Villages Vitality: Senior Life Unscripted

Behind The Stooges in The Villages: Wayne Richards

• Mike Roth • Season 8 • Episode 4

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Behind The Stooges in The Villages: Wayne Richards 

Wayne Richards on Bringing ‘The Three Stooges Move to The Villages’ to the Stage

Mike Roth introduces Season 8 of Villages Vitality Life: Senior Life Unscripted and interviews Villager Wayne Richards about his music-industry background and local theater work. Richards discusses his new comedy play, The Three Stooges Move to The Villages, explaining its premise (the Stooges struggle to separate their on-stage behavior from real life), its shift from an earlier title, and its intended mix of humor and heart. He shares performance dates and venues in May (Hacienda May 1, Lake Miona May 8, and Rohan May 11 and 15) and directs listeners to ActingOutTheaterClub.com for times and tickets. Richards describes the cast playing Moe (Howard Tolman), Curly (Alan Rosenchin), and Larry (Fred Solano), plus supporting characters, minimal sets across multiple theaters, and some flexible, improv-like moments. The conversation also includes light banter about The Villages, Chicago, and Portillo’s.

00:00 Season 8 Kickoff
00:49 Palm Trees and Weather
01:31 Wayne Music Career
02:27 New Show in Villages
03:01 Story and Premise
04:40 Title Change Explained
05:31 Dates Tickets Venues
06:32 Chicago Food and Beer
07:56 Show Length Format
09:39 Alzheimers Research Tip
10:49 Meet the Stooges Cast
13:25 Fountain of Youth Twist
14:25 Stooges In The Villages
14:38 Meet The Supporting Cast
15:50 Minimal Set Big Focus
16:20 Sound Mic Strategy
17:35 Scripted With Surprises
18:46 Director Onstage Bits
20:14 Stooges Film Restorations
22:00 Alligator Stage Gag
22:59 Encore And Future Plans
26:29 Tickets And Final Laughs
27:52 Show Wrap And Credits

Season 8 Introduction

Support the show

Open Forum in The Villages, Florida is Produced & Directed by Mike Roth
A new episode will be released most Fridays at 9 AM
Direct all questions and comments to mike@rothvoice.com

If you know a Villager who should appear on the show, please contact us at:  mike@rothvoice.com 

Dolores:

Welcome to Season eight of Villages Vitality Life, seniors Life Unscripted. Our podcast used to be called Open Forum in The Villages, Florida. In this new season, we talk to leaders of clubs and interesting folks who live in and around The Villages. We also talk to people who have information vital to seniors. You will get perspectives of what is happening in and around The Villages, Florida. In addition, in this new season, we will add more information for all seniors. We are a listener supported podcast.

Mike Roth:

This is Mike Roth on Villages Vitality Life, Senior Life Unscripted, and I'm here unscripted with Wayne Richards. Thanks for joining me, Wayne.

Wayne Richards ai:

Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. And I just want everybody to know that if you clip the bottom of your palm trees, they will come back and, wait a minute, that's a different show. I'm sorry.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

I'm sorry I confused.

Mike Roth:

Usually you have to clip the top of the palm trees. Yeah. That they bought out.

Wayne Richards ai:

I'm actually, they, the guys came out and they clipped the bottom.

Mike Roth:

Really?

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. So who knows?

Mike Roth:

You're gonna have a very short tree.

Wayne Richards ai:

But there's lot, there's different kinds of palm trees, and they don't belong in central Florida in the first place.

Mike Roth:

A lot of 'em don't. No. You can see a lot of dead. Fron leaves all over the place here.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yes.

Mike Roth:

We had some cold weather earlier this winter and it's warmed up nicely today.

Wayne Richards ai:

That's right.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

Beautiful, this is the weather. We came here for what? We Moeved here for. What we pay for.

Mike Roth:

So Wayne, in, in maybe 60 seconds, why don't you tell our audience about your background in the music industry?

