The King and I, Saint Faustina, and KC (Bruuuuuce!)

The week after Divine Mercy Sunday, some relics of Saint Faustina visited churches in the 5 boroughs. I tried to visit them at Old St. Patrick's Cathedral, but they'd left for Staten Island. It's a beautiful church, though it's currently undergoing some renovation. The stained glass is gorgeous.

But on Wednesday, they came to (new) St. Patrick's Cathedral where I was able to catch up to them. The reliquary was designed and built by my brother's college roommate, Eric Winogradoff. 

After my visit to Saint Faustina, I had lunch with my friend Suki, and then it was off to Lincoln Center to see The King and I. I can't say enough about this show. It's the best musical I've seen so far, and my seat in the 3rd row was amazing. (Aside from the woman behind me whose phone rang 6 times before intermission, the 3-year-old in front of me who couldn't sit still and had to be taken out twice, and the grandmother to my left who felt it was her role to explain, audibly, every single action to her 10-year-old granddaughter. How do I get so lucky?) 

Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe were wonderful as Anna and the King. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the final scene had me sobbing. The costumes are incredible, and the sets...wow. The opening scene is so impressive--I've never seen anything like it! But the real surprise for me was Ruthie Ann Miles, who plays Lady Thiang. When she sang Something Wonderful, I was overwhelmed (and not a little choked up) by her gorgeous voice. Hopefully, she'll be staying in the role after Kelli O'Hara leaves the show. 

Thursday, Ed and I headed to KC to see The Boss. This is my second and his third time seeing The River tour, and it was our favorite. Candy's Room, No Surrender, Rosalita...Some of my favorite less-than-well-known songs made the encore. Thanks to our friends, Marc and Kirstin, we had a fabulous time!

My friend, Kristie, was in the front row and provided lots of good photos. 

When you're too far away, however, you take a photo of the Jumbotron, rather than the stage.

It's always fun to visit KC. We hit the trifecta, food-wise, while we were home. Jack Stack (the Poor Russ sandwich, of course), The Peanut (triple-decker BLT), and Winstead's (though for breakfast rather than a burger). I got to visit with my friend, MC, and her kids. Ed and I hung out on the porch at Tower Tavern with friends from Shook. And we spent a night at Kelly's with lots and lots of good friends.