Hey all!
Yes, we did make it back safe and sound. Lol...London was fabulous!! I can't even tell you everything we saw in one post I don't think. We basically burned both ends of the sticks with early mornings and late nights. But, hey! It was sooooooo worth it!
Highlights:
- Going into Buckingham Palace. Gorgeous! It was SO hard to believe that someone(s) actually live there!
- Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. Yes, we saw lots of palaces, castles, and courts, oh my! Which leads me into my next point and probably one (lol!) of the best things we did....!
- Theater!!!! We had pre-bought tickets to Phantom of the Opera. Very close to the front, it was amazing! BUT....we saw Wicked on our first night there! It was right around the corner from the hotel, literally. So we didn't think we'd have a better chance. Balcony seats, not great, but you could see, hear, and experience the whole thing. However....I read on the back of the brochure that they sell 24 front row (YES you heard me right!) seats the morning of the show for 25 pounds (which is 5 pounds cheaper than what we pay/seat in the balcony!). Sooooooo...we went and got front row seats!! Crazy amazing, still can't believe it! We tried very hard to get Lion King tickets because my aunt really wanted to see it, but the cheapest available seats were over 100 pounds/seat and were like the nosebleed seats! Needless to say we didn't go for that! So, guess what else was playing around the corner? Billy Elliot!!!! We decided to try our luck walking over, the concierge had gotten balcony seats for 90 pounds and we passed. Walked in 2 hours before the show, they had 4 front row seats available! So we did it!!! LOL! Buuuuuuutttt...the 2nd time we went to Wicked, we found out that the actors come out the stage door after and sign autographs and take pictures! Rachel Tucker, plays Elphaba, came out, but couldn't stay. It was the only night she hadn't been able to stay. So of course, we had to go back! We were first in line to get front row tickets and went again the last night we were there. We got all the leads autographs: Elphaba, G(a)linda, Boq, Nessarose, Madame Morrible, the Wizard, and Doctor Dillamond!!!! The only person who didn't sign was Fiyero, disappointing.
So tell me, do you guys know these musicals? Have you seen any of them? Tell me your stories because I'm definitely having Wicked Withdrawal Syndrome right now! I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have seen them, but I can't help but want to be there more. These people are purely talented, there's no way around it. I am SO lucky!
In honor of my Wicked cravings, I am rereading Wicked now since I finished The Lovely Bones.
This isn't all we did, but I've been keeping the theater info a secret from my friends here until I see them, so I HAD to tell you guys!!! Sadly I can't tell you in person *tear* But SURPRISE anyway! Lol....
I will for sure tell you guys more about our week in the future. I don't have to work tomorrow or Saturday (they gave us the weekend off!), so I should be around.
It's great to be back! I MISSED you all!! How was your week? Hope it was great too!
Talk to you soon, I hope!
Hannah
P.S. I will try and post a post this weekend with pictures and more stories!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
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Oh, Hannah! It sounds like you had an amazing time!!! I would LOVE to see The Phantom of the Opera in a theater! I've heard of Wicked, though I haven't read the book or seen the musical. I'm so glad you enjoyed your time, though!
ReplyDeleteI saw a show on my vacation, too. ;) Nothing like the shows you went to see, I'm sure, but it was really fun! It was called "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" and we saw it at the Eldorado in Reno, Nevada. We had a great time watching them swing dance and listening to all the wonderful music of the '50s and such!
Glad you made it home safe and sound! :)
~Amber
Welcome back. :) Sounds like you had a great time. I've never seen Wicked but would like too. Maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteAnd guess what, my dog, Hope, is doing great! The surgery was a success and she's now acting like a crazy, little puppy. :)
Oh my gosh -- what a fantastic time! I LOVE Wicked and have only seen it once. I can't believe that you got to see it in London!!!! But I lost track -- how many times did you end up seeing it? LOL. I didn't care for the book at all. Couldn't get into it.
ReplyDeleteYou must be exhausted from everything that you do plus the time change! Rest up and tell us more!
Amber,
ReplyDeletePhantom was....beyond words!! Lol! Someday we'll get there together *wink* How fun!
It sounds like your show was great too. I've never heard of it, but that doesn't mean anything! We'd never heard of Billy Elliot, but that didn't stop us and now we've already bought the movie!
NOTE: There is a movie of Billy Elliot! Haven't seen it yet, but it should be good. Check it out people!
