{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Off Off Pod - Episode 021 - Scott Baker \u2013 Actor, Bally Master, Santa","description":"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!\r\nHe 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.\r\nInterestingly 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.\r\nI promise you will enjoy this talk with Scott Baker!\r\nTopics covered in the interview:\r\n\r\nIntro  (0:00)\r\nHello Scott! How we met -- Two Eggs and La Mouche (3:49)\r\nBally Master a short documentary film about Scott Baker  (8:17)\r\nThe Coney Island Freak Show -- three kinds of freaks (12:00)\r\nEarly inspirations, Frank Lentini and Gilbert Mysto Magic Set (16:30)\r\nHow to learn how to pound a nail into your head or eat fire, Coney Island Side Show School (20:32)\r\nWinter job, Santa Claus (24:56)\r\nHow Scott got to New York (25:51)\r\nScott performs in adult films - "Rupert!" (27:23)\r\nOh! Calcutta! on Broadway (33:12)\r\nHow Times Square has changed, being mugged by gunpoint (37:30)\r\n"Bizarre, Interesting or Horrible Audition Stories" (44:00)\r\nKitschy interests and new project: Elvis, Santa, John Wilkes Booth, Frankenstein (50:43)\r\nCancer survivor -- of the soft palette (55:16)\r\nRemembering director, Richard Harden (59:29)\r\n","author_name":"Off Off Pod with Stephen Bittrich","author_url":"http:\/\/offoffpod.libsyn.com","html":"