Broadway Danny Amatullo

Synopsis

When Danny tries to impress a big time agent he gets more than he bargained for when he is offered a position as an intern agent. Danny flourishes as an agent and gets Leroy a part in a show but he soon has to decide if he wants to give up acting and continue as an agent.

My Review

I really like this episode a lot. It is set far more reality than many of the other Season 5 episodes and this probably my favourite Danny story. Unusually there is only one real plotline but that is fine because they found a way to work all the into it.

So Danny, when trying to impress a big time agent with his acting (by Singing and Dancing! Which is reminiscent of Coco performing "Bet Your Life It's Me"in "Winners".) gets offered a job as an intern agent. Danny seems to thrive at the job and soon gives up the lead role in a school play to concentrate on the job. I really like the continuity with Season 4, when Danny talks about last year when his Dad wanted him to give up the school. It would have been really interesting to Danny's father in this episode to see what he makes of Danny succeeding as an agent. He might even try to persuade Danny to give up the school again and this time Danny might even consider it. I also like the parallels between the school play and Danny's real life situation with father "My whole life I just wanted you to love me!" Although I found it a little strange that Nicole has to ask what Danny was using to help him emote in the scene. Surely Danny's relationship with his father is no secret?

Danny helps Leroy secure a part in a show, although how he can perform 8 shows a week and still teach at the school I don't know and we don't go into that but it could have been interesting to see him have to make a choice.

The music is also great in this episode. "Baby I'm A Star" works really well set in a real life location rather than on a set. It's a great song from Prince and having 6 cast members performing it together really shows it off. There is also some terrific dancing in the routine.

"I Can't Hold Back" is also a great AOR song that suits Carlo's voice really well.

The dance routine with Leroy is good too but I would have preferred it if Loretta had sung a proper song during the routine rather than breathed and wailed.

The cast plug the Sheraton Hotel too on the street scene. This is the hotel that the cast and crew stayed at during the location shoot in New York City. The previous season we'd scenes set so it was in view but this time Danny, Jesse and Chris reference it in conversation.

The title of this episode is a nod to the 1984 Woody Allen film "Broadway Danny Rose" about a hapless theatrical agent. Thankfully the Fame producers didn't decide to just recreate the film story like they did in so many other season 5 episodes.

Episode Pictures

CREDITS

Production number 2857

Written by Frank South

Directed by Lawrence Dobkin

Michael A. Hoey was originally signed to direct this episode and went to New York to film the "Baby, I'm a Star" number at Tavern on the Green, while he was there filming location scenes for "His Majesty Donlon".

Original U.S. air date 30th November 1985

Original U.K. air date 1993 on The Children's Channel.

Guest Stars

Randee Heller as Peggy Perskey

Nancy Lenehan as Brenda Haskell

Carl Carlsson as Ernie Shank

Dick Miller as Lou Mackie

Jack Kehoe as Mo Starkey

John Hallow as The Maitre'D

SONGS

"Baby I'm a Star" performed by Carlo Imperato, Nia Peeples, Billy Hufsey, Jesse Borrego, Cynthia Gibb and Loretta Chandler

Written by Prince.