My 36th Birthday in 1993

[Rapid T Rabbit]

I found the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIy5MVmx-g4) from 1993 when I celebrated my 36th birthday at the Union NJ store. The cast was always nice to me there, and Chuck E. always came out to visit me personally. This was a whole year before I joined the crew.

Gosh I REALLY miss those days....

[cec080]

cool video. i really miss those days too. I mean come on. what happend to the real magic. :D :D

[MatHat13]

Wow there was some interesting things I saw in that video...

* the Chuck animatronic was programmed singing along to Bday star
*Munch still seemed to have the arms he used in the PTT days rather than the piano playing arms.

[CEC3066]

the Chuck animatronic was programmed singing along to Bday star

in case you didn't know he was programmed to do this on the actual tapes that had the song hidden in iit during the breaks.

[pizzacam]

Man...what the hell? That is weird how Munch has a keyboard in front of him but he's like clapping still from the Porch stage! :lol

[MMBBfan327]

He's not even clapping, he's just swinging them around. VERY weird to see this...

[JAC07901]

Wow. The stage is in perfect condition, unlike the years leading to the demise and renovation. But I have to ask: Why does that stage look different than it looked in say 2003? For example, in the video the MMBB sign here is right behind him. Somehow, it seemed to have found a way to move to its left by 2002. How? And why does it seem to have more lighting effects in the video than years later? Does Chuck E. have a name tag?* What happened to the helicopter light in the video?**

*Chuck E. had a name tag on his tux in Union.

**I don't know if most of you know, but for some reason, Union had one of those things with the two balls that Studio C's have today. It rarely worked.

(And I'm pretty sure I'm way late, but wasn't Union renovated somewhere over a year ago?)

[puppetmaster29]

I don't know if most of you know, but for some reason, Union had one of those things with the two balls that Studio C's have today. It rarely worked.

Those things with the 2 balls I believe you're referring to is called the gemini. The helicopter lights are no longer avaliable, so the gemini is now the replacement.

[cec080]

FYI! IN 1993 THE 3 STAGE ALSO HAD THE CEC ANIMATRONIC WORKING. ALSO THE BIG SCREEN WAS BLANK WHEN BDAY STAR WAS PLAYING. ON MY BDAY IN 1993 I WENT TO CEC AFTER SCHOOL AND THE TECH AT THE TIME SURPRISED ME AND BROUGHT OUT A PIECE OF CAKE AND PLAYED BDAY STAR SPRECIAL FOR ME.:D :D :D

[CEC3066]

it's possible the big screen at U-NJ was not on as I did hear the VJ mention the "Guessing Game" video so I know this was off of a regular tape.

[pizzacam]

Nope, I think the tapes were programmed to switch off the video feed to the bigscreen TVs, cause my Best of CEC TV '93 tape did that at the 3 stage store. All the TVs had the nomal video feed except the bigscreen during Bday Star. IDK if my local 3 stage just has their video lines crossed or what but recently during the Jan 06 show you could see the video tag at the begining ONLY on the big screen but not on the rest of the TVs...Mike would you care to elaborate? 8o

[CEC3066]

I don't think All tapes worked that way, If you have the '92 LIVE Highlights tape you will see (I think either Eerie or Harrisburgh PA's 2 stage Big screen was Still on during the song.)

[mmbbfan10972]

Speaking of Erie Pa Cecs That 2 Stage is never changing

[CEC3066]

I iimagine when Union switched from the Balcony to the 2-stage (YES I said Balcony they never get the Porch show) they probably forgot to install Munch's Arm Kit

[Rapid T Rabbit]

That balcony show in Union NJ which was replaced in 1992 by the 2-stage MMBB was actually already second hand when the store opened as PTT back in 1984, it came from a then-recently closed PTT in Waterbury CT.

[puppetmaster29]

Nope, I think the tapes were programmed to switch off the video feed to the bigscreen TVs, cause my Best of CEC TV '93 tape did that at the 3 stage store. All the TVs had the nomal video feed except the bigscreen during Bday Star. IDK if my local 3 stage just has their video lines crossed or what but recently during the Jan 06 show you could see the video tag at the begining ONLY on the big screen but not on the rest of the TVs...Mike would you care to elaborate?

Well, when you say Video Tag, I assume you are talking about the title card(which is just text and the dept 18 logo) that appears and the very beginning of every showtape before the show actually starts. The reason you saw that text only on the big screen is because on the 3 stages(and some single stages) the video cable had to be moved to a different output on the AV switcher which is not controlled by the computer and video is always on just like the big screen on the 2 stages. The rest of the TV's will not show video until the cyberstar box gets a validation code.

Yes, there was a command in all the tapes to switch the big screen (or any monitior that was behind the a curtain) on during the show and off during intermissions,(i.e.. 3 stages and single stages) This didnt apply for the 2 stages since the big screen is not behind a curtain.

I hope that makes since guys. it's much easier for me to explain it verbal then it is for me to type it.;)

[pizzacam]

Yeah ok it does make sense...kind of a legal precaution...old tapes are ejected if there's a wrong validation code etc...DAMN YOU CYBERSTAR! :lol

[MMBBfan327]

So, what your saying Richard, is that the Waterbury, CT PTT closed in 1984, and gave their balcony to Union? Perhaps later in life Waterbury re-opened, or maybe moved as I know there's a CEC in Waterbury with a 2-stage.

[Rapid T Rabbit]

Yes that situation regarding a former PTT being replaced by a CEC even happened in New Jersey. There used to be a PTT in Wayne NJ from 1982 to 1987 (I even taped an episode of my TV show there) and this was the original location of the franchise that would also include East Brunswick and Union (both opening in 1984). Early in 1987 the PTT's in Wayne & Brunswick would close, leaving only Union in that franchise, which lasted until late 2003 when CEC corporate took over the store.

Meanwhile, a corporate CEC store opened anew in Wayne in 1992, just a few miles North on the same highway from where the old PTT was.

Also prior to the CEC that opened in downtown Brooklyn NYC a couple of years ago, there had been a franchised PTT elsewhere in the borough that was also open from 1984 to 1987.