five billion dollars...

... the approximate amount I contributed to London's West End business in the past six months.

In backwards chronological order, ladies and gentlemen:

Evita
Avenue Q
Les Miserables
Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind Act II
Blood Brothers
Mary Poppins
Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind
Blood Brothers
We Will Rock You
Les Miserables
The Woman in White
Phantom of the Opera.

Plus 50bucks for the opera: Tosca and the upcoming Trafalgar Sq. screening of Le Nozze de Figaro.

Do not forget, also, that I saw brief performances during the Saturday of Leicester Square's "West End Live!" (It was mostly rubbish American musicals: Guys and Dolls, The Producers, Footloose, Chicago, Mamma Mia!, and Blue Man Group, who weren't rubbish at all.)

And believe me, if I had more of a plump pocketbook, we could have clearly added Sunday in the Park with George, Evita x2, Blue Man Group -the full show, The Lion King, and Les Miserables x3 on the last day in London.

Ladies and gentlmen of the jury, may I have the key to Theatreland now, please?