National Lampoon Lemmings

National Lampoon's Lemmings, a spinoff of the humor magazine National Lampoon, was a 1973 stage show which helped launch the performing careers of John Belushi, Christopher Guest, and Chevy Chase.^[1][2] The show was co-written and co-directed by a number of people including Sean Kelly. The show opened at the Village Gate on January 25, 1973, and ran for 350 performances.

The first half of the show was sketch comedy; the second half was a mock rock festival, "Woodshuck: Three Days of Peace, Love and Death", a parody of "Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music". "Woodshuck" featured spoofs of Woodstock performers, including Joe Cocker, James Taylor and Joan Baez, as well as a parody of Bob Dylan and songs performed by fictional groups (e.g. the "Motown Manifestoes" singing Papa was a Running Dog Lackey of the Bourgeoisie).

The songs from the show were subsequently issued as a record album. A video of one of the original performances, National Lampoon: Lemmings: Dead in Concert 1973, was eventually made available several decades later.

Cast

The cast included:^[3]

• John Belushi
• Chevy Chase
• Garry Goodrow
• Christopher Guest
• Paul Jacobs
• Mary-Jennifer Mitchell
• Alice Playten

Later cast replacements:

• Rhonda Coullet
• Nate Herman
• Bob Hoban
• Zal Yanovsky

Writers

The writers included:^[3]

• Christopher Guest – music, musical arrangements
• Paul Jacobs – music, musical arrangements, musical director
• John Belushi
• Sean Kelly
• Tony Hendra
• David Axelrod
• Anne Beatts
• Henry Beard
• John Boni
• Doug Kenney
• P.J. O'Rourke
• Zal Yanovsky

Acts

• Welcome to the Woodchuck Festival: Three Days of Peace, Love, and Death; plus band introductions throughout - John Belushi
• Freud, Marx, Engels, and Jung, performing Lemmings Lament. - A parody of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and the songs Woodstock, Long Time Gone, and others. (Also referred to in performance as Freud, Pavlov, Adler, and Jung)
• Bob Dylan, performing "Positively Wall Street," a parody of several of his styles, with the title taken from "Positively 4th Street" - Christopher Guest
• Goldie Oldie, a parody of old, 1950s-style performers, performing "Pizza Pie" - Alice Playten
• John Denver, performing "Colorado" - Chevy Chase
• Joan Baez, performing Pull the Triggers, Niggers, a parody of her protest songs and of Dylan's song George Jackson, in particular. Listed on the album cover as Pull the Tregroes, Negroes. - Mary Jennifer Mitchell (later replaced by Rhonda Coullet)
• Joe Cocker, Lonely at the Bottom - Belushi as Cocker, Paul Jacobs as Leon Russell on piano.
• James Taylor, Highway Toes - Christopher Guest
• Motown Manifestoes" singing Papa was a Running Dog Lackey of the Bourgeoisie, with most of its lines taken from The Communist Manifesto.
• Donovan, Nirvana Banana - Zal Yanovsky (later addition to the show).
• Joni Mitchell, I Do For You - Alice Playton (replaced by Rhonda Coullet).
• Farmer Yassir (parody of Max Yasgur, owner of the land on which Woodstock was held), greeting the audience - Gary Goodrow
• Megadeath, a parody of heavy metal groups, who end their act by turning the amps so loud that the audience dies.
• "Jackie Christ, Superstar". Parody of "Jesus Christ, Superstar." Jesus is a stand up comedian, while John Belushi played King Herod.
• "Deteriorata", A Tony Hendra parody of Les Crane's recording of Desiderata.
• "Defeat Day" - a parody of America's first military defeat in the Vietnam War. "Put all your troubles in a nickle bag and smile, smile, smile."

Awards

• Alice Playten – 1973 Obie Award for Distinguished Performance^[4]

Cast recording

A cast recording of the show was released in 1973, with album cover art by Melinda Bordelon.

Track listing

Side One

1. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
2. Lemmings Lament
   Lead vocal by Paul Jacobs (as David Crosby); instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Paul Jacobs and Sean Kelly.
3. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
4. Positively Wall Street
   Lead vocal by Christopher Guest (as Bob Dylan); instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Paul Jacobs, Christopher Guest, and Sean Kelly.
5. Weather Person
   Performed by Garry Goodrow
6. Pizza Man
   Lead vocal by Alice Playten (as Goldie Oldie); instruments and back-up vocals by the cast; written by Christopher Guest, Sean Kelly, and Tony Hendra
7. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
8. Colorado
   Lead vocal by Chevy Chase; instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Christopher Guest, Sean Kelly, and Tony Hendra
9. Richie Havens
   Performed by Christopher Guest (as Richie Havens)
10. Crowd Rain Chant
    Performed by John Belushi

Side Two

1. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
2. Papa Was a Running Dog Lackey of the Bourgeoisie
   Lead vocal by Paul Jacobs; instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Paul Jacobs and Tony Hendra
3. All-Star Dead Band
   Performed by John Belushi
4. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
5. Highway Toes
   Lead vocal by Christopher Guest (as James Taylor); instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Christopher Guest and Sean Kelly
6. Hell's Angel
   Performed by Chevy Chase
7. Stage Announcements
   Performed by John Belushi
8. Farmer Yassir
   Performed by Garry Goodrow
9. Lonely at the Bottom
   Lead vocal by John Belushi (as Joe Cocker); instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Paul Jacobs and John Belushi
10. Megagroupie
    Performed by Alice Playten
11. Megadeath
    Lead vocal by John Belushi; instruments and backup vocals by the cast; written by Paul Jacobs and Sean Kelly

See also

• List of National Lampoon films

References

External links

• Original Off-Broadway Cast, National Lampoon's Lemmings (Blue Thumb, 1973; Decca Records, 2002)
• National Lampoon's Lemmings at the Internet Off Broadway Database
• K., T. E. (19 February 1973). "Megadeath by Laughter". Time http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,906887,00.html.