Lucille's 100th Birthday Events - The Criticism

[leenorman]

I received what appears below from a former Board Member of the Center, Kay Statz, after asking her what her take on the Celebration is, in her opinion: [Her reply to me, this a.m.] I don't know when she sent this to Journey Gunderson; but, I received it this a.m. 4/7/11 Joyce

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Dear Fellow Lucy Fans,

Following please find an e-mail that I sent to Journey, Director of the Lucy-Desi Center and copied Lucie Arnaz......I spoke from the heart. Will keep you posted. hugs,

Kay

 

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Dear Journey,

 

After reading the news posted on the web about Lucille's 100th birthday party last week I am totally confused and upset.....as are the other Lucy-Desi Fans I have spoken with since....

 

As a former Board Member I totally agree that things/events can not remain the same year after year, no matter how much we Fans want them too.....I get it....I do.....but I don't agree that this is the year to make such a drastic change. I also respect the fact that you are the Director and your vision is different than the Directors of the past. But this is the year to celebrate the history of Lucille Ball!!!! Where is Tom Watson??? Dann Cahn??? Doris Singelton???? Diane/Rhonda/Adrianne?????? Where are the West Coast people????? Keith/little Ricky and all the other cast members that are still with us???? Wanda Clark???? Madalyn Pugh Davis???? Where are all the Authors???? Where are Lucie & Desi???? ----- we were so hoping to hear the reading of their parents Love Letters. All of these folks are the Fans connection to Lucy.....................

 

We the Fans want to celebrate Lucille Ball on her 100th Birthday --- not new comedians...... Last year an attempt was made to introduce new comedians at the Fan Reunion Picnic --- the Lucy Fans left. May I suggest You and the Board ask yourselves why Lucy Fans would drive to Jamestown from Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Jersey, Baltimore and Buffalo, etc....pay $120.00 a night for a room at the Best Western to hear young comedians.......especially when we have great comedy clubs in our own cities!!! We travel to Jamestown for one reason only ---- Lucille Ball and it's her 100th Birthdayl!!!!

 

Die hard Fans travel from all over the USA and Canada to Jamestown to celebrate Lucy & Desi.....there was so much hope that the celebration in Jamestown would be similar to Lucy Fest in LA, (there was even a rumor that Tom Watson was in charge) especially since the May Festival was cancelled so all efforts could focus on August ----- what a let down! Fans are not going to travel to Jamestown for the food, I assure you. (Taste of Jamestown) We travel for The Komedy Kollege which was a HUGE Hit!!!! WAY too much fun!!! We want to go to The Tropicana Room, dinner with the Ricardo's.......... the Masquerade Ball.......we want to share "Lucy Moments" with fellow fans.

 

I am well aware of the Mission Statement, I helped write it. I also know what the Fans expect for Lucille's 100th birthday, because they're telling me.

One question being asked is: What is the connection between Joan Rivers and Lucille Ball? (other than female power house comedians)

 

I realize how much work goes into a Festival......I know you have made commitments......but I hope you and the Board will reconsider inviting those who have known and loved Lucille - ----those who have walked the streets of Jamestown with the Fans sharing thoughts and memories --- those who need and want to be there singing Happy 100th Birthday to our Favorite Red Head.......without them.........well, I wish you luck in attracting folks outside of Jamestown for a successful Festival.

 

Please believe that I am not being difficult/adversarial Journey, I am being honest with you. And please know that as a Lucy-Desi Fan, I want Lucille's hometown to flourish and the Center to succeed.

 

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Thursday 4/7/11 - early a.m. EDT - from me to Kay:

 

EXCELLENT, KAY!!!! Your words are exactly what I am hearing on the Lucy Lounge; and from die-hard Lucille Ball fans! The events, as presented so far, are ambitious, as written. Joan Rivers will not be happy to have 20 people in the audience, if she gets that! I am worried.

 

I do love the 're-creation' of Lucille and Desi's trip to Jamestown in 1956, though.

 

I'm wondering who is 'pulling the strings' these days. I have been tempted to e-mail Journey, as well, since I have not heard from her since I offered to share my chronology with the Website, as it existed from January 2006, until arrdubya removed it on Lucie's Birthday, 2007, citing 'you are adversarial, to say the least' when I pointed out to him an addition he took upon himself to add (and, on the wrong day)! The REAL reason, of course, is that I would not 'sell' it to the 'Center' for its publishing!!!!

