Though the group's single "Room to Move" rose toNo. ", Further disputes arose over whether a corporate sponsor could be found to promote the film. ", The shootingwrappedon October 27, 1986, both on-time and on-budget. "One of the many things that Cynthia and I have in common is that we loved the work that we did, but neither of us ever liked the celebrity or the accoutrements," he said, adding that their 1994 decision to move back to the Midwest was an easy one. Bergstein even told Vice in 2017 that the movies national sponsor pushed the studio to cut abortion from the film, but Bergstein had baked it into the plot so thoroughly that it simply wasnt possible. When asked about replacing Swayzes role after his 2009 death, Grey said theres no replacing the late actor. The resort where Baby and her family stay during the film, and the place of Johnny's employment, is owned by Jake's old friend, Max Kellerman. Playing Penny in "Dirty Dancing" may not have been the first role Cynthia Rhodes took in the '80s, but it's undoubtedly the one for which she's best known. However, their little affair comes to an end near the final days at Kellerman's. The Tony winners TV-career thrived after Dirty Dancing when she landed the role of Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls (and reprised her role for the Netflix revival in 2016). Of the surgeries and their aftermath, Grey told the NY Daily News in 1999, "To go to complete obscurity from [being known], it's been an interesting life." For a location, they did not find anything suitable in the Catskills (as many of the resorts had been shut down at that point), so they decided on a combination of two locations:Lake Lure, North Carolinaand theMountain Lake HotelnearPembroke, Virginia, and with careful editing made it look like all shooting was done in the same area. So, she wrote the lyrics for the songshe sang in the movie and still holds the copyright. He is survived by wife Lisa Niemi, whom he was married to for 34 years before his passing. Resort owner Kellerman himself tries to set Baby up with his smarmy grandson, Neil. Great American FilmsLimited Partnership Some of his most notable film roles before "Dirty Dancing" include the Alan Alda film "The Four Seasons" and his Golden Globe-nominated performance in "The Ritz." 31 He died in 1991 after a drug overdose. Here are some not-so-dirty facts about the iconic movie, which grossed nearly $215 million worldwide. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing. WebHer most notable role was as dance instructor Penny Johnson in the hit 1987 motion picture Dirty Dancing with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. Rhodes was married tosinger-songwriterRichard Marx. However, Swayze read the script, liked the multi-level character of Johnny, and took the part anyway, and Johnny was changed from being Italian to Irish. See a Penny, pick her up, right? When Baby finds out what Johnny was accused of, she realizes she has to admit to being with Johnny. The actress added that shes thrilled the move has stood the test of time but she has no plans to follow the trend of fans recreating the moment. Bergstein also attempted to cast her friend, sex therapist Dr.Ruth Westheimer, to play Mrs. Schumacher, andJoel Greyas her husband. WebHome Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii penny dirty dancing weight. Swayze was impatient to finish the scene and found Grey's behavior annoying. Max fires Johnny anyway for having a fraternizing affair with Baby. The remake of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing is set to air Wednesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC, but there's already been a lot of buzz around the remake's changes to the cult classic . Her final role before retirement was 1991's "Curse of the Crystal Eye," after which Rhodes completely stayed out of the public eye, not speaking with anyone in the press for decades, even when she and Marx divorced after 25 years in 2014. Johnny and Baby return to Kellerman's and find Penny in agony. However, Westheimer backed out when she learned the role involved being a thief. Eleanor Bergstein "That was the summer of 1963, when everybody called me 'Baby' and it didn't occur to me to mind.". Dirty Dancing. The pregnancy-turned "Never rehearsed it, never done it since. But her rise to fame ended there. Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy/Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy/Musical, Best Song written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, "Big Girls Don't Cry" Frankie ValliandThe Four Seasons, "Stay" Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" The Shirelles, "In the Still of the Night" The Five Satins, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Bill MedleyandJennifer Warnes, 2002:AFI's 100 Years100 Passions #93. According to Vestron executive Mitchell Cannold, Russo's reaction at the end was to say simply, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance. Its a pretty sad circle. Binge Society brings you not only iconic movie scenes but also our own original shows so Cancel your plans, make some popcorn and sit back to get ready to binge with us! After a passionate discussion, the two get down to some dirty dancing between the sheets. "She's just gorgeous as can be, and people still stop her constantly and say that they've seen 'Dirty Dancing' 74 times," he added. This paved the way for several other dance roles in other musical films, including "Flashdance" and "Staying Alive." It became one of the most famous scenes in the movie, turning out, as choreographer Kenny Ortega put it, "as one of the most delicate and honest moments in the film. ", Like many theater actors, Weston eventually transitioned to film and television. I can picture such a scenario with Penny. Baby agrees to stand-in for Penny, which means she must learn to dance. Billy explains that the "doctor" turned out to be a back-alley hack. Now, Grey is ready to share the parts of her life the media has only been able to speculate about before. The number of deaths from the procedures began plummeting. Among the entertainment at the summer resort is the music of Tito Suarez. In a 2008 interview with Hobo Trashcan, he revealed he was interested in directing TV and film in the future. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!" She gained recognition for her Tony Award-winning performance in "A Chorus Line" before playing the role of Marjorie. Robbie thanks Jake, and reveals that he got Penny pregnant; Jake yanks the envelope back. Sylvester Stallone, the director of Staying Alive, reinforced these facts by stating that Rhodes "would sooner quit the business before doing anything to embarrass her parents.". Answer: Arthur Murray. WebThe Flashdance star, who played Penny, stepped back from acting after Dirty Dancing, appearing only in 1991s Curse of the Crystal Eye. FOLLOW BINGE SOCIETYAll platforms: https://linktr.ee/binge_society Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BingeSociety/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/binge_society/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bingesociety Twitter: https://twitter.com/binge_society In 2002, Rhodes co-wrote thesmooth jazztrack "Perfect Day" with then-husbandRichard MarxforDecember, trumpeterChris Botti's holiday album. Raised in a Baptist family, Rhodes tried to maintain a clean-cut image in her acting roles and in the media, turning down scripts that required nudity and refusing offers to pose for pictorials in Playboy magazine. By November, it was also achieving international fame. Were living in a time when abortion rights are being stripped away by the federal government, looking at a time when abortion was banned by the federal government, through the lens of a movie written when abortion bans themselves were banned by the federal government. He doesn't want her to get in trouble. For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews Subscribe on YouTube! That night, Baby helps Billy Kostecki, one of the workers at Kellerman's, carry a watermelon to the employees' cabin. Like in-clinic abortion, if Roe is overturned, people living in GOP-controlled states could face even more of an uphill battle trying to access these forms of health care. Actress, singer, dancer When they get there, Billy runs toward them. Specifically, the man that got Cynthia Rhodes' Penny pregnant, which caused Penny to miss the important dance competition that brought Baby and Johnny together. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. What The Cast Of Dirty Dancing Looks Like Today. Penny will miss her weekly dance performance if she goes for the abortion, forfeiting Penny's and Johnny's salary for the season. Dirty Dancing Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. Baby accidentally finds Penny crying in the kitchen.
Production company Produced by Reference: Quiz: Dirty Dancing . It happened, enjoy it, watch it over and over again but never ask me to do it again because I'm too fking old, she quipped. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.. Her surgeon then made the revelation that a lump she'd been told was benign was actually cancerous, leading to two more surgeries. Knight has enjoyed steady work still to this day. The producers were thrilled with him, but his agent was opposed to the idea. Since the film's release, Jones has enjoyed consistent work in both film and television. Her second husband, former ESPN and CNN talk show host Lee Leonard, died in 2018. Credit: Lionsgate; Araldo Di Crollalanza/Shutterstock. Never rehearsed it, never done it since. Swayze is survived by his wife Lisa Niemi, who also appeared in several of his films. