What About the Mouseketeers?

The nine of us who survived for the entire show are all now in our 40s, with careers and families. The original Mouseketeers had a lot of social and professional reunions in the ‘80s. We starred in an hourlong 1980 NBC special celebrating our 25th anniversary and performed live at Disneyland for two months each year from 1980 through 1985. We also appeared on a number of talk shows and at charity benefits.

We get together frequently at parties, weddings, even christenings. Annette Funicello had her own serial, “Annette,” before graduating to beach movies and later to peanut butter commercials. Annette then took time off to raise her children, who are now in college and high school. She returned to performing in the mid-’80s in the Disney Channel film “Lots of Luck” and in the 1987 film “Back to the Beach,” with singer Frankie Avalon. Frankie and Annette toured the country in 1990.

* Tommy Cole is the make-up artist for “Evening Shade,” “Wings,” “Lassie” and “Designing Women.” He also worked on such features as “Three Fugitives” and “Pretty in Pink.” On television, Tom has had four Emmy nominations and won an Emmy for the miniseries “Backstairs at the White House.”

* A car accident in 1983 made Karen Pendleton a paraplegic, but she went on to become an activist for handicapped rights. She returned to college to work on a degree in psychology.

* Cubby O’Brien was always partnered with Karen. He has a 20-year-old daughter and has continued his drumming on six Academy Award shows and with such entertainers as Andy Williams, Bernadette Peters and, recently in Los Angeles, Shirley MacLaine.

* Doreen Tracey posed for nude magazine photos in the ‘70s, then became a television producer and currently is a partner in Big Bertha Productions.

* Bobby Burgess danced on “The Mickey Mouse Club” and kept dancing for 21 years on “The Lawrence Welk Show.” He is still dancing and making appearances with his partner, Elaine Niverson. Bobby and his wife, Myron Floren’s daughter Kristie, have four children.

* Darlene Gillespie was in her own serial, “Corky and White Shadow.” She is now a surgical nurse and has two children. (Earlier this year, Darlene filed suit against Walt Disney Productions in connection with her payment for “The Mickey Mouse Club.”)

* Sharon Baird now lives in Reno. After three years on Disney Channel shows and playing the title role in Sondra Locke’s film “Rat Boy,” Sharon became the dialogue coach on the NBC series “Day by Day.”