Talking About... Me! (And The Golden Girls)

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of appearing on Talking About..., a fabulous local New York gay talk show hosted by the handsome JC Alvarez and, for this episode, substitute hosted by the lovely and talented comedienne Cara Kilduff. I was sorry to miss regular host Jonathan Griffith as well -- but hopefully, I'll soon be invited back, whether to discuss The Q Guide to The Golden Girls... or whatever else they want!

Talking About: Jim Colucci

Talking About

Vote No on Prop 1 in Maine!

Such a simple, elegant message from the No on 1 Campaign in Maine, to protect marriage equality. I worry, though, that it doesn't counteract the lies the enemy is spreading, about how schools will be forced to teach explicit gay sex lessons, etc.

Still, it's nice to present the non-scary faces of some of the families desperately counting on voters in Maine to preserve their equal rights. If you live in Maine, please go to the polls on Tuesday and vote No on Proposition 1!

Birdie Bonus

Tonight's performance of Broadway's Bye Bye Birdie was sailing along well -- until, just a few numbers in, a panel came crashing down from the wall of the MacAfee living room set. The scene progressed, and as the next began, Conrad Birdie's screaming girl fans were forced to get in place to lament their idol's departure while Birdie's agent Albert Peterson sings "Put on a Happy Face." The problem was, the show's scenery appeared to be stuck, and the train station set had not rotated into place. And so, out popped Peterson -- aka the show's star, John Stamos. "Girls, I'll be right out to make you feel better," he ad libbed. "As soon as they fix this mess." The curtain came down -- and the best part of the show was about to start.

"I was just about to sing 'Happy Face,' and then this shit happens," Stamos mock complained. Then, as he vamped for time in front of the curtain, he first pointed out comedy legend Don Rickles in the audience. "These seats are terrible, and the show stinks!" Rickles yelled back from the orchestra.

As female audience members shouted out for Uncle Jesse, Stamos noted his Full House co-star Bob Saget, just a row behind Rickles and sitting with both family members and Paramount CEO Brad Grey. Saget initially just shouted back a hello, but as first Gina Gershon and then a clowning Bill Irwin came out to apprise us of the further delay, Stamos was able to lure Saget to jump up on stage with him and speak into his forehead mic. "You say this show opens tomorrow?" Saget was quick to joke.

And my favorite interchange of the evening: Stamos urged Gershon, "Come on -- do something from Showgirls." To which Gershon replied, "You know, I had never seen Full House before, and now I finally did -- the other day, at the dentist." Without skipping a beat, Stamos asked, "Which was more painful?"

Two New Must-Reads

On today's Frank DeCaro Show on OutQ (Sirius 109, XM 98), author Randee Dawn discussed her new book, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion. And I can tell you, for any fan of show -- and of the yummilicious pairing of Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni -- the book is a must-read.

Dawn and her co-author Susan Green spent a week on the show's NYC set, and saw firsthand how an episode goes from script to screen. The book contains synopses of all 224 episodes in the show's first 10 seasons, covering right up through this past June. (As someone who has written 2 books about sitcoms, one six seasons' worth and one seven, I can tell you that covering 10 years of an hourlong show is a lot of work!) There are also bios, ratings and awards info, web links, and anything else you'd want to know about this most personal show in producer Dick Wolf's vast empire. (And the book, by the way, has Wolf's seal of approval -- he even wrote the foreword.)

And a few weeks back, Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen appeared on the show, promoting a new book she has co-authored with Ted Nichelson and the amazing "Bradyologist" Lisa Sutton, about a chapter of Brady life not everyone out there might know about: the ill-conceived but campy and hilarious-for-all-the-wrong-reasons follow-up series, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

The book, Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour, is chock full of fun, behind-the-scenes photos and factoids about a show which you just will have to see to believe. Closeted Robert Reed, now playing not just America's favorite dad, but a singing and dancing architect to boot? All the Brady members (except with Geri Reischl as a new Jan) -- often including Alice -- tap-dancing around an indoor pool in spangled '70s getups? Who doesn't want to see that?!

