Vintage Roadside Visits: Former Weeki Wachee mermaid Jo!

Some of you may know of our devotion to telling the story of the Aquamaids and Aqualads of Missouri's Aquarama - the 1960s underwater show once located at the Lake of the Ozarks. What you might not know is that we also have a huge appreciation for all of the other underwater attractions that were once located across the country. From the porthole bars of Miami to the Submarine Theater of Aquarena Springs - we love them all!

We're thrilled to present to you our first-ever interview with a former Weeki Wachee mermaid. So grab a seat next to the glass and get ready to meet Jo.

Photo courtesy of Jo

Vintage Roadside: Hi Jo! Let's start with how old you were when you started at Weeki Wachee.

Jo: I was 18 when I started a dream job as I call it! After all how many people can say that they have, or have had, a job that they loved to get up and go to and get paid to do it? I had the best boss, Genie Y. and the best trainer Susie S. ever, and may I say two of the most stunningly beautiful women I've ever seen. They were like sisters to me, I loved working with all of my mermaid sisters!!

Vintage Roadside: Any type of training people might not expect?

Jo: Most of the time we would start our days off at the ballet bar for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Vintage Roadside: What was your performance schedule like?

Jo: Our shows were as long as they are nowadays - about 45 minutes each, and we would do between 3 to 4 shows a day. Every Saturday night we had a deep dive, that was a special show as it looked totally different at night! I for one was not very fond of doing that show...LOL! The big hole was pretty scary at night and I always wondered what was beyond what we could see! Now I know it's one of the biggest cave systems in the US. Barbara W., a former mermaid has actually  been a ways into the cave - that is so awesome!

Vintage Roadside: How large was the cast when you performed there in 1967 and 1968?

Jo: It depended on the show and how many characters were in it. I'd also say there were at least 3 extra people in the water in case something went wrong with a hose or prop, etc. We had 2 amazing Water Boys (that's what they were called when I was swimming at Weeki Wachee) Allen S. and Steve K.

Photo courtesy of Jo

Vintage Roadside: Did you have a favorite routine or part you got to perform?

Jo: Now that is a big question to answer! I loved all of the parts, each and every one was so much fun to do. If I had to pick one from the Wizard of Oz routine I guess I would pick the Cowardly Lion. And in the Underwater Dreams Girls routine I'd say the Hula Girl.

Vintage Roadside: Those sound wonderful! Here's another tough one - which costume did you like better?

Jo: The Cowardly Lion costume was second only to the mermaid tail of course! LOL!

Vintage Roadside: Did you have any "famous" visitors to the show?

Jo: The highlight of my time at Weeki Wachee was meeting Miss Universe 1967 Sylvia Hitchcock. She was so pretty and sweet and she even swam a show with us! She gave me an autographed photo of herself in a bathing suit with her crown on. I still have the photo!

Photo courtesy of Jo

Vintage Roadside: We've heard stories from some of the Aquarama cast that things didn't always go as planned with the air hoses. Anything odd ever happen with yours?

Jo: We had 3 air hoses in the air tube between the Tube Room and the springs under the theater. I jump in, get to the first hose and take a breath, slowly exhale on the way to the next hose, get to it, try to turn it on - can't! Swim to the next hose - out of air! Can't turn that one on either - almost drowned my fool self! Lesson learned, never exhale all of your air!! Someone sure caught it after the show for tightening the valves too tight though!

Vintage Roadside: Wow! No wonder you still remember that. Any brushes with the local wildlife?

Jo: I once held up the show because of a snake in the Tube Room. They had to send someone down to get rid of it. I was up on the cabinet and was not coming down! I hate snakes...well to tell the truth I'm scared of them. My husband says they're more scared of me than I am of them and I say no way!

Some months later Barnacle Bill the Catfish made me late for a show. He met me between the first and second air hose in the tube and grabbed my tuxedo that I had draped over my arm. We had a tug of war going on for a while! He was the biggest catfish I had ever seen in my life but he wasn't getting my tux - I had to go do the "Puttin' on the Ritz" routine in it!

