But of course I've got a Michael Jackson story!

I'm still completely gobsmacked over the fact that the Gloved One has rung down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible (and don't even get me started on Farrah Fawcett). But, thinking about how he has been a part of my life in some way or another since I was a kid, I recalled an incident where I had the privilege of actually performing for Michael. Curious? Read on...


Back in the early 90s, I had a pseudo "acting" gig, working as a "grip" in the Alfred Hitchcock tribute show at Universal Studios Florida (the show was called "Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies", but was affectionaltely known as "Itchy-cock" thanks to our Asian tourist friends. I found a clip of the show on YouTube, but I can't embed it, so if you're curious, check out this video. Picture me as the dude in the purple shirt.


My "Itchy-cock" gig was really fun (and super easy). The casts rotated, so I usually did 3-4 20-minute shows in an 8-hour day. Pretty cushy. But, of course, everyone was always trying to get out of shows or swap times so they could sneak out and see an afternoon matinee (that happened a lot). Remember that.


Michael Jackson was on a highly-publicized vacation in Orlando at the time (he was traveling with Macauley Culkin, which was regarded as slightly creepy as I recall.) They came out to Universal and were scheduled to come see our show in the afternoon. According to the schedule, it was MY show. I was beyond psyched and, naturally, my co-workers fell over themselves asking me if I wanted to swap shows with them. Obviuosly, I turned down their gracious offers. I can clearly remember seeing Mike 'n' Mac sitting in the back row of the small theater. When I was introduced, I waved and mouthed "Hi, Michael!" Although my "role" in the show was miniscule, I was so nervous. I did pull it off without a hitch (oops...sorry for the unintentional pun there!) Sadly, there was no "meet and greet" afterwards, but I do have my very own personal MJ memory. Sniffle...