BILBAO REDUX
Last week I travelled once again from Pittsburgh to Bilbao to attend a convention. Last year’s Showtime Con was for meeting Gale Harold again since he was unable to attend the Cologne Rise ‘n’ Shine Convention the previous year. This time it was a QAF Convention with the “Big Four”, Gale, Randy, Peter and Scott.
On Friday afternoon, we began with registration and getting the tickets for the events we purchased and then we took a bus to the pier to board a small boat for an approximately two hour ride around the city’s waterways. This was billed as a Close Up for the first meet with the boyz. When we got there Scott and Randy were waiting but we had to wait about a half hour for Gale and Peter to arrive and then we boarded. We decided to go to the upper deck and then the guys came up and took seats. We were told that we would spend the first half of the ride there and then switch with those on the lower deck so they could have some time with them. In about an hour, we went below and had wine, beer, cheese, bread and Iberian ham. Everyone but Gale came down for food and drink at some point but I imagine that they took him something to drink. We were cautioned by the staff not to take specific pictures of them but we were able to talk with them and take pictures of the sights and of course they could be in the shots as long as we didn’t get in their face and take a picture. One woman did engage Scott and then blatantly begged to have a picture and, since Scott is a gentlemen, he obliged and then she went to Peter and Randy and did the same. When she called out to Gale, a staffer stepped in and shut her down. Then we all got the no individual pictures speech again. I enjoyed the boat ride a lot and toward the end we were allowed to go back up on the upper deck and I got in a long convo with Peter.
We got back to the hotel and had about a half hour to change and then board another bus for the dinners. I bought a dinner with Gale as I did last year. The dinner last year was at the Guggenheim and we had a private room with a long table and about 15-20 fans. This year the dinners were in a restaurant and there were two long tables side by side in a small alcove for Gale’s group and Randy’s group with about 17 fans at each table. Peter and Scott had a big table in another part of the restaurant but within eye and earshot. I was told that there were supposed to only be 12 Gale dinners and 12 Randy dinners but I’m sure that they sold more dinners to make more money and if that kept the Con from being cancelled or from losing one of the guests, I’m okay with it. However, I must admit that it was very noisy with all those fans and very hard to hear anyone except those right next to you. I was seated at the head of the table and Gale was halfway down the one side. Only those in close proximity could possibly hear what he was saying. My friend next to me tried to ask him something but he said he was only hearing every third word so my friends and I talked and drank wine and observed. I enjoyed my dinner which was hake though those who had the steak said it was tough. There were 4 appetizers before the entrée was served and I tried them all except for the pate. There was an ice cream cake for dessert. After the main course Gale got up and went to the other end of the table and visited with the fans there. Later he got up and headed to my end and I said it would be nice to talk with you and he said he was headed for the restroom and would return. Then Randy, Peter and Scott got up to leave and when Gale returned he came to me and said that he had to leave now but would talk to me tomorrow and called me by name. They all know me from all the years I have followed their careers at signings, plays, movie openings and the conventions but it is still a thrill for Gale to know my name.
Day 2 began with the opening at 9 a.m. with all four of them on stage for a few remarks and then my schedule began with a photo with Gale. After that it was coffee with Randy, a Meet and Greet with Peter, photo with Randy, a Meet and Greet with Gale and then a photo with Gale and Randy together. After a break for lunch, there was a panel with both Gale and Randy in the main ballroom and then coffee with Scott and a photo with Peter. While I was running from place to place to enjoy each event, others were following their own schedules depending on what they had purchased. There were panels going on in the main ballroom while these events were going on which meant that you couldn’t be at every scheduled event. All the Meet and Greets and coffees were in the same room on the 10th floor where we sat on couches and armchairs arranged around the perimeter of the room. The guest sat with us and in this intimate setting as opposed to the panels in the ballroom we could see each other and hear everything that was said. Coffee, tea and water was served for the coffee sessions. After that there was an autograph session until around 6 p.m. and then a cocktail party in the main ballroom at 7:30 p.m. Those of us with VIP tickets were seated at a long table with the four guests, I sat next to Peter and across from Gale, where we had wine and various plates of hors d’oeuvres. After a while the guests got up to move from table to table so that everyone got a visit from each of them.
