A Mummers’ Fancy Brigade competed on a reality entertainment show to bring exposure to a city tradition.
South Philly Vikings set the stage for the Mummers by appearing on television sets across the country on "America's Got Talent."
A Mummer’s main focus is gearing up for the annual New Year’s Day parade, but one group became sidetracked by the aura of a reality television series that beckoned it.
The South Philly Vikings returned from Hollywood three weeks ago after competing for a chance to win $1 million and to perform at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The group’s journey to give America an up-close look at the Mummers, ended July 28 when it was eliminated from the fifth season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”
“We knew that was going to be tough because we have people in Philadelphia who still don’t know what Mummers are,” Vikings Captain Pete D’Amato said of winning over voters.
While America wasn’t captivated enough to put the Vikings through to the next round, the judges didn’t understand the Philly tradition either, members of the Fancy Brigade said during last week’s interview at their 1815 S. 11th St. clubhouse. During the group’s set July 27, judge Piers Morgan buzzed the performance less than a minute into their 90-second “Alien Invasion” piece.
“Because it’s just overgrown school children in robot costumes. That’s all it is,” Morgan said as the crowd booed him. “I just see a bunch of people who don’t sing, who can’t dance very well, who are just wearing silly costumes and flashy lights. I don’t get it.”
While Sharon Osbourne commended the Vikings “immense vision,” Howie Mandel was unsure what they were.
“It’s amazing what you can do with tin foil and holiday lights,” he said. “It’s like an arts and crafts project on steroids, but it’s phenomenal.”
Those watching from Philly seemed to be more upset about the negative comments than those on stage, D’Amato said.
“We actually really didn’t let it bother us because we knew that’s [Morgan’s] job to make comments and we knew that he didn’t make sense on his comments,” the resident of 12th Street and Oregon Avenue said.
The following night, the Vikings were placed in a group with 11-year-old rapper CJ Dippa and hip-hop dancer Haspop. With only one moving on the local group knew its time on the show was over, D’Amato said.
“We just knew we weren’t passing once they said [Haspop’s] name,” he said. “He was really good and we were glad for him We’re a group from Philly that are in the Mummers Parade doing this as a hobby and we’re going against people that this is their life.”
Behind the scenes in Hollywood, the Vikings were dancing as fellow contestant Harmonica Pier played “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
“[Members of the crew] actually came in and made us be quiet because we were being so loud,” Sergeant-at-Arms Vince Buono said. “They ain’t seen nothing.”
But viewers of the show, didn’t see the Mummers’ true colors.
“They took away our identity,” D’Amato said of “America’s Got Talent.” “They wouldn’t let us show who we really are because that’s the way the show was ... They said we logistically might be too big for them they weren’t going to take us after they begged us to go for two months.”
“America’s Got Talent” producers e-mailed the Vikings 10 times starting in January requesting that the group audition in New York City, D’Amato said.
“One of the producer’s kids [had] seen it,” he said of 2010’s New Year’s Day performance. “They seen it on YouTube and she watched it with her daughter and her daughter fell in love with it and just watched it for two or three weeks straight.”
But the members didn’t agree to audition right away.
Even with tough economic times in play, the Mummers still managed to put on one amazing show with stunning costumes and brilliant performances for all to see. In a rare break from what is shaping up to be a cold, bitter winter, the Strutters took over Broad Street, up to City Hall, for several hours, in addition to the celebratory march down Two Street, and the New Year wouldn’t be the same without ’em.
Even through hard economic times, the Mummers are committed to putting on a good show. While area groups have been practicing a few times a week leading up to the big day, many that typically spend thousands on a performance had to find ways to cut back.
Kevin Bacon never envisioned a song he penned about the Mummers' Parade a year ago would one day include the actual Strutters backing the Bacon Brothers on the track. Yet, in June of this year, the t...
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1. Mary Ann Cusato Vita said... on Aug 21, 2010 at 10:27AM
“They are ignorant to anything different. They should have all been given a history of these fantastic Mummers and what they means to the city and the people.Also how long they have marched down Broad street' We don't care we love our Mummers.”