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. As Bergstein refused, the Clearasil promotion was dropped. The outside temperature rose to 105F (41C), and with all the additional camera and lighting equipment needed for filming, the temperature inside could be as high as 120F (49C). Marx and Rhodes did not start their relationship until two years later, when they were reacquainted at a party. Take a cold shower, Robbie. Well-known Broadway actor Jerry Orbach played Baby's father Jake Houseman, a doctor who is initially untrustworthy of Johnny and forbids Baby from spending time with him. While clumsily dancing with Neil, Baby's eyes are drawn to the professional dancers hired to entertain the guests: Penny Johnson and Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). After a four-year courtship, the couple married on January 8, 1989After marrying Marx and giving birth to three boys, Rhodes retired from her performing career to raise her family. A May 2007 survey by Britain'sSky MovieslistedDirty Dancingas numberone on "Women's most-watched films", above theStar Warstrilogy,Grease,The Sound of Music, andPretty Woman. Rhodes played a small role in the fantasy musical Xanadu (1980) with her next role as Tina Tech in the musical film Flashdance. Cynthia Rhodes (1987)Nicole Scherzinger (2017) WebPenny Johnson is a dancer and Johnny 's former love interest. But between 1967 and 1973 just a few years after Dirty Dancing takes place 17 states repealed their abortion bans or reformed their laws to allow some access to abortion. Richard Marx (19892014; divorced) Director Ardolino encouraged the actors to improvise and often kept the cameras rolling, even if actors went "off script". He ended up working for The Village Voice in New York City, writing about the city's drug problems. TheTimesreviewer called the film "a metaphor for America in the summer of 1963 orderly, prosperous, bursting with good intentions, a sort of Yiddish-inflected Camelot." Baby runs to Johnny for help. Johnny: You listen to me. Always known as a woman who favored her moral compass over the seduction of fame, it is not entirely surprising to learn that Cynthia Rhodes happily chose family life over career. "Dirty Dancing" was his final film role, but he continued to perform throughout the years. The opening voiceover of Dirty Dancing sets the scene as a simpler, more peaceful time a last gasp of innocence for both Frances Baby Houseman and for the country. WebSummaries. Baby runs to Johnny and executes the elusive lift move they practiced. Price told Backstagein 2019, "I was limited by my physicality and constantly playing short, bald Jews who were either nerds or accountants. And, after the illegal abortion goes horribly awry, its the reason Baby comes clean with her father a doctor and faces his disappointment, in favor of asking him to help save Pennys life. Thanks to films such as "The Outsiders," "Youngblood," and "Red Dawn," Patrick Swayze was already a known figure in Hollywood. Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle. ", Abortion rights advocates have called the film the "gold standard" for cinematic portrayals of abortion,which author Yannis Tzioumakis described as offering a "compassionate depiction of abortion in which the woman seeking an abortion was not demonized with the primary concerns being her health and preserving her capacity to bear children at a future time rather than the ethical dilemma that might or might not inform her decision, a portrayal that is not necessarily available in current films.". It's insane!" Yes, we love the dancing, and the chemistry between Grey and Swayze is electric, but ultimately, Dirty Dancing is a deeply political movie about abortion, class struggle, and feminist identity. Up on the hill, Baby witnesses some bumping and grinding like she's never before seen back home. "I have a family and I want to live longer." An accomplished dancer and singer, Rhodes got her first film role as a dancer in the musical "Xandau." That part went to "Dirty Dancing" assistant choreographer Miranda Garrison. Johnny's cousin and closest friend Billy is always there when you need him. Penny can't keep the baby (not the Baby), but she doesn't have $250 for the abortion. Distributed by At breakfast, Jake tells his family they will be leaving the resort early but relents when they object. Edited by That was before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came, when I couldnt wait to join the Peace Corps, and I thought Id never find a guy as great as my dad. And crucially, the movie, which debuted in 1987, was also set 10 years before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide. Us Weekly confirmed in 2020 that Grey and husband Clark Gregg split after 19 years of marriage. Rhodes later joined the 1980s pop groupAnimotion, replacing the group's singerAstrid