What a pleasure this is! No story, no plot, just the results of what happened when Danny Kaye was attending one of Mehta's rehearsals and he asked Kaye if he would like to try conducting. Mehta claimed the orchestra sounded better with Kaye conducting. Certainly, they never laughed as much. Great classical music and great classical burlesque humor.
Live from Lincoln Center (TV Series)
An Evening with Danny Kaye and the New York Philharmonic (1981)
User Reviews
Review this title5 Reviews
Hilarious and entertaining!
shaunmichelle1-114-23658223 September 2014
I grew up listening to Danny Kaye, and always enjoyed him and his humour. Granted, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it is definitely funny. Undoubtedly Danny Kaye at his best. I remember this came on TV oh so many years ago (I was only a young boy), and we recorded it. I remember watching it SO many times, and ALWAYS found it good for a laugh. If you don't like classical music, you may find it a bit ho-hum. But if you want a fun way to introduce the kids into the joys of classical music, you can't miss this. Unfortunately some of Kaye's dialogue is badly recorded (just by one microphone in front of the podium), but given it WAS 1981, the concept of wireless lapel microphones was not in common use. That is about the only negative thing I can say about this. If you want to spend two hours listening to some of the greatest classical pieces of all time while laughing your head off, this is the way to do it!
My all time favorite show on TV!!
erwinvandenbuys26 June 2019
I was 14 when I saw this concert for the very first time and it got engraved in my ears and eyes and mind since then. It remains for me the best thing ever broadcasted on TV, no doubt! The best entertainment or amusement show ever!
A pity it is (still) not available on DVD or CD, very strange though..... I do have the video, but it doesn't contain the entire concert, I remember very well they also played Ravel's Bolero, when Danny Kaye danced with an older lady (with a pink jacket) from the audience. This part can also not be found on YouTube, possibly other parts were left out as well.
Danny Kaye is absolutely fabulous in this concert, no matter what negative things are told about him in these reviews..... * no need to say he was gay, * no need to say he maybe could not read music, * no need to say his humor is not spontaneous, * no need to say the selected music are tired classics, because it's NOT TRUE This concert deserves more than 10 stars!
A pity it is (still) not available on DVD or CD, very strange though..... I do have the video, but it doesn't contain the entire concert, I remember very well they also played Ravel's Bolero, when Danny Kaye danced with an older lady (with a pink jacket) from the audience. This part can also not be found on YouTube, possibly other parts were left out as well.
Danny Kaye is absolutely fabulous in this concert, no matter what negative things are told about him in these reviews..... * no need to say he was gay, * no need to say he maybe could not read music, * no need to say his humor is not spontaneous, * no need to say the selected music are tired classics, because it's NOT TRUE This concert deserves more than 10 stars!
Another Vehicle for Danny Kaye to Reveal his Astonishing Range of Talent
l_rawjalaurence15 August 2016
It seems that other reviewers of this program have been put off by two things - a) that Danny Kaye should be actively participating in a CLASSICAL music concert of POPS; and b) that he reveals very little of his trademark humor during the entire 100-minute event.
In truth AN EVENING WITH DANNY KAYE tells us a lot about the great comedian's personality. Although claiming not to read music (which might or might not have been true), he goes about the task of conducting the New York Philharmonic with such gusto that viewers simply do not really care about whether he has any particular shortcomings.
Clad in black coat and tails, his long blonde hair flailing about as he quite literally browbeats the orchestra with his baton, he gives a performance of such energy and verve that we cannot help but enjoy it. This is a seventy-year-old comedian with the heart of a seven-year-old; someone who loves the music he has chosen and wants to communicate that love to a well-heeled audience as well as the millions of viewers watching on television or other media.
Sometimes he tends to take the music at a rush (his version of Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie" is one of the quickest I have ever heard), but there's no denying his capacity to get the best out of the orchestra. The comedy interludes are entertaining enough - especially his badinage with spectators unfortunate enough to come late or interrupt the proceedings with a cough - but AN EVENING WITH DANNY KAYE should be enjoyed on its own terms as living proof that classical concerts are for everyone, not just the musical cognoscenti listening to public radio and/or BBC Radio 3.
In truth AN EVENING WITH DANNY KAYE tells us a lot about the great comedian's personality. Although claiming not to read music (which might or might not have been true), he goes about the task of conducting the New York Philharmonic with such gusto that viewers simply do not really care about whether he has any particular shortcomings.
Clad in black coat and tails, his long blonde hair flailing about as he quite literally browbeats the orchestra with his baton, he gives a performance of such energy and verve that we cannot help but enjoy it. This is a seventy-year-old comedian with the heart of a seven-year-old; someone who loves the music he has chosen and wants to communicate that love to a well-heeled audience as well as the millions of viewers watching on television or other media.
Sometimes he tends to take the music at a rush (his version of Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie" is one of the quickest I have ever heard), but there's no denying his capacity to get the best out of the orchestra. The comedy interludes are entertaining enough - especially his badinage with spectators unfortunate enough to come late or interrupt the proceedings with a cough - but AN EVENING WITH DANNY KAYE should be enjoyed on its own terms as living proof that classical concerts are for everyone, not just the musical cognoscenti listening to public radio and/or BBC Radio 3.
Dull and only mildly humorous
fubared11 June 2013
The music consists of any of the tired classics you'll hear at any local 'Pops' concert. This stuff has been done to death!!! The humor is not much either. Just Kaye's usual schtick. Nothing much 'spontaneous' or interesting. Just a few mild chuckles. I would have preferred Tim Conway's old conductor. As we all know, Kaye spent his life hiding in the closet, so one can only chuckle when he kisses the young women. The most insulting thing about the whole thing is that Kaye BRAGS about not being able to read music. Something he could very easily have learned. It's not that hard for anyone with even half a brain. But to promote this fact, as he often did, to his younger viewers, is patently irresponsible. Well, he's dead now, so why beat a dead horse. One can only wonder if he and 'Zube' had something going on behind closet doors.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
