Broadway: Mamma Mia!

Who doesn't like the 70's Swedish group? I love ABBA songs, and all of them at a Broadway musical...I could barely sit in my seat!!! You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life.....

Okay, I'll stop there, I promise!! I loved the show for its music, its energy, the lighting, for the actors, and a touch of craziness. If you haven't seen the show or the movie, here's how the story goes:

Donna's (Carolee Carmello in this show) daughter, Sophie (Brandi Burkhardt) is getting married and wants her father to walk her down the aisle. Unfortunately, she doesn't know who her father is and narrows it down to 3 potential dads after reading her mother's diary. She invites all three, Harry (Ben Livingston), Bill (Pearce Bunting), and Sam (Timothy Booth for this show), to the wedding without telling her mother....and can you imagine the drama? The show's other characters include Sophie's fiance, Sky (Chris Peluso), Dynamos from the band Donna and the Dynamos, Rosie (Gina Ferrall) and Tanya (Judy McLane), Pepper (Gerard Salvador for this show), and the ensemble.

Both Ferrall and McLane are hilarious and adorable, as is Salvador. Carmello's performance, namely her singing, is brilliant, particularly in The Winner Takes It All. Unlike other Broadway musicals, this one doesn't have an extravagant set. Everything about the show exudes happiness and energy, including costumes, which are very Boho-chic.....love them!!

My favorite scene/song is the one between Sophie and Donna, when Donna helps her get ready for the wedding (Slipping Through My Fingers). It does a fabulous job at capturing the emotions...Perhaps the best musical I've seen thus far....even better than Chicago IMO. So if you want to see a Broadway musical and haven't seen this one, go for it!!! If you're going to go for only one musical in your lifetime, this is it. If it's your first musical, this is it! If you're looking for something to cheer you up, this is definitely it!! Just one look and I can hear a bell ring, one more look and I forget everything....

Store: Strand Bookstore

If you love books and you love good deals, Strand is the way to go!! They have well over "18 miles of books"!! Located at 12th and Broadway in New York, the Strand sells books for less, sometimes as much as 85% off!! Strand also boasts of sellings rare books, which is located on the 3rd floor. For my love of books, I give it a 4.5/5

Everytime I'm in Manhattan, I make sure to put aside a couple of hours from my schedule to visit the store. The used bookstores in Philly, like The Book Trader and Last Word Bookshop, probably have only about 10-20% of the books available at Strand, and therefore, I love that store. Strand is a booklover's paradise, so don't think about entering it unless you know what you're looking for or at least have an idea, otherwise you'll just end up being frustrated. That, of course, is true for any book store but more so for Strand because the staff isn't particularly helpful, the books aren't alphabetized (for the most part, and the sections are a bit off), and it's simply overwhelming because of the number of books!!

If you're going to visit the store in summer, make sure you bring water with you because the store doesn't have airconditioning, and the lower level gets especially hot!! Despite these minor drawbacks, every time I visit the store, I always come out with at least a couple of books. The other day, I saw the hardcover edition of The Lovely Bones, which retails for $21.95 on sale for $5.95!! I bought it just to add it to my library! At Strand, you can get new releases for 50% off the retail, so why go to Borders?

All books under one roof, Strand is the place to go. Booklovers, get your fix at the Strand if you're in NYC. The $1 books outside the store are as tempting as the rare ones inside. And if you cannot wait, grab a sandwich from WholeFoods, park yourself at Union Square, and start reading!!

TIP: If you want to save time and avoid disappointment, check out their website and see the books they have in stock. Place an order online and pick it up in store.