The behind - the - scenes of the classic video , from Sillywhim herself !
One of my nitty-gritty childhood memory is watchingWee Sing in Sillyvilleand dancing along to the music . The one - hour tape had everything a ' 90s kid could desire — a colourful earthly concern , unique characters , and catchy euphony that would n’t get out of your head ( even decade later).Sillyvillecontinues to resonate with its center consultation , racking up millions of sentiment on YouTube and even millions of stream on Spotify . It has appear in viral article compile thebest of childhood nostalgiaand is the theme of numerousReddit threadsquestioning , " Who else watched this as a kid ? "
The motion picture ’s star is Sillywhim , a spunky , up-and-coming woman who recruits Laurie and Scott to reunite the townspeople , who have stopped talking to each other ground on the colors they wear . Celebrating 35 years since its release , I had the honour of speaking with Sillywhim actor Renee Margolin .
Note : This interview has been delete for length and clarity .
BuzzFeed : I ’m so excited to chat ! permit ’s get at the very beginning . How did you initially learn aboutSillyville , and do you remember your audition for this office ?
Renee Margolin : I had moved to Eugene , Oregon . I did dramatic art for years and worked with a ballet fellowship . My best friends of 50 years and I had an extraordinary society called Live Matinee that did comedy , and we made movies . I was also in New Mime Circus , and then I decided I wanted to get an broker . Before that , there was a really cool club at the Eugene Hotel , and there would be expectant alive bands . I had band people stay at my home . There was a guy in one of the bandsUpepo , David Poulshock . I then travel to Portland , Oregon , to get an agent . When one of my first auditions was forSillyville , I did n’t know anything about it . I was just going to try out for Betty Bitty Booty . So I ’m at the hearing . There are tons of people , and it ’s crazy . And I see David Poulshock ! I said , " David , hi , have n’t see you so long ! What are you doing here?“He says , " Well , I ’m place this and part of this squad . " And he look at me , he ask , " Well , you know what ? What are you auditioning for?““A Bitty Booty . “And he said , " Well , I want you to audition for Sillywhim . " So the [ Sillywhim ] auditory sense go on all because I recognize David Poulshock .
Sillywhim is such a great fibre , full of convinced energy and a great outlook on life . What was your favorite part about play her character?I think the fact that she was concerned . Shelovedall the color . She did n’t understand what was going on and why they would n’t babble to each other , which is one of those thing that go on in life , in all relationships . striking misunderstandings materialize , and suddenly , because of an incident that happens at the end , [ the town ] wait at each other and say , " This is silly . We love this soul ; permit ’s get back together again . " And so the power of that mix-up and then helping mass get it , it ’s magical .
I agree ! I rewatchedSillyvillelast Nox , and it ’s awful how it get in your mind . How long did the video take to film ?
It ’s been 35 years , but I ’m gon na tell apart you , it took about 10 days . It was a quick thing ! I remember an incident that ’s kind of funny . I ’m working on this view . I sit down on the ground , and I sit down on a tack ! That ’s no playfulness . I mean , it ache , and [ director ] Dave [ Poulshock ] is really concerned . I signify , ithurts . So I split into binge and left the solidification . He was concerned because they had such a tight docket and play me retentive - stem roses . And I said , " Well , David , no large deal . I can do this . We ’re going to go on . " This was bring out in Portland , Oregon — it was n’t done in Hollywood , and they only had alittlebit of money . So you just do your professional best .
The world ofSillyvilleis really colorful and fun to look at . Can you describe what the set and costume were like?The creative team behind this was just really wonderful . The sets were very cartoon - like , and they were all by Portland artists . I commend one of the costume graphic designer played Betty Bitty Booty . She [ Sandra Dee Heidecke ] was in the production because not only was she working on the costume , but she dissemble and do a lot around Portland .
The calibre of the costumes blew me aside . This was major tailoring and finish . Many years later , I got to wear that costume by license to do issue , and it hold up . They were made attractively . I liked wearing the colorful costume , but the black - and - white one was just myfavorite . I just loved that it was a cartoon you could color . I got to go to video conferences and volume signings as the persona , and I always had to wear thin the coloured costume .
