I’m heading for a quickie trip to NYC in June, and plan to catch a Broadway show, but I’m torn. Which one?

I just learned that Disney’s Tarzan opened on May 8th, and I love the original animated movie. It has a soundtrack by Phil Collins (whom I’ve always loved, wayyy back to Genesis|Three Sides Live days). This is my first choice, but tickets are hard to come by.

I’ve been wanting to see Spamalot since it first opened last year. I’m a major David Hyde Pierce and Tim Curry fan, and even though I know Tim’s not in it anymore, and DHP may not be either, I’d still like to see the Monty Python musical. Alas, my co-traveler has already seen it, and I hesitate to subject her to it again when there are many other shows to see.

And then there’s Wicked, which I’ve been dying to see. I’ve read the book, and I must admit, it wasn’t one of my favorites.

I think the idea is brilliant, and Gregory MacGuire did a marvelous job with layering in all kinds of social and civic lessons (makes me think of a contemporary Animal Farm)…but it’s not a book I’d probably read again. However, I understand that the musical is quite different from the novel–and that makes sense, as the musical could never do justice to the depths of the book.

There’s also Lestat, which, I’m thinking, could possibly be construed as “research” since I do write vampire novels…and I’ve never read one of Anne Rice’s vampire novels. But I haven’t heard good things about it.

And finally, there’s my old favorite, Phantom of the Opera, which I’ve seen numerous times, and know every word and every note on the entire two-disc original London soundtrack. There’s nothing like seeing it in real life, even though I can watch Gerard Butler and the movie any time I want.

So…what a quandary. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

Or, more importantly, anyone have connections who can get me tickets to Tarzan???

Update: Tarzan won out! We got pretty decent seats for the show we wanted, so we’re going!

1. The zoo isn’t that exciting in the rain and 40-degree weather.

2. Even if you tell them three times to wear their coats, hats, sweatshirts, mittens, etc., there will still be at least two girls who don’t listen and who will make you, as the adult chaperone, look bad to the adults in the other troops, when they are standing there freezing and looking miserable, thus inducing an adult from a different troop to give them one of her jackets.

3. Separate the girls into buddies or groups in such a manner as to keep your sanity, not by the girls’ configuration.

4. No matter how you separate the girls into buddies or groups, someone will be pouting because they aren’t with who they want.

5. When the other troop leader is a tall, chubby Rick Moranis with a mouth like a bullhorn, don’t expect to see many animals.

6. Nine-year-old girls are equal-opportunity ignorers–they ignore the camp rangers as well as they ignore their troop leaders.

7. Giraffes have really long, black, slimy tongues.

8. Only the young can get a good sleep on concrete thinly covered by indoor/outdoor carpeting.

9. Getting up at 6:45 after the last whispering/giggling girls quieted down after 1:30 am is about as much fun as sleeping on concrete.

10. Even being away from your husband, you won’t miss him, because one of the Girl Scouts will thoughtfully snore exactly like he does–all night long.

Bonus Lessons:

11. Yes, things can be worse than you imagined they’d be when you agreed to go on the camping trip.

12. But you still love your daughter and would do it again if she asked.

Check out this cover!

A Reputable Rake by Diane Gaston Harlequin Historical, ISBN: 037329400X This is the book she finaled in the RITA with!  Cyprian Sloane’s reputation is of the very worst. A gambler, smuggler, rake, and a spy, he now faces the greatest challenge of all–respectability! He will force Society to accept him. Nothing will stand in his way… Until he meets Morgana Hart, whose caring nature thrusts her into the company of ladies of the night and risks a scandal that will destroy them both. To become a gentleman, Cyprian must sacrifice the lady –or is there a way to save them both? Diane also writes under the name Diane Perkins, and she is a dear friend of mine and a member of the Wet Noodle Posse.

…and any other curious folk:

My sister Kate has been busting her hump in the acting business (just like her big sis has been in the writing biz) and she just shot a role in the season finale of “24″.

It’s airing on May 22, at 8:00 EST (yes, that’s an hour earlier than usual) on your local FOX station. It’s a two-hour show, and she says she’ll be showing up around the 8:30-9:00 as the flirtatious homeland security gal. So check her out.

Here’s a photo of the gorgeous gal so you can find her.

(click on her pic to go to her site.)

When we were in France, and driving out of Paris to Taize, we noticed these weird- looking things on some of the trees.

They look like masses of vines and branches and leaves. We thought they might be nests of some sort, but there were so many in each tree, I’m not convinced that would be the case.

Anyone out there have any guesses? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?