Wayne Richards ai:

Okay. Riding on the wave of a natural ability in music. I decided to pursue music after I graduated high school as a professional career. I went through the process of getting an agent, getting a manager because I, the skills were strong enough and at that particular time, I was also studying theater. I was a theater major, but I took a look. I evaluated things and discovered that you can't make any Moeney with theater. Music is a steady income for me, so I stuck with music and I figured somewhere down the line I'll get involved in other things like film scoring and writing for the stage and acting and all that has transpired. And that's basically my career in about 60 seconds.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

Wait, it was 57 seconds.

Mike Roth:

Wayne you've been here The Villages how long now?

Wayne Richards ai:

Let me look on my watch. About eight years.

Mike Roth:

About eight years? Okay. How many different shows have you produced here?

Wayne Richards ai:

Have I produced?

Mike Roth:

Yes, or written?

Wayne Richards ai:

Let's see.

Mike Roth:

The first one was

Wayne Richards ai:

The first one was The Dream Road.

Mike Roth:

The Dream Road.

Wayne Richards ai:

Dream Road that was produced last year. And this is my second one. The Three Stooges Moeved to The Villages.

Mike Roth:

Now that's not a musical, is it?

Wayne Richards ai:

No.

Mike Roth:

And

Wayne Richards ai:

God, I hope not.

Mike Roth:

There's no music in it at all.

Wayne Richards ai:

We've been singing for nothing. All these, doing these rehearsals. I'm gonna have to fix that right away.

Mike Roth:

Okay?

Wayne Richards ai:

No, this is a straightforward comedy, but it has heart, it has a purpose, and there's a very human story. Interwoven. This is not an episodic Three Stooges film condensed for stage. It's much different than people are going to expect.

Mike Roth:

Is it like the life story of

Wayne Richards ai:

no. It has nothing to do. You, we learn certain things about them. Like Curly for instance he limps a little bit because he had a hunting accident as a kid. And they all have aches and pains and I guess part of the play is them trying to deal with that. And become just regular villagers, regular people. I guess here's the premise. You go to a comedy club you see the comic. He's up there and he's killing it. He's doing a great job and people are really tapped in, and you can't just walk away from that and come home and go to sleep. Yeah, so chances are you go out to a waffle house, you sit there with people, you kid around and you can't stop. You're still cracking jokes. You're having a great time. The adrenaline

Mike Roth:

is high.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah, the adrenaline is high. It's just like actors. Actors do the same thing. The Three Stooges did what they did for alMoest 50 years. And it became natural to them. So it got to the point where they. Couldn't even tell that they were doing it in real life. They'd suddenly be talking to somebody and then they'd start bopping each other on the head.. And doing these little stick, it was difficult for them to parse those reality and the stage separately. So there's a lot of that in this play. Where they're struggling with that, they want to become Moere human.

Mike Roth:

And the play is called

Wayne Richards ai:

the Play, called the Three Stooges, Moeve to The Villages.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

And say Now, originally,

Mike Roth:

yes,

Wayne Richards ai:

it was going to be I did it named it rather Stooges on a bridge. And the reason for that is the final scene takes place on a bridge and everything culminates and concludes on the bridge. Then we thought of the Three Stooges on a bridge. We decided to do the Three Stooges Moved to The Villages because there's been a successful track record with the HoneyMoeoners Moeving to The Villages with the the Golden Girls Moeved to The Villages. So you can't fight city hall. It doesn't change the integrity of the story, it, or what we're trying to accomplish. So we went with it and guess people are comfortable with it. I guess I have my own personal preference, but we'll go with it and people are gonna recognize the name, the Three Stooges they're going to. Images are gonna pop into their heads.

Mike Roth:

And the play is going to be performed when and where?

Wayne Richards ai:

We're gonna be performing it on four different shows in May. And matter of fact, I have information here. Give 'em the weather while I'm looking here, frankly.