Day 3 began with the group photos and I managed to also get my photo with Peter and Scott because that photo session was at the same time as my coffee with Gale. After the photo session I had a Meet and Greet with Randy, coffee with Peter, coffee with Gale, Meet and Greet with Scott and then coffee with Gale and Randy. There were two Meet and Greets with Gale and two with Randy and two coffees with Gale so you were scheduled either for A or B. The only thing I didn’t schedule was a coffee duo with Peter and Scott because I wasn’t sure I could work all the events I purchased into two days. I was able to accomplish all but missed portions of some of the panels. The Con ended with another autograph session and then a panel with all four for the closing. Many questions were asked and answered though some questions got lost in the translation. Peter did a cute little dance off the stage. You can tell that these men really are good friends and enjoy each other’s company.
In Peter’s coffee we spent a lot of time discussing The Fosters. He is very proud of the show and it won some kind of teen award. I asked about Sherri Shaum who found out that she was pregnant in the season finale and I had just seen her on L&O SVU in which she played a very pregnant badass. He confirmed that she was indeed pregnant with twin boys so they wrote her pregnancy into the show. He talked about his young and talented cast and how he and his writing partner would write themselves into a corner and then figure out where to go from there. In one of Scott’s sessions he asked all of us about ourselves.
I had started to take notes since my memory is faulty but it got to be a chore and I was missing reactions while writing so I quit. That’s the reason I don’t take photos. There are so many wonderful photos that others take and share that it isn’t a priority with me.
Here are some of the tidbits I did note:
It seems that all four of them would be willing to do a QAF movie if the script was good. I have mixed emotions about that because I would be devastated if Brian and Justin went their separate ways and never got back together. I would prefer to imagine them together after the final episode at some time in the future. I would hope that Randy’s thoughts on their future would not be filmed. When asked once again about where they see their characters in the future, Randy groaned and told Gale that he got in trouble when he answered this question before. Then Randy said that Justin passed away and Gale chimed in that Brian carries his ashes around in the trunk of his car. BTW, he really hated the Corvette. Gale also said that we should ask Cowlip what their characters were doing in the future and not them. Peter was asked if he would write the script and he said he would consider it but that Ron and Dan should have first dibs if they wanted to continue the story since it is their story to tell. When Randy was asked if he would be open to reading a script he said he thought Gale should write it.
Randy gets tired and bored of doing the same thing and finds it hard to stay focused and committed to something after about 5 years which is one reason he is not doing any plays in the Berkshires right now though he likes the area and goes back to visit. I asked him if he would consider doing the Shaw festival in Niagara on the Lake and he said he would but thought that you had to be Canadian to work there. He has been looking at scripts and would do another series and he auditioned for several roles on Looking but I don’t know if he mentioned which ones as I came in on the end of this discussion. Girls is his favorite TV show. He hopes to do a music CD and he plans to perform with The Skivvies again much as he did Our Hit Parade at Joe’s Pub. He loves trapezing and even trained to teach it. He likes to perform Shakespeare but doesn’t necessarily like to watch it. Coming off stage after his performances in Tommy was a great feeling. He feels connected to New York and the people and would probably always live there. He likes either the big city or having a quiet place in the country. No suburbs. His dream character is Uncle Vanya and would also like to play Clove or Hamm, two characters in The End Game. They are developing two original pieces for QWAN but they are all busy doing other things right now. He would do a commercial for a product he loves but nothing political. He likes to go to museums and sit and do meditative writing.
Scott told us that they spent so much money on Brian’s custom made bike for the Liberty Ride that he had to use his own personal bike. He said that he and Peter thought it would be fun to have a reality show on Bravo about a gay guy and a straight guy going from town to town and solving problems and then maybe go to a small town and take over the community theatre. He liked kissing Dean Armstrong, his first screen kiss, because he was like a pretty little hairless chihauhua. He would never do a torture film.
Gale said having fun with your scene partner keeps you from getting bored. He had the good fortune to work with Randy because they have similarities in taste and humor and if they hadn’t gotten along so well, they probably would have killed each other. In one of the coffees Gale was asked about one of his favorite books, The Flame Thrower by Rachel Kushner and why he liked it as the person who asked thought it was misogynistic. He expounded on the storyline at length and said Rachel was a dear friend and thought the book was brilliant. He recommended it and I think only one other person in the room had read it.
