Editing The Ed Sullivan Show (section)

==Notable performances and guests==
[[File:Beatles with Ed Sullivan.jpg|thumb|Sullivan and the Beatles, February 1964]]
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is especially known to the World War II and [[baby boomer]] generations for introducing acts and airing breakthrough performances by popular 1950s and 1960s musicians such as [[Elvis Presley]], [[the Beatles]], [[the Supremes]], [[the Dave Clark Five]], [[the Animals]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[the Beach Boys]], [[the Jackson 5]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Buddy Holly]], [[Janis Joplin]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[the Mamas and the Papas]], [[the Lovin' Spoonful]], [[Herman's Hermits]], [[the Doors]], [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Petula Clark]], [[Vanilla Fudge]], and [[the Band]] and the famous [[Gene Vincent]] and his Blue Caps

The Canadian comedy duo [[Wayne and Shuster]] appeared on the program 67 times, a record for any performer.<ref>[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/wayne-and-shuster/ "Wayne and Shuster" ] ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''.  Charles Dougall, 02/07/2006</ref> [[Bill Haley & His Comets]] performed their hit "[[Rock Around the Clock]]" in early August 1955, later recognized as the first rock and roll song broadcast on a national television program.<ref>[[Jim Dawson]], ''Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution'', 2005.</ref>

===Itzhak Perlman===
The American public's first exposure to [[Itzhak Perlman]] was on the show in 1958, when he was 13. This performance was a breakthrough not only for classical music, but also for Perlman, who rode the waves of admiration to new heights of fame lasting a generation.

===Elvis Presley===

====Initial appearance====
On September 9, 1956, Presley made his first appearance on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' (after earlier appearances on shows hosted by the [[Stage Show (TV series)|Dorsey Brothers]], [[Milton Berle]], and [[Steve Allen]]), even though Sullivan had vowed never to allow Presley on the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/elvis-presley |title=Products Page &#124; Ed Sullivan Show |website=Edsullivan.com |access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref> According to Sullivan biographer Michael David Harris, "Sullivan signed Presley when the host was having an intense Sunday-night rivalry with Steve Allen. Allen had the singer on July 1 and trounced Sullivan in the ratings. When asked to comment, [Sullivan] said that he wouldn't consider presenting Presley before a family audience. Less than two weeks later he changed his mind and signed a contract."<ref name="Harris116">{{cite book |title=Always on Sunday: Ed Sullivan, An Inside View |url=https://archive.org/details/alwaysonsundayed00harr |url-access=registration |last=Harris |first=Michael David |year=1968 |publisher=Meredith Press|location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/alwaysonsundayed00harr/page/116 116]}}</ref>

At the time, Presley was filming ''[[Love Me Tender (film)|Love Me Tender]]'', so Sullivan's producer, [[Marlo Lewis]], flew to Los Angeles to supervise the two segments telecast that night from [[CBS Television City]] in Hollywood. Sullivan, however, was not able to host his show in New York City because he was recovering from a near fatal automobile accident. [[Charles Laughton]] guest-hosted in Sullivan's place, and opened the show.<ref name="Elvis Presley - Ed Sullivan Shows">{{cite video |people=Paul Mavis (Director) |title=Elvis Presley – Ed Sullivan Shows |medium=DVD |publisher=Image Entertainment |date=2006}}</ref> Music journalist [[Greil Marcus]] wrote that Sullivan's choice to have Elvis appear after Laughton's introduction was an attempt to make Elvis less prominent in the show.<ref name="Marcus100606">{{cite web |title=Official Press Release – Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows |url=http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/dvd/dvd_ed_sullivan_shows_set.shtml |publisher=Elvis Australia |date=October 6, 2006}} References DVD liner notes by [[Greil Marcus]].</ref>

