( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ABSOLUTELY LOVELY!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY GUEST TONIGHT --
( CHANTING ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU.
PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS A THREE-TIME
TONY AWARD WINNER AND A LIVING LEGEND OF BROADWAY.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, NATHAN LANE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> PLEASE, D -- DON'T -- STOP!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: MAESTRO, IT'S
LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
I HAVE TO SIT DOWN SLOWLY.
I HAVE A LITTLE PANDEMIC WEIGHT.
OR I HAD TO STOP SAYING THAT.
NOW I JUST TELL PEOPLE I'M DOING THE CHRIS CHRISTIE STORY FOR
LIFETIME.
AND THEY'RE ALL VERY IMPRESSED.
LOOK, LET'S JUST TALK YOU AND ME.
>> Stephen: SURE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON YOUR FIRST WEEK
BACK.
IT'S A GREAT HONOR.
>> Stephen: IT'S AN HONOR FOR US TO HAVE ONE OF THE JEWELS IN
THE CROWN OF BROADWAY ON.
>> I WAS SO TOUCHED THAT YOU ASKED PERSONALLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF GEORGE CLOONEY FELL OUT OR WHATEVER HAPPENED,
BUT I'M HERE AND I'M SO DELIGHTED.
AND IT'S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK WHERE YOU BELONG.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: OH, THANK YOU.
AND OUT OF THE -- OUT OF THAT SAD LITTLE PANELED REC ROOM,
THAT GRIZZLY ADAMS SUBLET, IT LOOKED LIKE THE UNABOMBER'S COZY
GETAWAY.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT YOU -- YOU KNOW, THE HIGH
LIGHT OF THAT, YOU, OF COURSE, WAS KEEPING THE COMEDY LIGHT IN
THE WINDOW FOR ALL OF US AS DEMOCRACY GOES DOWN THE DRAIN.
BUT THE HIGH LIGHT, REALLY, WAS YOUR BEAUTIFUL, LOVELY, ADORABLE
WIFE EVIE.
>> Stephen: I COMPLETELY AGREE.
I COMPLETELY AGREE.
WHAT A DEAR.
>> TRAPPED IN THAT LITTLE ROOM, IT WAS LIKE A HEART WARMING
HOSTAGE VIDEO WHERE YOU KEPT TALKING AND TALKING AND YOU
COULD HEAR HER LAUGHING IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND I SAID, THAT IS TRUE LOVE.
THAT IS TRUE LOVE, AND IT REMINDS ME OF PEOPLE LIKE US
NEED THE PERSON WHO GETS THE JOKE.
>> Stephen: SURE.
I WAS REMINDED TO HAVE THE GREAT ANNE BANCROFT WHO SAID THE
BEST THING ABOUT MEL BROOKS WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW WE'RE LIKE
ANY OTHER COUPLE, WE'VE HAD OUR UPS AND DOWNS, BUT EVERY TIME I
HEAR THE KEY IN THE DOOR, I KNOW THE PARTY'S ABOUT TO START.
A LESSON FOR US ALL.
( APPLAUSE ) LET ME CONGRATULATE THE GREAT
JON BATISTE ON HIS OSCAR!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Jon: YES!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF LAST YEAR, I WAS A LITTLE
WRRIED FOR "SOUL" BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS PERHAPS A TAD MET
PHYSICALLY FOR THE PIXAR HEAVY PRE-SCHOOL CROWD.
BUT I THOUGHT, NO, THE TODDLERS SHOULD LEARN EARLY THAT LIFE IS
FRAGILE AND COULD ALL BE OVER IN A PARTY BEAT!
( LAUGHTER ) BELIEVE ME, I KNOW FROM
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I MYSELF WAS DECLARED LEGALLY DEAD FOR A YEAR
WHILE DOING THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THE ED
SULLIVAN THEATER.
>> Stephen: ISN'T IT THOUGH!
JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF BROADWAY, WHAT'S IT FEEL LIKE TO BE ON A
BROADWAY STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER, 400 PEOPLE HERE
IN THIS BEAUTIFUL THEATER?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT,
THE HUMAN CONNECTION.
IT'S A THRILL TO BE BACK.
I FEEL LIKE THE MIGHTY AND HORNY CICADA WHO HAS EMERGED FROM
QUARANTINE AND I'M JUST LOOKING FOR A GOOD TIME!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> BUT I STILL GET NERVOUS.
I STILL GET THE BUTTERFLIES.
