Our Broadway Babe, Randie Levine Miller has unearthed some classic treasures today. There’s a 1955 Edward R. Murrow, Person to Person interview with Marilyn Monroe. From 1984 there’s Steve Allen’s Music Room with Edye Gorme and Steve Lawrence. And the 1992 Sondheim Celebration at Carnegie Hall. And…a documentary about opening night of Chicago on Broadway in 1996. Awesome finds!

Edward R. Murrow Person to Person with Milton Greene and Marilyn Monroe

This old kinescope from 1955 is a true gem. Edward R. Murrow hosted “Person to Person” on CBS-TV… This episode features star photographer, Milton Greene (and his wife, Amy) and their houseguest, MARILYN MONROE! When asked about being on so many magazine covers, Marilyn said that the one cover she hasn’t been on and would like to be, is the Ladies Home Journal!

 This very popular series ran from 1953 to 1961 and it was aired live… Ed would go, virtually, into people’s  homes and interview them…only he’d be in his studio at CBS and the interviewees would be at home… very up close and personal. A forerunner to today’s zoom! 

Steve Allen’s Music Room

This is truly a delicious find…from 1984, Steve Allen‘s Music Room…A talk and performance show with vibraphonist Terry Gibbs as the bandleader and an orchestra with some of the best musicians of its time … Steve sits at the piano, performs himself,and welcomes Steve Lawrence and Edye Gorme to sing up a storm…Steve’s wife, Jayne Meadows, also joins them in conversation and song. His announcer(and sidekick) was 27 year old, Bill Maher, who was just starting in the business, and you will see, was going places!

Sondheim Celebration at Carnegie Hall

Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall..a fundraiser for Carnegie Hall aired on PBS in 1992… A true treasure of a concert. The magnificent orchestra is conducted by Sondheim’s long time collaborator, Paul Gemignani.. and they are all here: Glenn Close, Dorothy Loudon, Liza Minnelli, Karen Ziemba, Bernadette Peters, James Naughton, Patti LuPone, Madeline Kahn, Betty Buckley, Victor Garber and dozens more. 

The quality of the audio and video is first rate.. A must for Sondheim fans! 

Open Night: Chicago on Broadway 1996

From 1996, the opening night of what became the longest running musical revival on Broadway..”Chicago”, by Kander and Ebb,originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse in 1975. The revival starred Ann Reinking,who also choreographed and Bebe Neuwirth along with Joel Grey and James Naughton. Walter Bobbie, did a superlative job directing the show. Prior to this, he was well known as a singer, dancer, actor on Broadway, having appeared in the original “Grease” as well as “Guys and Dolls”. “Chicago” is known to be the sexiest musical to ever grace the Broadway stage!

The E channel covered opening night with this excellent documentary special which was hosted by Steve Kometko..You’ll see clips from the show as well as interviews with some of the attendees… The original stars,Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera attended cheering for the new cast.

Also in attendance were Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump, though not together LOL… Trump quite enjoyed this musical about corruption!

Sidebar: my late dear friend, prolific Broadway producer Marty Richards, produced the original “Chicago” in 1975..It was up for the Tony, but lost to “A Chorus Line”… Fran and Barry Weissler, who produced the revival, had much better luck with the show which proved to really have legs!

Sidebar too: My close friend, Broadway producer Ken Waissman, was my houseguest last weekend and he took me to a lovely birthday party in Sag Harbor where I was delighted to engage in conversation with the delicious director, Walter Bobbie..who looks exactly the same as he does in this video which is 25 years old!