Creation's 12th Annual Grand Slam Convention-

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

(from Star Trek)

 

Click for Spoiler:

03.26.2004

Creation's 12th Annual Grand Slam Convention - Friday

 

Ethan Phillips

 

 

 

Robert Picardo

 

 

 

Louise Fletcher

 

 

 

 

 

Cirroc Lofton

 

 

 

 

 

Leonard Nimoy

 

 

 

 

Creation's 12th annual Grand Slam "Sci-Fi Summit" got off to a grand start in Pasadena today with two crowd favorites from Star Trek: Voyager.

Robert Picardo ("The Doctor") kicked off the show in operatic sytle. With music piped in from the speakers, he immediately belted out the first few phrases of "La Donna e Mobile" (and he wasn't bad!), then with the music continuing, segued into "Tuvok, I understand / You are a Vulcan man / You have just gone without / For seven years...about," the Pon farr-themed parody his character sang in "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy."

 

One fan question about the importance of investing in space exploration while there are many things in modern life people might feel more worthy of spending money on drew a thoughtful response from Picardo, who is vigorously active with The Planetary Society. "Our imagination is very important," he said. "It's a cop-out to say we can't afford space exploration. The future of mankind is out there, not just here." He urged fans to visit The Planetary Society's web site at www.planetary.org.

 

Picardo, recently seen on both The West Wing and Stargate SG-1 (as well as STARTREK.COM's coverage of the Borg Invasion 4D attraction launch in Las Vegas), recounted his stage experiences in Pasadena (home to the legendary Pasadena Playhouse State Theatre of California) in musical fare such as "Lend Me a Tenor." During his appearance, he was also able to lend a hand to the Pasadena Playhouse, by auctioning off a piece of the Voyager set. As the bidding got higher and higher and was narrowed down to two fans, he offered to go home to get a similiar piece so each bidder could have a piece of the set, and the Pasadena Playhouse saw its $3,000 windfall from the auction double.

 

Ethan Phillips was then introduced by Bob and promptly launched into his famous stand-up routine with jokes that, even though you've probably heard them a hundred times they still remain funny. It is, of course, all about delivery. "I lost 20 pounds since Voyager went off the air... If I had buckteeth you could use me as a rake."

 

Phillips has been keeping himself busy with various jobs, such as a part in the brilliant Fox comedy Arrested Development, onstage as Polonius in "Hamlet," not to mention his latest passion, playing tenor sax in a latin jazz band. During his talk, Ethan also managed to raise $500 in the charity auction with a signed Voyager model.

 

The crowd was excited to welcome Louise Fletcher for her first Grand Slam appearance in four years, not just for her role as Kai Winn in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but also for her impressive body of work in film as well. The first fan who approached with a question enthused, "I think this is the first time I've talked to an Oscar winner!" Asked what life is like after winning an Academy Award — in her case, for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" — Fletcher responded, "The thing with the Oscar is, it's a tremendous plus in your life, it's such an honor, but it's not a guarantee for anything. You're still very much in competition, I don't care who you are. We tend to think that Oscars bring everything — fame, money, work for the rest of your life — but it's not true." She revealed that her award, which she used to keep in her window near her father's photographs, got very corroded over the years from the Los Angeles air. But last year when the Academy asked to borrow it for a 75th anniversary exhibition, they sent it to the "Oscar hospital" to be refinished, and now it looks like new.

 

Asked if she thought her DS9 character redeemed herself in the final episode, Fletcher replied, "I don't think she's redeemable. I really don't, I think she was crooked to the end. But I loved my character, I loved playing her. It was operatic almost. She was so misguided. I wouldn't say that she was such an evil person, but I think that she was just so prideful and so convinced of her own importance that it was impossible for her to see the truth, even what was right and wrong. There are parallels one can make in life of leaders, whether they be political leaders or religious leaders, who very often prop themselves up in such a way that they become more the issue than the issue, you know, where being right is more important than anything else."

 

After Fletcher, DS9's Cirroc Lofton ("Jake Sisko") took the stage to enthusiastic applause. Lofton was relieved to be there, having just finished his finals at UCLA, where he is studying Business and Economics. "I've gotten bigger (since DS9)," he told the crowd, who had just seen a video of Jake Sisko moments. "A lot bigger and balder!" he joked.

 

Lofton had just returned from London several weeks ago, where he had appeared at a convention. He spoke warmly of his onscreen father, Avery Brooks ("Benjamin Sisko"), noting that throughout his years on the show, Brooks had helped him immensely, taking him aside to encourage him and assist with his acting. "It helped me grow as an actor and as an individual," he said.

 

The Grand Slam Salute to Sci-Fi in Pasadena is continuing throughout the weekend, and STARTREK.COM is there, be sure and return on Monday for full coverage of all the weekend's events, such as appearances by Leonard Nimoy ("Spock"), William Shatner ("James T. Kirk"), Brent Spiner ("Data"), and Enterprise stars Connor Trinneer ("Trip Tucker"), Dominic Keating ("Malcolm Reed") and Anthony Montgomery ("Travis Mayweather"), plus a plethora of other Star Trek stars.