In search of Broadway
My idea of a night on the town does not normally include a shopping mall, but as I discovered recently, Genena City is rather more than a few shops and cafes.
I’ve seen huge American Malls on TV, the ones where you can hold car chases through the middle, but had not realised we had such a beast in Sharm.
I knew the place existed because let’s face it you can’t miss the huge signs and enormous plasma screen which now dominate the Naama Bay skyline; what didn’t know was how much more there was to do inside than just shop.
I’d noticed a new sign saying “Broadway” and as a big fan of musicals decided to investigate. My sense of direction is pretty poor though and having never been to Genena before my journey towards the show took me rather longer than expected thanks to the number of distractions (or attractions) on the way.
The mall has many entrances it seems and the one I picked took me perilously near the patisserie where they sell some gorgeous looking cakes and I’m told amazing ice cream. Thankfully it was too chilly to stop for icy refreshments so I moved on past some nice looking shops and down the escalator.
A random turn took me to the kid’s zone and all things a child could ever require. It looked good fun but I still needed to find Broadway.
Plunging on into the heart of the city (the place seems as big as a small town) I passed the 7D cinema, a bowling alley, billiard hall and signs for an ice skating rink. All of these looked like they would be fun things to do on a night out and I was tempted to stop and check them out but I had my heart set on the show so reluctantly carried on my way.
More random turns, stairs, more nice looking shops and a supermarket came in sight. It seems that once inside Genena there is everything you could need and a person could spend hours exploring and taking advantage of the entertainment on offer.
A few more corners and the bright lights of the Fayrouz Lebanese restaurant drew me out onto the upper terrace. The view over Naama Bay was stunning and stretched out before me was an inviting area packed with cafes, comfy seating, playful fountains and my goal – Broadway!
Thanks to my random wanderings, the show had already started – it normally starts between 9pm and 9.30pm – and the stage was alive with dancers in brightly coloured costumes.
The terrace was busy with people enjoying the show but I found somewhere to sit and ordered a coffee to keep out the chilly night air.
The show progressed with a selection of internationally themed music, plenty of dancing, a magic act, clowns and African dancers. I felt sorry for the guys performing to what I think of as the Wakka Wakka song as their costumes are really colourful but rather scanty and on a cold night they must get frozen – perhaps the dancing keeps them warm.
So far there hadn’t been any songs from Broadway musicals but the show was certainly entertaining and had something for everyone, even the children were dancing along and the clowns were a big hit with the kids near me.
The high point of the show for me was literally the High Point. Out of nowhere it seemed there was a guy dancing in the sky.
A wire stretched from an upper terrace down towards the stage and the dancer was suspended by a very pretty but (in my mind) a dangerously thin piece of material.
During his slow descent towards the stage he performed numerous aerial tricks which had my heart in my mouth as I felt sure he must fall. I don’t like heights and what this guy was doing above my head seemed incredibly brave.
As the show drew towards the grand finale there was indeed a Broadway song and a rather nice touch with a parade of flags. The show is followed by a DJ and for those who fancy something stronger than a coffee there is a choice of bars to retire to or you can have a meal at one of the restaurants overlooking Naama.
Having now discovered Genena City is much more than ‘just shops’ I’ll be sure to pass by again in a couple of months time to enjoy the new show, the views and perhaps try some of that ice cream once the weather is warmer!
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