LYNDA CARTER NEWS

NEWS YEAR 2005 OCTOBER-DECEMBER
NOVEMBER 12 NOVEMBER 19 2005
WONDERLAND WITH LYNDA CARTER IN LONDON: THE FULL REPORT

Sawnie Burgos O'Brien and Mark Meader, a.k.a. the Wonderland team, managed to save some shekels and were able to go to London to share a week with LYNDA CARTER and see her in the play “CHICAGO”, and believe us, it was worth every penny (or shekel!). Full with photos, audio and video here’s the full report about their week in London with Lynda Carter!!!

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Sawnie arrives on Saturday 12 and meets Lynda by chance when walking our friend from Washington DC, Paul Corsi to the Adelphi Theatre. When Lynda came out, there were many fans there to greet her, complement her on her role of “Mama Morton”, and to have pictures signed, of course. Lynda looked incredibly and naturally beautiful. While she was signing the offered items, Sawnie said “Hi Lynda!” and she stopped signing, let out a very surprised yell “Oh my gawd!!!”, and hugged and praised Sawnie and our site to the skies and to the fans who were there. Lynda asked when we (Sawnie and Mark) were supposed to see the show, and we would discover later that it had a purpose. She thanked for the flowers, plants and gifts she’s been receiving since she arrived to London, and was very praiseful with the site all the time. She is very appreciative of what this site has become to her and her many fans, and had nothing but good things to say about it, such as “terrific, fantastic, amazing, fabulous, etc. etc.” These words would become common during the rest of the week. To the fans surprise, Lynda’s family were also there having made the trip over the pond to see Lynda’s performance. Jessica rapidly walked out, and James stayed behind her all the time, while her husband Robert was waiting across the street.

  Mark got to London on Monday 14 and together with Sawnie they go to the stage door with flowers that evening, but the guard came out and told us that Lynda had left by the front door to take some friends out to dinner. We were disappointed, but felt that she was entitled after her performance to be able to entertain her friends and to take a break from greeting her fans.

   The next day we had tickets for the evening’s performance, and we came to the stage door about 5:30 in the evening to wait for her, loaded down with cameras, tape recorders and flowers. She didn’t disappoint us as all of sudden Lynda came walking very fast down the alley wearing jeans & a white shirt and light blue sweater under a beautiful full length golden fur coat, having taken a cab from her hotel. She paused when she saw us, said “I’m a little late, guys,” but when she saw Sawnie she came back out from the stage door. Sawnie introduced Mark to her, and were just amazed at how beautiful she looked, her dark hair flowing over the fur collar, freshly washed & fragrant, her smiling face framed by the fur collar and so kind and patient as Mark stammered greetings and gave her the flowers. She thanked Mark very graciously and offered him her cheek to kiss, then paused for photos. We let her go into the theatre and walked to a café to wait in anticipation to get our seats for the play.

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   The Adelphi Theatre was built in the early 1800’s, but was well lit and had a spacious stall area for the patrons, plus two balconies. Sawnie and Mark had seats in the second row from the stage, on the right side, and the theatre was quite filled when the play began. Sawnie had previously seen the play on the same theatre a few years back, but this time it was very special. The stage was bare, with just a raised orchestra stand, which the players came around or from stage left or right as the play began. Then during act one, after the third song, the time came that we had been waiting for. Lynda’s song was announced as “And now ladies and gentlemen, the keeper of the keys, the countess of the clink, the mistress of murderer’s row, Matron Mama Morton!”  She strode out from stage right, right in front of us, and began to sing “When You’re Good to Mama, Mama’s Good to You.” Her voice was beautifully rich and full, her black-clad dominatrix presence was overpowering, and she clearly owned the stage that night as she stalked back and forth! But to our great amazement and joy, when she sang the chorus, “When You’re Good to Mama” her eyes saw us in the second row and she pointed her finger at Sawnie and Mark and ad-libbed “Mama’s Good to You…and You!”. We were ecstatic!  Her role as “Mama” continued as she exchanged lines with Roxie and Velma, lawyer Billy Flynn, and others of the cast, whose acting was excellent in their roles of citizens of Chicago in the roaring 20’s. In act two, after Roxie’s trial, Lynda and Amra-Faye Wright (Velma) sang the duet “Class”, a woeful commentary about the low-brow people they are forced to contend with, and Lynda’s voice was as strong as before, although she let Amra draw her words a little longer, as a pro would kindly do for a young actress. When not singing or speaking her lines, Lynda sat on the side of the theatre with other members of the cast, pretending to ad-lib to each other and react while the drama was played out on stage.

