London Musicals

Date of these events: January 5-8, 2013


Upon our arrival in London, Julie promptly directed us to Leicester Square to purchase tickets for the shows we wanted to see. 

On Sunday morning, we headed to Hillsong London's church. Hillsong London meets in Dominion Theatre. (FYI-You do not have to purchase a ticket to go to a church service.)

Dominion Theatre, located in central London, currently hosts the West End show We Will Rock You. 


On Monday night, we all went to see Billy Elliot. 

"Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Follow Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever."

Source: http://billyelliotthemusical.com/the-show/

We spent an afternoon walking through the theatre district and admiring all of the West End theatres.

(Chariots of Fire)





We also had to make a quick side trip to visit Harrods.
Occupying over one million square feet, Harrods is the biggest department store in Europe.


On Tuesday night, Julie and I saw Wicked.

"If you think you know the Wicked Witch of the West, think again... 
When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire's acclaimed 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, re-imagined the land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. 

Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl, Elphaba. 

Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West." 

Source: http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/about.asp

Wicked was incredible! I have never seen so much musical talent in one show in my entire life. The Elphaba and Glinda who performed for our showing were phenomenal and extremely entertaining!

 If you get to see only one show in London, I recommend you choose Wicked.

Inside the theatre

Amazing stage set

We absolutely loved seeing the musical side of London! 

Do you have a favorite show?

London "Must-Sees"

Date of this trip: January 6-9, 2013


The last stop of the Coppedge/Hall/McCall extended Christmas vacation was London.

Back in London!

Mom and dad had never before been to London so, naturally, we went to see the major sites. 

London Eye

Approaching Parliament from the South Bank

Parliament building and Big Ben

Westminster Abbey

Entrance into the Abbey

Unfortunately, Westminster Abbey was closed for viewing.

Buildings along the River Thames

Tower Bridge

Love my sweet sister!!

Tower of London

Inside the Tower of London
This photo above is taken very near the location of Anne Boleyn's execution.

Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take photos of the Crown Jewels. The giant room of the royal jewels is spectacular! If you are a fan of jewelry, I highly recommend that you plan some extra time for this visit!

When you visit the Tower of London, I highly recommend that you wait to walk around with a group  tour guided by a "Yeoman Warder." Our Yeoman Warder (they do NOT like to be called "beef eaters") was quite entertaining and thorough explaining the tower's history.

"Fit for a King"-The Royal Armoury Exhibition

This fascinating exhibition displays five hundred years of royal armour.

Buckingham Palace

Changing of the guards

After strolling through Hyde Park (and picturing the beginning of the movie 101 Dalmatians) on my last morning in London, I stumbled upon these two interesting buildings.

There's always something new and exciting to find in London!

Oxford, England

Date of this trip: January 5, 2013

Julie was our tour guide as we traveled to and through Oxford.

Oxford, located in central southern England, is the oldest university in the country.

The Martyrs' Memorial honors the 16th century "Oxford Martyrs" who were burnt at the stake in Oxford for their religious beliefs.

Doing a bit of wandering throughout the lovely city

High Street, one of Oxford's main streets

This is the house where Julie lived while she studied at Oxford for a semester!

The Eagle and Child pub is a spot where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis frequented with their writing club called the "Inklings."

The authors would meet at the pub to read and discuss different material, including their unfinished manuscripts. How would you have liked to overhear those conversations?!

Awesome!

Fish and chips at the Eagle and Child

Can this amazing cake please be our next Thanksgiving turkey? 

Goodnight, Oxford!