11th Anniversary "Celeb"-ration 9, 10 & 11

How's that for a cover picture! Ha ha! 2020 has indeed been the year from hell for me on many levels (as I'm sure it's been for countless others), but we're pressing on... As I chose to do these celeb encounters in basically chronological order, I'm afraid that the ending might be anti-climactic due to the fact that the last two occurred after I'd begun blogging and have already been documented here! :::sigh::: Well, it's too late to do anything about that now. But maybe I can try to tack on a surprise photo or two at the end. As we proceed with Number 8, I still shudder when I think of how my light was kept under a bushel.

My pal Robert purchased tickets in September of 2007 for a new show up in Dayton, Ohio that was being developed by Stephen Schwartz.  You may know Schwartz as the composer of "Godspell", "Pippin", "The Baker's Wife", "Children of Eden", "Prince of Egypt" and a little show called "Wicked," among other things.  He had been putting together a revue of his songs, but in a different way than most others.  Dubbed "a musical scrapbook", it was a show called "Snapshots" and he'd taken a large helping of his music and rewritten about 50% of the lyrics in order to fit it to a story about a mid-forties couple who are on the verge of breakup, but who take time to look through a stack of old pictures, which recall many stages in their life.  A quartet of other performers portrayed the couple in their younger years. (This show took until 2011 before it actually debuted!) My first real show on stage was "Godspell", in which I sang "Light of the World," hence the reference to my light being under a bushel.

Fresh faced for my debut on an area stage. Under the blue-green shirt was the heinous, yet typical, '70s-style carnival clown costume used for the bulk of the show...

Prior to the show, Schwartz held a master class from 3:00 to 5:30 and we attended this.  There was the chance to have a Q&A with him and then a select few - drawn from a box - would get to sing for the man himself and receive feedback and instruction. I had prepared a very brief song from "Prince of Egypt" and had worked and worked it until it was rock solid.  The mere notion of singing before the composer was daunting and yet exhilarating. I had to run to the restroom to check my hair and pee, so Robert put our names into the huge box for those who were willing to put themselves out there.

As we settled in and listened to Schwartz speak and answer questions, there was a sense of anticipation in the room, knowing that out of 150 people, about 100 of them wanted to sing, but only 10 probably would.  The first singer was chosen, a guy in his late 20's or so, and he sang a song from "Parade".  He did it once, pretty well, and then did it two more times, with noticeable improvement thanks to the suggestions Schwartz made.  Then they drew the second name:  Robert!!  Lucky DOG!  He trotted down the steps, tossing me his camera, and went over to the accompanist to go over the music.  Three or four minutes later, he was finally ready to begin "This is the Moment".  He chose to sing the very end and so it started with a lot of verve and passion right off the bat (he was being considerate in not singing the entire piece - something a lot of others did do, sadly, but it also limited how much he could vary the emotions of it.)  He gets miffed when I say this, but he was also a little dry in the throat and scratchy at first.  But who wouldn't be?!?  Schwartz gave him some ideas to kick around and asked him to do it again, adding different layers to it and approaching it with more variety and it was indeed improved the second time.  (Schwartz did say that things are always better the second time regardless, but you could also see that his changes and remarks enhanced almost everyone's songs on the next attempt.) 

Then there was a parade of other singers, some good, some so-so and some DREADFUL.  A girl I'll call Brittney Flick was a real stand-out.  This chick HAD IT.  She went up to sing a song from "Children of Eden" and the pianist couldn't master the tempo of it.  He tried three times and finally Schwartz threw his stuff down and said, "You know what...  I'll play it!"  I thought the girl was going to drop from shock as all of us would have.  To sing a song for a successful composer and have him PLAYING it for you, too?  She was exceptional.  She really did well.  Unfortunately, I think the name is going to be a problem.  The YMCA has "Fun & Flick" water classes and they had to change a sign once when I was there because the lettering they used made it look like something else!  "FUN & FLICK".  Can you imagine the horror?  "BRITTNEY FLICK IN SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS"  (The font may not allow this to make much sense, but just think about it!)

As the master class continued, the person drawing names kept picking females. Finally, Schwartz said he wanted another male to sing and not to choose another female until a male sang. Four names in a row were pulled, all girls, and still nothing. I waited with bated breath to hear my name called. Nope... The last singer was a totally untalented (and unaware of such) guy who wasted everyone's time. I never did get to sing for him, which was disappointing. (And all the way home I accused Robert of failing to put my name in the box and putting his own in twice! Ha ha!) But I got to meet Stephen and later ask him a question when the show was over. 

