Fan's Tales
An Amazing Time In New York - Part II
By Cat Ortiz-White, 1983.
David: Although you know what! I'll run it by Meryl and see what she thinks.
Betty: When she told me that last night, it really fit. I don't know why.
David: We um, we have some really nice two year olds that are coming up that are in training right now. But we're going to bring a horse back here from New York at Belmont Park.
Judi: Oh, that's great! Right by my house.
David: Right by your house? Well..
Elena: Your mother goes to the track.
Judi: EVERY DAY!
David: Well, we'll let you know what ah, what the name of the colt is we're going to bring back. We're probably going to bring one back. But it should be a lot of fun.
Elena: Have you ever been at Belmont?
David: Yes! Years and years ago.
Elena: It's beautiful.
David: It's very beautiful. I've also been up to Saratoga too, so...
Betty & David said some thing else that I can't make out. Betty said something about "Run for the Roses" song, I think. A crew member comes up and says "I need a victim - a, volunteer, a volunteer! We all laughed.
David: A VICTIM!
Betty: I'll get it over with, I'll go.
There's some conversation I can't make out with David and crew member.
David: Okay, fine. Now do you want me in this also?
Crew member: No it's just going to be Robin.
Betty: Can I take a picture of you with the newsletter?
David: You sure can.
Liz shows David a picture of himself naked with fruit around him.
David: You know who took that picture?
Liz: Gina Lollibridgida.
David: That's right. (A waiter comes over to ask David if he'd like anything.) Ah, I'll have some wine. Would you all like some wine or something?
Liz: I'd like some more wine if he's doing to get it.
David: You'd like some wine?
Katy(?): Champagne.
David: Champaigne? Let's have champaigne?
Liz: That's fine. Wine, champainge, it doesn't matter.
David: Champaine? Are you buying? (We laugh. David looks at the Da-idy Newsletter with a photo of himself sitting on a car in Calgary.) A picture of me looking at that. There I was on the hood of a car. Who would have thought?
Liz: I remember what the name that song was. Remember the song that we were trying to figure out in Calgary?
David: What song is this?
Liz: That you did a solo to.
David: Oh! That one!
Liz: (Laughing) That one. 'Tell me much about love.' (I think?)
David: That's it, that's it! (David poses with the Da-idy) You want me to do some of this so you all can, ah?
Several of us: Yeah!
Cat: Look at the Birthday Wishes.
David: I saw these. I read this. I thought this was kinda great. 'Hey, Happy Birthday Pal. Bet you thought you'd never hear from me here!' (From Shaun.)
David looking at the Birthday Wishes from fans and his family. Finding Shaun's wish amazing.
We take pictures of him posing.
Liz: Do you still have the mustang coat?
David: Do I what? Still have the mustang coat. Yes, I do!
Liz: You can take it in if it's too big. (Giggleing.)
David: I use it around the farm actually.
Liz: Good.
David: Yeah. (More posing and taking photos. Someone gives him a newsletter.) Ah! This is another issue, huh?
Mary(?): No that's different club.
David: Oh, it's a different one. I haven't seen this one now.
Cat: That's Betty's.
David: This is Betty's. Ah, well, I haven't seen Betty's.
Mary: And poor Betty had to put that together right after surgery...
Elena: We did a rush-rush job.
Judi: There's a little poem I wrote for you.
David: In here?
Judi: Yeah. Oh god, it's a LONG poem there!
David: Well, why don't I read it later?
DC & DCSG staff. V.P. Judi, David, Pres. Betty & V.P. Elena.
Judi: Keep it, keep it.
David: I will keep it.
Elena: I want some pictures!
David: Well, you can take some pictures. (Some talking over each other.)
Elena: I'm very proud of that newsletter because of the situation.
David: I heard. I heard. (To Betty) How ARE you?
Betty: I'm fine. I'm not suppose to be here but I'm fine.
David: You're not suppose to be here?
Elena: I told her she didn't come, I'd kill her. (Jokingly, of course.)
Betty: I had surgery, it's alright.
David: You're going to be ok?
Betty: Now I am. I wouldn't have been ok.
David: Good. I'm glad that you'll be ok.
Someone mentioned Jan Shulman.
David: Now how SHE?
Elena: First of all, she had some shrimp salad or something and was
Betty: She was in the hospital when I was in the hospital.
Elena: And then ah, her mother died.
David: I heard about that. (Looking at a photo from Betty.) Is this from the ring?
