I'll never forget it.
I was lucky to be front row center....close enough to see the sweat on their brows as the three-hour performance waxed on.
What a show these two perfectly-matched, show biz born-and-bred guys put on! It was unbelievable!
Mickey was in his low eighties, Donald in his seventies. They were immaculate in tuxedos and made a handsome pair. Mickey was a little chubby and got red and sweaty in the face as they did their numbers, but when he danced he was graceful as when he was on the silver screen.
Both of them were born in costume trunks and raised on the vaudville stage. This night they did old vaudvillian skits, they did songs and dances from their old movies (including Donald's "Singin' In the Rain" and "There's No Business Like Show Business").
They did slapstick, sang all the old songs, the old jokes....and astounded the standing-room-only audience with the nimble way they did the various dance routines, including tap, at their ages. The danced with terrific energy, finesse, humor, flourish and agility. It was amazing....how could they perform the steps as if it were the 1940's again!
The air in the theater was electric. They received standing O's and huzzahs after EVERY SINGLE NUMBER, bar non!
I knew in my heart that everyone in the audience was re-living their growing-up days at their neighborhood Tivolis, including me.
There was not a few tears at the end of the show amidst the wild applause and shouts for encores, which they graciously gave in response.
What struck me was how these two old troupers gave their all, holding nothing back as if entertaining us was the most important thing in the world to them...and we just knew it was.
Not a swear word, nothing off-color during the whole performance....just pure heaven covered in tuxes and tap shoes.
At one point, they rested on stools at the edge of the stage and reminisced intimately, poignantly and humorously with each other and with the audience about their long-time careers and the stars they knew and loved.
Donald O'Connor, always a gawky-looking guy as we knew him in those days had filled out in the face and neck over the years. He looked great. He had astonishingly brilliant blue eyes. In his tux and with his Irish charm and expressive face, he captivated the audience. He was unbelievingly handsome.
I thank my lucky stars I bought tickets for that show. I'll never forget that magical evening with two of the best that ever trod the boards!
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, FOLKS!
Leni
As you know I'm a big fan of Mickey Rooney.
I like all of his work but my all time personal favorite is "Love laughs at Andy Hardy".
The dance scene between Dorothy Ford (Coffy Smith) and Mickey (Andy Hardy) is one of the greatest scenes on film.
