Off Off Pod - Episode 021 - Scott Baker – Actor, Bally Master, Santa
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Release Date: 04/11/2014
Off Off Pod - Episode 034 - Off Off Topic – Sal Clemente & Stephen Talk Star Wars – SPOILERS!
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
I get Off Off Topic with my buddy, Sal Clemente, and we talk some Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sal and I are the same age, and we both saw the original back in 1977 at age 14. (I said 15 in the interview, but I checked our birthdates, and we were 14 when it came out.) I think it's fair to say the new movie brought out nostalgic feelings from when we saw Star Wars in our youth. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 033 - Producer Director Actor Brad Coolidge, Part 2
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Filmmaker Brad Coolidge likes hockey ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 032 - Producer Director Actor Brad Coolidge, Part 1
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Stephen Bittrich and Brad Coolidge after whacking some golf balls. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 031 - Actor Mindy Raymond
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Mindy getting made up for Bigfoot action ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 030 - Director Will Pomerantz
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Will Pomerantz and I grew up in the same small town of Seguin, Texas, and we both eventually made our way to the Big Apple to pursue a life in the theatre. We first met when he was about 13 (which would have made me about 12), and while in Texas we did plenty of high school and community theatre together. We recount a few tales from our Texas theatre roots in the interview. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 029 - David Marantz - Voice-Over Artist and Actor
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
David Marantz and Stephen Bittrich in the webseries OFF OFF. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 028 - Actor Maggie Wagner
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
My friend Maggie Wagner is opening in a new movie tonight! It will be playing tonight Friday June 20th at the at 9:30 pm. The film is called which stars -- Maggie of course, Daniel Baldwin, Billy Baldwin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mayra Leal. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 027 - Ann Talman and Kel Haney
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
My friend has been developing her solo show, for a few years (well, arguably her whole life) about her relationship with her family and in particular her brother, Woody. ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 026 - Author Karen Moline, Part 2
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
Karen Moline's Novels ...
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Off Off Pod - Episode 025 - Author Karen Moline, Part 1
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
My fun friend Karen Moline is a wonderful writer with a no shortage of great stories! We we had such a long conversation (the time flew by) that I needed to break the interview up into 2 parts. So here is part 1 today. Come back next Friday for part 2. ...
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Scott Baker is truly one of a kind on this earth. He is the barker or bally master for the Coney Island Freak Show in the summers. In the winters he is often (when not acting in films or plays) Santa Claus in one of the big department stores. He was in the legendary show Oh! Calcutta! for 12 years on Broadway, and he also did some porn acting in the 70s-80s! Quite an amazing and varied life!
He and I met doing theatre Off Off Broadway at the Drilling Company years ago, and he was my muse there in the beginning when I was writing a lot of bizarre comedies for which he was so perfectly suited. He added his unique stamp to all of those short plays.
Interestingly the interview took a dark and serious turn when we talked about his experiences being mugged in NYC. NYC is a safer city now, but the area where he's lived (and in other areas around the 5 boroughs) the city has gone through some major changes through the years.
I promise you will enjoy this talk with Scott Baker!
Topics covered in the interview:
- Intro (0:00)
- Hello Scott! How we met -- Two Eggs and La Mouche (3:49)
- Bally Master a short documentary film about Scott Baker (8:17)
- The Coney Island Freak Show -- three kinds of freaks (12:00)
- Early inspirations, Frank Lentini and Gilbert Mysto Magic Set (16:30)
- How to learn how to pound a nail into your head or eat fire, Coney Island Side Show School (20:32)
- Winter job, Santa Claus (24:56)
- How Scott got to New York (25:51)
- Scott performs in adult films - "Rupert!" (27:23)
- Oh! Calcutta! on Broadway (33:12)
- How Times Square has changed, being mugged by gunpoint (37:30)
- "Bizarre, Interesting or Horrible Audition Stories" (44:00)
- Kitschy interests and new project: Elvis, Santa, John Wilkes Booth, Frankenstein (50:43)
- Cancer survivor -- of the soft palette (55:16)
- Remembering director, Richard Harden (59:29)