She will be interviewed for an hour to an hour and a half and then sign books.

Right now the still have sixth row center seats available. Tickets are $27 plus $2 ticket fee. Use code etx for a 15% discount.

The 92nd Street Y is the best kept secrets in New York. I saw Carl Reiner there and it was wonderful.

Hope some of you can attend.

Thanks for the heads-up, I definitely am interested in attending!

I'm not sure I can go. :( I actually live in NY, a suburb of NYC, but I'm closer to NJ than NYC. But PGood, if you go, remember our deal! ;)

OMG, Kristen, if you live that close you've almost gotta go!
But if you can't, and if I attend, I'll be sure to tell Mary you said hello.

I'm assuming a huge book tour isn't in the works with this economy, and once I find out Boston is not on the list, I'm almost sure to make the NY trip. This may be my last chance to meet the great MTM!

df7940, do you have any information on any other book tour stops?

I hope you get to go, Kristen! If any of you go, TAKE PICTURES AND POST THEM HERE!! :D

I hope you get to go, Kristen! If any of you go, TAKE PICTURES AND POST THEM HERE!! :D
You say that like you think I wouldn't. How long have you known me?! ;)

Yeah, I'd love to know if Mary has any other signings coming up. Even a small tour would be nice. I missed my chance with After All, I'd hate to miss this!

Oh, and PGood, if you go, we expect a full report. Don't forget to tell us how many times you say the word "nice," hehe. (Remember "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite"?)

ha ha...that's tremendous
i probably will be reduced to just saying "nice...nice..." in the presence of such greatness!
or maybe "nice...nice...oh, kristen says hello...nice..."

ha ha...that's tremendous
i probably will be reduced to just saying "nice...nice..." in the presence of such greatness!
or maybe "nice...nice...oh, kristen says hello...nice..."
LOL! I'm sure Mary would be sitting there thinking, "Oookay...." as she tries to back herself as far away as she could. (I'm kidding, of course. I'm sure it'll be awesome!)

You say that like you think I wouldn't. How long have you known me?! ;)

Yeah, I'd love to know if Mary has any other signings coming up. Even a small tour would be nice. I missed my chance with After All, I'd hate to miss this!

Oh, and PGood, if you go, we expect a full report. Don't forget to tell us how many times you say the word "nice," hehe. (Remember "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite"?)
Very true. :lol:

I just went to the site of the 92nd St. Y, and they do have driving directions from here. But the main thing is I don't drive in the city, nor do I know my way around, so I'd want someone to go w/ me. And I don't really know anybody who'd want to go. :( But I see on the site that they have a YouTube channel, and some of their stuff is on iTunes, too. So maybe I can see the interview part that way at least!

^ Keep us posted, Kristen. :D

all right, i got my ticket, so unless the event doesn't come off, i should be there!

alas, i may be the only person in the us who doesn't have a camera phone and i'm not sure i'm gonna bring a camera. but i can certainly report back on what i see and hear!

I'm so, SO glad you got your ticket! Can't wait for the full report. :D I def. wish I could be there with you, but I'm glad one of us could go. Don't forget about our deal!

- Kristen

all right, i got my ticket, so unless the event doesn't come off, i should be there!

alas, i may be the only person in the us who doesn't have a camera phone and i'm not sure i'm gonna bring a camera. but i can certainly report back on what i see and hear!
Have a great time!!! :D

Yet another time that I curse living on the west coast!

Those who get to go and get her signature, please let her know how much
everyone on this board loves and adores her.

Yet another time that I curse living on the west coast!

Those who get to go and get her signature, please let her know how much
everyone on this board loves and adores her.
...and take lots of pictures and post them here!!!!

a minor fyi...somebody at MTMPIX was nice enough to get back to me when i asked whether Mary was going to do any national signings, and the response was that at this time her only signings are going to be in the new york area
i know she's got the one at the 92nd Street Y (which i got my ticket for...woot, woot!) and i noticed there's another one in the city at one of the major bookstore chains i think a few weeks later

Are you going to meet Mary???

You know Id also love to meet on the MTM cast? Betty. She seems so nice, and I got my first autograph from her, and she loves animals like ME!!! She is very similar to me too...she first wanted to be a writer until 5th grade...I wanted to be a writer/journalist until 5th grade...then she wanted to become an actress...then I wanted to become an actress...only thing is that I never wanted to be an opera singer...but we both don't have the voices for it! Anyone else read her book (s) ??? They were REALLY good!!! (BTW Sorry to get so off topic)

Thanks for the update, PGood! I was wondering if you'd heard back. Let me know when you find out how much the books cost. I'm sure we can work something out. ;) I'm so incredibly jealous of you! But I'm glad at least someone from here can go, and I'm sure you'll report back!

