Carol Burnett, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor (also a two-time Tony nominee and a two-time Grammy nominee), appeared on Harry Connick, Jr.’s talk show Harry this week. In gearing up for the 50th Anniversary celebration special of The Carol Burnett Show and her new Netflix series, Burnett has been making more appearances and sharing behind-the-scenes stories from her days on set.
Read More: NEW UNSCRIPTED CAROL BURNETT SERIES HEADS TO NETFLIX
Still, part of The Carol Burnett Show’s success is a result of its time.
“We couldn’t do today what we did then because we had 12 dancers, we had two guest stars a week, we had a rep company, 65 costumes a week, 28-piece orchestra, and we rehearsed it just like you would do summer stock,” she said. “We’d tape like an hour and 15 minutes ... and we’d be out of there after doing all the sketches, all the musical [numbers] in a little over two hours. We did it like a Broadway show.
“Today they want to nit-pick everything and make it just perfect instead of going through it, rehearsing it, and then have a life,” she said.
The variety/comedy show won eight Golden Globes and nine Primetime Emmys, and Burnett chose to go off the air when she was still on top.
“I felt we’d done it,” she said in the video above. “That sometimes some sketches I said, ‘Didn’t we do something like that in the fifth year or the seventh?’ And I thought, ‘You know, it’s time to hang it up while we’re still doing well before somebody from the network says, “Stop doing this.”’ I wanted to leave before I was asked to leave.”
For all its success, The Carol Burnett Show was not what the network had in mind when they first signed her. Listen to her tell the story of her unprecedented contract below:
So what does the star miss about television today? She told Harry below:
The production officially opens its limited holiday engagement November 17.
Shen co-stars with Darren Criss in the new musical, which opened November 12 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.
At the New York premiere of the film November 14, the Wicked film cast and Broadway stars were in attendance.
Written by Matt Koplik, the play is an messy millennial romantic comedy.
The Tony winner on what inspired her Lilli Vanessi, Wicked, and how she's feeling post election.
Attendees to opening night of the new Broadway musical included Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria, Ginger Minj, David Burtka, Tituss Burgess, and more.
The new musical at New York Theatre Workshop has just extended to November 27.
What's announced and what's in previews in the West End.
The hit Disney musical celebrated its 10th anniversary at the New Amsterdam Theatre earlier this year.
Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.
Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!