Planefor the recording of its third album of original material. Instead, as screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein explained to Cosmopolitan back in 2017, the entire plot hinges on one thing: abortion. One night, Baby finds Penny The approved film was budgeted at the relatively low amount of $5million, at a time when the average cost for a film was $12million. The staff holds secret after-hours parties in their quarters, and Baby is surprised by their "dirty dancing". Despite that, Johnny says she did a wonderful job when they get back to Kellerman's. One night, when she had complications during an illegal abortion, Baby sent for Jake, her father who is a doctor, to help Penny. What Happened To The Cast Of Dirty Dancing? ), Rhodes got her start as a teen in the '70s acting and dancing at a Nashville, Tenn. theme park. Female He was 69. Credit: Lionsgate; Todd Williamson/January Images/Shutterstock. While they're talking, Johnny turns up. Penny Johnson is a dancer and Johnny's former love interest. Swayze went on to star in 1989s Road House, 1990s Ghost, 1991s Point Break and 1995s To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Penny helps Baby get ready, and she thanks Baby for helping her. ", "Dirty Dancing" was one of the first credited roles for actor Wayne Knight, playing entertainment staff member Stan. Directed by November 21, 1956 (age 61)Nashville, Tennessee, United States I made it very clear that we would leave in what is, for me, very purple language: references to dirty knives, a folding table, hearing Penny screaming in the hallway, she told Vice. Penny from Dirty Dancing Is 63-Years-Old Now and a Proud Mother of Three By Bettina Dizon Jan 07, 2020 02:30 P.M. Share Many remember Cynthia Rhodes for taking the Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Powered by WordPress VIP. Most people know him today as Detective Lennie Briscoe on the original "Law & Order," where he was a main cast member for 12 seasons and appeared in several of the franchise's spin-offs. This all means watching Dirty Dancing in 2022 is enough to make your head spin if not nearly explode in anger. Rhodes' final motion picture role was the character of Vickie Phillips opposite actorJameson Parkerin the sleeper action-adventure movieCurse of the Crystal Eye. If you're saying to yourself, "Wait, Newman was in 'Dirty Dancing?'" Many filmgoers, after seeing the film once, went right back into the theater to watch it a second time. Baby delivers the money to Penny, but learns about another problem: If Penny has the abortion, she can't compete in the resort's dance competition. While some went on to achieve massive stardom and continue to work today, others went down quieter roads with more unique projects or settled down outside of the spotlight. Rhodes and Marx eventually got married in 1989 and had three children together, but the twodivorced in 2014. Billy finally confesses to Baby that Penny is pregnant with Robby's (Max Cantor) baby and that's why she's so upset. Bergstein described it as "breathtaking". Eat that, James Joyce. People like me may not have identified with Pennys experience when we originally watched the movie, but its about to become much more familiar and it seems Bergstein knew that would eventually be the case. actor Clark Gregg. It was the number one video rental of 1988and became the first film to sell a million copies on video. Baby discovers that Johnny's dance partner, Penny Johnson, is pregnant by Robbie Gould, a womanizing waiter who is cheating on Baby's older sister, Lisa. she said, adding, "We original 'Dirty Dance People' contributed so much of our personal life stories to this film. One might even argue that the role was Knight's big break. Dirty Dancing: Penny is pregnant scene Binge Society 6.98M subscribers Subscribe 619 87K views 8 months ago #DirtyDancing #PatrickSwayze #BingeSociety While Johnny teaches Baby a few moves, and boy, does Baby let loose. The actress is best known for her role as Babys sister, Lisa Houseman, but appeared in 1988s Stealing Home, 1989s Bloodhounds of Broadway and 2005s Dishdogz. His most recent acting credit was in a 2011 short titled "Carbone: Breaking Point.". Baby and her parents watch the end-of-season talent show. The pregnancy-turned -botched abortion storyline helped drive much of the plot of "Dirty Dancing," and Rhodes displayed her acting chops right alongside her dancing ability. His last role was in the 1988 sci-fi comedy "Short Circuit 2." The film's music has also had considerable impact. Still, many of the film's stars are still around, continuing to make names for themselves. (Remember the scene when she's writhing in pain after an illegal abortion procedure? Baby learns that Penny is pregnant. The reason I put that language in there was because I felt that even with it being a coat hanger abortion a whole generation of young people, and women especially wouldnt understand what [the illegal abortion] was. In my case, whenever I watched Dirty Dancing up until recently, I breathed a sigh of relief that if I ever needed an abortion, I wouldnt face Pennys fate. Baby tries to get the money from Robbie, who's a deadbeat baby daddy. She says she was in his cabin all night. He died from lymphoma in 1996. Rhodes' character, Jackie, was an ensemble dancer, bar band singer, and some-time love interest of Travolta's character, Tony Manero. Rhodes played a small role in the fantasy musicalXanadu(1980)with her next role as Tina Tech in the musical filmFlashdance. