There are maybe a handful of shows
that hold up to the test of time. Not because of the technology or other
surface behaviors but because of the content, actors, writers, direction, etc.
For me my two favorites are the Golden Girls and Law and Order (the original).
I can watch either any time, any day, over and over again. I can have them on
in the background just for noise or I can sit and watch intently like I have no
idea what will happen next. The theme songs are the lullabies that help me
drift off to sleep, the doink doink sound included.
The Golden Girls seem to just get
more popular as the years go on. Perhaps it has something to do with Betty
White being a main stay in pop culture as she turns a thousand years old or
whatever number she is up to now. That just makes me miss the other girls that
much more. While the show was only on for seven seasons those shows have
provided countless moments of tears, tenderness, and laughter. Oh the laughter.
They are officially the queens of squad goals.
“We were all so lonely, and
then by a miracle we found each other.”
As I drift off to sleep some
nights they remind me of my college years when friends and I would stay up
talking endlessly for hours, then of course I would fall asleep to Golden Girls
way back then too. Thank God for repeats.
“To me it was a miracle.
Because we’re happy. It’s not fair, you know: I mean, we get married, we have
kids, the kids leave, and our husbands die. Is that some kind of a test? You
don’t work that hard—you don’t go through everything we go through—to be left
alone.”
Other nights I find myself envious
of living in a house filled with friends to hang out with, eat cheesecake with,
and entertain each other. This occurs mostly when I am up for the millionth
night in a row suffering from a migraine pain or migraine related symptom. It
is then that having some one to wake and hang out with nearby seems ideal.
It will come as no surprise then
that this huge Golden Girls fan is not writing about them for the first time
here. My favorites include my blog about Eileen’s Cheesecake (http://bit.ly/2gQ3G7g)
and one titled “A Few of My Favorite Things” (http://bit.ly/2hAPYne). I even drew
inspiration from that show when it came time to name my Savannah blog “For Hard
Hearted Hannah the Vamp of Savannah GA”.
As a mover and a shaker in this
town I receive countless emails soliciting me to just about any restaurant or
show within the Tri-State area. Most end up going directly into my trash pile.
It takes something extraordinary to stand out. But then I saw an ad for a
Golden Girls play with puppets!! I signed myself up immediately.
Toted as a show for all “Girls,
Gays, and Grannies” I knew I would be in good company. “That Golden Girls Show”
as it is named, has all of the things we loved about that series including
Stan. The characters often recite lines, albeit in a different order, but that
are taken directly from the show. I could have been in this play with no dress
rehearsal whatsoever but I don’t think I am that good with puppets. For anyone
who has seen “Avenue Q” you know what I mean. For those who haven’t get on that
A.S.A.P.
“Dorothy, you’re the smart
one, and Blanche, you’re the sexy one, and Sophia, you’re the old one, and I’m
the nice one.”
Our girls were the same lovable
creatures we remember and seeing them as puppets wasn’t really any different. I
have to say that walking in and seeing the identical living and kitchen set
made me giddy. They did such a good job! After that I knew it would be smooth
sailing. Between me reciting the lines to myself and still laughing at the same
jokes this show held my attention every minute. It was ninety minutes without
an intermission, which is how all shows should run. While all of the
actors/characters were great by far the best was the man behind the woman,
Dorothy Zbornak. I saw an understudy that day but by God was he good. He had
her down pat. It was like looking or listening in a mirror. The character of
Dorothy Zbornak could be my doppelganger just by the way we speak and think. I
am not a substitute teacher nor was I knocked up at sixteen just to be clear.
But there are days I do feel like I should put my mother in a home.
Seriously the only thing missing
was the cheesecake. They really should have passed some out or at least sold
some. That’s a million dollar idea right there.
Broadway and theater itself plays
such a huge role in my life that it’s no wonder it has a six-degree of
separation link to the Golden Girls as well. Back in 2002 a production of “The
Women” was playing and I got tickets to see it as a birthday present. There was
an all-star cast including Cynthia Nixon who I would re-meet in 2012 when I saw
her in “Wit” (http://bit.ly/2h5J3S9).
Needless to say she is an all-star actress.
But the real leading lady, for me
anyway was Ms. Blanche Devereaux herself, Rue McClanahan. I got to see her
coming out of the stage door and though I didn’t manage to score an autograph
or photo that day just seeing her was good enough for me. Sadly she passed in
2010.
The only regret I have now is that
I never got to meet Detective Lenny Briscoe a.k.a. Jerry Orbach in person
before he passed in 2004. In tribute to him I plan to name my future French
bulldog after him. If I get a second I suppose she will have to be named
Dorothy Zbornak.
It is true what they say:
“If they ever threw a party they
would see the biggest gift would be from me with a card attached saying thank
you for being a friend.”
For More Information:
Comments
Post a Comment