Ah shoot, got work that day! Can someone put in a good word for me too? And ask Mary if she has any memories about Mimsie the cat (from the MTM Enterprises logo) please!

don’t worry about it, kristen, if i can pull it off it’ll be on me, for all the good work you’ve done on this board!
plus it actually helps me out, because from what i’ve heard if you pay to have a celebrity sign two books you get more ‘‘time’’ based on the fact that the celeb literally has to sign twice
but as for any other conversation requests, even with the two books, i still can’t envision getting more than 30 seconds or so with our mary ... just enough time to thank her for her wonderful show and hopefully mention the board, but probably not enough to properly ask about the dvd situation, or mimsie, or anything else, although i can try
if i hear others ask about those things, though, or if i hear anything else of note, i’ll be sure to pass it on


mary’s sure going to be busy the next month or so, as i saw on the other post that she’s got the pipe night march 15, the 92d street y thing april 2, another signing in new york after that, the book is coming out, and hopefully the dvds are coming out

PGood, that's way too nice of you. You definitely don't have to do that. I'm still amazed you even agreed to do it! lol. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time, and I know we'll all be anxious to hear ALL about it. (You might want to take notes so you don't forget anything, LOL!)

- Kristen

they've added the name of the person who will be doing the mtm interview, leonard lopate, on the 92d Street Y website, which i take as a good sign

he's a public radio talk show host in new york who is a regular on this interview series. i'm sure he'll ask many questions that we'd all like to know

i really hope this thing comes off; it should be a nice event

^ Sounds great! Thanks for passing that tidbit along. :cool:

as promised, a report to the group about my pilgrimage from boston to
new york april 2 to see the great mary tyler moore in person, a very fun night and one i never will forget
(this will be long, and written like a fan at times, but i’m taking
the perspective that i’m reporting for all the mary admirers on this board
who couldn’t attend. anybody who’s not into it, no offense will be taken)
————
i got to the 92d street y a bit early, at about 7 for the 8
o’clock event, and i was standing alone on the sidewalk. a black towncar
pulled up, and who got out but mtm herself, looking lovely and wearing a
very stylish white-and-blue outfit! i never would have predicted this, but
my jaw dropped and i was rendered speechless. all i could do was keep
saying to myself, ‘‘that’s mary tyler moore!’’, as if trying to convince
myself what i was seeing was real.
i also didn’t want to bother her, so knowing i was going to get to
talk to her while getting some books signed after her appearance, i resisted
the urge to even say just, ‘‘hi mary’’, or something of that sort. i never would
have thought i could be star-struck, but i sure was at that moment
————
after waiting in line for a while with many other eager fans, we were
taken upstairs to the stage/auditorium, where i was able to grab a
second-row-center seat (the front row was reserved for mtm vips, including
her husband).
the interviewer, leonard lopate, introduced himself and then called
for mtm, who came out to rousing applause from approximately 250 people. mary looked great, was vibrant, well-spoken and funny throughout,
and she interacted well with the host and audience.
----
the questions about mary’s life and career were largely
chronological, and lopate asked most of the standards — happy hotpoint, the
dick van dyke show, the mary tyler moore show, ordinary people, husbands,
triumphs, tragedies. she’s probably heard all of those questions hundreds
of times, but her answers were variations that were equally thoughtful and
entertaining. there was one poignant moment when mary noted how she was a model mother on tv, but maybe not in real life.
interspersed were a lot of questions about her diabetes, and where
the medical battle currently stands against that disease, quite fitting
because of how she has been so affected and because the book covers that
topic a lot.
and without spoiling things for those who haven’t read it yet, there
also was some new stuff from the book, or at least things i’d never heard:
she told about a hilarious line her father uttered after she took her mom
and dad to meet the pope; animal-lover mary talked about how devastated she was when a nest of hawks was surreptitiously taken down at her former
apartment; and she gave more hints about how serious her health problems
have been at times (alcohol, smoking, diabetes), especially the last few
years.
for instance, early on she said she has no peripheral vision and has
trouble with depth perception — and unfortunately the boom mike was put
just out of her sight line, so if she gesticulated even mildly, she hit it.
she also detailed a fascinating story about how her pit bull can sense when she has low blood sugar
————
but there was a LOT of humor throughout, including at one point when the subject veered off to humphrey bogart and mary noted the urban legend about how baby bogart supposedly was his mother’s model for her drawing of the famous gerber’s food baby. this witty exchange followed:
lopate: ‘‘so that’s why that baby has a scar on his lip!’’
mary: ‘‘and that’s why he’s smoking a cigarette!’’
other amusing topics ranged from elvis, to sex, to cloris leachman, to mary choosing either older or younger men
----
she also took a few questions from the audience, which fans filled
out on cards. alas, tmtms board members, the subject of seasons 5, 6, and 7
having yet to come out on dvd didn’t come up.
i didn’t fill out a card, but the one question i would have wanted
to ask was, miraculously, posed by someone else: ‘‘did you have an ‘aha’
moment when you knew you could get laughs as an actress?’’ she said it
came during the dick van dyke episode when she dyed her hair blonde and
then got stuck half blonde/half brunette. as a bonus, in recreating that
scene she gave a dramatic ‘‘oh rob!’’, which brought down the house.
maybe mary detailing when she knew she could get a laugh has been out there, but i never had heard it, and i often had wondered exactly when this ‘‘failed dancer turned actress’’ knew she was a comedy natural
----
the interview eventually ended, too soon of course, and mary left to
more applause. after the interview she went into another room and signed books. when i finally found myself in front of her and my book was pushed toward her, i babbled my first name and something about having come from boston ‘‘just to tell you how great a show the mary tyler moore show was, how it’s still great, and how i still watch it.’’
i earlier had thought up 100 better things to say, and then that was the best i could come up with, but she responded, ‘‘it really was [great], wasn’t it?’’ while also graciously trying to make me feel that i was the first person to come up with that observation (although it WAS the greatest sitcom ever!)

