What a guy...
I was in his production of Faust. And, that leads to So Many stories !
I was in his production of Faust. And, that leads to So Many stories !
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Los Angeles
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Sat, February 3, 2007 - 9:35 AMI remember that production of Faust---with Marci Baxter hanging from a little flying rig at the old Drury Creek! I remember one Sunday, somebody didn't show up, and Dundii just stood there on stage as a 6'7" angel staring out into the hills looking for him---willing him to show up. Dundii became a friend, and I later wrote and directed one of the big dance shows for him in Agoura. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Sun, February 4, 2007 - 12:09 AMWow ! Not only do you remember THAT show, but incredible details about it, considering ! I was hesitant to give it a date... do you recall ? I figure it was maybe 1972-ish ?
It was just toooo funny, I thought, when 'she ascended to heaven' on what in essence was a heavy 'block and tackle' rig ! Noisy, clumsy, took a long time and its working was plainly obvious ... No Way did it 'sell' as a typical 'special effect'... but, then, it was so perfectly 'correct' for the period, and a real case of 'Deus Ex Machina' (or however that is spelt) !
And, how about those "Angel Wings" ??? !
I don't know if you would remember me from that show... I stood stage right, second from the end as I recall it, and then 'ascended' to stand on the 'balconey' after donning my set of wings. I basically was more-or-less an 'extra' in that particular show.
I USED to have pix of it, and me in it, but lost them some 25 or so years ago... if you or anyone that you know has any, PLEASE post them, and/or send me a copy via email, and I will gladly point out which one I am...
Dundii was such a literal 'stand-out' ! I have heard a few say that they THINK they remember him... which means to me that they probably do not... given how tall and distinctive looking he was ! Who could forget him ?
Frieda, the 'Official Costume Judge/Director' Now-a-days told me that she has HEARD of him... apparently, he has a fabled and storied past in her book, but he was before her time. It wasn't until I met up with Will Wood that I at last found another 'modern day' faire folk who KNEW him... sigh. I had hoped to touch base with him, and so many others, only to learn they were no longer with us.
But, certainly not forgotten...
And the truth is, I had forgotten about that time that Dundii so unwillingly took to the stage ! Thanks for reminding me ! You are absolutely correct, he HATED being on stage ! He stood-in that day (because it upset him that without that 'body' it destroyed his artistic 'blocking'), but otherwise never stepped on stage during the entire run of that show. During that season, our troupe also did a 'Queens Procession' type show on the Main Stage, and he DID stand there, for that. But he said no lines, and did no real 'movement'... it always seemed like a 'waste' to me, in that with his face, and height, he COULD have made a spectacular character actor... and, yeah, I forgot too how I had tried to convince him of that possibility, and 'egg him on' to do MORE on stage ! He really preferred to stay back stage, basically unseen, creating wondrous costumes.
A true loss to 'the arts' that he is not with us anymore ! -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Sun, February 4, 2007 - 5:24 AMI remember Dundii, as well! He showed me my first real "Courtier Costume". I remember, at my second faire, being absoluty in wonder at those costumes. There was one, I don't remember the gentleman's name, but he was a dancer with Angene Feves. Any way, his costume was black and yellow and Julie used to call him her "bumble bee". The Dresses....all shades of Lavender and blue. No doubt, Dundii will be in my mind forever! And the "row" over Dundii's Dancers "being carried in Sedan Chairs, behind the Queen"....(long "velvet petting zoo" memory>)
Back to your show: the wings....Deus Ex Machina....I don't remember that show, exactly, but I remember something about Dennis Day, being suspended from the balcony on Main Stage. He was St. "something or other". I think it was an early-in-the-day "spoof". I can't recall. I just have the vision of that little guy, in all his "glory", with wings, hanging and "Blessing the assembled multitudes"
No. Frieda never met the man. I KNOW she heard about him, as Luisa, Peg, and anyone else who was "there" (including myself) gushed over that man and his talents, on more than one occaision. Dundii was (and always will be) Legend!
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Mon, February 5, 2007 - 9:42 AMThe dancer in the bumble bee suit was George Alspaugh who was later the choreographer for Dundii's troupe ('Pro Delecto Antiquo' or the PDA)--- Dundii had a great sense of color and spectacle which is often missing at the faires (and Dickens) today in favor of beige and mousy period correctness. We need to encourage more people like him to go over the top "More feathers! More flowers! More tits!" he'd say. Dundii had a huge, dry, witty sense of humor and was a great fan of tackiness---he loved the fact that Marci was hoisted up on that little block and tackle thing, twirling around with her back to the audience (she had to be turned to face front by hand! He loved that). Dundii was one of the first people to design Elizabethan clothes for the faire that were historically accurate: the colors may have been outlandish (electric blue, fire engine red, vivid green with all the huge jewels and strong contrasts) but he did that on purpose so they'd be visible on main stage. He knew what he was doing. I have never seen that at the Faires since. He started trends and traditions that are still in place today. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Mon, February 5, 2007 - 10:49 AMIt's a testament to Dundii's creativity that I can still, to this day, remember costumes and vignettes he created over 30 years ago. Granted, I was young and impressionable, but his vision was unmatched and unmatchable.
