Aaron Trotter's Broadcast Premiere...

It's nice having your playwright also be a prominent Bay Area Radio personality who can utilize the might of his PR machine to whip the mobs into a frenzy and go see a show... or one would hope.

This Friday morning, several cast members (Mary Bishop-Faust, Sara Breindel, Rob Hermann, Z'ev Jenerik & Chris P. Kelly), crew (Maria Jenerik and Holly Metz) and singer-songwriter Megan Slankard joined Peter Finch and his morning crew to broadcast a pre-recorded snippet of the play as well as an in-studio performance of our show's theme song complete with back up vocals and reverb! Oh reverb... dost thou know thy power?


This was my first journey to KFOG having slept in when 2007's "Ahhh! Rosebud" radio appearance with Peter, Z'ev Jenerik, Matt Gunnison, Jason Harding and special appearance by much missed Bay Area radio fixture Dave Morey. The studio is lined with a drool worthy amount of memorabilia and history. However, Peter being Peter, he only drew my attention to his desk which has become a bit of a Thunderbird tribute.

Posters featured from L to R: Ahhh! Rosebud, The Las Vega-Nauts, and Lusty Booty

However, I have the sneaking suspicion that he only put those posters up right before I got there. For all I know, that could normally occupy even more broadcast awards he's received (notice those big honking plaques) or mayhaps the 2009 Pin Up Calendar for the Hottest Dickens-Faire wenches.

I listen to Peter fairly often in the mornings on the way to work but I never had an image of where he edits his terrific fogfiles and his weekend morning news program. So it was nice to get a permanent accurate mental snapshot of where the "magic happens" (my words not Peter's). I shouldn't be suprised that everything was digital and modern but I was a bit disappointed to not see much in the way of analog equipment. The sole hint of the radio broadcast tools of yester-year was one of those large audio reel players tucked in a corner looking as it was collecting dust.

The cast and crew gathered about 30 min before our air-time so we spent that time warming up but mostly listening to Peter talk about what to expect for the novices among us (excluding Megan Slankard who was clearly a pro at this). Another revelation to me was that Z'ev's mother Maria Jenerik worked with Peter at KFOG and Z'ev as a young child would walk around the building. This of course elicited "awww" from several attendees much to the easily embarrassed Z'ev.

We were finally called in around 8:30AM to begin our segment which was in total a little less than 5 minutes but it was a blast simply being in the room with so many Thunderbirds and in a show I listen and enjoy almost every morning. Focus of the banter was between Peter and his colleagues who asked him questions as if he was any guest being interviewed as opposed to the person they've sat with for 5 hours every morning for years. So, I found it particularly hysterical when Peter ended his segment telling his co-workers how much he loved listening to their show straight from the KFOG Guest boilerplate.

After we were done, we said our byes and thanks to Webster, Greg and Renee who were absolutely a wonderful group of people and by far the best looking morning crew I've seen at 8AM in the morning... and I've seen a lot. Kissed a lot of frogs as they say.

And on that note, I've got a few hours to take a nap before I head off to opening night. Dress rehearsal last night was great and I will post pics and video soon.

All for now. More later.
Sang

San Francisco Guardian's Theater Pick

AARON TROTTER AND THE INCIDENT AT BIKINI BEACH
JULY 31 TO AUG 15 2009
THE EXIT THEATER
156 EDDY ST
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
TICKETS: $18-$22
www.thunderbirdtheatre.com
www.brownpapertickets.com
www.sffringe.org
415 289 6766