Arrived Thursday night to fabulous weather, along with tulips and trees in bloom all over.  Checked into Sheraton (Hotwire $110/night).  Very nice room (with windows that opened!). Spacious, well appointed, meticulous housekeeping, incredibly comfortable bed with ooohhh comforter and plenty of plush pillows, and enormously plentiful hot water and pressure, with lots of thick towels.  Terrific, friendly, service throughout all during our stay.  Went to "Wonderful Town".  Great cast, very enjoyable show.  Donna Murphy was phenomenal. (And, quite different from "Murder One".)   (Third row, online discounted, center orchestra seats - a bit too close.)  Stopped by Maison (corner of 7th/53rd) after for a light meal.  Wonderful, extensive, menu, fantastic food, moderate prices, huge outdoor terrace.  Beautiful weather for enjoying it all - especially the passing parade.  As usual, long time for waitperson to arrive to take order, but food (delicious and beautifully presented) is delivered swiftly.
 
Friday awoke to another beautiful day.  Went on the "Greenwich Village Food & Culture Off the Beaten Path" walking tour (best to book on web - sells out in advance).  Got there early, so wandered into Home restaurant on Cornelia Street for interesting small breakfast dishes (toasted pear cake with creme fraiche, French Toast with apple/maple syrup) and coffee.  I highly recommend this tour!  Seven of the stops along the way included "Tastings".  Terrific assortment of samples.   Guide, Rebecca, was charming and incredibly knowledgeable.  Highlight of the tour (for us) was a leisurely visit inside Chumley's.  Printed guide to places we visited (and many more) provided with all sorts of information, phone numbers, addresses, etc. Places pointed out all along the way you might otherwise overlook.  Took bus after to Saks for a bit of shopping (stocking up on cosmetics not available at home).  Went to Hairspray Friday night.  Lucked into front mezzanine discounted (booked online) seats (our favorites for large cast musicals).  Thoroughly enjoyed this one, too. Carla Jibson could not be more adorable. And, Harvey could not have been more hilarious (though he's left the show by now I think). Grew up in Baltimore and recall the goings-on as a teen ("Buddy Dean Show" - Buddy Dean passed away recently), so really appreciated the story line.  Red Eye Grill afterward for dinner.  Loved this place. Spacious, beautifully decorated.  Pricey, but generous portions of appealing, well prepared, offerings.  Amazing seafood and smoked fish. Excellent service.
 
Another absolutely gorgeous day Saturday.  Brunch at Rue 57 (we love that place for brunch).  Fantastic egg offerings (scrambled with smoked salmon and red onions, creme fraiche on the side..."bagel "chips" this time).  Went all about the Upper West Side shopping, walking and buses, for our house, which we recently purchased, (kitchen, bathroom, decorative hardware).  Well, to get ideas anyway.  Got a lot of great ideas! (Decided our kitchen is just fine the way it is - would rather spend the $$$ traveling.)  Incredible shops chock full of kitchenware and accessories. Picked up a few incredible essentials.  The weather was so magnificent we decided to do the Downtown Loop with Gray Line (stop right across the street from the hotel).  Ran to room for sunglasses and a sweater (it's breezy up there) while husband bought tickets from Concierge.  Got lucky with rear seats on the upper deck.  Nice time of day (sun not right overhead and right in your eyes).  You can really enjoy the overview of the neighborhoods, and the splendid architecture all about, best this way. This way you can lean against your seat, actually see the entire buildings (without annoying other pedestrians or falling over). Bulbs and flowering trees in bloom all over!   Just rode the loop, didn't get off. (Our guide was adequate, and mentioned tipping many times too often, along with causing delays at some stops, to inspire us to do so.) Got back off at the deli/convenience store across from the hotel.  Amazing place.  All the essentials, plus sandwiches, panini, wraps, hot/cold entrees, salad bar (you choose, they make it).  Very reasonable prices.  Incredible muffins, cookies, pastries, even chocolates!  Changed for the evening and headed to "Boy From Oz".  Second time (saw it in previews last September).  Awesome!  Hugh Jackman is positively spectacular! Get your tickets now before the Tony nominations (May 10th)/awards/his contract expires!   Then, Chez Josephine for dinner.  As always, fabulous in every way. We go there at least once on every visit to NYC.  Great food, moderate prices, awesome atmosphere (this place is a virtual shrine to Josephine Baker), live music, nice meeting folks from all over at nearby tables. To us, this place is the most romantic dining destination on the planet. Jean Claude could not be more friendly or welcoming, and always sends us extras during our meal, along with paying us a personal visit.   As we had paid the check, and were about to leave, Ramon dropped by our table and ordered us another round of drinks (on the house). 
 
Woke up Sunday to rain...drove home via Triborough and I-95 (drove down via Hutchinson) with only one minor slowdown (many more driving down...).
 
We'll be back at the end of June (for the Paris Board GTG). Hilton NY ($95/night Priceline).  Just got tickets for "Here Lies Jenny" at the Zipper.  Starring Bebe Neuwirth (what a trooper - saw her perform several years ago, several numbers from "Chicago", at the Hatch Shell in Boston 4th of July in the pouring down rain in a skimpy dress and very high heels, among the puddles on stage, and, of course, we've always adored her as "Lilith"), choreography by Anne Reinking, directed by Roger Rees, music by Kurt Weill.  Looks good!  There was e-mail when I got home from "Ticketwatch".  Show isn't even listed on Playbill yet. 

Great report. Thanks for sharing. FYI: I got an email notice from Playbill two weeks ago regarding tickets for Here Lies Jenny. Better hurry for your tix - very limited run with BeBe.

Great report - thanks for including dining & hotel details, you given me several restaurant ideas for our next visit! How/where did you book the "Greenwich Village Food & Culture Off the Beaten Path" tour?

djkbooks: Thanks for the report. How did you get discounted online (and very good) seats for Hairspray? Everyone on here has said there are no discounts on that show.
Would also like info on where the online and booking info is on the Greenwich V. tour.

http://www.imar.com/promote/index.jsp?medid=14&ac1=103

Food tours of Greenwich Village and Chelsea.

About the Hairspray tickets, earlier this year there was a special offer for midweek performances over a period of about 4-6 weeks. That offer has long since past. However, since Harvey Fierstein has left the cast, there's always a chance that there could be another offer at some point. Keep checking the Playbill website.

Hi djkbooks....interesting report.Do you or anyone else happen to know when Hugh Jackman finishes his run in Boy from Oz?I'm hoping he will still be in it in September but have my doubts.

I heard his contract ends after the Tony Awards, June 6th.

Oh, pardon me, I read that here - just above in this post. Knew it sounded very familiar!

Hugh Jackman will be in Boy From Oz at least until mid-Sept.

According to Playbill, Hugh Jackman is scheduled to leave the show September 12 (when his one-year contract expires).

For discount ticket codes, see Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, Broadwaybox.com, etc. Sign up and you'll receive e-mails of all the discounts.

I just received one today for HAIRSPRAY (a number of performances this week).

Following up djbooks' comments, the discount tickets for Hairspray are for Tuesday through Thursday performances in May.

To HowardR: I know you're another fan of Chez Josephine. A few weeks ahead of New Year's last year, I received an e-mail invitation to the New Year's Eve celebration. By then, however, it was impossible to book a hotel room. THIS year, however, I snared a room at the Marriott Marquis for $110/night with Priceline. While there on our last visit, we booked a table with Ramon for New Year's Eve. If you care to e-mail me - [email protected] - I have an amazing story to share with you.

Do tell, how did you get such an awesome rate at the Marquis on New Year's Eve?