Brilliant~ so lovely to see so many of my favourites like Bea Arthur, Dorothy Louden, Lauren Bacall, Robert Preston, Ethel Merman etc etc... greats that we will NEVER see the likes of again!! thanks for posting.
When Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney were in St. Louis doing "Sugar Babies" at the 11,000-plus seat Muny in St. Louis I flew in from Chicago to see the show. What I was how the pros do it. They were sensational. After the show I went backstage and talked with the great Miss Miller and said I was fascinated how she hung on every word Rooney was saying in the show. And she smiled and laughed at said, "I've got to pay total attention because he ad libs at lot and he is very clever and I don't dare fall behind." She was wonderful, a real star had to toe, very bright and very warm and very magnetic.
True, so true. The days of the bigger-than-life, magnetic, powerhouse Broadway performers are merely memories, but they can still raise chill bumps for all who are fortunate enough to remember.
Oh yes they will. I'm planning to put together a Retro Decade Revival Project. Our goal is to bring real entertainment, true talent, pure originality and diversity, old school and more back into the public mainstream, starting with the 1980s. Soon there will be more and more real stars with real class.
Thrilling! What magic each and every one of those performers had...when singers actually sang rather than try to out-scream the next person on stage. Doubtful we'll ever see or hear anything like it again. Thank you for posting this gem.
Keep watching this more and more! This was my Broadway and I saw most of them ! The ending with the great Merman, of course, she was the perfect ending and stole the show with the perfect song..her song..There is No Business Like Showbusiness!
Great memory stirrer. I was fortunate enough to attend this show, the 2nd one in 1985 and the 3rd in 1990. These are/were true stars and the magic that we all felt at Radio City that evening could never be duplicated with today's so-called stars. Thank you for posting.
I'm going into a broadway cardiac event! I love this! I never watched tv in the 80's. Except the Tonys but we'd have to watch it on our pbs station. Thank you for posting, and killing me with talent. Ok. Go fainting now ........
I can't believe these excerpts became available thirty years later. I was at that performance and it took forever to get the stars on stage in an order. The television interruptions for setting up made the performance go on for at least 5 hours. I would love to see it all over again and even stay all evening.
I met Anne Miller when she toured a chain of dance schools she owned, called Dance Career Academy. I attended the one in Bettendorf, Iowa for three years.
mary martin!!!!!!!!! i still have the vhs of her in peter pan. I always grew up watching her instead of the cartoon. She will always be peter pan to me.
Wonderful clip....I used to have this whole thing on tape! Can you even Imagine all that talent on one stage?! It will never happen again....no one Has real talent anymore! All those artists....represent Hundreds of Years of WOW! ^^X^^
What a fabulous clip. Wish I could find the entire show on tape or DVD. I was especially proud to see two iconic actresses who only had a walk on appearance, Colleen Dewhurst and Julie Harris. Harris held the record of the most Tony's won by an actress until Audra McDonald hit the scene.
Wow. Takes me back to the greats. I understand what you are saying-what they did was hard walking across the stage-Alfred Drake did good though-he took his time. There were also a few others also who didn't rush.That was tough! All directing. Miller and Rooney were perfect.
I don't know why but I still like Richard Kiley,Preston Foster,Bea Arthur and Robert Klien, maybe because they come off as really nice people. My mother's favorite Ethel Merman, They were alo so skinny back then wow. Gets ya all choked up to remember all those greats. How many are left......
Now look at the crap on television . Sadly, we really. Do not have entertainers of this caliber anymore. This was the first video I ever recorded on my 1982 RCA selecta vision VCR
I would love to see something like this done today with todays stars. give me the cast of true blood singing something from chicago or two and a half men tap dancing :)
@goolagong68 Ellen Burstyn was never the lead in a musical on the Street and Bacall was the lead in two. She won at least one Tony for the first musical-Applause and she was singing a song from the second "Woman of the Year". sorry it took so long to respond.
Hint,Hint: That's NOT 'Preston Foster". 'Preston Foster' NEVER- in his wildest dreams ever won TWO Tony Awards nor was he a Legend of the Broadway Theater. Do some research.
When Will This 1982 TV Special Be On DVD With Its Complete 5 Hour Showing? I Understand When ABC TV Broadcast This In March Of 1982 It Was Edited Down By 2 Hours To 3 Hours True?Is It True Some 200 Not 100 Stars Where In This Special?
Thanks gringo....the 1985 show was better than this...if we can say one is better or worse when we´re talking about history. Youtubr is the most fantastic social net....we have everything....PRESERVE AND ENJOY!!!
Liv Ullmann and, for that matter, Julie Harris, COULD sing but did not because they were being credited for their roles in non-musical dramas "Anna Christie" and "The Belle of Amherst", respectively.