Betty: Do you remember that?
David: Yes, I certainly do! (Betty laughs. A crew member comes over for Katy.) Katy, go on and have a chat with him.
Katy: Alright. (She leaves to be interviewed.)
Betty: I love that (something, can't make it out.) You remember that. I was so mad I missed it. Those pictures didn't come out. When Sam came over laughing.
David: Where was this, Dallas?
Betty: In Dallas.
David: Ah yeah! I remember the back stage area now.
Right: Another clipping from our photo session at JoAnna's Resturaunt.
Elena: Do you ever wear that shirt? Do you remember?
David: That shirt is no longer in town. It's ah - taken a hike. That shirt took off with someboby. Somebody came and I used to wear it and you might have seen actually, ah. I wore it for quite a while. The shirt,
Betty: I love that shirt.
David: It was a beautiful shirt.
Elena: I spent hours picking it out. Hours.
David: It was a beautiful shirt. Somebody stole it.
Cat: That's sad!
Elena: That's sad.
David: It is when somebody would STEAL. I have a little champagne here for you all, if you'd like to join me.
Elena: You too.
David: Yeah, we'll all just have a little sip and you know.
Elena: Could you sign your name on that one. (Photo.)
David: Yes.
Cat: You know, sometime you should take a picture of all of us.
David: Ok.
People looking at pictures and then Betty's newsletter as David looked at the newsletter.
Betty: Did you tell him about the typos.
Elena: Typos. My aunt typed that. I didn't have time to correct it.
David: That's alright. Now, there is no reason really, that you should uh,
Betty: You know how fast I put out? I got out of the hospital. The next day I put that together and down to the printers. Cause I had to get it out and I was wearing (something) and your Birthday not even here.
David: Yeah. It's really okay. It's really alright. It' the THOUGHT that counts.
Cat: We bought you a present but when we heard about this we thought there wouldn't be time.
David: (While signing something.) What is it about my signature that you all love?
Cat: I love the way you make your C's.
Betty: You write like a doctor. (We all crack up laughing.)
David: Well, uh - you have to understand that....
Betty: I know you've signed a million times. No you put Judi, that's Betty.
Judi: He put got it right.
David: No, no. I put you. That's not you. You don't want you to put...(Betty laughs) We're better take the champaigne away from Betty. (We laugh again.)
Urda: We have some pictures that we took of you. (She brings out some large photos she took of David in Calgary.)
David: Oh YEAH! (Others also go "Oh, those are nice," etc.) Good quality. The Germans though, don't they have down, ya know? The quality? So Great! Ya know? That's a nice photo.
Urda: This is my favorite.
David: This is your favorite? I like this one better. Something "refective" about it, ya know?
One of the crew comes over to get one of us.
David with photos from Urda that were taken in Calgary, Canada.
Betty: Urda, you're next.
Cat: You took that picture of us together.
Liz: I'm a terrible photographer.
David: Oh, I'm a awful photographer.
A lot talking over each other. You can hear crew members in the background, etc.
David: You are going to be FAMOUS! All of you...
Betty: Plantersville is going to be rumbling. The whole population of sixty!
David started to sign the photos from Urda.
Cat: Those are for you to keep.
David: Oh, these are for me to keep!
Cat: Yes. Those are yours.
David: Oh, I'm sorry.
Cat: (laughing) Well, you could write "To David, from David" if you wanted to (Little laugh.)
David looks at another photo from Liz.
David: Ok. Now let me ask you something, where was this taken?
Liz: Chicago. Back stage of Arie Crown Theater during 'Little Johnny Jones.' Liz - put "Beth" behind it. Would you please? Attached to it.
David: Behind it?
Liz: No, attached to it. Lizbeth.
David: Ok okay.
Liz: Make that into a "b." There you go. That's my full name.
David: Really? I didn't know that.
Liz: I know. It's easier just to say Liz instead of Lizbeth. Everybody gets confused.
Elena: Would you sign these playbills for us?
David: Sure.
Elena: I'll spell our names. First one "Elena."
Left: David signing Liz's photo of himself with Sam.
David: Ok.
Elena: The other one is Mary.
David: Ok.
Elena: Can I get one for my boyfriend Paul.
David: To Paul?
Elena: Yeah, you bet!
Betty: Did you ask his question about Jeremy?
Elena: Yeah, he wants me to ask you what happened to Jeremy...
Betty: Gelbwaks.
Elena: Yeah him.