Mike Roth:

Yes. And the weather is going to be snow in Buffalo, New York today.

Wayne Richards ai:

Is it really? Oh God. That's why I'm not in Buffalo. They do have good winds though.

Mike Roth:

Windy and cold in Chicago. Right?

Wayne Richards ai:

Windy and cold. Okay. We're gonna be on May 1st at Hacienda and then may. Eighth at lake Miona, the 11th and 15th at Rohan. And if you want information about times, 'cause we may do a matinee in there somewhere and we may have additional times, additional dates, I would check out ActingOutTheaterClub.com,. It'll be a good starting point. You can find out how to get tickets. It will be available online. It'll be advertised in the paper and everywhere,

Mike Roth:

what kind of seating is this going to be? Is it gonna be round tables of eight or is it gonna be theater?

Wayne Richards ai:

No, it's gonna be theater.

Mike Roth:

Theater. Theater

Wayne Richards ai:

style. Theater style. Yes.

Mike Roth:

Oh, so you can't bring your favorite adult beverages.

Wayne Richards ai:

No. I people sneak them in anyway, I'm president of the Chicago Cubs Club called Cubs World, and there isn't a place we've gone or done that. Beer hasn't made an appearance, so

Mike Roth:

people bring the Chicago beers in?

Wayne Richards ai:

Beers? No. No.

Mike Roth:

Any old beer will do for Chicago.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. If they bring in, we, we crave for Chicago hotdogs, Chicago pizza.

Mike Roth:

What do you think of those pads?

Wayne Richards ai:

A what?

Mike Roth:

Pads in the Middleton the new.

Wayne Richards ai:

Oh, you mean Portillo's?

Mike Roth:

Portillos, okay. Yeah,

Wayne Richards ai:

yeah. Portellos. I'm thinking That sounds,

Mike Roth:

I never been

Wayne Richards ai:

to much Portello. Isn't that one of those guys that's in a boat in a Venice and they just, go, oh, that's a gondola.

Mike Roth:

I thought it was a guy with a spear that that, that stabs a bull in the bull ring.

Wayne Richards ai:

No. It's Portillo's. It's the place for, your. Italian beef, Chicago style, Italian beef. And if you, unless you had it, you can't describe it to anybody, you have to experience it for yourself. I've already corrupted the lives of about two or three people that have gone there and are hooked on the joint. So it's one of those things, if you want Chicago that's where you go. And I love Chicago, but I tell you what, I would never Moeve back. I'm done with the city. High taxes, all that stuff,

Mike Roth:

High taxes, cold weather.

Wayne Richards ai:

This is home. I don't have to shovel anything here. Occasionally, but that's not snow. It's a wonderful place. The Villages are a wonderful place.

Mike Roth:

Good. Yeah. Good. And how long is the play going to be?

Wayne Richards ai:

How long?

Mike Roth:

Yeah. Is it in two Acts, three acts?

Wayne Richards ai:

No, it's two, actually it's two acts, but we probably will do it all the way through. I think we, at tops, it'll be about an hour and 20. It'll be a fast ride and I guarantee people will be pulled in right from the start.

Mike Roth:

If they're pulled in right from the start,

Wayne Richards ai:

right from the start, we have an excellent cast

Mike Roth:

And you have a good break point. I always, in a play, I would recommend two acts with a 15 minute intermission. Okay. Then you could sell the Chicago beer.

Wayne Richards ai:

No, I don't like Chicago beer. I love Chicago and their pizza. I don't like their beer. I don't think they have actually they do have a beer, Goose Island beer. So welcome to Beer Talk here on the Mike Roth show.

Mike Roth:

No. We did a whole, whole episode on The Villages beer.

Wayne Richards ai:

Did you really?

Mike Roth:

Yes. And I asked him, how did you get dispensation for serving samples to everybody? And said it was very difficult. Listen to that episode of open Forum in The Villages.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. I love beer. I certainly love beer.

