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Janet Blair opens the show with a gorgeous rendition of “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” Command Performance often centered its episodes around fun conceptual themes, and tonight’s broadcast is all about a grand concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Jimmy Durante arrives to exchange jokes with Janet and lend his own unique musical flair to the affair.
After joining in on the banter, Metropolitan Opera star Rise Stevens delights the audience with “Dearly Beloved.” Next, Victor Borge shares humorous anecdotes about how he became a concert pianist and treats announcer Ken Carpenter to a comical piano lesson—before transitioning into a brilliant classical piece to demonstrate his true virtuosity. Rise Stevens returns to perform “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” followed by Jimmy Durante poking fun at his own musical prowess with “Durante the Patron of the Arts.” Janet Blair wraps up the star-studded Hollywood Bowl celebration with a lovely performance of “When I’m Near You.”
