Eartha Kitt--Timbuktu!, In the Beginning Woman, 1978 TV

Eartha Kitt and the cast of the Broadway musical “Timbuktu!“ performed Eartha’s incredible entrance and opening song, “In the Beginning Woman“ on this live 1978 Labor Day Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy, hosted by Jerry Lewis. The number was staged by Geoffrey Holder (who also designed the costumes) and featured Tony Carroll, a former Mr. Universe. Also in the chorus is Obba Babatunde. “Timbuktu!“ was a re-working of the classical musical “Kismet,“ set in Africa, but this is one of the new songs written for it by the original writers, Robert Wright and Chet Forrest.