Ric Rambles

by Ric Teller

Septuagenarian.
Syn. aging, senescent, over-the-hill, superannuated, in other words: analog.

I am honored to be in that small, select group of people seventy-plus who are still working in live entertainment television. We are breaking age barriers. So much so that I felt the need to learn how to spell septuagenarian. Technology has helped us stay active, specifically replacing long runs of heavy copper mult-cables with fiber-optic cables. A couple of bi-directional single-mode TAC-12’s can transport the entire audio content from the stage to all of the mixer positions and receive from the mixers as well. It has lightened our load. See what I did there?

Ok, I didn’t mean to over-enthuse about fiber, but it has made a big change in our workflow. In the world of live entertainment television, the Fiber Kings are Bill Eastham, who we call, Fiber Bill, and Kit Donovan, who we call Kit Donovan. They are responsible for managing the complicated fiber networks necessary to make big shows like The Oscars and The Grammys. We have come a long way from the eight-pair copper mult-cables that KTLA used when I worked there more than forty years ago. I wonder what connectivity will look like forty years from now. If you figure out a way to contact me, let’s not talk about that. In 1985, when I began to freelance, I was surprised to find that most of the crew in the freelance world was young. Not-so-annuated. A bunch of tricenarians. You know, thirty-somethings. Maybe one A2 was in their forties. Kinda like now.

Next to my desk, there is a large paper grocery bag from Ralph’s, filled with credentials. Not every single one that I have received, but a pretty good bunch. My wife, Patricia, reached in without looking and picked out a few for me to tell you about.

1. The 1991 International Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies

This event took place in Minneapolis at the Metrodome. You know, the place that was forced to cancel a football game in 2010 because the roof collapsed. The highlight of our show was a short set by Prince. He and his band played “Diamonds and Pearls,” “Baby I’m a Star,” and “Push.” Fantastic! The day after the show, I rented a car and drove to Lake Okoboji. It’s in Iowa. You should visit there. Not in winter.

2. Miley’s Sweet 16

For her sixteenth birthday in 2008, Miley Cyrus celebrated with a fundraising party at Disneyland. A private party at Disneyland. After the park closed. My little part included a concert on Tom Sawyer’s Island, in Frontierland. I think we had to take everything to and from the island by barge. The fireworks show, just for the birthday party, was spectacular. I understand that the island and Rivers of America will close soon to make way for a new car-themed attraction called Piston Peak National Park. Hmmm. Front Tires Land?

3. 55th ACM Awards at The Ryman Auditorium

I rambled about the ACM’s in the last issue, but working this show at The Ryman was great. A bucket-list venue for me. Yes, bucket-list venue is a thing. Fox Theatre – Atlanta, Chicago Theatre – Chicago, Radio City Music Hall – New York, The Roof Garden – Arnolds Park. Since I started in 1987, we have done the ACM show in thirteen venues in four states.

4. Betty White’s 90th Birthday

Early in January 2012, we did a tribute show for Betty. Ed Greene was our Mixer, and he was very concerned that we make sure to set the height of the stand mic just perfectly for the 5’4” Betty, several times reminding us how important it was to get it right. When Betty arrived to rehearse her portion of the show, Ed asked again if we would measure the stand height before she came on camera. Betty was ready to rehearse. She walked to the Schoeps stand mic and began her speech. “I..‘ould..‘ike..oo..ank..ever..body” cutting her own audio in and out. Ed yelped from the booth. Debbie and I were on the floor laughing. And Betty. Oh, Betty, you gave us a memory we will always cherish.

Thanks to Patricia for choosing the credentials that spiked these memories. And thanks for everything else, too.

I haven’t traveled internationally for work very often. Mexico and Canada, but no further. My Canada experience was interesting. Someone from HBO’s Reverb TV series wanted a person on stage to patch each band to their music mix truck. Someone they knew. I flew into Vancouver, didn’t know anyone else on the show. Bought a work permit and seemed to give some money to everyone else I met. The next day, at 6 a.m., I ran about two thousand feet of 27-pair cable, set up my patching area, and got ready for Edgefest, featuring The Foo Fighters, Green Day, and a lot of bands I can’t remember. It was a long rainy day. By midnight when I returned to the hotel, I needed a Molson. Maybe two.

As for travel within the US, I’ve worked in about half of the fifty states. A surprising amount considering I’ve never worked in the sports world. I owe a great deal of that travel to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! From the time I did the 1998 Jeopardy! College Tournament at UC Berkeley, until our last Wheel of Fortune remote at Epcot, in 2017, we crisscrossed the country. Some years, doing as many as six remotes. I’ve always tried to take advantage of seeing and doing interesting things around the country while traveling for shows. On several occasions, I have flown in a day early, stayed an extra day, or taken a late flight out on a travel day. There are things to see and to do to satisfy just about any interest. I will never regret taking advantage of the opportunities.

