cue to start his monologue. I returned to the dressing room until I was given my cue to prepare backstage while Buddy Hackett was recounting one of his humorous stories to Johnny.
My nerves were for nothing because in a few minutes, Jim came up to me with the news that Buddy had gone overtime by 30 seconds. Because my number could not be easily edited, it was decided that I would be BUMPED again. I quietly packed up and went home, disappointed but oddly relieved. Finally, on April 18, 1990, and after almost 2 years of nail- biting suspense, I was rescheduled—this time with guest host Jay Leno and special guest Christine Lahti. Amazingly, I was not nervous at all because I humorously kept saying to myself, “You’re going to get bumped again any minute.” All the staff and crew in the studio were very gracious and friendly. Jay Leno even stopped by to meet me while I was still getting into make-up. He shook my hand and welcomed me to the show. Mr. de Cordova was nowhere to be seen. What a different atmosphere from my previous experience on the set! When my time arrived, I performed with joyful exuberance, and the studio audience answered with enthusiasm—especially enjoying Shirley’s sassy attitude. All was going well until Shirley went to grab the microphone
The Tonight Show The millions of viewers of late-night talk shows are a
distinctly adult audience. The Tonight Show on NBC is the longest-running talk show on television. Steve Allen was the host from 1954 to 1957. Jim and Jane Henson were on the show in 1956. Jack Paar was the host from 1957 to 1962. Johnny Carson began his extraordinary 30-year tenure in 1962. During Johnny’s first season, Shari Lewis was a guest. Johnny moved the show from New York to Los Angeles in 1972. Over the years, guests included Wayland Flowers and Bruce Schwartz. Kermit the Frog was a guest host in April 1979. Phillip Huber performed on The Tonight Show in 1990. Jay Leno was host from 1992 to 2014 (with a break in 2009–2010). Jimmy Fallon became the host in 2014 and moved the show back to New York after a 40-year absence. Puppeteers selected to perform on a show that begins at 11:30 p.m. clearly are meant to appeal to adults.
At The Tonight Show stage door (left to right), David Alexander, our manager, Linda Hurevitz, Phillip Huber.
and it failed to lodge firmly in her hand. The mic was teetering in a precarious balance and looked likely to fall from her hand at any moment. I kept very careful control of her as she completed the last choreography and struck her final pose to cheers and applause. She strutted offstage, and the mic slipped from her hand in the same moment she disappeared into the wings. As the show broke away to a commercial, Jay ran over, ducking under the lowering show curtain to hastily congratulate me and thank me for my
performance. I sighed with great relief!
Later that same evening, I was coincidentally performing at Magic Castle again. Between performances, I went into the bar/lobby area to talk with friends. High up on one wall was a TV tuned to The Tonight Show. I looked up just in time to see my dream become reality and heard again the reaction of the studio audience, but this time mixed with the pleased reaction of the Castle patrons. That evening was the cap of a magical day. My work as an artist had been cheered. The next week, we put a full-page ad in Variety, thanking
Jay and The Tonight Show staff and crew. We were told by our manager that this was the proper thing to do. Of course, the full-page ad cost about as much as our performance pay on the show. Some things you do just for the art!
We set up in NBC Studio One during that afternoon, and Jim introduced me to the executive producer, Freddie de Cordova, who gave me a peculiar pep talk, “Don’t F*** up!” With that response and imminent realization that I would be seen by MILLIONS of people at once, I became so nervous that I lost my voice and had to give directions to the stage crew in a hoarse whisper.
11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
