A Distant Shore (Beauty and the Beast convention)

Convention
Name:	A Distant Shore
Dates:	1995 & 2000
Frequency:
Location:	Los Angeles, CA.
Type:	fan con with guests from the show
Focus:	Beauty and the Beast
Organization:	Carousels & Caverns Community ("CCC")
Founder:
Founding Date:
URL:
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flyer for A Distant Shore II

A Distant Shore was a set of two Beauty and the Beast (TV) conventions held on the West Coast.

It generated the con zine A Distance Shore.

Part of a Series

Theses cons were part of an organized series of annual national Beauty and the Beast fan gatherings held in North America.

1995

"A Distant Shore I" was held in 1995 in Los Angeles, CA. It was subtitled The Fairy Tale Continues….

The convention also published a charity zine under the same name: A Distant Shore.

This con was referred to as "the sixth annual national Beauty & the Beast convention" in The Mirror Pool #3.

The guests of honor were Roy Dotrice, Edward Albert, David Greenlee, Jay Acovone, Caitlin O'Heaney, Ren Woods, K.C. Miles, Bill Calvert, Cory Danizer, John Franklin, Terri Hanauer, Ellen Geer, Ritch Brinkley, Howard Gordon, Steven Kurzfeld, Ron Koslow, Robert Sigman (President/CEO of Republic Entertainment and several representatives from the Marketing Department), David Schwartz. Ron Perlman stopped in briefly and said a few words.

A collection of photographs from the convention can be found here and additional photos, memories and videos can be found here and here.

The 1995 Beauty and the Beast Fan Quality Awards were also handed out at this convention.

Various contents were held, including a music video, a contest for design of the centerpiece for the banquet, a content for designing "A Distant Shore" convention T-shirt, front and back, and a contest for designing for the convention's official letterhead. A panel on "cyberfandom' was held on Saturday titled: "Fandom in Cyberspace".

The event was organized by members of the Carousels & Caverns Community: Mike Maloney, D'vora Pariente, Erick Jonasson, Rose Badgett, and Diane Jonasson.

From Of Love and Hope v.2:

The designated charity for A Distant Shore will be "Laguna Shanti", an outreach program for persons infected with HIV and other serious illnesses.

They also have a side charity, PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), which works with Laguna Shanti by helping the pets owned by the persons Laguna Shanti is helping. We are asked to bring canned pet food or pet supplies to the con as

a donation to this wonderful charity.

An expanded as was placed in Of Love and Hope v.2:

If you choose to come early, your fantasy may start with Disney's Pocahontas Thursday afternoon. On Thursday evening you may want to visit our media room where episodes will be starting hourly throughout the convention. It's a real 200 seat movie theater serving popcorn and soft drinks. "Republic Pictures" has agreed to loan us the 3/4" broadcast master tapes of the show. We also have a 10 x 14 ft. movie screen! When was the last time you saw a crystal clear image of Vincent TEN FEET HIGH?

Then, on Friday morning join us for our spectacular opening ceremony! A Distant Shore will also have the usual dealer's room and art show, but this time they are bigger and better than ever before...and another attraction you have never seen before...a Beauty and the Beast Hall of Fame museum!!! This room will be jam-packed with articles from, or connected with, the TV show. Featured will be award-winning art, props and costumes, promotional literature and a tribute to the hard-working people who have kept the dream alive, such as fanzines, letterzines and newsletters from the past.

Imagine this...you exit the elevator 7 p.m. Friday evening to attend the Grand Masquerade Ball! Making your way through the lobby lounge, you notice a small jazz combo with a skeleton leaning against the piano and jack-o-lantern at it's side. Then, looking around you notice everyone is in costume or wearing a mask...(shades of masks...it's Bridget O'Donnell herself!...just kidding!)...and on to the ballroom foyer to rekindle friendships with those you have not seen for a year or more.

Then...at 8 p.m. the ballroom doors open and you are intrigued by the stage. Center stage, a beautiful reproduction of Catherine's Balcony. To the left, Father's Chamber and to the right, a detailed replica of Vincent's Chamber. Then a real symphony orchestra begins to play the "Beauty and the Beast Theme". Throughout the rest of the evening the symphony plays, punctuated by the costume contest...close ups of which can be seen on the big screen monitor above the stage.

Saturday evening we have a special surprise event...followed by the Talent Show and on Sunday evening the Summerfest Banquet, awards and closing ceremonies. There will be more star Q & A than ever before...simply because we have more stars then ever before!!!

Monday is Catherine and Vincent's Excellent Adventure...starting with a bus tour of some of the "Beauty and the Beast" filming sights in Los Angeles, including Catherine's apartment building. Then on to Griffith Park for a catered picnic, a group photo in front of the tunnel entrance and a ride on the carousel...a short drive to Topanga Canyon for a private Shakespeare performance of Richard the III by Ellen Geer and her troupe of thespians at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum...dinner in the Canyon at your choice of "Rocco's, a home style Italian restaurant with very affordable prices or "The Inn of the Seventh Ray" a gourmet health food restaurant where you can eat under the oak trees alongside Topanga Creek (this is definitely a California experience).