[[File:Sullivan Elvis Ready Expression.JPG|thumb|right|Elvis Presley performing "Ready Teddy"]]For his first set, Elvis played "[[Don't Be Cruel]]" and "[[Love Me Tender (song)|Love Me Tender]]".<ref name="Elvis Presley - Ed Sullivan Shows" /> According to writer [[Elaine Dundy]], Presley sang "Love Me Tender" "straight, subdued and tender ... {{snd}}a very different Elvis from the one on ''The Steve Allen Show'' three months before".<ref>Dundy, Elaine, ''Elvis and Gladys'' (University Press of Mississippi, 2004), p. 259.</ref> Elvis's second set consisted of "[[Ready Teddy]]" and a shortened version of "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]".<ref name="Elvis Presley - Ed Sullivan Shows"/> Popular mythology states that Sullivan censored Presley by shooting him only from the waist up, but in fact, Presley's whole body was shown in the first and second shows.<ref name="Altschuler">{{cite book|last1=Altschuler|first1=Glenn C.|title=All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-19-517749-7|page=91|author-link1=Glenn C. Altschuler}}</ref><ref name="American Idol 2005. page 16">''TV A-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol''. Jake Austen. 2005. Chicago Review Press, Inc. {{ISBN|1-55652-572-9}}. p. 16</ref>

Although Laughton was the main star and there were seven other acts on the show, Elvis was on camera for more than a quarter of the time allotted to all acts.<ref>[http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/dvd/dvd_ed_sullivan_shows_content.shtml Content Elvis Episodes Of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' DVD Box]
By: Elvis Australia – Aug 9, 2006 Source: EPE. Retrieved October 18, 2007</ref> The show had a 43.7 rating, and was viewed by a record 60,710,000 people which at the time represented an 82.6% share of the television audience, and the largest single audience in television history. The latter percentage share, remains, to this date, [[List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States#Most watched series episode of the decade|the largest in the history of American television]].<ref>Altschuler, p. 91.</ref>

====Second and third appearances====
[[File:SullivanPresleyHoundDogOct1956.jpg|thumb|left|"Hound Dog", October 28, 1956]]
Sullivan hosted a second appearance by Presley on October 28, 1956. For his first segment, Elvis performed "Don't Be Cruel", then "Love Me Tender". For the second segment, Elvis sang "[[Love Me (Leiber/Stoller song)|Love Me]]", and for his third, he sang a nearly four-minute-long version of "Hound Dog".

For the third and final appearance on January 6, 1957, Presley performed a medley of "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", and "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]", followed by a full version of "Don't Be Cruel". For a second set later in the show he sang "Too Much" and "[[When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again]]". For his last set he sang "[[Peace in the Valley]]". For this third appearance, it was decided to shoot the singer only from the waist while he performed. Although much has been made of the fact that Elvis was shown only from the waist up, except for the short section of "Hound Dog", all of the songs on this show were ballads.<ref>Marcus, "Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows".</ref>

Although Sullivan praised Elvis at the end of the show,<ref>{{cite web|date=2006-08-09|title=Content Elvis Episodes Of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' DVD Box|url=http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/dvd/dvd_ed_sullivan_shows_content.shtml|access-date=2011-09-24|publisher=Elvis.com.au}}</ref> Elvis claimed in a 1969 interview that Sullivan had expressed a very different opinion backstage: "Sullivan's standing over there saying, 'Sumbitch.{{' "}}<ref>"Elvis Talks About His Career", on "Live in Las Vegas" (RCA), cited by [http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/marc/2002/08/26/75 Greil Marcus, "Real Life Rock Top 10", ''Salon.com'', August 26, 2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605122429/http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/marc/2002/08/26/75 |date=June 5, 2011 }}.</ref> The second and third appearances drew 57 and 54.6&nbsp;million viewers, respectively. Years later, Sullivan tried to book Presley again, but declined after Presley's representatives presented a demanding [[Rider (theater)|rider]].<ref name="Harris116" />

==={{anchor|Beatles}}The Beatles===
{{Main|The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show}}
[[File:The Beatles performing at The Ed Sullivan Show (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|right|The Beatles performing in February 1964]]
In late 1963, Sullivan and his entourage happened also to be passing through [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]] and witnessed how [[the Beatles]]' fans greeted the group on their return from Stockholm, where they had performed a television show as warmup band to local stars {{ill|lt=Suzie|Suzie (singer)|nl|Suzie|vertical-align=sup}} and [[Lill Babs]]. Sullivan was intrigued, telling his entourage it was the same thing as Elvis all over again. He initially offered Beatles manager [[Brian Epstein]] top dollar for a single show but the Beatles manager had a better idea{{snd}}he wanted exposure for his clients: the Beatles would instead appear three times on the show, for only a minimal fee, but receive top billing and two spots (opening and closing) on each show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/The-Beatles |title=Products Page &#124; Ed Sullivan Show |website=Edsullivan.com |access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref>

