For Southern Californians: HULLABALOO

[Midnite]

Tonight on KOCE/PBS SoCal at 9 p.m. is the 2-hour retrospective 60s Flashback: Hullabaloo.  Featured acts include Herman's Hermits (lead singer Peter Noone hosts the special), Lovin' Spoonful, Animals, the Mamas & the Papas, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Sonny & Cher, Byrds, the Four Seasons, Nancy Sinatra, Outsiders, Barry McGuire, Trini Lopez, Bobby Fuller Four, and various hosts (which changed weekly).  And of course there were the backup dancers, which included Donna McKechnie and Michael Bennett.

The show will repeat at 2:30 am, also Sunday at 7 pm and Monday morning at 12:30.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Thanks for the heads up that the show is on.    And I see that it's also on in the Boston area:

Saturday on WGBHDT (2.1) at 7pm and on both WGBXDT (44.1) and WGBXDT5 (44.5) at 9pm
Wednesday on both WGBXDT (44.1) and WGBXDT5 (44.5) at both 3pm and 7pm

(Cable channels will of course vary by area and provider.)

I'll definitely have to check this out tonight because back in the day I used to watch the show religiously. It'll certainly be interesting to see if it holds up. 

[David]

it's on KQED in San Francisco as well.
as someone who saw Donna dance live in A Chorus Line, I can attest that she's well worth checking out!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, it certainly doesn't take long for Donna McKechnie to make her presence known - she goes dancing by in practically the first second and reappears many time throughout the entire first segment.

[Gothick]

I've seen footage of Donna on Hullaballoo in the past.  What a fabulous showcase of talent and FUN that was.  The talent sweepstakes series of today, the various idols and whatnots, don't come close to the entertainment the variety shows of the 1960s used to bring into American living rooms.

My favorite of the backup dancers was Lada Edmunds Jr.  She's the gal with the huge spiky red mane who seemed to be in constant energetic animation when she danced.  Her technique was very freeform and I doubt whether the more formally trained dancers approved.  Lada did a film after Hullaballoo, and had a record out, but sadly her career went nowhere--hope she had a happy life anyway.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

Gothick, I've met Lada and she's let quite an interesting life. She "reinvents" herself every couple of years. After the acting work stopped, she became a professional stuntwoman. She did all the stunt work for Sally Field in Smokey and the Bandit. After that, she became a bodybuilder. She looked very much like the She-Hulk or Power Girl. She works as a personal trainer and the last time I saw her, she was training to become a boxing referee. Lada is very fan friendly and great to talk to.

[Gothick]

Uncle Roger, that's really wild about Lada.  Sounds as if she has had a lot of fun.  She was always so uninhibited and physical on Hullaballoo, I can see her doing well with what you mention.

I'm guessing Lada would be in her mid Sixties now.  She looked about 19 or so when she was on Hullaballoo.

Best, G.

[Midnite]

Glad to hear it's available in other cities!