On Tuesday more than 100 of us "Beauty and the Beast Fans" are going to tour Universal Studios and, if you so chose, your evening will be filled with music as singing waiters serenade you at Micheli's, a fine Italian restaurant.

This brings your "Beauty and the Beast" fantasy vacation to a close. I sincerely hope you join us at "A Distant Shore"...I promise a wonderful time will be had by all!!!

The convention organizers also released an open letter to fandom addressing the Beauty and the Beast Classic Wars. Also see Beauty and the Beast: The Classic vs. Season 3 Fandom Split.

After the event Linda Moore floated the idea to pool convention photographs and create an ordering catalog. From Of Love and Hope v.2:

Let's face it, for those of us who were fortunate to go to "A Distant

Shore", it was REMARKABLE. I took 7 rolls of film and couldn't wait till I got to see the pictures so I could prolong the euphoria I felt. As I looked through my photos, some I was very happy with, some not so happy. But what's worse, as I talked to other folks, I realized that there were people who did not go to the con or did not have a camera and therefore would miss out on seeing what we saw.

So, I came up with an idea I now call "ADS Photo Sharing Catalog." I've bounced this off my GEnie friends and others and the exact details are not finalized but let me tell you what I'd like to do. Basically, I've volunteered to coordinate this.

Already, several people who took pictures have agreed to send to me the BEST of their photos--NOT the negatives (they're too precious and I don't want them to be lost in snail mail or worse yet, lost by me). We'll call the folks who send me their best photos CONTRIBUTORS. Once I get the photos from all contributors, I will make photocopied catalogs (I think it will have to be good black-and-white copies to keep the cost down; I already have a lot of contributors). Each photograph in the catalog will be coded with the contributor's initials and a number (preferably for the ease of the contributor we'll use a code like LM1-5 where LM are my initials, 1 is the roll number and 5 is the frame number of the negative).

Along with the catalog will be INDIVIDUAL ORDER FORMS for each contributor. Since I won't have the negatives, it will be the responsibility of each contributor to get reprints made for each person who orders.

The catalog was published in Sept 1995 with contributions from 4 photographers and consisted of 36 pages of photos that that fans could order as reprints. It sold for $2.5 to cover printing costs.

• 

  convention shirt

• 

  other side of the tote bag for 1995, artist: Jamie Murray

• 

  one side of the tote bag for 1995, artist: Jamie Murray

Art Show

Winners as reported in Of Love and Hope #2:

Amateur - Color

• 1st - Lew Place, "Waiting for A Happy Life"
• 2nd - John Sies, "Garfield/B&B Cartoon"
• 3rd - Kathy Fidge, "Vincent #2"

Amateur - Black and White

• 1st - Marietta K. DeWitt, "The Power of Love"
• 2nd - A. V. Wilde, "Vincent"
• 3rd - Michele Sayles, "Elliott"

Professional - Color

• 1st - Clare Sieffert, "A Distant Shore"
• 2nd - Patricia Davis, "Vincent"
• 3rd - Jamie Murray, "Study of Jo"

Professional - Black and White

• 1st - Sally Perkins, "Love"
• 2nd - Kevin Barnes, "Shadow Dancer"
• 3rd - Pam Tuck, "Pic Nic"

Three Dimensional

• 1st - Clare Sieffert, "Crystal Cavern" (Faberge Egg)
• 2nd - Renee Lang, "Vincent's Chamber" (Miniature Setup)
• 3rd - Jean Tranum, "In the Sunshine Together" (Egg)

Best of Show

• (Tie)
  • Kevin Barnes, "Song of Songs" (oil painting)
  • Kevin Barnes, "Beyond Words, Beyond Silence" (oil painting)

Convention Reports

Ron Perlman made a surprise visit to the convention. Arriving during the Masquerade Ball on Friday night, he stayed for only a few minutes because he was leaving for London the next morning. He spoke briefly about how amazed he was that the show's power to touch and inspire people was still so strong. Edward Albert introduced him and he was

joined on-stage by Roy Dotrice (Father) and David Schwartz. It was an emotional reunion.

I forgot to say that the cyber-buddies meeting was one of the highlights of the convention.....

We attended good sessions on Beauty and the Beast in Cyberspace (Lisa Howard and Eric Tullis gave out T-Shirts and a nice booklet on how to access the Of Love and Hope Discussion List and on how to write for fandom etc. by Nan Dibble and Barbara Hambly.

