 Broadcast
Date: May 11 |
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| "Lynda
Carter's Celebration" April 10, 1981. |
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 LYNDA
CARTER: "START WITH THE MUSIC" |
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"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." |
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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. |
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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. |
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"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." |
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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." |
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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." |
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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. |
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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. |
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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." |
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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." |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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© 1981 Lyn-Ron Productions, Inc.
