Pump Boys and Dinettes
Pump Boys and Dinettes
By John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann
Directed and Choreographed by Roy Alan
Musical Direction by Chris Leavy
Winter Park Playhouse
Winter Park FL</strong>
Who ever thought they’d allow mud bogging and fish cleaning on stage in this bastion of tiled elegance? Sure, it’s a collection of songs with a gauze thin covering of plot, but country? Western? Zydeco and “My Woman Done Left Me and Took My Blue Tick Hound blues? Sloppy grammar? Go figger. Preshow speechifier Mark Edwards even tried to pull off a Texas drawl. He didn’t get any farther south than Battery Park, but at least he knows there some is empty space way down south of Broadway.
So there’s this premise: We’re stuck in a small town gas station and dinner trapped somewhere between highway 57 and 1957. Its run by good looking Jon (Joshua A Eleazer) and his buddies, including L. M. (Leavy) on piano and accordion, serious bass player Eddie (Rick Richolson) and the always natty Jackson (Ken Tibeau). The diner is helmed by sisters Rhetta Cupp (Candace Neal) and Prudie Cupp (Heather Alexander). There’s a split between Jim and Rhetta, something to do with a fishing trip and a missed date, so we watch them make up while the band plays a heady mix of Gospel, blues, R&B, and all that po’ folks music that ambiguous men in tuxedos turn in to real show tunes. Plus, Chris Leavy gets an actual speaking role.
How’s the music? Great, if you’re willing to down a PBR and drop a line without any bait. “Tips” “Serve Yourself” by Prudie and Rhetta are dark and bluesy, and “No Holds barred” is a zippy line dance number. L. M. does his best Brucie Springsteen with “Highway 57,” and the rockabilly “Mona” has Jackson ripping through his collection of guitars while Chris Leavy gets his red converse up on the ivories. He’s aiming for Buddy Holly but I hope he doesn’t hurt himself. “Vacation” could be Etta James on speed, and there’s a touch of Cajun spices on “Farmer Tan.” You won’t meet Dolly or Willy here, but you won’t smell the still or the ganja patch either. It’s a big change up in music for this troupe, but they do it justice in that lower 40 of Winter Park. And the romance? Of course, what would you expect here, a messy divorce?
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org
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