Author Topic: "What's My Line? - Live On Stage" in NEW YORK! (Read 4221 times)

J. Keith · « **on:** March 17, 2008, 11:24:25 PM »

Hey All,

Your old pal J. Keith van Straaten here.

Wanted to let y'all know that my dream has come true (no, not that one): I'm doing my "What's My Line?- Live On Stage" show where it belongs --in the home of the original show: New York City!

For you folks on the Forum, I've got a special discount code to give you $15 tickets for the first two shows --that's 40% off! Scroll down for info.

The website is www.whatsmyline.org. (Sign up for our email list to get updates).

Hope to see you there.

Oh, and here's a secret tip... If you know ANYONE who's a fan of the original TV show, make sure they are there for our Season Premiere on March 24. We've got a once-in-a-lifetime surprise that should not be missed. I still can't believe we were able to arrange it, but it's 100% confirmed and I'm giddy with excitement. I think that true game show fans will appreciate it nearly as much as I do.

OK, enough of the gushing and hard sell. Here's the info...

Yours in games,
J. Keith

March 24

Betsy Palmer - Longtime regular panelist on TV's "I've Got a Secret" and recurring panelist on original "What's My Line?"

Michael Riedel - New York Post theatre columnist and co-host of "Theater Talk" on PBS

Stephanie D'Abruzzo - Tony-nominated star of Avenue Q

Barry Saltzman - Los Angeles stage actor and most frequent panelist on Los Angeles production of "What's My Line? - Live On Stage"

Mondays @ 8pm at Barrow Street Theatre

Opens March 24

Tickets: $25

Available at www.telecharge.com or 212-239-6200

Box office:

27 Barrow Street @ 7th Ave So, 1PM-Showtime, Tues-Sun. Mondays 2 hours prior to showtime

VENUE DIRECTIONS:
Barrow Street Theatre
27 Barrow Street
New York, NY 10014
(at 7th Avenue, South of Christopher Street)

1 to Christopher Street
1 block south on 7th Avenue to Barrow

ACEBDFV to West 4th Street
West on 4th Street, left on Barrow

Website:

barrowstreettheatre.com

Here's how to get $15 tickets to the first two shows...

Either go to http://www.broadwayoffers.com/go.aspx?MD=2001&MC=WMLDSC1

or call 212-947-8844 and use CODE: WMLDSC1

FINE PRINT: Limit 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and online
orders... ffer may be revoked or changed at any time. All sales final. No refunds
or exchanges.... Not valid in combination with any other offer or discount. Blackout dates
may apply.... Offer expires 04/28/08.

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2008, 12:34:15 PM »

^ I went to this show last night (3/24) and it was a BLAST!! Betsy Palmer still has her quick wit, and the other panelists and guests were all very entertaining. They even had the VERY FIRST guest on WML, the lady who was a hatcheck girl at The Stork Club. She still looks good. One guest made cheesecake for Junior's restaurants here in the NYC area, and everyone in the audience got a piece of cheesecake after the show. I was glad I went for this alone!!

There were three civilians and a celebrity mystery guest, an alumnus from an NBC show set in a bar who's now starring on Broadway. I'm not sure if these will be seen on TV, so I don't want to give too much away. The host was great, and I would recommend that if you're in the NYC area between now and April and you're free on Monday night, go to see this show!!! All the info is above.

byrd62 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2008, 12:44:32 PM »

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'182424\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 12:34 PM\']
^ I went to this show last night (3/24) and it was a BLAST!! Betsy Palmer still has her quick wit, and the other panelists and guests were all very entertaining. They even had the VERY FIRST guest on WML, the lady who was a hatcheck girl at The Stork Club. She still looks good. One guest made cheesecake for Junior's restaurants here in the NYC area, and everyone in the audience got a piece of cheesecake after the show. I was glad I went for this alone!!

There were three civilians and a celebrity mystery guest, an alumnus from an NBC show set in a bar who's now starring on Broadway. I'm not sure if these will be seen on TV, so I don't want to give too much away. The host was great, and I would recommend that if you're in the NYC area between now and April and you're free on Monday night, go to see this show!!! All the info is above.
[/quote]

From what I read about it, I don't think this was a made-for-TV event; it was merely a stage show that pays tribute to a classic TV game. I didn't know Pat Finch was still around.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:07:29 PM »

It's definitely not made for TV. In fact, even though they videotape the proceedings for their own purposes, you can't even get your hands on a DVD. (I know, I've tried.) However, it was a fun show in LA, and as long as J Keith and his producer Jim Newman are involved together, I'm sure it was just as much fun in NYC, with a whole new pool of contestants to draw from.

They both have a real affection for the show's place in TV history, which is why this is not done as a spoof, and why they love to get people (famous and regular) who have ties to the original show.

Betsy Palmer played the game in front of a GSC crowd a couple years ago. One of the contestants was Gabrielle Tuite, who was identified to the panel as a TPIR model, and they had to guess her other line (which turned out to be a tanning salon owner). Anyway, given her connection with TPIR, Betsy asked her if she worked with Bill Cullen. About half the audience laughed at the game show reference and about half wondered if Palmer was cluelessly serious. To this day I'm not sure which side I was on.

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:42:07 PM »

Since I now know this show won't be seen, I'll elaborate further.

