Theatre For The New City Presents FLAHOOLEY 1/3/2010
In 1951, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg gave Broadway "Flahooley," a Christmas story with puppet theater and social and political satire, in response to his Hollywood blacklisting. The musical targeted big business and conformity and contained "genie hunts" and "doll burnings" that were direct satires of the McCarthyist witch hunts. Expectations were high following Harburg's success with "Finian's Rainbow" four years earlier. But "Flahooley" closed quickly and has slumbered ever since, save one Off-off Broadway revival in 1998.
The musical, with book by Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Sammy Fain, has been newly adapted by Keith Lee Grant, Artistic Director of Harlem Repertory Theatre. The TNC/Harlem Rep production will have an interracial cast of nine, multimedia effects, multi-disciplinary puppetry and an acoustic accompaniment by three live musicians. Nearly all of the original score will be used intact. Bil Baird's marionettes will be replaced by a collection of hand, rod and Bunraku puppets designed by Daniel Fergus Tamulonis.
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