Musical Humorist Victor Borge

1.  Musical humorist Victor Borge, a talented pianist and a comedian, was born in ____________   on January 3, 1909.

The son of a violinist in the Danish Symphony Orchestra, Victor Borge became a child

prodigy soon after he began playing the piano at the age of three.  

“A child prodigy” means ____________ .                   

After studying at the Copenhagen Music Conservatory as well as in Vienna and Berlin,

Victor Borge soon found his way into acting, too. He became a one-of-a-kind leading film

and stage actor in Scandinavia. 

"One of a kind" means ______________ .

When the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940, Victor Borge had to escape to

the U.S.  He arrived almost penniless and unable to speak English.

"Penniless" means __________________ .

He taught himself English by listening intently to the dialogues in films.

 “Intently”  means _____________ .

From 1953 through 1956,  Victor Borge’s one-man show “Comedy in Music”

chalked up 849 performances—the longest solo run in Broadway history.

"Chalk up" means ______________ .

Victor Borge’s  incredible wit combined with his amazing musical ability created

the unique performances that cracked up people around the world.

"Crack up" means ______________ .

He performed skits such as falling off his seatbelt-equipped piano bench, telling jokes

about musicians, playing music upside down or playing piano duets by using his fingers

to invade his partner’s keyboard territory.       

"Skit" means __________________ .                                           

In 1963, Borge helped to found the “Thanks to Scandinavia Foundation,” which offers

scholarships to Scandinavian students and scientists to the U.S. universities.

“Scholarship” means _________ .                                 

He was knighted by the kings of Norway, Denmark and Sweden and was honored by both

the US congress and the United Nations.

“ was knighted” means  ______________ .

He kept up a busy career into his 80s. In addition to his heavy stage and television

commitments, he became a much sought-after conductor of many of the world’s most

famous symphony and opera orchestras.     

"Sought-after" means ________________ .                                         

“Victor Borge is world-famous as the funniest pianist on Earth,” stated  The Washington Post.

The beloved international humorist and musician, who began performing actively from the

age of 17 until past his 90^th birthday, passed away on December 23, 2000 in Greenwich,

Connecticut, U.S. 

"Pass away" means _____________ .