The Beatles appeared on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964 to great anticipation and fanfare as "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]" had swiftly risen to No. 1 in the charts. Their first appearance on February 9 is considered a milestone in American pop culture, and furthermore the beginning of the [[British Invasion]] in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73&nbsp;million viewers, a record for US television at the time (broken three years later by the series finale of ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''). The Beatles followed Ed's show opening intro, performing "[[All My Loving]]"; "[[Till There Was You]]", which featured the names of the group members superimposed on closeup shots, including the famous "''SORRY GIRLS, HE'S MARRIED''" caption on [[John Lennon]]; and "[[She Loves You]]". The act that followed the Beatles in the broadcast, magician [[Fred Kaps]], was pre-recorded in order to allow time for an elaborate set change.<ref>Spizer, Bruce. ''The Beatles Are Coming: The Birth Of Beatlemania In America''. New Orleans, Louisiana: 498 Productions, 2003. {{ISBN|0-9662649-8-3}} (paperback).</ref> The group returned later in the program to perform "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]" and "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]".

The following week's show was broadcast from [[Miami Beach]] where Cassius Clay (later known as [[Muhammad Ali]]) was in training for his first title bout with [[Sonny Liston]]. The occasion was used by both camps for publicity. On the evening of the television show (February 16) a crush of people nearly prevented the band from making it onstage. A wedge of policemen were needed and the band began playing "[[She Loves You]]" only seconds after reaching their instruments. They continued with "[[This Boy]]" and "[[All My Loving]]", then returned later to close the show with "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]", "[[From Me to You]]", and "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]".

They were shown on tape February 23 (this appearance had been taped earlier in the day on February 9 before their first live appearance). They followed Ed's intro with "[[Twist and Shout]]" and "[[Please Please Me (song)|Please Please Me]]" and closed the show once again with "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]".

The Beatles appeared live for the final time on August 14, 1965. The show was broadcast September 12, 1965, and earned Sullivan a 60-percent share of the nighttime audience for [[List of most-watched television episodes|one of the appearances]]. This time they followed three acts before coming out to perform "[[I Feel Fine]]", "[[I'm Down]]", and "[[Act Naturally]]" and then closed the show with "[[Ticket to Ride (song)|Ticket to Ride]]", "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]", and "[[Help! (song)|Help!]]" Although this was their final live appearance on the show, the group provided filmed [[music video|promotional clip]]s of songs to air exclusively on Sullivan's program over the next few years, including videos of both "[[Paperback Writer]]" and "[[Rain (The Beatles song)|Rain]]" from 1966 and three clips from 1967, including "[[Penny Lane]]", "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]", and "[[Hello, Goodbye]]." In late 1967, the group also sent a telegram to Sullivan in addition to their promotional clips, a note which the host read live on air. The group's last appearance on Sullivan's program was via prerecorded promotional clips of their songs "[[Two of Us (Beatles song)|Two of Us]]" and "[[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]]", broadcast on the show on the first day of March in 1970. Although both videos were recorded in late January 1969, the delay was due to the band's dissatisfaction with the tedious ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' album sessions and the group's impending [[Break-up of the Beatles|break-up]]. In all probability, the scheduling of the March 1970 broadcast was to promote the release of the band's upcoming film ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'' in May of that year.

===Black artists===

====The Supremes====
[[File:1966 The Supremes.JPG|thumb|right|[[The Supremes]] singing "[[My World Is Empty Without You]]". L–R [[Florence Ballard]], [[Mary Wilson (singer)|Mary Wilson]] and [[Diana Ross]] (Feb. 20, 1966)]]
[[The Supremes]] were a special act for ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. In addition to 14 appearances,<ref>{{cite news| work=The Velvet Light Trap | title=From Elegance to Extravaganza: The Supremes on The Ed Sullivan Show as a Presentation of Beauty | first=Jaap | last=Kooijman | year=2002 }}</ref> they were a personal favorite of Sullivan, whom affectionately called them "The Girls".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/the-supremes |title=Products Page &#124; Ed Sullivan Show |website=Edsullivan.com |access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref> Over the five years they performed on the program, the [[Supremes]] performed 15 of their hit singles, and numerous [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] showtunes and other non-Motown songs. The group featuring the most popular lineup of [[Diana Ross]], [[Mary Wilson (singer)|Mary Wilson]], and [[Florence Ballard]] appeared 7 times from December 1964 through May 1967.

