THE WHITE HOUSE

                        Office of the Press Secretary
                             (New York, New York)
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     June 30, 1997     

                           REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
                         IN THANKING PERFORMERS FROM
               "A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM"
                
                            The St. James Theatre
                              New York, New York

9:53 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: I deserve that for that Macarena stunt. (Laughter.) Thank you, Whoopi; thank you, cast; thank you, maestro; thank you, orchestra.

You know, the theatre is normally dark on Monday night. I think we can certify that this was most certainly not dark tonight, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I thank all those who are here with our Democratic Party. And thank you all for coming tonight.

Someone told me that the last time anything like this was done on Broadway was for President Eisenhower in 1955. All I can say is, the others don't know what they missed. (Applause.) You have brightened all of our days. And I think you have pretty much made it a certainty that tomorrow will not be a tragedy.

Thank you. God bless you all. Thank you. (Applause.)

END 9:54 P.M. EDT