Dragon*Con
September 3-6, 2010, Atlanta, GA
Larry Hagman was in Atlanta over the Labor Day weekend to attend Dragon*Con.The well known Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention featured, among many other guests and activities, an I Dream of Jeannie reunion. For the first time since Chiller Theatre in 2005, Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden and Bill Daily were at the same event!
Multiple events took place in four host hotels, the nearby streets crawling with people in all manner of dress. But just a few blocks from the center of activity it was eerily quiet, with only the occasional walker enjoying the surpisingly mild weather. Three of the four host hotels, the Hilton, the Marriott Marquis, and the Hyatt, are connected by pedestrian walkways over the streets, making it easy to move between them. The fourth, the Sheraton, was the registration site, a few blocks away. The line to pick up badges at the Sheraton was around the block!
Once in possession of a Dragon*Con badge, the options were plentiful. Actors, writers, artists and more were meeting fans and signing autographs. There were movies, art exhibits, costume contests, and classes on an eclectic range of topics. Everything from filmmaking, photography, art and science to demonology, ghost hunting and mind reading were available. Saturday morning boasted a parade, and the evenings were filled with crowds in wild and very well crafted costumes.
The cast of I Dream of Jeannie were together on one side of a large room in the Hilton. Larry Hagman, Bill Daily and Barbara Eden lined one wall along with Mario Della Casa, who was selling his eye-catching array of Jeannie Bottles. Fans entered the room in small groups, to limit the crowds. All three actors had many excited fans visit them, some coming by multiple times. Larry Hagman went out of his way to please fans of both of his hit series, Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie, by having two hats. He switched be tween J.R. Ewing and Major Nelson all weekend!
Each day there was a Q&A panel with the I Dream of Jeannie cast. All three were lively and funny, their chemistry and comic timing still intact after 45 years. Each Q&A had a large audience, showing the enduring popularity of the show and its stars. After each panel, the actors went to a photo session, where fans, for a fee, got to have their pictures taken with Larry, Barbara and Bill in front of a Jeannie bottle backdrop.
The night life at Dragon*Con was something that has to be experienced to be believed, the people and the hotels both amazing. The Marriott Marquis, a 50 floor hotel, is breathtaking, with a soaring atrium at its heart. Another host hotel, the Hyatt, also has an impressive atrium. The Marriott was the center of activity on Saturday night, the crowd so tightly packed people could easily get lost. The costumes were incredible! Despite the number of attendees, everyone was well behaved. Quite impressive!
Bill Daily only worked part of the day on Sunday, then flew home. Barbara Eden's last day to sign autographs was also Sunday. Larry Hagman got in a few hours on Monday morning, along with Mario Della Casa, then went home. An impressive and memorable event!