NEW YORK — Fifty years after his iconic high-wire walk between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, Philippe Petit recreated the death-defying stunt with a performance about 7 miles north of the trade center at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
The artist, 74, sought to celebrate the “glorious days of the twin towers” rather than focus on their tragic end in a terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I don’t have to remind people of the doomed day,” Petit told The Associated Press after Wednesday’s performance.
Petit said he aimed to honor both his remarkable feat and the legacy of the towers.
“It adds a certain significance when you discuss a legend or a piece of history, even when the object of that history is no longer present. That’s the miracle of memory,” Petit said.
The performance, titled “Towering!!,” recreated Petit’s unauthorized walk between the towers on August 7, 1974. After ascending to his perch inside the cathedral and reflecting on the day’s memories, Petit took to the wire while Grammy-nominated jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen played beneath him.
As Petit continued his daring walk, Sting took the stage to perform “Fragile.” Later, Petit donned a sequined gold tunic while “Fields of Gold” played in the background.
Petit harnessed the stunning visual and acoustic splendor of the world’s largest Gothic cathedral to recreate the grandeur of his historic walk 1,300 feet (400 meters) above the ground. Conceived and directed by Petit himself, the production featured a series of short scenes that brought his 1974 feat to life.
Petit was arrested after crossing the towers and depicts that in the performance, which continues for a second night on Thursday.
At one point in the show, while reflecting on the success of the Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire,” which chronicled his famous walk, Petit admitted that he handled success poorly, including distancing himself from his friends.
“I was really bad to my best friend Jean-Louis Blondeau, who has been the mastermind more than me on this adventure,” Petit said.
After the performance, Petit received a proclamation from the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams designating the day as Philippe Petit Day.
Petit has been an artist in residence at St. John the Divine for over 40 years and has performed 23 times to support the cathedral.