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Terry Berch-McNally heads for the chopping block.
Let them eat (Tasty) cake!
For 14 years, "Marie Antoinette" has avoided the guillotine. Could this weekend mark the year her head goes the way of so many watermelons before her?
"It's pretty scary," said Terry Berch-McNally, who has played the role of the infamous French queen at the Fairmount Bastille Day Festival since its inception.
With a 30-pound blade that drops 10 feet, the fully functioning execution device is a consistent crowd-pleaser, often driving the throngs of festival-goers to call for the queen's head at the Eastern State Penitentiary, which substitutes for the French Bastille.
Somehow, she always has avoided the chopping block.
"It makes a big thumping sound. We don't really go near it," said Berch-McNally, who owns the nearby London Grill and provides the watermelons used in lieu of her head to satisfy the crowd's revolutionary bloodlust.
While Berch-McNally's head is probably safe, anyone who had made headlines in recent months will not be spared, particularly during the campy "Storming of the Bastille" event 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the prison, where speakers will likely lampoon everyone and everything from the late King of Pop and the salacious South Carolina governor to the economy and current events.
"We've got a lot to work with this year," said Berch-McNally, who noted that a dose of laughter goes a long way during difficult times.
Highlighting the harsh economic times will be this year's champagne sponsor, Coppola, whose Sophia Blanc de Blanc sparkling beverage comes in a can and is to be sipped with its accompanying straw, said Berch-McNally.
Organized by the Eastern State Penitentiary, the 15th annual event will begin with the Fairmount Fling Bar Crawl at 7 p.m. Thursday and end with a French Champagne Brunch on Sunday, July12.
The real French holiday, which commemorates the storming of the Paris prison, the Bastille, and the start of the French Revolution in which King Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette lost their heads, is July 14.
Of course, the Fairmount festival will include the pinnacle of Phila-Franco humor during the Bastille storming with cries of "Let them eat Tastykake" as about 2,000 Krimpets are catapulted over the prison walls and into the streets.
Children are encouraged to bring butterfly nets this year to catch the cakes, said Berch-McNally.
Water guns are also becoming a staple of the festival with squirting to occur every time anyone mentions the French monarchy's "reign" of terror, a la Rocky Horror Picture Show, she said.
"We make fun of ourselves and everything that's going on. It's a great chance to let go and be stupid," Berch-McNally said, "and act French."
Although many liberties are taken with the French theme, and the overall spirit of the 15th annual event will be as campy as ever, opportunities are available for attendees to learn about the culture, history and language of France, according to event organizer Sharon Tice.
"There are certainly creative liberties, but we keep with the French theme as much as possible," said Tice, who was recruited to take over the festival after she returned to Fairmount in 2005 after living in France for a year.
"We actually get a lot of French ex-patriots who attend the festival and they love it," said Tice.
"EN FRANCAIS!"
If you never took French in high school, or forgot everything you learned, you can simply visit the "How Do I Say It in French?" tent, where experts from A L'Ecole Francaise of Bala Cynwyd can help you express yourself properly in the language of the weekend.
Or, if you want to get right to the point and maximize your chances for love this weekend, you can join the French Fling Bar Crawl, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Just buy the special beer, Kronenburg 1664, and you'll receive a pin that features a French pick-up line.
Bars featuring the French pick-up line pin include the Belgian CafŽ, the Bishop's Collar, Brigid's Bar and Restaurant, Jack's Firehouse, London Grill, Rembrandt's, and Urban Saloon.
And if you really want to immerse yourself in the spirit of the festival, you can learn how to dress in proper French Revolution garb - peasant or aristocrat - by visiting http://www.easternstate.org/events/how_to_dress.php.
A CONSTITUTIONAL FRENCH CONNECTION
Those who want to follow up the fun and games of the festival with some serious education about the historical links between America and France during the time of the revolution, the National Constitution Center at 5th and Arch street happens to be hosting the traveling Napoleon exhibition until Sept. 7.
The 6,000-square-foot exhibit is on its first tour of North America and highlights such major events at the Louisiana Purchase as well as featuring hundreds of the French emperor's personal artifacts.
"Thematically, it makes a lot of sense," said Tice, who did not hesitate to work in the Napoleon exhibit after seeing the billboards advertising the exhibit. Look for Emperor Bonaparte's signature "B" to be featured at the festival.
JOIE DE VIVE!
All seriousness aside, the lighter side of French culture will rule the weekend. The "Tricycle Tour de France" has been growing in popularity and is expected to be one of the more popular events, according to Berch-McNally.
The three-wheeling event will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, with prizes awarded for the best-decorated trikes.
Largely known for their soul-crushing films about the futility of life, the French and their cinema will be celebrated for their wit and whimsy with showings of the cartoons "Pepe Le Pew" and "The Aristocats" starting at 8 p.m. on Friday on the lawn behind the Penitentiary.
"We're really trying to focus more on the kids this year," said Berch-McNally, who noted that she will set up a stand where children can draw their own opera glasses and purchase other apropos props for the weekend.
Bringing props is always a popular theme of the weekend, including berets, tiaras, and even heads-on-sticks, she added.
Music will take a more prominent place this year, according to organizers. Berch-McNally's London Grill will feature more local bands than ever, and the 20-piece Philadelphia Freedom symphony group has a repertoire of French songs ready for the occasion.
Always featuring many of the neighborhood's numerous fine restaurants, one of the new food vendors this year is Luigi's Pizza Fresca, which highlights the historical tidbit that the now legendary French Riviera city of Niece was once the Italian town of Nizza before being taken over by France, Tice explained.
"We keep with the French theme as much as possible, but there are always surprises and something new," said Tice.
For more information about the festival and a full schedule of events, visit www.easternstate.org/events/bastille.php.
