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« what's my line? find out tonight at ACME | Main | as time goes by . . . » November 04, 2004What's My Line? RULED!The first performance of What's My Line? at ACME last night was an unqualified success! Everything clicked perfectly: the panel was hilarious and played brilliantly together, the host was charming and funny, the guests were truly interesting and talented, and the set looked AMAZING. Upon reflection, it was one of the best shows I've ever done. In fact, it was so good, I can't remember a single thing about it. No, I wasn't drunk, I was just so focused on performing from moment to moment, I wasn't able to stop and "watch" myself, like I can when a show sucks. All I know is that I had as much fun as I've ever had in a show, and when I was finished, I met several Industry people, who all told me how pleasantly surprised they were to discover that I was funny. This one guy said to me, "I had no idea you were so funny! Why aren't you on a sitcom?" Before I could answer, he said, "I mean, I really didn't think you were funny." "You're in good company," I said, "with just about the entire entertainment industry." Another woman told me that she loved the show, and will come back every week for the entire run. "There's a fine line between 'devoted fan of the show' and 'stalker,' you know," I said. She totally topped me: "Well, I'm not going to be ignored, Wil!" I laughed again . . . but it was about 70% nervous. I also found out that a lot of people read my website, and a lot of other people believe the totally fake bio I wrote about being a hobo. I told this one guy that I didn't think anyone could possibly believe that, but apparently they do. "Do you think I should change it?" I asked. "No way," he said. "It's hilarious." "Oh." I said. "Thanks!" We had a very full house, which is uncommon and pretty surprising for the first performance of a show, especially on a Wednesday, but they were totally with us from the very beginning, and that contributed to the success in a BIG way. So if you came out last night, thank you!! I'm absolutely loving my life as a writer, but the show last night, and a couple of really wonderful auditions recently have reminded me how much I enjoy being on stage, and performing for a live audience. This is the beginning of about five months of amazing shows at ACME, and I'm luckily to be part of two of them. I don't say this about everything that I do, (actually, I hardly ever say this about anything that I do) but it's totally worth coming out to see What's My Line? at ACME. Comments
Alright! Congrats on a good show. Posted by: Jennifer LaVelle at November 4, 2004 06:29 PMI am stuck up here in Northern California. Did anyone film any of this? Is that allowed there? It's a shame it's always Wednesday night. I won't be able to make it to any of them. Posted by: alan at November 4, 2004 06:57 PMYeah, I'd like to see it too. But I live on the other side of the world in Australia :( I like hearing about it though. Well done Wil! Go Wil ! I love reading about incidents where you defy people's expectations of you; those kind of moments are a lot of fun and, hopefully, lead to all sorts of new opportunities. Did you call Sean Astin yet ? Posted by: Brian Smith at November 4, 2004 07:19 PMI hate to seem stupid, but is the What's my Line staged, or is it serious. By serious I mean funny, but you don't really know what his line is? :) Posted by: Kevin Hjelden at November 4, 2004 07:19 PMWay to go! It'd be great to see you out here on the East coast - in, say, Columbia, SC. :) Posted by: Lissa S at November 4, 2004 07:20 PMAah...good job, Wil. Congrats! Posted by: Steph at November 4, 2004 07:21 PMMan, I just love that feeling when everything about a performance *clicks* - there's nothing else quite like it. I hope to have a performance or two like that when the play I am rehearsing now goes up in early December. Congrats on the show and here's to many more that click the same way! Dave Westbay Posted by: Dave Westbay at November 4, 2004 07:45 PMYea! Maybe this will be a turning poin acting-careerwise. I think the universe is compensating for the election. Posted by: Alan 3 at November 4, 2004 07:56 PMThe show is not staged or written at all. We didn't know anything about the guests or who the Mystery Guest would be (the Mystery Guest was Rose Marie, from The Dick Van Dyke Show! Cool!) Before the show, Keith asked me, "Is there anything you have going on that we can talk about at the top of the show?" "Yeah," I told him, "Ask me about GTA: San Andreas." That's the same thing we do before the JKvS Show, and that's the extent of our writing. Posted by: wil at November 4, 2004 08:01 PMI am most regretful that I missed the show. I did beat Queens over Aces with Aces over fives, though, so the night wasn't a total wash. And I'm delighted to hear that it went so well. Posted by: Annika at November 4, 2004 08:19 PMThis should be a touring show. And perhaps a video blog. if there is such a thing. Maybe you will be rediscovered as an actor, and not just the kid from stand by me, the boy from the movie "the toy" thats doing porno movies ( sorry, wrong child star ) and the boy who left star trek. Good luck with the show. Posted by: Terry at November 4, 2004 08:22 PMcongrats on the show! I will definiitely have to check it out when I get some free time. Posted by: adam at November 4, 2004 08:35 PMI wish I was on the West Coast so I could've seen it, Wil. You'll have to bring the show with you to Providence, RI when you come to do a signing at