Celebrating Broadway with Ruth and Marion!

 Last night I had very enjoyable evening out with friends.  We were off to the Angela Peralta Theater in centro for an 8pm performance of Celebrating Broadway.  Marion and Ruth had tickets and I decided to get my own ticket and join them.  We started off with a bus ride downtown at 5pm so we could have dinner before the show.  

This is where we ended up just before the start of the show.  Many of our group attend performances at the Angela Peralta and we are lucky to have such an easily accessible venue here in Mazatlan. 

Off the bus and heading west on Angel Flores.

Christmas is only two weeks away and Revolution square is decorated for the holday season.  Marion was downtown on Thursday to see the festivities for Festival of Guadalupe that is a Catholic holiday on December 12th to honor the Virgin Mary as the patron saint of Mexico. It is a celebration of Mexican faith and identity and is a fusion of Catholic and indigenous heritage. 

Walking along Carnival Street towards the Plaza Machado where the Angela Peralta and many restaurants are located.  Christmas lights everywhere. 

The square is the place to gather in the evening.  It's still light here but it is all lit up. 

A beautiful Christmas tree!

We asked a nice young woman to take our picture and she was very good at it.  She took a number of shots for us to pick from.  Don't we look festive!

Tres Amigas!

So pretty.

One of the very popular square restaurants...Gaia Bistro and you can dine outside.  It was a lovely evening for that.  

That's Santa's house but...he wasn't home!

Walking west on Constitution and it's so beautiful.  We had a 6pm reservation at the Nao Kitchen Bar where we have eaten in the past. 

We got there a bit early and as we had lots of time we started with cocktails for Ruth and I and Coca-Cola-Cola for Marion.  She planned to have wine for dinner.  Ruth likes a Negroni and I like a Mojito. 

We ordered three different dishes and shared.  This is Asian fusion based cuisine here.  Marion ordered Pad Thai, Ruth some dumplings and I ordered Rib Eye which was served sliced with lettuce leaves to construct tacos, a spicy sauce and kimchi on the side which is Korean.  A bowl of rice rounded it out.  A bit for each of us and we were all happy. Reasonable prices and good service.

By 7:40 we were back to the Plaza for our 8pm performance.  It was dark and the lights made it look quite magical.  

By the time we finished the performance the square was hopping as people eat late here in Mexico.  There was a good band playing in one of the restaurants although some times there can be many bands and they are all playing different music!!

Heading inside the theater. 

Another beautiful Christmas tree. 

We sat on the left on the first balcony.  I was a few seats away from Ruth and Marion.  I was next to a lady from southern Ontario who spends the winter in an apartment four blocks from the plaza.  It is a good area to stay as you are close to everything and it's very quiet as well.  You can walk to pretty well everything in this area. 

It was pretty full by the time the show started. 

The orchestra was warming up.  

The guest conductor was Zina Goldrich a composer and musician as well.  Best known for her work in musical theater and she hails from New York.  Singing is Campbell Walker Fields another guest performer for the evening. 

On the left Mauricio Martinez and popular Mexican singer and actor, then Dory Lorenz a professional singer and actor, Kelli Rabke a Broadway vocalist, Laura Strickling a renowned soprano and then Campbell Walker Fields.  Each of them sang different Broadway hits from over the years.  

It was a performance that everyone enjoyed.  However...I did have an issue with the loudness of the orchestra and especially the brass section.  It's something Eric and I have remarked on at other performances here.  The orchestra is blaring and you can't hear the singers. The orchestra sound ends up being distorted as it's so loud.  One song that Campbell Walker Fields sang was just right when the brass was quiet and you could actually hear him.  It didn't seem to bother anyone but me but I guess that's why music is such a personal thing.  All in all it was a lovely evening. 

Other friends Marilyn/Dennis and Doug and Cathy also attended and we met up with them when we were getting transport home.  They had ordered a Didi but we three went home in a pulmonia which is a vehicle that you see here in Mazatlan.  Kind of life a golf cart/ Volkswagen fusion which is open air with a roof.  It was a lovely evening and not too cold for open transport.  It's lovely to travel along the malecon which is next to ocean on our way back to the north end of Mazatlan, Cerritos and home.  No pictures as it was dark and we were moving so it all gets distorted.  Lots of people out and about.

A lovely evening out with friends.