exciting activity we engaged in during our visit to the Hall of Science was imprinting images of our bodies onto a large screen. The piece called Recollections utilizes a gray wall made of tiny reflective glass beads, a large video screen, a black and white television camera, and a very bright light. The light continually hits the wall until someone steps in front of the wall, blocking the light and causing a shadow. The camera records the shape of the shadow, which is then stored, colored, manipulated, and projected onto the video screen. Eilene, Aniruddha, and I created our own art of Bodies in Motion by moving around between the wall and the screen and taping down the impressions of our bodies on the screen.

I walked out of the Hall of Science that day feeling younger and satisfied that I had captured so many great photos and videos on my camera. To me, the best form of art is that which involves its audience in its making. It is one thing to simply view and appreciate art; it is a totally different, stimulating experience to participate in making the art. I wholeheartedly recommend visiting the NY Hall of Science to people of all ages, whether to learn about science or to create some art, because I enjoyed it at the age of 18 as much as I had at the age of 8.

“If you liked the show and would like to see us do the big jump, please make a donation. We are not asking for much, we just want all the money in your wallet.” Whenever a kid donated money, the performers said, “Thank you. Now, go ask your parents for more.”

I was surprised to see that they got almost everyone to donate. Some people donated $20!! Their performance of the art of persuasion was something I will never forget even though I did not stay to see if the big jump was even worth all the money they received.