(2 of the 8 produced episodes of this unsurprisingly unsuccessful 1976-77 series are available on DVD.)

And this just in from Lisa Sutton: this coming Sunday, October 4, meet the authors (and perhaps some special guest Bradys!) at the West Hollywood Book Fair. A panel discussion and book signing starts at 11:15 in the People, Places & Politics Pavilion.

The Munchkins Take Manhattan

During these past few days in New York City, I've felt like I'm a witness to history.

Last night, at Central Park's historic restaurant Tavern on the Green (itself on the endangered list as it is undoubtedly due for an overhaul on 1/1/10 when it will no longer be run by the LeRoy family, the descendants of the film's producer, Mervyn), Warner Brothers and its home video department gave a big bash to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz -- and a new blu-ray DVD box set coming out this coming Tuesday, 9/29.

In the restaurant's parking lot, a hot air balloon, much like the one belonging to the Great Oz, hovered, bearing the likenesses of the iconic film's stars. Later, inside, Oz star Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft performed a medley of songs from the film. As she explained in her intro to the medley, she had always resisted singing Oz songs, but had put together this arrangement just for last night's party. But as she elaborated this morning on "The Frank DeCaro Show" on OutQ (Sirius 109, XM 98), the songs she sang last night -- including "If I Only Had a Brain," "Optimistic Voices" and even the number cut from the film, "Jitterbug" -- were all deliberately chosen because they were songs Judy didn't sing in the film.

Following Lorna came Ashanti, who recently starred in The Wiz on Broadway. She deftly belted

out a loving rendition of "Over the Rainbow," and followed with another catchy song, from her new album.

But here's the part about being a witness to history: posing in front of the balloon, with stand-ins of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and Lion, were five of the six surviving Munchkins. As John Fricke, who has authored three books about the film, explained in his intro, 124 little people worked on The Wizard of Oz. Today, six remain, the youngest, Margaret Pellegrini, at age 86.

They are the only people who remain from the cast of this iconic film. And as five of them gathered in one room, both last night and today on Frank's show on Sirius, I couldn't help but feel like I was witnessing the last of a great era. 70 years later, these performers, who came to Hollywood practically as kids, hearing of a rare big break for Little People, are still with us; and if the reaction of everyone gushing around them in these past few days is an indication, they're getting their due as living American treasures. I was happy to hear, for example, that back in November 2007, the then 8 surviving Munchkins got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Pictured below are at left, author John Fricke (holding the sign), and at right, Lorna Luft.

And in between, Meinhardt Raabe (in wheelchair), the Munchkin coroner. He is the last remaining cast member who had actual solo lines in the film. And at age 94, he performed them today on the air. We'll all always remember:

As coroner, I must aver

I thoroughly examined her.

And she's not only merely dead

She's really most sincerely dead.

Next to Raabe, with the lollipop, is 89-year-old Jerry Maren, the center member of the Lollipop Guild. After Oz, Maren went on to do quite a bit of work in Hollywood, including the "Yada Yada" episode of Seinfeld, and has two films slated for release later in 2009-10. All together now:

We represent the Lollipop Guild

The Lollipop Guild, The Lollipop Guild

And in the name of the Lollipop Guild

We'd like to welcome you to Munchkinland.

Next to Maren is Ruth Duccini, 91. She met her husband on the set of the film, and was married for a little over 50 years. She has 2 children, 4 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren -- and got a laugh on Frank's show today when she said the family doesn't really care too much about her iconic status.

In the flowerpot hat, that's Margaret Pellegrini, 86. At only 15, she took a train, by herself, from Mississippi to Hollywood for a role in the film. Make that two roles. Not only will you see her in the film in that flower pot hat, but she's also one of the "Sleepy Heads."

And at right, in the tie, that's Karl Slover, who just turned 91 on September 21. Slover says he's the smallest cast member, at 4'4". "I couldn't reach the doorknobs," he says with a laugh. Slover had the talent, though, to be cast as 4 different Munchkins -- including one in drag. Catch him as the First Trumpeter, a Munchkin soldier, the sole Sleepy Head boy, and a singer urging Dorothy to Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

As author Fricke mentioned last night, some of these people had had some rough experiences in their lives before the film. But now, they're beloved by generations well into the future, well past their time, and undoubtedly mine. That's why I feel lucky I was able to express my gratitude (and perhaps drooling fandom) in person, to be able to thank them for their roles in creating a work of art that has inspired the imaginations of many millions.

