I ran into Harvey Moshman yesterday at Taste of Evanston by the Dawes Mansion along the Lake. A bucolic setting, a fund raiser for efforts to improve lives, driven in large part by Rotary Club. Harvey had been the first editor to cut together the strange mix that was Wild Chicago on WTTW. It was great to see him. We definitely did a little reminiscing, and we talked about new things we were up to as well. Harvey and Will Clinger have been soldiering on in the wild style with Wild Travels, airing on stations across the country. How awesome is that, eh?!
Naturally, our comments returned to days gone by. And in the conversation I learned that after I left the show (my choice), Harvey put together a season of shows to keep the show active on Sunday nights, a kind of anthology of segments organized by categories, featuring stories from my last two seasons, the 400s and the 500s. Wow! I’d either forgotten about this or just never knew. I guess I still enjoy watching myself on TV, huh?!
Anyway, as I was giving my attention to what I would bring to you today on The Ben Museum, a.k.a. One Continuous Take, I came across this — Show #503 in its entirety. Below is a list of what’s in this episode, as compiled by Harvey way back when.
Each piece deserves a full essay or more. But today, I’ll just touch on what I know about where these folks are today (from memory) or what I remember about the shoot itself, or any connection I have today with these people and places.
Thanks to the magic of Facebook, I am in touch with Chezaday! He’s been doing magic all these years. I loved how we did this piece in his home. He wanted me to wait until we could shoot at a club, but I thought how fun it would be to catch him in his living room. There’s something about capturing these moments in an environment that is not what one would think of first. A kind of humility or realness. Which then led to the emergence of Chezaday’s brother, the guy behind the scenes. And a chance to speak with his assistants too. Wild Neighbor at its best!
George Ney passed away. Before training cats, George sold tile flooring. Interesting.
At Planet Cafe in Roscoe Village (before Roscoe Village became the super hot place it became) I met JoJo Baby, the drag queen who really stood out during our visit. Amazingly, I connected with JoJo years later on a TV pilot starring JoJo. It was called The JoJo Show Show. I even had a part in it. A kind of wise mad professor. But the show never got off the ground. JoJo however, left an impression. We loved her full body tilt up so much we put it in the opening montage of every show that season. Guess I’m a sucker for a white slip. Here’s JoJo Baby in action, co-starring with me (as Benjamin Specimen.) May she/he rest in peace. JoJo Baby was a formidable artist and puppeteer.
The open stage at No Exit in Rogers Park brought me back in touch with Kevin Burrows, with whom I shared the stage many times at the Chicago Comedy Showcase on Diversey years ago. Kevin did poetry with big energy. He didn’t deliver my favorite line in this Wild Chicago segment, and you’ll know why in a second. Here goes: “What. The F*CK. Is life?” Kevin also has worked as a pedicab driver for years, and put it all down in his very own solo stage piece, The Pedicab Show.
Medieval Times is still around! Man, it was brand new when we went in 1991. I was a little skeptical because of the high polish and hype. But they gave us great access to what was going on there, and they were definitely up for a good time. Plus, I got to wipe a giant barbecued turkey drumstick all over my face. In my 30s, that was my idea of going wild. Playing with food had its appeal. Less so today. Hee hee.
Gallery Anonymous holds a special place in my heart. I’ve written about it before. Any story that gives the viewer a chance to experience first hand what we’re showing on TV, for FREE, scores big points in my book. These rock carvings are just so cool. And you can still enjoy them along the Lake around Bryn Mawr, south to Foster Beach in Chicago. Check out Aron Packer’s latest effort here.
Joseph Mill, Transformational Counselor, was so great. I had this idea to provide therapeutic advice to our viewers as a public service, and he was game. Only one thing, said Joseph. “I’m not a licensed therapist. I don’t have a degree.” So, on the spot, we came up with a new descriptor that would keep him out of legal trouble, and still sound great. Transformational Counselor. I envisioned Joseph becoming a recurring player, but he only appeared in two episodes. I don’t know where Joseph is today. Regardless, his wisdom lives forever.
And Stars Our Destination…The store is long gone. I wish all who participated in this one, all the best. And a special thank you to the fellow who introduced me to the wondrous word (and world of the), bandersnatch.
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