Yesterday was the hottest day this summer. It was 95 degrees but felt like 110. Then, at around 9:45pm, we had another infamous New York thunderstorm replete with torrential rain, hurricane-like wind, and terrific bolts of lightning. And guess what? I got to work outside with the New York Philharmonic's "Concerts in the Parks" series during all of the environmental hoopla. On the hottest day of summer, we had to lay down a plywood road for the semi-truck with the musician's instruments. And then pick it up. And then in the pouring rain, in a baseball infield that had turned to slightly sandy sludge, we had to put the plywood back down. And then pick it up AGAIN! Holy moly, was I ever pooped.

The program had John Adams (The Chairman Dances), Prokofiev (Violin Concerto No. 1), and Beethoven (Symphony No. 5). Before the concert began management started mumbling about cancelling the show due to bad weather on the way, but a little after 8pm the show started with a "we may still cancel" caveat.

During the first scheduled intermission the event organizers announced that the storm was going to hit at 9:40pm, so they were going to skip intermission and truncate the program.

After finishing the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth the musicians started looking apprehensive about the weather. The audience, apparently desperate for classical music, started yelling "Finish it! Finish it!" and the musicians dutifully finished the symphony.

And just in time too. As we stagehands started to clear the stage (and after most of the instruments had been stowed away in the truck), the storm broke. Watching 50,000 people scatter from the Great Lawn in Central Park in a panic, dropping bottles of wine and bits of brie, screaming and trying to cover up their little crepe summer dresses and running through the mud in high heels is HYSTERICAL! All we heard was a distant screaming (aaaaaaah!) as the storm started. And then when it really started pouring, everyone started really screaming (AAAAAAAH!) and running for the exit. 50,000 people. You couldn't even see the grass when the concert started. And the field was clear in five minutes flat. And that's the weather in New York. Next, the news.