At 74, Philippe Petit once again defied the odds on Wednesday and Thursday when he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his tightrope walk between the World Trade Center by recreating the famous feat inside the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and elevating it to art.
For two straight days, hundreds packed into the world’s largest gothic cathedral, located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in Morningside Heights, to witness the French senior do what he has done his entire life: entertain, amaze, and create a lasting moment in time. The performance — which saw Petit scale a highwire above the heads of audience members — looked to recapture the same magic as he had five decades prior when, on Aug. 7, 1974, he and several comrades snuck inside the then unfinished Twin Towers and fastened a tightrope between the buildings before walking back and forth 1,300 feet high. He was then arrested.
Through 19 scenes, Petit told the story of his remarkable journey from Europe to handcuffs in a New York City jail and the death-defying balancing act in between. However, Petit told amNewYork Metro that he didn’t want the show to just be a recreation, he looked to make the performance a living, breathing piece of art.
“When I was a teenager, I was surrounded by all kinds of arts, and, of course, it made me a man who rides in the sky, or a very unusual type of wire walker. I don’t want to frighten the audience, I don’t want to break records, I want to inspire people,” Petit said, reflecting on both nights. “I think this show, besides celebrating, was also very inspiring.”
Petit added that doing things differently is very much in line with who he is and his history. He told amNewYork Metro that he taught himself the skills that made him famous and did not come from a traditional wire-walking background, instead being motivated by his own imagination.
“This is who I am. I am a strange kind of wirewalker because I learned by myself, and I am not from the tradition of the circus,” Petit said.
The spectacle was also brought to life by a slew of other performers, including dancers and musicians, including famed singer Sting. The Police frontman belted out several classics as Petit showed off that he literally had not missed a step by crossing back and forth across the wire before even laying back across it in a staggering stunt.
While Sting played, Petit walked the tightrope with an ethereal ambiance. The show concluded with an epic recreation of his arrest high above the ground.
When looking back at both the original walk and his 50th-anniversary commemoration, Petit shared that the image of him standing in the air between the two towers is seared into his mind. He does, however, regret his choice of clothing on that day.
“I look at my pants and they were bell-bottom pants, and I think that was ridiculous. But anyway, it was 1974, what did I know?” Petit joked. “I remember, almost with terror, that first step, which I share with the people in my show. It was terrifying because it was the first time in my life that I could not check the arrival anchor point, you know. So anyway, yes, it was an amazing, memorable moment.”
Proceeds from ticket sales benefited the community programs of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, as well as the organization and preservation of Philippe Petit’s archives.