Borders! (Okay, not that you'd planned it, but... ;)) Glad to hear it was a success! Posted by: gomer43 at November 4, 2004 08:56 PMCongratulations on having such a great show! Posted by: Kimberly at November 4, 2004 09:58 PMI agree with Lissa up there, Wil! It'd be awesome if you were to ever do some sort of tour around the US. Do you think you would ever consider that? Providing it wouldn't take you away from your family for too long, though. I know that would suck.) Posted by: robin s. at November 4, 2004 09:58 PMWil! This is totally an open invitation--if you ever find yourself in Vancouver, BC, (you know, the northern one) to join my improv troupe onstage. We're a college group, and we love you. So, drop me a line if you're ever north of the border. Love Kaitlin Congratulations Wil :) !!!!!! Greetings from Germany Posted by: Jules at November 4, 2004 10:17 PMWell, every tme I read posts like this I always think that... Yes, we all love to see you in a show. And, being struck here in Italy (yes, Italy...) I always think that will be wonderful to have you in a con here. But the local con guys prefer to invite WFS, in flesh and bones (much flesh, as I know). Hi Wil! I went to the show last night, and it was so much fun. I laughed throughout the entire thing. You definitely did a lot of note taking. And you rocked at plate spinning! I agree that the panel got along great, and Rose Marie put J. Keith in his place a few times, which was hilarious. I hope I can come to another one. Thanks for the good time! Posted by: Joy at November 4, 2004 11:13 PMI was so relieved to come here and see some good news! Congrats on the show - have you ever thought about writing comedy? Posted by: Roslyn at November 4, 2004 11:49 PMCongrats! I'd love to see some still photos from the show (if nothing else), vintage clothing and all. By the way, I'm enjoying your latest book and I wish you'd write more about making Toy Soldiers on your site. (I just finished Sean Astin's book and he didn't write enough about it!) Posted by: juststacey at November 5, 2004 12:16 AMCongratulations on enjoying yourself and living in the moment. Isn't that the greatest feeling? Five months of shows at ACME? Will you be doing the show in March? I may actually be able to see you if you are! Please say you're still doing the show in March. Posted by: watcher652 at November 5, 2004 01:11 AMHi Wil, great news that your show went so well. Besides Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, and the East Coast, I'd love it if you came to Japan so I could see your perform live. Posted by: Jonathan at November 5, 2004 03:18 AMMight be an idea to update your bio with your current projects -- published writer, voiceover artist and so on. It currently looks as though your last project was the Jane White film... Posted by: Tom at November 5, 2004 04:47 AMWay to go Wil! Life is finally clicking in your favor and you deserve everybit of it. Your hard work, mindset and talent have shined for your public and now they have the pleasure to enjoy it. Congratulations Wil. "sitcom" you say hmmmmm........ Posted by: Rob Elliott at November 5, 2004 05:01 AMAny chance that WWDN readers will be treated to your hobo bio? There's a nice cardboard box in it for you if you post it... Posted by: Andrew at November 5, 2004 05:32 AMWish I could have seen it. They don't seem to do anything like this in DC. Glad you had fun. You deserve it. Posted by: julie at November 5, 2004 05:42 AMWil, Great to hear the show went well. Sitcoms? Seems to me you should be doing Broadway in NYC, or Second City in Chicago. You sound like you are walking on air, Wil! :-) It's great to walk away from something feeling really happy and proud of what you did. Posted by: Angelwwolf at November 5, 2004 06:15 AMIf you'd take the show on the road, there'd be a huge audience for it here in the Blue swing-state of Minnesota..... Get someone to tape it, and put it on a web subscriber service -- you'd have a whole new audience! Peace, Broadway beckons. See: Mario Cantone. Posted by: Jim Madden at November 5, 2004 07:26 AMCongrats on a successful performance! I huh actually didn't know you were funny either and guess that's because most of the movie roles I have seen you in were serious like Stand by Me, Toy Sodliers(just watched that for the first time last night). Anyway I am glad to find out you are funny. All hail the revival of the game show! Posted by: Mike at November 5, 2004 07:47 AMGlad to hear it went well, Wil...now I'm definitely upset that I wasn't there...oh well, put the show on the road and come to Chi-town; I don't know if I'll get out to L.A. again anytime soon. Posted by: Winona at November 5, 2004 08:01 AMVery cool. I'm gonna parrot some other people. Any pictures from the show? Posted by: Keith at November 5, 2004 08:17 AMMichael Patterson, Yay! I'm so glad to hear it went well!! Congrats! Posted by: Laura at November 5, 2004 09:17 AMIt was great seeing the show, Wil... thanks for making us laugh at a difficult time. I'll do as much as I can to support, and come to as many shows as I can. I'm working on getting a crew together for one of the Sketch shows. Pleasure meeting you, thank you for being so gracious and kind. You're a good egg. Posted by: Goddyss at November 5, 2004 09:30 AMHey Wil, Hey, can't you film these shows and torrentify them? Posted by: Noel at November 5, 2004 11:00 AMSnipped from http://www.wilwheaton.net/about.php
I thought the last few paragraphs were bogus but I did think you were homeless for a while. Now that would have been an interesting chapter in your book.
