MORNING GLORY Makes Six Memories Rise and Shine

Over the past few years I have written a number of posts about the movies. Some of my favorites are:

• Technically Speaking, He's Just Not That Into You
• Over the Rainbow, Australia and the Magic of Music
• What I Learned from Julie and Julia

I like movies. This is one of 84 things you may want to know about me. Today I saw Morning Glory. I know, I know, I could have seen Fair Game or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, to name two, but some days you just need a believable, simple, funny story about what life is like when your 28 years old, optimistic and love what you do!

As I watched Morning Glory I was struck by a number of wonderful memories. It occurred to me I would share SIX of my favorite memories about live television and celebrities:

1. Live Television is pretty interesting. I think the first time I was on television I was celebrating my 5th birthday. I lived in a small suburb of San Diego and Johnny Downs did a little afternoon show for children. I remember my mother dressed me in my best dress and told me not to talk with my mouth full. I listened very carefully and I only talked with my spoon in my mouth! [See photo-right]
2. In 1994-1996 I was frequently interviewed on RSN (now called Outside Television) in North Conway, NH, representing The Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company. It never went particularly well. They always seemed to ask questions that were so open-ended I could talk forever. Then it seemed they wanted me to hurry, Let's go to commercial!
3. In 1996, I went to New York City with my two sisters. They insisted on going to see the TODAY Show. (By the way, the TODAY Show is practically a character in Morning Glory.) It was March and the outside temperature at 6:00AM (the time you need to get to '30 Rock' if you want to be interviewed by the TODAY cast) was 15 degrees. My sisters were determined, we made and wore funny hats that  caught Al Roker's attention. So yes, we were interviewed and friends and family across the nation saw the three Eagen sisters live on NBC. By the way, there is a really funny scene in Morning Glory with the weatherman broadcasting from outside - I won't be a spoiler.
4. Probably the most famous television show I ever witnessed rehearsing for live production was Saturday Night Live. It was 1997 and we were in New York City for Daniel's Bar Mitzvah. Our dear friend, an NBC cameraman, invited us to watch the Friday night rehearsal with Pamela Lee Anderson as the host. That is all you need to know about this experience.

5. Have you ever watched a television commercial being produced? It is a really interesting process. In 2002 I sent an email to NBC imploring them to save the television series American Dreams. Within minutes a commercial producer was emailing me and asking me to send her a head shot, [see photo right] two weeks later I was in South Pasadena part of a commercial shoot with a wardrobe truck, make-up, caterers, lights, camera action. Yes, indeed, I was seen on NBC during prime time for about eight weeks. Very fun! I thought about this experience today...when Rachel McAdams was producing the promos for IBS' Daybreak.
6. Finally, I thought back to Summer 2009. Daniel, my youngest son, was in New York to see Waiting for Godot. He had wonderful house seats for the performance and Harrison Ford was sitting right next to him. Daniel was traveling, sans laptop, so he had me write about it here Waiting for Godot on Broadway.

We all go to movies for different reasons. Today I think I agree with Shelley Ross, a veteran television producer, who said this of Morning Glory, "Then again, it’s why I love the movies: so a girl can still dream."

Here's to dreams, Morning Glory...you know who you are!  And by the way...when you see Morning Glory let me know what you think. Any fun memories?

Related articles

• Rachel McAdams Says Working With Harrison Ford Was 'Intimidating' (omg.yahoo.com)
• Movie Review: "Morning Glory" Channels "Good Morning America" (newsweek.com)