VARIETY SPECIALS

LYNDA CARTER VARIETY SPECIALS

003 LYNDA CARTER'S CELEBRATION

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Lynda Carter's Celebration

Premiere: CBS, Monday, May 11, 1981, 8:00 PM.

Director: Stan Harris. Writer: Jeffrey Barron.
GUEST-STARS:

RAY CHARLES.

JERRY REED.
CHRIS EVERT-LLOYD.
SONGS FEATURED:

[1] "CELEBRATION" Performed by Lynda Carter.

[2] "YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY" Performed by Lynda Carter.

[3] "BAYOU WOMAN" Performed by Jerry Reed.

[4] "MEDLEY" [Featuring THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT, THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU, and AS TIME GOES BY.] Performed by Lynda Carter.

[5] "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT" Performed by Lynda Carter, featuring Chris Evert-Lloyd playing tennis.

[6] "RHUMBA GIRL" Performed by Lynda Carter.

[7] "IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE" Performed by Ray Charles.

[8] "A NATURAL WOMAN" Performed by Lynda Carter and Ray Charles.

[9] "THE ROSE" Performed by Lynda Carter.

[10] "I'M ALRIGHT / GREAT BALLS OF FIRE" Performed by Lynda Carter.

  [11] "ALWAYS" Performed by Lynda Carter.
CREDITS:
Producers: Ron Samuels, Stan Harris.
Executive Producer: Ron Samuels.
Associate Producer: Patti Person.
Musical Director: Johnny Harris.

Special Musical Material: Lynda Carter, Johnny Harris.

Art Director: Ray Klausen.
Editor: David Foster.
Production Associate: Annette Lorenz.
Choreographer: Walter Painter.
Costumes Designed by: Bob Mackie.

Assistant To The Producer: Connie Cockrell.

Set Decorator: Corky Goodwin.
Associate Choreographer: Charlene Painter.
Technical Director: Ernie Bottelman.
Lightning Director: Truck Krone.
Audio: Rich Jacobs, Jack Black.
Production Associates: John Oetjen, Lucien Gullen.
Lynda Carter's Make-up: John Elliott.
Lynda Carter's Hair Stylist: Cheri Ruff.
Post Production Facilities: Pacific Video.
U.S. Open Tennis Footage Courtesy of: CBS Sports.

  © 1981 Lyn-Ron Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lynda Carter's Celebration
Lynda Carter's Celebration

Awards: "Emmy Award" for "LYNDA CARTER'S CELEBRATION": Walter Painter won an Emmy for outstanding achievement in choreography. Sunday, September 13, 1981, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA. Lynda Carter and Ron Samuels' production company were responsible for the show. / "Emmy Award" nomination for "LYNDA CARTER'S CELEBRATION": For outstanding art direction for a variety or music program (Ray Klausen's Art direction and Walter L. Goodwin's Set Decoration). Sunday, September 13, 1981, Pasadena Civic Auditorium,  Pasadena, CA. Lynda Carter and Ron Samuels' production company were responsible for the show.

PRESS RELEASES

Broadcast Date: May 11
"Lynda Carter's Celebration" April 10, 1981.
LYNDA CARTER: "START WITH THE MUSIC"

   "I know some people say television variety specials are dead because there is no new format. I don't agree. If you start with the music, you'll always have something new because there are so many different ways to present it."

   Lynda Carter was talking about her newest variety special, her third on the Network, called "Lynda Carter's Celebration," with guest stars Ray Charles, Jerry Reed and tennis champion Chris Evert Lloyd. It will be broadcast Monday, May 11 (8:00-9:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

   The striking brunette shot to international fame as star of the "Wonder Woman" series. But she started her career as a singer, on radio, as a 5-year-old. She had her first professional engagement when she was 15, went on the radio, when she was 17, and performed in Las Vegas at 19.

   "I've always kept up my singing, and it's what I like to do most, in front of a live audience. With lights and great costumes and all those people, there's nothing more exciting."

   Her special catches that live-performance quality with an audience on hand for the upbeat opening number, "Celebration"; and a concert spot with special guest star Ray Charles singing his hit, "It Hurts to Be in Love," and, with Miss Carter, "Natural Woman"; and her closing numbers, "The Rose," "I'm All Right" and "Great Balls of Fire." "For all those numbers, we built a spectacular setting," said Miss Carter. "It gives the audience something to look at while they listen to the music."

   The audience was seated arena-style, surrounding a transparent plastic stage mounted over the orchestra pit, painted a shocking pink. A complex scaffolding behind the audience carried an array of colored lights. Six cameras were used to tape the scene, including an aerial one mounted on a high track. "For Ray Charles' number," Miss Carter said, "we forklifted a grand piano into place on that delicate looking, transparent platform. It was quite a feat, structurally speaking, and it got a round of applause all its own from our audience."

