Stan
Kann continues to
delight after all these years
By
Daniel Hines
Publisher
America’s Seniors/
TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
To
meet Stan Kann is to like—no, make that love—him.
He
is a man of diverse talents.While
he is widely known to many for his sometimes outlandish experiences (more
than 80 of them) on the Johnny Carson show, he is also nationally known
for his skill as a classic organist.Today, he is likely the top artist of his type for theatre organs.
It
is in the latter role, that Stan has become an important part of The
Fabulous Fox team.He shares
the center of attention for tours of The Fox with the grand Wurlitzer
organ, a classic instrument that was a part of the original setting at The
Fox.
In
that role, he plays concerts and then conducts tours for weekday visitors
to The Fox, which, in an of itself is a tourist destination, especially in
light of the desire of people to find such spots in light of the 9-11
tragedy.
Stan
also works closely with Mary Strauss, who with her late husband Leon, was
a moving force behind the renovation of The Fox., on such projects as the
silent movie revival.
The
Fox has had two such shows, the first being Robin Hood, and the most
recent, Ben Hur.Each gave
Stan an opportunity to show his musical brilliance as he completely scored
the background music for the silent classic and provided the accompaniment
on the Fox’s Wurlitzer.
But,
he also showed his comedy talent, dressing first as one of Robin Hood’s
jolly men, complete with green tights, and then for Ben Hur, coming out in
a Roman army suit of armor prior to the show as part of an introduction by
Ms. Strauss to the show and its story.
The fact that Stan is probably only five foot four or five on a good day
and very small, made the setting even funnier.
“Each
time, that was Mary’s (Strauss) idea,” he said.“The Roman army uniform was a problem when I had to play the
organ.It kept cutting my
legs, so I changed out of it during intermission.”
How
does a man who studied graduate music at prestigious Washington University
become a comic?It helps to have friends such as Phyllis Diller.
Stan
and Phyllis became friends when she lived in St. Louis.She was a regular guest on the Carson show, and when she heard of
Stan’s hobby of collecting vacuum cleaners, she found it so funny, she
told Stan he should be on the Carson show.
She
mentioned it to Johnny and the rest is show business history
On
his first appearance with Carson, Stan brought an old vacuum cleaner, and,
in a completely unscripted appearance, the handle fell off as Stan was
demonstrating it to Johnny.
Soon,
appearances on other shows followed, allowing Stan to develop a routine
not just about his vacuum cleaners but other ‘gadgets’ as he calls
them.
While
such appearances are not as common today, it seems as though interest in
the classical theatre organ is increasing, and Stan is kept busy playing
at concerts and festivals around the country.
But,
it is at The Fabulous Fox where Stan’s heart remains.To listen to him talk about the theatre and its wonderful
Wurlitzer, shows the depth of his feeling for The Fox.
“The
Fox is one of the last remaining castles in America, “he reflects.“It’s like a time capsule, and people can step back into 1929,
when this was built.”
He
praises Fox Associates for not ruining the elaborate décor of the
theatre.
“They
resisted the temptation to ‘modernize’ the place,” he explains.“The restoration has always worked to preserve the richness of
The Fox.
“It’s
a continuing effort of love.Recently,
they just found some original curtains that had been placed in storage.Mary (Strauss) had always said she knew they were here, and now, 20
years later, they’ve been
found.”
He
quickly adds that the curtains, which will appear above the stage as a
draping, are being restored at no small expense to original condition.
Stan
relishes his role as a gatekeeper and host for The Fox.
”More and more people are coming to visit The Fox.One group last week of more than 200 people was from Indiana.
“They
come because it’s a chance to see what people were able to do years ago.They can see something that has been done with elegance and
class.”
Elegance
and class.That describes The
Fabulous Fox…and it describes Stan Kann.
Want to read more about
Stan? Go to his web site: www.stankann.com
For information on
the tours of The Fabulous Fox, call 314-534-1678r
visit www.fabulousfox.com
Groups of 20 or more should call 314-534-1678 for
special rates and reservations.
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Stan
Kann continues to
It
is in the latter role, that Stan has become an important part of The
Fabulous Fox team.