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Rhodes began her brief show business career working at Opryland USA as a singer and dancer while attending Public perception of abortion has come a long way (most people in the U.S. identify as pro-choice, despite whats happening among conservative lawmakers), as has medicine. A couple of films and a few years later, Rhodes landed her big role in "Dirty Dancing." One example of this was the scene where Grey was to stand in front of Swayze with her back to him and put her arm up behind his head while he trailed his fingers down her arm (similar to the pose seen in the movie poster). Another of her would-be suitors, Johnny's cousin Billy (played by Neal Jones) thought for sure he had a chance with Baby when she helped him carry his watermelons, but, alas, it was not meant to be. I don't know how all these people who reenact it have the guts to throw themselves into the arms of anyone other than Patrick Swayze. Penny : Go back to your playpen, Baby. But, after his quirky portrayal of Stan, he landed roles in films like "JFK,""Basic Instinct," and "Jurassic Park," along with his long-running portrayal of Newman on "Seinfeld.". ", Orbach continued to work after "Dirty Dancing" released. Penny's character in Dirty Dancing was at the center of it. When she discovers she's pregnant with Robbie the Creep's child, she goes to a doctor in a nearby town to have an abortion. Problem is, Penny doesn't have enough for the procedure. Maj. John Sixta for all seven episodes. Baby and Johnny dance a more provocative version of their mambo duet, and the other "dirty dancers" join in. She also built the sexual tension by saying that no matter how intimate or "grinding" the dance steps, that none of the dancers were to have any other kind of physical contact with each other for the next six months. In the summer of 1963, 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman is vacationing with her family at Kellerman's,[5]aresortin theCatskill Mountains. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before.. Scenes in Lake Lure were filmed at the old Boys Camp, which is now a private, residential community known as Firefly Cove. "I honestly 'had the time of my life!'" It's safe to say that Max Cantor's Robbie Gould is the main villain of "Dirty Dancing." For choreographer, Bergstein choseKenny Ortega, who had been trained byGene Kelly. The team of Gottlieb, Bergstein, and Ardolino then presented their vision for the film to Vestron's president, Jon Peisinger, and the company's vice president for production, Mitchell Cannold. 9 on the Billboard charts, the album failed to match the group's earlier success, peaking at only No. The uncooperative weather then took a different turn, plunging from oppressive heat to down near 40F (4C), causing frigid conditions for the famous swimming scene in October. Billy and Penny insist that Johnny can teach anyone to dance. When asked about replacing Swayzes role after his 2009 death, Grey said theres no replacing the late actor. "It was about innocence and the way that innocence is lost and how people explode into a different iteration of themselves." It only takes her three or four dance montages and voilshe's ready for the big show. Emile Ardolino She made it clear to Jones that motherhood is her life now and that her Hollywood days were behind her. ", Garrison was also featured in two "Dirty Dancing" related projects in later years. 2005:AFI's 100 Years100 Movie Quotes: Johnny Castle: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Its been more than three decades since Frances Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle fell in love during a summer at Kellermans. And Rhodes hasn't looked back -- at least that's what she's led Marx to believe. They had already had trouble getting along in their previous project,Red Dawn(1984), and worked things out enough to have an extremely positive screen test, but that initial cooperation soon faded, and they were soon "facing off" before every scene. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
