Telethon 2000: A Show To Remember
by Phil Ivory
A triumphant Jerry Lewis shows his gratitude for the Telethon's record $54.6 million in pledges and contributions. |
Commencing at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 3, the nationally televised Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon got off to an exciting start, thanks to mesmerizing footwork from Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" troupe.
Talk show host Larry King then stepped onstage at CBS Television City in Hollywood to introduce MDA's national chairman and longtime Telethon star, Jerry Lewis.
Lewis began with a promise that his 2000 Telethon would be a show like no other on television, mixing great entertainment with exciting new information about the Muscular Dystrophy Association's ongoing effort to conquer neuromuscular diseases.
Lewis was in fine form throughout the 211/2-hour event, whether he was singing, dancing, clowning around or speaking from the heart about the urgency of MDA's mission.
Telethon Anchor Ed McMahon was indispensable as were co-hosts Jann Carl, Norm Crosby and Cynthia Garrett. Other longtime MDA allies such as Kevin Meaney, Bart Conner, Nadia Comaneci and Casey Kasem appeared in live and pretaped segments to convey crucial information about the work MDA does.
The Telethon was carried live by some 200 MDA "Love Network" stations across the country and worldwide on the Internet.
Music
There was an abundance of musical talent on display, including singer Jack Jones, who earned a standing ovation for his medley from "Man of La Mancha," and Maureen McGovern, who once again contributed her peerless vocal talents.
Tony Danza did a great song-and-dance number. Frank Sinatra Jr. demonstrated his vocal prowess and reminisced with Lewis about the senior Sinatra's many performances on the Telethon.
Pam Tillis, Clay Walker and members of the Grand Ole Opry helped uphold the Telethon's tradition of providing outstanding country music.
Alternative group Third Eye Blind rocked the house. Other top artists such as Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill and Sting appeared in special segments courtesy of the VH-1 music network.
The Telethon also featured performances by Robin Chavez, opera singer, and Mindy Klusmann, country singer. Both are affected by neuromuscular diseases in MDA's program. Both spoke eloquently about the importance of help received from MDA.
Cast members of Broadway's "Chicago" did two fabulous numbers in a live remote from the Big Apple. Marilu Henner and Rex Smith sang some favorite songs from the touring production of "Annie Get Your Gun." Veteran actress and Lewis pal Kathleen Freeman appeared with the cast of the new Broadway show "The Full Monty" to do a hilarious number.
Charo sang, danced and played flamenco guitar. Violinist Rachel Barton shared her virtuoso talent. Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde and Dulé Hill were among the top dancers who appeared.
Comedy
Jerry gets the celebrity interview treatment from Jiminy Glick (better known as Martin Short).
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Hollywood correspondent Jiminy Glick interviewed Lewis live on the Telethon set, getting vital facts about Lewis' career wrong and making it clear he wasn't entirely sure whom he was interviewing. It all made sense when it was revealed that Glick was an alter ego of comedian Martin Short, who's been a friend to Lewis for years and a performer on past Telethons.
Other comedians who added laugh power included Bob Zany, Diane Ford, Pat Cooper, Sunda Croonquist, Max Alexander, Tom Dreesen, Phyllis Diller and Shecky Greene.
Classic Moments
A touch of nostalgia was provided by vintage clips from past Telethon performances of such legends as Johnny Carson, Robert Goulet, Mel Tormé, Cornell Gunther and the Coasters, Charlie Callas, Sammy Davis Jr., the Jackson Five, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
STARS SPEAK
ON TELETHON 2000
Some celebrities came to perform, but others made the equally important contribution of delivering impassioned pleas for support of MDA's mission.
Walter Anderson, publisher of "Parade" magazine: "In the 1950s, Jerry Lewis and MDA began to champion the cause of fighting neuromuscular diseases. The medical community had reported these diseases to be incurable. MDA started raising money and putting it into scientific research. MDA insisted there are no incurable diseases - only diseases for which cures have not yet been found."
Dennis Franz, actor: "Remember when they had those guys called knights, who went around rescuing girls out of towers? Well, you know who are like those knights today? MDA scientists. They're on a crusade, looking for medical answers to slay the dragon called muscular dystrophy."
Leeza Gibbons, television personality, about MDA's Web site: "There are so many ways your Telethon dollars help families fighting neuromuscular diseases - for instance, by providing information that makes a crucial difference in the daily battle against these disorders."
Jack Lemmon, actor: "More than 20 years ago, I appeared on this Telethon to read a letter written by a man with ALS. The man who wrote that letter died - as have so many others, including a very special man with ALS named Morrie Schwartz, whom I played in the television movie, 'Tuesdays With Morrie.' Now I know more about ALS than ever. I still get emotional thinking about it. Mostly, I get angry. This is a four-alarm fire. An emergency. We have to support the research and stop this damned disease once and for all."
Delta Burke, actress: "Hope is real. It's a powerful force in our lives. It makes so many wonderful things possible, like the research advances that have already been made by MDA scientists. They've come so far. With your help, they're going to keep pressing forward to find new treatments and cures."
Regis Philbin, television personality: "You want to know what the final answer is in the war on neuromuscular diseases? The final answer for Jerry and MDA must be victory." |
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Lewis introduced a touching clip from the 1950s showing him singing "Sonny Boy" with his late father, Danny. That was followed by more vintage footage of Lewis singing the same song with his eldest son, Gary. The grownup Gary then came out live to do several numbers with his rock band, Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
MDA's Mission
MDA Director of Science Technology Donald S. Wood interviewed a number of scientific experts, including R. Rodney Howell and Leon I. Charash, physicians who help guide MDA's scientific and clinical initiatives throughout the year.
Other leading scientists who appeared to speak about such topics as gene therapy and stem cell research included Louis M. Kunkel, Jeffrey Chamberlain and Margaret A. Goodell.
A number of families and individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases told their personal stories, including Lauren Carter, who's 9 and has spinal muscular atrophy. She's currently serving as MDA National Goodwill Ambassador.
MDA National Youth Chairperson Mandy Van Benthuysen, 20, was on hand to introduce representatives of youth organizations that help MDA. Van Benthuysen is a college student from San Diego affected by limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD).
Jan Blaustone of Nashville, Tenn., also has LGMD. A writer and educator who serves on MDA's National Task Force on Public Awareness, she appeared live on the broadcast to accept MDA's National Personal Achievement Award for 2001. Blaustone spoke movingly about having recently lost a relative to another neuromuscular disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Chris Rosa, who has Becker muscular dystrophy and serves on MDA's Board of Directors, and Tom Bush, who has spinal muscular atrophy and serves as director of MDA's online services, appeared together to discuss MDA's ability to instill hope for the future and foster public awareness of the reality of living with a physical disability.
A Meaningful Outcome
Throughout the broadcast, Lewis offered up words of gratitude to the viewers who phone in pledges and the corporate sponsors who work hard raising funds for MDA year-round.
Although technical glitches prevented Lewis' national pledge board from working properly during the final hours, the needed contributions continued to come in.
Luckily, the NASDAQ studio in New York, which showed the Telethon on its huge Times Square screen, was able to pitch in and post the rising tote. (NASDAQ also helped launch the Telethon when Rosa opened the high-tech stock exchange on the Friday before the show.)
Lewis was overcome with emotion when he saw members of his backstage Telethon team holding up a series of numbers to spell out the record-breaking final total of $54,610,289.
Co-hosts Cynthia Garrett, Norm Crosby and Jann Carl brought warmth and enthusiasm to their Telethon roles.
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"What a wonderful world we live in," Lewis said, thanking MDA's many friends and supporters.
"I'm overjoyed, because it means we can keep the research going at full speed and beat muscular dystrophy that much sooner." |