Vintage Roadside: Did you get to meet the public after your performances?

Jo: Yes I did, and that was so much fun. Even the grownups acted like kids - I loved it!

Photo courtesy of Jo

Vintage Roadside: We love the photo of you next to the wagon wheel. Was that a popular spot for photos?

Jo: Only to the photographer Claude - he used it quite often. We had another photographer named Sparky who just turned 90 this year. He was at Weeki Wachee on his birthday and he looked great! He remembers lots of things about working there too...amazing man and a sweet person!

Vintage Roadside: For some people the image they see when they think of Weeki Wachee is famous Adagio pose. It looks pretty effortless, any way it could go wrong?

Jo: The most embarrassing thing that happened to me was at the end of one of the shows myself and another mermaid were supposed to do the Adagio. I was the top half and she was the bottom half. I waited for the music cue, swam out and took my place, turned upside down and slowly began rising to the top of the water. The only problem - no bottom half! I still have no idea where my bottom half was! LOL! I got chewed out for that one. I learned another lesson - don't go anywhere without your bottom!!

Adagio with top and bottom :-)

Vintage Roadside: Do you keep in touch with any of your former cast-mates?

Jo: Yes I do. And when I go to Florida I try to arrange it so I can go to Weeki Wachee to see everyone and watch the shows. Love seeing them and catching up on what they're doing and getting a few photos too. Facebook is also a great way to keep in touch. That's even how I met you guys! :-)

Vintage Roadside: The Aquamaids and Aqualads from Aquarama have told us how much fun it is to tell people they once performed in a mermaid show. What's the reaction like when you tell people you're a former Weeki Wachee mermaid?

Jo: It's great! One of my friends (Marty) was with me as I was mermaid hunting and she told the lady at the store I was a former mermaid. The lady looked at her like she was crazy! When I found my mermaid and took it to the counter to pay for it I said this one was going on my shelf with the others next to the photo of me in my mermaid tail. The lady said "OMG, I thought she was kidding!" How do you breath? Then she wanted to hear the whole story. :-) Most of all I get the biggest kick out of hearing people try to pronounce Weeki Wachee! Lol!

Vintage Roadside: We know that the "Formers" keep quite active and even perform on a regular basis. Is there a way to keep up with what's going on?

Jo: Yes! We have an organization that you can join called Friend of Weeki Wachee Springs. There are some great benefits if you join - admission to annual member celebrations, a newsletter, invitations to members-only events and more. The organization helps raise money to support the park and is only $15 to join or $25 for a family. 

Photo courtesy of Jo

Vintage Roadside: Thank you so much Jo! It was an honor to share a bit of your mermaid history. Any final thoughts?

Jo: I would like to say that we had many talented people like Bonnie G. (who had a new show every year - now that's devotion) that worked at Weeki Wachee when I was there. I want to thank everyone that I worked with for making it the best and most memorable experience of my life! I still dream of swimming in the spring in my tail and as we say "Once a mermaid, always a mermaid!"

If you've got a question you'd like to ask Jo feel free to post it over on the Vintage Roadside Facebook page located here. Jo swims by now and then and we know she'd love to hear from you.

Jeff & Kelly

Vintage Roadside

Rose City Round-Up 2011 - A Photo Tour

The Driven Dead C.C. hosted their 4th Annual Rose City Round-Up earlier this month and once again it was fantastic to see the show the show continue to grow!

In addition to the incredible assortment of cars, pickups, motorcycles, bicycles, and live bands, the Driven Dead also donate all proceeds to a charity each year - this year was the Oregon Food Bank. So, for the suggested donation of 2 non-perishable food items and a modest $5.00 fee for parking, you get up to 14 solid hours of entertainment.

For those of you that missed the show this year here are 20 random photos to get you ready for 2012.

Thanks again to the Driven Dead C.C. for all the hard work that goes into putting on a show like this, and for having us photograph the event - looking forward to number 5!

Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside

Vintage Roads hits the Hukilau!

Greetings from the Sunshine State! Ft. Lauderdale to be more exact.

Home to not only the world-famous Mai-Kai, but also the Wreck Bar - which features one of the last remaining live underwater shows - we've long had Ft. Lauderdale on our list of "really want to see" places. For years we've also wanted to attend the Hukilau, which when you think about it, gives you the chance to do and see all of those things and more.Given the proper frame of mind you realize it would be silly to not go. We were honored to be asked to present our Aquarama symposium at the Hukilau this year which added one more thing to the overflowing "Plus" column for us.

Here's a quick list of just some of the things you can expect at the Hukilau: Friendly people, great live music, room crawls, a visit or two to the Mai-Kai, a show by Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid and her Pod at the Wreck Bar,new friends, wonderful symposiums, and possibly a cocktail or two.  Here we go...

A close-up of the amazing artwork created for our Aquarama symposium by artist Nicholas Dewey.

Thursday night kicked off at the Bahia Cabana with performances by the Intoxicators! and the Tikiyaki Orchestra along with special guest Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid. After seeing the two team up at Tiki Oasis last summer we couldn't wait. The evening went late into the night with the Master Mixologist Challenge anda few different room parties.

Marina demonstrates how she earned her stage name.

Friday's line-up had something for everyone - amazing vendors, a Meet & Greet with Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, and live music and dancing from 7:00 pm - 2:00 am in the hotel ballroom. 6:30 pm was the big one for us - Marina and her Pod performing at the Wreck Bar. A short walk up the street was all that was needed to slip back in time 50 years.

The former Yankee Clipper Hotel - now known as the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel

The above photo is a look inside the Wreck Bar prior to opening for the night. Over the years the Wreck Bar has been reduced in size, however it's nice they've still maintained the historic appearance. Although we noticed a sign saying the room had a maximum occupancy of 45 people we'd guess there were easily 150+ people squeezed in for the performance! It was fantastic to see the appreciation for this bit of history.

Marina appears both in the window of the Wreck Bar and the viewfinder of a camera.

An upside down greeting of the crowd.

Passing by.

We shot this video to give you an idea of what a Friday night at the Wreck Bar is like.

After the show everyone has a chance to have their photo taken with the Wreck Bar performers.

Between the Wreck Bar and the Bahia Mar is this other great bit of Florida history - The Jungle Queen Riverboat.

Saturday was our big day. We were excited to share the history of the Aquarama with a new group of people and had planned a few surprises. Thanks again to Marc, we had for the first time several of the original Aquarama costumes to share with the audience including bathing suits and mermaid tails. We also shared home movie footage from 1965 showing such Florida landmarks as Cypress Gardens, Goofy Golf and a rare look at the Mai-Kai. It was a pleasure to end our presentation with Marina who took questions from the audience and also shared a bit of her knowledge and deep appreciation for underwater performance past and present.

Another look at the hand-tinted artwork created for our syposium.

We wanted to say thanks again to everyone that came to our presentation - we hope you enjoyed it. It really was our pleasure to share the story & history with you. Also a special thanks to Lewis, Chris, Marina, and Christie, who made it all possible behind the scene!

Mrs. Roadside & Marina model Marina's famous red mermaid tail - which thanks to Marina is now a part of the Vintage Roadside archives. We look forward to sharing this great piece of history!

Saturday's heavyweight event was the dinner show at the Mai-Kai. Opened in 1956, and legendary for it's decor, gardens, and cocktail selection, we couldn't wait to see it for ourselves. It's almost impossible to describe due to the sheer amount of...well, everything. Throw in the largest crowd of the year and it becomes quite an experience. Needless to say, if you enjoy tiki & Polynesian history and you ever have the chance to visit it's well worth it. Here are a few photos we shot that night.

The front of the Mai-Kai. Fountains + lights + tropical foliage + fire = perfection.

