From a young producer after a weekend sales meeting in Florida. After everyone else from creative went home, in the middle of the job, the client CEO mandated a change in concept. Talent rewrote the script entirely and the Producer and Talent reworked the set, lights, sound, etc. all night, and by the next general session, there was a brand new show tailored to the client's request...

'Al Askew' was a funny, smarmy game show host who perked up the evening festivities for Interleaf's resellers at their annual convention in Orlando. Using tallying equipment, information covered during the day was reemphasized and driven home for a ballroom audience of 400 in a fun way by playing a game show after dinner. The event was planned, scripted and staged for a three day run. Once the show was a resounding success on the first night, onsite personnel for Larry Miller Productions out of Boston, MA were one lighting/sound man in charge of a local crew, the computer tally technicians, and one young assistant producer.

At the debriefing following the second night 's show, the CEO, (who was extremely pleased with the show so far), said, "Gee...let's do something else tomorrow...I love the way we're asking them questions...but maybe they'd like to ask some..."

The producer and talent frantically withdrew to the hotel. Working on a laptop, they hammered out a new script by 2am. The next morning, they begged and borrowed a new set from the hotel. Before noon, they rehearsed the crew through the proposed changes, and by showtime, had a brand new concept that brought cheers from the attendees and open-mouthed admiration from upper management....

We started the show as usual, but had the CEO and CFO mount the stage and interrupt, asking for the opportunity to answer questions. Al Askew changed costumes onstage going from 'Chuck Wollerry' to 'Phil Donohue' looks, complete with big round glasses and a wig, while a whirlwind set change, choreographed to music, transformed the set from 'Wheel of Fortune' to 'Meet the Press'. The host reintroduced himself as 'Hugh Askus' and the new show as "You Asked For It!, (At The Last Minute!), and we did a Donohue style show, complete with callers from around the world, which Jerry recorded in five different accents on a portable machine in the kitchen of the hotel.)

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