February 2011 |
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In the hushed aftermath of our recent winter storm, while the city was preternaturally quieted by a comforting blanket of snow, I thought of the famous line by the French poet, Francois Villon – “Where are the snows of yesteryear?” which led me to recall T. S. Eliot’s, “Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future.” New York is an ever changing city, always re-inventing herself. Buildings are put up, buildings are torn down, buildings are reconceived and reinvented. Restaurants close in one week and morph into an establishment with a completely new cuisine the next. Broadway shows open and close in one night, run for years, or take forever in previews and never open. As the iconic New York writer, O. Henry put it - “It'll be a great place if they ever finish it.” | |
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Frank Loesser’s musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying won the 1981 Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. With the popularity of hit TV series, Mad Men, it is no surprise that this tuneful show returns. Set in the same Madison Avenue milieu, Pierrepont Finch is a young window cleaner who has a mind for advancement. Everything he needs for success is contained within the book in his hand, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He enters the World Wide Wicket Company searching for a job and connives his way to the very top. This time around Daniel Radcliffe replaces Robert Morse who won a Tony for his performance. Will lightning strike twice? Better the second time around?
| The re-use of historic buildings that have outlived their original purpose is all the architectural rage. The Greenwich Savings Bank, constructed in 1922-24 is one of the refined examples of the impressive firm of York and Sawyer, both architects, initially employed by McKim, Mead & White. In keeping with the American tradition of bank building, it is designed in the style of ancient Roman prototypes. You knew your money would be safe in these massive marble and stone edifices. In 2000, the bank was sold and renamed Gotham Hall, which is now a fabulous venue for a gala dinner or product launch. You can bank on that! New Face on an Old Body
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Before becoming The Chatwal New York Hotel and The Lambs Club Restaurant and Bar, this iconic Stanford White-designed building was the epicenter of American Theatre for the 20th century. The building originally opened in 1905 as home to the prestigious Lambs, America's first professional theatrical club. Organized in 1874 by a group of actors and enthusiasts, The Lambs occupied a series of rented quarters before settling at 44th Street. The American club took their name from a similar group in London, which flourished from 1869-1879, in the name of drama critic and essayist Charles Lamb. It has now been transformed to a chic, hot place to stay in midtown Manhattan, featuring 1930’s art deco styled rooms. Who said there are no second acts in American lives? Everything Old is New Again
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Washington has returned! After major restoration, Fraunces Tavern has reopened. Originally opened in 1762 by Samuel Fraunces, it is a conjectural reconstruction of a building that played a prominent role in pre-Revolution and Revolution history and claims to be Manhattan's oldest surviving building. Its most famous guest was no one more important than George Washington himself, who, in 1783, bade an emotional farewell to his officers in the Tavern's Long Room. In 1965 the building was declared a landmark by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. “Lafayette, we are here!” New Wine Old Bottle
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