Mike Roth:

They actually have a waiting list to be a member.

Wayne Richards ai:

Really?

Mike Roth:

Yes.

Wayne Richards ai:

I was a member of Beer Across America one time. And they sent, we'd send these craft beers from all over the country and they sent one from Colorado. I've never been able to find it again. It's called Red Lady Ale, and it's just you drink it the portals of heaven open up.

Mike Roth:

Yeah. There, there are a number of.

Wayne Richards ai:

But enough about the Three Stooges

Mike Roth:

about beer. Those, a lot of small breweries go out of business.

Wayne Richards ai:

I'm thinking of Chicago would only be Goose Island, as far as I'm concerned. And that beer isn't any good when they started to go national. The quality went down.

Mike Roth:

Yeah. Yeah. That's the story of beer.

Wayne Richards ai:

Would you like to hear about the guy who's, the guys who are playing the stooges?

Mike Roth:

Sure.

Wayne Richards ai:

They are tremendous.

Mike Roth:

Before we go over there, let's listen to a Alzheimer's tip so we can remember from Dr. Craig Curtis.

Dr. Craig Curtis:

Amyloid is the spark, and tau is the fire. We have the spark barking for 20 years without symptoms. Once the spark causes the fire, the breakdown of tau inside the cell, we start to see symptoms. We are actively researching ways to stop tau as well.

Mike Roth:

Is it possible to regrow new brain cells to replace the ones the tower was killed? That's a hot topic. Scientists for the Moest part, do not believe that we can regenerate any brain cells. There have been a few research papers published in the last four or five years that hint that there might be some brain cell regeneration specifically in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which ironically is where Alzheimer's disease starts. But it's really hard to prove that in humans.

Warren:

With over 20 years of experience studying brain health, Dr. Curtis's goal is to educate the village's community on how to live a longer, healthier life. To learn more, visit his website, CraigCurtisMD.com, or call 3 5 2 5 0 0 5 2 5 2 to attend a free seminar.

Mike Roth:

Thank you Dr. Curtis. Now Wayne, you were gonna tell us about the three players who you found to be the Three Stooges.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yes, and amazingly enough, when we were first looking for people, everybody was telling me, yeah, he'll never find a Moe and a Curly, and those are the first two we found. They're incredible. First of all, Moe is played by Howard Tolman and he, he surprised us at a rehearsal. He came wearing a hoodie. And I'm thinking, okay, what's with this guy? Because he's very outgoing and he's always kidding around. And he's he's just a bundle of energy. You can't, you gotta calm him down. And he took off the hoodie and he was wearing a Moe wig. And he looked like the spitting image of Moe. Now he has. A few little characterizations of his own that he puts into the character of Moe, but that's fine. That's going to happen. But he's tremendous at it. I think now we move to. Curly who was played by Alan Rosenchin, who has been in a lot of local productions around Chicago, I think with The Villages theater also. And he's, he gets a high voice going up there and doing all the little mannerisms. We've got Curly to a T.

Mike Roth:

Good.

Wayne Richards ai:

He may even actually shave his hair. Which would be good. He doesn't have to, we can get a bald wig. And then Larry is played by Fred Solano, who is a friend of mine who has a big theatrical background, is from New York. And I know

Mike Roth:

Fred,

Wayne Richards ai:

I've been in plays with him. He was in Dream Road last year. And he's directed me in a play, and now I'm directing him in a play. So it, he's tremendous. They're all great. They all got the, just the characters and they bounce off of each other both mentally and physically

Mike Roth:

now.

Wayne Richards ai:

Very well.

Mike Roth:

Is Fred actually taking up the characterization of one of the three STO characters?

Wayne Richards ai:

You're gonna see Larry.

Mike Roth:

I'm gonna see Larry.

Wayne Richards ai:

And the fun, the amazing thing is his voice

Mike Roth:

With the curly hair.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

Oh, so again, him a curly hair wig.

