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Come On Down!
May. 6th, 2012 07:43 pmLast night I attended what was officially a "preview" performance of Thanks for Playing the Game Show Show, a musical about American game shows of the 1950's, 60's and 70's. I arrived very early and was asked if I wanted to be one of the audience members who become part of the show as contestants, and of course I said "Yes!" So they took down my name and told me it would be their version of Match Game. Oh, how appropriate!
( In which it is suggested that I'm a 'ringer.' )
The show's director, Scott Evan Guggenheim, came out to introduce the show and explain that this was a "preview" performance and that subsequent shows might be quite different. The cast actually entered through the audience. One of the women (I've now forgotten which character, but I think it was "Helen Hart" (Lee Ann Payne).) asked me if I was alone tonight. When I said yes, she said, "Well, not for long!" I don't know if she realized I was going to be one of the contestants or not.
( Act 1 )
( Kevin gets into Act 2 )
Jazzed up from my turn on stage, I returned to my seat and watched the rest of the show play out through the finale. The cast then exited through the audience and was available in the lobby thereafter. With such a small audience, it was no problem coming out to talk with them, thank them for their performance, explain that I'm the game-show-hosting owner of the vintage microphone they're using, explain what my ad-lib was going to be and let them know that I understood why they had to squash it, and otherwise enthuse. What I didn't do — and I'm kicking myself over this — was not get a picture taken with the cast, even though I'd turned my Droid back on and primed it for photography.
I had an utter blast attending this show. They'll be playing Friday-Saturday-Sunday through May and into early June. I heartily encourage anyone who can do so to get down to the Retrodome and see this show while it's available. If I understood what they were telling me, I think they've invited me to a later performance as a thank-you for the equipment loan. Lisa and I need to talk about whether she wants to make the trip down from Nevada to attend, too. She has to be very careful about shows she attends because of her precarious hearing, but I think this should be okay.
It was a great deal of fun being there. Of course, I assume that they won't ask me to be a contestant if I'm there for a subsequent show since it would spoil the charm of having "cold" reactions, but even so, I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing it again.
Oh, and I got a "lovely parting gift" as a contestant: a box with chocolates and a certificate for free popcorn at a subsequent show at the Retrodome. I gave them back the box not only because I don't have enough room in this postage stamp of an apartment to keep much clutter, but also because, as a show producer myself, I know the hassle of putting together all of this stuff, so if they can reuse the decorated parting-gift box, good for them.
( In which it is suggested that I'm a 'ringer.' )
The show's director, Scott Evan Guggenheim, came out to introduce the show and explain that this was a "preview" performance and that subsequent shows might be quite different. The cast actually entered through the audience. One of the women (I've now forgotten which character, but I think it was "Helen Hart" (Lee Ann Payne).) asked me if I was alone tonight. When I said yes, she said, "Well, not for long!" I don't know if she realized I was going to be one of the contestants or not.
( Act 1 )
( Kevin gets into Act 2 )
Jazzed up from my turn on stage, I returned to my seat and watched the rest of the show play out through the finale. The cast then exited through the audience and was available in the lobby thereafter. With such a small audience, it was no problem coming out to talk with them, thank them for their performance, explain that I'm the game-show-hosting owner of the vintage microphone they're using, explain what my ad-lib was going to be and let them know that I understood why they had to squash it, and otherwise enthuse. What I didn't do — and I'm kicking myself over this — was not get a picture taken with the cast, even though I'd turned my Droid back on and primed it for photography.
I had an utter blast attending this show. They'll be playing Friday-Saturday-Sunday through May and into early June. I heartily encourage anyone who can do so to get down to the Retrodome and see this show while it's available. If I understood what they were telling me, I think they've invited me to a later performance as a thank-you for the equipment loan. Lisa and I need to talk about whether she wants to make the trip down from Nevada to attend, too. She has to be very careful about shows she attends because of her precarious hearing, but I think this should be okay.
It was a great deal of fun being there. Of course, I assume that they won't ask me to be a contestant if I'm there for a subsequent show since it would spoil the charm of having "cold" reactions, but even so, I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing it again.
Oh, and I got a "lovely parting gift" as a contestant: a box with chocolates and a certificate for free popcorn at a subsequent show at the Retrodome. I gave them back the box not only because I don't have enough room in this postage stamp of an apartment to keep much clutter, but also because, as a show producer myself, I know the hassle of putting together all of this stuff, so if they can reuse the decorated parting-gift box, good for them.