Did you have a best-loved costume from the otherSillyvillecharacters?The chickenhearted Spurtlegurgles and the blue Twirlypops . I bang their costumes and also Sillywhim ’s magic wand which was in all likelihood my favorite thing . It ’s amazing that they were doing sorcerous things without what we have today . I mean , David Poulshock really come up with tools and expert ways to make illusion happen .
speak of thaumaturgy , I thought the use of puppetry land a uniqueness to the video . What was it like acting and singing with the puppets?The puppeteers were from another Portland company . They created the solidifying in a mode so that all those thing , like the nut , could work well , and they were all really cute .
I stand for , they really did a magnificent job . There were different parts of the stage set that were contrive to really make these animals and fauna amount alive . There were so many fun song throughout the picture . I ’m curious if you had a favourite song to film and also one that was most thought-provoking . Susan Nipp and Pam Beall [ the Wee Sing Almighty ] had been elementary schoolhouse euphony school day teachers , so they really keyed in on the music . The Sung dynasty with the puritanic Twirlypops [ " Once an Austrian " ] had the most challenging choreography to get everybody doing it at the same clip . And we had such little time to get it veracious . We would do different shots , but you ’re circumscribed on how many different shots you had , so we had to be on breaker point . We had to be good on the money because you ’re doing all these small gestures . It ’s very complicated choreography , and that was the most intriguing . I think that was also my best-loved because we did so well on it . That ’s the one I remember the most .
I commend Sillywhim was very ad-lib . Did you extemporize anything , or was it all play along the handwriting ?
It was just script . There was no real extemporisation . What I bring to it was just my acting and being real . I think the the whole team of people involved with the acting part was very real . The scene that I recall when I see myself is when Sillywhim is talking to majestic Pasha , and she ’s just deeply implicated . She just does n’t understandwhy[the townspeople are n’t talking to each other].And I mean , I just come across my face , and I thought , " I ’m really concerned and require to knowwhy ! " And I lookedweary ! That ’s the part that was really magical , that everybody was top pass actors .
Do you have a personal favored memory from your clip on theSillyvilleset ?
Just how hard everybody was work on . The narration of sit down on the saddlery was a very unattackable store , but also just how caring and love everybody was . Everybody was very professional and really want to help David [ Poulshock , the director ] . David was such a great guy cable that you just really want to make it happen and facilitate him get it done .
Before we wrap up up , just a few post - Sillyvillequestions . Have you watched it over the years ? Do you ever get recognized in public?I used to have the VHS and CDs . I gave those all aside . The cool matter is that my near friend ’s girl had aSillyvillefan lodge when she was in college 25 years ago . She now has her own children , and they ’re look out it again . That ’s really fresh . I remember being at a deli eating , and a char came up to me and asked , " Are you Sillywhim ? " It was the emasculated matter , and we took pictures together .
I exit Oregon and worked at my family ’s byplay . Early on , when I was there , I would place upright behind the sideboard and see moms follow up . They would appear at me and say , " Hmm . " I ’d lean in and ask , " Do you have a child that ’s three to five years old ? " And they would say , " Oh , my God , you ’re Sillywhim!“I would get accredit , and sometimes that still happens . I do n’t have her curls any longer , but you know what ? I ’m just so pleased that it ’s still so herculean . Can you conceive it ’s been 35 years ? What are you up to these day ? How has life been?Well , darlin ' , I ’m hit the sack . I ’m 74 years old , I did Sillywhim when I was in my 30s , so I am bed . I ’m living my best life . I worked in our family business for a farsighted clip , took care of my mother when she was sick , and did a destiny of unlike thing , but I stopped performing . There was a couple of yr too soon on with my group in Oregon , I would fly in , and we would do a ' Best of Show ' on stage in Eugene , but I escape the performing .
One very nerveless matter that we also catch to do — we got to perform in California for a alive show . It was n’t just Sillywhim but also the other TV characters . It was at one of the Universal Parks . We did a whole stage show for two week , and that was a lot of sport . And then we did a 2nd television [ Wee Sing : Wee Singdom ] in Los Angeles , with all the case from all the videos .
I ’m just so entrance by the fact that it ’s still so powerful . And with everything that has happened in our human race , inclusivity is everything , even more so . I need to thank you for the electropositive impact you had on my childhood and on behalf of other ' ninety kids who grow up watchingSillyville .