Peter’s favorite TV show of all time is Friends and he said he watches an episode every day which I imagine is an exaggeration. He loves the scene with George in the airplane blue room because he got to run the gamut of emotions from being happy to being devastated. He liked the scene with Blake when he tells him he will break his face if he hurts Ted and what he called the Lana Turner scene which I thought was the scene when he goes to Brian’s office to persuade him to help Ted. If this is wrong, someone let me know. His favorite scene of the whole series is when Brian throws the bowling ball down the street to say goodbye to his sonofabitch father. His favorite song of the series is Love of the Loveless. All of them were appalled to hear that the Netflix edition of QAF has changed all the music as they agreed that the music helped make the scenes. He would like to live a year in Europe. He didn’t like Rent and would like to remake it. I asked Peter if Ron and Dan knew about the conventions and what they thought and he said that they did know and were pleased about them and Peter thought they should be invited to one which I would like as they know the answers to the QAF storylines.
I had decided to ask them a couple of James Lipton’s questions from Inside the Actors Studio if I had the chance. I asked Gale and Randy when they were together at the coffee and Peter during his panel but I missed asking Scott.
These are the results.
Gale: favorite word - maladroit, least favorite word - fear, favorite curse word - sucka, What do you want St. Peter to say to you when you reach the Pearly Gates - I found your notebook
Randy: favorite word - perspicacious, least favorite word - blah, favorite curse word - cunt, What do you want St. Peter to say when you reach the Pearly Gates - Your mom’s waiting with a bottle of wine. That choked me up a bit.
Peter: favorite word - justice, least favorite word - shame, favorite curse word - cunt, What do you want St. Peter to say when you reach the Pearly Gates - Come here, baby!
I found it interesting that the gay men love the word cunt which I personally hate.
Well that’s about all I can remember but once again it was a very enjoyable and satisfying Con for me. I love getting to see my new German, Italian, Australian and Russian friends that I made in Cologne and having the QAF boyz in attendance is icing on the cake. There is talk of another in 2015 and I might just have to pack my bags and fly back to Europe. Where the QAF gang is concerned, there’s no such thing as enough!!!
On Friday afternoon, we began with registration and getting the tickets for the events we purchased and then we took a bus to the pier to board a small boat for an approximately two hour ride around the city’s waterways. This was billed as a Close Up for the first meet with the boyz. When we got there Scott and Randy were waiting but we had to wait about a half hour for Gale and Peter to arrive and then we boarded. We decided to go to the upper deck and then the guys came up and took seats. We were told that we would spend the first half of the ride there and then switch with those on the lower deck so they could have some time with them. In about an hour, we went below and had wine, beer, cheese, bread and Iberian ham. Everyone but Gale came down for food and drink at some point but I imagine that they took him something to drink. We were cautioned by the staff not to take specific pictures of them but we were able to talk with them and take pictures of the sights and of course they could be in the shots as long as we didn’t get in their face and take a picture. One woman did engage Scott and then blatantly begged to have a picture and, since Scott is a gentlemen, he obliged and then she went to Peter and Randy and did the same. When she called out to Gale, a staffer stepped in and shut her down. Then we all got the no individual pictures speech again. I enjoyed the boat ride a lot and toward the end we were allowed to go back up on the upper deck and I got in a long convo with Peter.
We got back to the hotel and had about a half hour to change and then board another bus for the dinners. I bought a dinner with Gale as I did last year. The dinner last year was at the Guggenheim and we had a private room with a long table and about 15-20 fans. This year the dinners were in a restaurant and there were two long tables side by side in a small alcove for Gale’s group and Randy’s group with about 17 fans at each table. Peter and Scott had a big table in another part of the restaurant but within eye and earshot. I was told that there were supposed to only be 12 Gale dinners and 12 Randy dinners but I’m sure that they sold more dinners to make more money and if that kept the Con from being cancelled or from losing one of the guests, I’m okay with it. However, I must admit that it was very noisy with all those fans and very hard to hear anyone except those right next to you. I was seated at the head of the table and Gale was halfway down the one side. Only those in close proximity could possibly hear what he was saying. My friend next to me tried to ask him something but he said he was only hearing every third word so my friends and I talked and drank wine and observed. I enjoyed my dinner which was hake though those who had the steak said it was tough. There were 4 appetizers before the entrée was served and I tried them all except for the pate. There was an ice cream cake for dessert. After the main course Gale got up and went to the other end of the table and visited with the fans there. Later he got up and headed to my end and I said it would be nice to talk with you and he said he was headed for the restroom and would return. Then Randy, Peter and Scott got up to leave and when Gale returned he came to me and said that he had to leave now but would talk to me tomorrow and called me by name. They all know me from all the years I have followed their careers at signings, plays, movie openings and the conventions but it is still a thrill for Gale to know my name.
