Guys and Dolls Rooney, Pat, Jr. performer Theatrical Performance 1950-11-24 46th Street Theater 46th Street Theatre. Irish-American tap dancer and vaudevillian Pat Rooney, Jr. (1880-1962) creates the role of old man Arvide Abernathy who advises Salvation Army Mission Band leader Sister Sarah Brown, in "More I Can Not Wish For" to find her own true love that day. Rooney was originally slated to do his famous waltz clog in the production, but because it was out of character in the musical, he never performed the dance but instead introduced the song, "More I Cannot Wish You" which became a classic. Mark Knowles claims Rooney is credited with popularizing two of tap dancing's famous steps, Shuffle off to Buffalo, and Falling off the Log. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Knowles, Mark: Tap Roots: The Early History of Tap Dancing. Jefferson, NC: Mcfarland & Co. (2002). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.1217