Company in NYC

At Rose's apartment

I remember Julie and Rose’s panic during the early days of COVID, when even stepping out of their New York City apartments exposed them to an elevated risk of infection. My girls were there for the worst of it, when the Big Apple was a global epicenter for the virus, when the hospital morgues were overfull, when every night people opened their windows and sang to the first responders. As after 9/11, those were days when enormous, anonymous New York pulled together, even if briefly, as a family under siege. 

Conditions, as of this writing at least, are much improved. Steve and I actually went up to Brooklyn last month and took Rose out for a birthday dinner at a lovely restaurant, indoors. I was quite anxious about the trip, but very heartened to see all the precautions still in place (we weren’t allowed into the café without our proof-of-vaccine cards, for example). And while it’s virtually impossible to really distance there, people were clearly making an effort (and I’ve never seen so many face masks). 

On January 8^th, we’re heading back, for a little company—the wonderful Sondheim musical Company, that is, which has reopened for a short Broadway run. We’d had tickets for late March 2020, which were of course cancelled, and for a time I wondered if or when we’d ever feel safe in a theater again. But we’ve decided to return this winter, and I really feel fine about this. This production features the legendary Patti LuPone, with Katrina Lenk playing the lead (formerly the main character was a man, Bobby, a bachelor whose married friends kept trying to find him a mate). I'm so excited to see the re-written version; I had seen Ms. Lenk in The Band’s Visit pre-pandemic, and she’s super talented. 

We’d no doubt be even safer staying home, and if there’s a surge or other major pandemic related issue, we’re prepared for another postponement. But taking this small step back into a somewhat normal life is worth it to us. Broadway theaters are relatively small and very old, and the seats are close together. I recall previous audience experiences, packed in so tightly that I felt I was related to my seat mates by intermission. But I am reassured of the status of my fellow theatre buffs, and I truly appreciate the huge number of safety steps taken in New York. 

Looking further ahead, I don’t think we’ll be done with the masks for a good while, especially inside. But I’ve gotten used to them, and actually feel weird in public when I’m unmasked. Every communal outing will provoke some anxiety for the foreseeable future, and I’m sure some activities just won’t be worth it to me. For instance, I haven’t been to an Eagles game since the lockdown began--but then, I’ve never been to one, nor do I have a scintilla of interest. However, I can’t wait for classical concerts and art museums again. 

And curtain time on Broadway.

                                                        Company opening number