The first time had quite a story associated with it, too.
I was on a quick visit to our elder daughter in New York in June 2009, I forget what for. My brother-in-law asked me if I was there for "Theo's 85th birthday concert?" HUH?? What? Where? I had no idea. An old friend of mine named Theodore Bikel, had a long career in music and acting. He was giving a concert in Carnegie Hall to celebrate his "first 85 years." He hadn't told me, which was normal, as he didn't know I was going to be in America then. I was supposed to leave the next day back for Germany, but I called him on his cell phone to ask about his show. He had just landed from L.A., and when he heard I was in the States, he told me I must stay for it, and so I changed my return flight, prolonged my hotel room, and prepared to get a ticket. I called up a mutual acquaintance, Ruth Westheimer, who lives in New York. Since she was a European Jewish refugee, like Theo, and knew him better than I did, I figured she would be going, too. Sure enough, she was. She said I must get a seat near hers. She gave me her seat number, so I walked up to Carnegie Hall and asked the ticket office if I could get a seat close to it. They looked, and said I could have the two seats next to it. Perfect!
I called our NY-based daughter, who said she'd come, and we got to Carnegie Hall early. Another mutual acquaintance saw us, and snuck us in to to the pre-show reception. Some of Theo's early music associates were there. Peter Yarrow and Noel Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary (Mary Travers was very ill, and couldn't come), Tom Paxton, and others. Heady company! And Theo and his wife, Tamara, of course. Then it was time for the guests to take their seats in the audience, and the performers to get backstage. My daughter and I got to our seats first. Dr. Ruth showed up soon after, and freaked out when she was shown to her seat, right next to me. "How did you do zis?" she asked. I said I was only doing what she told me to do, i.e. get a seat near her. I couldn't get much closer than the seat next to her! "You are ferry cleffer!" she commented. I pointed out that it didn't require a PhD in physics to get a seat next to her when she had already given me her seat number!
One funny thing happened at the Carnegie Hall reception. There was a woman there I was sure I recognized, but I couldn't place her. She kept staring at me from across the room, as well. If she was there, she had to know Theo, too, which meant she was probably a singer or an actress. Finally, I went up to her, and just blurted out, "you look familiar as hell, but I just can't place you, I'm sorry." She smiled and said, "I was just about to say the same thing to you!" We told each other our names, and what do you know? I had never heard of her (she was a singer), and she had never heard of me (I am not)! We had a big laugh over that.
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