Wayne Richards ai:

Exactly. He he said he was trying things with a hair dryer, trying to pull it, his hair out and everything. I said no. We'll get you a week. But here's the thing, he, you listen to his voice and if he hi, if he makes, raises it higher, just a little bit, it's perfect. Perfect. You've got Larry, and one of the reasons I like him in that particular part is that if anything, he is a great reactor. He's a good actor, but he's an even better reactor, which is what acting is. But he's really good at that. And he has a key Moement in the play where things change from silly and then they start getting a little bit Moere serious and he does it just right. And I suppose I should say that the, another premise of the show is the stooges that you will see in this production. Of course through characterizations are the real stooges from the thirties and the forties and fifties. Now, how can this be?

Mike Roth:

You watched a lot of films on the web.

Wayne Richards ai:

No. Ask me how this can be.

Mike Roth:

How can that be, Wayne?

Wayne Richards ai:

It seems that they discovered the Fountain of Youth in. St. Augustine,

Mike Roth:

ah, wasn't it?

Wayne Richards ai:

They discovered that it has youth generating properties, regenerative properties, and that's how they're alive. And the whole thing is they're trying to convince people they are the real stooges, while at the same time going to the struggle of calming themselves down. Okay, we gotta blend in with reality now. And that's. Like the backbone of the story. So what happens? I'm not gonna tell you,

Mike Roth:

don't tell me what happened.

Wayne Richards ai:

I know. No.

Mike Roth:

That, that would ruin it. But the stooges, did they actually blend into Villager's life here.

Wayne Richards ai:

Into the life? Sure. They've been around.

Mike Roth:

Okay. So they, they played golf. Golf.

Wayne Richards ai:

They know, they've seen the transition. They know what's going on.

Mike Roth:

They, ride around each one with a golf cart?

Wayne Richards ai:

No,

Mike Roth:

no. Golf Cart races.

Wayne Richards ai:

No. They're, they are in a constant state of. Of wonderment about things.

Mike Roth:

Okay. How many other characters in the play are there besides the Three Stooges? Do they have significant others?

Wayne Richards ai:

We have a talk show host who's in there. He is the one who interviews them and he does not believe that they are who they are.

Mike Roth:

The real stooges. Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

And his name is Detective Angelo. He's played by Jim Cole. Jim Cole is a detective that a talk show host hires to check out The Stooges. The talk show host is Jerry Walsh who plays Jay Falco. Jerry was in Dream Road last year. In fact, he was the, if anybody remembers, he was the barber.

Mike Roth:

Oh, he was good then.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yes, he's good. He's,

Mike Roth:

I, I really liked him.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yep. And then they have a real estate agent here in The Villages named Phyllis, played by Michelle Ludwig or Ludwig, but I like Ludwig.

Mike Roth:

Is she a real estate agent?

Wayne Richards ai:

No.

Mike Roth:

Oh, she won't tell him anything, right?

Wayne Richards ai:

No. And of course we did culinary and then we have, let's see. Oh, and we have a waitress who is going to be played by Camille. Camille likes, who is the producer of the show, and she also does the voice of Alexa. And this is an alexa device that you probably will never forget. And let's see. And then Jill June Osteen is gonna be our stage manager and she is gathering people, skilled people to put together the set. It's gonna be minimal. I have to say, folks don't go coming there expecting to see fancy, backdrops and everything.

Mike Roth:

If you have to use three theaters, it makes it on three different weeks. And you have to pull everything out, put it in a storage locker someplace, and then pull it back

Wayne Richards ai:

in. It's a, it's a difficulty. But we find that the minimal setup works best because you concentrate Moere on the characters.

Mike Roth:

Who's gonna do the sound?

Wayne Richards ai:

We're really not sure yet. We had somebody last year who was pretty good. I just saw over at the Improv Show.

Mike Roth:

Yes.

Wayne Richards ai:

Which you were there. Yes. They, the sound crew back there, they do a pretty good job.