Day 2 began with the opening at 9 a.m. with all four of them on stage for a few remarks and then my schedule began with a photo with Gale. After that it was coffee with Randy, a Meet and Greet with Peter, photo with Randy, a Meet and Greet with Gale and then a photo with Gale and Randy together. After a break for lunch, there was a panel with both Gale and Randy in the main ballroom and then coffee with Scott and a photo with Peter. While I was running from place to place to enjoy each event, others were following their own schedules depending on what they had purchased. There were panels going on in the main ballroom while these events were going on which meant that you couldn’t be at every scheduled event. All the Meet and Greets and coffees were in the same room on the 10th floor where we sat on couches and armchairs arranged around the perimeter of the room. The guest sat with us and in this intimate setting as opposed to the panels in the ballroom we could see each other and hear everything that was said. Coffee, tea and water was served for the coffee sessions. After that there was an autograph session until around 6 p.m. and then a cocktail party in the main ballroom at 7:30 p.m. Those of us with VIP tickets were seated at a long table with the four guests, I sat next to Peter and across from Gale, where we had wine and various plates of hors d’oeuvres. After a while the guests got up to move from table to table so that everyone got a visit from each of them.
Day 3 began with the group photos and I managed to also get my photo with Peter and Scott because that photo session was at the same time as my coffee with Gale. After the photo session I had a Meet and Greet with Randy, coffee with Peter, coffee with Gale, Meet and Greet with Scott and then coffee with Gale and Randy. There were two Meet and Greets with Gale and two with Randy and two coffees with Gale so you were scheduled either for A or B. The only thing I didn’t schedule was a coffee duo with Peter and Scott because I wasn’t sure I could work all the events I purchased into two days. I was able to accomplish all but missed portions of some of the panels. The Con ended with another autograph session and then a panel with all four for the closing. Many questions were asked and answered though some questions got lost in the translation. Peter did a cute little dance off the stage. You can tell that these men really are good friends and enjoy each other’s company.
In Peter’s coffee we spent a lot of time discussing The Fosters. He is very proud of the show and it won some kind of teen award. I asked about Sherri Shaum who found out that she was pregnant in the season finale and I had just seen her on L&O SVU in which she played a very pregnant badass. He confirmed that she was indeed pregnant with twin boys so they wrote her pregnancy into the show. He talked about his young and talented cast and how he and his writing partner would write themselves into a corner and then figure out where to go from there. In one of Scott’s sessions he asked all of us about ourselves.
I had started to take notes since my memory is faulty but it got to be a chore and I was missing reactions while writing so I quit. That’s the reason I don’t take photos. There are so many wonderful photos that others take and share that it isn’t a priority with me.
Here are some of the tidbits I did note:
It seems that all four of them would be willing to do a QAF movie if the script was good. I have mixed emotions about that because I would be devastated if Brian and Justin went their separate ways and never got back together. I would prefer to imagine them together after the final episode at some time in the future. I would hope that Randy’s thoughts on their future would not be filmed. When asked once again about where they see their characters in the future, Randy groaned and told Gale that he got in trouble when he answered this question before. Then Randy said that Justin passed away and Gale chimed in that Brian carries his ashes around in the trunk of his car. BTW, he really hated the Corvette. Gale also said that we should ask Cowlip what their characters were doing in the future and not them. Peter was asked if he would write the script and he said he would consider it but that Ron and Dan should have first dibs if they wanted to continue the story since it is their story to tell. When Randy was asked if he would be open to reading a script he said he thought Gale should write it.