One of the countless carvings in the gardens.

More carvings along with a variety of bamboo make a great screen.

A couple enjoying the ambience of the Mai-Kai gardens.

For those fans of Stinky here he is posing with a few of the Hukilau left-overs at the registration booth.

If you made it to the Hukilau we'd love to hear your stories and see your photos. Please feel free to share on our Facebook page located here! 

We'd like to finish off this post with a few thank yous to some of the people that made our first trip to the Hukilau so incredible. First a huge thanks to Christie for inviting us to join the event, to Marina for being a part of the Vintage Roadside family, Lewis & Chris for saving the day on Saturday morning, all the Hukilau staff & volunteers for keeping things rolling, Rick & Julie for making the drive down, the staff of the Mai-Kai for amazing service in the midst of the crush, Marc & Ann, all the Aquamaids & Aqualads, and lastly to those of you we finally got to meet in "real life" - let's do it again soon!

Jeff & Kelly

Vintage Roadside

Vintage Roadside Visits: Aquarama Aquamaid Claudia Part 2

Welcome back for Part 2 of our interview with former Aquarama Aquamaid Claudia. In Part 2 we'll learn how to put on a mermaid tail, what it was like to be one of the Aquarama "Alley Cats", and even an Aquarama theme song.

Vintage Roadside: Did the second season offer any new roles for you?

Claudia: After the first year I got to do the opening mermaid routine. We would position ourselves in the large clam shells (sometimes with those pesky fish as shell mates) and then use our air hoses to help us open our shells as the bubble curtain ended and the lights came up. We would do "dolphins," a smooth circle movement, and then go from window to window to smile and wave to the audience. We didn't have to wear a swim mask and I loved the leisurely free swim time just moving to the music.

Vintage Roadside: We've seen photos of the mermaid tails and they looked pretty incredible.

Claudia: The mermaid tail was my favorite because it was made of shimmering silver lame and was decorated with green sequins.

Vintage Roadside: Was the tail hard to put on?

Claudia: It was difficult to put on because you had to place your feet in flippers that were in the bottom of the tail and make sure the flippers were aligned correctly, and then you had to zip the tail up the side. It fit perfectly to your body when it was done. You moved freely and easily in the water, but it was heavy and difficult to get out of the water when the number was over.

Vintage Roadside: Did the routines become more complex over the years you performed?

Claudia: Yes they did. The first year we worked on controlling our breathing, learning the routines, maneuvering in our costumes, and finding our way in the darkened pool between acts. After we mastered those basics, we worked on embellishing the routines and increasing the pace. The later routines were more involved and athletic. In the first year we wore masks for most of the numbers, but as time went on we challenged ourselves to see how many routines we could do without the masks.

Claudia at far left (photo provided by Marc)

Vintage Roadside: We've got a great photo of the cast in their "Alley Cat" costumes. Do you remember that routine?

Claudia: Oh yes! "Alley Cat" was a popular song, and it had a great rhythm with which to swim. Our costumes involved a black and white swim suit with a yarn tail attached. We also wore lovely black gloves with teardrop shaped rhinestones for fingernails. We would hold the tails and wave them to the music and scratch the water with our claws. That was such fun!

Vintage Roadside: Did you battle the dreaded "green" hair that affected much of the cast?

Claudia: I was the only redhead in the cast so my hair didn't turn green, but the daily contact with the water really dried my hair. I remember doing hot oil treatments each week to try (not too successfully) to minimize the frizz.

Vintage Roadside: Do you have any photos or souvenirs from your Aquarama days?

Claudia: I do have some of those tucked away. In hindsight I wish I had taken some casual snapshots of the cast. We became good friends, as well as co-workers. We went boating, skiing, shopping, dancing, and would you believe, even swimming together. We had slumber parties and held various gatherings in our homes. At one time we even made up a song about ourselves. It went like this:

We are the Aquamaids!
We wear our hair in braids.

We wear our dungarees,
Way up above our knees.

