Bonus Xmas Video Link

Here's a bonus video which I guess qualifies as a Christmas song but only barely. It was performed at a Christmas party in the Broadway musical, Promises, Promises — book by Neil Simon based on the Billy Wilder film, The Apartment… songs by Hal David and Burt Bacharach…choreography by Michael Bennett. The show opened in New York on December 1, 1968 and closed on January 1, 1972 for a total of 1,281 performances.

This number — "Turkey Lurkey Time" — joined a long line of song/dance numbers in musicals wherein employees at some company perform at an office party and in so doing, entertain but in no way advance the story. Every musical that could possibly have such a number seemed to have one after the success of "Steam Heat" in Pajama Game. I've heard that some choreographers demanded it as a condition of taking the job.

"Turkey Lurkey Time" is performed by the actresses playing Miss Polanski of Accounts Receivable, Miss Wong of Mimeograph and Miss Della Hoya of Petty Cash. In the original production, Miss Polanski was played by Margo Sappington (who later got famous in Oh! Calcutta!), Miss Wong was played by Baayork Lee (who later got famous in A Chorus Line) and Miss Della Hoya was played by Donna McKechnie (who also later got famous in A Chorus Line). A Chorus Line, I don't have to remind you, was directed by the choreographer of this number.

This video is from The Ed Sullivan Show for February 8, 1970 by which time Miss Polanski was being played by Barbara Alston, Miss Wong was still being played by Baayork Lee and Miss Della Hoya was being played by Julie Stites. The gentleman on the desk introducing them is Paul Reed who played the Police Chief on Car 54, Where Are You?. Since no microphones are anywhere in evidence, I conclude they're lip-syncing and dancing to a pre-recorded track — but it's a great number…