Review
Li’l Abner
directed by Michael Michetti
Reprise!@ The Freud, UCLA
through February 17

Back in the 50s, the era that was innocence personified, Broadway musicals were written to entertain, not enlighten. Of course, Stephen Sondheim and other more serious composers were beginning to change the face of the American musical, but shows like Li’l Abner, with book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, lyrics by Johnny Mercer & music by Gene De Paul and based on Al Capp’s 1934 comic strip, showed us the wild hillbilly lifestyle to make us laugh rather than think. Underneath the surface, to be sure, there was political satire and an uplifting message about appreciating the worth of that lesser known sector of the population – if you got it, good; if not, don’t fret, for it might just spoil your enjoyment of it!

Li’l Abner  may not make the top 10 list of favorite musicals, but, hell, it’s a hoot & a holler and chock full of belly laughs, eye candy and some darn good dancin’. The Reprise production, currently playing at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA, is another feather in director Michael Michetti’s hat and a triumph for new musical director Darryl Archibald. It features some terrific choreography from Lee Martino and some delightful character work from the forever limber Cathy Rigby as Mammy Yokum, that feisty, pint-sized, pipe-smoking dynamo, Joel Brooks, Fred Willard and Larry Cedar as the crooked politicians, Jamie Luner a sizzling Appassionata, John Ganun as Earthquake McGoon, the filthy but likeable muscle boy who wants to court Daisy Mae, and then of course there’s beautiful Brandi Burkhardt as super beautiful Daisy and handsome powerhouse Eric Martsolf as superhunk Abner Yokum. The performances one and all are delectably right on target. The music is bright and bubbly with a couple of memorable tunes like “If I Had My Druthers” and “Love in a Home”, and Martino’s nonstop energetic choreography keeps you hand-clapping and toe-tapping from start to finish.

This is not a Sondheim show, but I sure as shootin’ had a good ole time. So git yourself on over to Dogpatch, USA, you hear! Through February 17 only!

5 out of 5 stars