“All the Way” by Linda Eder
I keep thinking about the convention. I keep looking for more convention reports and definitely more pictures. I don’t think I realized how much I missed the whole thing– the excitement of telling your adventures, hearing about other people’s experiences, the awesome guests, the feeling of belonging, the PICTURES! 😀
I know that I said that I felt as though I didn’t quite belong, but in reality, I was part of the experience. I suppose the absence of my friends (save one) gave me a different perspective. Perhaps that’s what I was missing, my friends.
Charles Mesure is still on my mind. I can’t help it! I so wish that I had taken MORE pictures of him. I’m finding very few of him from other convention goers, although I am finding a few very good ones. 😉 (See my Burbank 2004 page for more links, if you’re interested.) And I’m remembering more from the convention. So here goes some rambling…
Playing Michael… Charles basically wore a white gown in his first appearance as Michael on the Hercules episode “Revelations.” He played him with a stateliness and grace more easily achieved than in his later appearances. They figured that when Michael walks the earth, the wings disappear. Cut to his appearance on Xena. He said the wings weighed a lot, pulling him back. It was more difficult to appear graceful. Then there was the harness for the flying scenes. So he was leaned back because of the wings and pushed forward on the bottom because of the harness. Made for an interesting visual on stage. 😉
Another person asked about the changes Michael went through. On Hercules he started out seemingly as a bad guy and in the end was revealed as a good one. On Xena, he went from saving Gabrielle in one episode, then coming back in another in an attempt to kill Xena’s daughter. Charles couldn’t reconcile the two, so he said that he went in, said his lines, and hoped that the viewers could figure out the middle that brought Michael to such a character change.
Kevin Smith… Kevin came up during a question of which character Charles enjoyed playing. Or was it the processes in which he played his characters? I’m not sure. Charles started out by saying that he enjoyed all his characters for various reasons, then gave us an example with the character of Darnelle from “Dirty Half Dozen.” (I think that’s right.) He wanted to go in there playing this warrior type in leather like Kevin played Ares. Charles decided that he would play Kevin playing Ares. All tough, sexy, leathered. Kevin was also featured in the episode, so Charles and Smithy (as he called him) tried to “outbutch” (his word, not mine!) each other. Deep voice, the swagger. It was fun to watch. Charles remembers Kevin with such a fondess that was utterly apparent. He mentioned how he got to kiss Kevin in his first acting gig (on City Life, Charles’ first show). They were good friends, he said. And it showed.
Coming to the States?… Charles was born in England (12 August 1970, according to Kim’s fansite on Charles), moved to Australia when he was five, and has lived in New Zealand for the past eight years. He said that he doesn’t know where home is. He came to the realization that he can leave New Zealand. He has no wife, no family, nothing really tying him to New Zealand, so he believes that the US could be his next stop. (And don’t we all hope it is! Move to LA, Charles! Do another California convention!)
LA, a great city… Charles had been in LA (his first visit to the city, but not his first visit to the States) for two days and he was experiencing an oddly nice version of the city. Everyone had been friendly and great to him. My friend, a resident of LA, and I just looked at each other and wondered where Charles was hanging out! LOL! He did comment on the driving. He found driving more harrowing than the interviews. He just hoped to get to his appointments in one piece!
Whew, I remembered a lot, eh? I wish I had taken some movie clips of Charles. As it is, I was lucky to get the one of Lucy and Renee on stage together. Nope, no one gets to see it. Yet. It’s not really that impressive. LOL!
I’m toying with the thought of doing a Charles Mesure site. That’s how big an impression he made on me. Curses!
I should add a supplemental to my convention report, eh? Charles stuff. Yeah…
Oh, and I didn’t got to work today. Just felt too CRAPPY! Gosh, it’s nice to bum around at home and take naps. 😀