It was still quite a thrill because not only had my first real show been "Godspell" but I was a devoted fan of Pocahontas (1995) as well. A year later, both Robert and I appeared in a sterling and celebrated production of "Children of Eden" which won scads of awards and was completely sold out for every performance. He was able to claim that he'd sung for the show's composer, but I had to settle for having only met the man...

You can spot Robert as "Father" at the top. Four spaces to the right is my bovine self, appropriately relegated to playing Noah's eldest son. LOL

In my prior post, I relayed how Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry had played a part in further adventures of mine. I'm not counting this next experience as one of my encounters because all I got was within airspace of the celebs. No meeting... But it was still quite a night! George Clooney had directed and starred in the 2008 film Leatherheads, all about the early days of football, and chose to have its premiere in li'l ol' Maysville, Kentucky, where his famous family hailed from. In fact, the Maysville Opera House had long ago played host for the premiere of Aunt Rosie's 1953 film The Stars are Singing, a now-obscure musical. Naturally, Ms. French-Henry was there and had to endure me once again.

Heather be thy name... No restraining order has been issued by her. Yet...

I also was on-hand to observe the utter pandemonium when Mr. Clooney and his costar Renee Zellweger pulled up and walked the red carpet. The man was completely swamped. Like scary swamped. He was semi-protected behind a flimsy white picket partition, but in 2008 he was close to the height of his fame, so people were going gaga. 

Lost in, literally, a sea of teeming fans.

He very patiently made his way down the carpet, signing all sorts of memorabilia and occasionally waving to all the folks who were braving the brisk March evening. He seemed painfully thin to me at the time, not only accounting for Hollywood standards. I felt that directing, acting and playing football (!) endlessly had likely worn him down to a spindle. 

At one point, he did respond to a yelp from me and I took this photo. He's looking at me. My camera was above my head in extended arms, the only way to get a clear shot, trust me! I think I was back four or five rows deep in the crowd with no chance to get any closer. 

Renee seemed something of a gangling, unkempt mess to me. Hair all askew and sporting the usual "grapefruit" face that she so often seemed to be sporting for whatever reason. But she was nice enough (and patient) and she realized that in truth the bulk of the crowd was there to swamp see George. 

There were two showings of the film. The early showing was strictly VIP and by invitation only. The second was for 200 people to be drawn from a lottery of tickets that were being handed out. Knowing my luck with any sort of drawing, I was skeptical to say the least. I had to stand there and stand there as close to 100 ticket numbers were called out from the balcony of the opera house. (Each winner could bring one person in with him.) Believe it or not, my number was called! So my accompanying friend and I were admitted to the showing, which was introduced by George, Renee and George's father Nick! My elation at being chosen did result in a reporter interviewing me for the local paper upon winning. The front three rows of the theater were reserved for the state basketball champs, but I was in the fourth! 

Mr. C. was always with a self-deprecating joke and kept his friends, family and the audience in good spirits throughout.

 

The 10th celebrity encounter in my list of 11 was a doozy as far as I'm concerned. I wrote all about it at the time it happened in December of 2011.  It was the two-day occasion in which West Side Story's (1961) George Chakiris came back to Norwood, Ohio, the place of his birth, to be honored by the mayor and citizens. This was followed by a traipse down to the inevitable Rosemary Clooney Museum the next day at which he was to be on hand for the presentation of the gloves she wore in White Christmas (1954.) This was one of a few a movies in which he was a featured dancer. He was joined in this effort by friend and stage cohort (and former Miss America) Lee Meriwether.

Naturally, I was all in the thick of things causing a ruckus. Poor Heather French was once again besieged by me, both at George Chakiris Day and then down at the museum dedication. But I kept her and the waiting crowd amused while Chakiris and Meriwether's car was delayed in arriving at the appointed time. Remember me saying how I always seemed to meet celebrities when I was at my own personal low point? I was really heavy and not particularly healthy physically when I connected with these two friendly, appealing people, but I wasn't going to miss my chance with them.

I'd shaved my goatee off from the day before which was probably not the greatest plan... But I think you can see that Ms. Meriwether was tickled by me and my inherent lunacy! If you read my original account of that day, you'll understand how I wound up in such a nondescript sweater that day. 

