Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Stacy Schuster
Aired May 25, 2003 - 08:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Quick question, what do Al Roker, Jerry Springer and Bruce Springsteen all have in common? Madam Tussaud's, of course. And Stacy Schuster joins us from there right now in New York to talk about just who is worth their weight in wax.
You certainly don't make them proportionately heavy, do you, Stacy?
STACY SCHUSTER, MADAME TUSSAUD'S: Good morning, Andrea. Actually we make them very true to life. They are height and weight accurate at the time that the celebrity comes to sit for us.
KOPPEL: Well, show us the lovely lady that is right to your left right now, I believe. This is one of your latest additions, is that right? J. Lo?
SCHUSTER: That is correction; J. Lo joined the attraction this past Wednesday. We had a booty call to announce her unveiling here. She did quite well. She was blushing almost the entire time.
KOPPEL: Well, speaking of blushing, this is one of your first interactive wax models, isn't that correct?
SCHUSTER: That is correct, Andrea. She came in as our first interactive figure, which is the direction in which we are going in Madam Tussaud's. All of the figures coming in from here on in will be interactive.
KOPPEL: Well, show us how she works.
SCHUSTER: Sure. Andrea Koppel down in Atlanta, J. Lo, would like to see you blush blush. I know it's a lot of pressure...
Let's see. How are we doing? Jenny...
KOPPEL: I think you got to blow a little harder there.
SCHUSTER: Jenny, Jenny, Andrea would like to see you blush.
KOPPEL: OK. That is pretty neat. That is cool. Now you've also got a number of other famous figures there. Now are most of them related to New York? I think you are going to take us for a little tour there, right?
You have got Marilyn Monroe. SCHUSTER: We are, indeed. Some of them are related to New York. A lot of them are global. We've got political figures, there's just a whole mix of different walks of life, different age groups, different political backgrounds, musical backgrounds.
I'm standing next to George W. Bush right now who is busy during Fleet Week here in New York, but came to say hello to you guys down in Atlanta.
KOPPEL: How often is it that you would ever make one of these figures without permission from the person that you want to mold?
SCHUSTER: It's a very prominent position when asked to have a Tussaud's portrait made of oneself. So we rarely ever don't do it without permission. Most of the celebrities, most of the figures are thrilled to be in the attraction.
KOPPEL: Now, we are coming up on I think, was that Woody Allen that we just past there?
SCHUSTER: That was Woody Allen, indeed.
KOPPEL: OK. I also think that we have video from the making of J. Lo. How long, generally, does it take to -- put these together?
SCHUSTER: The figures take about six months. They are made in our studios in London. An interesting fact. The heads themselves take about five weeks as each strand of hair is put in individually. As you can see now...
KOPPEL: Is it real human hair?
SCHUSTER: It is indeed real human hair. Even Fidel's beard, real hair.
KOPPEL: In his situation you probably did not get his permission.
SCHUSTER: He did not do a sitting although we tell the people and he did see his -- he did see his figure and actually thought it was a tremendous likeness.
KOPPEL: I guess that's a good thing.
Now tell us about the political sensitivity of some of your characters there. Do you move -- do you rotate people through as they come in and out of power?
SCHUSTER: We try not to once the figure is in an exhibit. We try to keep that exhibit very true to itself. We did bring Arafat and Fidel into a different part of the room just recently.
KOPPEL: And that -- what does that say about Fidel who is still in power?
SCHUSTER: Absolutely. It was actually -- we are driven a lot by our guests and our guest had asked us why Fidel was in the same row as the Dali Lama, Gandhi and the pope? And we had a number of requests that he be moved out of that line and we're happy to oblige. We are very guest driven. Andrea.
KOPPEL: I believe that and I can understand that sensitivity.
Stacy Schuster, I think you've given some of our viewers in New York or who will visiting there, ideas on what to do over the holiday weekend. hank you so much.
SCHUSTER: My pleasure, thanks. Have a great Memorial Day.
KOPPEL: You too.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 25, 2003 - 08:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Quick question, what do Al Roker, Jerry Springer and Bruce Springsteen all have in common? Madam Tussaud's, of course. And Stacy Schuster joins us from there right now in New York to talk about just who is worth their weight in wax.
You certainly don't make them proportionately heavy, do you, Stacy?
STACY SCHUSTER, MADAME TUSSAUD'S: Good morning, Andrea. Actually we make them very true to life. They are height and weight accurate at the time that the celebrity comes to sit for us.
KOPPEL: Well, show us the lovely lady that is right to your left right now, I believe. This is one of your latest additions, is that right? J. Lo?
SCHUSTER: That is correction; J. Lo joined the attraction this past Wednesday. We had a booty call to announce her unveiling here. She did quite well. She was blushing almost the entire time.
KOPPEL: Well, speaking of blushing, this is one of your first interactive wax models, isn't that correct?
SCHUSTER: That is correct, Andrea. She came in as our first interactive figure, which is the direction in which we are going in Madam Tussaud's. All of the figures coming in from here on in will be interactive.
KOPPEL: Well, show us how she works.
SCHUSTER: Sure. Andrea Koppel down in Atlanta, J. Lo, would like to see you blush blush. I know it's a lot of pressure...
Let's see. How are we doing? Jenny...
KOPPEL: I think you got to blow a little harder there.
SCHUSTER: Jenny, Jenny, Andrea would like to see you blush.
KOPPEL: OK. That is pretty neat. That is cool. Now you've also got a number of other famous figures there. Now are most of them related to New York? I think you are going to take us for a little tour there, right?
You have got Marilyn Monroe. SCHUSTER: We are, indeed. Some of them are related to New York. A lot of them are global. We've got political figures, there's just a whole mix of different walks of life, different age groups, different political backgrounds, musical backgrounds.
I'm standing next to George W. Bush right now who is busy during Fleet Week here in New York, but came to say hello to you guys down in Atlanta.
KOPPEL: How often is it that you would ever make one of these figures without permission from the person that you want to mold?
SCHUSTER: It's a very prominent position when asked to have a Tussaud's portrait made of oneself. So we rarely ever don't do it without permission. Most of the celebrities, most of the figures are thrilled to be in the attraction.
KOPPEL: Now, we are coming up on I think, was that Woody Allen that we just past there?
SCHUSTER: That was Woody Allen, indeed.
KOPPEL: OK. I also think that we have video from the making of J. Lo. How long, generally, does it take to -- put these together?
SCHUSTER: The figures take about six months. They are made in our studios in London. An interesting fact. The heads themselves take about five weeks as each strand of hair is put in individually. As you can see now...
KOPPEL: Is it real human hair?
SCHUSTER: It is indeed real human hair. Even Fidel's beard, real hair.
KOPPEL: In his situation you probably did not get his permission.
SCHUSTER: He did not do a sitting although we tell the people and he did see his -- he did see his figure and actually thought it was a tremendous likeness.
KOPPEL: I guess that's a good thing.
Now tell us about the political sensitivity of some of your characters there. Do you move -- do you rotate people through as they come in and out of power?
SCHUSTER: We try not to once the figure is in an exhibit. We try to keep that exhibit very true to itself. We did bring Arafat and Fidel into a different part of the room just recently.
KOPPEL: And that -- what does that say about Fidel who is still in power?
SCHUSTER: Absolutely. It was actually -- we are driven a lot by our guests and our guest had asked us why Fidel was in the same row as the Dali Lama, Gandhi and the pope? And we had a number of requests that he be moved out of that line and we're happy to oblige. We are very guest driven. Andrea.
KOPPEL: I believe that and I can understand that sensitivity.
Stacy Schuster, I think you've given some of our viewers in New York or who will visiting there, ideas on what to do over the holiday weekend. hank you so much.
SCHUSTER: My pleasure, thanks. Have a great Memorial Day.
KOPPEL: You too.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