But when our show is here,
Then you will give a cheer.

For we are really great,
We start our show at eight!

Vintage Roadside: Have you kept in touch with any of your former cast-mates?

Claudia: I exchanged Christmas cards with Marc, but had lost contact with the others. Thanks to the connections you have provided, I have started a wonderful email correspondence with Dian. Dian and I were in the same graduating class at School of the Osage and we also attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. We have enjoyed reminiscing about our shared memories of growing up at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Vintage Roadside: Not many people can say they worked as a mermaid. What's the reaction from people like when they learn you once did?

Claudia: At conferences or meetings they often ask you to tell the group something about yourself that might surprise them. I always say that I was a mermaid in a former life. They usually laugh until I explain, and then they become fascinated when they learn I swam underwater and had a mermaid tail.

We'd like to say thanks again to Claudia for sharing some of her history with us!

Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside

Come see Vintage Roadside at The Hukilau!

We're thrilled to be making our first-ever Hukilau appearance next month! We'd like to invite all Hukilau attendees to our Aquarama symposium that we'll be presenting at the Bahia Mar on Saturday, June 11th at 12:30 pm.

Some of the highlights of our presentation include:

• Original 1964 home movies of Aquarama performers
• Original cast photographs
• Original audio clips from Aquarama performances
• History and memories from dozens of former cast members
• Original costumes not seen in over 40 years
• Q&A session with the one-and-only Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid
• And several more surprises

You can read more on our Facebook page here.

Get your tickets for our presentation at the Hukilau website here.

See you in Fort Lauderdale!

Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside

Vintage Roadside Visits: Aquarama Aquamaid Claudia Part 1

Aquarama trivia: The Aquarama began the 1964 season with eight female performers. 

We're thrilled to be able to share our latest interview with one of the original Aquarama Aquamaids. Please give a warm welcome to Claudia!

Vintage Roadside: Prior to 1964 there had been nothing quite like The Aquarama at the Lake of the Ozarks - we're curious what your thoughts were about becoming a part of a show like this?

Claudia: The concept of an underwater show was new at the Lake of the Ozarks, and I was fascinated about how it would all happen. I would look at the pictures of Weeki Wachee and it seemed beautiful and unreal. There had been a Ski Show in the area for a long time, so the idea of another aquatic performance was interesting and people were curious about it.


Vintage Roadside: Were there any early thoughts of whether or not you'd be able to pull the show off?

Claudia: Yes, that was a topic of conversation in the Lake area. My Dad, Curley, became friends with Wally Johl. They were both mechanically minded and liked to create projects and build things. Dad had been a lifeguard and pool manager at a large aquatics center in Kansas City, and he was fascinated with the plans for building the Aquarama. I remember him and Mr. Johl discussing those plans at length. I also remember that some folks in town didn't believe Mr. Johl's plans would work and that the tremendous amount of water needed to fill the pool could not be held back by the glass windows. I remember dad saying that the plan was well engineered and that he thought it would work. It did, and Mr. Johl was proven right!

 Claudia pictured standing 2nd from left against wall

Vintage Roadside: Was the Aquarama your first summer job?

Claudia: I worked as a waitress at the Pizza House on "The Strip" in Lake Ozark. I worked there the summer before the Aquarama opened, and I had promised to come back the next summer. I remember feeling so conflicted when I told them I wanted to swim at the Aquarama and not return to my waitress job. I felt sad about not returning, but the opportunity to be an Aquamaid was too exciting to turn down.

Vintage Roadside: We were lucky enough to recently meet Barbara who was also part of the original cast, but left the show after that first season. Do you remember Barbara?

Claudia: Yes, I have very fond memories of Barbara. We were all in awe of her because she was older (in her twenties!), glamorous, and had worked at Weeki Wachee in Florida. She wanted us to be physically trained and mentally prepared for our roles, so she made us practice hard, but she also realized that we were teenagers and allowed us to have some fun. I idolized her and listened carefully to her advice. She lived in a little cabin at a nearby resort, and I remember visiting there and thinking that one day I would be away from home and out on my own like she was.