In a hilarious connection to my earlier story about threatening to open my own house as the Vera Ellen Museum, Chakiris and Meriwether actually went to Vera's childhood home and posed on the front porch. And it is literally half a mile from my front door! Vera Ellen's mother used to take her daughter and one Doris Day (who lived several miles further south in Evanston) to dance classes! We did somehow spring some real talent onto the show business map from this area...

I also have posted in detail about the 11th celebrity encounter being listed for this anniversary series. It was close to two years ago when I got the chance to see Maureen McGovern, who make "The Morning After" (the theme song of The Poseidon Adventure, 1972) famous. She had also been the vocalist on several other TV and movie songs that I enjoy. I mean, it was a no-brainer that I was going to be sure to see (and meet!) her given the opportunity. D'ja ever notice how bemused these poor people look once they've been exposed to me? LOL

* * * Bonus Pics * * *

Now that we've reached the end of this series, I have a couple of other brushes with quasi-fame to mention. Anyone recall the show Clean House, in which utterly filthy, cluttered and junk-filled homes were cleared out by a team, who then sold many of the items at a large yard sale for money to help fix the place back up? Hosted for most of its run by Niecy Nash (who recently made headlines after divorcing her second husband and marrying a woman), it also counted among its crew Matt Iseman for 5 seasons. They also did a yearly search for the messiest house in America and, wouldn't you know, they found one in Cincinnati (we adore making national news for all the wrong reasons! LOL) 

I bought nothing at the yard sale, but I did pick something else out!

The day of the gargantuan yard sale, I was back in action to spot me a star. You may have seen Iseman in stand-up comedy or on The New Celebrity Apprentice (which he won) or American Ninja Warrior. Right before I got to him (after having stood outside forevah!), a little girl posed with him and said, "Daddy, I wanna hug him!" Naturally, I stepped up and said, "Daddy, I wanna hug him, too!" and I did! He really didn't seem to mind... and I did not let go until my turn was up. Ha ha!

I've also brushed up against various contestants (and winners) on RuPaul's Drag Race, though I don't suspect that's tremendously difficult to do. This is me (with the infamous Robert from the Sondheim event!) on either side of Mystique Summers Madison (from season 2.) Below, it's my turn to be flanked. On the left is winner Jinkx Monsoon and on the right is runner-up Alaska. Aaaahhh.... from Miss America to America's Next Drag Superstar. What will be next?

I've always liked this photo because I was happy and healthy for once when doing my thing. Thanks to COVID-19, I'm tubby again, but I will be sure to get in shape for the promise of 2021!

I'm All A-Buzz(r) Today!

Years ago, back before I had satellite TV and used cable instead, I had a friend who had it and would report back to me the glories of having GSN (Game Show Network) with its parade of wondrous 1970s game shows. Later, when I bought my house and had satellite TV installed, I, too, got to enjoy GSN... for about a hot second until they all but abandoned everything except Match Game and Family Feud and instead began airing other horrendous programming. Solace came when the over-the-air channel Buzzr came into being and I could again see many of the great old shows, albeit on my kitchen TV set, which used a converter/antenna. Any time I was in the kitchen I had it on and sometimes I'd even sit in the breakfast nook and watch if the show was compelling enough. But then, as is the story of my life, the local affiliate who was carrying Buzzr dropped it! So for the last year or so, I have been starved for my beloved classic game shows. However, about a week ago another friend of mine let me know that Buzzr streams live on their website! (Link to Watch) And ever since I've been indulging in these shows again whenever possible and having a great time in the process. Today, I'm going to share some of my random findings about a few of the shows I've been catching up on. As the screencaps for this post are taken "live" instead of through pausing, they may not be of the careful quality I try to achieve in so many of my other posts. Now, let's buzz ahead.

My adoration of Miss Kitty Carlisle of To Tell the Truth is far from secret. I gave her a tribute many years ago and in more recent times did a retro- spective of her many looks over the years on the venerable game show. However, though I feel like I've seen almost every black and white installment of the series, the 1970s color version that I grew up watching on grandpa's knee has been far more elusive, with just a handful of episodes turning up on youtube. So it's been a real thrill to see episodes from 1973 each morning on the Buzzr website and get an eyeful of Miss Kitty in living color. Look at this massive pink necklace above left!

 

On another occasion, she sported a similar ensemble, but in shades of blue and purple. During the 1960s daytime version, when she was wearing some of THE most vivid and eye-popping colors available, the vast majority of the episodes only exist in black & white copies...! Kills me.

