The Caliendo Tapes
| Title: | The Caliendo Tapes |
| Creator: | |
| Date(s): | 1993 |
| Medium: | audio |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
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The Caliendo Tapes was a proposed project by David Schwartz, a producer of Beauty and the Beast (TV).
The "Caleindo Tapes" originated from a one-night gathering which included some of the Beauty and the Beast (TV) PTB (including Ron Perlman, Linda Hamilton) for a concert by Christopher Caliendo.
Caliendo did not have an official Beauty and the Beast (TV) role, and Schwartz' role in the endeavor was one as a friend.
Schwartz envisioned that the tapes would include Caliendo's music, Ron Perlman reading poetry, Linda Hamilton's vocal introduction to the show, and perhaps other vocal additions. In a 1993 interview, Schwartz mentions his voice was on it.
The tape was planned as a fundraiser to sponsor Caliendo in a venture related to his music and the Vatican in Rome.
Beauty and the Beast (TV) fans were the the anticipated market for this tape, and it was enthusiastically promoted by Schwartz as a "gift" as well as a way to support the show.
The proposed tapes were to have been part of a bundle of things sold by "Friends of Christopher Caliendo" which appears have had the participation of Nan Dibble. Other items used in this fundraiser was an un-aired script called "For Better or Worse" (written before Catherine Chandler left the show), as well as many new private photographs.
Schwartz ended up having disagreements with Caliendo regarding the handling of money. Because of this, Ron Perlman refused to allow his voice to be on the tapes which caused the project to fail.
It is unknown if fans were able to recoup their money.
A similar project, but one that was successful, was 1989's Of Love and Hope.
Comments by David Schwartz in August 1993
David Schwartz talked at great length in part one of an interview in [Lionheart (Beauty and the Beast newsletter)|Lionheart]] #7:
We were all sad about [not being able to air a script called "For Better or Worse" due to plotting and direction changes in the show's third season] because it was really exciting and it was the first of three, the script that this gentleman wrote was a complete script, shooting script. He also had two story ideas for the first two hours of the next season. Which nobody's ever seen but myself, I mean I've seen the stories and the story outlines and skeleton scripts so it's almost like this trilogy that was written to follow this up. But you know, it just all got put in our memorabilia boxes and every so often when I would take out scripts and read and look at my notes in the margin...
[...]
While we're putting the [Caliendo] show together, Ron said, "You know what, could you find me a copy of [the script]?" So I actually went and called the writer and he knocked one out off of the disk for Ron, so Ron could keep it again, and Ron and I happened to both read it the same night and the next day we're talking and it was like, "We never made that episode," "Yeah, I know, I know, I remember, I was there." "That's terrible."
After I was doing the accounting with Christopher and telling Ron where we stood with the concert, it just sort of spawned in this conversation, "What if, to really help get Christopher to the mark that we really said we wanted to, which we didn't get to, what if we were to make a couple things available to our fans, what if we were to create a little package for the fandom, a recording of the evening, either the full recording - we're not even, quite frankly, we haven't even decided because I've been busy with a couple things, you know, you've been trying to track me down. Either just Ron's recording and a little bit of music, or Ron's recordings of the poetry and all the music, or that and the script, or just the script, or the script and some of the photographs. So what's available to us right now to assist Christopher are all these little things. Little things in the sense that, I think what we really want to bestow on Christopher is, we want to put this package together and make it available to people. The script, this wonderful script that was just never put out there, which in many respects is just great reading for a lot of people. Obviously, for fans like you and me, it's exceptional reading.
The tape, obviously is something that I know everybody wants to hear, even though it's maybe only twenty-five or thirty minutes of Ron. I'd love to have that available, and package that in some little special package for people to get. I hold pictures of, I guess three years on the set, everything from anybody who fell asleep, which we would run and catch photographs of, unfortunately, including myself in one corner, to some really classic shots of Vincent and myself and Catherine and Vincent and the crew.
[...]
