Oh, What A Night

Oh, what a day. We headed to Leicester Square in London to buy tickets for the matinee of ?Jersey Boys?, on a very temperate and sunny winters day. The charming Prince Edward Theatre had only a few tickets to offer the seven of us. We scooped up the last handful and felt lucky as people clamored behind us to do the same. Forget that their location was in the vertigo/nosebleed section of the theatre. We?d manage, after all we are Earth Angels. Now we had a few hours before show time and wandered over to London?s Chinatown, which is just a few blocks away. Chinese New Year, celebrating the year of the Ox, is in a few days and the preparations were well underway. Rows and rows of brilliant red Chinese lanterns were hung from building to building and swaying in the afternoon breeze. Merchants goods displayed on the closed street called out for our attention. Vendors selling scarves, chefs making Dragon's Beard candy, hawkers of Chinese chatcha?s, and fruit and veg stands, stood side by side. The sizzling aroma of exotically spiced food made an easy decision of where to have dinner after the play. Walking back to the theatre, it was time to show our tickets and make friends with the shiny brass handrail as we climbed up to our seats. ?Jersey Boys? is a musical about the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Their music transcends age and the story is part of rock and roll history. The show started, the music rocked and the audience swayed. The lives of these kids from the rough side of Jersey was told through their music. It was a spectacular show. All of that action revved up the appetite. Chinatown here we come! Settled in, we all ordered different dishes. Mary Jo had the Peking Duck that was shredded at the table, and Bobbie had a prawn dish so hot that we had to remind her that Big Girls Don't Cry. My chicken in a spicy black bean sauce was devoured. Cindy had a chicken curry that she shared with me as I hummed I Can't Get Enough of you Baby. We were left Beggin' for a Chinese beer to wash it down. Oh-o-o My Eyes Adored You!

We left the restaurant happy and sated, and took the tube back to the hotel where we met up with newly engaged friends and celebrated. Later in the evening as I pulled the curtains to my room, looking out over the London cityscape I muttered...........Oh, What a Night.


Written and photographed by Diane