Mike Roth:

Tony Versley does a phenomenal job.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yes.

Mike Roth:

Yeah. And, you have a cast of less than 10 people. So I would recommend that each one have a head mic.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

Okay. And you give Tony a copy of the script and scene by scene, which guy or lady's microphone is turned on. And that will work excellent for sound.

Wayne Richards ai:

He I like those guys. We, I think they did a sound for Harvey when I was in that.

Mike Roth:

The reason that the sound was so good for the Improv show Yeah. Is we're using a digital mixer.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

And every scene has a cast. Let's say three or eight players, or however many they are. And they're pre-programmed. So when we go from scene one to scene two, all Tony has to do is push the two button and then the three button. And all of the pre-programmed microphones go on and all the ones that need to be muted are off. And. Yeah, that works almost perfectly. And improv, it can never work perfectly because you can never know when someone from the back line is gonna jump up and join a scene.

Wayne Richards ai:

Right.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

In your case, since it's scripted, it's unlikely that someone from Backstage is gonna come on stage,

Wayne Richards ai:

don't assume anything.

Mike Roth:

It. I'm going to assume that it's scripted. Is it scripted?

Wayne Richards ai:

There are, it's scripted, but there are Moements here where even the actors are unaware of what's going to happen.

Mike Roth:

Oh, so it may be different than each one of the performances?

Wayne Richards ai:

I think that it, yeah it could be, it has to be a little bit different because they, these guys have a natural comic timing and they can take that extra little thing that happens. For instance there's a scene right there at the beginning. When they're on the talk show host on Jay Falco show there's a guy standing there. He's got a boom microphone. Okay. But he has a little problem with it. He just can't control it. So once in a while it just might bump in

Mike Roth:

to one of the players.

Wayne Richards ai:

Into, yeah, we are not gonna say when.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

Wayne Richards ai:

So their reaction is gonna be very natural.

Mike Roth:

Oh, so you're actually gonna have a boom microphone?

Wayne Richards ai:

We might. Or we may rig up one.

Mike Roth:

Yeah.

Wayne Richards ai:

You can do anything. If you go over to a hobby lobby, get plastic microphone.

Mike Roth:

Are the seats gonna be reserved? Seats? Can I, pay Moere and get a seat in the first row?

Wayne Richards ai:

Oh, I don't know. I don't deal with that.

Mike Roth:

Oh.

Wayne Richards ai:

I'm just I walk around with a script all day, making corrections, writing down ideas, getting ready to get on stage with the actors.'cause my directing style's a little different.

Mike Roth:

So are you actually in the show as well, or just as the director?

Wayne Richards ai:

Just for a Moement. I'm in there. I'm an announcer. And I announced at the beginning of the show I announced Jay Falco, and then I can just pretty much relax.

Mike Roth:

Oh, okay. That's good.

Wayne Richards ai:

I might, because I'd like to go outside and sit in the audience and watch, but then again, I always feel that there's something else that can be added. We do a scene in a restaurant that we call the restaurant. They Costaplenty. And, in the restaurant.

Mike Roth:

Very good play on words.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. I've been to some of those and we were thinking we have some of those,

Mike Roth:

the

Wayne Richards ai:

piano's always on stage we, I might be come out there and play the piano, but then I might be screwing up when I'm playing. Every once in a while I hit a real bad clunker and then the restaurant stops and they turn around and they look, and then there's little bits here. And that's another thing about this play that is so much fun. Everybody in the cast, the crew, everybody is encouraged to come up with ideas. Throw them my way and Camille's way, and we make the decision if we're gonna keep it or not. So far they've made some great additions because they go back after watching. I think probably dozens of Stooges films, which I encourage them to do. They suddenly remember a line.

Mike Roth:

So I, I've noticed on the web talking about the Stooges.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

That there are a great many Stooges films and old black and white. There're obviously reprocess. Or they're like studio quality prints where there's No indication that this piece of film was ever seen before.