Without going into detail about each show that facilitated travel, here are some very good memories.

It’s no secret that I like baseball. Work trips have taken me to Arlington Stadium, Candlestick Park, Busch Stadium, The Kingdome, Oakland Coliseum, Yankee Stadium (the original), and Veterans Stadium. All have been retired. Plus, Nationals Park in D.C., Wrigley Field (for opening day 1999), and Camden Yards. That one was very special. The host of a well-known television show offered his personal box to an A2 working on the show. The A2 generously asked a few of us to attend the game. Thank you, Mitch Trueg, that was amazing. For those who don’t know, Mitch is famous for putting mics on Jeopardy! contestants, encouraging them, and making them feel comfortable. I believe there is a social media presence for Mitch the Jeopardy! Mic Man.

On a trip to work in Philadelphia, we had a dark day, so Mitch and I did a self-guided historical tour. We got in line behind a bunch of school kids to see the Liberty Bell. At the front of the line, the Park Ranger asked us if we wanted to touch it. Gently. We did. We touched the Liberty Bell! I don’t think they let tourists do that anymore. That same day, after lunch at Bookbinder’s, a famous restaurant with a long history, we went to Independence Hall, where both The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution were signed. Some months later, Mitch and I were working at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. After work, we walked to The National Archives to see both of those documents in person.

I love being a tourist in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Institution consists of seventeen museums and galleries in D.C. (and a few elsewhere), most of them on or near the National Mall. Many government buildings offer interesting tours, and when the weather is pleasant, take in some of the monuments and statues. Noel Roberts, my sixth-grade teacher’s favorite is The Jefferson Memorial. Go there. Last December, before The Kennedy Center Honors, my cousin David and I spent most of a day at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Their collection is amazing, including the Space Shuttle Discovery. It is close to Dulles “Boondoggle” Airport and getting there requires some effort, but it is very much worth your time. The next day, I visited 695 member Joe Kendall at Arlington National Cemetery. We did a lot of shows together. He is missed. I wonder if there are other 695 members at Arlington. The day after the show, I booked a late flight home so I could see a special exhibit featuring Impressionists at The National Gallery of Art. It was wonderful, but I was surprised that they inexplicably left out my favorite, Frank Gorshin.

Other memories, in brief. A snowshoe trek near Aspen. Renting a bike in Hawaii and riding on the island for a week. Traveling to IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center to tape Jeopardy! Getting up close with alligators on a swamp tour near New Orleans. Hiking on Mount Charleston, near Las Vegas. And, on May 27, 1999, watching the launch of the aforementioned Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-96, the first mission to dock at The International Space Station.

I know. You wonder when I had time to work.

One of the other ways I’ve tried to make work travel interesting is by exploring local cuisines. I could never understand eating at a chain restaurant. Period. End of sentence. Try Joe’s KC BBQ and Jack Stack in Kansas City; have breakfast at The Loveless Café in Nashville, then make time for a drive on The Natchez Trace; don’t miss Acme Oyster House (sit at the bar with Hollywood Broadway, master shucker), Cochon, and Jacques-Imo’s Café in New Orleans; while in Washington, D.C., make time for Old Ebbitt Grill, Zaytinya, and Peter Chang (in Arlington); Las Vegas is loaded with great choices like Izakaya Go, Mint, Lotus of Siam, Jaleo, and Bouchon (where I tried to toast my fellow traveler and could only manage eight letters). Hutchins BBQ and The Heritage Table will feed you well in Frisco, Texas; don’t miss Russ and Daughters, Pastis, Oyamel, Barbuto, and hundreds of other places in New York City. My favorite New York restaurant was Esca, now closed. I ate at the bar so often that Victor (the bartender) would greet me by asking what show was going on.

Several of the restaurants mentioned above are part of the José Andrés group. His World Central Kitchen is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that provides food relief to places in crises. Definitely, one of the good guys. You could look it up. wct.org

I hope many of you have made the time and effort to make your work travels enjoyable. When it becomes a habit, it truly helps you blur the line between location and vacation. I’m happy to have created these memories with so many friends. Some from nearly forty years ago and others from just a few months past. So, what does any of this have to do with being a septuagenarian? My grandma Joie, the poet, taught us that age is just numbers. No matter what number you are, if you are traveling, get out there and enjoy yourself.