Over the three days, convention stars were Kipper (all grown up!), Michael (from A Fair and Perfect Knight--cute guy with girlfriend in attendance), Edward Albert (he was terrific--gave everyone hugs, posed for photos, put on shirts etc, to be auctioned off), Roy Dotrice (he looked frail to me--his mother had just passed away a month ago and he told some wonderful stories about her), Jay Acavone (who was in terrific spirits and looked great--his wife Fonda was at the banquet--gorgeous foxy red-head), David Greenlee (Mouse--he was terrific--mingled with fans a lot), John Franklin (he played young Vincent--very nice guy who does terrific imitations), Terri Hanauer (Catherine's friend, Jenny) and Caitlin O'Heaney (Brigit--both beautiful, very slim, warm people who may now become convention addicts--they were first timers and loved it.)

Two Tunnel people were there, both of whose names I forget. One lady was older, married to an LA cop and full of beans--she had great Tunnel stories (like invading Vincent's bed at every opportunity.) The other was an Asian lady--quite lovely who was in a lot of shots (she was with her "father" in the Winterfest show.)

David Schwartz, producer, came to the Fri. night masquerade just after the costume judging (funny stuff--in the "other" category, we had a Green Man; in the Tunnel category, the winner was The Mirror Pool Cleaner.) He introduced the Special Guest Star--yes, it was Ron Perlman!!! He stayed for ten minutes while we ran up to the stage but we were very polite--not too much screaming and no rushing the stage, and hushed silence when he talked. He just thanked everyone for believing in the show and what it said enough to continue the dream and try to help people less fortunate.

After that, two "circulating" Republic Pictures guys talked to fans at various tables and got earfuls on what we wanted to see in a movie (V & C together for most of it, no lava and roses, all of the Tunnel people). From 10:00--12:00 we were entertained by a great LA medieval singing/acting troupe but most people were too tired (overwhelmed by Ron's appearance) to stick around.

Sat: Our host was Myrh (an artist, Jamie Murray.) This was my first exposure to a non-BATB character hosting a con and he is a terrific guy (has a CATS face and a great personality--his art is wonderful.) He introduced the game "Call My Bluff" where two teams (Roy, Myrh, & Kipper vs. Jay, Terri & John) tried right and wrong definitions of difficult dictionary words--hilarious! Then David Schwartz had Producers Hour where Ron Koslow, Howard Gordon (of X-files Gordon and Ganza also) and Steve Kurzfeld answered questions on the show. Koslow wants a 4-hour mini-series to start with ALL of the characters from season 1 and 2 ("I wouldn't have it any other way") with Linda returning as Catherine. He didn't say he had a script, he didn't say he had Linda; he did say he had to raise a lot of money to reconstruct sets etc. (remember, he had all this financial backing, esp. foreign five years ago when the series was popular overseas) and that he was meeting with Republic the following week. He had just finished producing a movie with Sharon Stone. So--cautious optimism on this one!

The talent show was very interesting as the LA people, esp. Mike Maloney, had produced a musical with scenes from BATB after the talent show (which featured a very talented jazz-blues singer with her own band!--Edie, Catherine's friend in first season who can sing up a storm--she SHOULD quit her day job!)

What can I say about the musical? The girl in it was a Catherine look-alike and Mike made a very effective non-made up Vincent and the Father lookalike was very effective and a good singer. However, the sound quality was poor and the songs so so as well as most of the singing. The addition of voice overs from Roy and a singing duet of Edie and Brigit and a very funny cameo by Mouse upstaged by Arthur all played by the originals helped a lot. I actually missed the amateur talent session so will leave that to the list.

Sunday featured a long but well-run, very funny auction thanks to Caitlin, Jay, David Schwartz, David Greenlee and esp. Edward Albert, which raised money for Laguna Shanti--Pediatric AIDS research and hospice groups in LA--the Virginia people snapped up Catherine's dress from Masques for a cool $2300! --other big items were Catherine's dress from Dark Spirits and a crewcap and jacket.

The banquet was wonderful--Mike had plaster molds of his beautiful brass? statuette of V&C on each table and we lit the candles around this after the Winterfest speech given by Father and Cast with additional guests. Mary (Ellen Geer with hair long) and William (Rich Brinkley and his wife, fan-writer, Catherine) were also participating at the head table which ran length-wise surrounded by our round tables. Ron Perlman's only appearance was Fri. night--he was in town to take Opal and his daughter to the musical BATB. He never appeared in costume

or voice.

I cannot tell you how pleased I was with the Fandom in Cyberspace panel. I just wish it had been filmed so we could go over it and share it with all of you. If it wasn't for JFKLEIKAMP and Becky Bain, it just wouldn't have worked. They have my undying gratitude!

