Fame Reunion Concert Part 22- Encore Fame

Nia Peeples gives a special thank you to Stefano Mendogni.

 
Erica's Mother Phyllis Bash comes back on stage and the whole cast perform Fame once again. It's the only way to end the show and the audience go wild.

During the Friday Night rehearsals the cast pulled other people on to the stage. Erica and Carlo particularly thought that would be a great way to end the show. Erica said "the Fans Would Love it!"

However there was opposition presumably due to safety fears.  

As we left the rehearsals on the Friday Carlo said to us: "Tomorrow Night you'll be up on the stage". This was both exciting and worrying. I would have loved to have been there with them but I'm not a performer. 

As it turns out they weren't allowed to do, although Carlo manages to get one female fan onto the stage.

Our Friend Derek O'Sullivan makes a mad dash to be on stage for the final "FAME". He'd been there on the Friday night and wasn't letting anyone stop him on the night of the concert.

 

And then it was sadly all over. People were crying and hugging each other. Some couldn't believe they'd finally got to experience a Fame concert after all these years.

  We can't wait for the next reunion concert!!!

Fame Reunion The After Show Party - singing To The Cast

Fame fan and our friend Penny Evans got her chance to sing to the Fame cast at the end of the after show Party. We weren't here for this but here's some clips of Penny singing "Out Here On My Own" and "Out Run The Night".

Fame Reunion Concert Part 21- Encore Starmaker

The cast thanked people took their bows and then started to sing "Starmaker" again. This was a real surprise as they'd only sung it once in rehearsal.

 

It's always wonderful to see how close the cast are.

Carlo Imperato went into the audience to bring Stefano Mendogni on to the stage. The wonderful man who man all of this possible.

There seemed to be a little confusion over the lyrics when they all sing the verse together near the end but this was just a minor point.

As we came towards the end of the song the cast encouraged us to sing along too not that the audience needed any encouragement.



Thanks to Michael Kane for taking this footage.


Alternative view of Starmaker posted on You Tube by Daniele Paoletti

Alternate view of "Starmaker" posted on Facebook by Adelmo Macchioni .

Fame Reunion Concert Part 20 One

The Whole audience and the cast were obviously very emotional but the show must go on and as the last song they chose U2's "One".

In rehearsals the harmonies were sounding absolutely wonderful as the cast tried out different things. Some of that seemed to get a little lost on the night.

Carlo had spoken to Lee (Cynthia's husband) to say how good he thought this song was singing. Lee mentioned that it was sounding better than Man in The Mirror and Carlo commented "We'll it's a better song!"

As the song ends the cast leave the stage as the audience calls out for more.

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This Week  a Season 1 cast photo

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Fame Reunion Concert Part 19 Stairway To Heaven - Gene Antnony Ray Tribute

The music continues straight away. Nia Peeples takes Carlo Imperato by the hand and they walk to centre stage. It was lovely seeing these two so close. Nia joked that they used to be engaged but didn't get married.  Carlo then starts singing "Stairway To Heaven".

I've never been particularly keen on this song and in rehearsals I thought it sounded very pleasant and I liked the harmonies but didn't take much notice.

All the cast were on stage and then they started discussing the video footage of Gene. (It wasn't there in rehearsals.) Suddenly that got my attention and the song took on a while new meaning.

 

So at the concert I was expecting it to be very moving and it certainly was as we clapped and cried. It was a lovely tribute to Gene Anthony Ray.

 

 

Fame Reunion Concert Part 18 Long Train Running

Marco the Narrator talks about Nia Peeples' son Chris Hayzel. Video footage of Chris and Nia when they were younger appears on the screen.

Chris then joins his Mum on stage to perform the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Running". Cynthia Gibb, Jesse Borrego and Carlo Imperato join them on backing vocals.

With Thanks to Patrick Bron for the video.

Picture of the Week

Jesse Borrego and Nia Peeples sign the official Fame Reunion T shirts.

