--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I played Lady Day, I took Aba…" description: "\"“When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a joke. He started singing—in tune!—and the audience loved it. Eartha Kitt, when asked what tric..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/eartha-kitt-4073_animals_when-i-played-lady-day-i-took-aba-onstag_2059667.jpg" --- # When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a… ![“When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a joke. He started singing—in tune!—and the audience loved it. Eartha Kitt, when asked what tricks her poodle did.” quote by Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/eartha-kitt-4073_animals_when-i-played-lady-day-i-took-aba-onstag_2059667.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/eartha-kitt-4073_animals_when-i-played-lady-day-i-took-aba-onstag_2059667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/eartha-kitt-4073_animals_when-i-played-lady-day-i-took-aba-onstag_2059667.jpg) > ““When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a joke. He started singing—in tune!—and the audience loved it. Eartha Kitt, when asked what tricks her poodle did.”” [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor and surprise in performance can create memorable moments. **In simple terms:** Humor makes performances memorable. Key Takeaway Incorporate surprise to engage audiences. Themes performance humor surprise Mood playful thoughtful Type entertainment inspirational When to use this quote - live shows - comedy acts - musical numbers Key Concepts theatre audience dynamics improvisation Questions to Reflect On - How can surprise be balanced with respect? - When does humor enhance or distract? A Different Perspective Humor may not suit all audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aba Onstage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aba-onstage-2980404/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Lady Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lady-day-3922903/) [Loved Eartha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-eartha-3922904/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Onstage Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/onstage-joke-2980405/) [Played Lady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-lady-2275992/) ## Related quotes > [When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a joke. He started singing-in tune!-and the audience loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/when-i-played-lady-day-i-took-aba-onstage-with-me-as-a-joke-he/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Not only did I cross-dress at 10, playing Rosalind in 'As You Like It,' I also found myself in a cross-dressed part at 60,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/not-only-did-i-cross-dress-at-10-playing-rosalind-in-as-you-like-it-i/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) ## More by Eartha Kitt > [I don't have to have the biggest house or the biggest car or the longest mink, but quality of life is really glamorous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-don-t-have-to-have-the-biggest-house-or-the-biggest-car-or-the/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I fight for other people better than I fight for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-fight-for-other-people-better-than-i-fight-for-myself/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [When the Batman TV series was taken to the silver screen, one of America's favourite sweethearts would don the mask and claws of Catwoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/when-the-batman-tv-series-was-taken-to-the-silver-screen-one-of/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I said to the president's wife, Vietnam is the main reason we are having trouble with the youth of America. It is a war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-said-to-the-president-s-wife-vietnam-is-the-main-reason-we-are/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are not hippies for no reason at all. We don’t have what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/the-children-of-america-are-not-rebelling-for-no-reason-they-are-not/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Eartha Mae is very shy. She's scared to be seen, scared of rejection and even afraid of affection. Relationships can be rather uncomfortable for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/eartha-mae-is-very-shy-she-s-scared-to-be-seen-scared-of-rejection/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [The boys that were running away from America because they didn't want to get involved with the Vietnam War had come to me. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/the-boys-that-were-running-away-from-america-because-they-didn-t-want/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I was trying to find out who my father was. They say that at that time, that if you are illegitimate, the father doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-was-trying-to-find-out-who-my-father-was-they-say-that-at-that-time/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Sometimes it's good to fall down to see who will pick you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/sometimes-it-s-good-to-fall-down-to-see-who-will-pick-you-up/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it's going to go and where you'll wind up. Following the bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/the-river-is-constantly-turning-and-bending-and-you-never-know-where/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Live theater to me is much more free than the movies or television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/live-theater-to-me-is-much-more-free-than-the-movies-or-television/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I fall in love with myself, and I want someone to share it with me. And I want someone to share me, with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-fall-in-love-with-myself-and-i-want-someone-to-share-it-with-me-and/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [I thought Britney Spears was absolutely marvelous in the beginning. But now I think she's gone off the deep end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-thought-britney-spears-was-absolutely-marvelous-in-the-beginning/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Generally the whole entertainment business now is bland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/generally-the-whole-entertainment-business-now-is-bland/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Explore all 116 Eartha Kitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) ## More Animals quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I played Lady Day, I took Aba onstage with me as a joke. He started singing—in tune!—and the audience loved it. 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