50 years ago, Philippe Petit made his iconic illegal high-wire walk between the World Trade Center Twin Towers.
“I am a story maker, I create legends, I embellish,” said Philippe, reflecting on his legacy, “but I am now starting to realize that sometimes the truth is even more beautiful.”
As part of the evening, long-time friend Sting, premiered a new song inspired by that famous walk, Let the Great World Spin.
The audience gasped as Sting sang his hit song, Fields of Gold – “you’ll remember me when the west wind moves.”, while Philippe laid down peacefully on the wire overhead.
As Philippe concluded his performance, he declared,
“So I keep going, walking through life. I refuse to retire, I will keep performing, and pass the torch to the next artists in time.”
Mayor Eric Adams signed a special proclamation, declaring August 7, 2024 “Philippe Petit Day”. Presenting it on the mayor’s behalf, Natalie Koepff said “We are excited to celebrate this anniversary. Philippe is a great reminder of the enduring global appeal of New York City.”
The show vividly recreated key moments of Philippe’s walk, including a comedic portrayal of Philippe’s arrest, with confused police officers humorously imploring him to come down, and a memorable scene where a bird, puppeteered by Merlin Whitehawk, symbolized Philippe’s fascination with the avian visitor.
The cast included Michael Miles, Mia Gosk, Quinn Walters, Prim Zimmerman, David Zohar, and jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen.
At the conclusion, Phillipe then passed the microphone to Sophie Auster, who performed her song Flying Machine, singing, “I’ve been dreaming of the skies, flying high, where the world is free.”
At the reception following the performance, where sparkling wine donated by Aphrodise was served, Philippe was congratulated by friends including Darren Aronofsky, Judy Collins, Tony Danza, Griffey Dunne, Michael Frey, Michael Imperioli, H.E. Sheikha Paula Al-Sabah of Kuwait, Marla Maples, Nicole Miller, Shaggy, Trudie Styler, and Forest Whitaker.
Notably, New York philanthropist Barbara Tober supported the project every step of the way, driven by heartfelt admiration for Philippe and a desire to highlight the profound impact of his art.
Looking ahead, Philippe continues with a high-wire performance at East Hampton’s beloved sculpture garden and nature sanctuary, LongHouse Reserve on September 1st. LongHouse will also host a screening of the Oscar winning documentary Man on Wire, followed by a discussion, on August 31st.
Photos by: Jean Louis Blondeau / Polaris, Nina Wurtzel, Sean Zanni/PMC