AUDIO: "When You're Good To Mama". Lynda Carter as Mama Morton singing.

AUDIO: "Class". Lynda Carter as Mama Morton singing.

   When the play ended, some people from the theater took Sawnie and Mark backstage. Outside the stage door there were more than a dozen fans. We were announced, the guard called Lynda, and we were allowed to wait inside the stage door as the other cast members left. When Lynda came out, tired but still glowing from her performance, she signed our programs and kindly let us record some of the messages for her fans and “Wonderland”, while Sawnie presented her with one of the huge posters that announced re-run of the ”Wonder Woman” series in Argentina last year. She was very pleased that we enjoyed the play, and was surprised to hear that we also had tickets for Friday the 18th’s performance, too. Then she went out to her other fans, letting out a surprised “Oh!” as she saw them. Always a gracious person, Lynda tried to sign each and every fans offered items, posed for photos, and as she chatted with some. Mark complimented her on her beautiful fur coat. She thanked and then said wryly that “I am surprised that I haven’t been attacked by the PETA people yet.” While she keeps signing autographs she interacts with Sawnie all the time, praising and promoting the site! One fan who had asked for her autograph on two photos mistakenly called her Linda Evans, and in mock outrage Lynda grabbed for them and yelled, “Linda Evans? I’m NOT Linda Evans…gimme those back!” Sawnie added: “What’s that site of yours? www.wonderlyndaevans-site.com?” We all laughed, especially Lynda. She then had to leave, as her right hand, which had been broken earlier last spring, was beginning to ache from signing so many autographs. She then had to leave, as her right hand, which had been broken earlier last spring, was beginning to ache from signing so many autographs. Her driver had her silver Mercedes waiting for her, and Sawnie and I watched as Our Lady tiredly got into the back seat and drove away. With a big smile she waves goodbye to us from inside the car!

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   Mark went back to see the play the following two nights, and seated in the balcony each time getting a better perspective of the play and the actors in their roles. He was also able to study Lynda more and how she moved and played her role. Although he had not seen the play before that week, he was struck by Lynda’s acting, and how she always was on the mark, reading her lines perfectly and never failing to give a great performance each and every evening. Another fan, who had seen the play several times, commented outside later that Lynda seemed to be a more compassionate “Mama Morton” than other actresses had played her, and certainly when Mark watched Lynda’s face as her bohunk prisoner Catherina Hunyak was hung, the look of utter shock and disgust was so evident on her face that it spoke volumes to the audience of her feeling about the inequality of the prison systems then. The people from the theatre also commented us how Lynda’s performance was improving by the day, but also mentioning that week she was superb! That night Lynda had to leave early and could not stay.

   The following night, Sawnie and Mark went to the stage door, where we met our friend Pariac Kenny, a fellow fan from Ireland (check out his review for the play on the STAGE & VOICE section of this site). Although she was going out after the play with friends from America, Lynda came out to greet her many fans who were waiting. Looking stunning in black trousers and a long black fur trimmed coat with her hair up, she asked that since she was going out with her friends, could everyone limit everyone to one autograph each? This done, she proceeded to sign with gusto each one offered to her. She reacted to one person whom she knew to be an autograph hunter , who had obviously been at the stage door many evenings, with the firm statement “Barry, I gotta tell ya, you need to find something else to do other than coming here all the time” in a good natured way.  When Pariac offered her a photo of Lynda as Rita Hayworth, he asked her to sign “Love” with an exclamation point, which she had not done for many years, and she was flattered and surprised that he remembered that fact. She posed with photos with him and many others, then left with her U.S. friends for a well deserved quiet evening, but not before Sawnie managed to shoot a quick video for “Wonderland” of her graciously signing autographs. Pariac then joined us and we went back to our hotel where we just raved to each other about her beauty, and her kindness to all her fans who braved the cold to wait for her.

VIDEO: Lynda, Sawnie and her fans. Lynda Carter as signing autographs to her fans and talking with Sawnie about the release in the UK of the Creature DVD.