 

Let me know if you receive a reply from Journey, please, if you will; and would you mind my sharing your e-mail with the LOUNGERS???? I'll await either your denial or approval, and thanks for considering it.

 

Love, JK

 

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Thursday 4/7/11 3:45 p.m. EDT

thanks Joyce for your support......please DO share my letter and encourage others to write to Journey and the Board Members......

I'll keep you posted....Kay.

[Brock]

Kay has made some excellent points here, although the actual connection between Lucy and Joan should be quite obvious. Other than that, I agree with just about everything you both have articulated here. One thing though -- I do think it will be a packed house for Joan. When people like Carol Channing, Barbara Eden, and Robert Osborne, Jerry Marin, and Ava Gardner's ex-husband attended, the did bring in people that didn't even have a passing interest in Lucy.

[Mister Hepburn]

I think we all need to follow in Kay's footsteps and write to Journey. I've been very unhappy with the plans present thus far and have even told the friends I had planned on going with that I was no longer interested and it was mostly a waste of time.

 

The re-creation will be cool, thats for certain. But I wish they'd show The Long, Long Trailer at some point during the weekend as its Lucy and Desi's best movie together, I'd even say one of Lucy's best movies period. And why no Lucy Under The Stars, because damn did I love that!

[Dubarry31]

I think Joan Rivers will have a decent audience. However, the chances of getting the "Lucy" folks, like Wanda and Frank, etc. is slim. There is a Ball-Arnaz family reunion in CA that weekend and many will be attending that. Since many of the family are older and live on the western half of the country, it made sense to hold a reunion for family and friends there to celebrate the birthday.

[jab5983]

go to lucy desi centers facebook and post your comments there! Journey reads the comments that are posted there. 60th anniversary of I love lucy and there are no events planned to honor the show! Even if they couldn't get 'lucy people' more could have been planned to honor lucy! Those are the events people look forward to no one goes to jamestown to see unknown comedians! They claim ray romano was just starting out when he headlined th festival in 1998. Everybody loves raymond started in 1996!

[C L A U D E]

True, he started out HERE in Montreal at OUR comedy festival, landed Raymond HERE when all the tv producers attend the festival looking for the next sitcom star. I think Joan is an excellent choice for headliner and she appeared on Lucy's show and did three interviews with her on The Tonight show and her own Fox late night show, she even did a tribute to Lucy on her afternoon talk show with Bart Andrews, Lucy's hairdresser and even Desi jr at the end among others. I just questionned that thousand dollar price to meet Joan as ridiculous. But now that they say it's for a membership also, i understand better though still think it's much too high. The Lucy celebration in LA is so typical of the way these things are handled, the Lucy Festival has problems so make them worse by tying up all the people who should have been there in the first place. You're absolutely right, there are comedy festivals everywhere for NEW comics, concentrate on more Lucy instead.

[leenorman]

THIS IS VERY STRANGE: Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Kay Statz, in which she shared with me, and all others, her reply from Journey Gunderson..... I immediately re-entered the LOUNGE and re-printed her e-mail and Journey's reply to her, for everyone to read. It was sometime close to 2:00 p.m. EDT - this morning, it was not there, so, I must have NOT hit the correct button and it is lost in cyber-space or some trash bin! In ANY event, here it is, AGAIN....even though BELATEDLY:

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Dear Fellow Lucy Fans,

As you know, after the Lucy-Desi Center made the announcement/press release regarding the events of August 6, 2011 in Jamestown, many of you shared your disappointment with me. I shared those thoughts as well as my own with Journey, the new Director of the Center. She has given me permission to share her response and explanation of the upcoming celebration for our Favorite Red Heads 100th Birthday Party. Please take the time to read the extensive details Journey took the time to share with us all.

 

Barb and I will be there to sing Happy Birthday, I hope you will be too.

hugs, xoxo

 

Kay

Katharine Statz

Statz & Associates

 

Hi Katharine,

 

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me directly. However, I'm happy to report that many of your concerns are unnecessary, and hopefully my response can help calm your fears, as well as those of others you speak with, about any void of Lucy in the Lucille Ball 100th Birthday Celebration. I've tried to include direct responses to your questions below when possible:

 

"But this is the year to celebrate the history of Lucille Ball!!!!"