(And P.S. -- if you missed the Munchkins and Luft on this morning's "Frank DeCaro Show," catch them again tonight on the rebroadcast. They're right at the top of the show, which means 10 PM Eastern / 7 PM Pacific.)

Lenny Clarke live at Comix Tonite

At least since the underrated and prematurely cancelled ABC sitcom It's All Relative, I've been a huge fan of comedian and actor Lenny Clarke. This afternoon on "The Frank DeCaro Show" on OutQ (Sirius 109, XM 98), Clarke was hilarious as he discussed his momentous weight loss, and his great work on FX's highly regarded series Rescue Me.

If you didn't catch it, you can hear Clarke again during the rebroadcast of Frank's show, in the 2nd hour -- so I think that would be at 11 PM tonight. But here's the thing -- if you're here in NYC, you can also catch Lenny live, tonight and tomorrow at Comix, the really hip, comfortable club in the Meatpacking District. So for more Lenny tonight, tune in -- or show up!

Flash Forward again tonight

In case you missed last night's premiere of ABC's intriguing new sci-fi series Flash Forward -- it's being called the new Lost -- and in case you also missed attending that episode's screening on Wednesday night at the New York Television Festival -- here's another chance to get in on what may be this season's most mysterious hit right from the start. (Don't do what I did with Lost, which was wait until it was too late.)

Tonight at 8 PM Eastern/7 Central, ABC is showing an encore of the series' pilot -- and this time, the network's publicists are hinting -- the episode "might just contain some added material" -- whatever that means!

If you're like me, a Virgo who tries to figure out the mystery as far in advance as possible, thus driving his husband crazy, check this out. The show is already full of clues as to what caused the "Global Blackout." But in addition, a new video series at ABC.com gives us viewers access to the show's creator/showrunners David S. Goyer and Marc Guggenheim as we try to solve the mystery of just what everyone sees up ahead on April 29, 2010:

Also, ABC advises, be sure to check out the FlashForward Experience, share your FlashForward on the Mosaic Collective’s site, and watch exclusive clips in the Augmented Reality experience.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Here's a goodie from today's broadcast of The Frank DeCaro Show that's headed straight for our collective pop culture archives: original Munchkin Karl Slover sings "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Check it out!

The Frank DeCaro Show
Monday to Friday, 11AM - 2PM Eastern, 8-11AM Pacific
Sirius OutQ
Sirius 109 / XM 98

Modern Family and Cougar Town at the 5th Annual New York Television Festival

I was all set to blog today about last night, the opening night of the 5th Annual New York Television Festival, and its screenings of, and subsequent talk-back about, the new ABC shows Modern Family and Cougar Town, set to debut tomorrow night.

I'll post more thoughts on both shows later -- and since they're both good, I urge you to check them out tomorrow. But for a really fun assessment of last night at the Festival, check out Bryan Reesman's blog, Attention Deficit Delirium. There's even a photo of me with the Fest's founder, Terence Gray. (I think I'd rather be Q. I love the gadgets.)

One thing more -- at last night's talkback alongside her Modern Family co-star Ty Burrell and Cougar Town star Busy Philipps and moderated by EW's Tim Stack, Julie Bowen said she'd love to do a Cougar cross-over episode. Considering how hot Bowen looks (especially now that she's not 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins, as she was in the Family pilot), I'd tune in for that!

In Memoriam

With all the amazing talents we lost in 2009 -- as we've all noted, seemingly more this year than in any typical other --Sunday night's Emmy telecast contained a particularly moving In Memoriam segment, accompanied by Sarah McLachlan singing "I Will Remember You."

Thanks to a viewer who, it seems, uploaded the segment to YouTube from Canadian TV, here, again, In Memoriam 2009: