This episode contains the song "Light One Candle" written by Albert Hague and Allan Sherman, from their 1969 musical "The Fig Leaves Are Falling." The musical was a flop, opening on Broadway on January 2, 1969, and closing just four performances later. "Fig Leaves" was Hague's last original musical (though later shows did use songs he wrote for other contexts). He became a teacher at New York's Fiorello H. Laguardia High School Of Music & Art and Performing Arts, a job he still held when he was cast as the music teacher Benjamin Shorofsky in the movie Fame; he subsequently continued the role in this TV show.
This is Connie Needham's second appearance on the show playing a different character. She first appeared as Kathy Murphy in To Soar and Never Falter (1982) where she is a great dancer. Here she plays Kelly Hayden who is not a great dancer.