Futurists at the Guggenheim and Deneuve at the Paris

Italians and French
Invade New York
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is the scene these days of an invigorating show of Italian Futurist art. Likewise, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting its annual French film festival. Both are occasions for going out on the town, as we did last week.

First on the docket was the Guggenheim, an excellent form of exercise for Mr. Cramer, with its notoriously death-defying spiral ramp. I dressed for the show. That is, I wore one of my helmets with it's futuristic shapes and colors. Did I know that my hat matched the art in the show I was asked on more than one occasion?

But of course I dressed to be one with the art.

Giacomo Balla, Sketch for stage design of Igor Stravinsky's

Fireworks, 1916-17

 Fortunato Depero, Waistcoats

 Enrico Prampolini, Ballet Costumes

Before seeing the show,

Italian Futurism, 1909 to 1944,

we lunched in the museum's restaurant, "The Wright."

Turning to the French ...

On the eve of our delightfully warm weekend here in New York (how's 52 degrees my friend?) we had a dinner date and movie in honor of Lincoln Center's Rendezvous with French Cinema. Thinking myself quite the Francophile culture vulture, I snagged two tickets to the opening night premiere of "On My Way," with Catherine Deneuve. I liked this because the movie was showing at my favorite theatre, the Paris, and Catherine Deneuve was to be there, en personne.

Of course, any time you are at the corner of 58th and 5th, you are within spitting distance of Bergdorf Goodman (if the elegant patrons of BG did in fact spit). So I booked a table at the BG, the store's elegant 7th floor restaurant, for a dinner before the show.

 A BG window Baccarat

 Let us enter the hallowed emporium,

credit cards laid bare.

The BG with views over central park.

 We sat in elegant, Robin's Egg Blue

chairs shaped like Easter eggs.

There are mustard-yellow versions as well.

The lights of the apartment buildings on either side of

Central Park twinkle in the twilight.

 The bread...

The ice cream...

The hall outside the restaurant is

lined with photos of the rich and famous who

have graced the space.

And photos of some wannabees.

 The children's department is also on 7.

Chic at any age.

Piano lessons for a Park Avenue Princess.

 But time to leave Bergdorf's...

 Pick up our tickets in the Will Call Tent.

 Photograph the French press...

Take our seats....

 Miss Deneuve takes the stage.

And says a few words.

I wish I could say that the film was terrific.

It was not. In fact we left before the end.

But it was still a fun night.

À Bientôt!