Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Lights Show 2015 - New York City

The December weather in New York City has been such a warm delight that a stroll down Fifth Avenue towards the Rockefeller Center is a must. Saks Fifth Avenue's presentation of its holiday lights show on its front building facade is definitely a jewel in the midst of the Rockefeller Center winter wonderland. The show is accompanied by the "Carol of the bells" music and it is presented on a rotation every few minutes. Check out a few seconds of the show in the video above.

Saks Fifth Avenue Lights Show in Rockefeller Center,  New York City

Saks Fifth Avenue Lights Show in Rockefeller Center,  New York City

Saks Fifth Avenue Lights Show in Rockefeller Center,  New York City

This theatrical lights show of a Winter Palace is definitely a winner!

New York Comic Con 2015

New York Comic Con 2015

We attended the 2015 New York Comic Con on its opening day at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Being our first time, we did not plan our itinerary to the finest details but decided to just look around and go with the flow.

The New York subway #7 train had just officially opened its extension to the Hudson Yard stop at 34th & 11th Avenue in early October. We connected with the #7 train and took it to the last stop. Getting off, we followed the crowd towards Javits. We arrived there about 9:30 am and the center was swarmed. The early birds must had been waiting for hours for the doors to open.

New York Comic Con 2015

New York Comic Con 2015

We had already activated our badges (tickets) at home. Once we were on the convention floor, our first picture op was with "Doc" and his DeLorean from the Back to the Future movie. Video game terminals were available nearby for fans of Star Wars. For the first timers like us, the cornucopia of dazzling sights and sound was just overwhelming to the senses.

Iron Man at the New York Comic Con 2015 (L)

Part of the fun entertainment was the close encounter with fans who were dressed in their elaborate and creative costumes with props. The more striking ones were approached frequently and had their pictures taken. To top it all, there was also Iron Man walking on the floor.

New York Comic Con 2015

We attended several panels and free momentos were given away at some of these sessions. Sponsors also offered free t-shirts such as the above.

New York Comic Con 2015

The Game of Throne and Star Wars Rebels were some of the popular panels held at the Empire stage. Natalie Dormer was one of stars on the Game Of Throne panels. She and her fellow thespians had Q/A sessions with the audience. At the Star Wars Rebels panel,  attendees previewed two new episodes.

The convention hours were from 10am till 7pm. By a quarter after seven, the lights were slowly phased out as a signal for everyone to leave the center. On the way out, our badges were scanned again.

Empire State Building

Walking towards the train station, the Empire State Building shone brightly in red and blue in the distance. It was a perfect picture ending to a most entertaining day.

New York Philharmonic summer concert 2015

 

New York Philharmonic summer concert

The New York Philharmonic celebrated its 50th anniversary summer program in June. This program presents free concerts in each borough of New York City. The concerts are held in the parks except for Staten Island which is held indoors.

We attended one of the summer concerts on a beautiful June evening. Music enthusiasts arrived early lugging their chairs and blankets to get their prime viewing spots. The program featured a medley of songs from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.

The concert lasted about an hour. At its conclusion, fireworks were launched capping a wonderful evening under the stars. 

Fireworks after the New York Philharmonic summer concert

This was a maiden New York Philharmonic concert for us and hopefully we would get to attend more of these summer events in the future. Thank you NY Philharmonic for a wonderful gift! 

Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man on Broadway

Elephant Man playbill autographed by Bradley Cooper and Alessandro Nivola

The Elephant Man play was revived on Broadway late last year at the Booth theatre. It starred Bradley Cooper in the eponymous role.

We caught the show in December. During the introduction of the Elephant man character, actual photos of Joseph Merrick better known as John were shown to portray his deformities. Bradley Cooper contorted his body and face to convey the deformities rather than wearing prosthetics.

Bradley gave a strong performance well supported by other cast members. Alessandro Nivola portrayed Dr. Federick Treves, the doctor who took took care of Joseph Merrick. Patricia Clarkson played an actress who was a frequent visitor of him.

After the show, Bradly Cooper signed autographs for the large crowd of fans waiting patiently outside the theatre. We were happy to get one too.

Bradley Cooper greeting fans after Elephant Man performance on Broadway

Bradley Cooper greeting fans after Elephant Man performance on Broadway