Friday Questions

Let’s get some Friday Questions going, shall we?

Fed by the muse leads off:

Who in show business do you consider one-of-a-kind talents (be it actors, writers, musical artists, etc.), say your top five-to-ten (persons, more or less, of your time)? Thanks.

Hard to narrow it down to just ten. But here are some standouts, and I’m probably forgetting ten more (so please don’t write in angrily saying “why did you leave so-and-so off the list?”).

Larry Gelbart, Vin Scully, Cary Grant, Stephen Sondheim, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Oprah, Billy Wilder, Dan Ingram, Neil Simon, Paddy Chayefsky, George Gershwin, Meryl Streep, Jack Benny, Stanley Kubrick, Patsy Cline, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, and Billy Shakespeare.

From Erich617:

Is it possible that podcasting will replace radio as a training ground for performers? I am curious about your opinion in particular since you have done both.

Podcasts are an ideal training ground for talk radio but not music.

Podcasters have to pay license fees if they play music so very few do. All of my bumpers and jingles were done custom for me.

So if you want to be a radio DJ, podcasting won’t help you.

Of course, who wants to be a music DJ these days? So few stations employ live jocks so you’ll likely be recording voicetracks. And any personality is discouraged.

Sheila has two questions.

I wanted to know if the audience gets paid to watch the taping of the TV shows? Or at the least do they get some snacks?

It depends on the show, but there are services that do provide audiences. The show pays them. Especially if you have a new show that hasn’t aired yet, it’s difficult to get audiences off the street. So an audience service is employed.

Once the show becomes a hit and enough fans are requesting tickets then the services aren’t needed.

The services can provide specific types of audiences – like skewing older or skewing urban.

I should mention that tickets to TV tapings are always free. That is, when there are TV tapings again.

Depending on how long the shows keep their audiences they will often provide snacks, candy, and even sandwiches. You don’t want to be at a taping that offers sandwiches because it means you’ll be there forever. And trust me, after a couple of hours it gets old.

Which brings up another issue. The warm-up person will tell you you are forbidden to leave. Of course you can leave. Anytime you want.

However that doesn’t apply to people provided by audience services. They’re being paid to stay till the bitter end.

Are they allowed to ask the TV stars for autographs. Please share your experience on this, like if any of the stars are kind enough to walk and shake hands with the audience and sign a few autographs.

Some stars are gracious enough to volunteer to give autographs. But remember, they’re working. They’ve memorized a script, they’re about to perform, so they really have to concentrate on the task at hand.

A few will stay after and sign autographs, but a lot of times after the audience leaves they continue shooting pick ups. So their work is not done when everybody files out to go home. You wouldn’t hold it against an actor to not give an autograph in the middle of a play he’s performing in. So I ask everybody to please not hold it against them if they won’t sign an autograph or pose for a selfie. It's just a bad time. 

I don’t know if this is the case with all Disney Channel shows but the one time I was on the set of GOOD LUCK CHARLIE the audience was invited to come down to the stage after the filming and meet the cast. Selfies and autographs were permitted.  (See above photo) The cast was lovely with everybody and I really applaud them. This was coming after a very long and demanding day.

What’s your Friday Question… or Questions?