Fred Astaire (1899-1987) was a film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. He is particularly associated with Ginger Rogers, with whom he made ten films (the most famous being Top Hat). His unparalleled skill as a dancer has led many critics to cite him as the best dancer ever to come out of Hollywood.

In 1966, Astaire hosted an episode of The Hollywood Palace that included Kermit performing the "Inchworm" sketch.

Phyllis Fraser, Christopher and Jonathan Cerf's mother, was a first cousin of Astaire's dancing partner, Ginger Rogers.

ReferencesEdit

• Kermit's dance number in The Great Muppet Caper, "Steppin' Out with a Star", is a reference to Astaire. The Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter referred to the sequence as "Kermit's Fred Astaire dance number." ^[1]

• During the dance marathon in The Muppet Show episode 515, First Mate Piggy is eaten by a hungry alien (Mean Mama). Gonzo warns Piggy that if she stops dancing, she'll be disqualified from the contest. As Piggy dances inside the alien's stomach, Gonzo sighs, "Fred and Ginger were never better."

• Maria and Luis parody the couple in their song You Say Hola on Sesame Street in 1984.

• Count von Count appears as Astaire (alongside Countess Dahling von Dahling as Rogers) in A Brief History of Motion Pictures.

• Kermit appears as "Frog Astaire" in the coloring book Great Muppets in American History.

• "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" is performed as a tribute to Astaire by Rudolf Nureyev and the Muppets on episode 213 of The Muppet Show.

SourcesEdit

1. ↑ "Movie Notes", The Muppet Fan Club newsletter, vol. 3 no. 2, 1981.

External linksEdit

• IMDb
• Internet Broadway Database