How I Met Maureen McCormick
By John C. Harrison

Hello Fellow Brady Fan,

My name is John Harrison. I first want to tell you how much I love your website, Brady World. I am 36 and have been a lifelong fan of The Brady Bunch. I have enjoyed reading stories from fellow fans about how/when they met various cast members. As of October 22, 2008, I have my own story to submit. Here it is. Enjoy!

I live in San Antonio, Texas. I have a very close friend named Ron Ramirez who moved to Austin back in February (2008). Among the many great things about Austin is the local movie theater chain called The Alamo Drafthouse. The Drafthouse is known for screening not only the latest releases, but also retro films, cult movies and B pictures. They recently hosted an event that made this Brady fan's year.

A few weeks ago I got a call from Ron telling me that Maureen McCormick was scheduled to appear at the Drafthouse at the downtown Austin location. He assumed I would be interested in attending the event He was SO right. As soon as the theater's official website added the apparance to it's calendar of events, I immediately purchased tickets. The event was scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, October 22, 2008, and was part of a promotional tour for Maureen's new autobiography, Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. I eagerly awaited the date.

While in town, Maureen also put in an appearance at a store called Book People, where she signed copies of her book. Early that Wednesday afternoon I drove up I-35 from San Antonio to Austin to meet with my friend Ron. During the trip I enjoyed various Brady-related CDs, including a self-made one which includes various musical moments from the original series, as well as some of the spin-offs. Maureen was scheduled to be at the theater at 9:45 PM. Before leaving Ron's apartment I changed shirts. I recently purchased a Brady Bunch t-shirt through Amazon especially for the event. It features a picture of the Brady kids on their backyard swingset, with the caption, "Have a Very Brady Day." I was all set for a very exciting Brady evening. After enjoying dinner, and spending time in Austin's well-known 6th Street area, Ron and I made our way to the theater. While picking up our tickets at the will-call booth earlier, we were told that the theater would begin seating at 9:15. We waited outside the theater for awhile. I was surprised at how few people were there waiting for the event. Just before 9:15, a Drafthouse representitive came out and told us we could go inside and seat ourselves. The threater has two floors, so Ron and I made our way upstairs. We found a seat in the second row, center. The Drafthouse has hosted many events similar to this one. There is a stage in front of the movie screen. Two chairs were already set up. A decent crowd was in attendence, but unfortunately, it wasn't a full theater. Again, I was really surprised.

Ron and I weren't quite sure what to expect that evening. All the website said was that Maureen would give a presentation. We assumed that a Q&A and autograph signing would follow whatever presentation was planned. Before the event started, the Drafthouse representitive came out and announced that Maureen would be downstairs for a meet-and-greet. This was it. I was finally going to meet a Brady, and of all of them, it was Maureen McCormick, THE Marcia Brady. Being 36, I am one of many guys who grew-up having a crush on Maureen. I must admit that I was starting to get nervous. I had brought a camera and my DVD copy of The Brady Bunch Hour, the infamous 1977 variety hour, for Maureen to sign. Ron and I waited in line for several minutes as fellow fans conversed and shared stories with Maureen. As the last person in front of me began to walk away, I knew it was my turn to meet Maureen. As I approached her, I shook her hand and introduced myself. I told her how excited I was to be there, and that I had driven up from San Antonio just for the event. She was sweet, friendly and very gracious. She signed the cover to my DVD then posed for individual pictures with both Ron and me.

Shortly after making our way back to our seats inside the theater, the Drafthouse representitive walked out on stage and introduced Maureen to an enthusiastic crowd. She spoke to the audience, told stories and answered questions from the event host. Along with questions about The Brady Bunch, Maureen was questioned about her work in the 1979 film "Skatetown, U.S.A." which the Drafthouse had screened the previous summer. Interestingly enough, Ron and I had attended that event, as well. Following Maureen's presentation, the theater screened three of her best Brady Bunch episodes. The episodes included "Going, Going Steady" (10/23/70), "Juliet is the Sun" (10/29/71) and "The Subject was Noses" (2/9/73). After a long day of promoting the book, it was announced that Maureen would be leaving shortly after her appearance on stage. She stayed for the first five minutes of the first episode. As a lifelong fan of The Brady Bunch, I have seen all the episodes many times each. That said, it was the thrill of a lifetime to see three of them on the big screen, and to look to my right and see Maureen McCormick a few feet away, watching herself.

Later that week, I got my film developed. The two pictures of Ron and I with Maureen were fantastic. I had 8X10s made of both. Mine is now framed and hanging on a living room wall in my condo. It's filled with wonderful memories I will treasure forever. Thank you Maureen.