NEW YORK. Fifty years after his legendary high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center, Philippe Petit has brought his death-defying stunt back to life with a new performance at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The performance, held about seven miles north of the original site, aimed to celebrate the “glorious days of the Twin Towers” rather than focus on their tragic destruction on September 11, 2001.
“I don’t have to remind people of the doomed day,” Petit told The Associated Press after Wednesday’s performance. “It adds a certain significance when you discuss a legend or a piece of history, even when the object of that history is no longer present. That’s the miracle of memory.”
The performance, titled “Towering!!,” was a tribute to Petit’s unauthorized 1974 walk between the Twin Towers. The 74-year-old artist recreated the feat inside the cathedral, where he was accompanied by Grammy-nominated jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen. As Petit made his way across the wire, Sting performed “Fragile,” and later, Petit wore a sequined gold tunic while “Fields of Gold” played.
Petit’s show utilized the Cathedral’s stunning Gothic architecture to evoke the grandeur of his original walk 1,300 feet above the ground. Conceived and directed by Petit himself, the production featured a series of short scenes that re-enacted his historic feat.
In the performance, Petit also depicted his arrest following the Twin Towers stunt. Reflecting on the success of the Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire,” which chronicled his walk, Petit admitted he struggled with success and distanced himself from friends. “I was really bad to my best friend Jean-Louis Blondeau, who has been the mastermind more than me on this adventure,” Petit said.
Following the performance, Petit was honored with a proclamation from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, designating the day as Philippe Petit Day. Petit, who has been an artist in residence at St. John the Divine for over 40 years, has performed 23 times to support the cathedral.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