We agree, and we are. I'm not sure what indicated we are not. This year's festival schedule SO FAR includes:

a historical re-enactment of the day Lucy and Desi did the world premiere of their movie together "Forever, Darling" 55 years ago in Jamestown (celebrating the history of Lucille Ball)

followed by/leading into a very large Lucy's 100th Birthday Celebration Parade Friday evening;

a Saturday matinee that is a live on-stage radio show re-enactment performance of "My Favorite Husband," which starred Lucille Ball and was the basis for the show "I Love Lucy", which will be produced and directed live in Jamestown by Gregg Oppenheimer, the son of "I Love Lucy" creator Jess Oppenheimer. He'll also be premiering a performance of his new screenplay/radio play, "I Love Lucy: The Untold Story" about the history of how the show started.

a Guinness Book of World Records attempt at most people dressed as Lucille Ball on Saturday, Aug 6 for her actual 100th birthday which you yourself may participate in and be part of the record if you wish;

NEW Lucy's Lake View Cemetery Tours, including a 50-minute horse-drawn tour/route of those who were connected to Lucille Ball.

the ever-popular LucyTown Bus Tours; those aren't going away!

("We want to go to The Tropicana Room, dinner with the Ricardo's", "Diane/Rhonda/Adrianne??????" ) Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Shows in the Tropicana Room featuring Diane, Adrian and Rhonda. I'm not sure why you assumed with such alarm otherwise?

book signings by authors of Lucy literature ("Where are all the Authors????");

silent and live auctions of memorabilia from the archives and estates of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz;

screening of the movie "Forever, Darling"

a picnic in Lucille Ball Historical Celoron Park where Lucy spent time in her youth; including a "fan spotlight"

a "Lucy Tribute Show" by our local Junior Guilders youth performance group in the Lucille Ball Little Theater;

special Museum events and photo opportunities; debut of a new item

Lucy-Desi Night at the Jamestown Jammers;

And more being developed!

Everything listed above was included in the press announcement, so Kay, I'm not sure where the notion came from that our expansion of the brand into comedy (according to the wishes of Lucille Ball) somehow precludes us from continuing to celebrate Lucille Ball, and I assure you that's not the case. I believe the aforementioned events do celebrate the history of Lucille Ball. Keep in mind this was our first major press release about the event, so the announcement of major headliners and overall vision is not counter to the involvement of some others.

 

As for the questions here:

 

Where is Tom Watson??? Dann Cahn??? Doris Singelton???? Diane/Rhonda/Adrianne?????? Where are the West Coast people????? Keith/little Ricky and all the other cast members that are still with us???? Wanda Clark???? Madalyn Pugh Davis???? Where are all the Authors???? Where are Lucie & Desi????

 

Diane/Rhonda/Adrian are coming. I can tell you that some of the other individuals have, in fact, been invited, but declined as recently as yesterday for different reasons, and I respect their privacy in not disclosing their personal matters with you. I will tell you, which you may already know, that Dann Cahn's wife passed away recently. We did our best to have him here but respect his decision not to attend. The festival is still in development and Komedy Kollege is also something we're trying to work into the festival, but it was not scheduled at the time of the press release. One of the facilitators passed away unexpectedly this winter.

 

".......we want to share "Lucy Moments" with fellow fans."

You can, and we encourage that. There are some panel discussions in the works, and in fact, maybe you saw on the schedule that Sunday's picnic will include a fan spotlight?

 

"One question being asked is: What is the connection between Joan Rivers and Lucille Ball? (other than female power house comedians)"

I'm surprised to hear that you and others haven't been able to make a connection or would assume there is none. Lucy loved Joan, and they had a tremendous mutual respect for one another. In addition to having each broken major barriers in their uniquely long careers, here are some clips of them together that can help answer the question for you:

 

"Here's Lucy: Lucy and Joan Rivers do Jury Duty" - I think you'll enjoy this. Lots of great scenes together, working and performing together as two great comediennes.

[cite removed]

Joan Rivers Interviews Lucille Ball (Part 1) This is from 1986 and may have been her last television interview (not confirmed yet), which I think is pretty significant. Particularly Part 2 shows what a fantastic and personal interview it was. We're fortunate that such a substantive interview was done with Lucille Ball so close to the end of her life.

[cite removed]

Joan Rivers Interviews Lucille Ball (Part 2)- [cite removed]

 

Joan Rivers Interviews Lucille Ball 1984 (another interview years prior) - [cite]

 

Thank you again for communicating your concern. Hopefully you agree based on the above that many of your fears are unnecessary or perhaps came from a misinformed source. Please spread the word. I'm sorry our first encounter was negative but hope you will attend and enjoy the festival. I look forward to meeting you.

