Tony Awards Showcase Featuring Costumes From Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals

Eva Peron 'Evita' (photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Visiting the Times Square Visitor Center I was surprised that the the 2012 Tony Award Showcase was still on display which was originally announced to be presented from May 23 to June 10. What made this one extra interesting for me was the collection of costumes designed in the style of the Broadway originals for characters from six Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals: Mary Magadelene in 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' Eva Peron in 'Evita,' Grizabella in 'Cats', Joseph in 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' Christine in 'The Phantom of the Opera' and Norma Desmond 'Sunset Boulevard.'

The costumes are on loan from the Theatre Development Fund's costume collection. The showcase includes other historic memorabilia from the 66-year history of the Tony Awards.

The Times Square Visitor Center is located on Seventh Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets. Admission is free. Hours: 8am-8pm daily.

Joseph 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'

Norma Desmond 'Sunset Boulevard'

Grizabella 'Cats'

Mary Magdalene 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

Christine 'The Phantom of the Opera'
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

"The Great Gatsby": 1920s Times Square Misspelled

Screen shot from the "The Great Gatsby" movie trailer featuring Times
Square in the 1920s with an obvious misspelling. (photo: Warner Bros.)

Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre in 1936 featuring a Ziegfeld
Follies marquee. (photo: Getty Images)

New York City. Times Square. The 1920s. The trailer to the long-awaited screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" finally hit movie theaters. The visual style of director Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rouge") captures the the glamor and excess of the time and includes a shot of Times Square during the roaring Twenties.

But what set Twitter users mad and first reported in the U.K.'s Daily Mail aflame was the clear misspelling of the Broadway review Ziegfeld Follies. The shot of Times Square shows a billboard featuring "Zeigfeld Follies." One viewer wrote: "A budget of $127,000,000 and it seems no one was paid to check the spelling of "Ziegfeld Follies" in the Great Gatsby trailer. #whoopsadaisy."

With a scheduled December 2012 release, that should give the digital special effects crew an opportunity to correct the error.

The Zeigfeld Follies were a series of lavish Broadway productions. Like variety programs, the Follies were adapted into a 1936 film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. The Broadway productions were known for the lovely Ziegeld girls.

"The Great Gatsby," published in 1925, follows Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he moves to Long Island and becomes transfixed by the lavish lifestyle of his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). The pair form an unlikely friendship which leads to Gatsby enlisting the help of Nick in winning back his old flame, Nick's cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan). The film also stars Isla Fisher and Joel Edgerton.

The film was previously adapted for the big screen in 1974 starring Robert Redford (Gatsby), Mia Farrow (Daisy) and Sam Waterston (Nick). 2000 television adaptation featured Mira Sorvino (Daisy), Toby Stephens (Gatsby), Paul Rudd (Nick).

A party capturing the debauchery of the 1920s. (photo: Warner Bros.)

"The Great Gatsby" movie poster.

Times Square in New York City Transformed to Cherry Blossom Square For One Day

(photos credit: Japan Culture NYC)

It's been 100 years since the cherry blossom was brought from Japan to the United States and Japan is celebrating the centennial in New York City.

The special event of turning Times Square cherry blossom pink was a kick-off to a week of celebrations. The display which officially launched on March 1st will repeat a few times each hour during the month.

Other events include Grand Central Station's Vanderbilt Hall transformed on March 3rd into a showcase for Japanese food and merchandise and will include performances (think drums and harps) and cooking demonstrations. A Japan Booth at the New York Times Travel Booth at the Javits Convention Center on March 2nd-4th welcomed visitors to explore their dream Japan vacation.

Visit japantravelinfo.com for more information on the week of special events.