I think it was the summer of 1968 and this little princess-in-training went to Valley Forge Music Fair and caught a Wednesday matinee of Ann Sothern in Gypsy.
It was blazing hot and we were in a tent with no fans much less air conditioning. The Music Fair circuit performed in the round and the entrance aisles were long and steep especially so for a woman of a certain age and heft particularly in high heels. Ann needed an apprentice to assist her up and down the aisles. But she did a good job to my 18 year old eyes and ears.
On matinees the tent never went dark in a 'blackout'. The lights would go off and the cast onstage would break and reassemble for the next scene in full view of the audience and we just bought into it.
For "The Strip", Louise wore about three tight, thin-fabric gowns and was underdressed. For the quick changes she just stepped off the playing area, peeled off a gown in front of us, got a few new hand props, stepped back on stage and went on with the number. There wasn't time to run up the aisle and do the change and come back down. Those aisles were 40-50 feet long and maybe a 20-30 degree angle.
Ah, the days of real summer stock.
"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable."
--Carrie Fisher