 

Best regards,

Journey Gunderson

Executive Director

Lucille Ball - Desi Arnaz Center

2 W. 3rd St.

Jamestown, NY 14701

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Hope this one comes through....Now, I see what the problem is/was: there are cites included in this which prevents me from sharing the entire e-mail from Journey with you. I'm going in there now, and taking the posts out which refer to other parts of the internet, and apparently cannot be re-produced here....Love, JK

[jab5983]

remember the Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Contest: there were 5 finalist couples that were trying win a wedding to celebrate Lucy's 100th birthday. The wedding will take place July 30th at the Tropicana. The 4 couples that did not win were to receive an "all expense paid trip to Jamestown" This is what they received:2 nights at the dunkirk clarion with a $50 credit to the hotel restaurant, 2 passes to the roger troy peterson institute, 2 passes to the Robert H. Jackson Center, 2 passes to the audubon center

 

The hotel is not even in Jamestown!!!! and no free passes to the museum or playhouse! The Lucy Desi Center was a sponser for this contest!

 

One couple is from LA and another is from Mississippi. The will have to pay for airfare and a $50 restaurant credit will not cover meals for a weekend. So I guess this is their idea of an all expense paid weekend. All the couples took time out of their lives to do tv, newspaper and radio interviews to promote the center and this is what the received in return!

[C L A U D E]

remember the Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Contest: there were 5 finalist couples that were trying win a wedding to celebrate Lucy's 100th birthday. The wedding will take place July 30th at the Tropicana. The 4 couples that did not win were to receive an "all expense paid trip to Jamestown" This is what they received:2 nights at the dunkirk clarion with a $50 credit to the hotel restaurant, 2 passes to the roger troy peterson institute, 2 passes to the Robert H. Jackson Center, 2 passes to the audubon center

 

The hotel is not even in Jamestown!!!! and no free passes to the museum or playhouse! The Lucy Desi Center was a sponser for this contest!

 

One couple is from LA and another is from Mississippi. The will have to pay for airfare and a $50 restaurant credit will not cover meals for a weekend. So I guess this is their idea of an all expense paid weekend. All the couples took time out of their lives to do tv, newspaper and radio interviews to promote the center and this is what the received in return!

Wow, where do they get THESE people who run things there? Maybe when checking the NEXT applications, they should consider FANS instead of CREDENTIALS or DEGREES and what not.

[jab5983]

looks like the contest winners don't have it much better! check out the possible menu selctions http://lucilleballhometownwedding.com/vote.php

[Brock]

All the couples took time out of their lives to do tv, newspaper and radio interviews to promote the center and this is what the received in return!

 

They were really promoting their own chances to win the contest, weren't they? I mean, a consolation prize is better than nothing at all.

 

looks like the contest winners don't have it much better! check out the possible menu selctions http://lucilleballhometownwedding.com/vote.php

 

Sounds good to me. What did you expect?

[C L A U D E]

They were really promoting their own chances to win the contest, weren't they? I mean, a consolation prize is better than nothing at all.

 

 

 

Sounds good to me. What did you expect?

Thought you hated the food there? But it's a small hick town, nobody expects to get Paris style food there. Although i hear Le Bifteck de West Jamestown is to die for.

[jab5983]

the couples were told to mention media one bridal and the Lucy Desi Center during every interview.

 

Also if menu 3 wins do you really think serving guests at a wedding all desserts including carmel corn is what the winning couple would want???

 

lets face facts anything the center has been invovled with in the last few years has not turned out well

[JoeySanJoaquin]

the couples were told to mention media one bridal and the Lucy Desi Center during every interview.

 

Also if menu 3 wins do you really think serving guests at a wedding all desserts including carmel corn is what the winning couple would want???

 

lets face facts anything the center has been invovled with in the last few years has not turned out well

 

Can't anyone spell anymore?? "Carmel" is where Doris Day lives; caramel is what's often made into syrup, put on/in chocolate, etc. Jeez!

[C L A U D E]

Can't anyone spell anymore?? "Carmel" is where Doris Day lives; caramel is what's often made into syrup, put on/in chocolate, etc. Jeez!

Hey, these people grew up watching Ricky Ricardo, so wot you spect? Just thank God Caramel doesn't start with an X.

[jab5983]

thanks for the spelling lesson. Maybe this information should be provided to those running the contest and the website. If you use that link you will notice that it is spelled carmel on their official menu! So this actually was not my error!

[Brock]

 

Also if menu 3 wins do you really think serving guests at a wedding all desserts including carmel corn is what the winning couple would want???