she then said ‘‘i have all the shows, but i can’t watch them’’, and i
didn’t have the heart to ask if that was because of her schedule or because of her eyesight

anyway, after she returned my signed book i offered up a second book
and said, ‘‘if you could sign this for kristen; she’s a young lady who is a
big fan of yours and runs a fan website.’’ she said, ‘‘really!’’, smiled, and signed the second book. then, and i thought this was very nice, mtm looked up at me (with those gorgeous eyes!) and said, ‘‘thank you for coming down from boston’’.
MTM thanking ME! i said ‘‘you’re welcome,’’ turned, and floated away from
that table.
———
i'm so happy to have made the trip, and to have been able to have personally told mtm how great i thought her show was.
i’m sure most appearances/signings are such feel-good affairs, but i
find it hard to believe every celeb is as nice as mtm was april 2

and, selfishly, i now have an incredible thing to come out
with at a cocktail party...‘‘oh, yeah, i’ve met mary tyler moore...you
haven’t?’’

Great (and very detailed) report! Thanks! I almost feel like I was there!

PGood, thanks SO much for that report. I feel like I almost was there, from all the details you gave. I still can't believe you mentioned my name! So how many times have you pinched yourself? LOL. As for her eyesight, I don't think that's what she was referring to about not being able to watch the eps. B/c she said on Good Morning America this week that it's mostly peripheral vision, and difficulty changing from far to near, etc. But of course I could be wrong about that. Maybe Mary just meant she's as frustrated as we are about the DVD situation. I wouldn't be surprised if she was. After all, it was her baby in a way. I'd prob. be mad, too.

Anyway, thanks again for the wonderful report. Look forward to receiving your package soon. :) BTW, can you scan your signed copy? I'd love to see it! If not, that's fine.

- Kristen

Great!! Thanks for the report!! :cool:

yes, i'm still pinching myself
the event was fantastic and i'll remember it forever
and to add to the good news, i just watched the first bootleg dvd of season 5 that i recently bought, and it's excellent quality! i might have to note that on another thread

you could be right about mary's eyesight not being the reason she couldn't watch the shows, but i didn't want to take the chance...and it sounded like she HAD them all, she just couldn't watch them for whatever reason. i mean at the very least MTM herself has the complete tdvds and 1-4 of tmtms, right?

you really do only have a minute or two at the book signing...although i got two because i mentioned your name, and she did hear about what a big fan you are!

i'll try to mail the package monday, and sorry, i don't have a scanner

Too bad you don't have a scanner, but I'll def. scan mine once I get it. STILL can't believe my name was mentioned. Wow.

Maybe Mary's upset that she has all the eps, and she knows we don't. I know I could be stretching things a bit, but it IS possible. Or maybe like you said she's just busy. After all, she does have a life. ;)

Thanks again for your report. I'm almost glad I didn't go, b/c I'm sure if I was in front of her, and she smiled, I'd prob. fall over dead. LOL. But I'm glad I got to hear all about it, at least.

