Walk to Beechman

We walked around the 8th Ave/ 42nd St area to waste a bit of time before the Jack Donohue gig.

That's the Port Authority walkway in yellow

Broadway for Sale

In  the theatre district there are stores selling  t-shirts and posters and anything tinselly to make a buck.  Like a wild beast sniffing its prey Sheldon was led to this one. He bought a book about the Bock and Harnick
collaboration. He'll probably be humming hits from "Fiorello" all night.

There are piles and piles of souvenirs from shows past and present. I assume that soon you will be able to wipe your coffee mug on a "Priscilla " tea towel.

winter sale

We were sipping coffee to thaw out in the warmth of  a Tim Hortons and outside there were 6 or 7 Asian portrait artists on the freezing 42nd St sidewalk.  This man was reading a tabloid whilst waiting for a Tracey or an Adam to request a name banner for their bedroom door. A long wait, I expect.

Earnestly speaking

This is the American Airlines Theatre (formerly The Selwyn)

tt here.  I  have a special interest in seeing the Stratford Ontario production of Oscar Wilde's "Importance Of Being Earnest"  This is a version which, like Simon Phillips's future revival as his MTC swansong, features a man playing Lady Bracknell. The splendidly feminine and warm Brian Bedford plays (and directs) La Gorgon. Mr Geoffrey Rush will be the indomitable battle axe. I have the joy of trying to be as good as Paxton Whitehead as the Rev Chasuble.  From the glorious front cloth and lovely house music

through the beautiful settings..plasterwork which seemed to evoke the feeling of cracking icing on a slightly mouldy cake..and a superlative cast this was a great afternoon. The star is Wilde and he is served up in a totally uncamp and truthful and honest and energetic way. I had doubts about the possibility of it all being a bit Hinge and Brackett but thanks to Mr Bedford's impeccable taste it was a fascinating, intelligent and fresh experience. I love the English language and it was delivered expertly. The audience adored it

Adventures on a Shoestring

This is a little company led by Harold Goldberg, who takes tickets, answers the phone and stands in the cold with a runny nose on the corner of Lexington and 42nd St for his raggle taggle group to foregather. We were taken on an hours walking tour of Grand Central Station and regaled with many tales..lots of them inaudible..of the station in its early days. Harold sold papers outside the station when he was 10 (he's 80 if not more ) and took his girls to a now demolished News Theatre ( it's a bank )  for newsreels and cartoons.

Maybe these two went on to a session



 and then to Horn and Hardarts ( also gone) for coffee and pie.

 These were automats where you put money in a slot and opened a glass door to select your choice of entrees or desserts.

 The date would finish with a five cent subway ride back home.

We started the tour in the Grand Central Food Market under a splendid upside down festive tree

 

This hangs at the Lexington Ave end of the what has once been a "dirty, disgusting alley way" which Harold and his fellow newsies would use to get to their beats. This is what it looks like now

A corner ticket office in Tennessee marble and brass. The station has been the setting for many Hollywood films including North by Northwest, The Cotton Club and Fisher King

This wonderful clock now has all sides co-ordinated to the exact time. You can see its facsimile on the music set of Saturday Night Live

This escalator was featured in Carlito's Way

Makes you want to run after him and hop on...to the train I mean

Under the clock at the Biltmore was one of the places to meet

Tra......ck 30   Hey, boy, your shoes are all dirty

In the foyer of the Campbell Apts,  the private residence of financier, Thomas Campbell, is now a cocktail bar

Maybe this is where Cary Grant bought his ticket just before meeting Eva Marie Saint

CBS had their studios on the third floor of Grand Central Terminal and such live-to-air Golden Age tv gems as "Studio One" were produced here, although they had to work around the rumbling of the trains below. Also, Grand Central was where the USO was based during WWII so the place was literally packed with servicemen during the early 40s. 

The Oyster Bar is the oldest business at the station. Sheldon has vowed we will return

Look at that detail!!

A shoe shine stand called "The Leather Spa" !!!

Harold got the group to sing "Happy Birthday, Grand Central" to commemorate its 98th birthday.

Our glorious reward in the fabbo lower concourse food hall.

 Coffee, pastrami panini and the Arts section of the New York Times!!

inside all is cosy

The first relax Sheldon has had.  Internet installed.  Cable installed.  Soft jazz in the background. No plans but a stir fry and crap TV. And here to watch over us his Her Maj in the window waving like crazy.

The Smith then La Bete

We went to a great restaurant called The Smith which I think will be a local. Great food and design. There is a feature wall with obvious and cryptic references to the ancient trade of hammer and anvil. For instance Mary Pickford's real name was Gladys Smith.

Gladys

Then to

 to see

Joanna Lumley   Mark Rylance  David Hyde Pierce   all marvellous with Mr Rylance in a cosmic world of genius

Hilarious and immensely apt.  Some knock me out images. Ms Lumley entered in a blizzard of gold glitter and Rylance made watermelon spit for days!!!