Lisa Whelchel and the Motorcycle!

[iluvfacts14]

I read this article about Lisa Whelchel while she was a Mouseteer, and it said that her favorite pasttime was motorcycling!! Imagine Blair on a bike!!!

Here's the article:

"You might say that a ‘dummy’ helped launch my career”, said pretty Lisa Whelchel of The New Mickey Mouse Club. Laughing, 13½ year old Lisa said, “Let me explain that. I guess ever since I was about eight years old I wanted to be an actress. When there was a school play I decided, ‘great, now’s my big chance.’ I tried out for it but didn’t make it. I don’t have to tell you how depressed I was about that, but I knew I couldn’t let that stop me. After all, even though I wasn’t in show business, I knew that things just didn’t come that easily."

“The next year they had auditions again and this time I asked my teacher if he knew of something that I might do in the talent show. He suggested ventriloquism. I didn’t know the first thing about it, but I figured, I had nothing to lose...that is, if my parents agreed.” Smiling, she continued, “My parents let me buy a figure, you never call them dummies, and that’s how I started. In fact, I ordered it through the Sears catalog. It included a record and instruction booklet. I know my friends must have thought I was crazy, but I guess when you want something badly enough you’ll do anything. I really studied hard and must admit it paid off because I was the lucky winner that year of the talent contest.”

Lisa, who is very outgoing and vivacious continued, “I named my figure ‘Ollie’. I really began to get good at ventriloquism and enjoyed it more than anyone. But pretty soon ‘Ollie’ was getting a bit small." Being as bright as she is, Lisa wrote all over the country asking for prices of figures. “My lucky day was when Mrs. Sieving from Springfield, Illinois wrote back saying she had a figure that her husband Arthur had carved just before he died. She sent along a picture and I knew that was the figure I had to have. Nothing else would do. My only problem was money...I didn’t have enough to buy him, but Mrs. Sieving called me and said, I could pay her when I had the money, because she knew her husband would want me to have it.” Smiling, Lisa said, “I love him as if he were a real person. I named the figure ‘Arthur’. I don’t know how I ever did my act without him.”

Lisa, who lives in Lake Worth, Texas with her parents and younger brother, Cody, admits that persistence certainly paid off for her in becoming one of the new Mouseketeers. “I read in the newspaper that Walt Disney Studios were holding auditions for The New Mickey Mouse Club and I thought to myself, “boy, that’s exciting. I would love to be one of the Mouseketeers.’ I figured I had nothing to lose so I wrote a letter to the casting director asking for a chance to perform. I wasn’t too happy when I received a standard form letter as an answer, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I was more determined now than ever. It was something I really wanted.”

While Lisa was studying at the Casa Manana Playhouse in Fort Worth, Texas, she got to know many directors whom she called upon for help. She asked the ones who thought she had talent to please write toDisney Studios telling them about her. She wrote one more letter herself, saying she just wanted a chance to audition. “I don’t have to tell you the excitement in my house when I was told I had an audition. I flew to California for a special audition with the producers and one week later I received that magic phone call...I was a new Mouseketeer.”

Although her schedule is pretty tight now, Lisa manages to find time for her favorite pastime which is motorcycling. “I don’t think the producers are that happy with my idea of fun, so I’m slowing down a bit.” Although ‘Arthur’ is Lisa’s favorite form of entertainment, she’s also a classical guitar player, and she sings and dances. “If I can make people happy, then I’m happy” the pretty young lady said. “I’m just thrilled that I’ve been given the chance.”





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Mr. Bradley: .....and that girls is the thrill of victory!

Tootie: Or the agony of DA FEET!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

(Tootie starts rambling)

Natalie (thinking): I am going to nail her mouth to the floor. I can picture it now there'd be a spike through her tongue, but the lips would still be moving. She'd just keep whining on and on about how she'd never do that to me because she's my best friend. And if it made me feel guilty about nailing her mouth to the floor than she's glad I did it and......
(stops and realizes everyone's looking at her)

[jayman75]

that's a cool story...

[ks]

Whatever happened to iluvfacts14? She was really cool!





ks

[ABlairican Pie]

Anyone ever hear of a book called "The Mouse On the Motorcycle"? I have a clip of Lisa from her NMMC days going crazy on a motorcycle.

Maybe I should write a book called "The MOUSEKETEER On the Motorcycle"??

[Ags2000]

Originally posted by Tad Warner
Anyone ever hear of a book called "The Mouse On the Motorcycle"? I have a clip of Lisa from her NMMC days going crazy on a motorcycle.

Are you talking about Ralph S. Mouse? I loved those books.


D