''Curley McDimple'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Robert Dahdah and book by Robert Dahdah and Mary Boylan. The play is a spoof of Depression-era Shirley Temple movies and was presented in a black and white design. This was one of two musicals in which

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

appeared that spoofed some aspect of Hollywood—the other was ''

Dames at Sea ''Dames at Sea'' is a 1966 musical with book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise. The musical is a parody of large, flashy 1930s Busby Berkeley-style movie musicals in which a chorus girl, newly arrived off the ...

''. "The Meanest Man in Town" is its best-known song.

Production history

''Curley McDimple'' opened at the Off Broadway Bert Wheeler Theatre,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on November 22, 1967, and ran for 931 performances, closing on January 25, 1970. Robert Dahdah directed, musical numbers were staged by Lonnie Evans, and

was featured as "Alice", a performer.Sullivan, Dan. "Theater:Good Ship Lollipop Revisited", ''New York Times'', November 23, 1967, p. 59 Peters left the production in early 1968 for her next show, ''

George M! ''George M!'' is a Broadway musical based on the life of George M. Cohan, the biggest Broadway star of his day who was known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway." The book for the musical was written by Michael Stewart, John Pascal, and Francine ...

''.

Butterfly McQueen Butterfly McQueen (born Thelma McQueen; January 8, 1911December 22, 1995) was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared in films as "Prissy" in '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939). She was unable to attend the film's premiere b ...

, who was known for her performance in the film ''Gone with the Wind'', joined the cast on May 9, 1968. In a new role written for her, she played a cook at the boarding house. The

Colorforms Colorforms is a creative toy named for the simple shapes and forms cut from colored vinyl sheeting that cling to a smooth backing surface without adhesives. These pieces are used to create picture graphics and designs, which can then be changed c ...

company also made a dress-up doll set based on the title character after Shirley Temple Black refused to grant the company a license.Information from Melbirnkrant.com
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Plot synopsis

In the 1930s, Curley (the Shirley Temple-like character) arrives at Sarah's Theatrical Boarding House, a shabby but homey theatrical boarding house in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, run by a nice Irish lady, Sarah. Curley is an optimistic eight-year-old and is looking for parents to adopt her; she settles on Alice and Jimmy. They are performers who are both boarders at the house—they fall in love with each other at first sight. The boarders aid Sarah, who is threatened with losing her house through foreclosure by the banker, Mr. Gillingwater, by putting on a benefit

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

show. A mean social worker, during the rehearsals for the benefit, steals Curley away, taking her to an orphanage in New Jersey. Curley is able to escape and she performs in the show, which is a hit and is picked up by

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. Curley finds out that Gillingwater is her grandfather and that he is a former sweetheart of Sarah's, and Jimmy and Alice get married. Information from musicalnotesnmore.com
/ref>

Characters and original cast

* Jimmy, a boarder and young song and dance man trying to become a star – Paul Cahill (replaced by Don Emmons) * Bill, a "

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

" type tap dancer – George Hillman * Sarah, Irish owner of the boarding house – Helen Blount * Miss Hamilton, social worker, looking like the Wicked Witch – Norma Bigtree * Alice, another boarder and performer –

(replaced by Sandy Bigtree) * Mr. Gillingwater, a wealthy banker – Gene Galvin * Curley, eight–year-old child star –

Bayn Johnson Bayn Johnson (born November 4, 1958) is a former American actress, electric guitarist and singer. She may be best known as Kelly, the female blonde-haired band/group member of the Short Circus in seasons 3-4 of the PBS children's television ser ...

(replaced by Kathy Rich)

Musical numbers

''Little Musicals for Little Theatres'' (2006), Denny Martin Flinn, p. 32, Hal Leonard Corp., ;Act I * Overture * A Cup of Coffee – Jimmy * I Try – Jimmy and Alice * Curley McDimple – Curley, Jimmy, Alice, Sarah, Bill * Love is the Loveliest Song – Alice * Are There Any More Rosie O'Gradys? – Sarah, Jimmy, Alice, Curley, Bill * Dancing in the Rain – Curley, Bill, Company * At the Playland Jamboree – Curley, Company * I've Got a Little Secret – Jimmy, Curley ;Act II * Stars and Lovers – Alice, Jimmy, Company * The Meanest Man in Town – Alice, Jimmy, Company * I Try (reprise) – Jimmy, Alice * Something Nice Is Going to Happen – Curley * Swing-a-Ding-a-Ling – Curley * Hi de hi de hi, Hi de hi de ho – Sarah, Alice, Jimmy, Bill, Mr. Gillingwater, Miss Hamilton * Swing-a-Ding-a-Ling (Reprise) – Curley, Company * Something Nice Is Going To Happen (Reprise) – Miss Hamilton * Love is the Loveliest Love Song (reprise) – Jimmy, Company * Finale – Jimmy

References

*Article in Life magazine, June 13, 1969, issue.

External links

*
Photo of Peters and Johnson in ''Curley McDimple'', 1967
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curley Mcdimple Off-Broadway musicals 1967 musicals Musicals set in Manhattan Musicals set in the 1930s