Musical Comedy -- Tonight
Updated: Jul 25
A while back, I posted a 15-minute excerpt for the first of three “Musical Comedy Tonight” specials done on PBS. it was written and hosted by Sylvia Fine Kaye, the wife of Danny Kaye who wrote a lot of his specialty material and is credited with shaping his career – and who got two Oscar nominations on her own for Best Original song. To my happy surprise, I was able to track down the full two-hour special!
The three PBS shows were loosely based on a class she taught at USC, and this one looks at the Broadway eras of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and then jumps to the 70s. Made in 1979, there were two others, made in 1981 and 1985. This one has a wonderful cast, including Merman, Bernadette Peters, Bobby Van, Sandy Duncan, John Davidson, Carol Burnett, Richard Chamberlain. And it includes interviews with Ethel Merman and Agnes DeMille. The only downside is that it cuts off early during the finale. Other than that, it’s a joy to find. Hopefully I can track down the other two. But for now, this will suffice.
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