My New England journey began five years ago. I flew to New Hampshire on my 50th birthday to interview for the Hampstead School district technology director position. Now, here we are on my 55th. Who could foresee how much my life would change in these five short years?

I find just about any excuse to go in to Boston, and my birthday was as good a reason as any. As always, I checked my trusty Internet to see if anything special was happening. As it turns out, July is a great time for theater in Boston. I’ve kind of avoided going to the theater in Boston. I know it sounds kind of snobby, but there is a good reason. Cities like Boston, Kansas City, and Portland (places I’ve lived) are routine stops for most touring productions. The problem is that the houses they play in are often 3000-4000 seat monstrosities. It’s OK if you get seats in the front half of the orchestra, but the mezzanine and balcony in those venues are a little far away for my liking. However, Broadway houses usually seat between 1200-1500 for musicals, and even less for plays. This makes the experience much more intimate. Broadway is also able to be more extensive with scenery, sometimes reaching out into the audience like CATS and Les Miserables. Because of this, we’ve mostly opted to drive four hours and see shows in New York, than pay the same amount to see a touring show in a large house in Boston.

My research showed that Moulin Rouge was having its Broadway tryouts at Emerson Colonial Theatre, and Aladdin was playing at the Boston Opera House. Janet wasn’t too thrilled about Moulin Rouge so we opted for Aladdin. I found some decently priced tickets in the middle orchestra section for resale on TicketLiquidator and snagged them.

A cool summer evening in Boston is almost magical. We took the subway in to relieve the stress of parking. Our restaurant, Maggiano’s, was a few blocks away from the theatre so we killed some time by taking the scenic route through Boston Commons and the Public Gardens. The gardens are one of my favorite parts about Boston. The ornamental trees surrounding the pond, with it’s graceful swan boats, makes for a very idyllic and romantic setting. We circled the pond and walked past the “Make Way for Ducklings” statue.  We passed a wedding party taking their photographs, and then exited the park to make our 6:00 reservation. We really enjoyed our dinner at Maggiano’s. For a chain, they really achieved all the atmosphere of a locally owned favorite. We’ll be back.

The Boston Opera House is beautiful. Theaters are like cathedrals to me. Each has its own style and grandeur.  The Opera House is grand to say the least. The chandeliers, marble columns, and ornamentation felt similar to the our experiences at the Louvre or Versailles. Well maybe not quite that opulent, but beautiful nonetheless. Aladdin was great. Our seats were perfect. We’d seen the actor who played the genie a couple of years ago on Broadway in Something Rotten, and he was terrific.

I know I write about going to New York a lot, but Boston is just as thrilling to me. It has become a place I’m proud to live in. I’ll probably never be a Red Sox or Patriots fan, but I’m a huge fan of the city, the people, the history, and the culture. Thank you New England, for being my home for the past five years.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller