After having several days of rest and recuperation, I was ready to go to Midtown again. I had secured tickets to the taping of the Stephen Colbert show, and Pierre joined me. I was particularly excited because it was at the Ed Sullivan Theatre on Broadway between 53rd and 54th Streets. The theatre was built in 1927 and the architectural details are absolutely beautiful. One of the stars on opening night (November 30th, 1927) was Archie Leach, better known as Cary Grant. The theatre would eventually become the home of Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” program, first airing on the radio and then eventually television.
A little personal history:
When I was growing up in the mid-1950s, our family would sit down to watch the Ed Sullivan show every Sunday night. Sounds like a nice thing to do, doesn’t it? Well, the truth is, we only had one television so it was forced family time. Nevertheless, it really is a good memory. Ed Sullivan would have comedians, singers, dancers, etc., a truly entertaining show. In the mid- to late-1950s Elvis Presley performed on the show, and in 1964, the Beatles performed. BIG hit! BTW, the show was on the air for 24 years, until 1971.
It was a nice day, a bit humid, neither cold nor wet, so I decided to leave a couple hours early and walk. Another delightful walk, and again I came across things I just don’t see in downtown Chino.
After waiting in line for about two hours, we were escorted into the theatre to be entertained by the show’s warm-up guy. Stephen Colbert actually came out too to chat and thank us for taking the time to be a part of the show. This was a nice touch because many years ago I had gone to watch the taping of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. As I said it was many years ago. From start to finish it was the entire show being taped; no ad-lib, no personal touch.
Eddie Redmayne was the first guest and talked about his latest movie with Jessica Chastain, “The Good Nurse.” We were then subjected to George R. R. Martin (after Eddie’s interview was over). George is an author, screenwriter and television producer, his number one story having been adapted into “Game of Thrones.” Here’s why I was “subjected”: unlike most of the population, I have zero interest in the Game of Thrones. So, I took a little nap. Not for long, but long enough that Pierre noticed. Overall it was quite entertaining and a fun thing to do. I felt like thanking Stephen for his hospitality and telling him that I felt comfortable enough to take a little nap on his sofa.
We left the theatre around 6:30 so, of course, we needed to get a drink before heading home. Pierre suggested the Monkey Bar on 54th Street. It is located in the Hotel Elysee, has been around since 1936, and closed during COVID. Before COVID the restaurant was owned by Graydon Carter and Jeff Klein, Carter sold his portion of the business, and Klein re-opened the bar when he re-opened Hotel Elysee. Jeff Klein also owns LA’s Sunset Towers.
A visit with Colbert, a little power nap, and two gin & tonics later, I was back in a cab loving NYC and life in general!