Watch a preview of MITZI GAYNOR: RAZZLE DAZZLE! THE SPECIAL YEARS
Before there was Dancing with the Stars, there was Mitzi Gaynor–television’s original star dancer! From 1968 to 1978, Gaynor dazzled audiences with her annual, award–winning, network TV variety spectaculars — averaging over 30 million viewers each — showcasing the singing, dancing and comedic talents that made her a star in the theatre, film, television, nightclub and concert worlds. Now, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Gaynor’s first televised special (Mitzi, NBC, 1968) and the 50th anniversary of her signature, Golden Globe–nominated performance in the blockbuster 1958 film Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, WLIW New York presents the premiere of MITZI GAYNOR: RAZZLE DAZZLE! THE SPECIAL YEARS nationwide on public television December 2008 (check local listings).
The ultimate collection of song and dance performances from Gaynor’s classic network television specials — unseen for three decades — MITZI GAYNOR: RAZZLE DAZZLE! THE SPECIAL YEARS is a new documentary that celebrates a landmark career through new interviews with Mitzi, world–renowned, Emmy®–winning costume designer Bob Mackie, nine–time Emmy® Award–winning comedy legend Carl Reiner, Tony–winner Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies, Wicked), best–selling author and critic Rex Reed, director/choreographer Tony Charmoli, dancers Alton Ruff and Randy Doney (who performed with Mitzi on the road and in her TV specials), and Tony nominee Kelli O’Hara, currently starring on Broadway as “Nellie Forbush” in the 2008 Tony Award®–winning revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, the role made famous by Gaynor on the silver screen. Songs include George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Cole Porter’s “DeLovely,” Stevie Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of My Life,” Kander and Ebb’s “Me and My Baby” and Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s “I Can Cook, Too.”
MITZI GAYNOR: RAZZLE DAZZLE! THE SPECIAL YEARS provides a reflective and entertaining glimpse into the television variety show at its zenith, taking viewers on a nostalgic trip through Gaynor’s TV years: the groundbreaking performances, glitzy costumes and Mitzi’s triple threat talent as illustrated in digitally remastered clips, rare photos and footage from Gaynor’s personal archive, which illuminate the behind–the–scenes stories and impact of these 17–time Emmy®–nominated and 6–time Emmy®–winning TV milestones. Memorable moments with special guest stars include a soft–shoe with Bob Hope; Michael Landon joining Mitzi on Cole Porter’s “DeLovely;” “I’m Hip” with Benny Goodman; and Leiber and Stoller’s “I’m a Woman” with Jane Withers and Suzanne Pleshette. Among the classic performances featured in the documentary are numbers choreographed by some of the film and theatrical dance world’s most influential choreographers, including Peter Gennaro (Tony–winner for Annie, and co–choreographer with Jerome Robbins for West Side Story), Danny Daniels (Tony–winner, The Tap Dance Kid), Robert Sidney (The Dean Martin Show) and Tony Charmoli (Woman of the Year).
Performance List:
Producer: City Lights Pictures, New York in association with Green Isle, Inc. Executive Producer: Sal Scamardo. Writer/Producers: Rene Reyes, Shane Rosamonda, Annette Jolles, David Stern. Edited by: Jennifer Matson. Presented nationally by WLIW New York. ST and CC.
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