I think of Duffy as the liason figure who brought some of Dundii's vision "to the ground," making the Court and courtiers more audience friendly. If there were any criticism of Dundii (and there is none from this quarter) it is that he was almost too fabulous for mere mortals. He scared me to death, and I was hardened Fairey. His vision was so strong, so complete, so BIG that is more or less kept the audience at a distance.... But, again, that's not a criticism; more an observation.
I remember once seeing of the PDAs buying food and it sort of freaked me out.
"They're mortals after all!!!!" They were that awe-inspiring. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 9:25 AMDundii, besides being a terrific visual himself, was primarily interested in the big picture: his actor/dancers (and I actually went to school with a number of them: Marci and David and Maggie Roswell who ended up doing some of the voices on the Simpsons)--- liked the faire but they were focused on being real actors in Hollywod and New York. The faire was a job, for them. They didn't really want to sit and improvise with faire patrons and that was fine with Dundii, as long as they looked good in his costumes. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 10:02 AMBasileus:
I think you'll know the answer to this. How did Anjean Feves and Charles Perrier fit into the Dundii picture? I sort of remember them all banded together, but I might have had a type of courtier blindess ("Duh, the all look alike to me...")
Was there a connection? -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, February 7, 2007 - 9:31 AMThey may have worked together: I remember Angene did some period dance show at the faire and then toured around universities, and I remember Dundii making costumes for Charles and Angene he was hand finishing on the bus ride north. I don't think either of them were in the PDA directly, though. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, February 7, 2007 - 9:41 AMWe still learn our dances directly from Angene's instructions. Aurie keeps us in line.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 12:38 PMHearing Dundi tell Louisa to "hold on, it’s an e-ticket, a real white knuckler" the first time she rode in Queen's chair subbing for Peg in '74(?) was etched into my mind forever. (I was a chair bearer at the time) Many took their inspiration from the gentle giant.
Watching the Italian Court dancing that he inspired with Charyl & Kim doing solos and galliards with Noel & Jay (I may have it wrong, but it was magic)
(do you remember his bong?)
Richard Beard has so many endearing and enduring Dundi stories too...I know he's on tribe here somewhere...I'll try to get him to post some of the many stories and pictures he has of the great man.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 12:42 PMJeffrey, great memories.
I can't believe that Charyl is gone, too.
Damn.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 7:13 PMHi,
When I was at my first Agoura faire I was taken aback at the complexity of the show Dundii had designed,constructed most of, and directed daily from the wings, wearing the PDA costume of somber (for a change) reds and black. I remember a black pointy hat with a tall feather, of course.
I met him the previous Dicken's in "74, where he was Good Queen Bess. Phyllis, Doris Karns, and CarolieTarbol, the creator, designer, and costumer, all had prevailed upon Dundii to cap the, then brand new, panto with a traditional cross-dressing Dame role. I remember him backstage, proped up somewhere in that giant red dress that only he could have made, laced tight enough to make Dark Gardens proud, droll and acute in all that he observed, and very much the performer. We spent the first weekend making a lobster costume for Debbie Ronzoni to wear in the panto for the rest of the run. Dundii's was a generous and gifted workaholic with a total disregard for the show having already opened, no need for all the improvments he would keep on making. I guess that was one of the first of my life lessons learned at his side.
Dundii, Johann Christian Von Huen, got his chosen name while still in college, in Texas, where he was getting a degree in early music.
It seems that he love the local diner's Dundee cake so much that they took to calling him that when he would come in the door. Spelling adjustments for Hollywood flair-factor followed soon after his arrival here.
I will dig out pictures, but he didn't like to be in them, so I havn't more than than a half dozen from over the course of a 8 year friendship.
Thanks for starting this post, Dundii would be so pleased, but probably wouldn't admit it.
Richard Beard -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, February 7, 2007 - 9:41 AMHi Richard---so good to see you here! 'Droll and acute..." indeed so. He had that dry, arched eyebrow we loved. I did Dickens in 74 and I remember that first panto and Dundii as the Queen. A puff of smoke and a somersault and then he stood up...and he just kept going and going unfolding until he was full height, plus maybe another eight or ten inches with headdress and heels---over seven feet tall surely. Dickens badly needs you, Richard! With Dundii by your side.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 2:37 AMWow Richard!!
