Published: June 21, 2007 11:15 pm         

AROUND THE TOWN: Broadway has created another monster

My sister and I decided sometime last year that we needed to take our seven-year-old niece Lorna to the Big Apple. Since Kim and I are huge New York City fans, primarily because of Broadway, we felt quite sure we could pass our interest down to our niece. Not only did we manage to do that — we created a monster. She loved it!

So, after almost a year of planning, we left Crossville early Monday with our niece and sister-in-law, Shona, in tow. This was Lorna's first plane trip and quite frankly, I think she loved the plane as much as anything else we did while there. As we boarded our American flight in Nashville, the pilot was standing outside the cockpit. I told him it was Lorna's first flight. "That's funny," he joked. "It's mine too."

As we taxied down the runway, I kept watching her for any signs of anxiety or nervousness. She loved it. She even told me on the flight back that she wished we could dive toward the ground and pull straight up!

I always call NYC the city with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is always so very loud and busy. When I go, I am too, because we always have a lot to do in just a few short days. This time was no exception, and since Lorna was with us, we did a lot of the touristy things that we haven't done in a while, such as the Statue of Liberty water tour, Chinatown, the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. One of our favorite things which we would have never done had she not been with us was Madame Roussad's Wax Museum. What a hoot that was. As soon as we walked in, we saw a Paris Hilton statue, in the jail costume of black-and-white stripes. There were hundreds of wax figures, including the good looking "The Rock," as well as Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford, Presidents Lincoln, Reagan and Clinton, and even Matt Lauer of the Today show.

We saw Wicked, the musical about all the things that happened before Dorothy dropped in, when the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West were roommates in college. My sister and I have seen it three times, much to the chagrin of my friends Mara and Suzzane who didn't care for it all when they recently saw it.

We flew up to the Big Apple with a bunch of people who had come to Tennessee for the annual Fan Fest in Nashville. The flight attendants were calling the flight back the "Bonaroo Plane" because literally everyone on the flight, with the exception of my sister Kim, Shona, Lorna and I, were going to the Bonaroo music festival. The flight included an editor for Rolling Stone, radio executive and publishing company workers.

A young New York student, who was sitting next to me in the airport, said, "I can't believe you live in Tennessee and aren't going to Bonaroo. Have you ever been?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I never have. It's too hot for me."

"I just can't believe you live that close and you've never been," he said.

"Well," I asked him, "have you ever seen Wicked on Broadway?"

"No, never have," he replied.

"And yet you live so close!" I said.

"Touche," he said.

***

Congratulations to the Lake Tansi Exchange Club who picked up two awards at the recent state convention in Nashville. The club won the growth award for large clubs and the scrapbook award. The scrapbook was created by Exchange member Mary Lou Houlton. Outgoing Exchange Club President Dr. John Lyon also presented financial awards to three local non-profit organizations: KIDS on the Rise, Imagination Library and the TAD Center.

***

Jennifer Cecil, Miss Cumberland Celebration, will represent this area in this weekend's Miss Tennessee Pageant. The contest will be held in Jackson, TN, Saturday night at the civic center.