These are frightening times, and we all must take necessary precautions as we social distance and self-isolate. That being said, you deserve a break every now and then. Welcome to Playbill's Daily Distraction.
Day 13: Pearl Bailey Is Madame Rose But Also a Renaissance Queen and the Muppets Are There??
The Daily Distraction is the Bailey Distraction for today, as Pearl Bailey was born March 29, 1918. Though the entertainer is known for musical performances like Hello, Dolly! and on screen in Carmen Jones, the Tony Award recipient stopped by The Muppet Show in 1978 and performed a rendition of "Everything's Coming Up Roses."
Yes, the song was already used in a Daily Distraction: Rita Moreno in The Ritz. But you know what Rita Moreno's version was missing? Jousting.
The sketch is some sort of Camelot tale, using show tunes from the Great American Songbook, including Fozzie Bear singing Guys and Dolls, Gonzo singing Annie Get Your Gun, and Miss Piggy singing West Side Story (we're sorry, Rita). After all this, Bailey, residing over the festivities, finds an excuse to sing a jazzy version of the Gypsy tune. The Muppets join in—modulating, even!
As Bailey herself says, "You know, Rowlf, this don't make any sense at all." She's not wrong. But we're watching anyway—what else do we have going on?
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