Page 13
NEW YORK CITY
On the set of "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT", without Peter Jennings!!!
On Wednesday, November 3, 1999, Acoustix went to New York City at the request of fellow Canadian Peter Jennings (yes, the ABC World News Tonight dude). We sang for/with him at a Living Landmarks fundraiser banquet where he was being honored with a Living Landmark award. Apparently, they think he's a pretty big deal up there in New York. Liz Smith, the nationally syndicated gossip columnist, was the host/MC for the evening. And she wrote a blurb about our "bit" with Peter in her column the next day.
This is what she had to say.
*****
THE VIPs who were named "Living Landmarks" by the New York Conservancy the other eve at the Plaza, included Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein, who made an effort to do his own conserving by trying to buy the Brooklyn Navy Yard with Robert De Niro for a brand new film studio. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani foiled them.
Harvey wisecracked that he was buying my coming book in order to bring "The Liz Smith Story" to the screen. He asked for audience reaction to who might play Liz. "Meryl Streep?" Polite applause. "Gwyneth Paltrow?" Bigger applause. "Sharon Stone?" Hysterical response. "Well, then how about Madonna?" The gang in the ballroom went wild. What does this signify?!!)
Tony Duke, Pat and Bill Buckley, Marian and Andrew Heiskell were all wonderful in their responses to being named. But Peter Jennings put the icing on the cake when he wound up his remarks of acceptance by bringing on The Acoustix. These men are the World Champion Barbershop Quartet, headquartered in Dallas. And they are simply great! They came to NYC and gave their talents as a gift to the New York Conservancy, which raked in big bucks from a very elegant crowd.
*****
Todd and Jason in the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza, moments before the important guests started arriving.
The following message was composed by Mr. Joel T. Rutherford and posted to the Harmonet on Friday, November 5 to "sum up" the experience (not really possible) for those fellow barbershoppers out there who seemed to be interested.
Now, watching the World News Tonight takes on a whole new meaning.
<snip>
Well, good morning all. Looks like the word got out all on its own. I think I'm almost recovered from the trip. I know I haven't processed everything that happened to us yet, but I can at least share it with y'all I think. Here goes...
Peter Jennings called a couple of weeks ago and told us he was receiving some award and needed a little help with his acceptance. He wanted to make a splash for the "who's who of NY" crowd that was sure to be there. He didn't just want to get up there and say "thanks". So the invitation was extended. And you can bet we worked it all out to be there to help him.
Background: Acoustix has hooked up with Peter before. Back in 1991 there was a big party for Gil Kaplan's 50th birthday being thrown that Peter hosted and Acoustix got invited as entertainment, and to sing with Peter. And Peter also taped a couple of video intros for Acoustix that were used in the 1991 and 1993 AIC Shows (for those of you that may remember). Point being, there was a pre-existing relationship there.
Soooo...
We hopped on a plane Tuesday night for Newark.... a plane that was scheduled to leave at 6:41 and then was delayed till 7:30. You may remember there was some "weather" up there in the NY area Tuesday night. No problem. Get on the plane at 7:30. Roll out on to the runway with about 8,000,000 other planes waiting to go to the northeast. Captain tells us we're not going anywhere cuz of the weather. Geez. More than 2 hours later, we finally took off.
Pity me, I was sitting next to Todd for 2 solid hours of going nowhere. Yikes!!!
Well, we got to New York, hopped a limo, and went into town to stay with Jason's brother, Joel (cool name!!!).
He lives in Manhattan. Most excellent. Got to bed around 3:30.
Got up around 8:00 because the water was to be turned off in our building from 9am til 4:30 pm that very day. The very day we're there. I love New York. Shower, shave, coif, we're on our way to breakfast with Joel (who now works for NBC as a senior producer of Special Projects) and Joel's roommate Derek (who works at ABC as a producer). Sitting at a little breakfast joint eating my two eggs over easy and Liam Neeson walks by. I just about spit my eggs in Todd's lap trying to get a look. I love New York. Apparently he lives in the area. Of course he does. Why wouldn't he?!?