The group reappeared on the series in October 1967 as the newly rebilled "Diana Ross & the Supremes", with Ballard replacement [[Cindy Birdsong]] and Ross more prominently featured. The Supremes' final appearance on the show, shortly before it ended, served as the platform to introduce America to Ross's replacement, [[Jean Terrell]], in March 1970.

====Opportunity====
In an era when few opportunities existed for black performers on national television, Sullivan was a champion of black talent. He launched the careers of many performers by presenting them to a nationwide TV audience and ignored the criticism.<ref>{{cite news |last=Grimes |first=William |date=2009-05-23 |title=Roy Talbot, Calypso Musician, Dies at 94 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/arts/music/24talbot.html |work=The New York Times |location=New York City |access-date=2024-01-02 |quote=American enthusiasm for the group led to two appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and two albums on ABC Paramount Records, “Calypsos” and “Talbot Brothers of Bermuda.”}}</ref> In an [[Newspaper Enterprise Association|NEA]] interview, Sullivan commented:

{{cquote|The most important thing [during the first ten years of the program] is that we've put on everything but [[bigotry]]. When the show first started in '48, I had a meeting with the sponsors. There were some [[Southern United States|Southern]] dealers present and they asked if I intended to put on Negroes.<ref>"Negroes" was the commonly accepted reference to African Americans at the time.</ref> I said yes. They said I shouldn't, but I convinced them I wasn't going to change my mind. And you know something?  We've gone over very well in the South. Never had a bit of trouble.}}

The show included entertainers such as [[Frankie Lymon]], [[The Supremes]], [[Marian Anderson]], [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Pearl Bailey]], [[LaVern Baker]], [[Harry Belafonte]], [[Brook Benton]], [[James Brown]] (and [[the Famous Flames]]),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQg5nT2coys  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/zQg5nT2coys| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live| title=JAMES BROWN "Please Please Please" on The Ed Sullivan Show | publisher=YouTube.com | date=October 30, 1966}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Cab Calloway]], [[Godfrey Cambridge]], [[Diahann Carroll]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Nat King Cole]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[Count Basie]], [[Dorothy Dandridge]], [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], [[Bo Diddley]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Lola Falana]], [[the 5th Dimension]], [[Ella Fitzgerald]], the [[Four Tops]], [[Dick Gregory]], [[W. C. Handy]], [[Lena Horne]], [[the Jackson 5]], [[Mahalia Jackson]], [[Louis Jordan]], [[Bill Kenny (singer)|Bill Kenny]], [[B. B. King]], [[George Kirby]], [[Eartha Kitt]], [[Gladys Knight & the Pips]], [[Little Anthony and the Imperials]], [[Moms Mabley]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[the Miracles]], [[Melba Moore]], [[the Platters]], [[Leontyne Price]], [[Richard Pryor]], [[Lou Rawls]], [[Della Reese]], [[Nipsey Russell]], [[Nina Simone]], [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[The Talbot Brothers of Bermuda|The Talbot Brothers]], [[the Temptations]], [[Martha and the Vandellas]], [[Ike & Tina Turner]], [[Leslie Uggams]], [[Sarah Vaughan]], [[William Warfield]], [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Dinah Washington]], [[Ethel Waters]], [[Flip Wilson]], [[Jackie Wilson]], [[Nancy Wilson (jazz singer)|Nancy Wilson]], and [[Stevie Wonder]].

Before his death in a plane crash in December 1967, soul singer [[Otis Redding]] had been booked to appear on the show the following year. One telecast included African-American bass-baritone [[Andrew Frierson]] singing "[[Ol' Man River]]" from [[Jerome Kern|Kern]] and [[Oscar Hammerstein II|Hammerstein]]'s ''[[Show Boat]]'', a song that, at that time, was usually sung on television by white singers, although it was written for a black character in the musical.

