STANDING ROOM ONLY: SHOW STOPPERS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of entertainment specials. In this program, top Broadway entertainers perform their most celebrated Broadway musical moments at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York. The program opens with a brief film of backstage moments followed by a photo montage of Broadway theater marquees, Broadway stars, posters, and Playbill covers over the song "Applause, Applause." Host Tony Randall introduces the tribute to the Broadway musical comedy and "its most thrilling highlight, the showstopper." Highlights of this program include the following: Ethel Merman sings "There's No Business Like Show Business" and enjoys a standing ovation; Tony Randall next introduces a current showstopper, Robert Klein with the title song from the Broadway musical "They're Playing Our Song" (composed by Marvin Hamlisch); "the incomparable" Mary Martin introduces Broadway's "new Peter Pan" Sandy Duncan, who sings "Never Never Land," one of Martin's favorite songs that she originally introduced in "Peter Pan"; dancer/choreographer Peter Gennaro performs a medley of his dance showstoppers -- "Steam Heat" (from "The Pajama Game"), "Mu Cha Cha" (from "Bells Are Ringing"); Randall and Sandy, the dog, introduce Broadway's original "Annie" Andrea McArdle, who sings "Tomorrow" from that show; Stubby Kaye, the original Nicely Nicely Johnson from Frank Loesser's 1950 landmark musical "Guys and Dolls," sings "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"; Richard Kiley sings "The Impossible Dream" from the long-running "Man of La Mancha"; from the 1961 comedy revue "From the Second City," Paul Sand recreates the sketch "How to Win a Friend" in which he plays a lonely man who listens to an upbeat self-help record about making friends; "A Chorus Line's" original Cassie, Donna McKechnie, sings and dances "The Music and the Mirror," (music by Marvin Hamlisch) to Michael Bennett's choreography; Ethel Merman sings one of her signature songs "I Get a Kick Out of You" (from the 1934 Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes"); Howard Da Silva and his "Crooked Cronies" sing "Little Tin Box" from "Fiorello!"; from her first Broadway show 1938's "Leave It to Me," Mary Martin recreates her showstopping number "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"; and finally Tony Randall, who has attempted to perform a number throughout the program, gets to sing "Give My Regards to Broadway" in an homage to multi-talented Broadway legend George M. Cohan.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Verizon Foundation, 2003.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: June 22, 1980 Sunday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:06
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T82:0691
- GENRE: Music/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Musical revues, comedies, etc. - Excerpts; Music, popular (songs, etc.)
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 1976-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Brandman … Producer
- Rita Scott … Co-Producer
- Newton Bellis … Co-Producer
- Deborah Oppenheimer … Associate Producer
- Peter Gennaro … Production (Misc.), Entire production under the supervision and direction of
- John Thompson … Director
- Iris Merlis … Direction (Misc.), Associate Director
- Shirlee Strother … Script Supervisor
- Dee Erickson … Assistant Choreographer
- Bob Rosengarden … Conductor, Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Director
- Bob Rosengarden Orchestra, The … Music Group
- David Krane … Choral Director, Music (Misc. Credits), Choral music by
- Jon Charles … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Arranger
- George P. Masso … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Arranger
- Gary M. Anderson … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Arranger
- Sid Cooper … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Arranger
- Tony Randall … Host
- Sandy Duncan … Performer
- Da Silva, Howard … Performer
- Peter Gennaro … Performer
- Stubby Kaye … Performer
- Richard Kiley … Performer
- Robert Klein … Performer
- Mary Martin … Performer
- Andrea McArdle … Performer
- Donna McKechnie … Performer
- Ethel Merman … Performer
- Paul Sand … Performer
- Del Horstmann … Performer
- Marsha Kramer … Performer
- Larry James Hansen … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- D. Michael Heath … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Joseph McGrath … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Nora C. Brennan … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Susan Hartley … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Rosemary Loar … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Penny Worth … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Mary Ellen Richardson … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Peter Boynton … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Timothy M. Cassidy … Choir/Chorus, Show Stoppers Singer and Dancer
- Marvin Hamlisch