- Kristen

Glad you had such a great time! I almost felt like I was there myself, it was an excellent report. :)

Thank you for the great detailed report!
I read and re-read the thread and felt that I had been there.
She is one of the Best. I am glad you got to tell her how great her show is.

Thanks for the report. You're extremely lucky. I wish so badly that I could have been there. Do you know if she is going to be doing any book signings in Ohio, or Michigan, maybe Indiana or Illinios? Anywhere near Toledo?

^ I never noticed you were a fellow Clevelander, Miss Lisa. :cool: I too wish she'd do a signing in our area.

ok kristen...i did my part...your signed book is in the mail...it's up to the us postal service now!

Yay! :D Will def. post when I receive it. There will def. be scans, too.

I saw her tonight too!!!!!

The event was really fast, just maybe 4 questions and then the signing. But a LOT of peopler were there, naturally, so it was understandable. B&N was a bit strict...could only have the new book to sign...even though I had the "MTM: Quality Television" book handy, oh well, I wanted this book too. Also, no pictures were allowed when meeting Mary (though I got to sneak a few before and after). But it was just fantastic to see her in person and tell her that I was a big fan.

She also thought my makeshift Mimsie (pics later) was cute!

I also met and got to talk a little with other MTM fans...including one guy who seemed to really know his stuff.

EDIT: Anyone make it to Cloris' signing too? (What a time for bios...Mary, Cloris, and Bob Barker too!)

Can't wait for pics! That "Quality Television" book sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

- Kristen

congrats JM
sounds like you had as much fun as i did

it's funny you should say that about meeting the fellow who really knew his stuff...when i was waiting in line there was a guy in front of me who was so excited i wasn't sure he was gonna make it...he was from new jersey, i think, and i believe he said he was going to the b + n signing
so maybe it was the same guy!

congrats JM
sounds like you had as much fun as i did

it's funny you should say that about meeting the fellow who really knew his stuff...when i was waiting in line there was a guy in front of me who was so excited i wasn't sure he was gonna make it...he was from new jersey, i think, and i believe he said he was going to the b + n signing
so maybe it was the same guy!

Oh, were you at tonight's signing? The gentleman I speak of was the one who pointed out that Ed Asner was in the Elvis movie that Mary was in, yet Mary revealed they never met on the set that time!

no, i was referring to the 92d street y event last week
this guy knew everything about mtm, in a respectful way, and he was so excited about meeting her i was worried he was gonna pass out
i thought i heard him say he was going to go to the b + n book signing
the moral of the story...the great mtm has devoted fans all over!

I am from New Jersey & was there at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on April 2nd. I was rather excited too! Although, the way my friedns & I were treated at the signing, we all said that we would not be going to the B&N signing, but that's a different story. Hopefully I'm not confusing you with somebody else, but I was the one who had a picture of Mary tossing her hat into the air & wanted her to sign it. I was asked where I purchased it & revealed my source. Anyway, I have pictures of myself on my MySpace, which is myspace.com/polarcub753

I am from New Jersey & was there at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on April 2nd. I was rather excited too! Although, the way my friedns & I were treated at the signing, we all said that we would not be going to the B&N signing, but that's a different story. Hopefully I'm not confusing you with somebody else, but I was the one who had a picture of Mary tossing her hat into the air & wanted her to sign it. I was asked where I purchased it & revealed my source. Anyway, I have pictures of myself on my MySpace, which is myspace.com/polarcub753

Oh what happened? Did you at least get to meet Mary? As I said B&N was pretty strict too (no pictures, could only sign the new book, no physical contact, etc.)

I hardly call it "meeting" Mary. LOL Some man walked into the room while we were all standing there & said that there was going to be no personalization, no pictures, but we could ask Mary as many questions as want & talk to her for as long as we wanted. Then, it wasn't even my turn yet & that mean, cruel, nasty, rude man with the white hair (that travels with Mary) sees that I'm holding something else other than the book & proceeds to grab the book from my hand & says, "She's only signing the new book!" Mary saw the what I had & said that it was too dark & that it wouldn't show up anyway, for she was signing with a regular ball-point pen. I told her I had a silver Sharpie. Well, before I knew it, my book was handed back to me & I said out loud, "That's it? I didn't even get a chance to meet or speak to Mary"! I mean, not for nothing, but I can't figure it out. I saw a couple of YouTube videos where Mary was outside the stage door of David Letterman & Good Morning America, signing autographs for people & taking pictures in the freezing cold. Now, here, she was sitting in a comfortable heated building & she didn't sign for people? I mean, I don't think it's Mary. I think it's those stuffy, standoffish people that represent her. I can understand the not being able to take flash photography due to her vision problems, but it's not like the line was that long to meet her & people didn't' exactly have a truckload of stuff for her to autograph. That's what really kills me. Don't they realize that if it wasn't for us that they wouldn't be sitting there? We, the fans make them who they are today.

