Walking Past The Paris

The Paris

When I was five, holding Dad's hand we walked past The Paris on 58 St. and Dad said, "Best thing to do on a rainy day when you should be at work, pop into The Paris." Dad had lots of good ideas. Another good idea "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts ~ a tribute to Kurt Gertsmann" next Tuesday, Apr 8 @ Cornelia Street Cafe @ 6pm.


As a kid in NYC one of the places it was impossible for a parent to exaggerate about was Radio City Music Hall. One of many things I loved about Kurt Gertsmann, no matter how wild his story was I always believed it. Come hear Kurt tell a good one in Dean Dacian's short film, part of next Tuesday's show, "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts ~ a tribute to Kurt Gertsmann" April 8th at Cornelia Street Cafe with guests artists, Robin Gelfenbien, David Gandhi Noven, Angelo Verga & Robin Hirsch.

Radio City Music Hall

"Sleep Tight," said Hans to the Ugly Duckling at dusk in Central Park

Sherman all cleaned

Grand Army Plaza

My Tree

Crackup At Radio City

Rory Pryor, 21 years old, 1977

For a bunch of reasons my brother Rory was committed to the NYU Psychiatric hospital several times. When I visited Rory at NYU I entered the building heart broke.  There we were, two kids in a two kid family and I, the older brother, could do nothing to help him. Through the lobby, on the elevator, in the halls, on my way to his stark room or the visitors’ area I’d look around in awe. Thinking about how amazing it is if your brain worked nearly right and wondering how all these people lost their minds.  After going through a bunch of things I planned to say to make Rory laugh, after we hugged he turned the tables. He told jokes, he said it was OK and pointed out that he was the sanest one in the place (not true but it always made me feel better). As sick as he was, Rory tried to ease my pain. That made me love him very much.

Today, my friend, Merrill Black was published in The New York Times. Her story “Crackup at Radio City,” is terrific.  Her truthful bittersweet account of her stay in the same facility touched me with its humor and heart.  Thank you, Merrill, for bringing a strong memory of Rory back to me. 

Read Merrill’s two New York Times stories here.

Crackup at Radio City

The Wise Plumbers


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Our next City Stories: Stoops to Nuts storytelling show at Cornelia Street Café is January 10^th @ 6pm. Please come down, I promise a good time.

Our New Year artists are: Lisa Burns, Nicole Ferraro, Julia Joseph, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo & Adam Wade.

Radio City Music Hall ~ The Vatican of the Silver Screen

Last night, walking through Rockefeller Center a memory struck me like a brick. In 1970 the best bang for the buck in New York City was Radio City Music Hall. My sixteenth year was a very good one.

After my last class at LaSalle Academy around 2pm, I’d take the # 6 subway at Bleecker Street to 51^st Street where I’d pick up my girlfriend at Lexington and 50^th after her last class and we’d walk over to the Subway sandwich store on Broadway. Order two giant Tuna heroes with cheese and lots of extra mayo, two jumbo Pepsi’s and place it all carefully in my practically empty plastic school bag (didn’t do much homework on Radio City nights). We positioned a sweater in the bag to cushion the food.

Then we’d stroll over to the greatest movie palace in the history of movie palaces: Radio City Music Hall.  We paid six dollars for two tickets and enter the cathedral.  Walk up the plush carpeted horseshoe staircase to the Mezzanine where we’d take over the center of the first row and watch the Rockettes perform on the front and back of the film. We took our shoes and socks off and dug our feet into the velvet rug under our luxurious seats and worshiped silently in the Vatican of the silver screen.

With Radio Center Music Hall as my playground, I owned New York City.

Oh Yeah

Listening to Roxy Music this morning over coffee, reminded me of Roxy's 1983 concert at Radio City Music Hall and the song, Mother of Pearl, that reminded me of Joe McGinty closing the Losers Lounge tribute to Roxy with the same song, and that led me to play one of my favorites, Oh, Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjP37Coctc

Radio City Music Hall was a haven for New York teen couples up through the mid 1970s ~ a first run movie and the Rockettes. My girlfriend and I ran straight off the crosstown bus into the Blimpie's on 50th Street and Broadway. We bought two giant heroes and quart sodas and snuck the stuff into the theatre in our school bags. My mother wanted to know why I always smelled like a sandwich.

During the week, after school, the place was empty. We sat in the first row of the mezzanine in plush red velvet seats and enjoyed our feast with our shoes and socks off and a yard of carpeted space in front of our seats with a clear view of the biggest movie screen in the world.

Today, I'm part of a group doing a lower Manhattan tour for out of town friends. Among other places, I'm taking them to the spot where Franz Liebkind's house stood on Jane Street when visited by Mr. Bialystock & Mr. Bloom, passing the location of the "Trial of the Century,"showing them where My Sister Eileen lived, and peeking at the house on St. Luke's Place where Audrey Hepburn waited until dark for Alan Arkin.

Roxy made me think of Paris so here are a few more pictures.