By David Gordon
It’s a warm day in July. You’re sitting at home, watching a rerun of The View, going out of your mind with boredom. You check your wallet: you’ve got a MetroCard and five dollars. There goes your idea of seeing the new Harry Potter. But lucky for you, New York City is at your fingertips, perhaps a twenty-minute ride on the 7 train or the Long Island Railroad. What can you do with your short supply of cash? It’s summer in Manhattan; the possibilities are endless.
In no particular order, here is a list of some fun things to do in Manhattan on limited funds:
HBO’s Summer Film Festival in Bryant Park – every Monday night, join your fellow New Yorkers on the lawn at Bryant Park (between 40th and 42nd Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues) for a Hollywood classic. The lawn opens at 5 p.m., in advance of a dusk start-time. This year’s films include Paper Moon, To Sir, With Love, Casablanca and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho.
Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series – every Friday morning, from 7 – 9 a.m., also in Bryant Park. Join Diane Sawyer and the GMA gang for a live taping of the show, featuring the hottest musicians of 2007. You must get there early if you want a good spot (read: if you want to be up front and on TV). Musical guests this summer include Brad Paisley, Patti LaBelle, Fantasia Barrino, John Mayer and John Legend.
106.7 Lite FM’s Broadway in Bryant Park – every Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join 106.7’s radio personalities and the casts of some of Broadway’s hottest shows. While the list is still unannounced, you can expect to see performances from established hits like Wicked and Avenue Q, as well as the upcoming productions of Xanadu and Grease.
Toyota Concert Series on TODAY- Friday mornings at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza, join Matt, Meredith, Al, and Ann as they welcome more of the hottest musicians. This year’s schedule includes Hillary Duff, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Fall Out Boy, and the cast of the upcoming movie-musical Hairspray.
Shakespeare in the Park – to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love, join the Public Theater for productions of “Romeo and Juliet” (June 5 – July 8) and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (August 7 – September 9). Directed by Michael Grief (Rent, Grey Gardens), “R&J” stars rising stage actor Oscar Isaac and Six Feet Under’s Lauren Ambrose as the title characters. Camryn Manheim of The Practice plays the Nurse. Daniel Sullivan directs “Midsummer” with a cast to be announced. Tickets are free and distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, beginning at 1 PM on the day of the show at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. As this is a well-known event, you MUST line up very early for tickets. (I recommend 8 AM at either location.)
Free Kayaking in the Hudson River – every weekend from 10 AM to 5 PM, at the 72nd Street boat basin, you can partake in free kayaking. They supply the kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, lessons – all you need to do is show up! A favorite in the summer.
Broadway Show League Softball – Every Thursday afternoon at Hecksher Fields in Central Park, watch actors and crew members from Broadway shows play softball. While it’s usually members of the ensemble, every now-and-then, the big “stars” come out to play. Supposedly, Billy Crudup is playing this season.
Cheap Baseball Seats – if you don’t mind sitting in the bleachers, tickets to Yankees and Mets games are available for prices starting at $5.
Live TV shows – besides Good Morning America and The Today Show, free tickets are available for talk shows like Live with Regis and Kelly and The View.
On Broadway
If you’re in the mood for celebrity spotting, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are on Broadway this summer. Among them are Fantasia Barrino in The Color Purple, David Hyde Pierce in Curtains, Angela Lansbury in Deuce, Darrell Hammond in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Alexa Vega in Hairspray. Coming to Broadway this summer is a revival of Grease (starring the two people chosen by the American public via a reality show) and a staged production of the cult hit film, Xanadu.