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  • NONE BOOKED AT THE MOMENT

  • plays and concerts

  • April 24th, 2024. The Worst Cafe in the World' See blog post for details . . . .

  • April 21, 2024. Went to an all-Mozart concert at St.Thomas More Church at 65 East 89th street. It featured the St. Thomas More Church Choir with the Church's organ and a string quartet. A very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

  • April 27th, 2024 Went to the MSM''s production of Puccini's "La Rondine". In many ways it is my favourite opera. The music still haunts me as it used to do in youthful times. This production, as always at the MSM, was so enjoyable. The cast played their parts with tremendous enthusiasm, the costumes were excellent and the voices quite professional!

  • March 21 2024 - LLOYD Altman concert (See blog post)

  • January 27th - Saw a first-class revival of Tennessee William's "The Night of the Iguana" at the Pershing Square Signature Theater. The set, lighting and acting were all great! The cast, in particular, sustained three hours of dramatic dialogue without fault.

  • January 14, 2024. With the sincerest of thanks to Ally, close friend of Christine, who gave us tickets which she was unable to use herself, we were able to see the Met's latest production of Madama Butterfly. The production requires the high skills of about twenty puppeteers, three of whom are dedicated to manipulating Cio-Cio-San's toddler! This, they do with an amazing degree of reality, including gestures such as tugging at his mother's dress and jumping into her arms! There is a snag, however; puppeteers require near invisibility in order to make their work convincing. Dressed from head to toe in black, they need a very low light to hide in. The set designer's solution was to build a black-painted stage, sloping back and upwards. The producer had his characters enter the stage from the back of this hill in dramatic lighting, while the puppeteers moved at will in the gloom below. But, it was not the Puccini I knew so well and was moved by since I saw the Sadler's Wells production some seventy years ago! The arias were there and the pathos and emotions still evident, but my overall feeling was that the music was playing second fiddle to the visual fireworks!

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  • November12, 2023. Saw the finest revival I have seen in New York for many a year! It was Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" put on by the Gingold Theatrical Group at Theatre Row. It was directed by David Shaller (godson of Hermione Gingold) who had his cast come to the front of the stage at each scene to explain to the audience the action to follow. Shaw's humour never missed a beat--The audience was in stitches from beginning to end!

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New York in Summer 2012 – Space Shuttle ‘Enterprise’

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Ben Thompson

The highlight of this post is the arrival of the space shuttle ‘Enterprise’ at its last resting place aboard the ‘Intrepid’. Marking the end of  a fantastic endeavour by the American people. Other technological achievements will speed the pace of change, but, surely,  none so profoundly as the Space Shuttle project? New York is lucky to have one of the fleet as a memorial. Click on the pictures for better detail.

A fitting end to a great adventure

Three epoch-making giants slip into history together – ‘Enterprise’, ‘Intrepid’ and ‘Concord’

. . . . . . protected by colourful, but, deadly birds . . . . .

. . . . . and armed submarine.

Have you ever wondered what you look like at the other end of Skype? Here is the view of me which daughter Kim sees on her PC in Scotland:

. . . .meanwhile, in  Carl Schurtz park, a lazy afternoon . . . . .

. . . . . appreciated by beast and man alike.

50 miles up river from Carl Schurtz park, life in Cold Spring was just as lazy . . . . .

. . . .. . .strenuous boat watching. . . . .

. . . . and here is a picture of a faun who, with his mother, lives in this Cold Spring copse. Unfortunately, they had both dashed off by the time I got the camera set up

A rooftop summer party. (Taken from a higher rooftop)

Wrecked 93rd Street. In front of The Waterford looking towards Second Avenue.

Filed under: New York Day | Tagged: |

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4 Responses

  1. John Krieg, on June 28, 2012 at 10:09 am said:

    I enjoyed your great shots of the shuttle.
    We had hoped to see it on it’s piggyback flyby, but it was too far east for our little bayshore town of Atlantic Highlands. We have a trip planned, sailing from Barcelona in the fall. Our journeys this summer will probably be mainly to the swimming pool. Already have been there once and the water has warmed up nicely from the early heat spell.

    Reply
    • Ben Thompson, on June 28, 2012 at 8:38 pm said:

      John. I, too,wanted to see the fly-by but, at the thought of jostling with hoards at ground level, my resolve evaporated. As it happened, I had a comfortable perch on the upper decks of the “star’ but, of course, I missed the piggy-backing. Be careful in Barcelona-Keep a tight hand on your passports.

      Reply
  2. Jenny Orchard, on June 29, 2012 at 1:18 am said:

    Another great set of photos Ben. Xx

    Reply

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