 

 

I'm of two schools of thought -- (1) Probably Not and (2) If they were that concerned about it, they should have planned their own damn wedding instead of entering a contest to have someone else do it for them.

 

It's a weird situation.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

thanks for the spelling lesson. Maybe this information should be provided to those running the contest and the website. If you use that link you will notice that it is spelled carmel on their official menu! So this actually was not my error!

 

 

No thanks for pointing that out, I wasn't criticizing you, Jab! And I went to the links for the menus and saw it misspelled there, which is what I found so appalling: they go to all the trouble to come up with things like this and then don't bother to do any proofreading or spellchecking!! Yikes!

 

What'd they think this was, an MPI insert for upcoming video releases??

[Brock]

 

 

What'd they think this was, an MPI insert for upcoming video releases??

 

If it was an MPI insert, guests of the bride and groom would find themselves feasting on "caaarmel corn".

[JoeySanJoaquin]

If it was an MPI insert, guests of the bride and groom would find themselves feasting on "caaarmel corn".

 

TOUCHE!

[Brock]

An excellent letter to the editor in today's Jamestown Post Journal:

 

To the Readers' Forum:

 

I first visited Jamestown in 1989 and was struck by how little evidence there was that this was the place where "Lucy" was born and raised. I have visited almost yearly since and have been pleased to see more and more celebrations of "Lucy" around town. Sadly, this trend seems to have reversed in the past few years and Jamestown has almost regressed to the way I first encountered it back in 1989.

 

When I saw the announcement of the plans for Lucille Ball's 100th birthday, I wanted to shout: "Where were you people 20 years ago?!?" And what a vote of no confidence for Philip Morris and the hard working Arts Council staff and volunteers that created the first Festival of New Comedy. It was very well done, well financed (underwritten by a lot of foundation money), and well marketed. But it wasn't sustainable.

 

Maybe these folks with the "new" plans weren't around in 1991, or maybe they just weren't paying attention. Apparently they didn't notice that Lucy's fans - and there are still millions of them - didn't want to come to Jamestown for "new" comedy. And people who did want new comedy had a lot of other places where they could find it.

 

What's changed in the past 20 years that will bring the crowds here now?

 

Darned if I know.

 

George Santayana's famous observation feels painfully close to home: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Because apparently no one's learned that for Jamestown, New York, to benefit from being the hometown of the world's most famous comedic icon, it must celebrate her not try to be a national or international comedy center.

 

There are dozens of comedy schools around the country and hundreds of comedy festivals around the world. But Lucille Ball only had one hometown.

 

Too bad Jamestown refuses to take advantage of that.

 

Patti Jo Oelrich

 

Chicago

 

http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/584429/City-Refuses-To-Take-Advantage-Of-Ball-s-Hometown.html?nav=5006

[jab5983]

An excellent letter to the editor in today's Jamestown Post Journal:

 

 

 

http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/584429/City-Refuses-To-Take-Advantage-Of-Ball-s-Hometown.html?nav=5006

 

From the Center website: Tickets ON SALE NOW! Schedule and links to buy below. Schedule continues to be developed, including plans for Lucille Ball's 100th birthday cake.

 

Looks like they will be having a cake for Lucy...

 

Quote from Lucie Arnaz: When this year’s festival was announced,” she said, “I got the prerequisite emails from the five or six people that represent that small group that come in every year. They were testy: ‘This is Lucy’s 100th birthday, and we want to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her.’ “Now, come on. No it’s not. She died 22 years ago. This is the 100th anniversary of her birth … We don’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to people who aren’t here anymore. And you’ve been doing the ‘Happy Birthday’ thing for 20 years.

 

so it looks like the center is starting to change their mind about this festival and trying to add more things to focus on Lucy.

Its interesting to see that the only events to sell out so far are the Tropicana dinners a Lucy related event. Maybe they are starting to see that this "new comedy festival" is not going to get people to Jamestown!

[C L A U D E]

An excellent letter to the editor in today's Jamestown Post Journal:

 

 

 

http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/584429/City-Refuses-To-Take-Advantage-Of-Ball-s-Hometown.html?nav=5006

Wow, well said.

[jab5983]

Wow, well said.

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center continues to add more events to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball’s birth, set for August 3-7, 2011 including the entire cast of “I Love Lucy.” This year, for the first time ever, “Fred Mertz” will visit Jamestown.

 

Professional impersonators will entertain visitors as Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred. Besides performing at sold-out meals throughout the weekend, the quartet will be available for photos on the “I Love Lucy” set replicas at the Desilu Playhouse Friday morning at 9 a.m.