I was reading this thread wondering how/where you were. And also determined to talk about the panto. but you beat me to both. So nice to read you! I remember you making that lobster costume. I think you were in the middle of doing that the day that I brought Adele in to meet you.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 5:12 AMif I could write a book on any one character at faire it would be Dundi.
That lobster suit was legend.
he was and is legend.
Photos would be astounding. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 8:11 AMAnd he is remembered and a part of the RPFS AIDS Quilt panel. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 9:37 PMI was just a teenager from the 'burbs,and his costumes and presentation blew my mind. I had never seen anything like that before.He wasw so much larger than life. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 7:24 AMit was like when people talked about him, their energy would raise up several notches. It is ike the same feeling when a big celebrity with real charisma steps in the room...everyone starts talking louder and they all are paying attention in a subtle way that makes everyone amp up in a big way. Dundii in my mind was constantly being mixed together with Dr Dee, who I think was played by Kevin Brown.
To further confuse things (especially since I was like 13 when i started) Bob Thomas once told me that "Dundii is the Dr Dee of the Faire...yes actually". Dr Dee was an amazing magician, and there are some real parallels there. Since then I have read a couple of books on his like and the enochian and all of that work that preceded the golden dawn stuff. Part of my intent on coming home to tribe was to hunt down more tales of Dundii. For me it was always like he created this elaborate world of wit and whimsy and ardor and passion that I was lucky enough to inherit and inhabit in some small way.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 7:26 AMthanks Bess, I love that he is on the quilt.
Is Ronnie Wilson Included?
The great surf drummer from the "surfaris" and cousin of the other wilsons (the beach boys) was lost from us tragically about fifteen years ago due to AIDS.
he was drummer for bruno and parades and hobbyhorse and lots more. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 7:56 AMI don't recall seeing his name, I'll have to see if I can find it on my husband's photo of the quilt. I'll have to remember to bring it up when I get home. Really, the only reason I recognized Dundii's name were the memories here.
The main person I lobbied to get on that quilt was Dave Taggert late of Lemylle Smythe who was probably one of the first we lost to HIV/AIDS between the 1987-88 seasons. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 9:45 AMI made a courtly dress for my Faire brat friend Sharon, once and Dundii spent time admiring it: she was about thirteen or fourteen and her mother was a card-reader in Witches Wood. The dress was all black, with ornate red underskirt and red bands. I was flabbergasted when he invited her to ride on one of the chairs during Progress (remember those years when many of Dundii's ladies rode behind the Queen in their own chairs?). Talk about spectacle. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 9:17 PMI thought Ronnie Wison died of a brain embolism, Catt... -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 5:19 AMdarling Morgan I had heard a heart-attack related to complication of. I would love to hear otherwise.
Few of my mutual friends with Ronnie are around so you may be right.
Ronnie ran the big drum all over site and was the heartbeat of our world for quite some time.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 9:41 PMI remember the many chaired spectaular. Julie Meredith was still QER. All was soon to change with Queen Peg and the rise of Duffy's Court. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 12:32 AMDundii's PDA didn't last too long after that for whatever reason; I wrote and directed one of their last shows in Agoura and made all kinds of notes about what NOT to do next time...but there wasn't a next time.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 5:47 PMI double checked the shots and unless Ronnie's name is in the portion he didn't shoot, he's not on the quilt. But then, I see there's a question as to the nature of his parting. -
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:53 AMYes, Ronnie died of a brain anurism (sp?) He was living up North somewhere with his current ladye, whose name, I regret, does not come to mind. He had been doing some gold prospecting. He came home on day. laid down on the couch and died. For those who may not know, he is the voice you hear on the original "Wipe Out". He wrote the song, did the opening and played the most fantastic drums. He used to make his way through Faire, drumming on something all the way to the End of the World or Witches Wood, whichever Faire he was at. We used to play frisbee tag after hours on the hillside between Troll Hollow and Procession Hill. Rumor has it that he fathered several children but the only one I knew of he called "Rocket Robin" Memory dims and I can not recall the mother's name but have often wondered what became of them.
As to Dundi, Therl O'Ryan and I lived with him through the Winter of '72/'73 in his digs on Seward. I always knew him as a gracious an non-threatening host. He gave me the white-velour kaftan that I wore as Father Charlatanus and also an electric blue-velour full lengh cape with which I often would strut Hollywood Blvd.
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Re: Anyone remember Dundii ?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:58 AMI was able to get a look at the Quilt this past Saturday, and his name is not on there. Perhaps I should take pen and paper and make a list of who is on there.
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