Hanging Out with Bob and Joe.

The 2025 Gig Harbor Film Festival is over. The winners have been announced. I only peeked in on the festival from social media, but the event seemed successful. I saw a lot of smiling faces. One of these years I’m going to attend. I can’t keep missing out on some of the fun stuff that happens around here.

This year I learned the opening film to kick off the event was Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion. I didn’t learn this until Pamela Holt, the director of the film festival, booked a ride with me sometime back in July. Later on she sent an email explaining that Bob was going on the gondola ride and she wanted to check in. I was like, “Whoa, THE Bob Mackie?!”

I’m just kidding. Unfortunately, I was not familiar with Bob’s work at the time, but I quickly became familiar when I started researching his name. Then I was like, “Whoa! The legend Bob Mackie is coming out for a gondola ride?”

I’m always a little nervous to meet a celebrity because you never know how the interaction will go. I’ve always been someone that tries to treat a celebrity like I would a regular person with good ol’ fashion decency and respect. I’m not going to ask for an autograph and I’m only going to ask for a photo if I believe the time is right. Like, if I had a cellphone with a good camera back in 1998 when I refused to let Portia de Rossi into a certain Santa Monica coffee shop after we had closed - I wouldn’t have taken a selfie with her locked outside glaring at me through the window. That’s just bad timing.

Sometimes treating a celebrity like a regular person can backfire when they say things like, “Oh you don’t know who I am do you?” And then you realize you don’t know who they are and you find yourself in an odd situation standing in the parking lot of a boat marina with the lovely Carol Lawrence. THE Carol Lawrence. The first Maria in West Side Story on Broadway. I’ll never forget standing there with her after a great gondola ride when she said, “I wish I had a photo or something I could sign for you.” Then, thinking she said this in jest, I said, “Oh I wish I had something I could sign for you.”

She stared at me. That’s when I learned about Carol Lawrence. She was sweet to me after I apologized. She said, “It’s OK. I’m all old now.” I felt like that was a good time for a photo.

Here we are just after I wished I had something to sign for Carol Lawrence.

I told that story to Bob, Joe and Pam. They seemed to enjoy it. Bob had worked with Carol many times in the past. I was surprised to learn about all the stars he’s worked with over the years. Did you know Bob Mackie drew the original sketch for the “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sung to President John F. Kennedy in 1962? He’s also worked with Diana Ross, Cher, Whitney Houston, Carol Burnett… Barbie, just to name a few. What a life he’s lived.

Overall I felt like the experience of hanging out with the Sultan of Sequins went well. Bob and Joe were great to be around. Joe, Bob’s highly talented design director, was cracking me up most of the ride. Bob seemed like he was relaxed and truly enjoying his time on the water. I hope they have a great experience showing the documentary all over the world. I believe they were off to the Queen Mary II and Ireland after the film festival here.

A big thanks to Pam and the Gig Harbor Film Festival for setting up this ride and allowing me the opportunity to meet these sweet people. Hopefully they come back to little old Gig Harbor and visit again.

Ciao!

- Cinque