I'm watching a PBS Special at the moment with Craig Bierko, who starred in the revival of The Music Man on Broadway, performing "76 Trombones." I saw this show in New York and enjoyed it tremendously. But seeing him just now reminded me of one of the funniest things I've ever seen posted on the Internet. Odds are, most of you won't find this funny but I do and it's my weblog so I'm going to quote it here. This occurred on a theater newsgroup (rec.arts.theatre.musicals) in March of 2000. The Music Man revival was then pending and someone with an "in" to the production posted the following message…
I met a charming young lady this weekend — Cynthia Leigh Heim — who is in the ensemble of Music Man. She says Craig Bierko is terrific in the role and great to work with, and that Stroman's choreography is clever and tricky to execute. I asked for a "scoop" that I could post on RATM! She said that there will be a surprise at the curtain call which will be unlike any curtain call we've ever seen. She wouldn't tell me more, as they've been sworn to secrecy!
A few hours later, someone named Dave Barton posted the following in reply…
They will announce from the stage that everyone in the audience should look under their seats. 76 people will actually find trombones waiting for them. Each person with a trombone will then rise. Harold Hill will give them a 19 second lesson in the "Think Method," and then they will break into the score from Chicago.
I don't know why but that struck me as incredibly funny. I not only laughed for five minutes when I read it but later that year, sitting in the Neil Simon Theater watching the finale (which was, alas, not as Mr. Barton described) I remembered it and started laughing uncontrollably. I'm laughing now as I read it again. I'm not a well person.
Meanwhile, at this moment on the PBS Special, they have Barry Bostwick singing our National Anthem — and in the shot, you can clearly see a cue card person holding up the lyrics for him and changing the cards after each line. Now, I could sing this song from memory when I was seven years old and I have a hunch Mr. Bostwick knows the words. But every few years when some star is called upon to perform it on TV (usually live TV), they go blank and flub the words. (I once heard someone refer to it as "pulling a Robert Goulet.") It brings great ridicule along with letters and editorials that question the singer's patriotism and suggest that they go live in Russia. So I think performers have all learned: Yes, you're absolutely positive you know it and could do it in your sleep. But don't take any chances…
Hope you're having a safe and sane Fourth.