Archy & Mehitabel

"archy & mehitabel"

Showing: February 15, 16, 22, 23 at 8 p.m.
      February 17, 24 at 2 p.m.

Music by: George Kleinsinger
Lyrics by: Joe Darion (“Man of La Mancha”)
Book by: Joe Darion and Mel Brooks (”The Producers”)
“archy & mehitabel” is a jazz musical based on the stories and free-verse poetry of Don Marquis, a writer for the New York Evening Sun

Directed by: Teresa Fallon
Musical Direction by: Ken McGraw
Choreography by: Lynne Mariani

Synopsis: In a deserted office, a cockroach dives headfirst onto the keys of a typewriter, pouring out the ruminations of his soul. It's "archy" (he's too small to hold down the shift key), poet, philosopher, moralist and futile worshipper of "mehitabel," the alley cat.

This bizarre, highly original musical takes us into the streets of the big city as archy tries hopelessly to bring the "toujours gai" mehitabel off the back fence and into a respectable home as a housecat.

Versatile actors play the various urbane, non-human city dwellers we encounter along the way, suggesting their animal characteristics without explicit costumes. With oversized props and set pieces and a "cool" jazz score ARCHY & MEHITABEL remains one of the only examples of this genre in the commercial theatre. ARCHY & MEHITABEL is one of the most daring musicals of its time, a beguiling, sexy, somewhat nostalgic modern-day fable full of wit, wisdom and the unexpected.