Curley McDimple
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| Curley McDimple, a Musical Valentine to the Thirties | |
| Music | Robert Dahdah |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Robert Dahdah |
| Book | Robert Dahdah and Mary Boylan |
| Productions | Bert Wheeler Theatre--1967 |
Curley McDimple is a musical with music and lyrics by Robert Dahdah and book by Robert Dahdah and Mary Boylan. The play is a spoof of Depression-era Shirley Temple movies.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Curley (the Shirley Temple-like character) arrives at a shabby theatrical boarding house in Manhattan, New York, run by Sarah. Curley is eight years old and looking for parents to adopt her; she settles on Alice and Jimmy. They are performers who are boarders at the house -- they fall in love with each other at first sight. The boarders aid Sarah, who is threatened with losing her house, by putting on a vaudeville show. The period is in the early to middle 1930's.
[edit] List of Characters
- Jimmy -- a boarder and dancer--Paul Cahill
- Bill -- George Hillman
- Sarah -- owner of the boarding house--Helen Blount
- Miss Hamilton -- Social worker, looking like the Wicked Witch--Norma Bigtree
- Alice -- another boarder and performer-- Bernadette Peters
- Mr. Gillingwater -- banker -- Gene Galvin
- Curley -- eight year old child -- Bayn Johnson
[edit] List of Musical Numbers
Act I
- Overture
- A Cup of Coffee
- Try
- Curley McDimple
- Love is the Loveliest Song
- Are There Any More Rosie O'Gradys?
- Dancing in the Rain
- At the Playland Jamboree
- I've Got a Little Secret
Act II
- Stars and Lovers
- The Meanest Man in Town
- Try (reprise)
- Something Nice Is Going to Happen
- Swing-a-Ding-a-Ling
- Hi de hi de hi, Hi de hi de ho
- Dwarfs' Song
- Swing-a-Ding-a-Ling
- Something Nice Is Going To Happen
- Love is the Loveliest Love Song (reprise)
- Finale
[edit] Productions
Curley McDimple opened at the Bert Wheeler Theatre, New York, New York, on November 22, 1967, and ran for 931 performances. Bernadette Peters played "Alice", and Bayn Johnson played "Curley". Robert Dahdah directed, and musical numbers were staged by Lonnie Evans.
Peters and Dahdah had previously worked together in the off-off-Broadway production of "Dames at Sea" in 1966.
(Peters left the production in early 1968 for her next show, George M!.)
Butterfly McQueen, who was known for her performance in the film Gone with the Wind, joined the cast on May 9, 1968. In a new role written for her, she played a cook at the boarding house.