Sorry your signing didn't go so well, Polar. By the way you described things, it doesn't seem like Mary was at fault, so much as her "people." Shame they can't be nicer to the fans in a situation like that.

- Kristen

Thank you, Kristen! No, I don't think Mary was at fault. It was definitely her people. There was also some blonde woman who kept trying to rush me & push me along. I am not sure if she was part of Mary's entourage. And, yes, it is sad that they can't be nicer to fans.

Thank you, Kristen! No, I don't think Mary was at fault. It was definitely her people. There was also some blonde woman who kept trying to rush me & push me along. I am not sure if she was part of Mary's entourage. And, yes, it is sad that they can't be nicer to fans.

It's kind of surprising something like this would happen. From interviews and such over the years, I've always had the impression that Mary cares about her fans. You would think the same would be true of those working for her. But I suppose it could've just been a rough night. If you catch somebody on a bad day, you might not see their best side.

- Kristen

Jon, it sounds like you and I are in the same boat. It didn't help that I have a bit of shyness/didn't know where to start in my brief time while I got the book signed. I'm just glad I included a note with a greeting and questions along with my stuffed MTM cat (I often do better communicating by writing than talking!)

I don't think Mary DOESN'T care about us, I just don't sense that about her. Her causes and such, and how she uses her fame to give to them, tell me that much. I guess people can be overprotective esp. if they happen to be involved with a famous person, especially in the post-Lennon/Selena/Schaffer years.

Anyone at both signings able to tell me if the people described in Polar's post were at B&N too? (I do see a white-haired guy in the picture I have)

James,

Yes, you and were in the same boat, which was sinking. LOL That's so cool that you included a letter.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Mary doesn't care about us, also. Certain people are just cautious, I guess. They could have said have all of your memorabilia so it's ready for when you go up there.

And, yes, the same white haired guy in your pictures is the one I mentioned in my initial post. He's also in the YouTube videos of Mary signing outside the stage doors of David Letterman & Good Morning America.

Does anybody have Mary's contact information, so I could send her an 8x10 picture of her as Mary Richards & she can autograph it & send it back to me?

James,

Yes, you and were in the same boat, which was sinking. LOL That's so cool that you included a letter.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Mary doesn't care about us, also. Certain people are just cautious, I guess. They could have said have all of your memorabilia so it's ready for when you go up there.

And, yes, the same white haired guy in your pictures is the one I mentioned in my initial post. He's also in the YouTube videos of Mary signing outside the stage doors of David Letterman & Good Morning America.

Does anybody have Mary's contact information, so I could send her an 8x10 picture of her as Mary Richards & she can autograph it & send it back to me?

oh man, i'm bumming
right after mary's interview at the 92d street y, i was talking for about 10 minutes with this lovely young lady sitting to my right, so i was second-to-last in the line for the signing AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE GUY SAY YOU COULD HAVE AS LONG AS YOU WANT WITH MARY!
i mean, i'm thrilled with the way it ended up going, but i would have asked her a bunch more questions!

oh, and on the fan thing, i'm sure history tells celebs that they really have to lay down the law in terms of "only the new book", "no pictures", or "no touching" because people often try to take advantage

i will give you this...at least for the 92d street y thing i never saw anything spelled out about what they'd accept...but i'm sure they were just being careful...i hardly think the handler had to rip the book away from you, but i think a celeb is well within his or her rights to narrow contact. don't some of them do separate signings of stuff, anyway?

just my opinion

After the interview was finished, my friend & I made a beeline to the room where Mary was signing. We were one of the first ones online. Before Mary was brought into the room, that's when that man said "You could have as long as you want with Mary, etc." He also mentioned no flash photography & that there will be no personalization, meaning that she wasn't going to write your name in the book, and that she was just going to sign her name. Apparently, he was unaware of Mary's entourage. And, yes, believe me when I tell you that the book was literally snatched from my hand. He didn't even ask me. He wasn't like, "May I please have your book, etc." My friend even saw this & he was like "WHOA!" That's why it all went so fast for me. I was in such shock when the man pulled it out of my hands, that it was signed & back into my hands before I could even blink my eyes.