Of course, she also liked to wear basic black on occasion, usually augmented with some flashy jewelry (purists might say too much of it, but I'm not complain- ing!) It might amuse you to know that with her raven helmet of hair with its inherent flip, I thought there was no difference between her and Ann Landers! LOL I have a long history as a child of not being able to distinguish people from one another very well.

  

Get a load of this necklace! I have long had a fascination with oversized necklaces - as seen in this old post - so it's great fun for me to tune in each morning and see what might be in store on To Tell the Truth.

  

She also had a sizable bauble on her finger as seen here. Though we were never able to hear anything being said, it was always sort of fun to watch the TTTT panel hobnobbing during the end credits with all the guests and imposters and see who gravitated to whom.

Decidedly less glamorous is Card Sharks, though it can be a lot of fun. This is especially true when there's a wacky, amusing champion such as Eva, pictured here. The feisty old bat stuck around for a pretty long stretch and racked up what was a nice bit of cash for the time. I don't know why, but this is the only montage I made from this show.

  

Of course, if you want to talk un-glamorous, it's difficult to top the hysterically tacky, but wonderfully entertaining Super- market Sweep! People often wish to cite the 1980s as being a fashion and styling nadir, but I'm here to tell you that the 1990s were no treasure trove of fabulosity. Take these poor feathered sisters in their stretched-out monochromatic t-shirts.

Highlighter color hell, courtesy of Supermarket Sweep, complete with bubble gum pink lipstick and the requisite perms. Believe it or not, Dana and Dane are not fraternal twins, but husband and wife who apparently wanted to wed a version of themselves from the opposite gender.

Sweep was hosted by the genial Dave Ruprecht from 1990-1995 and 2000-2003. He is renowned for an endless series of eye-scorching, vomitously ugly sweaters worn for each program. These aren't even the worst ones, just the only ones that have been shown since I've been able to tune in.

One thing I love about this show is that there are often male contestants and sometimes they are rather handsome. Here we have a rare combination for a show about grocery pricing and shopping, a grandfather/grandson team, with grandson Jeff giving us his best Luke Perry.

Sometimes I sort of fall for a contestant and get obsessed for about 30 minutes. Most of my real life relationships last about that long, too, so it's not an unusual scenario! LOL

Because the men are often physically strong, they tend to do well in the vigorous "big sweep" which entails racing around the super- market in a limited about of time, trying to fill one's cart with the most expensive items available. For this part of the show, all the contestants are placed into the most humiliating costume fathomable outside of a thong... a sweatshirt with built-in polo collar in either robin egg blue, lemon yellow or hot pink! Gramps sort of reminded me of comic actor Phil Harris, if you happen to recall who he was.

I always like it when handsome hubbies are dragged along by their wives. Even better when they are firemen (like Howard) or policemen (such as Bryan.)

While most of the contestants are female, often friends, co-workers or relatives, there are sometimes male teams, like this duo who met in a college dorm and perhaps bonded over the toaster strudel or Wheaties before deciding to hop onto the Sweep. Unlikely looking as friends, Matt was sort of the brains while Dave provided the brawn. Even these poor souls were, for the second half of the show, transformed into day-glo drones. (See below.) I always wonder how many of these sweatshirts there were, what sizes they kept on hand and how often they were laundered... One thing that also always makes me chuckle is how unceremoniously the losing teams are sent packing out the back of the aisles with hardly a goodbye! They head off as if on a conveyor belt to hell...

One show I always loved, but have seen so, so many times on either GSN or Buzzr is Match Game. I had to laugh, though, when on one episode last week, Underworld friend Lee Meriwether showed up with unusually lengthy hair.

She went on to explain that her hairstylist on Barnaby Jones had given her a bunch of wigs for Christmas (!) and she'd been eager to try one of them out. She picked the right show in which to do so. I hope there wasn't a label sewn into this one that read "Rula Lenska."

 

Then there is the venerable Tattletales. Plenty of laughs to be found with this one as couples are quizzed about various things and have to guess what their spouse (or, later, significant other or good friend) will say. Here we find Mary Ann Mobley and Gary Collins in the hot seat(s.)

Mobley was the recipient of a tribute here some years ago. She and Collins had quite an ooey-gooey thing going on with one another that I recall my mother hating, but, hey, they were wed for forty-five years until his death, so something was working right!

 

Collins was gifted with one of the THICKEST heads of hair imaginable. He kept it (albeit not this long) until the end, too.