The Masquerade Ball was fabulous with everyone dressed in some of the most beautiful costumes I have ever seen. Even tho I missed the Ron Perlman entrance, those particular few minutes that he was on stage were just so special. Ron Perlman, in person, right in front of us! Only if he had shown up as Vincent would the moment have been better. When I got back from "powdering my nose" (which is where I was when he made his entrance), I raced to the front of the room with my camera - tearing my dress in the process, which was worth it! - to try to get some good shots in between my tears of excitement and happiness. I have access to an audio tape of the moment, which after it has been transcribed, I will share with everyone.

Ren Woods was such a knockout at the talent show! That girl can really belt out a blues tune! She was the hit of the evening.

I think the Q&A on Sunday was really the best. All the stars on stage, the producers, Mr. Koslow, it was truly overwhelming to see them all together. Cyberfandom was mentioned at one point and I raced up to my room to get an extra copy of the panel booklet and, at the end of the session, handed it directly to Howard Gordon, who's eyes just lit up when he realized what the cover said. So maybe we'll see him online one of these days. Mr. Koslow couldn't have been more gracious and did seem to be a bit overwhelmed at the thought of all of us die hard fans still out there, just waiting for the news that he would do some kind of movie. What especially pleased me was the fact that he said that everyone previously associated with the show (and we know who we're talking about in particular!) were all agreeable to doing a movie and all that he was basically waiting for was the money. Made us all want to run up there and hand over every penny we had for the cause! I trust Mr. Koslow's judgment and know that he will produce a movie in the highest standard possible.

I didn't stick around too much for the art auction because it was too depressing that I couldn't afford to bid on what I wanted but the celebrity auction was fun. And to see those costumes from the show! And Caitlin modeling that Masques dress! A friend and one of our new people here on AOL - new since the con - won first place in the amatuer black and white art contest. Nice to know we actually have an artist in our midst! ;-)

[For Beauty and the Beast Fan Quality Awards winners see that page]

Throughout the entire weekend, the stars were pretty much hanging around here and there. There was no autograph line as such, but occasionally word would be spread that someone was signing in this room or that room. I did manage to get everyone's autograph except Ren Woods, Corey Danzinger "Kipper" and Bill Calvert "Michael". Being a smoker, I did have the pleasure of a small conversation with Jay Acovone (about how much we didn't understand Shakespeare!) on Sunday night during the banquet and occassionally ran into Edward Albert and David Greenlee catching a smoke here and there. And for those of you who regularly watch Sci Fi Buzz, I managed to get Susan Hyman's autograph too! She was shocked that I had asked her but gladly signed her name to my "Vincent". She is such a doll! Sci Fi Buzz will be airing that footage on August 13.

Although this con had numerous "glitches", I know that everyone had a good time and we are all grateful to the Carousels and Caverns group for offering up such a chance of a lifetime.

A Distant Shore was one of the most exhausting and wonderful things I've ever, ever done! Every day was a complete sensory overload. From the wonderful Q&A's to the panel discussions to the talent show and masquerade ball to the bus tour to talking with friends in the hotel lobby until the hours - I didn't want to sleep! I didn't want to miss a moment of this wonderful departure from my reality...this far away fantasy world I found myself in!

[snip]

On Friday we did the cyberfandom panel discussion. Like Lisa, I have to send my appreciation to Becky Bain and Joyce Kleikamp; they were stellar! Thanks to all who sat there patiently while I blabbered on about who- knows-what! I don't even remember what I said! I hope it made sense! ;)

Then it was on to my first Q&A, which I liked a lot. I think the Q&A's were consistently interesting all through the weekend, actually. I think I saw pretty much all the Q&A's except for Roy Dotrice's, which was probably a bad one to miss! Ah well, I just couldn't seem to be in two places at once, even though I tried to do that all weekend long!

That first Q&A was also my first glimpse of the very lovely actress Caitlin O'Heaney, who played Brigit O'Donnell in "Masques." Some have rumored that I was overly obsessed with Ms. O'Heaney over the course of the weekend. Indeed, some maintain that I was smitten with a schoolboy crush over Ms. O'Heaney! All of this, of course, is simply rank exaggeration! (yeah, right! ;)

We all had great fun Friday night during the costume contest and the masquerade ball. There were some really creative and elaborate costumes there! Plus, we all had to go through the ritual of taking pictures of every possible combination of people with every possible camera! Chaos!

Saturday featured some of the most intensely interesting Q&A of the con. They had something they called the "producers panel" which featured Ron Koslow, Howard Gordon and Steven Kurzfield. It's always great hearing the stars talk, but for me, it was probably more exciting to get to listen to these men from behind the scenes. The creators, the writers, the ones who created the world, created the scenarios, created the wonderfully rich Vincent and Catherine relationship. I just loved listening to them talk.

Seeing and hearing Koslow was very special. He seemed to have such a big heart. He had a manner about that I can't describe that really made me guess that he put a lot of himself into Vincent.

