RIP Cindy Williams (photos)

I’ve been wondering how I could possibly have known Cindy Williams, as I'm no fan of American sitcom TV, having avoided it like the plague most of my life. I never watched Laverne and Shirley. I'm no groupie either, as I was a theatre brat—some of my babysitters were the funny men, not to mention Sea Hunt. I've only been starstruck twice, when I met Col. Chris Hadfield, and Eric Idle. Not at the same time! Well, maybe Brian Cox too. Robin Williams doesn’t count because I went to college with him. Then I remembered where I’d met Cindy who starred in Menopause, the Musical, at Harrah's, Las Vegas, April 2017. A promoter gave us free tickets at the Las Vegas Highland Games. I’m no fan of musicals either, but I LOVED it. I think it was her closing performance. After the show Cindy and cast waded into the audience and dragged my friend Chris (center) and me (left) onstage for a rousing can-can finale. I love the way all three of us are making beseeching little church mice paws after the leg-leg-dance. And for the record, I'm wearing an elegant baggy flannel PJs top—after a long grueling weekend as a volunteer booth wench in the desert, you wear whatever’s left in the bottom of your suitcase that isn't stiff with alkali dust. It took me a while to place Cindy, but I never forget a face. She was so talented. And she was an absolute gas. The musical was about the empowerment of women. And Cindy was a powerful force. She had a fire burning within. May she RIP. Happy Saint Bridget’s Day.

Someone asked me about meeting Eric Idle, and I said: OMG, his eyes! He looked a bit like a Siamese cat up close. it was all rather awkward. Robin has been performing on stage, at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, and when he came offstage after his last performance, he ran into me, and recognized me from our College of Marin days, yelling it’s you! It’s you! And then he gave me a huge sweaty bear hug and then introduce me to Eric. And then he was a gadfly, went to greet someone else, leaving Eric and I awkwardly standing there, I was all thumbs. More like cat got your tongue, in my case. Robin dragged us over to a table where he, Eric, and Michael Pritchard turned into the ultimate funny men. I absolutely don’t remember what all they said. All I know is I laughed my head off for hours, a fly on the wall of fame. Robin said we’d keep in touch, gave me his address, but that was 1982 and there was a long, hard road of addiction and fame ahead of him. I never saw him again.