Bert Schnick and Richard O’Brien
By Bill Brennan
(rollover comments on the pics are also Bills)
It was 1995 at the 20th Anniversary
of RHPS. It was the first night of the convention, Friday evening, at the Roxy. The Roxy,
of course, is Lou Adler’s club where a live stage production of the RHS first
entranced America. Casts and fans from all over the world were there. They were doing live
stage performances, Sal hosted, and we all just finished crying our eyes out from seeing
the first ever World Premier of "Once in a While."
I was in the men’s room with Charley Brown of the Tucson Arizona cast, A Jump to the Left (nice tie in to the Oct. con Bill ;-) – jefF). We were drinking a mixture of grain alcohol and cherry juice from a bottle that I smuggled in. We were pretty fucked up, talking about how great it was to see everyone, and laughing at the poor guy who had fallen asleep in the stall next to us (he was snoring… loudly).
That’s when we heard Sal Piro announce that Richard O’Brien and Pat Quinn had arrived.
We took a last pull from the bottle and made
it to the stage – Richard and Pat were right in front of us! They sang, they danced,
they answered questions. Now Richard and I are somewhat friendly, having met each other on
many occasions over the years. I wanted to have a quick word with him before he left, so I
started walking towards the door they entered through. We came to the door at the same
time and I said, "hi." That’s when two big, beefy, security people came
over, opened the door and rushed Pat, Richard, and – much to my surprise –
myself through the door! We were ushered through the kitchen and out the exit into the
alley where a limo was waiting. We made small talk, asked about mutual friends, and the
limo driver finally appeared. Richard commented that is was so hard to believe that
I’m from New York City as I’m always "so delightful."
"Well, I can prove I’m from New York," I
said. "Watch this."
I messed my hair up, rumpled my clothes, and said in a very drunk accent, "Yo, my man, spare some change? Got a dolla’?"
Richard smiled and reached into his pocket and placed an American dollar in my outstreched palm.
"Yo, man, God bless ya," I said and we both laughed.
I went to give him his dollar back and he said, "Keep it Burt, hard times you know."
I laughed and Pat said, "I think we’re ready now." (She had finished her cigarette)
Richard asked me if I needed a ride, and of course I didn’t because there was still a lot of fun left to be had inside the Roxy. He and Patricia drove off and I went back inside with an interesting story to tell…
End
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