By: Brian Scott Lipton
Grab a spoon and get set to head over to City Center, where the popular country-flavored 1981 musical “Pump Boys & Dinettes,” is getting its first major New York City revival as part of the acclaimed “Off Center” series, July 16-19.
The show tells the story of four men who work at a gas station and two waitresses (sisters Prudie and Rhetta Cupp) who work at the nearby “Double Cupp Diner” in North Carolina. As in the original production (whose stars and co-creators included future Tony Award winner Debra Monk), each member of the six-person cast will not just be singing their hearts out, but also be playing instruments on stage, ranging from the guitar to the piano to the, yes, spoons.
Director Lear DeBessonet (best known for the recent revival of “The Good Person of Szechuan”), has chosen wisely, assembling a sextet of top-notch performers, including Tony nominee Hunter Foster, Jordan Dean, Mamie Parris, Randy Redd, Katie Thompson, and Lorzeno Wolff.
At a July 9th sneak preview of the show, Theater Pizzazz got a small taste of the toe-tapping score, as well as the chance to talk to DeBessonet and the cast about this exciting project. Take a peek at the video.
Photos: Joan Marcus
