There is a scene in "Mad Men", where decrepit agency head Bertram Cooper, played by Robert Morse, does a song and dance number. Big deal, we thought upon watching it.

Apparently, somewhat a big deal? Unbeknownst to us, Morse was a huge Broadway star in the 1960s, originating the main role in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". That earned him one of his two Tony Awards. Here he is in his younger days.

We could wax poetically about the ethereality of fame. We could ponder the grace of aging. We could pay respect to a man whose talent entertained multiple generations...

Instead, we are going to mention the one fact that very few were aware of, not when he was on Broadway, not when he was on "Mad Men". The fact only became widely known after Morse's death: he was Jewish.

Now that is a big deal!