Morris Day/Star Tribune photo by Carlos Gonzalez
How do to "The Bird" is forever etched in your memory, but you may have forgotten that its dance instructor is a top-notch comedic actor.
Morris Day serves as host for the upcoming episode of "Sherman's Showcase," a new series that primarily spoofs "Soul Train." But this installment, which premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday on IFC, is all about the rise and fall of Charade, a multi-talented artist from Nebraska with an oversized ego and an obsession with making a black-and-white film that doesn't make any sense. He's clearly Prince.
Charade's biggest hit, "Vicki, is the Water Warm Enough," -- which borrows a line from Prince's "Computer Blue" -- sounds suspiciously like "Jungle Love,"
Day is introduced as "Living Legend, Minnesotan" and proceeds to take over the proceedings with a mix of charm and cockiness that made him a scene stealer in 1984's "Purple Rain."
At one point, the episode veers away so Day can explain how he was originally cast as the lead in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," playing a wealthy family's troubled nephew who had to escape the mean streets of Minneapolis.
Quincy Jones and sportscaster Curt Menefee make cameos.
For those who thought Day was just a nostalgia act, think again. This performance makes a strong case for him getting a sitcom of his own -- this time for real.
