I suspect that might have been Ethel adlibbing, since it sounds like the way she talked. I don't think I have heard that phrase on Sesame Street before!
Ethel's agent begged her to get a facelift but she refused so this is what a 70 year old woman looks like. She still had the voice and the personality.
If ever a song was written for Ethel Merman to perform with that great foghorn of a voice then it's this one. So glad she performed it at least once for posterity.
I had the privilege of seeing her in Hello Dolly on Broadway in 1970 the summer I graduated from high school. She was everything I imagined she would be and more. I will never forget the experience.
Other than Judy Garland no one would hold an audience like Ms Merman. Loved her and saw her so many times in person, Loved Imogene Coca -- I was with her for the Tony Awards when she was nominated for On the Twentieth Century.
Oooo… how fantastic, Allan! Absolutely adored Imogene in that. That also one of my absolute favorites. Brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant !Heard / saw Madeline Kahn 🏆 and also Judy Kaye 🌟 in it. Beyond brilliant !
She's always belted out the songs, and they just didn't make 'em like Ethel Merman anymore! RIP Ethel Merman, I know you are beltin' out the songs up in Heaven, and I know I will be there to hear ya!
*sigh* If only I could have my own personal Ethel to sing for me when I'm feeling down... "Tomorrow" always cheers me up. Also Ethel's rendition of "No Business like Show Business." What an amazing woman!
I never understood peoples fascination with Ethel Merman until I saw this video. The first two verses of her singing this song made me wanna cry. God bless you Ethel.
I have ME/CFS (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) and was literally stuck in bed hoping for more energy so I could get up, and this did the trick! Don’t get infected with CoviD, folks! It’s on the rise yet again with a more immune evasive mutation and if you’ve got an mRNA shot then you’re left with less than nothing after 7 months - clean air and N95s are all we’ve got until the new Novavax in October!
OMG what a force of nature! How could you not smile in the company of this woman singing that song into the next century! I don't think I will ever need to hear it again after that! Wonderful.
Imagine being able to perform a song -- not only perfectly - but timelessly. She's just standing on a sound stage with the music on playback -- it's amazing. Probably one take too.
fontenayperi She's not lip synching at all -- there is just the playback of music -- no band or orchestra -- didn't mean to imply that she was lip synching.
What a charming setting for this great song. We are so lucky that the great Ethel Merman was given the opportunity to sing this anthem of hope and resilience. I love the sweet direction of the scene. It's so beautiful when Ethel grabs everyone's hand. I'm wondering if Imogene Coca and Leslie Uggams had any other scenes with her.
@@rindenver1194 I saw that in the comments, I was just saying that I'm proud that I share a birthday with Ethel Merman though she was 70 years older than me when I was born.
Ethel was great! She was and remained great all her life! She could lift people out of their seats in the theatre. She also had a wonderful comedic talent. It's too bad she was never given a wonderful sitcom or a successful television series. She was underutilized in the movies, too. She was great in Mad, Mad World and didn't sing a note.
I thought I had seen seen all the Ethel Merman clips but I'd never seen this one! It was great! But Ethel really look old. So happy to see Imogene Coco. Thanks!
She was great with Tallulah Bankhead on Tallulah's radio Show, "The Big Show" in the early 1950's.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FbCz8lq20VU.html And indeed it was the big show lasting a full 90 minutes every Sunday evening. From the many times Ethel Merman was on "The Big Show" with Tallulah Bankhead, they must have been very good friends and worked well off each other in the many skits they performed together. In one skit Ethel Merman plays the mother of Tallulah Bankhead. It has to be one of the funniest skits ever on radio (or television). It was called "What Happened to Fedelia?", and based on the book written by Meredith Willson. The skit also starred Peter Lorre which only added to the magic. This skit is not on video, but on Tallulah Bankhead's radio show, "The Big Show", "The Theater of the Mind"
God what I wouldn't give to reach up to heaven and pull her down for a duet with BRIAN BLESSED... you'd hear it clear across the universe... and the world would be better for it.
I wonder when this Sesame St. episode aired? And, no; we'll NEVER have the likes of Ms. Merman, again!! Just as there will never be another Elvis, or Beatles.
I don't know how I never noticed this before, but she has a habit of adding an "uh' sound to the end of her words. "'Tomorrowuh," "chinnuh," "grayuh," etc.
I wish * Ernie * Bert * Grover * Cookie Monster * Count von Count * Herry Monster * Two-Headed Monster * Frazzle * Guy Smiley * Sherlock Hemlock * The Amazing Mumford * Biff * Sully We’re in this special to meet Ethel Merman
