There was one slot in the show, the producers kept replacing with different acts. A ventriloquist, a comedian and a dog act, looking for the perfect fit for the show.
My dancing partner, Roger, and I followed the act with an adagio routine. It was challenging dancing in slow motion. We worked on it for three weeks. At one point, we rolled on the floor, ending with Roger lifting me overhead with one arm.
The new act that went on before us was a handsome magician. He worked with colorful live birds that suddenly appeared out of his top hat, scarves and clothing.
We started dancing and realized we had something slimy and sticky all over us. There were little puddles on the stage, which we tried to avoid. However, if I didn’t transfer the slim to Roger he slid it down my arm.
By the end of our “pretty” dance, we were covered in goo. We rushed to the showers. We learned the birds constantly drop “unborn eggs” during the act. No shell, just gooey slim.
I called the producer and explained what happened. He assured us that he had a solution and it would not happen again.
The next evening, we were thrilled to see the magician working on green grass carpeting. What we didn’t expect was watching the stagehand roll the carpeting before taking it offstage. The slim was on both sides of the carpet now.
The slimy goo was also back on stage.
It was a sticky, icky, gooey dance together. Needly to say, we demanded a new wardrobe and had it the following night. Roger’s brief costume complemented his muscular physique.
It seemed reasonable that the magician would work on top of a floor protector. He had a good act, except for the floor droppings.
The ventriloquist replaced him. He had a funny act, with different characters that the audience laughed and adored. He was a hit and remained with the show.
The audience loved him…and so did we.
