Escapes ‘The Ride’: Just roll with it
On this bus tour of New York, expect the unexpected
BY NANCY TREJOS Only in New York would a man undressing in
the middle of midtown Manhattan not cause a stir. As the guy on the sidewalk ripped off his
trousers to reveal “I (heart) New York” boxers, two women walking right past him never inter- rupted their conversation. No one seemed to care when he took off his wig, either. I watched this scene unfold from a bus. But
not just an ordinaryNewYork bus. This bus was outfitted with 3,000LEDlightsandthreerowsof stadium seats. This was “Experience: The Ride,” a new theater production in which all of mid- townManhattan is the stage. I didn’t know what to expect as I boarded the
bus at the New YorkMarriottMarquis in Times Square for the 41/2
-mile, 75-minute ride. I settled
into a front-row seat, facing the side of the bus that’s transparent from floor to ceiling.Was this going to be a city tour? An improv show? Street theater? A silly way to spend an afternoon? The answer: all of the above. More than a dozen performers were stationed
at various points along our route to sing, dance, juggle or simply act goofy for our pleasure. I’d booked a 2 p.m. show on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and the streets were packed with shoppers and tourists. That’s how you want to experience “The Ride,” because the actions of everyday New Yorkers are just as funny as those of the performers. Our tour guides were Jackie and Scott, gradu-
ates of New York University and Columbia University, respectively. (Turns out they were actors, but for a while there, Scott had me completely convinced that he had earned a degree in urban planning from Columbia.) Our bus, “The Ride,” was also a character.
“His” voice boomed over a loudspeaker. He would occasionally scan people and objects and, in his deep voice, impart all sorts of randomfacts about them. (“Subject: New Yorker. Cost of purse: $2,500. Cash in purse: $7.52.”) With the Times Square jumbotron behind
him, an actor wearing sparkly oversize 2011 glasses led us in a New Year’s countdown. (“The Ride” will feature a holiday theme until Jan. 2). “Ma’am, can’t I get a New Year’s Eve kiss?” he asked a young woman when we got to 1. She declined, but other passersby were more willing to go along with the show. On one street, three police officers broke into
a dance andwaved at us. In front of the Charmin Restrooms on Broadway, a woman wearing a plastic toilet seat costume around her waist started dancing with a man in a puffy purple jacket as he sang a rap song. Outside the Bank of America building, a man wearing silver pants anda silverhat joined SantaClaus in a tap dance. Who was a performer and who was a specta-
tor? It was hard to tell sometimes, especially in a city where a walking Elmo outside a Times Square store is not such a rarity.
ABOVE, MARC BRYAN-BROWN; TOP, NANCY TREJOS/THE WASHINGTON POST
On “The Ride,” visitors might spot dancers performing “TheNutcracker” in Columbus Circle, above, or actors re-creating the famousWorldWar II photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse, top.
Getting there
New York is about 227 miles fromWashington on Interstate 95. Amtrak fares to Penn Station start at $49 one way. Bus lines such as Bolt, Megabus or DC2NY offer one-way fares fromWashington for about $20.
Between scenes, Scott and Jackie threw out
random New York facts. Did you know, for instance, that Santa Claus has ended theMacy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year except for 1933, when he led the parade? Or that construc- tion workers built the Chrysler Building four floors per week? Scott and Jackie also tested our knowledge
with the occasional “Quiz Show” break. The cost of renovating the ceiling of Grand Central Station was $75 million, “The Ride” told us. “What was covering the ceiling?” Scott asked. “Cigarette smoke!” one woman shouted. She
won 5,000 points, which apparently put her in the running for a free T-shirt. But most of the fun was out on the streets. At Military Island, at Broadway and Seventh
Avenue in Times Square, a man dressed as a sailor fromWorldWar II bent over a woman in a nurse’s uniform and kissed her, re-creating the famous 1945 Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph. “Kiss, kiss, kiss,” we all chanted. In front of CarnegieHall, a woman in a green
coat started belting out “White Christmas.” “I just got off the bus from Iowa,” she said. My favorite scene was at Columbus Circle,
where a ballerina in a pink tutu and her partner danced to music from “TheNutcracker.”Agroup of teenagers broke into a synchronized hip-hop dance that somehow blended with the ballet. It was like a scene from “Fame.” By the end of our ride, we, too, had become
performers, as Scott and Jackie led us in a rendition of “New York, New York.” The words flashed on the bus’s more than 40 video screens. The people in the street could hear us. They laughed and stared and sang along. Beforewegot off the bus, Scott reminded us of
the Alistair Cooke quote that New York is “the biggest collection of villages in the world.” Having hadmy fill of midtown, I headed off to
check out another village. I hopped on the train to Pier 25, the newest section of the Hudson River Park in Tribeca. The park is the largest open space created in Manhattan since Central Park. I walked past a children’s playground, a miniature golf course set to open in the spring and a volleyball court with three nets. It was a cold evening, but a mother was out
watching her two young sons kick around a soccer ball on the artificial turf lawn. Joggers looped around the pier, the longest in Hudson River Park. At the end of the pier were lawn chairs and telescopes to magnify the splendid view. In front of me was New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty. Behind me was Lower Manhattan. Two teenag- ers were braving the cold and taking photos. “It’s beautiful,” said one as he stared across the river. Yes, I thought.Whenyou’re inNewYork, it’s as though all the world’s a stage.
trejosn@washpost.com l Sunday in Travel: The Impulsive Traveler explores the university museums of Cambridge, Mass.
Gabriel’s Bar and Restaurant 11W. 60th St. 212-956-4600
www.gabrielsbarandrest. com Cozy bistro near Columbus Circle serving homemade pastas and meat dishes cooked over a wood grill. Entrees start at $23.
P.J. Clarke’s 915 Third Ave. 212-317-1616
www.pjclarkes.com Casual bar and restaurant serving burgers, seafood and steaks. Entrees from $17.
PLAYING THERE
“Experience: The Ride” 1535 Broadway 866-299-9682 www.experiencetheride. com Theater production starts at the Marriott Marquis and travels to Columbus Circle and back. Holiday theme until Jan. 2. $59 during non-peak hours, $65 at peak time.
Pier 25 at the Hudson River Park North Moore Street
www.hudsonriverpark.org Newest section of the park in Tribeca.
INFORMATION
www.nycgo.com
STAYING THERE
Dream Hotel 210W. 55th St. 212-247-2000
www.dreamny.com Boutique hotel with an amazing view of Times Square. Rates from $215.
Marriott Marquis 1535 Broadway 212-398-1900
www.marriott.com Centrally located hotel with a revolving restaurant offering great views of Manhattan. Rates from $305.
EATING THERE
43 EZ
the washington post friday, december 17, 2010 l
IFYOUGO
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