body mic story

[Jim]

A few years ago I was playing in the pit for Beauty and the Beast. During a scene, one of the supporting actresses was wearing a body mic. When she left the stage, the soundboard person didn't fade her mic. Obviously the tech crew backstage didn't turn off the body mic, either, because the entire audience could still hear her talking backstage.

We were then treated to about a half minute of her talking to someone about how she should have gotten the role of "Belle" (the lead role) and that she was a much better actress than the girl who got the part. All this while the next scene was continuing on stage.

While it was fascinating in its own bizarre way, I wanted to crawl into a hole, because it was so embarrassing for the entire company. And where were the sound people? They obviously had no idea what was going on. Absolutely unbelievable.

[saxplayer1004]

This wouldn't happen to be in Worcester, MA would it?

[hakukani]

Don't get me started....

[jbtsax]

I thought this was going to be like the scene in "Naked Gun" with Leslie Nielsen. Now that was funny.

John

[Heckelphone]

Not exactly music-related, but I saw a similar situation a few years ago. I went to a seminar, and the speaker was using a wireless clip-on mic. At the break, he wandered down the hallway to the men's room, mic broadcasting all the way. When the organizer realized where he was heading, a panicked look came over her. She didn't know how to cut off the sound, and ran down the hallway after him.

She didn't make it in time... Nobody told the speaker until after the entire seminar was over.

[Al Stevens]

In the 1950s TV stations used portable TV cameras with a neck strap. They were called the "creepy peepie." When you weren't pointing it at something, it hung down in front of you and pointed at the ground. (You can see where this is going.) A cameraman went into the men's room. His creepy peepie was still on.

[Jim]

This wouldn't happen to be in Worcester, MA would it?

Nope!

[hakukani]

Back in the early days (which means before A Chorus Line, which is the start of the 'modern' miking techniques), a friend of mine was in the chorus of a show on Broadway. One of the leads was an older British actress.

She had a fast change off right, and somehow lost the body pack in her wardrobe. At the same time, the sound guy forgot to pull her mic out. She clearly said 'I don't know where the bloody thing is. It's down there between my legs somewhere.'