Practical Jokes & Things To Do On A 5 Show Day!

brdwyguy · Post by **brdwyguy** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:22 pm

something tells me trmptguy is talking about
Silver Screen's 42nd street challange dance

i'm trying to remember who did that dance in the Summer Cast
and who was that understudy

i was the Spring Cast and never really had an understudy - at least that i know of

BroadwayBill · Post by **BroadwayBill** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:29 pm

I know that Jack Lutz and Kari Nicolaissen did the 42nd Street tap number in Silver Screen but it was a duet not a solo... and I think it was the "day" cast. I still have an audio tape of Silver Screen that was made in '78. The sound guy ran recorded it off the mixer. Every so often I'll take a listen and it brings me back. Especially the announcement at the beginning that went: "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, American Motors is proud to welcome you to the 1978 Grand Music Hall Revue, Silver Screen.... and now the Grand Music Hall Orchestra"

brdwyguy · Post by **brdwyguy** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:32 am

Brdwybill

Me and Kim Block did the 42nd Street Dance (Opening to summer)

Me and Tina Vigil did the 42nd Street Dance (Summer day cast)

Jack & Kari ( were the summer evening cast & fall)

Joey

if you take a look at the silver screen commercial
you will see me and Kim in the Silver Sequinned Tuxs (that weighed a ton)
and thats Tina Vigil in the closeup on the other side of me!

BroadwayBill · Post by **BroadwayBill** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:33 pm

Joey... that's right, now I remember. You and Tina Vigil danced it during the day and Jack and Kari at night. I also remember your flawless Charlie Chaplin, Tina's amazing Over the Rainbow, and Donna Miller (doing anything). I have an audio of Silver Screen from 1978. It was recorded by the sound guy so the quality is really good. It's from the night cast... it's Jack and Kari doing 42nd St (I can tell by Kari's vocal) and it's DeeDee Brown on Over the Rainbow. Let me tell you, it's freaky how much of the choreography I can still remember. I make my partner laugh when I do the opener in the living room after having a few cocktails. LOL

Bill

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:10 pm

lol, any chance you could ever share it (or part)?

BroadwayBill · Post by **BroadwayBill** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:16 pm

Share a soundbyte or share a video of me dancing the opener? LOL

brdwyguy · Post by **brdwyguy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:30 pm

broadwaybill

didnt think anyone ever took notice of the Charlie Chaplin
i always considered my self a fill in
but always enjoyed interacting with the audience doing Chaplin

i also remember getting sick of all the popcorn i had to eat in that sequence.

Bill:
i have a great story to relate to you

when Silver Screen 1st opened
Donna Miller was doing her incredible Deitrich imitaion on the chair.

Mike Rodriguez came to see Silver Screen (he was in the 1st two years shows) ---- he sat in the front row and started wolf whistling Donna as she came out dragging her chair - he even started barking!!!!!!
It was the only time I ever saw Donna breakup in front of an audience.

Also I remember how we used to try on costumes between shows
and I once got into Donna's corset and went trapsing into the girls dressing room imitating Donna. She was furious! NOT BECAUSE I WAS WEARING HER CORSET OR IMITATING HER --- but because I could FIT into the corset.

More funny/fond memorys.

Joey D
brdwyguy

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:16 pm

The soundbyte was my original intention, but either would be nice, lol

BroadwayBill · Post by **BroadwayBill** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:39 pm

Joey, I always remembered your Chaplin, you were just amazing, I don't even remember who the others were. I remember your very last performance as Chaplin. You were leaving to go back to Philly I think and I was sitting next to a lady who I think was your mother... maybe an aunt? I don't recall. But I remember her crying as you entered.
You had a lot of fans in the audience that night.

The story about Donna is hysterical. I can just see her face with you running around in her corset. Donna was a big woman... I mean the classic tall showgirl ... so I'm not surprised you fit into it.

My favorite Donna story was when she was starting out the finale of Music America ('79) with "I Got the Music In Me". She's out in front of the cast singing and the asbestos fire curtain suddenly starts rolling down. She's so busy singing that she doesn't hear the cast behind her yelling to look out. The thing hits her on the shoulder and she looks up like "what the -" and didn't miss a beat... she just stepped forward and finished the number.

