Before arriving in DC, I set up three goals for myself; Educate, Experience and Explore. Educate international friends and family about my country, Pakistan; experience the capital city, its culture, and history; and finally to explore the new cities, new opportunities, and new food.
It was on one evening when I came across the advertisement of the hit Broadway musical, Aladdin making its way to the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts. Not only was Aladdin my favorite Disney story growing up but also the musical had been making news and doing tours the last time I was visiting the US and that was 6 years ago!
I knew I had to catch a show, to “experience” Broadway…
The performance was just as the New York Times describes it – ” Fabulous & Extravagant”.
Aladdin did more than just giving me a visual performance of a childhood favorite story. The groovy music, the over the top setting and the magical props left me awestruck. The constant shift in the mood of the musical from being funny, sexy to emotional just added more colors to the performance.
For a few moments I was not just watching the performance, I was experiencing it, the whole atmosphere of being in a magical/surreal world where magic was real. I believe my feelings for the performances were equally shared by other members of the audience, as suggested by the overwhelming response that the cast got at the end of the final act.
While this is only one example of the various ways I am exploring life in DC but I do hope to experience more in the short span of one year and take away the memories to last for a lifetime.