Wayne Richards ai:

That's because Columbia has their own restoration department and they, they take care of their films.'cause they have some wonderful things in their library, in their catalog.

Mike Roth:

Is that what's happening?

Wayne Richards ai:

That's exactly what's happening.

Mike Roth:

Colo is releasing these two

Wayne Richards ai:

YouTubes. I have a, I have 198 films at Home in a Box and every one of them is restored. And there's a two of them. And they're with and actually 3D, which they tried on a couple of them. And also what people need to realize thinking back, they probably experienced the Stooges like I did. They would come home from school. And hopefully maybe the last couple of innings for the Cub game is on. Then when that finished, the Stooges came on and we're watching these films and they were chopped up quite a bit. That's because they were not intended for kids. They were. Films that were shown before, feature films in the thirties and forties, primarily in

Mike Roth:

Movie theaters. Sure.

Wayne Richards ai:

In Movie theaters. Along with the with the the travel log, with cartoon,

Mike Roth:

with the newsreel,

Wayne Richards ai:

newsreel, all that. And another feature, two features. And after about three days, you leave the theater feeling fantastic. And that was what that was all about. And the film's in the box. Are all complete.

Mike Roth:

So you actually, how, in what medium do you have the films? Are they on 16 millimeter or

Wayne Richards ai:

Oh no. I bought 'em from off the catalog at their,

Mike Roth:

on DBD, Blue Ray Blu

Wayne Richards ai:

Ray. Yeah.

Mike Roth:

Really?

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah, you can buy anything. Now we're buying an alligator for the show. Now. I don't get scared folks, what that was. Yeah, don't, it's not gonna bite. And no alligators will be harmed during this production. Or actors.

Mike Roth:

Good.. We haven't had an alligator on the stage in a long time.

Wayne Richards ai:

No. But we will and I think it's one that people are gonna remember.

Mike Roth:

Okay. That's good.

Wayne Richards ai:

But it's not live. Don't worry.

Mike Roth:

Is it a big one?

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. Okay, great. We're gonna try

Mike Roth:

An eight footer. Wasn't that

Wayne Richards ai:

Allison be about the size of Larry? Do you remember Larry?

Mike Roth:

Yeah. Larry the 10 foot alligator.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah.

Mike Roth:

He's over at the Gator world.

Wayne Richards ai:

He's Gator world. He's a star.

Mike Roth:

Yeah.

Wayne Richards ai:

He'd probably making More Money than I do, and I'm, of course I'm retired. How much can you make? Yeah.

Mike Roth:

It's not all about the Money. It's a hobby.

Wayne Richards ai:

Now That's true. Every kid, that's the joy. I think the real joy of living in The Villages is that I'm, I've been able to pursue things that I love. And even though I may not get compensation or it might be light compensation, it's doing it that's important. That to me is where the joy is.

Mike Roth:

That's the fun of it.

Wayne Richards ai:

It's the fun of it. Exactly.

Mike Roth:

And, let's pretend the show is a big hit. Okay. If you sell out all four performances will you bring it back for encore performances, of course. Or are you gonna write more for them?

Wayne Richards ai:

Y you know what it, we, of course we'd love to do that. But the thing is, you never know what the situation is gonna be because we had three various successful houses with Dream Road and we never. got more, I guess it's a matter of booking. You could grab these stages for a certain aMoeunt of time and that's it.'cause a lot of people are using them now. Yes, of course we would love to do it. And actually I think it'd be great to take it outside The Villages if we can.

Mike Roth:

There's always the stage up in Weirsdale.

Wayne Richards ai:

There's stage there ending outside The Villages. When I worked in the Morgan Music Junction Band for two and a half years. So we got f we still go out and visit friends that came to see us.

Mike Roth:

What happened to the Morgans theater?

Wayne Richards ai:

She just decided to close. It's difficult ever since COD to make. To make up all that. And Darryl got ill. And he passed away.

