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‘The Waltons’ Star Judy Norton Remembers Embarrassing Moments on Stage

 Most fans remember Judy Norton from her time on The Waltons. She played the eldest Walton daughter, Mary Ellen, throughout the series. Additionally, Norton appeared in all of the made-for-TV movies based on the family. However, she isn’t just a television actress. Judy also worked in theatre for years.

Currently, Judy Norton hosts a web series that takes fans behind the scenes of The Waltons. At the same time, she shares stories from her life both on and off the iconic show’s set. In the most recent installment of her series, Norton took some time to talk about bloopers. She glossed over some examples of bloopers and outtakes from The Waltons. However, she really focused on hilarious moments from her time on the stage.

Live performances are great. However, they invite a certain level of chaos. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching your favorite musician perform live or a production of a play, things can go wrong. It’s all about how the folks on stage handle things that makes the difference. Judy Norton recalled some times where things went wrong, but she and her fellow cast and crew handled them in the best way possible.

Judy Norton Remembers Her Own Blooper Reel

At one point, Judy Norton discussed a production of Cinderella she was in. The production featured several bloopers that she finds funny all these years later. First, she recalled a scene with the fireplace. She said she was supposed to walk over to the fireplace and “make a cup of tea or something.” When she got near the hearth, the fire would automatically light. One night, she said, “They put too much in one night and it sort of exploded in my face. Not seriously, but stuff flew out in my eyes.”

Judy Norton recalled another night during Cinderella. “Another night during that show,” she said, “there was this big, huge, wooden pumpkin. When things were supposed to change from the pumpkin to the carriage, there was a pumpkin I was supposed to hold. Then, when she does her magic, they fly it out and this carriage comes down.” Seems pretty simple, right? Well, one night, they didn’t pull it up high enough. So, it completely blocked Judy Norton’s face. To make matters worse, it was too tall and wide for her to get around. On top of that, she was singing a song at the time. So, there she was, behind a massive levitating pumpkin, completely obscured from the audience while singing.

She also shared a story of when there was an off-stage love scene in a comedy at a dinner theatre production. At one point, someone was supposed to throw “her underwear” onto the stage. “I was still dressed back there,” she clarified. The garment was clean and just a prop. This is good because whoever tossed them out overshot their mark. Norton’s character’s underpants landed on someone’s plate in the front row. Everyone got a kick out of that.