What does a theater critic do on vacation? Go see more theater, of course. But this time, instead of Fresno, I found myself in New York City, where I saw a whopping eight plays in eight days. (Throw in three museums and the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, and you could say that I managed to keep pretty busy.) I write in my Sunday Spotlight column about "The Little Mermaid," one of the shows I saw.

For musical theater fans out there, here's the list of all the shows I caught:

1. Curtains: a jovial "murder-mystery" starring David Hyde Pierce of "Frasier" fame. The pedigree of this show is impressive: It comes from John Kander and Fred Ebb, who wrote such Broadway biggies as "Chicago." The result is on the slight side, however. Hyde Pierce is personable and hard-working, and co-star Debra Monk, as a brassy and cynical producer, is terrific, but I wasn't that sorry when the curtain fell.

2. The Little Mermaid: I wouldn't normally have rushed out to see the latest Disney theatrical behemoth, but there's a special reason: Fresno native Heidi Blickenstaff is in the cast. (I write about the show and her career in my Sunday Spotlight column.) With its cast speeding around on specially designed "mer-blades" and a massive set that recreates both the ocean above and below, this mega-musical is more a spectacle than anything else, but it's fun for kids, and it's a hoot to watch Blickenstaff blading around the stage dressed as an eel.

3. Sunday in the Park with George: My favorite show of the trip. This superb revival of the Sondheim classic is straight from London with Daniel Evans (as Georges Seraut) and Jenna Russell (as his lover, Dot, in the first act, and then his grandmother in the second) putting their own indelible stamp on roles made famous by Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. Beautifully sung and acted, the show throbs with a next-generation of energy as it takes advantage of computer-animated projections to recreate Seraut's pointilistic world. (At one point, the rowers that are depicted in the River Seine actually appear to move across the stage.) The production design is a work of art in itself. I loved it.

4. Next to Normal: I saw this this new Off-Broadway musical about mental illness at the Second Stage Theatre two nights after it opened. Yes, you read that correctly: The show is about a manic-depressive woman (played by notable Broadway actress Alice Ripley) who attempts to take her own life. I can safely say I've never seen a musical production number that includes a scene of electric-shock therapy. While it might sound odd, the concept works, thanks to a brisk rock score, innovative staging and a wonderful cast that includes Brian d'Arcy James.

5. Passing Strange: One of the things I love best about New York is getting a chance to see a Broadway show in previews. Sure, you take a chance on it being a complete critical dud, but sometimes you luck out and catch a soon-to-be classic before it's the hot ticket. I'm not sure that "Passing Strange," which is transferring from the Public Theater, is that kind of show, but it did just receive a rave review in The New York Times. With a melodic rock score, the show is in the vein of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in terms of staging and musical intensity.

6. The Lifeblood: It isn't hard to find a Fresno connection in New York theater. I went to see this Off-Off Broadway show because of Fresno State lighting designer Izzy Einsidler, who spent his winter break back in New York (along with a couple of his students) working on this show about the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, who ultimately lost her head. Einsidler's vibrant (and subtly ominous) lighting added a lot to this production.

7. Spring Awakening: Ah, to be 16 again and contemplating life, love, religion, mortality and all those other Big Ticket items that occupy careening teen-age minds. This raucous and unlikely musical, set in a rigidly moralistic late 19th Century Germany, won last year's Tony Award, and it is still a hot ticket on Broadway. I sat in the mezzanine, and I think every seat was filled at a Sunday night performance. What's more, I felt like I was 20 years older than most people in the audience, which bodes well for Broadway's future. The crashing rock score, explicit lyrics, and general existential angst can seem a little overblown sometimes, but this musical forges a powerful connection with the audience.

8. Forbidden Broadway: It's best to leave this long-running (and ever-changing) show until last when you're on a New York theater run, because chances are that it will parody almost everything else you've seen. That's certainly the case with this snippy, small-cast show, in which four talented performers mimic and satirize most everything on Broadway. Along with poking fun of "Curtains," "The Little Mermaid" and "Spring Awakening," the show also aims for many of the long Broadway runs as well. My favorite song of this edition: Eponine from "Les Miserables" singing "On My Phone" (instead of "On My Own") about how she's always on her iPhone backstage.