The Sunday auctions were quite a treat as well. The celebrity auction was very entertaining, despite it's length! The bidding on Catherine's dress from "Masques" was something to see! I think the Dreamseekers from Virginia ended up with it, paying something like $3200!! Their competition was a fellow in the audience who wanted to buy the dress for his girlfriend...and he stuck with the bidding until the three grand mark!! Edward Albert seemed to be so struck with the gesture this guy was making, that he made a point to come down and shake the guy's hand! It makes me wonder what the Dreamseekers would have ended up paying if this guy hadn't wanted the dress so bad!

It was a wonderful convention, truly one with surprises and special events which could not have taken place anywhere but LA, The Carousels and Caverns group had promised to invite as many celebrity guests as possible, and because of the celebrities' gracious compliance with the request, as well as the fact that the vast majority live in LA, we were thrilled with the opportunity to enjoy appearances by RON PERLMAN. Roy Dotrice, Jay Acovone, David Schwartz, David Greenlee, Terri Hanauer, Ren Woods ('Edie'), Edward Albert, Caitlin O'Heaney ('Brigit O'Donnell'), KC Clark, Judy Martinez (an extra during all seasons), the actors who played Young Vincent and Michael, Corey Danziger (Kipper' -he's now a college student!), Ron Koslow, Steve Kurzfield, and Howard Gordon. Linda Hamilton had been invited and had very willingly agreed to attend, but she was on location in Virginia filming a movie with Charlie Sheen and could not return to LA that weekend. Too bad that timing was off by a year, since next year's con is going to be in Virginia! Jo Anderson also could not attend at the last minute, and, according to some of the con committee members, Stephen McHattie never responded to their request. It had been rumoured that Tony Jay would show up, but, unfortunately, he didn't, however, I never heard the reason for this. Many others responded to the invitations, but their schedules also prevented them from being with us. However, we were more than grateful and happy with those who did show up! It was really interesting hearing what everyone had to say, but of course, the most memorable moment was seeing Ron P at the costume contest/masquerade party!! He looked absolutely great and was extremely cordial and gracious. He commented:

"It's great to see you all. I don't have anything specific to tell you, but when I think about the fact that people still gather together, it's pretty remarkable and pretty amazing...A very special thank you to all the good work that has been done in the name of Beauty and the Beast. It's one thing to do a tv show, but to raise a lot of money for charity shows true compassion and a true giving of the self, a great example of the human spirit."

(This is a real quote— I watched the video tape three times to get it!) He also said he was sorry he'd been out of touch during the last few years and seemed genuinely moved by the very warm, enthusiastic response of the crowd. Later on David Schwartz told some of the British fans that Ron was completely overwhelmed by the continued love and support shown him by fandom. Also present during Ron's visit were Robert Sigman, President/CEO of Republic Pictures, and Tom Szwak, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Republic. They spent a few hours talking with many of us and they truly want to know what it is we'd like to see in the future of B&B. There is talk of a four hour mini series and/or several follow-up tv movies, either on CBS or Showtime. In addition, the 'Of Love and Hope' CD planned, as well as novelizations of the current episodes and a new Artie Ripp project involving music and poetry videos using scenes from the show. Of course, all of this could change in an instant, so now's the time to speak up with our support!

The following day when Ron Koslow spoke at a Q&A session he said that in terms of a mini-series and/or movies being made, his biggest concern in the past had been getting the original cast back together but that is no longer a problem! When asked about the subject matter of the film(s), he said that they would definitely deal with reuniting of Vincent and Catherine adding:

"Absolutely! I wouldn't have it any other way!"

He would like the future projects to deal with exploring the changes in V&C's evolving relationship, especially as to how the dualities in V's nature effect it and to do it from both characters' point of view, which was something that wasn't done enough to his (Koslow's) satisfaction in the trilogy.

Anyone who recalls ever reading even a sentence I've written in letters, letterzines, or B&B fiction knows that I am one of the most classic B&B fans in existence. Personally, I'm thrilled that if there are to be future B&B films, then it looks as if they'll canter on V&C. I know many fans are more open to whatever we're given, and that's fine; it's just not the way I feel, and that's fine, too. At the LA con, there were no obvious hints of problems between fans and that's how it should be as we celebrate what we love about B&B. There should be room for everyone, and actually, since that goes without saying, I'm dropping that topic now!

How I long to have again new B&B episodes. To wait all week for the night it is on. To sit and watch it, drinking in every word, as the video is working overtime in thousands of homes, making copies to relive it all again and again. Then the endless phone calls to friends, to discuss in depth every aspect of every move they made. We didn't realise then how lucky we were. But reality set in when CBS axed it. But we knew what we had, and when something is so good, only a fool would let it go and be lost forever. We struggled on, amid encouragement and the few who scoffed us. Some couldn't keep up with us and fell by the way-side. But those who wanted this dream more than anything else, could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we ignored the negative thinkers for the positive ones. And it paid of. At the July B&B Convention in LA, the two heads of Republic, not only attended, but stayed to talk to so many fans, as they tested our need to have TV movies. Then, they said they would go back and talk it over and get back to us. They kept their word and very soon we had word to put pen to paper. These letters, we are told, are to show to the networks who will air new B&B, so that they will agree to air them by the very volume of the mail. Republic wants to do them, and when the networks say yes, they will air them, we will be under way. So, if you feel you can write more letters, this can only do B&B good.

