Li'l Abner, musical play
Composed by Gene de Paul
Performed by Percy Faith and His Orchestra
with Edith Adams, Marc Breaux, Ralph Linn, Peter Palmer, Stubby Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Howard St. John
Conducted by Lehman Engel, Percy Faith
Li'l Abner is a musical with a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, music by Gene De Paul, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
Based on the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp, the show is, on the surface, a broad spoof of hillbillies but is also a pointed satire taking on any number of topics, ranging from an incompetent United States federal government to standards of masculinity.
The plot centers on two things: first, Dogpatch, the town that is the main setting of the comic strip, has been declared the "most unnecessary town" in the U.S. and is set to be turned into a nuclear testing site; second, the water that Li'l Abner has been drinking all of his life is discovered to be a potion that makes men strong and handsome, but also utterly uninterested in sex.
The town is ultimately saved when a plaque is discovered declaring that its local hero, the Confederate general Jubilation T. Cornpone was, by virtue of his incompetence, so instrumental in the defeat of his own army as to be a hero of the Republic.
The Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd, opened on November 15, 1956 at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 693 performances. The original cast starred Peter Palmer in the title role and Edie Adams as Daisy Mae. Other prominent cast members were Howard St. John as General Bullmoose, Stubby Kaye as Marryin' Sam, Charlotte Rae as Mammy Yokum (Li'l Abner's mother), Tina Louise as Appassionata von Climax, Julie Newmar as Stupifyin' Jones, Carmen Alvarez as Moonbeam McSwine, Ted Thurston as Senator Phogbound, and Tony Mordente as Lonesome Polecat.
Act I
A Typical Day - Dogpatchers
If I Had My Druthers - L'il Abner and Cronies
If I Had My Druthers (Reprise) - Daisy Mae
Jubilation T. Cornpone - Marryin' Sam and Dogpatchers
Rag Offen the Bush - Dogpatchers
Namely You - Daisy Mae and L'il Abner
Unnecessary Town - L'il Abner, Daisy Mae and Dogpatchers
What's Good for General Bullmoose - Secretaries
The Country's in the Very Best of Hands - L'il Abner and Marryin' Sam
Sadie Hawkins Day ((Ballet)) - Dogpatchers
Oh Happy Day - Dr. Finsdale, Dr. Smithborn, Dr. Krogmeyer and Dr. Schleifitz
I'm Past My Prime - Daisy Mae and Marryin' Sam
Love in a Home - L'il Abner and Daisy Mae
Progress Is the Root of All Evil - Gen. Bullmoose
Progress Is the Root of All Evil (Reprise) - Gen. Bullmoose
Put 'Em Back - Wives
Namely You (Reprise) - Daisy Mae
The Matrimonial Stomp - Marryin' Sam and Dogpatchers
Finale - Entire Company
"L'il Abner" Broadway Soundtrack LP Zip File
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