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VIDEO FLASHBACK: Gordon MacRea, Pearl Bailey, Glenn Close Sing Anthem at Mets World Series Games
By: Michael Dale Oct. 26, 2015
Since their first season in 1962, the New York Mets have always attracted Broadway stars to cheer them on at Shea Stadium and now Citi Field. In earlier days, Pearl Bailey, Carol Channing and Len Cariou were known to be frequent attendees and the roster of performers singing our national anthem before games has often included Broadway's brightest.
During this season's drive to the World Series, BroadwayWorld has posted videos of stars like HAMILTON's Leslie Odom Jr and Christopher Jackson and ROTHSCHILD & SON's Robert Cuccioli singing The Star-Spangled Banner at Citi Field (Click their names to enjoy their renditions), but let's take a musical journey back to the Mets' first World Series in 1969.
The '69 Miracle Mets defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in 5 games, with the last three played at Shea. Steve Lawrence, who earlier that year had finished his Broadway run of GOLDEN RAINBOW, co-starring with his wife Eydie Gorme, was supposed to be the afternoon's anthem singer. A marching band was on the field to accompany him, but after his name was announced to the crowd, a microphone malfunction prevented him from being heard. The band played on and the fans sang along.
The next day, Gordon MacRae was the game's guest vocalist. Though primarily known for the Hollywood versions of OKLAHOMA! and CAROUSEL, MacRae had recently starred on Broadway opposite Carol Lawrence as Mary Martin and Robert Preston's alternates in I DO! I DO! After the previous day's technical problem, he praised the fans' vocal skills and invited them to sing along. (Anthem begins at 24:35)
Entertainment legend Pearl Bailey was a passionate and outspoken Mets fan and did the honors before game 5, the game that won her team their first World Championship. (Anthem begins at 19:55)
The Mets won their second world championship in 1986 and there to sing the anthem for game one of the World Series was another passionate fan, Glenn Close. This was still several years before her stint in SUNSET BOULEVARD, but she had already displayed her musical chops in BARNUM.
Though a video of that 1986 rendition is not available, we can enjoy this "revival" of that performance from 2011.
Who are some of the great stars you've heard sing our national anthem at sports events, and who would you like to hear when the World Series begins on Tuesday night?
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