The City So Nice They Named It Twice

I know he didn't invent the phrase, but that's how David Letterman always referred to his home city. I grew up on Letterman. (My parents raised me correctly.)

Summer after 7th grade, I was in a production of Annie (just like every other red-blooded, American musical theatre kid) and I've never been able to get this song out of my head since:

That moment where she sings, "NYC. Just got here this morning. Three bucks. Two bags. One me." I've always had a love affair with that line. I was never certain if it would actually be me though.

I didn't visit New York until Thanksgiving break my sophomore year of college. The King family either goes skiing or to Disney World. Those are your vacation options. (I have no issue with those options, by the way.) So I was 20, traveling alone for the first real time, going to see a best friend (thanks for choosing NYU, John). To say I was excited would be an understatement.

I was also able to visit the city again during my junior year where I got to see some of my Baylor Theatre professors perform off-Broadway in Craig Wright's newest play. 

Ok, so don't hate me, but when I visited New York City...

...I didn't fall in love with it.

There's this pressure on "theatre kids" in the US to be in love with New York. And I just...wasn't.

Then I studied abroad with Baylor Theatre one summer, spent five days in London, and immediately recognized that feeling I was supposed to have for NYC. That joy of just *being* in a city- reveling in its culture, its history- hell, even its public transport.

Why yes, I will mind the gap.

I felt all of that so strongly for London. Strong enough that studying, living, acting in London became a big time dream of mine.

(Even with the possibility of pedestrian death eater attacks)

Well, we all know how that went. (In case you're new here, may I present the last two years of my blog. Happy reading. Absolutely no apologies for all the dad jokes.)

So what do you do after fulfilling a lifetime dream? Where do you go when you have to leave your favorite city on earth?

New York City very quickly become the only contender. I had a showcase here that went well, my best friends from East 15 (and some from Baylor) are here, I was able to find an apartment in a great location with amazing roommates, I've now officially found a job that lets me still audition. Overall things have fallen into place pretty well. Honestly, it feels a lot like how London happened. Filled with grace. Providential. All those things.

Top of the Rock 😳 #nyc #nbc

A photo posted by Jenny King (@jkitsmejenny) on Nov 13, 2015 at 10:23am PST

Plus...I get to live here. (Well, not here, as in the top of 30 Rock, but hereish.)

Am I in love with New York yet? Talk to me after winter. For now, we're definitely in a monogamous relationship and it's even met half of my parents (my mom came up for a quick visit and to be reassured that my apartment is actually very safe). So I'd say we're on the road to a good, solid relationship. I'm playing the long game here.

To Liz Lemon and all the other empowered females in this city (fictional or otherwise),

Moments on the Map: Theatre Edition

An update on some of the shows I've been lucky enough to catch these past few weeks!

1. Beyond Caring @ The Yard Theatre

     First off- this space is really cool. It's a converted warehouse in the Hackney Wick district that's half theatre/half bar which made for a nice, intimate change from all the huge West End venues. The show was a new work that focused on class structures in an "increasingly isolated and individualistic London." I enjoyed the whole cast (which had several East 15 grads in it) but especially liked the physical quirks that several of them used in their performances.

photos via

2. Laban Dance Theatre @ E15

     Students from the BA Contemporary Dance course at the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music & Dance came to East 15 as part of their third year tour and presented two Laban-style dance pieces. We've studied Laban throughout our first trimester here and I've loved exploring how to use this form for the actor. Taking the work and funneling it into the specific theatre area has given all of us a completely fresh way of tackling text.
     It was interesting to see Laban movement put back into a dance arena. The first work focused around reflections while the other dealt more with memories and how they ripple out to affect others. I was pleasantly surprised to learn during the Q&A afterward that the second piece was almost completely improvised. I won't go anywhere near saying this was my favorite dance genre or performance, but it was interesting to see an expansion of the art form as I knew it.


3. Once @ The Phoenix Theatre

     I went into this show without having seen the movie (which I think ended up being a good thing). I only had heard lovely things, loved the few songs I already recognized from the show, and knew that Baylor Theatre's own Elizabeth Davis originated the role of the roommate (sic 'em!) in the Broadway production.
     Long story short, I loved this show. All of it: the pub setting, the whole cast on stage, the barely-present transitions, the Czech and Irish accents, the not-a-love-story love story, the music - holy religious experience for my ears batman - this MUSIC. Just do yourself a favor and download that album.
     Having a front row seat? Only 25 pounds. Trying not to ugly cry during the last fifteen minutes of Act 2? Priceless...and let's be honest, kinda just a day in the life of Jenny.

The London cast rendition of "Falling Slowly":

(I personally prefer Declan Bennett's voice to Steve Kazee's #sorrynotsorry) 

A look inside the making of the original Broadway production:

4. Nut @ The Shed @ The National Theatre

     The first thing I love about the National? Eight pound student tickets. The second? The Shed - their blackbox theatre space that literally has no bad seat. I also loved that the 3 pound program I bought for this show included the full script!

     Nut might be the best example of black comedy I've seen in person, with lots of emphasis on the darkness. It centers around a depressed, self-harming woman who is visited by the voices in her head. These characters are as established and fleshed out as the actual "people" of the play.

The Shed outside The National - photo via

Photos via

To the blessings of live theatre,