And Rhodes hasn't looked back -- at least that's what she's led Marx to believe. However, the producers cut an erotic dancing scene from the script, much to her dismay. Born inNashville, Tennessee, Rhodes began her brief show business career working atOpryland USAas a singer and dancer while attendingGlencliff High Schoolduring the 1970s. Though Wayne Knight's role in "Dirty Dancing" was an admittedly small one as Stan, as the presumed events coordinator and resident comedian of Kellerman's, it helped set the stage for his later, more iconic roles. I said, Well, I dont know that we will always have Roe v. Wade, and I got a lot of pushback on that. 35 years later, the movies storyline feels like a warning of whats to come rather than a reminder of what we left behind. She is referring to Baby's moves. By 1965, illegal abortions accounted for 17% of all deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth, with low-income women being disproportionately impacted, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Pulling double duty while playing Vivian,Miranda Garrisonalso worked as an assistant choreographer for the film alongside Kenny Ortega, who would go on to direct "High School Musical." And Rhodes hasn't looked back -- at least that's what she's led Marx to believe. Today, that scene feels like a warning of whats about to come, rather than a reminder of what we left behind. While going to the kitchen with Neil (Lonny Price), Baby (Jennifer Grey) sees Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) crying. He refuses, so Baby dumps water on him. TIMEmagazine was lukewarm, saying, "If the ending of Eleanor Bergstein's script is too neat and inspirational, the rough energy of the film's song and dance does carry one along, past the whispered doubts of better judgment." The site's critical consensus reads, "Like its winsome characters,Dirty Dancinguses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles." Penny can't keep the baby (not the Baby), but she doesn't have $250 for the abortion. From television and movie stars to choreographers, directors, and screenwriters, the cast has been up to some very interesting things, even if you don't recognize them. Baby's mother, Marjorie Houseman, was played by actress Kelly Bishop. We'll just go ahead and call it fate. Jennifer Grey was already an established actress before taking on the role of "Dirty Dancing" protagonist Baby Houseman. And of course, every level of risk wouldve been greater if she wasnt white, as will absolutely be the case in present times, too. Orbach was also an accomplished voice actor, most notably providing the voice of Lumiere in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast. In addition to several film roles, Grey won season 11 of Dancing With the Stars with partner Derek Hough in 2010. ", Orbach played the role of Briscoe up until his death of prostate cancer in 2004 at the age of 69, his final appearance coming in the spin-off series "Law & Order: Trial By Jury. Her film roles include Tina Tech in Flashdance (1983), Jackie in Staying Alive (1983) and Penny in Dirty Dancing (1987). Baby decides to tell her dad that she's not his little baby Baby anymore: "There are a lot of things about me that aren't what you thought. Running time In 1955, after about 50 years of bans and an associated rise in dangerous, illegal abortions Planned Parenthood held its first ever conference on abortion, where the doctors in attendance called for reform. The two live in Chicago's suburbs with their three sons. While actress Kelly Bishop brought Baby's mother to life in "Dirty Dancing,"fans might be surprised to learn that Bishop was originally meant to play the smaller role of Vivian Pressman. 110 on the pop charts; shortly thereafter, the group disbanded. Throughout the '90s and 2000s, Jones was all over screens big and small, though you may not have recognized him. Alone and strapped for cash, Penny desperately seeks an Rhodes split from husband Richard Marx in 2014 after Penny's abortion went horribly wrong. An April 2008 article in Britain'sDaily MaillistedDirty Dancingas number one on a list of "most romantic movie quotes ever", for Baby's line: "I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you.". Part of the a360media Entertainment Group. Swayze's final role was in the drama film "Powder Blue" alongside Ray Liotta and Jessica Biel. WebGod wouldn't have given you maracas if He didn't want you to shake 'em. The decades since "Dirty Dancing" have seen Knight become a huge star of television, film, and voice acting, and he's racked up more credits to his name than any other "Dirty Dancing"actor. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1994 and lost his battle with the disease in 2004. Brucker told Australia's "The Morning Show" in 2019, "The budget wouldn't allow for the planned song, which was from 'South Pacific,'"so she was told the talent show scene was going to be cut unless she wanted to write something.