New Doo Dah Queen & best April Fool’s Day ever!

If you missed the 2nd biggest party in Pasadena, you may not have heard the news~ the sweet and pretty Queen Rosie of the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade has handed her reign to the sparkling and vivacious Queen Patrizzia Intergalactica during the official queen tryouts Sunday night at the American Legion.

 

You can get the full story from Brian Day of the Pasadena Star-News here:

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_20305428/queen-doo-dah-crowned

 

While at the site, please also check out Mike Mullen’s photo gallery, as well as a rockin’ video of Queen Erica Valentine performing at the event.

 

For me, the tryouts were a mix of surprise and sentimentality. Tom and Paddy of the Light Bringer Project (the charity which presents the parade) invited me to bring my swords and dance during the tryouts. I agreed and when I arrived, Tom told me to fill out an audition form and take a number. I protested, as I was there to judge, not try my luck as a queen hopeful. He pooh-poohed me, saying that they wanted to slip me in between some of the hopefuls to break things up and he didn’t want them to miss me, so this was easiest. OK, I took the bait and, as one of the assistants pinned the number 0 on me, I laughed.

 

About 6-7 hopefuls had taken the stage and now it was my turn. I was introduced and it was announced that I wasn’t auditioning. I danced with a veil and then began working the swords. I balanced two on my head and rolled across the floor then stood up and beckoned Queen Sierra Madre Sue to place the third sword on my bosom. She was a little nervous, but complied with a grin. I danced and then took the sword off my chest and balanced it on my hip. For my finale, I kept upping drummer Joe Velosa’s speed and shimmied a fury. The crowd went wild.

 

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.Queen Naughty Mickie does her sword dance accompanied by drummer Joe Velosa at the 2012 Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade Queen tryouts. Photo by Mike Mullen.

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Getting my breath, Dr. Demento handed me the mic and suddenly the judges were asking me questions- “Why are you auditioning again? A queen is always a queen,” Queen Sabrina said. Confused I looked over at Tom, who said that I was indeed auditioning, so I said that I couldn’t tell the Tsar of Doo Dah no and was throwing my hat into the ring. A few questions more and I left the stage still a little mixed up at what had transpired.

 

Of course I wasn’t selected for queen or even a runner-up, I had been April Fooled… and I loved it!

 

When I was growing up, April Fool’s Day was the best day of the year, as my father and I would plan elaborate tricks to play on each other. I would spend months, sometimes an entire year plotting and working on ideas to “get” my dad. It was a big thrill if we successfully pulled a gag on each other and we would laugh even if we were the one who was hoaxed (sometimes we giggled even more in that case!).

 

My father has been dead for well over a decade and it’s been at least that long since someone “got me good” on April Fool’s Day, so my love goes out to Tom and Paddy and all the other Doo Dah people who were in on it when the joke was on me. This day is one for the vaults, as they say, and I’m still laughing! Thank you.

 

OK, that was the 2nd biggest party in Pasadena~ now make plans for THE biggest party in Pasadena, the Doo Dah Parade on Saturday, April 28. For details, stay tuned here or visit www.pasadenadoodahparade.info.

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