This week’s “Stage” page features an interview with Todd Hart, executive producer at Theatre Arlington. Hart directs and co-stars with Jenny Thurman in the theater’s current show Pete ‘n Keely, a barbed musical comedy about the disastrous reunion of a once beloved singing duo during a 1968 network TV special. Hart and Thurman are receiving rave reviews for their performances. It’s unclear from the above photo whether Todd is wearing the mustache or the mustache is wearing him.
It’s been speculated that Pete and Keely are based on performers extraordinaire Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. Here’s a clip from a 1967 Ed Sullivan Show of the couple performing “Darn It, Baby, That’s Love!” (Tune starts at :23). Sonny and Cher were legendary hitched entertainers, of course — here’s an early ‘70s clip from their prime time show featuring the tune “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done.” (Note the eerie resemblance of Sonny’s mustache to Todd Hart’s, except that Sonny’s was real). And finally, nothing captures the Pete ‘n’ Keely vibe better than that finely aged slice of FM radio cheese called “Reunited.” Watch Peaches and Herb flirt it up, and decide for yourself which are bigger –– Herb’s lapels or his sideburns.
