Philippe Petit walks a tightrope inside the Cathedral Church of St. Jones the Divine to mark the 50th anniversary of his World Trade Centre Twin Tower high-wire walk. (Photo Credit: Charles Skyes/ Invasion/AP)
Fifty years after his famous high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center, Philippe Petit has recreated the breathtaking stunt, this time at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, located about 7 miles north of the original site.
At 74 years old, Petit aimed to celebrate the “glorious days” of the Twin Towers, rather than dwell on their tragic destruction in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“I don’t need to remind people of that fateful day,” Petit said in an interview with The Associated Press following his performance on Wednesday.
Petit’s goal was to honor both his extraordinary feat and the memory of the Twin Towers.
“It’s significant to discuss a legend or a piece of history even when the actual subject is no longer here. That’s the miracle of memory,” Petit explained.
The performance, named “Towering!!,” re-enacted Petit’s unauthorized walk from August 7, 1974. After climbing to his vantage point inside the cathedral and reflecting on past events, Petit took to the wire as Grammy-nominated jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen played below him.
As Petit continued his daring walk, Sting performed “Fragile,” and later, Petit appeared in a sequined gold tunic with “Fields of Gold” playing in the background.
Petit used the grandeur of the world’s largest Gothic cathedral to echo the splendor of his historic walk, which took place 1,300 feet above the ground. Directed by Petit himself, the production included a series of vignettes that brought his 1974 feat to life.
The performance also depicted Petit’s arrest following his walk across the towers, and it will continue for a second night on Thursday.
During the show, Petit reflected on the success of the Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire,” which covered his famous walk. He admitted he didn’t handle the success well, including distancing himself from close friends.
“I was really bad to my best friend Jean-Louis Blondeau, who was more of a mastermind behind this adventure than I was,” Petit acknowledged.
After the performance, Petit was honored with a proclamation from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, declaring the day as Philippe Petit Day.
Petit, who has been an artist in residence at St. John the Divine for over 40 years, has performed there 23 times to support the cathedral.
