June 2nd 1999, finally added scans of some of Fran's photos.
click the thumbnail to see a larger photo.
Saturdays line up of guests:
Kevin Sorbo
Alexandra Tydings
Joel Tobeck (Strife)
Gina Torres (Nebula/Cleopatra)
Ryan Gosling (Young Hercules)
Chris Conrad (Young Jason)
Paul Robert Coyle (Producer - Hercules)
Sunday's list looks like this:
Lucy Lawless
Karl Urban (Caesar, Cupid)
Claire Stansfield (Alti)
Steven L. Sears (Co-executive producer)
Robert Field (Editor- with blooper reel)
When we got to SM we then couldn't find the Civic center again so we drove round the streets for a while - and we actually arrived about an hour late so we missed seeing Gina Torres (Nebula) on stage.
First thing that I saw then was the Hercules bloopers reels. They had like a big projector screen on the stage and dimmed the lights. It was still a bit dark and hard to see but it worked reasonably well.
Next thing was one of those movie video things - 'Video Tribute' to Ares with 'Bad to the Bone' playing and just a selection of clips of Ares (oh here's a very strange thing that happened throughout the day; every time certain characters appeared on the big screen parts of the audience started cheering. I was pretty supprised by the numbers that cheered every time Joxer was on screen (he got about the same cheer for say someone like 'Ares')
Then they brought on the next speaker who was Paul Robert Coyle who is the producer of Hercules and is the guy that's played by Michael Hurst in the 'present day' ones (and he was at great pains to point out that he wasn't a cigarette smoking alcoholic at all !) He also hinted that they might be working on another Xena musical next season as they are finishing up this season in 6 weeks. Also, he said that the new T.V. series that Melinda Clarke was in was canceled but she resigned another deal and they couldn't get her for Valesca but would like too in the future. Salmoneus will do Xena twice this season, plus a couple of more of Hercules Ephiny is to appear in Hercules this season.
After that was a short music video for Aphrodite (Barbie Girl) then they
brought out Alexandra - wow - wearing leather trousers, a black 'top' and
a little cyan coloured stole or pink boa.
She talked a
little about new upcoming eps, one with a big fight between Discord and
Aphrodite which she really enjoyed since she got a chance to do some action
stuff again. Loads of the 'usual' sort of questions - some about how she felt
working down in the us (some about the 'perfect' job i.e. the one that gets to
'bronze' her up)
Next was a trivia quiz - which I didn't stay for - but wasn't anything really hard (actually every question seemed obvious to me - I think the 'final' questions was what was 'kaltaka' !!)
I came back in at the end of the trivia quiz and then they had an charity
auction, in aid of a foundation for inner city kids named "A Better
world for Kids." It was a strange thing, the bidding was in increments of $10 and the limit was
the 'actual' price of the stuff (ie you didn't pay more than it cost)
Nothing really went for 'big' discounts (mostly $10-$50 cheaper) - best was a
leather Herc jacket which went for $150 instead of $300. The highest bid was
1000 dinars for a bag used by Herc in one of the eps
Some of the ones were special editions, ie with the autographed plaques they
were selling things like 'number 1 of 300' and stuff like that so if you did
actually want to buy them you were getting something 'special' for the same
cost as regular.
After that they cleared the stage again and brought out Joel Tobeck (Strife) - who had not long arrived from NZ (and was heading back again - loong trips for him.) He did a little talk at the start about his background, his 'band' (he and Kevin Smith are in a band together-called Wide Lapels) , his past (used to be a punk) and quite a bit about 'Young Herc' - seems Strife is a major character in there (since its in the past he's still alive) Most of the questions to him seemed to relate to his 'death' or some about the costume etc etc. He is the son of Liddy Holloway, who was one of the actresses to portray Alcmene!
Next up was the Young Herc producer who came out and gave a short talk about
the series - and then showed the bloopers reel for the show. (Not seen an
ep but some bloopers. A great one of Kevin Smith all done up in his costume
with 'hay' all over him. He coughs and splutters then his 'beard' falls off
and he cracks up ;-)
Then they brought out the starts of Young Herc (Herc / Iolaus / Jason (who
wasn't billed to be there) - they came across pretty well on stage but had
to put up with some really ridiculous question (someone actually asked was the
show also shot in NZ (Doh!) they seemed pretty taken aback by all the events. It was obviously a 'big' thing for them and they were onstage with cameras taking
pics of the audience etc.
Next up was a short music video for Herc then they brought Kevin Sorbo on stage. He did about an hour - nothing 'big' just the same regular questions. Quite a few more akward ones about the direction the series is going in (since the very dark arc this season) and a few people asking for 'autographs' (which he did so I expect a few for Lucy today then!)
