The Better Than Expected Tour
Volume 4 Book 5 of
Living in the Bonus Round
(Part 11)

Our group takes photos with Jay Johnson and "Darwin.".

[ Book 4-3 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ] [ Pt 5 ] [ Pt 6 ] [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ]
[ Pt 9 ] [ Pt 10 ] [ Pt 11 ]  - [ Book 4-6 ]

February 11-14, 2006.
L.A. Picturebook.

This diary entry is packed with pictures and videos which I thought would be a good send-off as we prepare to leave for another lecture tour of Jim's. Here in lovely, sunny L.A. it's actually been hot enough on several occasions to require the use of the air conditioner. (And as I type this, a huge blizzard is settling over New York City and most of the east coast).

One place we went was down to Century City. Century City, for those of you who've never been, is really just a few streets square of office buildings. The Shubert Theatre used to sit there, but it was torn down recently in order to build, yes, another office building. Here are some shots of the Century Plaza Hotel which we talk about in The Big Voice:

Fancy car out front. Lots of diplomats meet at this hotel.

Where the Shubert Theatre used to be.

Gnarly tree out front.

Century City gleams.

Hollywood from a Century City tower
on a particularly clear day.

We went up to visit our friend Krista, who works in a tower in Century City. I told you how Century City is just a few blocks of office towers plopped down together. Well, looking out her window, you can see Hollywood laid out. Notice the lack of tall buildings in Hollywood. It's a rare day when the sky clears up and you can see this much. (See the shadow of her building?) If you put your finger right in the center of the photo and then move up and slightly to the left until you get to that first ridge of hills, you'll see a little white smudge. That't the Hollywood sign.

A group of us went to see Jay Johnson's incredible show, "The Two & Only" (again) and posed for pictures backstage. I was so excited about his show, that I volunteered to help them promote the show by making some videos for Jay to pitch the show to a corporate sponsor for his Broadway run beginning in April. (If you live in New York, do NOT miss it).

I got there in time for a photo shoot and took this video of Jay telling the story of how McLean Stephenson, then a writer for The Smothers Brothers Show,  ran afoul of Shari Lewis and her puppet character Lamb Chop. I posted the video and you can see it here:

Click on image to view video: Jay Johnson talks about Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop
click here to download

That's the Windows Media Version. I also did one in Quicktime. Both are archived at http://steveshack.blip.tv if you want to go right to the source. And if you scroll down on that page, you'll see a short promotional video Jim made for Zero Hour, his one-man show about Zero Mostel.

Also, there, you will find Parts 3 and 4 of the Trout Supershow. The song I wrote and sang, "Franco Ate The Paperwork" is on Part 3.

After Jay's show, Heidi and Tom took us all out to the beach for dinner. I caught this photo of the sunset just as the sun was hitting the horizon. I loved how the palm trees glowed in the setting sun.

Next time I write will be in about two weeks. Jim has been contracted for another lecture tour and I will be going along for the ride. But I will have a grand piano at my beck and call, so it will give me a chance to write new material that I can come home and record. And speaking of which, at the end of our last performance of The Big Voice, I took the camera onstage with me and made a little "movie" of us taking our bows.

Here are some screen captures:

© 1996-2005 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.