"I wonder if sound okay on the tape, there are people who are deeper into this than I and in many respects, it excited me, it's sort of like, oh God, we've just got to do whatever it takes." To keep everybody feeling good about something as wonderful as this.
[...]
Again, getting back to the entire Caliendo-Perlman-Hamilton evening, one of the things that was so exciting was realizing that t wouldn't take a lot of energy to sort of get the groundswell going with us in our direction. It didn't take long for us to connect with the active fandom out there and I'm hoping that by the sheer energy and love that's out there still, with the fact that maybe we'll make some of these gifts available, the script and the concert tape and some of these photographs in this package, and I can say, this was a benefit. We're making this available to get Christopher there and this is the kind of response we had from the fandom, look what's out there and look what everybody's ready for, let's go folks, come on. That's kind of, not like the ulterior motive here, but it's certainly going to be nice to be able to say, you know, in the couple weeks of putting this little package together and putting it out in the universe, this is the kind of excitement and response that we generated and is able to facilitate getting Christopher over there and getting his family there and make his life fuller. Just because of his connection with Ron and Linda and the fandom. So, that's what really is a challenge to us, to see how we can do it and use some of the feedback from this experience to wave in front of Republic and Koslow's face and say, "Guys, look what they're out there waiting for, now, our friends are there and they're standing by us."
Part of a Bigger Project
From a letter by David Schwarz in Lionheart #7:
As you may know, every last flyer announcing the opportunity to purchase copies of "For Better or Worse" (with private photo sets included) was snapped up. Because you dug so deeply into your pocketbooks to make the auction [at Great Expectations (Beauty & the Beast con) ] a stellar success, I feel it appropriate to make the script and photo sets available at a more accessible cost. If you have not yet sent in your order, it is now reduced by $15. And, to be fair to those of you who have already mailed in the original payment, a refund will be returned promptly. Please bear in mind that the "Friends of Christopher Caliendo" will only be able to take orders until September 30th. As a bit of added fun, I'm going to include a special photo along with one script, and whoever gets that photo will be the only one to have it!
Few Pre-Orders
From a flyer in Lionheart #7 in July 1993:
Despite Mr. Schwartz' efforts and enthusiasm, there have been fewer orders for the concert tapes than anticipated, far fewer than hoped; to the point that Mr. Caliendo won't be able to produce copies of the tapes unless there are a substantial number of orders by/before Sept. 15th.
If you'd like to order, the price for the two (audio) tape set is $18 (cheap!) You risk nothing: If the tape isn't a go, you'll get your check back. The set includes Ron Perlman's poetry readings (some in Vincent's voice) as well as Linda Hamllton's introduction - and Mr. Caliendo's music.
Send (soon!) to the Acqua Tile Music Company [...] Santa Monica CA.
Cancelled
In the December 1993 issue of Lionheart, there was an announcement of cancellation by Beth Blighton, that zine's editor:
Note: The Christopher Caliendo tapes of the concert have fallen through. In reaction to a disagreement between David Schwartz and Christopher Caliendo over Mr. Caliendo's handling of financial affairs, Ron Perman has declined to grant Mr. Caliendo permission to include Ron's poetry reading in the tape. Mr. Caliendo doesn't believe it would be economically worthwhile to produce the tapes without that material, since the set of tapes have been advertised only to Beauty and the Beast fandom, who would feel the concert's chief highlight and reason for interesting them had been lost.
Moreover, Mr. Caliendo already had mastered the tapes with the readings before finding out he wouldn't be able to include that material. Redoing the master would require more time and money than Mr. Caliendo has available. He therefore won't be offering the tapes at all.
We all regret that this promising project has come to nothing. If you ordered the tapes. Nan Dibble and Darlene Sullivan independently were assured by Mr. Caliendo that refunds would be forthcoming. But it's best always to be clear and businesslike, even in disappointment. Nan and Darlene recommend that you write to Mr. Caliendo and ask for a refund, including your name and address and enclosing all appropriate and available paperwork (a copy of your check, for example) in regard to your original order. Keep a copy of everything you send, for your own records.