The hatcheck lady did not sign in as Pat Finch, and I don't remember the name she signed in as. The host also explained that she was now retired, and this portion was technically called "What WAS my line" which got a laugh. After she stumped the panel, J Keith revealed that she was on the first and last shows of the original WML. The audience was treated to a brief clip. When Betsy told her she looks fantastic, she said to Betsy, "Look who's talking!!"

For the other guests, the guy who made cheesecake was guessed, and the next guest, an oboe player for the New York Philharmonic was also guessed. We were treated to a brief sampling of the oboe player's musical ability.

The mystery guest was George Wendt of Cheers who's now starring in Hairspray on Broadway in the role Harvey Fierstein played, so yes, he wears a dress in that show.

After the show, everyone went out in the lobby for cheesecake and mingling. J. Keith, Betsy Palmer and the other panelists and guests talked to and signed autographs for people, including Pat Finch. A wonderful evening. I'll probably go back for at least a couple of future shows. Future guest panelists include Pia Lindstrom, Frank DeCaro, Jonathan Ames, Phyllis Newman and Paul Doherty.

clemon79 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:46:58 PM »

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'182433\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 10:42 AM\']
The mystery guest was George Wendt of Cheers who's now starring in Hairspray on Broadway in the role Harvey Fierstein played, so yes, he wears a dress in that show.[/quote]
He'd have been a fool to do it, but I would have paid cash money to see him answer the Mystery Guest questions as Bob Swerski.

"Have you had a heart attack recently?"

"Just now, yes. My fourth of da week."

/daaaaaa Bears!

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2008, 02:05:46 PM »

Just for trivia's sake, two hosts of WML had posthumous birthdays recently. They are:

John Charles Daly - Feb. 20, 1914 (1914-1991)
Wally Bruner - March 4, 1931 (1931-1997)

and for the trifecta:

Larry Blyden - June 23, 1925 (1925-1975)

I figured this would be an appropriate thread to note these. The above info is from wikipedia.

chris319 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2008, 02:56:26 PM »

Quote

an oboe player for the New York Philharmonic

OK now I'm going to hijack the thread here. There are two things to get in the above line: 1) oboe player and 2) he is with the NY Phil. For those who have seen more episodes of the TV show more recently than I, did the TV show regularly have such two-pronged lines and when they did, did they make the panel get both parts, i.e. Bennett Cerf gets that he's an oboe player but now we're going to play the game for 10 more minutes until Miss Francis gets that he's with the NY Phil?

TwoInchQuad · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2008, 03:23:03 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'182440\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 11:56 AM\']

Quote

an oboe player for the New York Philharmonic

OK now I'm going to hijack the thread here. There are two things to get in the above line: 1) oboe player and 2) he is with the NY Phil. For those who have seen more episodes of the TV show more recently than I, did the TV show regularly have such two-pronged lines and when they did, did they make the panel get both parts, i.e. Bennett Cerf gets that he's an oboe player but now we're going to play the game for 10 more minutes until Miss Francis gets that he's with the NY Phil?
[/quote]

It tended to depend on a) how much time was left or b) how playful John Daly wanted to be with the panel. At times, he had them do both parts of the line, but other times he'd either declare the game over, or flip the cards and give the person $50.

He did seem less inclined to give up G-T's money than Garry Moore did on IGAS, by way of comparison. But then, WML? always was more about **the game**...

-Kevin

Oh-- and I'm glad to see that last night's show came off so well. We thought Pat Finch would be a big hit-- glad to see we were right!!

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2008, 03:29:54 PM »

The line was listed as "plays the oboe." I put in NY Philharmonic as additional info. Host J. Keith accepted the line as guessed when Michael Reidel, the NY Post columnist asked "Are you an oboist?" Yes. there is such a word. Look it up in you Funk & Wagnalls, as they used to say on Laugh-In.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #10 on:** March 26, 2008, 10:11:19 AM »

It was entirely delightful. I've never been able to see it in LA, but it worked awfully well on Monday night.

It will, conceivably, be easier in NYC to get contestants who were involved in the original game, since the show was based there.

I only wish I had every Monday night free to see it.

J. Keith · « **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2008, 10:27:21 AM »

Thanks to all who came and enjoyed. So great to have folks who appreciated what we were trying to accomplish. I heard gasps and I got a chill when we revealed the extra surprise about Pat Finch.

Look forward to more "What WAS My Line" guests --probably one per week!

Please spread the word and if you have any leads to folks we may not know about, please send them along.

Thanks again!

More to come,
J. Keith

TwoInchQuad · « **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2008, 03:34:13 AM »

I'd like to add (since J. Keith is **far** too shy and retiring to mention it himself), that visitors to his blog at http://www.jkeith.net will now have the opportunity to see pictures from Monday night's show, and links to some very good reviews-- like this one:

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/...t_id=1003736381

Congrats, guys & gals!!

-Kevin

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 02, 2008, 08:52:15 AM »

By any chance, was anyone at the WML show on March 31? I was too busy with work and personal errands after work to attend.

J. Keith · « **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2008, 08:05:46 PM »

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'183052\' date=\'Apr 2 2008, 05:52 AM\']
By any chance, was anyone at the WML show on March 31? I was too busy with work and personal errands after work to attend.
[/quote]

Well, I was there!