Bernie West

Carol Burnett played the title role in a Starlight Theatre (Kansas City MO) production of Calamity Jane which ran 17 – 30 July 1961. Upon Burnett’s being signed to an exclusive contract with CBS-TV in the summer of 1962, it was announced that she would headline a televised broadcast of Calamity Jane over the 1962-3 television season: Burnett’s Calamity Jane special would in fact not air until the autumn of 1963 after being taped that summer, the time frame permitting Burnett to reprise the title role onstage in a State Fair Music Theater ( Dallas ) production whose two-week run commenced 24 June 1963. On 10 July 1963, Burnett and her castmates from the Dallas stage production – including Art Lund as Wild Bill – performed Calamity Jane at CBS Studio 50 ( NYC ), with the play performed three performances (non stop) before a live audience: CBS-TV taped all three run-throughs, one of which was broadcast as Burnett’s debut television special 12 November 1963 .