Well, we're off again. This time we're headed for the big time. ABC News HQ, NYC!!! Joel (Jason's brother - let's call him Joel J. to reduce confusion)... so, Joel J used to work there, so he knows the drill. In we go, up we go, and poof, we're in Peter Jennings office! Holy smokes. Books, books, books, large desk, large computer, LARGE microphone, and his own bathroom / shower / make-up area. Pretty nifty. And in walks Peter Jennings! We chat for a while. Renew acquaintances. I drop the "Canadian" word, and we're instant buds. His grandfather lived in Brantford. He knew my home town. That kind of thing. Well, on we go working out what will be our mini set with Peter for the Landmark banquet. Joel J documents our journey on video of course, so later, when we don't believe it all really happened, we can live it again. Pretty cotton-pickin' cool. Peter's senior producer walks in and we give her a song or two. She is LOVIN' it!!! Come on out here and sing for the newsroom. Like we're gonna say no. So out comes "This Is The Moment" ... what else would you sing??!!???
They're diggin' it. Peter is loving it.
We gave Peter a "JUST SING IT" Tee, he insisted on putting it on immediately for a photo!!!
Back in Peter's office. Taking a few pictures (watch for them on the website), light conversation. "Where do you guys want to go for lunch" Peter asks. Like we have any idea. Joel J and Peter work it out. We have about an hour to kill. So up we go to the World News Tonight set. More pictures (watch the website). Rick thinks he wants to be a news anchor. We have to break the bad news to him. Hit the ABC gift shop on the way out of the building. What do you buy in the ABC gift shop? Sweatshirts.... it's FREEZING dude. I mean COOOOLD. Having lived my life in Canada up till about 3 years ago, I know it's not cold for REAL. But I have become soft. To all my Canadian brethren, I apologize.
Anchorman mysterioso, Rick Middaugh.
Off to lunch at "Nick & Tony's", a little Italian restaurant in the area. It's one of those fave hang outs for the stars. Who's that sitting over there? Oh, that's Connie Stevens. Peter's wife, Kayce, joins us. More talk, plans for a sound check, a sotto voce in-restaurant rehearsal, and a schedule for the rest of the day. Hmmm...needing some ketchup for my burger... poof, Peter is out of his chair getting me ketchup. Let's talk about humbling. Peter Jennings is making a ketchup run for my burger. Hmmm. And yesterday I was stuffing CD's into envelopes. Hmmm. More talk. Peter's daughter is in school, and Todd has pictures of his kids, and I am recently married, and Peter is stealing my french fries!!!! Hey!!!
"Do you mind?" asks Mr. Jennings. "Uh ... no... I guess not."
Back to Joel J's apartment to drop some stuff and for idiot Rutherford to grab a jacket, and we're off to the Plaza hotel for a sound check in the Grand Ballroom. You really don't go anywhere quickly in NY, do you? And it's basically a symphony of car horns. Very entertaining. Well, as usual, the sound check was a bust. No system set up. So the sound check turns into a little (much needed) run-through with the big guy. Do that. Then, unknown to us, Peter has asked some of the higher-ups in ABC to come along. And instantly, our sound check has become an audition for the network brass and senior producers of ABC. GEEZ!!! I need some WARNING for this kind of thing!!!!!
Peter asks for My Wild Irish Rose. Uh, no. Don't think that would quite do it, since they have already heard Tonight, Tonight and This Is The Moment that were used in our set with Peter. I guess it's a good thing we didn't really realize who those "suits" were. So, we rip off the "Shine on Your Shoes / Steppin' Out With My Baby Medley", and "God Bless America". They're diggin' it. We're diggin' them diggin' it. They're thinking out loud how they can use us in this show or that broadcast, and we're trying to stay calm cool collected.
Poof, that's over, and the 5 of us are sitting in the Oak Room (a bar in the Plaza Hotel) having a drink and chilling out. Who's that sitting in the corner? Sam Waterston from Law & Order. Cool. I love New York. Who's that walking by outside? Oh, that's Jon Voight. Cool. I love New York. So, after a couple of outrageously-priced drinks, we're back to the apartment to get some horizontal time before the big night. Of couse, Peter takes a cab back to ABC, leaving us his personal chauffeur, Rick, to shuttle us around. "The whole darn world is upside down!" ... What song it THAT from?
Before we know it, it's 6:30, Peter's driver is picking us up again, and we're at the Plaza doing a real sound check.
You'd think they'd put some decent sound systems in a place like that. Oh well.
8:00 - the party starts. Everyone is arriving, and the musicians are hanging out in a ballroom just off the main ballroom. Our presence is still a big secret. Nobody knows what the other person is doing as their
interesting little way of accepting their award.
Peter is getting nervous, and comes back numerous times to check on us.
10:15 - Batter Up!!!
