Frothy, Fizzy and Fuzzy

There's nothing like an evening amidst the throng of tourists in Times Square. I usually avoid the entire Times Square district, unless I want to remind myself of why I miss that long-ago era when hookers lined 42nd Street. Now the area resembles a twisted, over-blown, Disney-fied version of itself.

The reason for my journey - tickets to a preview of the Broadway musical "The Drowsy Chaperone." After braving a ridiculously serpentine line to pick-up the tickets, my pal Joy and I made it to our seats with only moments to spare before curtain.

My review of the show? Froth. Loads of froth. (Did you expect anything less than a food or drink analogy from me?) If you don't like froth, don't go. That said, Broadway baby Sutton Foster turned her charismatic star power up to full wattage. But Ms. Foster's dazzling splits, energetic somersaults and high-powered vocals aside, froth it remained.

And for those longing for more by way of a foodie angle - the show is chock-a-block with vittle-oriented puns. Lines like " I cannoli hope that you understand!" and "Your in truffle now!" pepper the dialogue when two misfit mobsters posing as pastry chefs appear. I'm not kidding.

Once the curtain came down, we were glad to make haste and hustle over to Carmine's for a nightcap - and a line-free ladies' room. (Note to "The Drowsy Chaperone" producers: Forgoing an intermission was a bad plan. Those female patrons who unwittingly didn't remain on the tortuous line to the ladies' room prior to curtain were tortured by two-acts of squirming.)

Once more relaxed and positioned at the bar, Joy and I encountered one too many glasses of Prosecco at the behest of a couple of tourists - a gent from Alabama and another from Scotland. They seemed incredibly delighted to be in the company of bonafide New Yorkers. And, in return, we were incredibly delightful.

After two fizzy glasses though, we were feeling rather fuzzy - as opposed to frothy. It was time to leave the bright lights and big tourists.

Thank goodness for my MetroCard and the quick arrival of a downtown #2 train.