Despite the weather looking like The End of Time circa 2pm today, the New York Philharmonic’s first Central Park concert of the summer season went off without a hitch. My sister’s friend Meg was disappointed that the fireworks portion of the evening was canceled (but what of the MUSICAL fireworks, I asked her??), but I believe she was appeased by a free t-shirt with fireworks on it. Thousands of people turned out despite the earlier downpour, proving yet again that audiences like free, outdoorsy events at which they can eat, drink, and text. Here was the view from my Dartmouth blanket:
We swapped bug spray for chocolate with the folks behind us and all was right with the world.
There is another concert in the park tomorrow, but I will be at home curating a French film festival in honor of Bastille Day which thus far only involves Ratatouille.
In other New York City news tonight, Sting performed some positively silly play on the word “symphony” at the Metropolitan Opera, and it was completely bizarre to see Tweets and texts from that house throughout the concert.