   LYNDA CARTER: CELEBRATION," MUSICAL VARIETY SPECIAL. WITH GUESTS RAY CHARLES, JERRY REED AND CHRIS EVERT LLOYD TO BE BROADCAST MAY 11 "Lynda Carter: Celebration," an hour-long musical variety special in which the versatile title star joins her talents with those of guest stars singers Ray Charles and Jerry Reed and tennis champion Chris Evert Lloyd, will be broadcast Monday, May 11 (8:00-9:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

   In her third primetime special on the Network -- the others were "Lynda Carter's Special" and "Lynda Carter Encore!" -- Miss Carter pays tribute to her Latin heritage with a colorful rhumba dance and sings 10 songs, including a medley of old favorites and current pop hits. She joins in a duet with Ray Charles and sings the musical background to film showing her friend, world women's tennis champion Chris Evert Lloyd, in tournament action.

   The backstage tension and excitement of a big variety show are caught as the special begins, when Miss Carter sings "Celebration" to greet the audience, seated arena style for the show's opening and closing numbers.   The distinctive setting has lights mounted on a high scaffolding: which is set up around a transparent stage covering the orchestra pit. After a lighthearted "You're Moving Out Today," Miss Carter greets country singer Jerry Reed, who sings "Bayou Woman." A medley of "The Way You Look Tonight," "The Very Thought of You" and "As Time Goes By," by Miss Carter follows. Miss Carter introduces Chris Evert Lloyd, who is seen in filmed highlights of her winning form, set to the music-of Miss Carter singing "Hit Me with Your Best Shot."

   The fiery rhythm of flamenco takes the spotlight when Miss Carter dedicates the "Rhumba Girl" number to her grandmother as a tribute to her own Spanish-and-Mexican heritage. Miss Carter and a group of dancers do a classic flamenco dance, and then move to a modern barrio setting. Miss Carter introduces her special guest star, Ray Charles, as a matchless artist in every area of music. Charles sings, "It Hurts to Be in Love," then he and Miss Carter sing, "Natural Woman."

   In winding up her show, Miss Carter sings "The Rose," "I'm All Right" and "Great Balls of Fire," and closes with her signature tune, "Always." The special was a Lyn-Ron Production with Ron Samuels as executive producer. It was produced and directed by Stan Harris from a script by Jeffrey Barron. Bob Mackie was the costume designer and Walter Painter did the choreography. Ray Klausen was art director and John Harris the musical director.

   Since her popular "Wonder Woman" series, Miss Carter has, in addition to her musical specials on the Network, starred in the dramatic motion picture for television "The Last Song," also presented on the Network.     She has performed at the London Palladium and in the recent television special, "Command Performance: The Stars Salute the President." The legendary Ray Charles, winner of 10 Grammy Awards, had his first big record hit in 1958 ("I Got a Woman"). His album, "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music," sold over one million copies, and one of its tunes, "I Can't Stop Loving You," sold over two million records. He appeared earlier this season on the Network on the "John Schneider -- Back Home" musical special.

   Actor-singer Jerry Reed, a two-time Grammy Award winner, starred recently in the dramatic series "Concrete Cowboys" on the Network. He has written more than 400 songs and hosted his own summer variety program, "When You're Hot Hour." He has also appeared in the feature films "W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings," "Gator" and "Smokey and the Bandit." Chris Evert Lloyd, currently ranked No. 1 world women's tennis player, is a two-time Wimbledon winner; has won the U.S. Open five times and the French Open four times. Since turning pro in 1971, she has won more than 100 career tournaments. This is her first featured appearance on a variety special.

STATS MEDIA TRIVIA

RUNNING TIME: 0:50:00 [1 hour including commercials].
VHS: Not available on commercial video. Available on VHS thru fan services.
DVD: Not available on commercial video.
INFO: This is Lynda Carter's third television special.
AUDIO: [1] "CELEBRATION" MP3.
[2] "YOU'RE MOVIN' OUT TODAY" MP3.
[3] "MEDLEY" MP3.
[4] "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT" MP3.
[5] "RHUMBA GIRL" MP3.
[6] "A NATURAL WOMAN" MP3.
[7] "THE ROSE" MP3.
[8] "I'M ALRIGHT/GREAT BALLS OF FIRE" MP3.
[9] "ALWAYS" MP3.
VIDEO: [1]  "CELEBRATION" WMV.
[2]  "YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY" WMV.
[3]  "MEDLEY" WMV.
[4]  "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT" WMV.
[5]  "RHUMBA GIRL" WMV.
[6]  "A NATURAL WOMAN" WMV.
[7]  "THE ROSE" WMV.
[8]  "I'M ALRIGHT / GREAT BALLS OF FIRE" WMV.
[9]  "ALWAYS" WMV.
TRIVIA: [•] Produced by Lynda Carter's own husband then, Ron Samuels.
[•] The show was the first of the specials to be nominated for an Emmy award. Of two nominations it won one of them.
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