David: Oh GUY! I don't know. I have no idea! He left the show after the first year.
Betty: He left the show 'cause his parents moved.
David: Yeah, they, they got rid of him. He had a real problem (laughing) with dealing with um,
Cat: Stardom?
David: Yeah.
Mary: They moved away!
Betty: His father transferred. That's what they had in the magazines.
David: They did actually. He did transfer.
Liz: He got a job transfer.
David: And he was not well adjusted.
Elena: Well, I did my part. I asked.
Cat: There was a thing on former members of the Partridge Family. Danny was into something called ah - Shorin Ryu...
David: No. He's a Karate instructor.
Cat: or something, some kind of karate .. (same time David was saying above). Yeah.
Right: Another photo of DC looking at photos from Urda. He liked this one where he "looked reflective."
David: If you can believe that?!
(Editors note: Danny has a 4th degree black belt in Okinawan Chinan Ryu, 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, 1st degree black belt in Tokyo, and a 1st degree black belt in Shorin Ryu. He won the 1980 and 1981 International Championships.)
Missed a bit as the tape was turned over.
Cat: Yeah.
Betty: They showed him
Betty & Cat: "Before and After."
Cat: Yeah.
Betty: They showed him in the karate outfit. You never heard of that?
David: What a bad way to end up. In "Whatever became of? Ya know?" (We laugh)
Liz: I saw you in a "Whatever became of," (We laugh again.)
David: Yeah well, thanks, I didn't need to hear that. (We all laughed a lot.)
Liz: It's a nice picture of you in Tux.
David: If they have to ask "Whatever became of?"
Liz: Well, you're on Broadway right now. That's what became of you.
Cat: Yeah!
Betty: You don't mind, me taking all these pictures of you, do you? I just wanna get something for the club. You're not answering. Okay, I'll stop. (We laugh.)
Someone mentioned something about having the music "Close Every Door."
David: You do huh? Very, very hard song to sing.
Elena: What?
David: Very, very hard song to sing.
Liz: I know. I picked up the vocal selection...
David: Very hard to sing. It's particularly because the writer didn't write in any place to breathe in and when your up on and you have to go up and do that strip on the, the, the
Liz: Yeah (little laughingly)
David: that couch thing. And that takes your breath away and if you have no breath to begin with...
Liz: Well you notes carry very well.
David: Well thanks.
David opens a gift from Betty.
David: Oh Great! Seventeen month calendar for 1983. Seventeen months in a year! (We all laugh.) September 1982, oh I see.
Betty: So it starts way back.
David: (It was a horse calendar. While looking at a photo with a colt.) Ah great! This is Nice. Beautiful!
Betty: I have five of them at home.
David: Do ya? Ah, that's great! It's just such a great shot. Where do you think that is? I'm betting that is...
Betty: That's Dogwood.
David: Yeah, I'm betting somewhere in Virginia or um..
Liz: Wouldn't it say somewhere in the line.
David: No, uh-uh.
Liz: Most calendars do.
David: You'll love this shot. Ah, now look at that. I little pinto. Isn't that cute? That is real cute. (Talking over each other about horses and stuff.) The media leaves.
David stayed to posed for photos with all of us individually. David even had us all sit on his lap for photos. Judi said to David "Come here! I'm too big. I'll break you. You sit on MY lap!" We all laughed and thought she was kidding but she wasn't. So David sat on her lap for her photos. Some of us got some photos in another room with a couch. David thanked all of us for our "lovely gifts," etc.
David asked about paying for the food and was told it was "on the house." He asked us when we were all going to the show and introduced us to his Press Rep. Ann who was super nice! We got her number for any future meetings, etc.
Above: David on Judi's Lap! TOO CUTE!!
David said "Thank you all. You're Vudnerful!" in his German accent while giving us all a kiss good bye. David says while leaving "Enjoy the show. Take care and enjoy New York. Stay out of trouble. I'll see you on Wednesday."
Tina arrived the next day. It was wonderful to see her and get to know her better. I told her how great her English was as she didn't show any signs of an accent. She thanked me and said she had lived in the US for a few years. Tina and I could relate to each other since both of us did not grow up with or have a lot of money. We just instantly "clicked" as friends and I'm happy to say we've remained friends through the years.
