One day if I do go to heaven. . . I'll look around and say, 'It ain't bad, but it ain't San Francisco.” |
We have a long running joke that as Michigander, Chris has done more around the Bay Area than I have as a native. Well for this date, this local was going to show him some quintessential San Francisco flavor.
 |  |
I picked Beach Blanket Babylon, the longest running musical revue in theatre history and a San Francisco classic. Getting the tickets was the easy part. Getting to the venue without giving the date away was not. At the time, we were living on the other side of San Francisco and we had to get to North Beach, which is known for its tricky location and lack of parking. I planned ahead and called a taxi (no app in those days!) and prayed it would actually come. When the taxi finally arrived, I ran over to the driver and hurriedly told him, “Okay, I’m taking my boyfriend on a surprise date, so please don’t mention where we’re going on the ride over.” I’m not sure he completely understood, but we hopped in and I took a huge, silent sigh of relief.
We arrived in North Beach and true to its reputation the area was buzzing with activity — cars whizzing by, people eating the finest Italian cuisine and music spilling from the cafes. Now this was the city experience I was looking for!
One of the best parts of planning an exciting night out is the anticipation. Chris had a few good guesses, but I knew he was in for a surprise. As we entered the venue, a giant grin came over his face as he exclaimed, “Beach Blanket Babylon, of course!” I finally got to introduce him to something so ‘San Francisco’.
The show was surprisingly intimate and absolutely spectacular. The hats alone are a sight to behold, but coupled with the music, dancing and hilarity of it all, there really isn’t anything else like it. Our cheeks hurt afterwards from smiling and laughing so much!
Not wanting the date to end, we grabbed a slice of pizza after the show. Finally ready to head home, we easily hailed a taxi and this time, I could tell him where to take us.
We arrived in North Beach and true to its reputation the area was buzzing with activity — cars whizzing by, people eating the finest Italian cuisine and music spilling from the cafes. Now this was the city experience I was looking for!
One of the best parts of planning an exciting night out is the anticipation. Chris had a few good guesses, but I knew he was in for a surprise. As we entered the venue, a giant grin came over his face as he exclaimed, “Beach Blanket Babylon, of course!” I finally got to introduce him to something so ‘San Francisco’.
The show was surprisingly intimate and absolutely spectacular. The hats alone are a sight to behold, but coupled with the music, dancing and hilarity of it all, there really isn’t anything else like it. Our cheeks hurt afterwards from smiling and laughing so much!
Not wanting the date to end, we grabbed a slice of pizza after the show. Finally ready to head home, we easily hailed a taxi and this time, I could tell him where to take us.