Prior to Con it was constantly described as going to be the best one ever. Was it? Well, I guess each person attending would have to answer for themselves. Because I think what makes a Con great for one person does not necessarily make it great for another.

Friday. Morning -everything seemed to open well. Registration went smoothly for me and I received a schedule of events. The dealer’s room was open all day. The Theater that they scheduled to show episodes of the series was open with the fragrance of popcorn escaping into the hall way. The Art Show was opening nicely as the art work went up. I have to commend Becky Elsenhuth who handled the Art show. I found her to be extremely pleasant and helpful at all times. In the morning, there were only three scheduled events for the majority of attendees. Making Tunnel Clothes, Bruce Abbott Fan Club and Cyber Fandom. There were also talent auditions and rehearsals for the play Saturday night.

Afternoon- the only scheduled event was the Stars on Stage. You had a choice to attend this or stay in the dealer’s room. There were no panels. Also they listed the Hall of Fame (past award winning pieces of art] as open all day. It wasn’t. Every time I went it was closed.

Evening- there was the Costume Ball and everyone was required to come in ac ostume or mask. Most memorable of the award winners here, for me, was the Return of Catherine. She dressed in Sarah Connor -Terminator gear complete with gun and was holding a baby lion and was pregnant. Very innovative! Also, the man wearing swimming gear and snorkel billed as the Mirror Pool cleaner.

Highlight of the evening was the surprise guest Ron Perlman. Believe me, the statement 'the crowd went wild’ would be an understatement! He spoke for a few minutes being joined on stage with Roy Dotrice, David Greenlee, David Schwartz and Edward Albert Jr. Also attending the Costume Ball was the President of Republic Pictures, Robert Sigman and the Vice President.

Saturday. Morning- One panel (The Writer’s Panel] was scheduled. Among the other events scheduled were the Dream Seekers meeting. La Femme De La Nuit (female Vampires- not B&tB!). Mad Libs and Roy Dotrice reading poetry.

Afternoon- apparently the Theater was no longer showing any episodes though it was scheduled to run the entire weekend. Official word was it was broken, I heard it was because they had not arranged to have anyone run the theater. You had a few choices this afternoon - the dealers room or the Great Hall which featured Call My Bluff, Producers Panel and Stars on Stage. This afternoon there was another surprise guest Ron Koslow. Again the crowd went wild (though no where near the cheer Ron Perlman got.) In the evening we were treated to the talent of fans and of Ren Wood. The highlights of the talent show, for me, was a woman (and I apologize for not remembering her name) signing to several songs in British Sign Language. One being John Picton's Promises of Someday. John had written and performed the song (it was on tape) and it was wonderful to hear something new and beautiful about B&TB. The signer was graceful and it was an outstanding performance. I also enjoyed Myrh Maids doing an old-time radio show play. It was hilarious! As was Myrh's constantly coughing up hairballs. Ren Woods sang two songs for us and she was incredible! What a voice!!

The stage was divided in three parts. Catherine’s Balcony (center), Vincent’s Chamber (on the left) and Father’s Study (on the right). Very well done. The symphony that was promised to play music was really a string quartet. They did a wonderful job and the music was beautiful. In an updated flyer we were told that dancers were going to come in so there would be partners for dancing. There was no dancing and far as I know no dancers came. The Hall of Fame was open only sporadically. Again the reason given was that there was no one to provide security.

Sunday. There were no panels. The Theater was still closed. The Hall of Fame was opened for the day. Williams Kitchen (situated next to the dealer’s room and provided snacks that could be purchased) was listed as open all day, but was closed. The Charity Auction started an hour late and ran two hours overtime. This pushed the Art and Fan Q awards to being presented after the Banquet and pushed the Art Auction to starting at 12:30 a.m. ending at 2:30 a.m. The highlight of the charity auction had to be the auctioning of two dresses. The red dress Linda Hamilton wore in Dark Spirit went for (I believe) $1,500 and the costume she wore in Masques went for $3,000. (The buyer told me that she would never wear the dress and intended to have it at conventions for all fans to enjoy) Caitlin O'Heany modeled it. David Schwartz even brought in some personal items to auction.

