After the deluge of yesterday, bright sunny skies this morn and perfect to visit the Convent Avenue Baptist Church. Strolled down St Nicholas Ave to get there.  Wow, what a service! Initial welcome songs from a troupe of talented (Alisha Keys sounding) ladies, to the full gospel choir, praising through song, with a very talented mezzo soprano, awesome! http://vimeo.com/90477455

Dr Jesse T Williams officiating….with a rousing sermon using an impossible number of adjectives to describe the congregation, ” we are honest, trustworthy, bold, God fearing, Bible thumping, sin hating, Devil fighting, gospel preaching people”….with attendees applauding, pumping the air and agreeing with “praise the Lord”.  Here’s an example of one of his sermons…http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdUsgXKEMQ

Quite an experience today as the first Sunday of the month service goes for 2 hrs, hung in there!

Anyway, invigorated by all that lovely gospel singing…had my first experience of NY subway, making my way to West 42 St station, to catch a theatre performance….”It’s Only A Play”, written by Terrence McNally. Thought it would be brilliant as it has Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Stockard Channing in it, just to name a few actors….well it was! Sooo funny, it got many an encore…and it was a preview performance, leading to the premiere tomorrow night. It’s a way of getting cheaper tickets but a rehearsed cast….worked a treat.
One of the great lines was ” Broadway is to Hollywood, as the Statue of Liberty is to immigrants”….
Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore……hee, hee, hee!

Then a stroll through Times Square; odd balls abound; the famous naked cowboy strumming, hum, his guitar…..the goss is he got married last week!? Anyway, cars in grid lock, lots of cement reno’s, thank god it was twilight so I could focus on the ad images……pretty.