"Not Ready for Prime Time" is ready for prime time

 

Tonight, I went to a limited engagement show called "Not Ready for Prime Time".  This play was much better than I expected, and well worth watching if you're in NYC for its limited run.  

But first....

This would be my last chance to go out as Marian until next Tuesday night.  So, I decided to wear a sweatshirt dress over leggings and an old faux leather jacket to keep me warm, and trek into NYC to see this off-Broadway play. The cheap seats usually cost $38.  But on day of performance, "Rush" seats are available for $18.  At this price, it was worth taking a last minute gamble on seeing the play.  So, off to the city I went, and I arrived at Grand Central Terminal (GCT) at 6:45 pm.

I didn't have much time to waste, as GCT is at 42nd street and 4th (Park) Avenue, while the theater is located on 52nd street between 10th and 11th avenues.  For those not familiar with New York City,  the tone has to travel 1/2 mile North and 3/4 mile west from Grand Central to the theater.  This wouldn't be so bad, save that the closest subway station to the theater is 1/2 mile away.  One way or another, I'd be doing a lot of walking to make it to the theater on time to see the play. Having arrived 10 minutes early, I was seated in the front row, almost at dead center.  This gave me a perfect view, with one exception - part of the stage extended 3 rows into the seating area.  When performers entered this area, I couldn't turn enough to see them speak.  But this was a minor flaw for these seats. 

When I sat down before the play started, the band was playing instrumental songs from the mid-1970's.  It was nice to hear Billy Preston's "Nothing from Nothing" performed before show started, as it was a fitting intro to the story of the  Not Ready for Prime Time Players.  (Preston was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live's (SNL) first show.) And then the show began....

"Not Ready for Prime Time" focuses on the history of the show from the hiring of the original cast to the mass departure of this cast after the show's 5th season.  It documents the rise of Chevy Chase as the star of the show, his departure, the career growth of the remaining crew after Chase's departure, along with the tensions between the Not Ready for Prime Time players during their 5 years on the show.  What was a nice touch was that the show touched on the death of John Belushi, followed by the death of Gilda Radner. And this paragraph can not do this show justice.  But is does show how the first 5 chaotic years of SNL set the stage for the next 45+ years that the show would be on the air.

A little over 2 hours after I arrived, the show ended with the entire cast dancing to "Ackroyd" and "Belushi" reenacting the "Blues Brothers" routine and their performance of "Soul Man".  It was a fitting way to end the show - with some joyous music, and the memories of how great things were (at times) during the formative years of Saturday Night Live.  

But now I had a problem - I had to make it back to Grand Central, as well as finding a rest room to relieve myself.  I couldn't find the 50th street subway station I used on the way to the theater.  (Not all NYC subway station entrances are easy to find.)  So, I had to walk the 1/2 mile to the Times Square subway station to get to Grand Central.  And thankfully, I made it to Grand Central in time to prevent an unfortunate accident. (If I was in male mode, I'd never have made it to that rest room on time.)  Yet, I had another issue - I had only 5 minutes to make my train.  Missing it would cost me over an hour in my return home.  Luckily, once you make it to the platform, they always give people a fair chance to get onto the train before the doors close, and the train leaves the station.

Once back in my car, I drove home, and was entering my door at 11:45 pm.   It was a long day, but worth all of the headaches to enjoy the show.