Fame Reunion Diaries - Part 9 the After Show Party

 

As the concert ended we were on an incredible high. I decided to go back to the hotel room before joining the after show party to shower and change. The concert didn't end until nearly midnight and it certainly felt alien to me to be going out again at such a late hour but there was no time to rest as the adventure wasn't over yet.
We made our way through the Christmas lights down to Hotel where the after show party was being held.

Apart from the cast we were some of the last to arrive so the hotel was already very busy with people but buzzing with a great atmosphere.

As the cast members arrived one by one there was a mad rush to meet and greet them. To pose for photographs and get their autographs. A thought occurred to me as it did to a number of us who had spent the last 2 days watching the rehearsals. Why didn't we get the photos and autographs then when there was no one else around. Why did we wait until now when everyone there was trying to do the same.

Jesse was the first person we saw to arrive and as we got close waiting to meet him for our photo and autograph he was wished away. There was a curtained off area where the cast had a table set up for them to eat.

I saw Valerie next and this time I was determined to get there. Valerie was lovely as ever. She said to the crowd "Do you Know who this is?" as she announced to the waiting crowd that I ran Kids from Fame Media. I'm not sure how many people understood her but it was a nice moment, if mot  a little embarrassing.

Then I met up with Carlo who said the surrounding people that I was a special guy. Thank you Carlo you're pretty special yourself.

After that there was a bit of a wait before I got to meet the other cast members. I got close to Cynthia but again she was whisked away before I got my turn. Eventually I did get to meet Cynthia and she joked "You Again?" I laughed and said every time I got close to her she went away. 

A couple of friends mentioned about their experience with Cynthia that she wasn't aware that her picture ever featured on an album like "Rock n Roll World" or "Best of Fame" album nor was she aware of the Fame annuals and that there were drawings of her in the stories.

Still it wasn't all about the cast, as it was also about spending a special time with Fame friends. 

                                        (With Michael, Rosario and Emilio)

                            (With Brian, Stefano and Franklin)
                  

                             (With Michael, Penny and Brian)

                            (with Giuseppe and Derek).
            

                            (with Sue)

Also I met a number of new people. People who came up to me to say hello and thank me for my site and my dedication to it.  At times I felt like a celebrity myself. Thank you to all those who took time to say hello.

Thanks especially to Patrick  (pictured above with Nia Peeples)  who not only came to say hello but messaged me afterwards and sent me the footage he had taken. Without him I wouldn't have been able to post such comprehensive video material of the concert.

Afterwards there was lots of frivolity as the cast were interviewed and joked with each other. Carlo and Nia talked about being engaged. Jesse joked he too was engaged to Carlo and to Nia (Well Nicole on the show). The interviewer asked what part of Carlo was Italian. He commented "You'd better ask Nia Peeples!"

Erica Mentioned how much the cast had enjoyed being together again and that they had discussed doing more together!

Later I chatted a little to Valerie, who mentioned my fan fiction and how she must start reading the time travel Doris story again! She said she'd started it but then got caught up with making "Offer and Compromise" so she must go back and finish it! This woman never ceases to amaze me.

Later I chatted a little to Nia. She didn't know who I was as she said she didn't keep up with those kind of things but she was interested to hear if I'd had an issues with MGM. Also she mentioned that the cast had a show now so doing more concerts wasn't out of the question.

By this time it was 3.15am and the crowds had thinned out. Why didn't I wait to get the autographs and pictures until now because it was so much easier to get close to the cast?

I was flagging it had been a long couple of days and I knew we had an early start the next day. So I said my goodbyes and we left.

The party actually carried on for another hour as a couple of fans, Derek and Penny got up and sung for the cast. Wish I could have stayed to see it but I needed to get back to the hotel to pack and get at least a couple of hours sleep.

At least I knew this wasn't all just a dream. I hadn't spent enough time actually in bed asleep over the last few days to actually dream!