New experiences can be very, very good. Or very, very bad. This is nothing like I’ve ever known before. It’s a whole new sensation. It is awesome! I went Back to the Future1
Parkinsons is a bitch - challenging, frustrating, scary - especially since the diagnosis happened right around the time Covid hit. I am slowly, tentatively, trying to break out of my health-induced isolation and my self-induced self-pity.
Fortunately, I have loved ones to help guide me.
Last Saturday night a precious niece from Massachusetts met me in NYC. Travelling is a huge challenge. Hours on a bus and a wonderful app called “Go Go Grandparent” helping me with Ubers and I made it to Lincoln Center and the David Geffen Hall. My jaw is still on the ground.
As a Parkinsons patient, Michael J. Fox is one of my heroes. And the movie “Back to the Future” is one of my favorites. If you’ve never seen it, Google “Marty McFly.”
But on a huge, GIANT screen? In an enormous, world-renowned concert hall in Manhattan? And with the entire freaking NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA performing the soundtrack in REAL TIME? I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing. I never knew this evolving genre existed. WHAT? I cried. I laughed. I was mesmerized and amazed. How could this joy exist in the world, and I never knew?
I understand the NY Philharmonic Orchestra offers this incredible experience a couple times every year. Can you imagine being given the gift of so many extraordinarily gifted musicians giving you the sounds to a movie you love, playing on an enormous screen behind them? I’m not sure I could handle “Jaws” yet, but I will think about it.
I remember learning about movie houses who used musicians to play piano during the old silent movies. But this is different, bigger, special, amazing.
Thank you to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, to the David Greffen Hall, and to the New York City Philharmonic Orchestra for such an amazing pleasure. Thank you to my niece for helping me find this new experience. Please encourage orchestras near you to consider similar performances. What joy!!
AWESOME!!!!