When Kevin finally left they put tables up on the stage and brought everyone
out for the autographs and dimmed the lights to show the 2 new eps for this
week. The sitting waiting in the seats there was pretty rough (I was really
tired by then) but finally we got called up and went along the row. Everything
was a bit hurried I thought (but I think that's understandable by the sheer
numbers there!) so I got a signed piccie of all the Young Herc people / Gina
/ Joel / and Alexandra (I bought a 'big' pic of Aphrodite. There was the 'old'
pic, this big one - and a smaller one taken from 'The Quill is Mightier' which was a
really nice pic of her with Ares but I wanted the 'big' one Sunday
The day started off with a music video "sisters" which was a montage of stuff with Aretha Franklin/Annie Lennox singing "Sisters are doing it for Themselves".
Next we were told that all the young Herc stars (Herc/Jason/Iolus) and Joel (Strife) were all signing autographs in the lobby if anyone had missed them earlier (I just stayed put - only left my seat for a few mins all day!)
Then we had a presentation of the Xena CD-rom game - a sort of 'storybook' adventure thing (this one was based on "girls just wanna" had some nice pre-rendered graphics but the voices werent 'real' - which really didn't work. The rest of it looked fine but I think it would be a must if they had actually managed to get Lucy / Renee / Ted to really do the voices.
So then they brought out the first of the guests - Claire Stansfield (Alti) OK so you've already been told that she looks 'nothing' like Alti in real life, but she really doesn't. She's 6ft 1 and a really great looking lady. She came out in leather trousers (and someone asked her that question - why does everyone like the leather?) and a light brown jacket which was half open at the front (no comments about her ummmm 'assets'?) She did the Alti voice a few times and she talked about how she had originally read for the story and thought it was to be Cyane (since Alti is described as an 'old' hag/ bag of bones) , oh and a SPOILER !! - she said - in a 'taunting' voice - that the ep she'd just finished (Between the Lines) she has a haircut, well, she GIVES someone a haircut !!!!!!! (wooooo !)
She got some advice from Lucy when she was starting - she wasn't sure
about the character at the start and when she was told to 'go for
it' Lucy took her to the side and told her to "own the part and
Focus." She also got to do some sword fighting in the new ep and the
first time was just given a sword and walked through the scene and she
was concentrating that hard on the scene that she just had this scared
look of concentration on her face which was NO good !! Her favourite
part was the change to 'hang' up in the trees for the flying parts.
Also Renee was 'helping' out behind the scenes for Sin Trade getting
some info/background about her upcoming directing role.
When Martin Crokas (Borias) threw her from the room he really did
throw her from the room.
After that we got a 'long' trailer thing for next weeks ep which looks
really weird - "If the Shoe Fits" Loads of costumes, though most of
it centered on Joxer dancing (to start, with Renee and a 'slow dance'
then the flashing lights and 'disco' type stuff.)
Next up was one of the things I'd heard of before the Con, the music
video tribute to Gabby "Wind beneath my Wings" which was amazing. Whoever
did that really picked the images well to go with the song -
everything all just fits in so perfectly for it (just a pity that it
isnt available anywhere :-( )
After that we got Steve Sears out. He is the co-exec producer of Xena, and he
gave a talk on the show - and some of the episodes. He said that at the
start they didn't know how things would go on episodes, if the actors
could manage to get the 'feelings' behind some of the scenes he'd
written, and how there were specific scenes which when he saw them he
'knew' that the actresses could cope. For Xena it was some small
thing - in Hooves and Harlots when she exchanged words with Ephiny
(the 'what you looking at' line) - and for Gabs it was The Greater
Good after she thinks Xena is dead and is trying to keep things
together to get Sal to prepare the defences etc etc. Also how he was
really proud of the part in The Greater Good when Gabs took her anger
/ frustration out on the tree and how she managed to follow his
directions soooo well. She captured the scene exactly as he
imagined it and when he checked back for the script, all he wrote
was 'Gabrielle bashes a tree' :-)
A video showing was next of a lot of background stuff from 'Bitter Suite.'
The usual sort of interviews and things that were on just before it was
done with some good behind the scenes stuff showing some 'walk
throughs' of scenes and showing how some of the effects and things
were handled - all interesting stuff.
After that we had Robert Field (Editor) who came out and had his props
with him (big cue cards.) He did a talk about the editing process
(and really presented it all well) Then he showed some examples of how
editing could be handled (2 different cuts of the ending for Destiny
with the fight and Xenas 'death'.) He also showed some other stuff on how the eps
could overrun and they ended up cutting out some scenes. Of the two he showed, one was the 'campire' scene from Sacrifice with Xena and Callisto
chatting about life and death (which was wonderfull - I wish they'd
managed to keep it in!) and the other was the 'Argo' part from The
Greater Good when Gabrielle comes out and bashes the tree and then Argo
comes out and they have a 'chat' that they are all that's left etc
etc.
