Chiller Theatre, 2010
October 29-31, 2010, Parsippany, NJ
Barbara, Kimberlee and I attended Chiller Theatre on Halloween weekend. The first day was very special for me. It was the fifth anniversary of the first time I met Larry Hagman! That initial encounter was at Chiller Theatre 2005, an I Dream of Jeannie reunion. This one was even better. Both Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie cast members were in attendance, all in the same room!
There was a huge turnout for Chiller. The line to get into the Dallas/I Dream of Jeannie room went all the way down the hall as far as I could see. We met several people we knew from past events, show web sites, and our real lives.
On Friday night we showed our support by wearing "I Love J.R." t-shirts. Larry loved them! It was a thrill to see everyone in the same space. Handsome Larry Hagman was charming as usual, his smile lighting up the room. Once again, he sat in his custom made leather chair engraved with his name - what a work of art! The fabulous Linda Gray was warm, friendly and very happy to meet fans. She was delighted to see Kimberlee again, her #1 fan by far! Patrick Duffy was funny and very nice, and Charlene Tilton was cute and energetic.
The I Dream of Jeannie cast was wonderful as well. Bill Daily is one of the nicest stars I've met, and funny too. Larry and Bill still have their impeccable comic timing that was so evident on the show. Barbara Eden was lovely as always, sitting at a high table signing away. Mario Della Casa had his gorgeous array of bottles on display. Quite a few fans were buying them, taking advantage of the opportunity to own a bottle signed by Larry, Barbara and Bill.
Saturday night featured a Halloween party and costume contest. While we did not attend, preferring to escape the hotel for food, we did see some of the costumes. It was similar to Dragon*Con, but on a much smaller scale. Still, plenty to see!
We decided to dress up for Halloween day instead of the night before. We were '80s rockers, with Kimberlee and Barbara both wearing animal print pants. Kimberlee was in black and white and Barbara wore black and hot pink! I went with a leather skirt and jacket, studded choker and wild wig with stand up black hair! Kimberlee and I had inflatable guitars. In our costumes, we went back to visit our favorite actors - and got their attention (especially Kimberlee). At one point the three "rockers" encountered the genuine article - Lita Ford!
Sadly, the fun had to end. The stars packed up, we said our goodbyes and watched Larry leave the hotel in a white Rolls Royce.
For the complete story of a series of Larry Hagman events, see About This Site.
Next: The Collection of Larry Hagman Auction