Edward Albert Jr. was as always very energetic as the auctioneer and went out of his way to provide the charity Laguna Shanti with as much proceeds as possible. This man is excellent with the auctioning. He’s very tenacious and puts his all into it. The repartee Edward, David Greenlee and David Schwartz provided only enhanced the auction. I honestly believe they get as much enjoyment from these conventions as we do. They listed seating arrangement for the Banquet two hours prior to the Banquet. The lists were by badge numbers alone. You had no idea who you were sitting with and a note posted at registration said if there were problems let them know by 7:15. Unfortunately, to whom did you go to with a problem? The registration desk was closed and Ididn’t know what badge numbers my friends had. Iheard that the scheduling wasn’t done until late that afternoon. People who requested five friends to sit with found themselves split up and sitting with strangers. Of the five people Irequested only two of us sat together. The major complaints Iheard at the Con were about no panels and the way they handled the seating arrangements. I just do not understand why they had to pose such restrictions on seating. It would have been easier to let it stand as it had at past cons. There were also complaints from afew of the celebrity guests. One had called my friend and said he had been called to attend Sunday events and agreed. But no one, from the committee, answered his calls or got back to him. He didn’t know if he should come. Did the committee deliver everything they promised? I don’t think so. Certain events promised never occurred. Rooms with scheduled displays were often closed. If you attended the Con to see a major number of celebrity guests, the answer would be a resounding YES! If you went to the Con to meet up with friends and spend time with them- YES. If you were looking to have a lot of choices for panels- NO. It was very plain that the committee wanted everyone to attend the Stars on Stage so nothing was scheduled opposite this. This was proven by a few of us being literally pushed out of the art show (not by Becky) so it could close early since Koslow was going to be on stage. You had no choices. And the organization was badly done. The Charity Auction always runs late, but no time was allowed for this. Since the other events were scheduled for the same room, everything was pushed into the late evening hours. I have never attended a Con where there were so many complaints. The Charity Auction and the Banquet also started over an hour late.

Did I have a good time? Yes! I got a chance to spend a lot of time with friends from far away. I attended The Crystal Rose meeting. I always love the talent of the fans and costume event. The imagination and talent of some fans know no bounds. Outstanding.

I enjoyed being able to meeting Edward Albert Jr, David Greenlee and Roy Dotrice. I am one of the people that, although it’s an extra added treat to have the celebrities there, it is not a requisite to my enjoyment of the Con. I want more panels, a choice of events and this Con did not provide them.

Whenever one of the committee members was faced with questions (When will this room be opened? When are the autograph sessions? When will we get the Banquet seating?) it seemed the answer given most was ”1 don't know.” Again, it seemed to be a matter of bad organization.

My highlight at the Con, beyond being with my friends, was winning second place for Best Short Story (talk about being flabbergasted!!) And third place in the amateur B/W art for my portrait of Edward Albert Jr. ‘Elliot’. By that time you could have knocked me over with a feather. I will always treasure those.

There were several videos shown. I recommend highly the teaser tape from Helpers Above Tulsa which features That's What Love is For and Queen of the Night. Also the promo tape for Next years Con, A Kingdom By The Sea, Dreamseekers did a wonderful promo featuring Get Here If You Can.

All the celebrities were gracious, posing for impromptu photos and mingling with fans. Edward Albert Jr. took a tour around the dealers room, Ritch Brinkley showed up at the Banquet in a marvelous outfit with a top hat. I saw David Greenlee, Roy Dotrice and Ren mingling with all the fans outside the banquet hall. I met Ellen Greer at the Banquet. They just meshed in with everyone, and I think this was a surprise and welcome treat for everyone. They were so accessible.

There was one a awful occurrence. Two fans were mugged on the street. One was injured and had a concussion. From what Edward Albert Jr. said at the Banquet there was a rotation of her friends that stayed with her throughout the night. He presented them special awards and hugged each one. I had heard that he was also involved with her care, but do not know the entire story and I wish someone who knows more about would write in and tell us what happened.

Ruth Merry, from England, was also there and received a special award. She is physically challenged and every time I hear about her it’s about something new she’s doing. She does not allow her limitations to put limits on her life. Just about every time I saw her she was sitting security for as display.

I did not attend the great Expectations Play so cannot comment on it. I had heard, though, that some costumes the players wore were originals from the show.

I guess there will be a choice of which video to purchase this year. The official group of the Con left early Friday and did not get Ron Perlman's part on tape. Someone at the committee’s table told me they would be able to get what was needed by making an arrangement with NovTek. who was also there filming on their own. The official video was selling for $55.CD for two tapes. I have to admit that, since I was not impressed with the way the Con was handled, I do not have a lot of confidence in the tape that will be produced. But, since NovTek is doing their own tape I think we’ll all have a choice in which one we want.

I doubt if we will ever experience another Con where there will be so many cast members and producers joining us. Their willingness to attend, their generosity in performing with and for us. answering our questions, their graciousness through it all was heart warming. If memories were made to be treasured and talked about, it was because of them and their efforts.

