The Wall Street Journal‘s Alan Murray went up to CT last night to check out the Paul Tudor Jones Christmas Extravaganza Light ShowTM. He encountered a bit of opposition from the cops patrolling the scene. Having made the same trip last year, I can empathize, and also throw out the question, when you’re putting on the most insanely garish (but awesome!) Christmas show in Greenwich, second only to the manager who has his beset analysts put on their own version of the Rockettes on the front lawn, can you really expect people to NOT TAKE PICTURES?
Christmas
Last week came the devastating (and, in all seriousness, surprising) news that as a result of the recession, Greenwich’s Christmas lights display would likely be taking a hit this year, having only raised $30,000 for a display that costs a minimum of $45,000 to put on, if we’re talking bare bones, $60,000 if we want it done up right. 2,000 letters had been sent out, begging for more money, to no avail. Though we ourselves didn’t want to admit it, it was obvious that things were not looking good. But then first Selectman Peter Tesei made this statement:
“I’m sure that some angel will come down to provide the money to put them up,” Tesei said. “I’m optimistic that will happen.”
At first it seemed like the deluded talk of a crazy man but then we were like, hey wait a second, Pedro is right! Greenwich is filled with angels who could easily write a check. Tall ones, short ones, crazy ones, kingly ones! We figured one of them had to have wired the money after hearing the story and called up the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce earlier to find out who it was. You want to know who it was?
Think the worst is over? Think again. Greenwich, CT is probably going to be forced to cut back on its Christmas lights this year, having only raised $30,000 for a display that costs a minimum of $45,000 to put on, if we’re talking bare bones, $60,000 if we want it done up right. Over 2,000 letters have been sent out begging for more money, so far to no avail, while organizer Mary Ann Morrison is already saying she may have to get rid of lights entirely on long stretches of Greenwich Avenue (this is not simply a matter of dimming). And yet, first Selectman Peter Tesei seems unconcerned about the whole thing.
“I’m sure that some angel will come down to provide the money to put them up,” Tesei said. “I’m optimistic that will happen.”
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Crescendo of Awesomeness
There Are Now Two Things In Greenwich That Are Visible From The Moon
By Bess LevinHint: neither of them look as good up close as they do far away. You guys can figure out the first one. The second one is the Paul Tudor Jones Light ShowTM, which we checked out last night on the way to my close personal friend SC’s house for the first night of Hannukah. Video would’ve captured the thing better but then you would’ve heard me mouthing off to the cop and we couldn’t have that, so photos it is. Re the blurry ones: apparently a 15,000 bulb Christmas spectacular, synced up to Carol of the Bells, which lights from the bottom of the top and proceeds to flash over and over getting progressively brighter, replete with fake snow and a squadron of local police, much to the chagrin of an otherwise staid gated community is all good, but taking pictures of said display? Verboten. No matter. We’ll be back next year, provided the tip we dropped in the suggestion box (Vegas show girls as elves) is at least considered.
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