My Father's NYC
I took another quick trip to the Big Apple this week (well, technically, Long Island, but close), and whenever I get any where near NYC I am immediately transported back to my childhood memories of New York - a place I had not even visited until last year. This is the New York as seen through the eyes of my father, who had a great affinity for the city but rarely visited. I grew up reading the Daily News every day, which was later joined by the NY Post, and my father constantly watched the station that broadcast NYC commercials and, most likely, the Yankee games. Come to think of it, that's mainly what he listened to on the radio, also.
I think the reason I love the musical Evita, starring Patti LuPone, is because of the commercial for the Broadway play, which also starred Mandy Patinkn, and ran in the late 70s/early 80s. It's a classic, with Patti LuPone singing "Just a little touch of, just a little touch of, just a little touch of star quality!" Another classic commercial that was popular during that time was the Milford Plaza advertisement. When I was in NYC last year I saw the Milford Plaza, and, of course, the jingle sprang to mind.
My father's New York City was a gritty place, not unlike the urban setting of "All in the Family," the hit 70s sitcom set in the Astoria section of Queens. For those of us from a small town, NYC was a mysterious place, much like the world depicted in "All in the Family," the Daily News, and on the NYC TV station. For me, these things, were, and continue to be, New York. When I go there I feel a very strong connection with my father, as he always kept up with the news and, of course, his beloved Yankees.
I think the reason I love the musical Evita, starring Patti LuPone, is because of the commercial for the Broadway play, which also starred Mandy Patinkn, and ran in the late 70s/early 80s. It's a classic, with Patti LuPone singing "Just a little touch of, just a little touch of, just a little touch of star quality!" Another classic commercial that was popular during that time was the Milford Plaza advertisement. When I was in NYC last year I saw the Milford Plaza, and, of course, the jingle sprang to mind.
My father's New York City was a gritty place, not unlike the urban setting of "All in the Family," the hit 70s sitcom set in the Astoria section of Queens. For those of us from a small town, NYC was a mysterious place, much like the world depicted in "All in the Family," the Daily News, and on the NYC TV station. For me, these things, were, and continue to be, New York. When I go there I feel a very strong connection with my father, as he always kept up with the news and, of course, his beloved Yankees.
Comments