Pump Boys and Dinettes

The history of shows that have transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway is well documented. Hundreds of Broadway plays and musicals started out off-Broadway before making the leap to a Broadway house. But much more rare is the circumstance of a show starting out off-off-Broadway (that’s right, two ‘off’s!) and traveling all the way to the main stem. One of these shows is playing right now, and is a major theatre success story with off-off-Broadway roots!

This time, the reader question was: There are only three states in America without known Broadway musicals set within their borders. Can you guess which three? WE're breaking it down state by state.

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nitz/Howe Experience at Elgin's Hemmens on November 24. Enjoy a night of audience participation, comedy, and music with After Dark Award winners Daryl Nitz and George Howe.

Special Offer - PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES at Winter Park Playhouse May 13 -June 12

A new cast takes the stage for the Country Western toe-tappin' fun and side-splitting comedy of Pump Boys and Dinettes on The Winter Park Playhouse mainstage - May 13 through June 12, 2022. 

Country Western toe-tappin' fun and side-splitting comedy will delight audiences when Broadway hit Pump Boys and Dinettes takes The Winter Park Playhouse mainstage May 13 through June 12, 2022. 

Welcoming guest contributor David Appleford to review The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES. Runs through August 23rd.

The cast for Pump Boys and Dinettes at The Phoenix Theatre Company includes Nick Moulton as Jackson, Cassie Chilton as Rhetta Cupp, Emily Mulligan-Ferry as Prudie Cupp, Cody Craven as Jim, Alex Crossland as Eddie and Alan Plado as L.M.

The criteria are that these shows have been nominated for Best Musical from the 3rd Tony Awards (the ceremony that started the Best Musical category) in 1949 to the nominations of what will now be the 74th Tony Awards in 2021. I will be determining their signs based upon their Broadway premiere date. With those rules in mind, here we go!

Hailed as 'the best party in town,' by New York's Cabaret Scenes Magazine, The Nitz/ Howe Experience marked a major milestone in September, 2019. Celebrating its 20th year anniversary, with over 1200 shows at their home base of Chicago's Davenport's, it became the longest running cabaret show in the country.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater announces the cast and creative teams for the 201920 Season shows 2 Pianos 4 Hands, The Niceties, The Nerd and Nunsense.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is a Tony nominated 1981 musical written by the performance group of the same name. The group, Pump Boys and Dinettes, consisted of John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. The members also jointly directed and starred in the original Broadway production. The show is basically a series of standalone songs rather than a conventional story tied together with music. The book for this musical is very thin and really only exists to get to the next song. Each song represents some element of small-town life: the sacredness of fishing, the fun of owning a pair of "Drinkin Shoes," and other assorted blue collar tales including growing up with with their grandma, whom they called Mamaw. The company tosses off 21 short-form songs with performances that harken back to simpler, more straight forward times with good natured knee-slapping, song, dance and humor. They shatter the fourth wall by talking directly to the audience and eventually coming right out into it and the end result is a refreshing blast from the past.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is an amazing country musical with comedy and a talented cast who play their own instruments, telling the story, mostly through song. The Connecticut Cabaret Theatre, in Berlin, CT, has once again put together a first rate cast. For a night of great music and entertainment, I highly recommend PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES.

Trav'lin - The 1930s Harlem Musical comes home to New York City for an invite-only industry reading featuring Brenda Braxton, who starred in the sold-out debut production at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF) in 2010.

Trav'lin - The 1930s Harlem Musical comes home to New York City for an invite-only industry reading featuring Brenda Braxton, who starred in the sold-out debut production at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF) in 2010.

The Connecticut premiere of Trav'lin - The 1930s Harlem Musical opens this weekend at Waterbury's Seven Angels Theatre, following productions at Houston's Ensemble Theatre and Fort Worth's Jubilee Theatre, and development in Washington, D.C. and New York City, including a sold-out run at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF).  Performances being Thursday, May 11, Official Opening is Saturday, May 13, and the show runs through Sunday, June 11, 2017.

Following productions at Houston's Ensemble Theatre and Fort Worth's Jubilee Theatre, and development in New York City and Washington, D.C., including a sold-out run at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), Trav'lin - The 1930s Harlem Musical receives its Connecticut Premiere at Waterbury's Seven Angels Theatre, beginning Thursday, May 11, 2017. Opening Night is Saturday, May 13, and the show runs through Sunday, June 11, 2017.

Dig this: Asolo Rep will proudly present the world premiere of BEATSVILLE: The Beatnik Musical, a co-production with Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. BEATSVILLE has a book by Glenn Slater, a Grammy winner (Disney's Tangled), and Academy Award (Tangled), Emmy (ABC's Galavant), Golden Globe (Tangled) and three-time Tony Award nominee (School of Rock, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid), and the co-creator of Disney's worldwide smash hit Tangled.

The 2015-16 Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company concludes with a concert presentation of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

The 2015-16 Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company concludes with a concert presentation of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

Even if you are familiar with the seldom produced country musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes" you're reaction to it probably isn't a wild one. In fact when I heard it was opening Village Theatre's season I thought, "Well, this will be cute" but my excitement didn't go much further beyond "cute". I'd seen the show once years ago and have had the cast album forever but it's not what you might call one of my "go to" shows. But with this new production out at Village Theatre that may all change. This is not the production from the 80's or really any production you're likely to have seen. With this level of talent and new orchestrations this could revive this old chestnut. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Paper Mill Playhouse's spring musical, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, begins tonight, featuring James Barry (Jim),Gabe Bowling (Jackson), Julie Foldesi (Prudie), Jason Ostrowski (L.M.), Alysha Umphress (Rhetta) and Sam Weber(Eddie). PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is directed by John Foley with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will run eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater through May 1, 2016. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside opening night below!

This week's 'Milling About' Podcast goes behind-the-scenes with PUMP BOYS & DINETTES, playing The Papermill Playhouse April 6-May 1.

Paper Mill Playhouse's spring musical, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, begins tonight, featuring James Barry (Jim), Gabe Bowling (Jackson), Julie Foldesi (Prudie), Jason Ostrowski (L.M.), Alysha Umphress (Rhetta) and Sam Weber (Eddie). PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is directed by John Foley with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will run eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater through May 1, 2016. The official press opening night is Sunday, April 10. Check out highlights from the production below!

Paper Mill Playhouse's spring musical, Pump Boys and Dinettes, begins tonight, featuring James Barry (Jim), Gabe Bowling (Jackson),Julie Foldesi (Prudie), Jason Ostrowski (L.M.), Alysha Umphress ( Rhetta) and Sam Weber (Eddie). Pump Boys and Dinettes is conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. Pump Boys and Dinettes will be directed by John Foley with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Pump Boys and Dinettes will run eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater through May 1, 2016. The official press opening night is Sunday, April 10, at 7:00pm. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the production below!