Charles Boyer had just premiered in the Broadway play 'Lord Pengo', co-starring Agnes Moorehead, at the Royale Theatre. The comedy would run for 175 performances, closing on April 20, 1963.
Famed animal trainer Clyde Beatty had been performing his "fighting act" in the 'Cole Bros. Circus' since 1959. The Circus was scheduled to appear at the New York Coliseum throughout December 1962.
Saxophonist Paul Winter's sestet had gone on a goodwill tour of Latin America as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, playing 160 concerts in 23 countries. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had invited the band to perform at the White House's East Room the previous week, on November 19, 1962. It was the first jazz concert in the White House.