Peter begins his initial thank you's at the microphone. He explains that singling out an anchorman is a little unusual, because an anchor man never does anything alone. Out come Acoustix looing the intro to Tonight, Tonight. We walk over to a couple of mics and continue to sing as background. Peter inserts some breaks into his little speech, bringing us UP and DOWN in grand conductor style. The first part of his speech ends just as we roll into the tag of Tonight, Tonight. We crush it. Everyone is screaming and clapping. Casual saunter over to Peter (2 on his left, 2 on his right) as he continues his acceptance. We start oom-pah-ing an intro to East Side, West Side (thanks Renee Craig) as Peter sets up the tune. He has written about 8 verses of parody lyrics to East Side, West Side all about his travels and Pakistan and nuclear bombs and Mayor Giulianni etc etc etc... the crowd is loving it. Peter sings all 8 verses as we "Oooo" behind him. THEN, Peter does the hanger at the end!! What a trip!!! Peter is holding "New Yoooooooooooooooooork!". And we fill in a little something behind him. It was a beautiful moment. The place went bananas. Peter Jennings singing them a song. They loved it. Then, we launch into a quickie 25 second "New York, New York" written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden who was in the house (thanks Ed Waesche) ..."it's a helluva town, New York, whatta place, whatta town!!!" Another big tag. Peter finishes his thank you as we walk back over to the center mics. At this point, Peter takes a moment to introduce us to the crowd of dignitaries, then gives a final thank you explaining to the crowd what a special moment this really is, what a truly special moment. Insert "This Is The Moment" here. Bammo. We sang that like we'd never get to sing it again. Everyone loved it. And poof, we're off stage as Liz Smith sums up the evening with "I think after Peter's acceptance of this award, this event has lost its amateur status!". Big hugs and thank you's. Everyone's happy. And Harvey Weinstein (president/CEO/owner/whatever of Miramax pictures) charges backstage to congratulate us and tell Peter "We need to get these guys in a movie!!!" George Plimpton, Helen Gurley-Brown (Cosmo editor), and Bill Buckley (nationally syndicated columnist) with wife Betty also paid us visits. Very cool.
On the Good Morning America set, after the big gig.
11:00 - Acoustix has left the building.
As if that weren't enough ... Joel J and Derek have set it up for us to go up and use the ABC Good Morning America / 20/20 set to shoot some promo stuff for ABC and get some video footage to possibly put together a music video for COOL YULE!!!! Most excellent. Not only that, but we're gonna shoot this on a brand new, nearly one-of-a-kind HDTV camera!!! It's on loan to ABC from SONY, and worth about $250,000!!!!!! Todd, don't knock that thing over!!! So we get up to the GMA set, snap some more pics (watch the website) and thaw out a bit. It's even colder now than it was before!!!! And the idea is to shoot this "music video" down on the street right in the middle of Times Square!!! Very cool! And VERY COLD!!! No problem. So Derek has arranged for about 8 crew dudes to be there and help out. They set up lighting and cameras and whatever else they were doing out there. And there we are at midnight in Times Square, NYC jamming to Cool Yule!!! So not only is this our first music video, but it's being shot in High-Definition-Television no less!!! So after lip-synching the song about 10 times, we're back inside thawing out again. I must have left my Thinsulate tuxedo at home in Canada. Change the jackets and we're back out in Times Square again at 1am singing Comden's "New York, New York" about 10 more times getting some HDTV promo footage for ABC, with the big ABC signs and their brand new building/studio in the background. It was something else, I tell you. Back inside for a brief thaw and preview of the footage we shot, and we're packing up our stuff to head back to Joel J's apartment. A pit stop along the way for libations, and we head upstairs. Quick change and then chips and pop while we watch what Joel J shot with Jason's video camera. Yup, all this really did happen. Well, it's about 3:30am and Jason and I have a limo picking us up at 4:15 to head back to Newark airport
for our 5:28am flight back to Big D. No sense in going to bed now!
And, after an uneventful flight home, here we all are!
What a trip. What an experience. And what a great guy, that Peter Jennings is. First class all the way.
So, that about sums up the Acoustix trip to NYC. Good fun.
Sincerely,
Joel T. Rutherford
<snip>
Some pictures of us with Mr. Jennings.
AND ....
Also on the GMA set. That's Joel January in the white jacket.
AT THE BALL!!!
Singing a song with Peter.
Zooming in ....
Outside in Times Square in the wee small hours of the morning.
Do we look cold???
That's the ABC Studio on the left.
The Saga Continues...
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