 

Other photo opportunities will be offered at 11 a.m. that day when fans will have the opportunity to have photos taken on the sets with either Gregg Oppenheimer, son of the creator of the “I Love Lucy” show, or with Joe Mayer, one of the twins who played “Little Ricky” on television.

 

Speaking of fans, Lucy’s “Number One Fan,” Michael Stern will be on hand throughout the festival, signing his book, “I Had a Ball: My Friendship with Lucille Ball.” Michael will be in the museum gift shop Thursday, noon to 2 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Depending on availability, Michael will be selling and signing his books Sunday at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celoron. Michael will also be hosting trivia Friday afternoon and the picnic on Sunday.

 

Pre-orders will also be taken for Stern’s book, and he will sign these for shipping after the festival.

 

“New exhibits are always exciting for both staff and visitors,” says the Center’s executive director, Journey Gunderson, “This year, we’re having a special unveiling on Wednesday, August 3, at 10 a.m. We’ve been given the door to the “I Love Lucy” studio, taken from Desilu Studios,” says Gunderson. The door, through which the “I Love Lucy” cast passed hundreds of times, will be unveiled in its new location at the Lucy-Desi Center’s Desilu Playhouse. Another new Playhouse exhibit is the Santa suit worn by Lucy in an “I Love Lucy” Christmas. This exciting original costume is on loan from Peter Mamonis, Jr. Fans will also appreciate a new exhibit in memory of Madelyn Pugh Davis, the “I Love Lucy” writer who passed away on April 20 this year.

 

Also being added to the gallery room of the Museum on, Friday, at 9:30 a.m., are two special portraits One is a portrait of Sylvia Hahlo, the agent who got Lucy her first movie assignment (“Roman Scandals,” with Eddie Cantor), donated by her cousins, Dr. Doug Cohn and Mitchell Cohn. The other portrait is of Lucille Ball, on loan from Jamestown resident Robert Black. The portrait originally hung in Lucille Ball’s bedroom. Says Gunderson, “We very much appreciate the generosity that enables us to share these wonderful portraits with the public.”

 

Another treat for visitors is the chance to dine in the Tropicana Room, and visitors will have added opportunities to enjoy that replica of Ricky Ricardo’s nightclub during the Birthday Celebration with a box lunch Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. that features the showing of a special interview with Jack Fones. Jack was a representative for the Philip Morris Company and became a personal friend of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In this exclusive interview, Jack reminisces about the good times he shared with Lucy and Desi.

 

Thursday, as a preview to the evening with Joan Rivers, the Center is offering a box dinner in the Tropicana Room from 6 to 7 p.m. A “Here’s Lucy” episode featuring Joan Rivers will also be shown.

 

What to know what it was like growing up at 59 Lucy Lane? Lloyd Faulkner, who grew up in Lucy’s Celoron home, will be in the museum gift shop Thursday 10 to 1, Friday, 12-3, and Saturday 12-3 with his photo albums of the home. For a donation, visitors may have their photo taken with Lloyd and his Lucy-related needlework.

 

Both Friday and Saturday nights, the Center will offer the popular “Lucy under the Stars,” showing episodes from “I Love Lucy” on an outdoor screen, complete with popcorn, starting at 9 p.m. The screen is on the side of the county building, and faces Third Street, between Pine and Spring.

 

Sunday, in addition to the picnic in Celoron at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park, there’ll be a delightful cruise aboard the Summer Wind from 9:30 to 11:30, featuring a light brunch and hosted by Joe Mayer and Michael Stern.

 

With all the many new events being added to the festival schedule, some times have been changed. The Saturday night Tropicana dinner time has been changed from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Gregg Oppenheimer’s radio plays will now begin at 3:30 p.m. Also, the Lucy Town bus tours on Friday and Saturday will run at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

 

In conjunction with the festival, Heritage Ministries will be raffling off a “Lucy” rocking chair, painted by local artist Gary Peters, Jr. The chair will be on display in the window of the Lucy-Desi Museum during the festival. Raffle tickets may be purchased through Heritage Ministries.

 

Those with the urge to shop will have plenty of chances to save money in the process as there’ll be “early bird” special sale items in the two gift shops from 9-10 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday of the festival.

 

For prices and a complete list of all the festival events, visit the Lucy-Desi Center website's Lucy Festival page at www.lucycomedyfest.com.

[Brock]

It's nice that they're finally thinking outside the box and adding some Lucy-related events! lol