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   Friday evening Sawnie and I went again to the theatre and sat in the second row, only a couple of seats from where were Tuesday, and Pariac and his brother sat one seat over from us. It was supposed to be the 8th anniversary night, but the cast had a celebration a week before. The theatre was packed and Lynda was stunning. Once again as she sang “When You’re Good to Mama”, she pointed at us, and also the Paraic who she also recognized from our previous encounter. In the final bow, when she’s announced, Sawnie stands up and deliver her three dozen roses. Lynda’s surprised and takes them with a big smile while she thanks and says “I love you!”. When all the cast are bowing together, Lynda separates the roses and gives a dozen to each of the other girls, that’s Amra-Faye Wright and Sally-Ann Triplett. Not much later we meet again backstage. While the others wait outside Sawnie gets inside and announces. A few minutes later Lynda says hello again and thanks for the flowers, then Sawnie shoots some of the videos with Lynda. One of them is Lynda talking about her final run on Chicago and the other one the welcome video for the site. Though she was wearing no make-up, she looked naturally beautiful and fresh in spite it was a double-show night. She was casually dressed in a colourful sweater and wool hat in similar design. She walked outside and though she was tired she patiently signed some autographes. As she did in previous nights she interacted with Sawnie: “Hey Lynda, what’s that site of yours…?” She looked at all the fans and said: “wonderland-site.com”. Then we said goodbye to her since Mark was leaving the following morning. Once again Lynda thanked us for everything, saying she hoped to see us soon.

   Friday evening Sawnie and I went again to the theatre and sat in the second row, only a couple of seats from where were Tuesday, and Pariac and his brother sat one seat over from us. It was supposed to be the 8th anniversary night, but the cast had a celebration a week before. The theatre was packed and Lynda was stunning. Once again as she sang “When You’re Good to Mama”, she pointed at us, and also the Paraic who she also recognized from our previous encounter. In the final bow, when she’s announced, Sawnie stands up and deliver her three dozen roses. Lynda’s surprised and takes them with a big smile while she thanks and says “I love you!”. When all the cast are bowing together, Lynda separates the roses and gives a dozen to each of the other girls, that’s Amra-Faye Wright and Sally-Ann Triplett. Not much later we meet again backstage. While the others wait outside Sawnie gets inside and announces. A few minutes later Lynda says hello again and thanks for the flowers, then Sawnie shoots some of the videos with Lynda. One of them is Lynda talking about her final run on Chicago and the other one the welcome video for the site. Though she was wearing no make-up, she looked naturally beautiful and fresh in spite it was a double-show night. She was casually dressed in a colourful sweater and wool hat in similar design. She walked outside and though she was tired she patiently signed some autographes. As she did in previous nights she interacted with Sawnie: “Hey Lynda, what’s that site of yours…?” She looked at all the fans and said: "wonderland-site.com", and then she perked up and exuberantly pointed to Sawnie and Mark, standing on either side of her, and said "and hey, these are My Guys, they do My Site, Wonderland, the Best Site in the World, Yayyyy!" Then with her cheers and marvellous words ringing in our ears and filling our hearts with utter joy, we said goodbye to her since Mark was leaving the following morning. Once again Lynda thanked us for everything, saying she hoped to see us soon.

VIDEO: "End Of Run in Chicago". Lynda Carter backstage talking about the enf of her successful run as Mama Morton in Chicago.

VIDEO: "Outtake 1". Lynda Carter as shot by Sawnie. Outtake.

VIDEO: "Outtake 2". Sawnie directing Lynda Carter! Outtake of the wonderland welcome video.

VIDEO: "Outtake 3". Who's directing who?. Lynda asks Sawnie if ready as he drops the camera. Outtake.

VIDEO: "Outtake 4". "Hi, I'm Lynda Carter". Funny Outtake.

VIDEO: "Outtake 5". Final outtake, Sawnie's dropping the camera.

AUDIO: "Lynda's Message to the Wonderland Fans". Lynda Carter personal message to the Wonderland fans.

   The following day, as Mark departures on his way back home, Sawnie is ready to enjoy his last two days in London. That night back on the theatre Sawnie takes some gifts for Lynda and talks with her on the phone. Lynda says: “What happened Sawnie, did you miss your plane?”. It was Lynda’s last day and last performance in Chicago, it was time for goodbye after a successful week in London for us, but before that a final drink along some of the people of the cast. Thanks for everything Lynda!

 Sawnie Burgos O’Brien and Mark Meader.

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