Mike Roth:

So the building in the theater, is that still there?

Wayne Richards ai:

It's still there. And evidently it's been acquired by somebody else, but I, every time I try to find out information, they say, okay. Soon opening, then you don't hear from 'em for a few months. I think we I don't know what the situation is, licensing or whatever, but, it's a nice little spot. It's for a music venue.

Mike Roth:

Yeah. I heard Mr. White owned it. The guy who owns the furniture stores.

Wayne Richards ai:

Exactly. He owns that whole neighborhood.

Mike Roth:

And then there's the Warfield theater down in Wildwood. It's got a very nice stage, and that room will hold way over 250 people.

Wayne Richards ai:

It's also the reality too, that as far as I'm concerned, I don't really have the need that I have to be, I've just finished the, A production, I gotta get into another one immediately. I'm not like that. I have a lot of interests, so my interests may go. Elsewhere in a different direction.

Mike Roth:

So what are you planning on next after this production?

Wayne Richards ai:

After the production I would like to do an another production at Dream Road, but adapt it for a concert venue because there was a lot of music that we had to condense and that we had to, in some cases remove

Mike Roth:

yep. There was too much music left out.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah, too much music left out, and so I'd like to put all that back in, but I'm also involved in a project where it's a very personal project and I'll tell you exactly what it is, I went into my closet. And sometimes I'd come out of the closet. But I was in the closet.

Mike Roth:

That's been known to a lot, happened to a lot of people in show business.

Wayne Richards ai:

Yeah. Coming outta the closet. And while I was in there, I know I had boxes and boxes of tapes, reel to reels, cassettes, old, CDs, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I started listening to him and I said, my God, this is my entire music career. And that's been recorded. And so I've been taking it and putting it through a mixing board, cleaning up the sound and all that, and archiving everything. So I decided to take some of the, my catalog, older songs, give them new arrangements, and also include rare tracks, things that I know people have never heard or never knew that I did, and gonna make a two CD set, which I'm not gonna sell. It's gonna be given away to friends, family, and people as just a thank you for supporting me for all these years, for supporting all the dramatic works that I've done. Thank you for your support for Three Stooges Move to The Villages.

Mike Roth:

So Wayne, when will the tickets be available and how do they get them?

Wayne Richards ai:

You will be able to get them online.

Mike Roth:

Online? Yes. At what website?

. Wayne Richards ai:

ActingOutTheaterClub.com.

Mike Roth:

Okay.

. Wayne Richards ai:

They'll give you the link will be on there.

Mike Roth:

Great. Wayne, anything else you want to add to the show?

Wayne Richards ai:

No, I think that if you're gonna get a Chicago beef sandwich, make sure you put the peppers on it. Make sure that they ask you to dip it. Don't let them soak it. Don't let the thing swim in the juice. Have it pulled out. Just dip it a little bit and you sit down and you will be absolutely hooked.

Mike Roth:

Yeah I was over there a few weeks ago,

Wayne Richards ai:

yeah,

Mike Roth:

maybe a Moenth ago, and I had the Italian sausage. Yeah. Hero sandwich, that was pretty good. But now I'm gonna, I'm gonna be back there for the second Saturday in the month, car show. They're calling it Hot Dogs and Ice Cream from four to five 30. Behind Portillos. Yes. I'll be over there at the car show.

Wayne Richards ai:

That's right. And I'll be on stage directing the Three Stooges, Move to The Villages, and I hope that you folks come out to see it because I think you'll be surprised and in a time right now when the world seems to be falling apart and there are troubles and trials and tribulations, it's good to have a laugh.

Mike Roth:

Let's all have a laugh.

Wayne Richards ai:

Let's all have a laugh. I guarantee you, you will laugh when you see this.

Mike Roth:

Great. Thanks for being with us, Wayne.

Wayne Richards ai:

Thank you for having me.

Dolores:

Remember, our next episode will be released

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