Glad you had fun and felt you pulled the show off well. I'm an Arkie, so trips to California aren't in the picture for me. I want to know if they are filmed as well. I seriously thought about doing the book signing in Dallas, but ya caught me on a bad weekend. Anyway, I'm glad to see you can do something other that Star Trek. I found Wesley so annoying. It wasn't you acting, it was the writing and the part. A boy genius wandering around the bridge didn't suit well with me. Now if they had written you as a dumb-ass.... lol.... Posted by: Alan at November 5, 2004 12:04 PMI was surprised to see Bush elected again. I have lived in the midwest my whole life and I am getting sick of the "Family Values" aka= "Christian Values" people claim to have. People in this part of the country want everything to always stay the same, even if they have to drag people behind trucks to do it. It makes me sick. And I am also tired of the terms, "left-wingers", "wright-wingers", "Democrat", "Republican", "Battle-ground States" and "God bless American and God bless the American People". That last one really gets me, just the American people? Why not all the people? And which god is doing the blessing? In this part of the country it has to be the "do what I do God". "Yeah for Wil... way to rock the show!" (Using the force... come to Savannah... come to Savannah...) (Using the force even more intensely... Make Brent and Michael buy crates of your books to give away as Christmas presents to all their friends...) I smell stage production of JAG!!! Posted by: Kiki at November 5, 2004 01:24 PMWay to go Wil, we need some video streamage! I'd pay to see it, just not local for me. Posted by: Drew at November 5, 2004 04:32 PMCongrats on the show! That kicks ass! I agree with everyone else, you've got to find a link to some streamage for those of us who don't reside in the center of the universe to see what happened. But I'm glad you had such a blast. I hope the other shows go even better. \m/ Posted by: Chris C at November 5, 2004 05:19 PMGlad you had fun. TO bad theres no tapes, would love to see ya out on the East Coast. Wil, You burst my bubble. I actually believed the hobo-bio and thought it was really cool. Freeman :) Posted by: Freeman in Louisiana at November 5, 2004 06:04 PMI wish I could have been there, remind me to move when I'm 18. There is a fine line between 'devoted' anmd 'stalker' and I love that the woman had such a witty comment ready. *laughs* You weren't really a hobo *is shocked and dismayed*? Go to hobowars, you could be. Posted by: Beth at November 6, 2004 10:03 AMYay Wil, you rule! Posted by: LB Williams at November 7, 2004 06:29 PMWTG, dude. I understand exactly what you meant when you said you didn't remember anything because it was so good! I have gotten that same exact feeling onstage performing: being so "in the moment" that it all went by and was done and you looked around and said, "Huh?" :) With luck, maybe I can get down there and catch your show during its current run. Posted by: Deb at November 8, 2004 12:58 AMWhy think?? There's only 2 realms after our Finite Existence... and 1 of 'em ain't too cool, brudda. God's in control, friend. Not Bush --- Picture a square centimeter in a football field; Now, picture 999 nonillion football fields. Which you think's our Finite Existence? Which you think's our Heaven or Hell? Don't be ignorant. Repent... like I do every Monday 'morn. Posted by: Catalyst4Christ at November 13, 2004 02:48 PMPost a commentThanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out) (If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.) |
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