SnappyRoo met the one and only Charles Nelson Reilly at the opening night of his one-man show “Save It For The Stage (The Life of Reilly).” We’re big fans of Match Game and Lidsville, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see old (Nhuh Huh!) Charles in action.

“The part of Charles Nelson Reilly will, unfortunately, be played tonight by Charles Nelson Reilly.” This tongue-in-cheek announcement set the stage for the performance—pure camp. Seventy- year-old CNR delivered funny and charming anecdotes about his life and career as he leaped and cavorted about the stage ringing bells and acting out scenes from his past, which included a circus fire and crazy family fish stick dinners. Although he didn’t mention either of our fave TV shows directly, his stories were always interesting and he kept the audience’s attention with his antics and celeb name-dropping.

Afterward, there was a nice caterered affair in the lobby of the small SF theatre (Cold shrimp, Chardonnay and actress Barbara Rush were in attendance). CNR: "Nhuh Huh! Oh Barbara, I’m HONORED that you came to see my little play!" After CNR mooned over aging Hollywood staple Rush, he made a beeline to Paroo who was standing close by dressed in loud, colorful, Brett Somers-like fashions.

CNR: (shrieking) “Oh my GOD! Let me look at you!”
PS: “Do you dig my outfit, Charles?”
CNR: “Nhuh Huh! LOVVVVE IT!”
PS: “What do you love about it?”
CNR: “Only everything! All 12 pieces!”

He autographed a Match Game composite that Dave made before the show although I don’t think he got the point about the Match Game-style question for him to fill in on the photo. We meant to have him pick an adjective, but instead he wrote "Meeting Dave & Roo was really… OPENING NIGHT!" Either he didn’t understand the question or he was giving us a very "zen" answer. He spoke to us briefly, and took a photo with Dave, then moved on to gallavant about the room.

Later, when much of the crowd finished their shrimp plates and were full of chardonnay, CNR was left surrounded by only a few cronies at the bar. Paroo approached him again, this time with a different photo in hand, one from Charles' career nadir Lidsville, which was created by HR Puff'nstuff creators Sid and Marty Kroft.

CNR: “Whadda want NOW?” (being gay and katty)
PS: “Would you sign this for our friend Hilary from Paramus? She’s a big Lidsville fan.”
CNR: (looking at photo) “Have you ever SEEN this show?”
DS: “Sure! We watched a marathon of episodes just last night.”
CNR: “It’s awful!”
DS: “What was the toughest part about doing the show? The make-up, the fake chin, the hats? The people?”
CNR: “Those people were SHITS. Absolute SHITS!”
DS: “Why?”
CNR: “Everything they did. Absolute SHITS!”
DS: “Are the Lidsville/Match Game years going to become Act III of your show?”
CNR looks at Dave with mock sneer and playfully dismisses us with a wave of his hand, in great HooDoo fashion.

Even though Charles seemed off-put by our dredging up bad TV memories, his sense of humor and fun still reigned over his wry cynicism. On the photo he wrote: "To Hilary, Love The Great HooDoo!" How’s that for a topper!? (Nhuh Huh!)

This happened on: August 11, 2001

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