Bill

BroadwayBill · Post by **BroadwayBill** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:21 pm

that_guy wrote:The soundbyte was my original intention, but either would be nice, lol

Well, I just recorded the Silver Screen opener into a WAV file. It's 8MB. If anyone knows how to post it here let me know. Or if you want I can email it to you.

Bill

jenjenrebecca · Post by **jenjenrebecca** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:50 pm

In '87, someone brought in a huge rubber penis that made the rounds... it showed up inside a piano (easily seen by 2 torch singers while singing), in a shoe box during the Chorus Line scene that was supposed to hold mics, even in one of the guys pants pockets, after a quick change where the choreography called for them putting their hands in their pockets.

Strangely enough, it resurfaced in '88, partially zipped into the fly of our flyman, who swung his hips around at the dancers who were facing offstage, stationary, during West Side Story's "There's a Place For Us" Lots of shoulder shaking that show, for sure.

I, myself, had need for some payback, and devised the perfect plan. During Hot Ice, a motorcycle was driven onstage for Leader of the Pack. And the driver had needed to be tought a lesson about messing with me. He had a super quick change just before that entrance, so there was no time to undo what I'd done. I had smeared hair gel on the grips. Had to make sure it wouldn't ruin his costume, but still feel slimey. The tech who prepped the bike was forewarned, and he in turn told the entire crew. I kept a straight face thru the quick change, and heard him yell "Ugh, gross, what is this?!?!" a moment before he HAD to be onstage. I popped onto the headset just in time to hear the lighting crew laughing at the look on his face. He came off and asked "What was that stuff? Probe?" and I still played dumb. All day, he never guessed it was me. I finally had to tell him.

Proud moment for me <wipes tear>

klemrock · Post by **klemrock** » Wed May 10, 2006 10:41 am

The Characters and Show Wardrobe folks (Gurnee 1984-1987) were nuts!
Jo Michaels, Gretta Star, Vicki Cooke, Wenders, Rob Proce, John Foos, Javier Rivera . . . the list just goes on! Fun times with top-notch people!

One of the funniest memories was when a marching band member wore Bugs' feet during a 20-minute set in Hometown Square.

I also remember one of the characters walking away from his escort and wandering around the park for an extra half hour. He was nabbed just as he was going to get on Orleans Orbit.

Going back a little further (1982-1983), I remember some Theatre Attendants (Royale) getting it on in the break room during a show....

Tech Services 1 · Post by **Tech Services 1** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:39 pm

klemrock wrote:The Characters and Show Wardrobe folks (Gurnee 1984-1987) were nuts!
Jo Michaels, Gretta Star, Vicki Cooke, Wenders, Rob Proce, John Foos, Javier Rivera . . . the list just goes on! Fun times with top-notch people!
. . .
Going back a little further (1982-1983)....

You must have been around for the infamous "Ghost of Rose" prank perpetrated by Dave C. and me in the Music Hall, yes?

PPG

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:21 am

I recall that during the "It's a Magic World" show myself and Matt Riley would sometimes take the part of the "gorilla" from Charley Seltz... the first time it spooked the daylights out of Doug (magician) because Matt started tickling him onstage before running out into the audience...

There were also the constant games of tickle-tag...

Holding Doug and Dean under the stage to see if they could STILL make it to the house during the final illusion...

TheDean · Post by **TheDean** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:30 am

Hehehehehehe... Ahhh, the memories!

We had ALL KINDS of fun that year as I remember it well!

Cotton-ball tag, The Gumby Mystery Shows, and stuff that shouldn’t be recounted here! (Ha!)

Matt ins still in Vegas blowing things up for all the major shows on the strip... I remember him mugging (in a nice way) one of the dancers (I think it was Keith or Charlie) when one of the legs from the Doll House was about to fall-off to prevent the illusion from falling over with Jill still inside!

Phew!

GREATAMERICAparks.com

Practical Jokes & Things To Do On A 5 Show Day!

Theatre Royale Pranks