Kritzerland is proud to present the latest release in the Ben Bagley series:

BEN BAGLEY’S SHOESTRING ’57

Music by Leopold Antelme, David Baker, Jim Mahoney, Shelly Mowell, Claibe Richardson, Harvey Schmidt, Philip Springer, Charles Strouse, G. Wood

Lyrics by Lee Adams, Anthony Chalmers, Tom Jones, Carolyn Leigh, Paul Rosner, G. Wood

Before he Revisited, Ben Bagley created musical revues. Shoestring ’57 was the follow-up to his successful first attempt, Shoestring Revue, which he produced at the ripe old age of twenty-one. Bagley’s revues were delightful, tuneful, and funny concoctions, written by mostly up-and-coming writers, many of whom would go on to great success in musical theater. For Shoestring ’57, his writers included Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, Carolyn Leigh, Claibe Richardson, and other talented folks. And he assembled a stellar cast of revuers including Beatrice Arthur, Fay De Witt, Dody Goodman, Dorothy Greener, John Bartis, Bill McCutcheon, and G. Wood.

The sketches are still funny, the songs are still tuneful, lyrical, and a whole lot of fun and, as Walter Kerr raved in the Tribune, it was “A wicked and winning revue … Even the overture is funny.” Other critics were equally effusive. Brooks Atkinson writing in The New York Times said, “Ingratiatingly funny. A bountiful program of song, dance and sketch. Mr. Bagley has assembled a handful of vital young people, a bag of skits, put together some unusual songs and clearly being a man of taste has seen to it that everything about the production unrolls like a bolt of silk.”

As we’ve done for all the Ben Bagley releases, we’ve considerably spruced up the sound. And the cover art is, of course, by the great Harvey Schmidt.

SHOESTRING ’57 is limited to 500 copies only and priced at $19.98, plus shipping. This is a PRE-ORDER – CDs will ship the last week of April, but we always strive to get it out earlier. Lately, however, the pressing plant has been slower than usual due to various shortages of materials.

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