Touring New York's "Cathedral of Commerce"

In 1878, Frank Woolworth invented the concept of the "five and dime" discount store - a place where everything cost either 5 or 10 cents, and all the merchandise was on display.  Shoppers could see and touch what they wanted to buy; they didn't need shop assistants to fetch things for them.  We take this practice for granted these days but back then, Woolworth's retail model was revolutionary.  And his customers loved it so much that by 1911, when Mr Woolworth formally founded his company, he was worth many millions of dollars.

Business was going so well that Woolworth hired a famous architect named Cass Gilbert to design his company's corporate headquarters on Broadway, further requesting that it should be the tallest building in the world.  Gilbert had designed the beautiful US Customs House in New York a few years before, so Woolworth was confident he would design something extra special.  Gilbert got to work and two years later, in 1913, The Woolworth Building was complete.

 It stood proud at 793 feet tall and was, as requested, the tallest building in the world (at that time).  To secure such a record, Woolworth is purported to have kicked in the cash for the building's tower out of his own pocket (more than $13 million!).  But the investment was worth it because at the opening ceremony, the majestic Woolworth Building was declared by many to be New York's "Cathedral of Commerce".

Now back in the early days of skyscrapers, the giant Woolworth Building would have been a tourist drawcard in itself.  People marveled at the neo-Gothic architecture, the gargoyles, and intricate carvings around the main entrance.  But inside, office workers had down time at the indoor swimming pool, the day spa, the observation deck, and the restaurant and retail stores in the lower level.  And the subway even used to run right underneath, so commuting to and from the tallest building in the world was a breeze.

All of these attractions aside, I reckon that even back when the Woolworth Building was first constructed, people must have remembered it for the same reason that we do today: the lobby.  When he designed the lobby, Cass Gilbert totally outdid himself.  It is a beautifully ornate, almost church-like space.  The ceiling has tiny mosaic tiles all over it,  some of which have been coated with gold leaf to give them extra sparkle.  Tiffany won the contract to design the lobby's elevator doors, and they are especially fancy.  There are marble carvings in the cornices - some of them depict leading figures of the time (including Cass Gilbert himself, cradling a plaster model of the building - see below), but other carvings are those of nonsense characters, put there for a bit of fun.

Another fun detail is the inclusion of salamanders in the carvings.  Did you know that according to legend, salamanders are impervious to flames and can actually extinguish fire?  Apparently, lots of buildings all across New York City have salamanders featured in their carvings and metalwork etc to protect the buildings from fire hazards (figuratively, at least).  The Woolworth Building was constructed to stand the test of time - fire safety was foremost in Cass Gilbert's mind and the only wood in the whole place was actually in the banisters in the internal stairwells.  Superstitious though it may be, you can see the salamanders in the gold work of the mailboxes in the Woolworth Building lobby (see him on the bottom left of the photo here?).  Needless to say, I will have to keep my eyes open for more salamanders in other buildings from now on!

You used to be able to wander in off the street and browse the Woolworth Building lobby but not anymore.  These days, access is by guided tour only (you can book them online here), but it's absolutely worth it.  The lobby of the Woolworth Building is just beautiful.  I did a one-hour tour yesterday and our guide (Lisa) was sensational.  She confessed to spending much of her private time at the New-York Historical Society, reviewing the original plans of the building and reading the original correspondence about its construction and development, which they have stored in their archives there.  The trivia Lisa shared with us came from her own exhaustive research, not from anything she parroted from the internet or read off some tired tour script.  It was absolutely wonderful and well worth the $30 ticket price.  I only pasted a couple of photos from the tour because so many of them were blurry, or just didn't do the splendor of the lobby justice.  I would definitely encourage you to add the Woolworth Building to your bucket list of NYC adventures.

Big stars, bright lights, and baby's first after-party

Image credit here

"Christopher Plummer glances down from the stage. Even though the spotlight is undoubtedly in his eyes, I feel sure he is looking right at me. I've never been in a staring contest with Captain Von Trapp before, so I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do. Perching on the edge of my seat seems a good idea, so I do that and cup my hands together under my chin. I gaze back up at Mr Plummer with wide eyes. There's a grin plastered on my face that I hope conveys "earnest excitement", but it must miss the mark because before I can do anything about it, the Captain turns his attention elsewhere and the spell is broken."

