1
rich
Libsyn
https://www.libsyn.com
90
600
Off Off Pod - Episode 021 - Scott Baker – Actor, Bally Master, Santa
Scott Baker is truly one of a kind on this earth.  He is the barker or bally master for the Coney Island Freak Show in the summers.  In the winters he is often (when not acting in films or plays) Santa Claus in one of the big department stores.  He was in the legendary show Oh! Calcutta! for 12 years on Broadway, and he also did some porn acting in the 70s-80s!  Quite an amazing and varied life!
He and I met doing theatre Off Off Broadway at the Drilling Company years ago, and he was my muse there in the beginning when I was writing a lot of bizarre comedies for which he was so perfectly suited.  He added his unique stamp to all of those short plays.
Interestingly the interview took a dark and serious turn when we talked about his experiences being mugged in NYC.  NYC is a safer city now, but the area where he's lived (and in other areas around the 5 boroughs) the city has gone through some major changes through the years.
I promise you will enjoy this talk with Scott Baker!
Topics covered in the interview:
Intro  (0:00)
Hello Scott! How we met -- Two Eggs and La Mouche (3:49)
Bally Master a short documentary film about Scott Baker  (8:17)
The Coney Island Freak Show -- three kinds of freaks (12:00)
Early inspirations, Frank Lentini and Gilbert Mysto Magic Set (16:30)
How to learn how to pound a nail into your head or eat fire, Coney Island Side Show School (20:32)
Winter job, Santa Claus (24:56)
How Scott got to New York (25:51)
Scott performs in adult films - "Rupert!" (27:23)
Oh! Calcutta! on Broadway (33:12)
How Times Square has changed, being mugged by gunpoint (37:30)
"Bizarre, Interesting or Horrible Audition Stories" (44:00)
Kitschy interests and new project: Elvis, Santa, John Wilkes Booth, Frankenstein (50:43)
Cancer survivor -- of the soft palette (55:16)
Remembering director, Richard Harden (59:29)
Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich
http://offoffpod.libsyn.com
<iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2776420/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/7064886