C> In the beginning there was hatred and the resentment was delicious
- now there is nothing left
He then showed a number of 'continuity errors' things that were
mistakes, chakrams moving to wrong sides, the gas tank in GJWTHF,
swords and staffs moving from hand to hand in the same scene, and a
scene from Death in Chains where Argo just wanders around in the
background eating grass (and it was the only shot they had so they had to
'cut' it all together!!) That was followed up with the bloopers
reel (the same S3 one that's in the fan kit #2).
Next up was the auction (I missed the start since this was the one
time I left my seat). The usual same stuff and some special things
for charity like scripts / autographs / etc -etc. Then they came to
auction Xenas Sword, the original one from the very first episode
which was used in a number of other ones. The bidding started off low but soon went up and up and up !! The original Chakram went for
about $8,500 at one of the other cons and when the sword reached
that everyone started cheering but they kept bidding and bidding -
higher and higher and it passed !. $10,000 .. $15,000 .. $20,000
!!!!! and kept going and going .. (and one of the people bidding
was sitting in the seat right behind me !!) $25,000 .. the person
behind me finally bid $30,000 !. The other bidder went to $31,000
and that's what it went for - $31,000 !!!!!! It was bought by the same (wealthy and dedicated) fan who bought the chakram. Hope she has good insurance. (I hear Hercules' sword went for $525.)
Next out they introduced Karl to the stage - wow - he really knew how
to hold the crowd. He came out and said he'd just got off the plane
(ouch!) and was going back again (he did look slightly 'dissheveled' but he came out and was just blown away by the sheer numbers there. There were literally no seats anywhere in the place ! Then he took out
a camera and took a photo of the audience and said he wanted to
answer the question everyone wanted to know , "Boxers or Briefs"
and dropped his trousers there and then ! After a start like that he just kept going on about 'stuff' in general. Quite a few times
getting some audience participation. He said a few lines (like 'Break her
legs' - his favourite Ceaser quote) and "whats your name little girl" - his
favourite Cupid one. He talked about how he got the part (someone asked how
he ended up with 3 chars on the show)and that he'd tried out for Cupid
first then went back for 'Maell.' He talked a little
about getting the 'wings' put on for Cupid and the position he had
to take (slightly bent over).
Next up was a salute to Lucy video -Tina Turner 'Simply the Best'
then they came out and "changed" the format before Lucy came on; there would be no questions :-( Only 10 people pre-selected by
Sharon (Sharons friends ? - Fuzz was one) would get to ask 'pre-set'
questions and at the start to avoid all the 'same' questions there
would be an 'interviewer.' So they put two seats out in the middle of
the stage and brought out the interviewer who started off reading
a top ten list of the answers to the questions that Lucy is most
constantly asked ..
Top ten answers to the most asked questions
10. New Zeland not Australia
Then they brought out Lucy and the crowd went wild, literally
everyone in the place standing up shouting, cheering etc etc.
The interviewer then started asking Lucy questions (and she seemed to
ask a lot of 'silly' ones that Lucy has already been asked before
(like she didn't know ?)
Her first commercial she got $1,300 and took a trip to Europe and
didn't have any money to get home.
After Lucy they lowered the stage and set up for the autographs and
started bringing on the costume competetion. About 30 or so in the
juniors (it was obvious from the start who would win that - a little 2
year old dressed up as Gabs who couldn't stay still for 2 seconds and kept wandering around the stage. 2nd prize was a little girl (7 or 8)
dressed up as Callisto from "Bitter Suite" which was a really well
done costume (complete with little bag hanging on a stick) 3rd was a
young girl dressed as 'pirate' Xena (ie Destiny with the robes)
For the Adult ones there was about 40 or so on stage mostly as Xena
(in various guises) When someone came on as Ceaser, Karl (who was
sitting at the front doing the autographs jumped up and started
cheering and a little later a guy came on as Cupid and Karl ran up
onto the stage and signed his chest. There was just about every
character - a few Joxers, a Janice and Mel, an Autolycus etc etc.
The Autograph lines went pretty slow - but I did get mine - and Joann
and Fran got theirs ok. A few last minute shopping things and that
was us !!
Michael Lynch -25th Jan 99.
If you want a more detailed account, take a look at Erin's Conventions Page that has a very good report.
Lucy recently took her to the Golf world cup and on the way there
Lucy told her to say that they were much better golf players than they
really were and when they stopped, someone asked her what sort of golf clubs
she used ! But she had a boyfriend who played so she said 'Calloway'
and Lucy turned to her and went 'phew'.
