ROSE: I tell you sir, you always look good in white tux and tails!
LAWRENCE: Yeah, I know, but this is a very special night....one that is poised to make television history.
ROSE: Yeah, the turnout is great. And the stars that have turned out, Henry Mancini, Jack Benny, Kate Smith, Lynn Anderson and Meredith Wilson....but who are those furry puppets out there?
LAWRENCE: Rose, they're called muppets....and they are from the popular kids show Sesame Street, and from what I know is that they can dance!
ROSE: Yes, and one of them has to know the box step real well....all he does is count numbers.
LAWRENCE: Speaking of him, (The Count enters) I like for you to meet The Count, Count...this is our costume designer Rose Weiss.
COUNT: Ah....A pleasure to meet you, let me count the ways....ha ha ha ha.
ROSE: Nice to meet you to, are you ready to be dancing for the next twenty four hours?
COUNT: Oh yes....that's one, two, three, four, five, six......
LAWRENCE (while the Count continues): Did I mention he likes to count numbers Rose?
COUNT (Moving ahead to 24): ....twenty three, twenty four....TWENTY FOUR HOURS....ha ha ha ha!
Now we move out to stage where Gail Farrell, Mary Lou Metzger and Ken Delo meet with Grover, Oscar The Grouch, Prairie Dawn of Sesame Street.
GAIL: So Grover, is this your first dance marathon?
GROVER: Oh yes, the first one not involving my fellow cute monsters....last year at the Sesame Street Dance-a-Thon at Mr. Hooper's Store.
GAIL: Sounds exciting, did you win?
GROVER: I came in second, even though I did my best dance.
GAIL: And what was that?
GROVER: The Monster Mash!
GAIL: I've shoulda known....(turns towards Mary Lou and her dancing partner, Oscar the Grouch...dressed nicely with his trademark garbage can), Mary Lou, it's kinda early to be taking out the garbage.
MARY LOU: Actually, this is my dancing partner....Gail meet Oscar the Grouch, Oscar this is Gail Farrell.
OSCAR: Rats! Another person to say hi to? Scram!
GAIL: Now I know why he's called "The Grouch."
MARY LOU: Ah don't worry, his bark is worse than is bite....he's a unusual but interesting person, has a likeness for trash, dirt and worms.
GAIL: Worms?
OSCAR: Oh yeah, I like you to meet my friend Slimey! (Shows Gail and Mary Lou his pet worm Slimey)
Next, Ken comes along with Prairie Dawn.
PRAIRIE: Wow, this is going to be a fun contest! Ken, do you have all your dance moves down?
KEN: Oh yes, I can dance just as good as Bobby and Cissy, the tango, fox trot, rhumba, waltz, the twist....
PRAIRIE: How about the Alphabet?
KEN: Alphabet...gosh, I haven't heard of that one before.
PRAIRIE: It's easy, this is the A, the B, the C.....
KEN: Sounds like fun!
PRAIRIE: And it's a great way to learn your ABC's too!
KEN: Hang on Prairie, I think the contest is about to begin.
