Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday Dance Party: No Rehearsal


Hard to believe a sloppy number like this ever made it onto national television. Dean Martin was notorious about his refusal to rehearse his variety show in advance; he drove everyone crazy by showing up on the day of taping each week, and winging it. For some reason, back in those days, variety shows included group numbers with all of their guest stars, even when those guest stars had no business being in a musical number.
It's no surprise that the only two troopers who acquit themselves adequately are Buddy Ebsen and Charles Nelson Reilly, the only ones with musical stage experience.

I am just completing my second week of rehearsal for The Nerd at Wayside Theatre, and I feel as under-prepared as these guys look. We have another full week before the audience shows up. I hope they bring their canned applause like the crowd below. I gotta get back to learning these lines. Happy Dance Party, everybody!