Vintage Roadside: Do you remember those early practices?

Claudia: Oh yes! We had to practice in an outdoor pool until the pool at the Aquarama was filled. It was a chilly spring and I remember how hard we worked to synchronize our movements and learn how to control our breathing (no air hoses in that pool!) while trying to stay warm.

Vintage Roadside: Do you remember some of the acts you were a part of that first season?

Claudia: The theme was a trip around the world, and I remember the Hawaiian number where we did the hula in long Hawaiian skirts, the one in Tasmania* where we wore pink floral sarongs and formed the long dolphin chain, and the finale with Marc as the Statue of Liberty and the Aquamaids swimming with swim flippers to a John Phillip Sousa march. 

* The girls are wearing the Tasmanian costumes in the postcard above

Vintage Roadside: Did you have a favorite routine that first season?

Claudia: My favorite that first season had to be the number from England when we did a Beatles song, I think it was "She Loves You." We wore black tee shirts and fluffy black bathing caps to resemble their trademark haircuts. I got to be Ringo, and I loved beating the drums, throwing my drumsticks up in the water, and trying to catch them before they floated to the top.

Vintage Roadside: Any memories of things not going quite as planned that first season?

Claudia: The costumes were all weighted, but often we would jump in the pool at practice only to have them "malfunction." Then it would be back to the drawing board, and Mrs. Johl would have to add more weights, etc. I remember the first time I tried on my Beatle costume as being pretty funny. I pulled on the black bathing cap and put the black tee shirt on over my suit. I then jumped in the water and puffed up like a marshmallow! I didn't make sure the cap was pulled down well, so it puffed up with air, and then the tee shirt didn't have enough weights and it ballooned up with the shirt tail floating up under my arms.

To be continued!

Jeff & Kelly

Vintage Roadside

Vintage Roadside meets a mermaid!

In 1964 the Johl family saw their dream come to life with the grand opening of The Aquarama. The Lake of the Ozarks had never seen a show quite like this - a cast of local performers took the audience on an underwater journey "around the world". The show featured mermaids, a Spanish bull fight, a Hawaiian routine, and even a performance by the Beatles.

As we began gathering the history behind that first season we quickly learned of one cast member who had made a tremendous impact on the rest of the cast - Barbara. We learned that Barbara had arrived at The Aquarama by way of Weeki Wachee, had grown up in Michigan, had left the Aquarama after that first season to get married and begin a new chapter in her life...oh, and that the cast had not spoken with her since 1964.

As we began getting to know the cast one of the questions that would come up was "Had we found Barbara?". Over the past 3 years we've traded countless emails, had many wonderful phone calls, gotten to know several of the cast, and now feel fortunate to call them our friends. Our conversations have gone beyond just the Aquarama these days, but many times at the end of a phone call one of us would ask the other "Any news on Barbara?".

A few weeks ago we got a call from Ann Johl with news we couldn't believe - she had spoken with Barbara! Ann worked out a time for Marc and Barbara to catch up and we waited on pins and needles to hear from Marc.

We were happy to hear that Marc and Barbara had a wonderful conversation and also that Barbara had given Marc her email address to pass along to us. Marc mentioned that Barbara was leaving in the next few days to visit family but she would be checking her email before leaving. We sent Barbara an email to say hello, and here's where the story takes an amazing turn - Barbara was coming to visit family in Oregon of all places and was kind enough to offer to meet us here in Portland.

We're still a bit stunned that 47 years after being such a vital part of Aquarama's history, we not only have the opportunity to talk with Barbara, but that a Michigan Mermaid who performed in Missouri would be sharing stories with us across a table in Portland, Oregon in 2011.

We'd like to say thanks again to Barbara for generously sharing some of her vacation time with us and to Ann for solving the riddle. And to the entire former cast of the Aquarama - thanks again for letting us be a part of the Aquarama family.

Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside