Day 3 of Creation Entertainment's Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas was one for the record books... literally. Among the many, many highlights, 1085 fans came together to help break the Guinness Book of World Records for most people in one place in Star Trek costumes. Deep Space Nine star Terry Farrell, sporting a classic red dress tee shirt, was actually fan #1085, which bested the 1063 assembled last fall in England.
Farrell grabbed a microphone and shouted "You're so f---ing cool!" to the crowd and promised, if she's invited back next year, to come in a costume that she'll make herself.
OK, so that was one of the big moments. Let's revisit the rest of the day.
It started in the DeForest Kelley Theatre with Jordan Hoffman leading the latest One Trek Mind LIVE panel. Today's subject: Best Star Trek Crew. Fans took this VERY seriously and there were some huge surprises. Here were the winners...
Feel free to debate amongst yourselves. Later, longtime script coordinators Eric Stillwell and Lolita Fatjo spoke to fans, discussing how the writers of TNG mostly used typewriters and lined notepads, with only early computers -- with floppy disks! -- at their disposal. They were followed by TNG, DS9 and Voyager science consultant Andre Bormanis, who in turn was followed by a StarTrek.com-presented panel about Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion.
Then there was the big room, the Gene Roddenberry Theatre, Opening it in the morning were Mike Westmore, Mike and Denise Okuda, Andre Bormanis and Rick Sternbach. The group mentioned that Doug Drexler was in the audience, and he ended up on stage, alongside them in a chair, sharing anecdotes. "It was a family," she says of the Trek team.
Westmore recalled 80-hour weeks and notes that he expected TNG to last a year or two; he stayed with Trek nearly 18 years. Drex drew chuckles at the memory of showing Denise Okuda that he could light matches with his feet. Nana Visitir heard about it and tried to get him to do it at the DS9 wrap arty.
That set the stage for Terry Farrell, who looked gorgeous and was a live wire, full of energy and dropping the F-bomb. "I wanted to be the female Indiana Jones," she said of Dax. "I wanted to be Lara Croft."
She also, in her youth, had an "inappropriate" and "age-inappropriate" crush on Shatner. She updated matters: "I just saw Bill. And I hugged him. And I wrapped my leg around him!"
Gates McFadden and LeVar Burton were next. She reveals that Spiner will play a dying Frank Sinatra in her theater company's upcoming play, and Burton helps McFadden auction off her show-used comm badge for $2100.
Burton says, "Geordi is kind of a creeper when you think about it." A boisterous Frakes crashes the main stage. After they depart, it's time for Frakes, Spiner and Sirtis to greet fans.
Of course, there are plenty of laughs. "I'm just an actress," Sirtis says. "My method is learn the lines and don't bump into the furniture." Cracks Spiner: "I loved every scene I did... because I was in it." Notes Frakes: "I watched the end of Nemesis and wished I'd played Data instead." And who crashes the stage? Terry Farrell.
And then it was time for the big guns. Several thousand people filled the room, many standing off to the sides. William Shatner talks about his new captains documentary and reveals that a new album, Ponder the Mystery, is on the way.
"I got to know them and fell in love with them," Shatner said of Pine, Stewart, Mulgrew, Brooks and Bakula. "They are as marvelous as you think they are." Also on the way: another documentary, this one about the "wacky-doodle" first two seasons of TNG, as the production struggled to find its space legs. Meanwhile, Mulgrew looked stylish and sounded thrilled to be amongst the Trek faithful.
She also talked candidly about the regret she felt at not being around enough for her kids, who were young when she started her seven-year stint on Voyager; now they are adults in their own right. Shatner and Mulgrew also share some time together on stage, asking each other questions and trading anecdotes. Added bonus: Joel Grey joins Mulgrew and Shatner on stage for a while.
Subsequent panels included a combo of Trek guests -- Megan Gallagher, Matt Frewer, Vaughn Armstrong and Steve Rankin -- and one with Brannon Braga, and then Ira Steven Behr.
"I am Matt Frewer," the actor says, greeting the crowd, which cheers. "Thank you, I like the name, too." He reveals that Max Headroom may be coming back soon. Armstrong recalls auditioning for the role of Riker. Asked how he might have played the role differently from Frakes, he notes that he served in the military and adds, "I think I would have emphasized that a little more."
And, finally, it's time for the costume contest. There are three Borg, two Morns, a Borg KRE-O collective (that's actually a family from Texas), Dr. Miranda Jones, Tasha Yar in black (making her Tasha Yar-mus... get it??), Dax (as a bride in red leather), a Xindi Reptilian, Balok, a "Relics"-era Scotty, a Ferengi female, a guy in a "Tholian Web" spacesuit, Odo and Kira (actually, there were two such pairings), and more. Mike Westmore, Trek guest actor Barry Jenner and John Paladin serve as judges. The Ferengi wins 3rd place and $250, while the Borg (a bald one) snags 2nd place and $500, and the astounding Xindi Reptilian wins it all, first place and $1000.
"This is awesome," enthuses Nick Saliaris. He's the man behind and inside the winning costume. "I didn't think I had a chance." What will he do with the money? "I'll use some of it for next year's costume." He won't reveal what that will be, but offers a hint: "Something from Voyager." Watch Facebook for photos of all of the finalists on Monday.
However, the night is not over yet. Far from it. James Darren and Robert Picardo are on tap for a special concert. Then there's a dessert party/centerpiece contest that will run until after midnight. Looking ahead to tomorrow, Day 4 highlights will include appearances by Jeri Ryan, George Takei, Karl Urban, Avery Brooks, a DS9 reunion panel, a Star Trek Rat Pack performance, additional One Trek Mind LIVE sessions, photo ops and autograph signings.
Click HERE and HERE to read our recaps of Day 1 and Day 2. And visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow to check out our recap of Day 4.
