It was the 40th Anniversary of the hit television drama, and cast, crew, and fans came from all over to South Beach, the backdrop of so many Miami Vice episodes, to celebrate.
As South Beach pioneers, and hosts of “Alive On South Beach” and “It’s Just a Conversation” video shows, Stewart and I attended the Reunion festivities at A Fish Called Avalon on Ocean Drive, and the Royal Palm Hotel on Collins Avenue. So did actors Edward James Olmos (Lt. Martin Castillo), Saundra Santiago (Det. Gina Calabrese), Olivia Brown (Det. Trudy Joplin), and many more.
There, we met veteran actor Bruce McGill who graciously sat down with us to talk about the character he played in an episode of Miami Vice, and some of his other acting roles (including Animal House).
This Miami Vice Reunion got me to think about South Beach back in the 1980’s when Stewart and I relocated from New York. When deciding where to go, we were definitely influenced to “check out” the city Miami Vice put on the map. The pastel paradise backdrops and Versace clothing designs on the edgy TV show were seductive. And the drug-infested, crime-ridden streets were real – but camouflaged by lush vegetation, palm trees, and the ocean. Of course, with lots of money and plenty of real estate development, South Beach became one of the top tourist destinations. So during the Fortieth Anniversary celebrations for this incredibly influential TV shows, for me it was thoroughly enjoyable to see that we all – cast and crew – are now FORTY YEARS OLDER!
