LAST WEEKEND'S "GREASE REUNION"

THE SIGNING SHOW OVER THE WEEKEND WAS A LOT OF FUN.

AS ALWAYS, I MET SO MANY, MANY GREAT PEOPLE. IT WAS A GREAT JOY MEETING THE PEOPLE, CHATTING WITH THEM, AND SIGNING STUFF FOR THEM. THE GREASE REUNION, NUMBERS-WISE, WAS MEDIOCRE.

OF COURSE, NO JOHN T., NO OLIVIA, NO STOCKARD CHANNING.

THAT WAS A GIVEN.

SEEING MY OLD PAL, BARRY PEARL (DOODY), AFTER 30 YEARS, WAS ONE THE COOLEST THINGS ALL WEEKEND.

BARRY IS EXACTLY THE SAME FUNNY, UPBEAT GUY I REMEMBER SO WELL FROM GREASE.

BARRY TOOK RIGHT TO THE SIGNING GAME, LIKE A FISH TO WATER. HIS FRIENDLY, AFFABLE PERSONALITY WAS PERFECT AND HIS FANS LOVED HIM.

JAMIE DONNELLY WAS THERE TOO (JAN), AND ANNETTE CHARLES CARDONA (CHA CHA), EDD "KOOKIE" BYRNES (WHO DOES ALL THESE SHOWS), AND OUR DIRECTOR, RANDAL KLEISER.

OUR OLD PHOTOGRAPHER, DAVE FRIEDMAN, WAS THERE TOO, WITH MANY OF HIS GREAT PHOTOS.

OH YES, AND MY BUDDY, JEFF CONAWAY, DID SHOW UP. HE HAD SOME ACCIDENTS AND WAS IN SOME PAIN, BUT LIKE A TROOPER, JEFF SHOWED UP.

WE ALL LOVE JEFF VERY MUCH AND WE ALL WANT HIM TO GET WELL AND BACK TO HIS OLD SELF.

YOU KNOW, JEFF WAS HURT AND HAD A CANE, BUT THE LADIES STILL LOVE HIM AND THOUGHT HE WAS "HOT" AND GRAVITATED TOWARD HIM!

SADLY, MY OLD CRUSH, SUSAN BUCKNER (PATTY SIMCOX) MISSED HER FLIGHT FROM FLORIDA AND DID NOT MAKE IT.

SO, IT WAS ABOUT 33% OF OUR WHOLE CAST, BUT STILL, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

I HAVE EITHER WORKED WITH OR BUMPED INTO ALMOST ALL OF THE REST OF CAST OVER THE YEARS, EXCEPT, I THINK, MAYBE OLIVIA AND STOCKARD.

I HAVE RUN INTO MANY OF THE DANCERS OVER THE YEARS, I PRETTY MUCH REMEMBER THEM ALL.

I SAW JOHN T. AT MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE BACK IN 2001 (WE HAD THE SAME DOCTOR AT THE TIME) AND HE WAS THE SAME INCREDIBLY NICE GUY I REMEMBER SO WELL.

WE HAD A GREAT CHAT THAT DAY, I REMEMBER.

THE MAIN THING I SAW - AS INCREDIBLY CORNY AS THIS SOUNDS, IS THE GREAT LOVE WE ALL STILL HAVE FOR EACH OTHER. THE GREASE SET, 31 YEARS AGO, WAS FILLED WITH LOVE (DAMN - IN A MINUTE I'M GOING TO START SINGING AFTERNOON DELIGHT!!)

BUT THE TRUTH IS, WE WERE ALL LIKE A BIG, HAPPY FAMILY. WE LAUGHED TOGETHER AND DANCED TOGETHER (IF YOU CAN CALL WHAT I DID DANCING!) AND REHEARSED TOGETHER AND WE ALL ROOTED FOR EACH OTHER FOR TWO MONTHS.

THERE WAS NO JEALOUSY OR PETTINESS OR ANYTHING UNFRIENDLY ON THAT SET - EVER. IT WAS LIKE A CARNIVAL, JUST FUN AND LAUGHS AND GREAT TIMES. I THINK THE FILM CONVEYS THIS MOOD.

THE STARS, THE BIT PLAYERS (LIKE ME), THE DANCERS, THE CREW, RANDAL, ALLAN CARR (OUR PRODUCER), ALL OF US WERE PALS.

IN ALL THE JOBS I HAVE DONE SINCE GREASE, NONE HAS EVER SURPASSED THE "GOOD VIBES" AND GOOD FEELING I GOT ON THE GREASE SET.

THIS WAS A GROUP OF VERY NICE PEOPLE.

OF COURSE, EVE ARDEN, JOAN BLONDELL, DODY GOODMAN, AND DENNIS STEWART (CRATERFACE) ARE GONE NOW AND WE ALL MISS THEM.

OUTSIDE OF THE FUN OF THE GREASE GROUP, I SAW MY OLD PALS, THE SWEATHOGS FROM WELCOME BACK, KOTTER TOO.

I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL 4 SWEATHOGS ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS, AND THEY ARE THE SAME WONDERFUL GUYS I REMEMBER.

RON PALILLO, MY OLD PAL FROM SURF II, IS NOW DESIGNING SWEATSHIRTS FOR BLOOMINGDALES AND IS DOING VERY WELL.

TORI SPELLING WAS THERE SIGNING, AND ED BEGLEY WAS THERE (A REAL NICE GUY). HE PLAYED ON HIS P.C. ALL WEEKEND!.

THE MOST INCONGRUOUS GUEST WAS POET ROD MCKUEN. HE IS THE BIG-TIME POET - WHAT WAS HE DOING AT OUR CHEESY SHOW?

HE LOOKED VERY INTENSE, HE SAT RIGHT ACROSS FROM ME.

MY GREAT PAL, SCOTTY SCHWARTZ (FLICK FROM A CHRISTMAS STORY) WAS THERE.

SCOTTY IS AN INCREDIBLY GREAT GUY - ALWAYS FUN TO HANG OUT WITH.

ATTENDANCE-WISE, IT WAS DEFINITELY A LESSER SHOW. IN FACT, IT WAS THE SECOND-SLOWEST SHOW I HAVE EVER SIGNED AT.

WE JUST HAD NO "BIG DRAW" i.e. ERNEST BORGNINE OR RICHARD DREYFUSS OR MICKEY ROONEY, ETC.

NOTHING ELSE REALLY OUTSTANDING OCCURRED. BUT I HAD A GOOD TIME AND YOU KNOW, THE FANS ARE SO COOL, SO GREAT, IT IS ALWAYS A TONIC TO MEET THEM AND CHAT.

THESE ARE TRULY WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

A RELATIVELY SLOW SHOW, BUT I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS. I WATCHED MY OLD PALS SIGNING AND CHATTING WITH THE GREASE FANS A LOT.

I REALIZED THAT FILMING GREASE WAS TWO OF THE HAPPIEST, MOST FUN MONTHS OF MY LIFE.

THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL AN INDELIBLE PART OF MY LIFE.

Comments

[Rob]

That's a very interesting recap and the event sounded like a good time. I'd love to go to something like that, but those autograph conventions don't usually seem to make their way around Maryland too much.

[Mike]

This was great to read. I feel like a grew up with you and the rest of that cast. Its good to know that people still gather to celebrate it.