YOU KNOW THE OLD ADAGE OF IF YOU'RE AFRAID TO GO IN FRONT OF
A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE JUST IMAGINE THEM ALL NAKED?
>> Stephen: YES.
( CHEERING ) >> THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO DO.
THEN I LIKE TO IMAGINE THEM ALL TAKING A LONG, HOT, STEAMY
SHOWER AND TRYING TO CLEAN THOSE HARD TO REACH PLACES.
( LAUGHTER ) SLOWLY TOWELING OFF, BLOW DRYING
THEIR HAIR AND GETTING BACK INTO THEIR TIGHT-FITTING CLOTHING.
THEN I IMAGINE THEM PICKING UP THE CASH ON THE DRESSER THAT I
LEFT FOR THEM.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> THAT'S HOW I DO IT.
YOU KNOW, LOOK, THIS IS AN AUDIENCE LIKE THIS, IT'S MADE ME
FORGET THE PANDEMIC.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: ISN'T IT
INTERESTING HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN TOTALLY --
>> NO, THANK GOD THE WORST IS OVER AND FINALLY BEING A SHUT-IN
WITH A MOOD DISORDER MEANS SOMETHING AGAIN.
NOW I CAN BE DEAD INSIDE OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M
SAYING?
>> Stephen: I DO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!
>> Stephen: NOW, OKAY, AND THIS ISN'T ANY OLD BROADWAY
HOUSE, THIS IS THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: ORIGINALLY HAMMERSTEIN BACK IN 1927.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTION WITH THIS THEATER, MEMORIES OF THIS
PLACE?
>> CERTAINLY.
WELL, AS A DID I GREW UP WATCHING THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER ED SULLIVAN?
( APPLAUSE ) BECAUSE ED WAS A UNIQUE
PERSONALITY, AND I USE THE WORD PERSONALITY LOOSELY.
HE WAS SORT OF FAMOUS FOR BEING PHYSICALLY AWKWARD.
HE HAD TROUBLE PRONOUNCING WORDS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE'S
NAMES, AND HE HAD, REALLY, THE PERSONALITY OF THIS DISK, BUT HE
ORGANIZED A GREAT SHOW FROM PLATE SPINNERS, TO OPERA SINGERS
TO BROADWAY AND CIRCUS ACTS.
IT WAS AN AMAZING SHOW.
COMING BACK I WAS REMINDED OF A RATHER DRAMATIC THING THAT
HAPPENED HERE.
THERE WAS AN ANIMAL TRAINER NAMED CLYDE WALL STREETY, THE
PRECURSOR TO SIEGFRIED AND ROY.
HE WORKED WITH RINGLING BROTHERS AND HAD A BIG LION AND TIGER
ACT.
THEY BROUGHT HIM IN HERE AND HE THOUGHT THE STAGE WAS TOO SMALL
TO DO THE ACT SAFELY.
ED AND THE PRODUCERS TAUGHT HIM INTO DOING IT.
IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THE FOOTAGE, IT LOOKS A LITTLE CRAMPED IN THE
CAGE WITH HIM AND THE LIONS AND THE TIGERS.
JUST AS HE FEARED, HE LOSES CONTROL OF THE CATS.
HE'S HOLDING A WHIP AND A STOOL AND A STARTER'S PISTOL TO SCARE
THEM -- FRANKLY, THAT'S HOW THEY USED TO HANDLE FAYE DUNAWAY IN
THE '80s.
( LAUGHTER ) SO HE'S CRACKING THE WHIP AND
PUSHING THEM AWAY WITH THE STOOL AND SUDDENLY THERE'S AN AWKWARD
CAMERA MOVE TO ED.
HE'S IN THE AUDIENCE SAYING, NOW, LET'S SEE WHO'S IN OUR
AUDIENCE TONIGHT.
( LAUGHTER ) WHY, LOOK, IT'S CAROL CHANNING!
HELLO, ED!
SO YOUNG CAROL CHANNING STANDS UP.
MEANWHILE, IN THE BACKGROUND YOU HEAR, BACK, SIMBA!
DOWN, BOY, HEEL, HEEL!
ED SAYS, I HEAR YOU'RE DOING GUYS PREFER BLONDES.
>> OPEN THE DOOR!
MAYBE YOU FAVOR -- GET ME SOME RAW MEAT, A REAL
GUN!
HELP!
( LAUGHTER ) ♪ DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST
FRIEND ♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
BUT PLEASE DON'T GO AWAY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF THE ONE, THE ONLY NATHAN LANE.