While students from all four FWCD publications classes traveled to New York City for various workshops taught by prestigious professors and experienced staffers from publications all over the country, the girls on the trip decided to use one of their nights off to go see Broadway’s newest musical: Gigi.

Gigi was written in 1958 by Vincente Millenni. It made its Broadway debut in 1973 in the Uris theatre and played for 103 shows there, and then left Broadway, making its second debut more awaited than ever. Since Gigi’s first show, it has become a resounding success and a Broadway blockbuster that has done very well around the country, making around $3.2 million.

Gigi features its main character, a young Parisian girl named Gigi, who lives in Paris with her mother. Gigi’s grandmother has grand ideas for the way her life should turn out, but Gigi isn’t so sure that she wants to pursue her grandmother’s lavish lifestyle. She visits her grandmother frequently to receive her life lessons on trivial topics such as pouring coffee and learning about various precious jewels from her grandmother’s collection. Gigi heavily ponders this lifestyle and questions its supposed benefits, as she is rooted more in passion than in fashion.

Gigi is introduced to her mother’s close younger friend Gaston, who quickly takes an interest in her after he severs ties with his old flame Lee Ann. Gigi doubts his motives at first and accuses him of not having her best interest at heart, but soon is convinced that he is the right man for her after going through a change of heart.

All of us present at the musical last week thoroughly enjoyed the performance and thought highly of the cast’s abilities. Vanessa Hudgens, a famous movie star who is most famous for her roles in High School Musicals 1, 2, and 3 and Spring Breakers, plays Gigi, the lead role. Other well known actors and actresses in the show include Tony winner Victoria Clark, and Newsies star Corey Cott.

As if the night couldn’t have gotten any better, once the show was over our group waited outside the back door of the theatre for Hudgens to come out to greet fans and sign playbills. After a long and cold 30 minutes, she surfaced and signed almost all playbills and took pictures with about half of the girls in our group.

As a whole, the night was an amazing experience for all of us despite the fact that some of us were pushed to the back of the crowd and just missed a photo with our childhood idol. We were able to see the show the second night that it was performed on Broadway, and it is safe to say that our night was absolutely flawless.