Top Banana (musical)

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Original Cast Recording
Top Banana

Music	Johnny Mercer
Lyrics	Johnny Mercer
Book	Hy Kraft
Productions	1951 Broadway

Top Banana is a 1951 musical produced by Paula Stone and Mike Sloane that won comedian Phil Silvers a Tony award in 1952. The musical features music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and book by Hy Kraft. The original cast co-starred Rose Marie, Lindy Doherty, Jack Albertson, Bob Scheerer and Ted "Sport" Morgan. It was later turned into a movie by United Artists in 1954.

The show opened on November 1, 1951 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, New York and closed on October 4, 1952 with a total of 350 performances.

The Broadway production was directed by Jack Donohue and choreographed by Ron Feitcher. Vocal arrangements and direction by Hugh Martin, musical direction by Harold Hasting, and orchestrated by Don Walker. Scenic and lighting design by Jo Mielziner, Costume Design by Alvin Colt.

1 The Broadway Cast
2 Synopsis
3 Trivia
4 Songs Featured
5 References

[edit] The Broadway Cast

Phil Silvers as Jerry Biffle
Rose Marie as Betty Dillon
Lindy Doherty as Cliff Lane
Judy Lynn as Sally Peters
Jack Albertson as Vic Davis
Bob Scheerer as Tommy Phelps
Joey Faye as Pinky

[edit] Synopsis

Jerry Biffle is the star of the Blendo Soap Program. He has been invited to participate in an autograph-signing party for his new book at an important department store. Jerry meets Sally Peters, one of the department store models, and makes her part of his TV troupe. As part of his campaign to court Sally, Jerry gets Cliff Lane , the tenor of his TV company, to sing to her over the phone. When Sally and Cliff meet, they fall in love, with Biffle ignorant of the complications.

Biffle enginieers a big publicity wedding between Cliff and "a girl," not knowing that Sally is the girl. To further complicate his life, Jerry learns that he is about to lose his sponsor. The publicity elopement between his girl and Cliff almost shatters his entire career and life.

When it seems that his whole world will cave in, Jerry's sponsor comes up with a new format for the Blendo program and, as far as Jerry is concerned, the day is saved.

[edit] Trivia

It was assumed by many at the time that the play was written as a moderately-veiled parody of Milton Berle, host of the Texaco Star Theater on television. Later, Berle performed the song Top Banana on the Muppet Show with Fozzy Bear.