Hasty Is Focus Of Cable Program

Would you wear pink lipstick and matching high heels on national television? At least 14 Harvard men are planning on it.

The cast of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT) will be the stars of a half-hour Showtime special during the first week of March. The show, narrated by WBZ Channel Four's entertainment reporter Joyce Kulhawik, will also include footage of the 1995 Hasty Pudding's Man and Woman of the Year festivities.

"A lot of people have heard of the Pudding show and the awards, but they don't really know what goes on. That's what Showtime wants to tell them," said Mark R. Roybal '95, co-producer.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals is certainly no stranger to national exposure. Two years ago, Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America covered the Pudding's annual all-male revue, and performances in New York and Bermuda have become as routine as the kick line.

Even though they are used to sashaying in skirts on national TV, this year's cast and crew haven't been completely jaded by their experiences.

"We're very excited. It's a great chance to promote the show. I'm sure Showtime will do a good job," said an enthusiastic Mark H. Baskin '95, co-author of the show, "A Tsar is Born."

Showtime shot a behind-the-scenes segment at the Hasty Pud-ding's Theater on Saturday, attracting substantial crowds to the Holyoke Street building.

Though Roybal credited the lights and television equipment entering and exiting the building as the source of attention, the sight of Harvard seniors in drag carrying Kulhawik into the building after her introduction may have helped.

HPT members, however, noted that the presenceof the cameras was slightly distracting for thecast members.

"The cameras were there, and we were having ablast. You're trying not to mug for them, butsometimes you just can't help it. You have 14 guysall dying to be on camera...they're actors, afterall," said HPT President John S. Berman '95. "Itwas pretty funny. There they are filming a bunchof college men in sweatpants, wobbling on highheels trying to form a kick line."

Members said Showtime officials hoped theircameras would capture the students "in theirelement."

"Showtime said they were trying to catch someof our witty repartee. They were hoping to catchus off guard," said Andrew .A Burlinson '97, whoplays the character of Katya Ballzov, amatchmaker.

To do this, the producers occasionally firedspontaneous questions or comments at cast members.These were answered with traditional Hasty Puddinghumor, said the show's director Tony Stimac, aprofessional with New York's Music Theatre Works.

"They had a spelling bee of Michelle Pfeiffer'slast name. Needless to say, no one got it right.It was a lot of fun," said Stimac.

HPT members agreed that, all in all, thetelevision crews were as unobstrusive as theycould be under the circumstances.

"The crew was so together. It was really quiteeffortless," said Stimac.

"It's funny, because part of the job was to getin our way. In order to get certain shots they hadto walk right through certain numbers, but thecast coped well," the director continued.

"They were really quiet, really professional,"said Burlinson.

"And they were so efficient. It took them threehours to film one minute of the show," quippedanother cast member.

Television License International (TLI), thesubcontractor producing the documentary forShowtime, contacted HPT officials in earlyNovember to propose the project.

That month, Roybal and TLI producer Dean Huhmet in downtown Boston and discussed the logisticsof the cable special over salad and turkeysandwiches. A contract was drawn up and signed thevery next week, Roybal said.

"[Showtime] will receive the privileges of thepress, and also a behind the scenes look at thePudding production. They've been great. They'reworking with our schedule. They've been verygracious," Roybal said.

But HPT members were careful to emphasize thatthe show, not Showtime, is the important thing

HPT members, however, noted that the presenceof the cameras was slightly distracting for thecast members.

"The cameras were there, and we were having ablast. You're trying not to mug for them, butsometimes you just can't help it. You have 14 guysall dying to be on camera...they're actors, afterall," said HPT President John S. Berman '95. "Itwas pretty funny. There they are filming a bunchof college men in sweatpants, wobbling on highheels trying to form a kick line."

Members said Showtime officials hoped theircameras would capture the students "in theirelement."

"Showtime said they were trying to catch someof our witty repartee. They were hoping to catchus off guard," said Andrew .A Burlinson '97, whoplays the character of Katya Ballzov, amatchmaker.

To do this, the producers occasionally firedspontaneous questions or comments at cast members.These were answered with traditional Hasty Puddinghumor, said the show's director Tony Stimac, aprofessional with New York's Music Theatre Works.

"They had a spelling bee of Michelle Pfeiffer'slast name. Needless to say, no one got it right.It was a lot of fun," said Stimac.

HPT members agreed that, all in all, thetelevision crews were as unobstrusive as theycould be under the circumstances.

"The crew was so together. It was really quiteeffortless," said Stimac.

"It's funny, because part of the job was to getin our way. In order to get certain shots they hadto walk right through certain numbers, but thecast coped well," the director continued.

"They were really quiet, really professional,"said Burlinson.

"And they were so efficient. It took them threehours to film one minute of the show," quippedanother cast member.

Television License International (TLI), thesubcontractor producing the documentary forShowtime, contacted HPT officials in earlyNovember to propose the project.

That month, Roybal and TLI producer Dean Huhmet in downtown Boston and discussed the logisticsof the cable special over salad and turkeysandwiches. A contract was drawn up and signed thevery next week, Roybal said.

"[Showtime] will receive the privileges of thepress, and also a behind the scenes look at thePudding production. They've been great. They'reworking with our schedule. They've been verygracious," Roybal said.

But HPT members were careful to emphasize thatthe show, not Showtime, is the important thing