Urda had bought two tickets for me to see "Joseph." One in a very good seat and the other one was in a less expensive seat. Of course wanted to see the show more than just twice since I was there for a whole week. I found out you could purchase left over seats for a discount price and standing room tickets for only $10.00. So I bought one left over seat one night and a standing room on another. After that, I didn't have much money left then at all! I only bought two real meals the whole week I was in New York. Lunch after I had arrived and a few days later some breakfast. On the morning I had breakfast, Urda even said in "mother hen" way "You WILL eat a MEAL today!" I told her yes, I'd planned on it since I saw you could get eggs and toast for only a couple of dollars. Urda, Tina & Katy also had some very nice European crackers they let me munch on.
Another meeting with David was arranged for after one of the shows. I went to the show before the meeting. Sitting next to me was a woman with red hair and an adorable little girl with long brown hair down to her waist. During the show David did some little waves & winks which at first, I thought were towards me. However, I soon realized it was for the little girl as I saw her wave back. During intermission the girl asked her mommy questions about David and horses, etc. So then I knew the woman was probably Meryl. After the show, I turned toward the woman and asked very nicely "Excuse me but are you Meryl Tanz?" She said "Yes" with a very thick accent so it was more like "Ves." (She was originally from South Africa.) I said "Oh, it's SO nice to meet you! I'm Cathy Ortiz, one of the fan club Presidents. We've all been looking forward to meeting you. The others will be happy to hear we're meeting with you as well as David today."
Above: David holding certificate from the International Star Registry.
I held out my hand to shake hers and she looked at me up and down and said "A meeting?" I said "Yes." She said "Today?!" I said very timidly, "Ummm.yeah..we're meeting David backstage." Then she said "VELL! Ve'll see about that!" Then she grabbed her daughter and stalked off. I stood there for a few minutes with my mouth hanging open in shock. I wondered if I'd said or done anything to offend her. Needless to say, this made me very nervous.
I went outside near the stage entrance where we'd been told to wait. Betty and Judi were also there. I told the others I'd sat next to Meryl and they were happy and excited. I said, "Well, I don't think she was too happy about us being here." Then I told them what happened.
After a while a security guard came to escort us back stage. We waited for a bit and then David came out to meet us ALONE. David said that Meryl and her daughter Caroline had arrived and so he could only meet with us briefly because of course they came first.
David was still very nice though and he told Tina it was nice to see her again. He asked Tina how she was and when she arrived. Tina said, "Last night so I'm still a bit tired."
David said something he bet she was a bit jet lagged after the long trip. Tina hadn't heard that expression before and so said "What is that?" We explained it to her.
I presented David with his gift from Tina, Urda, Katy and myself. It's a REAL star in the sky named "David Cassidy" with a certificate that tells you where it is located. I saw an advertisement for it in a New Age magazine and I thought it was perfect since what else can you get someone that has everything? The others agreed it was a great idea and so they chipped in to get it. David posed for some photos with the certificate from the "Star Registry" for us. I didn't want to take up too much of his time so I gave him my gift but didn't ask him to open it. I told him I hoped he liked it though.
David left thanking all of us for everything. We were all happy to have seen David but a bit surprised Meryl didn't join us since he'd said earlier she wanted to meet us.
Above: David poses with certificate for all of us.
I found out later that some other fans had nicknamed Meryl "The Ice Queen." In the 1990's on the Howard Stern radio show David talked about his "ex-wife" and said that she was often "very jealous."
On one of the day's we were there, I was with Betty, Judi and Elena. Betty mentioned she wanted to have a carriage ride while in NY so some of us pitched in for a ride together so that we could afford to go on a short ride around Central Park. I'd never been to New York before and so I took David's advice and had a good time "sight seeing" during the day.
One night I saw Judi after one of the shows and she bought me a meal at McDonalds which was very nice. I was so hungry! She said that if I ever came to NY again, that I'd have to stay with her and her family. She'd feed me home made meals so I wouldn't have to worry about the cost of a hotel or food. I said that was really, really nice of her! Which was true. I never had enough money to return though.
On the day I was going home I saw a man outside the theater taking down the large cardboard "Joseph." I asked him if I could have it and he said "Sure!" So I took it up to the room to show the others. They were all very excited for me! It was too much to take along with my luggage to the airport alone. So Tina was nice enough to help carry it for me. The stewardess on the plane was very nice too. She put it in a safe place up near their cabin.
When I got back home, my boyfriend Mark made me my favorite meal of baked honey/garlic chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and chocolate cake for dessert! I excitedly told him about my Amazing Time in New York!!
Cardboard Joseph from outside the theatre
Read Part I of this tale.
