Broadway Babe’s Vintage Picks
Our Broadway Babe has found some really amazing video to share including a very young Barbra Streisand appearing on the “Dinah Shore Show”; as well as a very young Michael Feinstein on the “Merv Griffin Show”; Lin-Manuel Miranda in Encores’ “Merrily We Roll Along”, as well as, a star-studded tribute to Warner Brothers!
Barbra Streisand on The Dinah Shore Show
This is one of my favorite nostalgic finds…circa 1963, a very young Barbra Streisand was on the cusp of stardom when she appeared on “The Dinah Shore Show”, singing some of her early songs which became hits on her first album… “Cry Me A River”, as well as “Happy Days Are Here Again.”
She had just finished “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” on Broadway, where she stopped the show, as, and singing “Miss Marmelstein,” and was nominated for a Tony Award. (She lost to Phyllis Newman for best supporting actress in a musical.). She also met her first husband, Elliott Gould in “Wholesale”. She performed on Dinah’s show prior to being cast in “Funny Girl”.
You can see from this video she was a star in the making. Also appearing on Dinah’s show (which aired monthly on NBC-TV from 1961-63, is the uber-talented Georgia Brown. Truly delightful!
The Hollywood Party of the Decade
From June, 1990, a truly special “Warner Brothers Celebration of Tradition”, a live extravaganza celebrating the rededication of the studio to Warner Bros. It was the Hollywood party of the decade, with lots of movie clips and movie star. This incredible event was produced by David Wolper, Steven Spielberg and Jack Haley, Jr. (one time husband of Liza Minnelli).
A highlight of the show is a beautiful and glamorous Liza singing a medley of songs from Warner Brothers movies. At the end, she introduces over 150 movie stars, many of whom are no longer with us, unfortunately. A really fabulous piece of movie history
Rosemary Clooney & Michael Feinstein
This is a true treasure of a find. From 1985, “The Merv Griffin Show”, which was always one of my favorite talk/variety shows, as he always allowed his guests to shine and truly appreciated their talent. In this video, Merv’s guest, the legendary singer, Rosemary Clooney, introduces the audience to a very young Michael Feinstein, who sits at the piano and sings like the true star he became. He also accompanies Clooney, and they make magical music together! And yes, Rosemary Clooney was George Clooney’s aunt! Also on the show, is the great singer, Teresa Brewer who was popular in the 50s and 60s and had several hit songs. Enjoy this treat of a video.
Merrily We Roll Along
From 2012, “Merrily We Roll Along”, at Encores at City Center. This is a delightful 16 minute press reel, featuring a great young cast including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Adam Grupper, Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe and Colin Donnell with a 23 piece orchestra conducted by Rob Berman.
This video features interviews, as well as song excerpts from the show. To me, this is one of Sondheim’s very best scores…And some of these young folks have gone onto major stardom, i.e., Lin-Manuel Miranda!
Randie Levine Miller is Director of Special Events for The Three Tomatoes, and co-produces and hosts the annual Tomatoes Got Talent show. Known around NYC as a modern day “hostess with the mostess, she has performed in and hosted benefits for the Actors Fund, the Actors Temple, Multiple Sclerosis, and Prostate Cancer Research. Randie’s performance venues have included: The Triad, The Metropolitan Room, the Laurie Beechman Theater, and the Friars Club. For many years, she was special events director for the Drama Desk Awards. Randie also had a successful 30-year career as a public relations consultant and handled several major health and medical technology clients.
What a treat to see Michael Feinstein’s debut on Merv Griffin with Rosemary Clooney. Needless to say, Michael’s debut with Merv went far smoother than mine in 1959.