The stunt guys were amazing, they asked her things like 'would you
like a backflip?' She'd say yeah and she 'waved' her sword at them and
away they'd go !
Shes much taller than Lucy but she commented that Lucy just stands so
'god-damn-tall-and-proud' that she looks so much bigger (she's 4 inches
or so taller than Lucy)
She also said that she's done about 3 more Xenas and is killed at the
end. Then someone turns round and asks Xena 'Oh you did so well to
kill her that time when she was as strong.' Xena turns and goes
'huh?' and the person answers back, oh didn't you know ? You cant
kill Alti
In Season 5 they are no longer 'exploring' where they are going, they
are exploring who they are. A few comments on the India stuff. He
made a comment to the fan-fic authors that that's what he really likes
about the show, the chance to write his stories and see them up on
the screen.
He also said the name Xena means either Stranger or Visitor.
Subtext? "At a certain point I wrote the characters are closer than
sisters, what the level the relationship is is up to you. They are a
complete circle to each other and closer than many married couples."
In the Sacrifice cut scene - C> Callisto X> Xena :-
X> I'm going for a walk
C> (looking up with an evil grin) - Did we bond ?
X> (snarled) No
C>
C> (as Xenas walking away) I'm going to miss our fireside chats..
9. no American actress wanted to leave the US to spend 5 years in NZ
8. yes I was a miner - no hardhat or canary.
7. letters from lawyers who want me to walk over them in her boots.
6. its derived from a ululation from women in the mid east.
5. if you don't see my face it probably wasn't me
4. rats, eels, tarantulas and he has left the country.
3. very happily married, thank you
2. 5'10 and they are real
1. they are really really really really really really good friends
She said that 1 ½ hours ago she was at home, curlers in her hair,
watching the Learning Channel (about some guy with an operation)
She was wearing :
Olive green tanktop
silk brown drawstring trousers.
black 1/4 heel pumps
she said her socks didn't match
and she had a large 'sunflower' in her hair.
In LUATD she was so scared she'd bite a 'real' rat (for the chakram
shot) said it was the first smell.
She was asked if she'd run for Persident (and she said they would
overlook so many things)
Domination - Xena's not into domination just don't cross her or make
her mad !
Meg is her fav character.
In her past Xena was so damaged there was no-line she wouldn't cross
Would you and Xena have gotten along ? yes absolutely danger excites
me (doesn't it everyone?)
She loves SNL and she didn't get the Stevie Nicks thing. She wanted
it cut since she just couldn't see the funny side of it (no Mexican
food in NZ)
During the Sin Trades it was a very tough time for her but she was
the moral officer, she just had to tough it out. If she acted badly
it would set the tone for others
Someone asked did "Renee cut her hair?" She hummed and hawed then
eventually said "no." Everyone cheered and then she gave a sheepish
look and said "I did".
India ep has new outfits but not for her and they are the most
beautiful stories every told.
In the spiritual quest Gabs gets a tattoo ?
She talked about her life altering experience when she pulled up at a set
of lights next to a van with music blaring and then when they changed
to green she just pulled out right into the path of a fire engine which she missed (only just.) That was something that still stays with
her, how close everything was.
Books she's reading just now - she always has 2 so she can just dump one
"The 7 lives of Lady Beecham" by Gilbert Dale and
"The Chosen" or "The Chosen" (2 books in a set)by Chaim Potok
The biggest one that ever got away a Mike Newell movie that she did an
audition that she didn't hear back on, but no fish ever got away from
her.
One thing she's learned from VH-1 no-one gets off unscathed.
After the little 'interview' they went on to the
audience ones but some people did just shout out questions and she
answered some of them, so I guess it was possible to get a question
asked. Towards the end the interviewer and Sharon were just prompting
her with a little 'background' to a story or two for her to tell (like
in Tsunami she, Renee and Bruce Campbell had a bet going about who would
'crack up' (laugh out loud) first, and during all of Renee's takes
they kept 'floating' stuff (mostly mouldy cabbages) towards her !
Then the interviewer said "oh that'll be the end of the audience part
now," and loads of people started yelling "nooo" and "sing!!" So
she did - 2 verses of "You take the High Road.."(546Kb) got a biiiiiiig
cheer and was then escorted off stage.
3rd prize went to the Cupid, 2nd to a lady dressed as the Widow
Twanky and first prize was just about set as soon as they came on
stage - 2 girls, one dressed as Xena from Armageddon Now (with the
robes, headress etc) dragging someone dressed as Gabs behind her
with a rope. Every time the focus of attention was on them they would
'act' up ie Xena would knock Gabs down etc etc and at the end when
they won Xena spent a few mins untying Gabrielle (ie her hands really
were tied up)