Li'l Abner

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 8:34pm

I had my first experience with this show today at a local high school. And although it was DEFINATELY a second-rate school production, I fell in love with this musical! So cute, smart, and funny! And there were a few toe-tappers as well.
Anyone else like "Li'l Abner"?

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 9:28pm

YES!!! Bring on a revival, please! Sutton Foster as Daisy May!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 12:45am

Yes, I like this show a lot! Well, actually I really only know the score, but it is golden age Broadway at its best. To paraphrase the man in the chair, whenever I am feeling a little blue, I just have to put on Jubilation T. Cornpone and I'm dancing around my living room!

Edit: This made me think of a footnote from Ethan Mordden's 70s Broadway book about Patti Lupone: "Now that she is queen of Broadway it is finally time to correct a common error. Her family name is not LuPone, but Pone. Patti Lu's siblings are Robert Lu, William Lu, and Jubilation T. Corn." I know it's kinda corny, but it made me laugh.

Updated On: 2/27/08 at 12:45 AM

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 1:01am

MuppetManiaMan and WhizzerMarvinTrinaJasonMendel, you owe it to yourselves to get a copy of the movie version!

Yes, it does leave out about a quarter of the score (though they did insert a song that had been cut out of town), but it has virtually the entire Broadway cast recreating their roles!

It's practically like you're sitting in New York in the '50's watching it!

And it has the Michael Kidd dances! And there's this one bit in "Rag Offen the Bush" that will make your jaw drop wondering how the Hell these two dancers were able to do that!

If I had a few spare millions, I would produce a revival.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 9:38am

i just bought the movie not that long ago and i adore it. the random references to "terrorism" and whatnot are SO SMART and fly over people's heads. i would love a revival in this day & age. i could only think what someone like Matthew Bourne could do with the choreography

[educator06]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 10:28am

I agree, Lil Abner would be great. It is really funny and has some great songs. Jonathan B Wright played Abner in his high school's production of the show.

Lil Abner Updated On: 2/27/08 at 10:28 AM

[PUPPETMAN]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 11:02am

It was just revived in concert form in California with Cathy Rigby as Mammy Yokum.

The film does used a lot of the Broadway cast but replaced Charlotte Ray who was the original Mammy and Edith Adams the original Daisey Mae.

[James Sims]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 12:27pm

It was not actually a concert form in Los Angeles, rather a full staging for a 2 week run as part of LA's Reprise series. I had posted a video feature with some broll of the show a while back...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=24942

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 12:37pm

I've said it before that I thought sales wouldn't do well for it to be on Broadway. I think it could do a well for a limited run with a great cast.

Jackie Huffman as Mammy Yocum.... the show might be to clean for her.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 12:39pm

i think Cheyenne Jackson would be a fun Li'l Abner :)

[Jon]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:05pm

Mammy in the movie was Billie Hayes - later known as Witchie-Poo on H.R.Pufnstuff.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:43pm

I saw the Encores version in '98...the things that stood out were that Julie Newmar STILL played Stupefyin Jones (is the name correct), Cady Huffman spent half her stage time wrangling a beligerent baby pig (which she laughed about at the stage door) and my seat in the audience. Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and Wyatt Russell were in the row in front of me and Victor Garber was in the row behind.

[Bal]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:55pm

"Sutton Foster as Daisy May!"

That's just so wrong. She really doesn't have the figure for it... just like she doesn't have the figure for Inga, despite that miraculous push-up bra they gave her. However, it's far more important for Daisy Mae to have an hourglass.

Besides, then Daisy Mae would be this random dance role for no reason. Which would be frustrating.

Anyways, if they did revivie it, L'il Abner would have to look like Cheyenne Jackson, and the girls would all have to be super curvy. It's a plot point! I don't know if Broadway is ready for that...

I just love the show, though, and I would go without food for it.

[PUPPETMAN]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 4:09pm

There would be something for everyone with the curvy girls and the muscle men in Speedos.








there would be something for evereyone

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 4:55pm

OOWEE! Those muscle men! Wowzers! Even the HS production I saw was so hunky and hot!

Posted: 2/27/08 at 6:10pm

I loathe this show.

[howardbf]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 6:22pm

Cheyenne Jackson would be perfect casting.
Sutton Foster would not be

[Nightmareb4i]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 6:43pm

My hish school did this show last year. We all thought our teacher was on crack for picking it, but it turned out to be amazing. I loved every minute of being in that show.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 10:47pm

I know that Billie Hayes took over for Charlotte Raye on Broadway. I'm not sure if Leslie Parris did the same for Edie Adams.

Actually, there's a story behind Billie Hayes and Charlotte Raye. Charlotte Raye had already signed her contract to play Mammy Yokum when the producers saw Billie Hayes in another show and decided that she would be perfect for Mammy Yokum. The producers tried to buy Raye out of her contract, but sensing that "Li'l Abner" would be a hit, she wouldn't budge. Not getting what they wanted the easy way, they decided to make Raye want to quit. They took away her song, cut down her part (as much as you can take Mammy Yokum out of "Li'l Abner") and, I think, they even took away her dressing room. She had to dress with the chorus girls.

But, Raye stuck it out until the end of her contract. And then the producers hired Bille Hayes for the rest of the run and the national tour.

I discovered the show when I set the timer on my VCR to record it on TBS in the middle of the night about ten ago, basically for the rare/camp value. And when I watched it, I fell in love with it!

The show stands up so well! (I mean, who here actually remembers reading the "Li'l Abner" comic strip!) The opening number has to rank up there with "Tradition" from "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Comedy Tonight" from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" as one of the best opening numbers in terms of setting up the tone and characters of the show that you are about to see.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 10:47pm

Yes revive it forthwith with Cheyenne Jackson.

[Craig]

Posted: 2/27/08 at 10:50pm

Had a chance to interview my buddy Peter Palmer (the original Abner) a couple of years ago...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=3730

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 12:48am

Li'l Abner on Broadway

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 12:48am

Li'l Abner in Hollywood

[PUPPETMAN]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 11:15am

There are some of us who remember reading L'il Abner in the comics. I was very young and didn't catch the satire, vut liked the drawings.

[mmousefan]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 12:18pm

did anyone see Goodspeed's recent version?!?! it IS a great score. Wish they had written more shows....