 

On the show with them this particular week were Martin Milner and his wife (who also had a long union, lasting fifty-eight years until his death) and comedians Mitzi McCall and Charlie Brill.

Mr. & Mrs. Brill positively shredded one another on the show, which might lead one to think that they (like many you see on Tattletales) eventually split up. However, you'll be glad to know that they are still together today in their eighties and have enjoyed a fifty-nine year marriage to one another!

One show I never in my life watched before last week is Classic Concen- tration. I don't know exactly why it evaded my notice for so many years. Maybe it was my lack of interest in the eight cars that always graced it's gargantuan set. Maybe by 1987-1991 I just had other things to do during the day.

At the start of each episode, host Alex Trebek would come out amid the cars and kick off the show. Then he'd join a male and a female contestant who would go head-to-head trying to reveal prize matches on a numbered board that would then display a rebus puzzle such as the one below.

The answer to this rebus, by the way, is "Pat Boone."

Then the winner would try a personalized matching game with the names of the cars underneath fifteen numbers in an allotted time and if they matched them all, they got to receive the final one. At this time, Alex was at or near his peak of attractiveness, having shorn off some of the Avery Schreiber-ish hair of his youth and shaped up a bit. He was far more relaxed than on his more famous show Jeopardy.

 

He was noted by some viewers as being a little flirty and even handsy with the female contestants, though if that was the case I doubt any of them minded. In any case, he was also very handsy with the male contestants! It was a genial show. On this occasion, he took a moment to reveal how one seemingly everyday contestant had a "business in the front, party in the back" mullet going on!

Speaking of hands on, the initial spokes- model for Classic Concen- tration was tall, blonde and had striking big eyes. Her name was Diana Taylor and she liked to wear exotic hairpieces and often snuggled into Alex when the opportunity arose.

  

Only a couple of months into the run, she was suddenly replaced by the far more relatable Marjorie Goodson, who was put through the paces of demonstrating rowing machines, pianos and Lord knows what else. For a time, she was joined by her pet dog Pokey (!), which was more than unique for a game show. Who will ever know the unpardonable hell Pokey went through in the endless parade of kitschy prize presentations of which he was a part. LOL By the way, Marjorie Goodson was the daughter of the show's co-creator Mark Goodson (with Bill Toddman.) She was sort of a game show Tori Spelling in that sense!

Another show that I never, ever watched back in the day, but soon became a lifelong favorite when I finally got to see in on GSN, is Sale of the Century, the only show of this era to have male models who often appeared in scanty clothing and swimwear (at least in the early years.) Here we find handsome Gregorio sporting a low-cut tank top for a motorcycle bargain.

But here we have the divine David "sunning" himself in a vacation bargain. Had I known a show like this existed back when it was on, I probably wouldn't have graduated high school for all the calling in sick!

Come on... what's not to love?!

Lastly, another game show that I've seen in its early, black & white days many, many times, but whose late-1960s/ early-'70s episodes have been more elusive, What's My Line? This show featured another favorite great lady of mine, the utterly charming Arlene Francis. 

This version had a segment in which four audience members were brought up and put in line with their occupations printed on signs nearby. The panel had to take turns assigning the professions to the people, which gives us a great look at the way everyday folks dressed back in the day! One thing I do dislike about the episodes being shown now on Buzzr is that they have been edited; shorn of the panelist introductions and just cutting to the game without anyone telling us who the celebrities are if we don't happen to know (Aliza Kashi?!)

The fabled "Mystery Guest" segment is always fun, though the ones I've seen recently are a tad bit lackluster (Skitch Henderson, Joey Adams.) One of them was a treat, though, because the guest was Miss Helen Hayes, who had recently penned a nonfiction book with her pal Anita Loos. It was called Twice Over Lightly: New York Then and Now.

The hysteria is that the way Loos was seated before an icon of writing quills with her patented skin-tight hairdo, she sometimes looks as if she's sporting some large bunny ears!

"What's Up, Doc?"

Lastly, one thing that quite surprised me about this 1972 daytime game show was the mystery guest who was revealed to be the creator of a "girlie" calendar for women, featuring semi-nude male models! These were friends and acquaintances of the woman, so they weren't exactly Honcho material, but it surprised me that they showed several close-ups of the pages on air. (Playgirl magazine was still one year away, though Burt Reynolds had done his infamous Cosmo centerfold prior to this.) And with that, we buzz off until next time!

The End!