The zenith was reached in 1973 with an astounding FIFTY eager (or not so eager) beavers.
Of that crowd, Mike Messier later became a fine stage rigger who operated a shop in Boston, He is gone. Jack Neary later wrote the play FIRST NGHT which was Tommy's first and last Boston production.
Reading the 1973 ADVICE to JC's (provided by Jill Knowles) one learns that the JC's were slave labor (pay = zero), but TB cranked it up a notch by charging them for room ($125), informing them that food was available as an extra-cost-option.
Neither in Egypt nor in the Old South were slaves charged for room and board!
The 1971 group included Jerry Yoder, later a B'way actor and choreo for Tommy Brent and Tommy Tune.
1972:
Assistant Technical Director George Dummit also B'way bound (center) with Spencer Morris (right) a 1972 JC in the scene barn with bright eyes.
The 1974 group (below) includes future B'way star Cherry Jones, who spoke kindly of TB when I met her.
1975 included the great John Aller and Dale Czajkowksi who also made it to B'way. Frank Sullivan (II) is the son of the local actor.
1976 features the great future B'way dude Stephen Bogardus; Tommy Gammino whom we all know and love; "D. Bradley Jones," likewise a B'way boy; and God's gift to theatre, Chris Seppe.
Erroneously listed is Al Flannagan (misspelled) whose youthful features (and lack of ego) caused him to be, upon his arrival, shunted into the scene shop for a day's duty. He had been hired to play a lead in DOLLY! and to play the title role in CANDIDE.
1977 includes two gals who played in network soaps Sue Scannell and Carolyn Clark, It seems fitting that that FINAL crew also included the great Mike McGrath, also B'way-bound.
That was my first season, and McGrath told me later, that when he was a JC, as stage manager I had forced him "to water the plants [on the grounds] in the rain." That story is apocryphal, but I wish I had thought of it first.
The tale exemplifies the sad plight of a typical JC. He worked 16 hours a day, on a rotational basis, costume shop, scene shop, grounds crew, all the while in rehearsal (as an actor) for the main stage play, simultaneously playing the current show (as an actor) and shoving scenery. And please, not to forget, the JC's highest level of attainment, a starring role in a kid's show. Of course that's above the 16 hour day.
I was not privy to the terms of the JC contract in 1977, but my recollection was that their pay had been raised from ZED to $5 a week. With the exception of Mike McGrath (Boy! Was he popular!) none of them had an automobile.
So here were these kids who having worked 16 hours a day (not including the kid's show) had to trudge on foot up to the corner to do their laundry and to eat at where else but:
Of course the majority did not actually have the energy to walk up to Maroney's.
Ill-fed, ill-clothed, their final reward was to play at the Cabaret, which of course extended their day even moreso, but gave them the possibility of a star turn before non-children.
And the huge plus of working the cabaret was that the poor JC was PAID by song performed, with no limit. The downside (or up, depending on ones point of view) was that they were not paid in cash, but rather in liquor drinks.
This wonderful irony explains why there are not too many JC's still living.
This photograph demonstrates the level of innocence of the typical JC before the season of arduosity began. This one survived, thank God.
1973 ADVICE TO JC's
-- Foreman