Trip to the US, October 2017

Busy first day in NYC!

I started early in the morning, standing in line outside of a TV studio. For some reason there is always a lot of waiting involved when you want to be in the audience for a major US TV show. I usually go for the Late Night shows, but this time a certain guest tempted me to check out Live with Kelly and Ryan - a morning talk show. The guests on the show were Uzo Aduba from Orange is the new Black - and the legendary Harrison Ford! I’m not a fan of Uzo, but I couldn’t miss a chance to see Indiana Jones and Han Solo in person.

Sadly, as it turns out, evidently his segment was apparently taped at a different time. So he wasn’t at the live show this morning! Boo! It was still fun to be in the audience, and I got a great seat facing the two hosts. We were allowed to take pictures, which is very unusual, but maybe the rules were different because it aired live. We saw the interview with Ford on screens - presumably at the same time as it was shown to the rest of the US for the first time.

After the TV show taping I went to a movie theater to watch the new Pearl Jam documentary. It’s partially about The Cubs, a baseball team, but mostly about the two shows they played in Chicago last August. I was lucky enough to actually be at the second show in Chicago (which even now is still their most recent concert). So it was great to see highlights from that amazing performance again. There are many moments when it feels like they are indeed the best band in the world.

I then made my way to the theater district around Times Square to see Michael Moore’s Broadway show. I have always enjoyed his films and books. The show was just him on stage (except for a surprise in the end involving male strippers!). He was sharing a number of stories - some from his youth, illustrating how even small actions can make a difference. He also talked about the water crisis in his hometown Flint, and he talked a lot about Trump and how to defeat him! Definitely a fascinating and interesting experience to see him live. A wet dream for leftist liberals for sure!

I then picked up my badges for the upcoming New York Comic Con, had some food, and eventually returned to Broadway for another show! This time the controversial play 1984, featuring the amazing actress Olivia Wilde. Very good play - and somewhat (potentially?) relevant for the times we live in. Good, solid performances especially from the male lead. I got to meet him and Olivia after the show which was fun! I even spotted Late Show host Stephen Colbert walk casually by in his suit outside the theater. Not sure what he was up to!

Great and very eventful day!Lue lisää