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| We found our way over to Universal Studios easily and after some quick introductions made our way over the stage and break area that would be our home for the next month. After some discussions about show content and a quick walk through of the show we headed back to the hotel to prepare things for next three days of shows. The meetings were really more an orientation to the actual park layout and a chance to get to meet everyone before things started getting even more hectic during the actual show runs. This was also the first time we got to meet Melanie in person. |
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| It wasn't until the following night when we arrived for our first night of shows that we got to meet the people who would be sharing our break area. We were in the "freaks and rats" area. Youu can probably guess who the freaks were, the rats were actual live rats. A rotating group of girls were being taken out into the park in a clear plexiglass coffin filled with live rats accompanied by an animal trainer ('rat wrangler') as one of the roaming attractions. The rats were pretty entertaining when they weren't napping on the job and their constant mating meant alot of people got free baby rats at the end of the month. |
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| Also, in the same area were the chainsaw crews, the jacks, and one of the other stage acts. The chainsaw crews are four man teams that roam the park with chainsaws, basically scaring the shit out of people by chasing them around revving up the saws - its great fun to watch them in action. The jacks, were the few guys that played Jack the Clown. Jack was sort of an undead/ghoul clown around which the concept story for Halloween Horros has revolved for the past couple years. Jack pretty much roams the park scaring people and assaulting them with a Don Rickles like routine of put-downs. At least once a night, JAck would commandeer our stage and work the crowd over a bit before we started our show - probably one of the best leads I have ever had. The other stage act was a somewhat more traditonal sideshow style group of acts which included a magician, strongman, and glass walker/snake charmer. Bill Birchfield was the magician and also did the talking, while his assistant worked as the glass walker and snake charmer. The strongman was Mighty Jack - John Hartley. I had heard of John before and was really glad to have this opportunity to meet him and see him perform, he's a great guy and fine performer. |
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| In the breakroom. |
Me and Jose from the Chainsaw Team. |
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| Jack. |
Jack. |
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| Me and Bill Birchfield. |
Me and John Hartley. |
| Of course, you can't leave a group like this unsupervised. Keeping an eye on us most of the time, was Pam. I can't imagine that her job description actually came close to describing what she would endure with us around, but she handled it very well... |
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| Me and Pam. |
Scott and Pam. |
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