Videotape Dispute

Reported in Of Love and Hope v.3:

In regard to the convention tapes for A Distant Shore, there's a dispute, which may even become a legal dispute, between the [convention organizers] Carousels & Caverns Community and NovTek over whether NovTek has the right to sell convention tapes, since they weren't the official videographer for the convention. C&CC contends, we gather, that any footage of the convention is their property (although they did shell out considerable money for the Ron Perlman footage NovTek had captured, and they hadn't--Ed.) whereas NovTek contends that by not forbidding filming (the NovTek crews weren't exactly inconspicuous, with all their equipment), C&CC tacitly gave permission to film and therefore can't legally object to their making the resulting tapes available. Until this matter is settled, it's not certain that NovTek's set of tapes will continue to be available.

Post Convention Split

Following the convention, Carousels & Caverns Community, the club that organized the event, split into two groups. Serendipity, headed by D'vora Pariente who had led the marketing arm of the club and Carousels & Caverns Community. Two open letters were published to the Of Love and Hope mailing list v.3 outlining the split and the underlying dispute.

The Carousels & Caverns Community alleged that D'vora Pariente had transferred all of the convention funds to her own accounts, along with the licensed merchandise, and had failed to pay both the convention debts and the fan artists. The club had also not received any of the financial records that would allow them to help determine what debts remained. As a result, they announced they would not be liable for any debts.

D'vora Pariente responded by stating that she had personally paid the artists and had given them over $20,000 in her own money. She explained that she would not be addressing any of the other issues (such as the transfer of funds, licensed merchandise or the outstanding debts) and that she had already turned over the financial records. She then indicated she would be "taking legal action" against the club for slander.

It is unclear if the matter was ever resolved. In a later letter to the Of Love and Hope newsletter the club indicated that D'vora eventually paid all the artists except for two who were still owed $2,600. The club then offered to help raise funds to pay the artists. At the 1996 Beauty and the Beast convention "A Kingdom By The Sea", the Carousels & Caverns Community auctioned off donated costumes for that purpose.

The fallout for the unpaid artists led the 1996 "A Kingdom by the Sea" convention organizer to send the following announcement to the Of Love and Hope newsletter:

I'm sure everyone is aware of the ongoing financial difficulties experienced by The Distant Shore committee. In light of that, I would like to state the financial position of "A Kingdom by the Sea." To avoid any possible confusion, I want to make it clear in advance that I have sole financial responsibility for the convention. As a result of "A Distant Shore's" problems, a number of artists have expressed concern as to how and when they would be paid. I fully understand that the convention acts only as an agent for the artist and I personally guarantee that they will receive full payment as soon as checks clear the bank or within 3 weeks of the convention.

2000

convention shirts with black and white postage stamp graphic, from B&B "Distant Shores II: Remember Love" convention in Los Angeles, 2000

tote bag

"A Distant Shore II" was held in 2000 in Los Angeles, CA and was subtitled Remember Love. It was organized by The Carousels and Caverns Community (CCC) fan club. The archived website can be found here. Additional photos, memories and videos can be found here.[

One of the proposed convention projects was "Distant Shore II: Remember Love Calendar Project", a 365-day Beauty and the Beast day calendar. It is unclear whether the calendar was ever published. From the online flyer:

The Convention 365 Day Calendar.

Artists and Writers - our Project needs your art, stories and poems!

In the spirit of Beauty and the Beast, the convention committee dreams big. In addition to the usual convention zine, it is our intention to publish a 365 day calendar on our favorite television program. With the help of persons like yourself throughout fandom, it will contain dazzling artwork, sensitive, thought provoking poetry, short stories, unusual information, birthdates of cast and and crew, program trivia, as well as space for the proud owner to record important dates and events occurring in the year 2000.

Be A Part of the Magic!

Guidelines - Dimensions: The overall page size will be approximately 8½ inches long by 5½ inches wide. (The size of a day planner.)

Contributions: Three hundred sixty five pages is a lot to fill and there are, at this point, no limit to the number of contributors or the number of articles (art work, stories, poems, trivia etc.) any one individual may contribute. However, the editor(s) have the final say as to which contributions will end up in the final publication.

Art work: At the preliminary stage, art need not be camera ready if you are submitting a sample of the work you would like to submit. If accepted you will be asked to resubmit them as camera ready art. (camera ready denotes material that is ready to go to the printer.) Color art will be accepted as long as it can be rendered in black and white for the final publication. Unfortunately, color processing is still expensive for small print runs like convention books.. but by the year 2000 who knows?

Written contributions: Self generated - stories and poems - because of space limitations all like contributions must be limited to 175 words. Poetry of slightly greater length can be accommodated because they can be formatted into two columns in a smaller font. Please do not submit anything more longer than half page of text. Trivia lovers, include with your submission the source for any information you send us.

How do I enter a submission? You may send submissions typed and/or on 3.5 disks, Microsoft® or IBM formats only, in plain text, or by email to xxxxx.