Inspired by John Zussman’s republishing his story from the 2017 prompt “Let’s Put On a Show,” I am doing the same.
Inspired by John Zussman's republishing his story from the 2017 prompt "Let's Put On a Show."
In 1978, a newly minted lawyer, I got a job with the California Attorney General’s Office. There were lots of hip, young lawyers there, since it was viewed in many legal circles as a training ground for the big-bucks private law firms. There was great camaraderie among the younger lawyers, with drinks at a nearby bar every Thursday night, an office softball team, and an office Christmas party that couldn’t be beat. (Now, of course, it would be called a holiday party, but in the ’70s it was definitely a Christmas party.) Along with dinner and dancing, there was always a show at the party, consisting of several short skits, generally political. It was written every year by two very funny and talented lawyers in the office, and acted in by lawyers, paralegals, secretaries — everyone was equal in the cast of these shows, and it was nice to see lawyers and support staff singing and dancing together.
After watching the show in amazement my first year in the office, I volunteered to be in it the next year. That year, 1979, California was abuzz about our hip young governor, Jerry Brown, who was running for President and dating Linda Ronstadt. When Jerry and Linda went on safari in Africa together, most Republicans found it really shocking since they weren’t married, but the rest of us thought it was the epitome of cool. Not surprisingly, there was a skit in the show about Jerry and Linda, and the writers tapped me to play Linda.
The skit was based on the TV game show To Tell the Truth, where there is a person with an unusual occupation or experience and two imposters, and the panel of celebrities has to guess which is the real one. The person was Jerry Brown, and then there were two imposter Jerry Browns. I remember that one of them was wearing a duck head. Each of the three Jerry Browns answered questions posed by the panel, but then before they identified the real Jerry Brown, I made my appearance.
The featured image is the picture on the cover of Linda’s Living in the USA album, which had just come out the previous year. So I was dressed like that and wearing the same kind of roller skates. The plan was for me to roller skate down the center aisle of the audience and then go up on the stage and sing. I didn’t really know how to roller skate (a deficiency of my childhood), so somebody at the back of the room with me just gave me a strong push, and I rolled all the way down to the stage. That part was easy. Climbing the two or three steps onto the stage was more challenging, but I managed to do it without breaking my neck. Then I rolled to the microphone.
My number was set to the tune of “The Great Pretender,” a song recorded by The Platters in the fifties. It was “The Great Contender,” and was about Jerry’s run for the presidency. I probably still have the lyrics somewhere, but I can’t seem to find them, unfortunately. I only remember the bridge, which went “His campaign is mostly make-believe / But even his mom is not quite that naive…” Also there was a reference to the fact that he froze state salaries, so we didn’t get a raise that year. I sang it in my best Linda Ronstadt voice, with piano accompaniment, and got a rousing ovation.
For the next year’s show I learned how to tap dance. But that’s another story.
8/1/17
Suzy
I’m sure you were a killer Linda Ronstadt, and the resemblance is more than passing. (And the way she’s gripping the walls in the photo, I’m not sure she was all that comfortable on roller skates either!) Congrats on your smashing success.
Suzy, sounds like SO much fun (except for the roller skating part). Very clever and I’m sure you were great, sang great and bore more than a passing resemblance to the real Linda. Sounds like a rousing success.
I applaud your bravery, bravado, or just plain enthusiasm, whatever allowed you to rocket on stage in roller skates! And thanks for reminding me of Jerry Brown’s glamorous period! As always, you reach deep down into your memory bank to pull up recollections that prove we have so much shared experience, we baby boomers. A great read but in the interests of longevity, I suggest you lay off the roller skate thing.
You: What… and quit show business?
Oh, this sounds like a hoot, there must be a video of it somewhere?? And yes, we must hear the tap dance story!
I’d completely forgotten about Linda and Jerry!
Office parties ain’t what (I have heard that) they used to be…
Wonderful story and wonderful memory Suzy!
So glad you reposted this from before my Retro time.
The whole adventure was way cool!
This made me laugh, and of course I remember Jerry and Linda days. Wish I could have seen you on roller skates singing your heart out!
Suzy, what a fun read. You had a capsule time in history with that memory. How you had the courage to act, sing and roller skate in your second year with your colleagues shows not only your confidence but the feel-good connections with the staff.
This is a great story, Suzy. I can totally picture you in that outfit.
I was a big fan of Jerry; voted for him for President in 1980 and again in 1992. Also a fan of Ronstadt and when I’m in LA, I still like to eat at the Mexican restaurant they used to patronize–I think it’s called Cafe El Adobo or something close. This was fun to read. I don’t think I ever worked anywhere that had such an active office/social life, nor any place where my co-workers and I had to budget to sustain the frequency of going out for drinks lol.
I thought the cover picture was you, until your fifth paragraph or so when you did the reveal of Linda, who is one of my all-time faves, my forever torch singer.. I heard her on the lawn at Saratoga way back when, and sadly even then she was protecting her voice, blasting out only half of the show. I hear “Different Drum,” or “Desperado,” or “We need a whole lot more of Jesus and a lot less rock ‘n roll”, or for the love of God “when will I be loved…”, and I am in my happy spot (happy being a complicated word, thrust back into my younger self being another way to put it). Although I always thought the relationship between Jerry and Linda was sort of from two different astrological signs, like an oil sign and a vinegar sign, as seems to be borne out by her recent bio pic. But I digress.
Sounds like the office of the California AG was not a bad place to hang your shingle, copacetic-wise, and I am jealous of that when I recall my unfun legal venues of the ’80s.
Suzy, how could you ever forget that skit and the larger party surrounding the show? How much fun that must have been! I remember Gov. Jerry and Linda clearly and thought what a great fit they were for the Golden Bear State. Thanks for this well told memory!