Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Trans-Siberian Adventure


I think I first heard A MAD RUSSIANS CHRISTMAS by Trans-Siberian Orchestra nine or ten years ago and since that time I have wanted to go to one of their concerts.  A month or so ago, I saw on TV that they were coming to Buffalo to present CHRISTMAS ATTIC.  I knew my new friend Mary Ann likes to go to concerts so I asked her if she would like to go.  She had never heard of them, but she wanted to go.   I purchased the tickets online, and was shocked at the $160.00 price for the two of them, but I REALLY wanted to go.

We met up at my house at 11;30 a.m. and headed to Buffalo.   We stopped in Amherst/Getzville for lunch at SEAN PATRICKS, a very nice Irish pub/restaurant.  I was surprised at the elegance of this place.  The prices are reasonable.  We had a nice relaxing lunch before continuing on  to Buffalo.

We parked in a lot at the University of Buffalo and walked to the Metro Station.  After wrestling with the ticket machines for several minutes, we finally found one that worked.  It was $2.00 for a round trip ticket.  We were seated on one of the subway trains when Mary Ann realized that she did not have her ticket  for the concert.  She thought it was either in the car, maybe having fallen out of her purse OR it had fallen out in SEAN PATRICKS.  We went back to the car and her cell phone case with the ticket in it was on the seat.  We went back to the subway station and the next car was waiting!

We took the subway/train all the way to the end to the FIRST NIAGARA CENTER.  We were in our seats about a half hour before the performance.  This place is GINORMOUS!!!!!  We had very good seats.

The concert was fantastic.  About 15 minutes into it, I put soft ear plugs in my ears because it was SO loud.  I am glad I had them.  After THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC, which was about an hour and a half, the chorus performed and then the band.  I was glad that they did A MAD RUSSIANS CHRISTMAS, it was the next to last piece that they played.

We found our way out and to the subway station quickly and even though there was a huge crowd heading back the same way, we got seats.  We discussed possibly stopping for something quick for supper, but decided to skip it since tomorrow is our weekly lunch out with the other girls from our 1967 high school graduating class.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

VICTORIAN TEA and SCROOGE (the musical) ADVENTURES

It was a busy Saturday!  My cousin Becky picked me up and we went to the UCC Church on Main Street for their Victorian Tea and basket raffle.  We met up with Elaine and Bonnie (girls I went to high school with).  The tea buffet was great, consisting of small sandwiches, veggies and dip, devilled eggs, lots of desert choices and more.  The UCC Church offers this type of event twice a year, and the buffet is free!
We all spent time looking at the baskets that were being raffled off (I think there were about 90) and placed our tickets.  I was hoping to win a very large basket with some "Christmas Village" buildings in it, so I put most of my  tickets in there, but neither Becky or I won anything.

I went home and rested for a while before David and Peggy picked me up to go to SCROOGE: THE MUSICAL at the Palace Theatre.  
Picture taking was not allowed during the performance, but I took a few of    the interior of the Palace, which opened up in 1925 and I believe it has been in continual use (although usage has changed).


It was a great day!