Day 5
Wednesday, February 5th - today we set off again early in the morning, because today the live taping of Good Morning America really took place. This news program is broadcasted live from the Times Square studios by the network ABC. Like every other live taping so far, this was a great experience and it was worth getting up early. The studio is completely different from the other studios, because here you sit at ground level and are surrounded by the action. On each side a presenter or one or the other guest can appear. It was very exciting when Ewan McGregor was sitting one meter away or Kim Kardashian West suddenly entered the studio and you were even allowed to take pictures during the little breaks. She talked about her life, her family and her decision to study law, as well as about her shape-wear business. A highlight was also when Meghan Trainor performed her song "Babygirl" from the new album. The whole thing was rounded off when they received free products at the exit, which were presented in the show. Simply an unforgettable experience!
The program today also included a tour through the NBC Studios. This was a behind-the-scenes tour to the studios of the shows Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. During the interesting tour we learned about the entire TV production process and at the end we produced your own show in a studio. This was really fun!
We started the afternoon at the Chelsea market with some culinary delicacies, then we walked along the Highline, a former freight train road that has been converted into a park, to Hudson Yards. That's a neighbourhood on the west side of Midtown Manhattan and is the site of a large-scale redevelopment program. There you can find beside a lot of new buildings a mall in which also the Edge, the highest sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, is located, but not yet open. Too bad that it doesn't open until March. Opposite of the mall you can find The Vessel - the extraordinary centerpiece of Hudson Yards, a spiral staircase meant to be climbed. Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs, almost
2,500 individual steps and 80 landings, the vertical climb offers
remarkable views of the city, the river and beyond. You can get same day tickets for free directly there or on the website, but it's possible that you have to wait some hours, which you can spend in the mall. It was quite exhausting and a bit dizzying to climb the highest landing, but since it was already dark, you had a great view.
In the evening we went back to Broadway as we visited the musical West Side Story. Maybe it wouldn't have been my No. 1 musical on the to do list, but since I'm a musical fan, I took the chance to see it. And I was totally surprised and excited about it. It was a thrilling new interpretation of this famous work with extraordinary dancing and interactive visuals. The performers all made their Broadway debuts, but they were brilliant. I think they will have a bright future!
Wednesday, February 5th - today we set off again early in the morning, because today the live taping of Good Morning America really took place. This news program is broadcasted live from the Times Square studios by the network ABC. Like every other live taping so far, this was a great experience and it was worth getting up early. The studio is completely different from the other studios, because here you sit at ground level and are surrounded by the action. On each side a presenter or one or the other guest can appear. It was very exciting when Ewan McGregor was sitting one meter away or Kim Kardashian West suddenly entered the studio and you were even allowed to take pictures during the little breaks. She talked about her life, her family and her decision to study law, as well as about her shape-wear business. A highlight was also when Meghan Trainor performed her song "Babygirl" from the new album. The whole thing was rounded off when they received free products at the exit, which were presented in the show. Simply an unforgettable experience!
The program today also included a tour through the NBC Studios. This was a behind-the-scenes tour to the studios of the shows Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. During the interesting tour we learned about the entire TV production process and at the end we produced your own show in a studio. This was really fun!
We started the afternoon at the Chelsea market with some culinary delicacies, then we walked along the Highline, a former freight train road that has been converted into a park, to Hudson Yards. That's a neighbourhood on the west side of Midtown Manhattan and is the site of a large-scale redevelopment program. There you can find beside a lot of new buildings a mall in which also the Edge, the highest sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, is located, but not yet open. Too bad that it doesn't open until March. Opposite of the mall you can find The Vessel - the extraordinary centerpiece of Hudson Yards, a spiral staircase meant to be climbed. Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs, almost
2,500 individual steps and 80 landings, the vertical climb offers
remarkable views of the city, the river and beyond. You can get same day tickets for free directly there or on the website, but it's possible that you have to wait some hours, which you can spend in the mall. It was quite exhausting and a bit dizzying to climb the highest landing, but since it was already dark, you had a great view. 
In the evening we went back to Broadway as we visited the musical West Side Story. Maybe it wouldn't have been my No. 1 musical on the to do list, but since I'm a musical fan, I took the chance to see it. And I was totally surprised and excited about it. It was a thrilling new interpretation of this famous work with extraordinary dancing and interactive visuals. The performers all made their Broadway debuts, but they were brilliant. I think they will have a bright future!