Strike up the Band

**Strike up the Band** is the 19th episode overall of Amazon Prime's *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* and the 1st episode of Season 3. It is also the premiere episode of Season 3. It was released on Amazon Prime on December 6, 2019.

## Synopsis

*Midge performs at a USO show ahead of touring with Shy while Susie learns the ins and outs of contract negotiation. Abe and Rose grapple with their new financial situation. Joel finds the perfect spot for his new club until he discovers the space isn't as it appears.*

## Plot

Midge and Susie arrive at an Army base for their first USO show with Shy Baldwin. Joel's father, Moishe, gives him a promising lead on a club venue in Chinatown. Susie receives an angry call from Sophie Lennon. Rose tells Abe that her trust fund allowance from her wealthy family has been supplementing their lifestyle. Midge has ended her engagement with Benjamin. Joel is initially impressed with his new nightclub location until he discovers the landlords operate an illegal Chinese gambling den downstairs. Midge and Susie are told to attend a USO dance following the show, discovering they are only there to be dance partners with soldiers. Midge is furious that Susie has become Sophie's new manager. Abe catches Lenny Bruce's nightclub act and supports his quest for free speech.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Rachel Brosnahan as Midge Maisel
* Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson
* Michael Zegen as Joel Maisel
* Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman
* Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman
* Kevin Pollak as Moishe Maisel

## Episode Notes

### Historical References

* Midge appears at a **USO** (United Service Organizations) Christmas show. The USO was founded in 1941 to provide entertainment and social programs to soldiers away from home. Throughout WWII and the Korean War, the USO packaged "camp shows" such as the one in which Midge appears and took them to fighting units in war zones, which continued at home front bases in peacetime. Generally headlined by a well-known comedian, most famously Bob Hope, the shows included popular singers and other performers of the day along with young, pretty actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Ann-Margret, whose role was to lift morale and remind the men "what they were fighting for."

* Miss America 1959, **Mary Ann Mobley**, appears in this episode. Mobley was a student at the University of Mississippi when she entered the 1959 pageant as Miss Mississippi, becoming the first entrant from that state to be crowned Miss America. Mobley also won the talent competition and went on to have a modest acting career that included two Elvis Presley films, often appearing in guest roles on television series with her husband, actor Gary Collins. Mobley died of breast cancer in 2014.

### Music

* Strike Up the Band (Instrumental) performed by George Gershwin (from the musical "Strike Up the Band")
	+ *A group of dancers open up the tour.*
* Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition performed by Kay Kyser
	+ *Midge and Susie have begun the tour with Shy and are at an army base in Long Island, at the beginning of the USO Show. Susie rings Fred at The Stage Deli for help with negotiation for Midge’s touring contract.*
* Bottle Of Pop performed by The Silver Belles (Alysha Deslorieux, Brennyn Lark and Markita Prescott)
	+ *The group sing at the show.*
* One Less Angel performed by Shy Baldwin (Darius de Haas)
	+ *Shy Badwin performs at the base.*
* A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square performed by Shy Baldwin (Darius de Haas)
	+ *Shy Badwin performs at the base.*
* White Christmas performed by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Cast
	+ *All the touring artists perform at the end of their show.*
* Little White Lies performed by Ella Fitzgerald
	+ *Abe goes to see Lenny perform at The Den.*
* Wiggle Wiggle performed by The Accents
	+ *Midge has been invited to a dance for the boys of the base.*
* The Diary performed by Neil Sedaka
	+ *Midge is dancing with some of the boys of the base.*
* Conga performed by Desi Arnaz (from "Too Many Girls")
	+ *Midge joins in the conga at the party.*
* Jailbreak performed by Thin Lizzy
	+ *End credits.*

#### Music Notes

* "**Strike Up the Band**" was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1927. Originally part of a failed satirical musical about militaristic music, it became a popular song and the title of a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney film in 1940. The Gershwins made a gift of the song with revised lyrics to UCLA in 1936, where it continues to play as a school song by the UCLA band.
* Midge feels out of place because she does not know the lyrics to "**White Christmas**." Ironically, the song, first recorded in 1942 and made most famous by Bing Crosby's recording along with the 1949 music film, was written by Irving Berlin, who was Jewish himself. New Yorker Berlin was spending the holidays near sunny Palm Springs and was moved to write a Christmas song that reflected missing a snowy Christmas at home.

## References

1. ↑ This description was taken from *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Amazon page.*