Randy gets tired and bored of doing the same thing and finds it hard to stay focused and committed to something after about 5 years which is one reason he is not doing any plays in the Berkshires right now though he likes the area and goes back to visit. I asked him if he would consider doing the Shaw festival in Niagara on the Lake and he said he would but thought that you had to be Canadian to work there. He has been looking at scripts and would do another series and he auditioned for several roles on Looking but I don’t know if he mentioned which ones as I came in on the end of this discussion. Girls is his favorite TV show. He hopes to do a music CD and he plans to perform with The Skivvies again much as he did Our Hit Parade at Joe’s Pub. He loves trapezing and even trained to teach it. He likes to perform Shakespeare but doesn’t necessarily like to watch it. Coming off stage after his performances in Tommy was a great feeling. He feels connected to New York and the people and would probably always live there. He likes either the big city or having a quiet place in the country. No suburbs. His dream character is Uncle Vanya and would also like to play Clove or Hamm, two characters in The End Game. They are developing two original pieces for QWAN but they are all busy doing other things right now. He would do a commercial for a product he loves but nothing political. He likes to go to museums and sit and do meditative writing.
Scott told us that they spent so much money on Brian’s custom made bike for the Liberty Ride that he had to use his own personal bike. He said that he and Peter thought it would be fun to have a reality show on Bravo about a gay guy and a straight guy going from town to town and solving problems and then maybe go to a small town and take over the community theatre. He liked kissing Dean Armstrong, his first screen kiss, because he was like a pretty little hairless chihauhua. He would never do a torture film.
Gale said having fun with your scene partner keeps you from getting bored. He had the good fortune to work with Randy because they have similarities in taste and humor and if they hadn’t gotten along so well, they probably would have killed each other. In one of the coffees Gale was asked about one of his favorite books, The Flame Thrower by Rachel Kushner and why he liked it as the person who asked thought it was misogynistic. He expounded on the storyline at length and said Rachel was a dear friend and thought the book was brilliant. He recommended it and I think only one other person in the room had read it.
Peter’s favorite TV show of all time is Friends and he said he watches an episode every day which I imagine is an exaggeration. He loves the scene with George in the airplane blue room because he got to run the gamut of emotions from being happy to being devastated. He liked the scene with Blake when he tells him he will break his face if he hurts Ted and what he called the Lana Turner scene which I thought was the scene when he goes to Brian’s office to persuade him to help Ted. If this is wrong, someone let me know. His favorite scene of the whole series is when Brian throws the bowling ball down the street to say goodbye to his sonofabitch father. His favorite song of the series is Love of the Loveless. All of them were appalled to hear that the Netflix edition of QAF has changed all the music as they agreed that the music helped make the scenes. He would like to live a year in Europe. He didn’t like Rent and would like to remake it. I asked Peter if Ron and Dan knew about the conventions and what they thought and he said that they did know and were pleased about them and Peter thought they should be invited to one which I would like as they know the answers to the QAF storylines.
I had decided to ask them a couple of James Lipton’s questions from Inside the Actors Studio if I had the chance. I asked Gale and Randy when they were together at the coffee and Peter during his panel but I missed asking Scott.
These are the results.
Gale: favorite word - maladroit, least favorite word - fear, favorite curse word - sucka, What do you want St. Peter to say to you when you reach the Pearly Gates - I found your notebook
Randy: favorite word - perspicacious, least favorite word - blah, favorite curse word - cunt, What do you want St. Peter to say when you reach the Pearly Gates - Your mom’s waiting with a bottle of wine. That choked me up a bit.
Peter: favorite word - justice, least favorite word - shame, favorite curse word - cunt, What do you want St. Peter to say when you reach the Pearly Gates - Come here, baby!
I found it interesting that the gay men love the word cunt which I personally hate.
Well that’s about all I can remember but once again it was a very enjoyable and satisfying Con for me. I love getting to see my new German, Italian, Australian and Russian friends that I made in Cologne and having the QAF boyz in attendance is icing on the cake. There is talk of another in 2015 and I might just have to pack my bags and fly back to Europe. Where the QAF gang is concerned, there’s no such thing as enough!!!