However, Sullivan featured "rockers", and gave prominence to black musicians "not without censorship". For instance, he scheduled [[Fats Domino]] "at the show's end in case he had to cancel a guest". He presented Domino alone at his piano singing as if he were a young [[Nat King Cole|Nat 'King' Cole]] or [[Fats Waller]], as he performed "Blueberry Hill".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQZy2PJtq8  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/bKQZy2PJtq8| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live| title=1956 Fats Domino{{snd}}Blueberry Hill{{snd}}Sullivan Show |date=20 February 2014 | publisher=YouTube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Rick Coleman, ''Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll'' (2007), p. 138.</ref> On March 4, 1962, Sullivan presented Domino and his band, who did "[[Jambalaya (On the Bayou)|Jambalaya]]", Hank Williams' "[[You Win Again (Hank Williams song)|You Win Again]]", and "Let the Four Winds Blow". All seven of Domino's band members were visible to millions of viewers.<ref>Rick Coleman, ''Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll'' (2007), pp. 217, 218.</ref> On December 1, 1957, [[Sam Cooke]] performed a complete version of "[[(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons|For Sentimental Reasons]]".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS66UzXfnNM  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/SS66UzXfnNM| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live| title=Sam Cooke-For Sentimental Reasons' The Ed Sullivan Show 12 01 1957 |date=15 February 2015 | publisher=YouTube.com | access-date=January 12, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cooke had been cut off four weeks earlier during a live performance of "[[You Send Me]]" as the show's allotted time expired, causing an outrage among television audiences. Sullivan rebooked Cooke for the December 1 show to overwhelming success.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.edsullivan.com/top-5-most-controversial-performances-from-the-ed-sullivan-show/ | title=Top 5 Most Controversial Performances From The Ed Sullivan Show | date=6 April 2012 | publisher=EdSullivan.com | access-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref>

===The Muppets===
Between 1966 and 1971, [[Jim Henson]] performed some of his [[The Muppets|Muppet]] characters on the show. The characters made a total of 25 appearances.

Henson's Muppets were introduced on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' on September 18, 1966. Sullivan introduced the characters as "Jim, uh&nbsp;... Newsom's puppets." The act featured a small ball of fur growing into the Rock and Roll Monster (performed by [[Jim Henson]], [[Jerry Nelson]], and [[Frank Oz]]) with three heads and six arms lip-syncing to the unreleased song "Rock It to Me" by the Bruthers. After the act was done, the Rock and Roll Monster shrunk back into the ball of fur which is then eaten by Sour Bird (who was previously used in a commercial for [[RC Cola|Royal Crown Cola]]).

===Broadway===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2024}}
{{Excessive examples|section|date=March 2024}}

