All tagged Charlotte Rae

Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at L’il Abner

Broadway Musical Time Machine: Looking Back at L’il Abner

Mark Robinson
Theatre Time Machine

A musical that we do not see many productions of these days, but one that is thoroughly delightful in both its satire and its memorable score, is the 1956 also-ran L’il Abner. At one point, L’il Abner was an extremely popular musical in high schools and community theatres. It was based on the popular Al Capp comic strip of the same name about a town full of colorful hillbillies, poking fun at the government, current events, and Hollywood news items. With a score by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Gene de Paul (music), and a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, the musical riotously captured the cartoonish tone of Capp’s strip

"Jubilation T. Cornpone" - Guilty Pleasure Thursday

"Jubilation T. Cornpone" - Guilty Pleasure Thursday

Mark Robinson
Guilty Pleasure, Music That Makes Me Dance

"Jubilation T. Cornpone" may do nothing to further the plot or to give us a deeper understanding of a character, but you simply cannot hear this song without tapping your toes and getting caught up in the hillbilly hoopla of this guilty pleasure. It's showstopping fun and in the hands of showstopper extraordinaire Stubby Kaye, the number was the highlight of the 1956 musical Li'l Abner.