Foxy, based on the 1906 satire Volpone, takes place in the Yukon in 1896. Foxy’s grub-stake is stolen by ex-pals Shortcut, Bedrock, and Buzzard so they can book passage to the Klondike and participate in the gold strike. Foxy plots revenge by pretending he is both fabulously rich and also near death. The former pals are convinced to hand over their new-found wealth in anticipation of being named his sole heir. In the end, both love and justice prevail. Bert Lahr, Larry Blyden, and John Davidson starred in the original 1964 production. Songs include "Talk To Me Baby," "Money Isn’t Everything," "The Power Of Love," and "Bon Vivant."
Book by Ian McLellan Hunter and Ring Lardner, Jr.
(Suggested by Ben Johnson’s Volpone)
Ian McLellan Hunter was a writer and long-time friend of Ring Lardner, Jr. He suffered from the Hollywood Blacklist less that did some others and he lent his name so that Dalton Tumbo could work on the 1953 film, Roman Holiday. He wrote for newspapers, radio, and television. The Ian McLellan Hunter Award for writers has been presented to Herb Gardner among others. Ring Lardner, Jr. was one of the writers and directors known as the "Hollywood Ten" and was imprisoned and blacklisted for refusing to cooperate with a 1947 congressional probe of "subversive influence" in the movies. The third son of the celebrated sportswriter and short story writer, he went to Hollywood in 1935 and became a screenwriter. His first Academy Award was for Woman of the Year (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy 1942). His second Oscar, 28 years later, was for the hugely successful M*A*S*H. He wrote the novels The Ecstasy Of Owen Muir and All For Love. Shortly before his recent death at 85, Mr. Lardner completed his autobiography, I’d Hate Myself In The Morning, which had just been published by The Nation Books.
Music by Robert Emmett Dolan
Dolan was very active on radio in the 1930s as a conductor and was musical director for such Broadway shows as Good News, Follow Thru, Flying Colors, Hooray For What?, Very Warm For May and Louisiana Purchase. In the 1940s he worked mainly in the film world, and composed or arranged scores for Star-Spangled Rhythm, Lady In The Dark, The Bells Of St. Mary’s, Salty O’Rourke, Murder, She Says, Incendiary Blonde, Blue Skies, and Road to Rio. In 1949 he wrote the score for the musical Texas, L’il Darlin’ with Johnny Mercer.
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Mercer was one of America’s most successful and prolific lyricists. The composers with whom he collaborated included Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini, Jimmy McHugh, Andre Previn, Arthur Schwartz and Harry Warren. He was a popular singer in his own right and was co-founder of Capitol Records in 1942. His Broadway shows included St. Louis Woman, Top Banana, and L’il Abner. For over forty years he contributed songs to motion pictures. A few of his best known songs are: "On the Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe," "Moon River," "Days Of Wine And Roses," "Laura," "Skylark," "Goody Goody," "How Little We Know," "Accent-tchu-ate the Positive," "That Old Black Magic," "Blues In the Night," "I Am An Old Cowhand," "Too Marvelous For Word,s, "Hooray For Hollywood," "Jeepers, Creepers" and "I’m Old Fashioned." He was the winner of four Academy Awards.
Director and Choreographer Thomas Mills
Musical Director, Vocal and Dance Arranger Robert Felstein
With Amy Barker*, Brian Cooper*, Lawrence Cummings*, Marvin Einhorn*, John Flynn, Jessica Frankel*, Andrew Gitzy*, Natasha Harper*, Jason Levinson*, Rob Lorey*, Michael Mendiola*, Juliette Morgan*, George Pellegrino*, Marni Raab*, Rudy Roberson*, David Sabella*, Jennifer Scheer, Jay Brian Winnick*
*Denotes member of Actors Equity Association
Producer Mel Miller
Lighting by Shuhei Seo
Casting Director Stephen De Angelis
Production Stage Manager Shih-hui Wu
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