I had multiple star-struck encounters like this on Monday night, but that's what happens when you're eight feet away from the stage at The 70th Annual Theatre World Awards, held at the Circle in the Square Theater just off Times Square.   Each year, these awards celebrate twelve "promising personalities" whose debut Broadway or off-Broadway performances were significantly reviewed during the current theatre season.

My attendance at this event was entirely accidental of course. Earlier in the evening I'd actually been stuffing my face at the Taste of Times Square food festival a few blocks away.  But when the text came in from a friend, inviting me to be his "plus one" at a theatre event nearby, I did not hesitate.

And when it occurred to me that we were both guests of first-time Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies (MBD) the Broadway Bubble settled around me and didn't burst for hours.  I walked down the stairs of the theatre, settled into my seat at the tiny cabaret table, arm's length from the stage, and tried my best to belong.

Because I had to be dreaming, right?  I mean, did I really just watch Chris O'Dowd and Zachary Levi face the paparazzi and give interviews?  Was that really Zachary Quinto who bounded past me and up to the stage to present an award to his friend and colleage?  Did my friend really just say "Oh my God, we have better seats than Bryan Cranston!", and it was actually true?  

If there was ever a night to pinch myself in New York, this was it.

Before long, Mary's name was called and she went up to the stage to collect her first World Theatre Award for her powerhouse performance in "A Night With Janis Joplin".  The show has finished now but it was clear that Mary had made an impression.  She has definitely arrived. Mary's acceptance speech was heartfelt, honest, and had all the hallmarks of someone who put her heart and soul into sharing Janice Joplin's story in the most authentic way possible.

And then of course, there was Mr Plummer, who is looking pretty good for an 85 year old (but really, does he ever age?).  The theatre erupted when he was awarded the John Willis Award for a Lifetime of Achievement in the Theatre.  His acceptance speech was funny and articulate, and generously recognised all the people who have come before him in the theatre and all the new talent in the room (and beyond) who were finding their way now.  He even had the good grace not to grimace when the pianist played "Eidelweiss" to escort him off-stage.  And through it all, I just beamed.

And as surely as night follows day, my first-ever awards ceremony was followed by my first ever after-party.  This one was held on the rooftop at the historic Copacabana.  I'm not sure if Barry Manilow would still declare it "the hottest spot north of Havana" but I can assure you of one thing, those guys know how to buffet!  So much amazing food was on offer and an open bar to boot.  When we left a few hours later, the DJ was playing Michael Jackson and I could never fault that.

The events of Monday night will stay with me for a really long time to come.  I was so honoured to be included in MBD's winning evening, and to help her warm up to her very first Tony Award ceremony on Sunday.  My fingers and toes will remain crossed for her!

Draw me like one of your French girls

In the hustle-bustle of Times Square, amidst all the theatres and street performers, sits Sardi’s restaurant.  

Vincent Sardi Senior and his wife Eugenia opened the restaurant in 1927 with some funding from the Schubert brothers who were theatre magnates at the time, and who were keen to have a well-respected dining venue as part of their theatre on West 44^th Street.  Before long, Broadway performers flocked to the venue for pre and post-theatre show celebrations.  

In fact, Sardi’s was the birthplace of the famous Tony Awards, named after actress and director Antoinette Perry.  After Perry’s death in the late 1940s, her partner was eating lunch at Sardi’s when he came up with the idea of an award to be given in her honour and so for many years afterwards, Sardi’s hosted the announcement of Tony Award nominations.   

And whether you stop there for a drink after work, or enjoy a pre- or post-theatre meal, Sardi’s is perhaps most famous for the 1,300 caricatures of show-business celebrities that line its walls.   A few years after the restaurant opened, Vincent Sardi Senior engaged a Russian refugee named Alex Gard to draw caricatures of the most celebrated Broadway performers of the day to decorate the walls and attract customers.  The deal was that Gard would receive one restaurant meal for every drawing he completed, and Gard got to work.  When Vicent Sardi’s son took over the restaurant in 1947, he tried to change the terms of Gard’s contract.  But Gard refused, and he continued to draw the caricatures in exchange for meals until his death a year later.  Artists came and went over the years, but the restaurant’s current caricaturist is Richard Baratz, a banknote and certificate engraver who lives in Pennsylvania.   

But did you know that in order to deter thieves and unscrupulous souvenir hunters, when the caricatures are done, the originals go in a valut and two copies are made?  One copy goes to the subject of the drawing, and the other is hung on the wall of Sardi’s.  I wonder where Kermit hung his?