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Cheer for Wild Cass!

And it sure AIN'T her hips!

And who was her Joe?   Durward Kurby?

 

I don't know where I got this pic.  Perhaps someone posted in on the board, but I had forgotten that Peggy Cass joined the multitude of stars who did Wildcat in the 2 or 3 years after its Broadway run.  I've never paid attention to other so-called "flops" to see whether they had as many productions.  But so far I count Martha Raye, Gale Storm, Mamie Van Doren, Carmel Quinn (semi-famous for being one of "Arthur Godfrey's Friends".  Her Joe was Ed McMahon early on in his "Tonight Show" sidekick stint), probably a few I'm leaving out.  Plus there was a Broadway class Australian tour.  With royalties from all these productions, plus SRO attendance on Broadway for as long as it played; and a respectable Billboard-charting Original Cast Album, you'd think Wildcat would have eventually turned a profit.

 

WildcatCAss2_zpsf8b02b21.jpg

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I had no idea Peggy Cass did Wildcat. I can't see her in the role. I can see her being terrific in Bells are Ringing, though.

 

Here's a copy of the program that was on eBay. George Wallace played Joe Dynamite, the future original Daddy Warbucks Reid Shelton playedd Tattoo, and Sandy Duncan was a dancer! I wonder if Sandy had Valerie's part....

 

http://entertainment-memorabilia.bidstart.com/WILDCAT-PEGGY-CASS-1962-VINTAGE-SOUVENIR-SHOW-PROGRAM-DAL-/39312986/a.html

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This would be the perfect thing for Encores! to do. So who do we cast? What exactly is Wildcat Jackson suppose to be age wise?

The problem with Wildcat is it has a really weak book. That's probably why Encores has never done it. I keep hoping Encores does Too Many Girls, Best Foot Forward, Seesaw, or They're Playing Our Song (with Lucie and Robert). Wildcat was written to be 27, but when Lucy was cast the character became ageless. I'm not sure who would be ideal casting for an Encores production today.

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The problem with Wildcat is it has a really weak book. That's probably why Encores has never done it. I keep hoping Encores does Too Many Girls, Best Foot Forward, Seesaw, or They're Playing Our Song (with Lucie and Robert). Wildcat was written to be 27, but when Lucy was cast the character became ageless. I'm not sure who would be ideal casting for an Encores production today.

 

Yes Lucy was at that awkward age: too old for Wildcat, too young for Social Security.

 

Lucy was perfectly appropriate age-wise for Wildcat.  Not only did she look great on stage, she moved like a young woman.  Don't forget that on the stage you can get away with older playing younger.  Perfect example: Mary Martin was 47 playing Maria Von Trapp, probably younger than Wildcat jackson.  Not one critic mentioned Lucy being too old for the part in their reviews.

 

You're right.  the "Wildcat" book is surprisingly weak.  Though critics at the time were ho-hum about the script, nobody said it was an outright disaster.  It was a tribute to Lucy's stage presence and showmanship that she emerged shining.

 

When Encores puts on a production, do they just perform the songs?  Or do they do a reading of the whole thing, including the dialogue?  Haven't they put on weak-book shows?  A New York-based Encores-like group did put on Wildcat a year or two ago.  Alas, it had only the piano as accompaniment. 

 

I thought Peggy Cass's Joe might have been her "Hathaways" co-star Jack Weston!  And maybe Sisco, Oney and Tattoo could have been played by the Marquis Chimps!

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When Encores puts on a production, do they just perform the songs? Or do they do a reading of the whole thing, including the dialogue? Haven't they put on weak-book shows? A New York-based Encores-like group did put on Wildcat a year or two ago. Alas, it had only the piano as accompaniment.

 

Encores productions are productions complete with dialogue. Encores started out as semi-staged readings, but have really grown the past few years. There are now costumes, sets, and the actors no longer carry sets. There is some adaptation of the scripts, but not a lot. Encores has done shows with weak books before, but I think people have come to expect a certain standard from them and I don't think Wildcat would be a big consideration for them. Encores hasn't announced their shows for this season yet. I would love for Wildcat to be included. It would be terrific to hear that great score by their big orchestra.

 

I saw the one night only New York production of Wildcat in 2011. That was a very small theater company and Wildcat was only their second show. I think they did only one more production (Here's Love, I think) after that. I give them credit for doing Wildcat, but the production really didn't work.

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Here's the thread from 2011 with my thoughts about the staging of Wildcat.

 

http://www.lucylounge.com/index.php?/topic/306-wildcat-revival/?fromsearch=1

 

The last show Encores did this season was Irma La Douce, which, of course, was the musical that featured that year's Tony winner for Best Actress, Elizabeth Seal. This production was not well received and I didn't see it.

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The 2015 Encores lineup was just announced: Lady Be Good, Paint Your Wagon, and Zorba. No Wildcat. There was a revival of Zorba to star Antonio Banderas announced a couple years ago that never materialized. Maybe Banderas will do this production as a pre-Broadway run.

 

I didn't know there was an Australian tour of Wildcat. Was this shortly after the show closed? Carole Cook should have done it after her success there in Hello, Dolly! Lucy said she had all the Wildcat sets and props in storage. She probably could have made some money renting them out. I wonder whatever happened to all that stuff. Her Wildcat wig and boots have been on display at the museum.

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