Anyway, I'm so glad to be back. Now I'm gearing up for school kind of. We've been shopping a lot. It's kinda fun! Lol...anything that's a must have for the dorm room that's not obvious?
Talk to you soon!
Hannah
Angie,
ReplyDeleteGET TO WICKED!!!! It's phenomenal! Why else would we have gone so many times?! Lol...
I'm SO glad to hear that Hope is doing well! I was going to stop by your blog and check in, but well I haven't gotten there yet, obviously!
Glad to hear the good news! Talk to you soon,
Hannah
Kav,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it FABULOUS!? I still can't get over it! My best friend is coming tonight and I haven't told her about all the musicals yet. She's gonna be shocked!!
We saw Phantom once, BE once, and Wicked 3 times!!!! Oh my goodness, it's still surreal.
I don't know about the book...I read it in seventh grade...that would be six years ago now? I remember being a bit confused, but I'm excited and game to try it again. Gregory Maguire is currently working on the fourth book in the series and he thinks it'll be the last.
It's so good to hear from you again! Missed talking with you and the book reviews! Talk to you later,
Hannah
Wow, that sounds like so much fun =) I would have loved to see those musicals. I was actually in a high school production of Phantom of the Opera. I love that play.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely jealous haha, I'll have to go sometime.
Meg
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteSomeday! :D I would LOVE to see Phantom of the Opera in a theater (but I already said that, didn't I?)!
Anyway, that is a good question. It's definitely hard to know what to bring the first time around, and I think this time around I'm going to try to be a bit more prudent, because I had a LOT of stuff last time! ;)
Let's see...it was really nice having a mini fridge in our dorm room for leftovers and quick snacks/drinks, etc. A microwave was also good, but both of these things depend on your school's rules/policy on whether they're allowed or not.
Ummm...pictures are good! Putting up things on the wall that remind you of home or just demonstrate your personality makes your room uniquely yours. Decorating is lots of fun! :)
Bring books and movies! At least for me, these were musts. ;) Since you're living on campus, you should have some fun things to read or watch by yourself or with friends on the weekends (or weekdays...). Don't forget your Bible and maybe some devotional books! :)
Depending on the weather, don't forget winter clothes! I'm sure you have a list of all the things you NEED (like laundry detergent, etc.). These are just some of the things that came to mind. ;) I guess I'll have to start packing in a couple of weeks, too!
Talk to you soon!
~Amber
Hi Hannah!! Sounds like you had an AMAZING time. Isn't Buckingham Palace beautiful? I loved it and I loved Kensington Palace when we were in London. I'm so jealous you got to see Phantom of the Opera. I'm going to see Wicked next month and I am so, so SO excited!!! I've heard such great things about the musical and I know I'm going to cry like a baby, but it's going to be awesome. It will be my very first Broadway musical ever. I hope I get to see the Lion King someday, too! Sounds like everything is going well for you my dear... hope to catch up soon! :) Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteHannah,
ReplyDeleteSounds like your family had a fabulous trip-- and got some great theatre deals, good for you! Did I tell you I spent a semester in London in college? I loved it. Reading your post made me nostalgic to get back there someday. I've never seen Billy Eliot the musical, but the movie is one of my all-time favorites. Hope college is going well so far!
Amanda
Hannah, thank you so much for commenting on my Wordless Wednesday post of my daughter at college.
ReplyDeleteI am so sad to hear about your uncomfortable dorm situation. I can't even imagine living with that. I would consider talking to your advisor. It's definitely NOT a good learning environment. Why they'd put upperclassmen in such an intimate setting is beyond me. I wonder if it's possible to be moved to a different living situation. It's certainly worth looking into.
Have you considered getting connected with Campus Crusade for Christ or other Christian organizations at your campus? That would be a great place to make a connection.
My daughter had one roommate that didn't get along so well with the other roomie and it made the situation somewhat uncomfortable. My daughter became super close to the 3 girls living in the dorm room next to hers and now rooms with 2 of them.
She's only an hour away but I rarely see her. She works and never has time to come home. I miss her something fierce so I'm jealous that you head home so much already!
I pray that you are able to get this all figured out and that you can find a better living situation. Remember this is for an entire year. May as well be in a more comfortable situation. So you move out? What is it going to change their lives? Doesn't sound like you'd miss out on much by living somewhere else!
Hugs to you!!
~Mimi