The show is also noteworthy for showcasing performances from numerous classic [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[musical theatre|musicals]] of the era, often featuring members of the original Broadway casts. These include:
[[File:Lucille Ball Paula Stewart Wildcat Ed Sullivan Show 1961.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Paula Stewart]] and [[Lucille Ball]] performing [[Hey, Look Me Over (song)|"Hey, Look Me Over"]] from ''[[Wildcat (musical)|Wildcat]]'' (1961)]]
* ''[[West Side Story (musical)|West Side Story]]'' – [[Carol Lawrence]] and [[Larry Kert]] singing "[[Tonight (1956 song)|Tonight]]"; the members of the Jets gang performing "[[Cool (Leonard Bernstein song)|Cool]]".
* ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' – [[Julie Andrews]] singing "[[I Could Have Danced All Night]]" and "[[Wouldn't It Be Loverly]]?"; [[Rex Harrison]] performing "Why Can't the English?"; [[Stanley Holloway]] performing "With a Little Bit of Luck; [[John Michael King]] singing "[[On the Street Where You Live]]"
* ''[[Camelot (musical)|Camelot]]'' – [[Richard Burton]] and Julie Andrews performing an extended scene including the title song and "What Do the Simple Folk Do?"; [[Robert Goulet]] singing "[[If Ever I Would Leave You]]" and "C'est Moi".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/camelot |title=Products Page &#124; Ed Sullivan Show |website=Edsullivan.com |date=1961-03-19 |access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref>
* ''[[Show Boat]]'' (1961 [[New York City Center]] revival) – Andrew Frierson singing "[[Ol' Man River]]", and [[Carol Bruce]], from the 1946 Broadway revival, singing "[[Bill (Show Boat)|Bill]]".
* ''[[Carnival!]]'' – [[Anna Maria Alberghetti]] singing "Love Makes the World Go 'Round".
* ''[[Bye Bye Birdie (1963 film)|Bye Bye Birdie]]'' – [[Dick Van Dyke]] singing "Put On A Happy Face", [[Chita Rivera]] singing "Spanish Rose", [[Paul Lynde]] singing "Kids" and "Hymn for a Sunday Evening (Ed Sullivan)".
* ''[[Oliver!]]'' – [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]] singing "[[As Long as He Needs Me]]"; [[Davy Jones (actor)|Davy Jones]] singing "[[Consider Yourself]]"; Georgia Brown, Davy Jones, [[Alice Playten]], Bruce Prochnik, [[Clive Revill]] and the boys singing "I'd Do Anything". The performance was on February 9, 1964 – on the same telecast as The Beatles' first live performance.<ref>{{cite news|author=Smith, Nathan|title=10 Fun Facts About the Beatles' Ed Sullivan Debut|newspaper=[[Houston Press]]|date=February 7, 2014|access-date=2014-02-10|url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2014/02/beatles_ed_sullivan.php}}</ref>
* ''[[Oklahoma (musical)|Oklahoma!]]'' – [[John Raitt]], [[Celeste Holm]], [[Florence Henderson]] and [[Barbara Cook]] performing the [[Oklahoma (Rodgers and Hammerstein song)|title song]]; Celeste Holm (from the original Broadway cast) performing "I Can't Say No".
* ''[[Sweet Charity]]'' – [[Gwen Verdon]] performing "I'm A Brass Band" and "[[If My Friends Could See Me Now]]".
* ''[[The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd]]'' – [[Anthony Newley]] singing "Who Can I Turn To?".
* ''[[Flora the Red Menace]]'' – [[Liza Minnelli]] singing "All I Need Is One Good Break" and "Sing Happy"
* ''[[Flower Drum Song]]'' – [[Pat Suzuki]] performing "[[I Enjoy Being a Girl (song)|I Enjoy Being a Girl]]".
* ''[[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]]'' – [[Carol Channing]] singing "[[Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend]]".
* ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' – the cast (including [[Diane Keaton]], [[Melba Moore]], [[Paul Jabara]] and co-authors [[Gerome Ragni]] and [[James Rado]]) performing "Aquarius".
* ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' – [[Pearl Bailey]] (from the all-black 1967 revamping of the show) performing "[[Before the Parade Passes By]]" with the ensemble.
* A performance by [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] dancer [[Wayne Lamb]]
* ''[[I Do! I Do!]]'' – [[Gordon MacRae]] and [[Carol Lawrence]] (Broadway replacements for [[Mary Martin]] and [[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]]) singing the title song from the show, and MacRae singing "I Love My Wife" and "My Cup Runneth Over".
* ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' – [[Alfred Drake]], [[Patricia Morison]], [[Lisa Kirk]], and [[Harold Lang (dancer)|Harold Lang]] singing "Another Op'nin' Another Show", "We Open In Venice", and "Wunderbar"
* ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'' – [[Richard Kiley]] singing the title song and "[[The Impossible Dream (The Quest)|The Impossible Dream]]"; [[Joan Diener]] in a rare television appearance in her stage role as Aldonza/Dulcinea singing "What Does He Want of Me?", most of the cast singing the show's final reprise of "The Impossible Dream"
*''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]'' – [[Joel Grey]] singing part of "Wilkommen" and [[Jill Haworth]] in her stage role as Sally Bowles singing the title song
* ''[[Purlie]]'' – [[Melba Moore]] singing "I Got Love" and "Purlie".
* ''[[Wildcat (musical)|Wildcat]]'' – [[Lucille Ball]] and [[Paula Stewart]] singing [[Hey, Look Me Over (song)|"Hey, Look Me Over"]]
* ''[[You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown]]'' – [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Reva Rose]], [[Bob Balaban]], [[Skip Hinnant]], Karen Johnson, and [[Bill Hinnant]] singing the title song and "Happiness".
* [[Ethel Merman]] also occasionally appeared singing hit songs from the shows that she starred in, including ''[[Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun]]'', ''[[Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy]]'', ''[[Happy Hunting (musical)|Happy Hunting]]'', ''[[Panama Hattie]]'', and ''[[Anything Goes]]''.
* [[Hermione Gingold]] and [[Maurice Chevalier]] performed their duet "I Remember It Well" from the 1958 film ''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]'', on the show.

Most of these artists performed in the same [[makeup]] and [[costumes]] that they wore in the shows, often providing the only visual recordings of these performances by the original cast members, since there were no network telecasts of the [[Tony Awards]] until 1967. Many performances have been compiled and released on [[DVD]] as ''The Best of Broadway Musicals{{snd}}Original Cast Performances from The Ed Sullivan Show''.