Pump Boys and Dinettes

Pump Boys and Dinettes

by  Jim Wann, John Schimmel, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, Mark Hardwick, John Foley

Full Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  4m, 2f

"Both musically and theatrically, a triumph of ensemble playing. It doesn't merely celebrate the value of friendship and life's simple pleasures, it embodies them." - The New York Times
"Totally terrific...It is such fun." - The New York Times


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Pump Boys and Dinettes

Pump Boys and Dinettes

by  Jim Wann John Schimmel Debra Monk Cass Morgan Mark Hardwick John Foley

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Pump Boys and Dinettes

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    4m, 2f
  • Duration

    Duration

    105 Minutes
  • Accolades

    Accolades

    From Broadway
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Appropriate for all audiences

Additional Info

The 'Pump Boys' sell high octane on Highway 57 in Grand Ole Opry country and the 'Dinettes', Prudie and Rhetta Cupp, run the Double Cupp diner next door. Together they fashion an evening of country western songs that received unanimous raves on and off-Broadway. With heartbreak and hilarity, they perform on guitars, piano, bass and, yes, kitchen utensils.
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Accolades

  • NOMINEE! 1982 Tony Award for Best Musical
    NOMINEE! 1982 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Music.

Reviews

"Both musically and theatrically, a triumph of ensemble playing. It doesn't merely celebrate the value of friendship and life's simple pleasures, it embodies them." - The New York Times

"Totally terrific...It is such fun." - The New York Post

"A gasser, with buoyant, earthy humor." - New York Daily News

"Totally delightful." - Newsweek

"When the inevitable "closing time' comes along, you'll wish you could stay a while longer." - Christian Science Monitor

Videos

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes
  • Highlights from New York City Center's Pump Boys and Dinettes
  • Hihlights from Paper Mill Playhouse's Pump Boys and Dinettes
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Considerations

Performing Groups

  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Dinner Theatre
  • Professional Theatre

License details

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Production

Details

  • Time Period: Present Day
  • Duration: 105 Minutes
  • Setting: The present. Highway 57 - somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna.
  • Features / Contains: Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes

Music

  • Musical Style: Pop/Rock, Country/Western
  • Orchestra Size: Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size: No Chorus

Song Samples

Highway 57
0:00
Taking It Slow
0:00
Serve Yourself
0:00
Menu Song
0:00
The Best Man
0:00
Fisherman's Prayer
0:00
Catfish
0:00
Mamaw
0:00
Be Good or Be Gone
0:00
Drinkin' Shoes
0:00
Pump Boys
0:00
Mona
0:00
The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine
0:00
Tips
0:00
Sister
0:00
Vacation
0:00
No Holds Barred
0:00
Farmer Tan
0:00
Closing Time
0:00

Casting

4m, 2f
JACKSON - lead guitarist
L.M. - Piano/Accordian
PRUDIE CUPP - Percussion
RHETTA CUPP - Percussion
EDDIE - Bass
JIM - Rhythm Guitar
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Cast Attributes

  • Ensemble cast

Resources

Rehearsal Resources

Music Material Rental Packages Glyphs / UI / Tooltip

Full Package

12 Full Scores (cued for 2 Acoustic Guitars, Electric Bass, Piano, Sticks and Tambourine and vocal)

Scripts

Pump Boys and Dinettes

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Authors

Jim Wann

Jim Wann

Jim Wann, lead songwriter for Pump Boys, is a composer-lyricist-performer whose off-Broadway collaborations include Diamond Studs, King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running, and The People Vs. Mona. Music, events, and more at jimwann.com.

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John Schimmel

John Schimmel

John Schimmel is in the middle of his third career. His New York life in music and theater ended after the glory of Pump Boys and Dinettes. He went on to a twenty-year career as a Hollywood studio executive and producer, working for the likes of Warner Bros. and Michael Douglas. Currently he is head of linear content a ...

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Debra Monk

Debra Monk

Debra Monk, a Broadway and film actress, won the Tony for Redwood Curtain, an Emmy for NYPD Blue, and also co-wrote Oil City Symphony.

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Cass Morgan

Cass Morgan

Cass Morgan’s numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway shows include The Bridges of Madison County, Memphis, Mary Poppins, Violet, and Floyd Collins. Her one-woman show, The Road To Where, premiered at Geva Theatre this year.

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Mark Hardwick

Mark Hardwick

Mark Hardwick composed the music for the 1975 Broadway production of Of Mice and Men and co-wrote the musical Oil City Symphony.

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John Foley

John Foley

John Foley is a teacher (Northwestern University and NSCDS) and performer/musician in Evanston, IL.

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Pump Boys and Dinettes first appeared at the Colonnades Theatre in New York City on October 1, 1981.

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