Pump Boys and Dinettes

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Pump Boys and Dinettes

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 4m

Book, Lyrics, and Music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann

A smash hit on and off-Broadway, this crowd-pleasing country-western musical features Prudie and Rhetta Cupp, from the Double Cupp Diner, singing and performing along with the talented boys from the gas station next door.

Image: 2015 Theatre Raleigh Production (Curtis Brown Photography)

Pump Boys and Dinettes

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: 1982 Tony Award for Best Musical
    Nominee: Four 1982 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Music
Pump Boys and Dinettes

Details

Summary

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.

PLEASE NOTE: This title is restricted and may require clearance before a license is granted.

History
Pump Boys and Dinettes premiered off Broadway at the Colonnades Theatre in New York City on 1 October 1981. Conceived, written and directed by the cast, the show featured John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. On 4 February 1982, the production transferred to Broadway, where it played at the Princess Theatre through 18 June 1983.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
JACKSON – Lead Guitar
L.M. – Piano/Accordian
PRUDIE CUPP – Percussion
RHETTA CUPP – Percussion
EDDIE – Bass
JIM – Rhythm Guitar
  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting Highway 57, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Totally delightful.” – Newsweek

“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

“When the inevitable ‘closing time’ comes along, you'll wish you could stay a while longer.” – Christian Science Monitor

Videos

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes youtube thumbnail

    Pump Boys and Dinettes

  • Highlights from New York City Center's Pump Boys and Dinettes youtube thumbnail

    Highlights from New York City Center's Pump Boys and Dinettes

  • Hihlights from Paper Mill Playhouse's Pump Boys and Dinettes youtube thumbnail

    Hihlights from Paper Mill Playhouse's Pump Boys and Dinettes

Photos

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes

    Image: 2021 Porchlight Music Theatre Production (Cholette)

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes

    Image: 2021 Porchlight Music Theatre Production (Cholette)

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes

    Image: 2021 Porchlight Music Theatre Production (Cholette)

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes

    Image: 2021 Porchlight Music Theatre Production (Cholette)

  • Pump Boys and Dinettes

    Image: 2015 Theatre Raleigh Production (Curtis Brown Photography)

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Music

Music Samples

Act I

“Highway 57” – All
“Taking It Slow” – Pump Boys
“Serve Yourself” – L.M.
“Menu Song” – Dinettes
“The Best Man” – Prudie
“Fisherman’s Prayer” – Pump Boys
“Catfish” – Pump Boys
“Mamaw” – Jim
“Be Good or Be Gone” – Rhetta
“Drinkin’ Shoes” – All

Act II

“Pump Boys” – Pump Boys
“Mona” – Jackson
“The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine” – L.M.
“Tips” – Dinettes
“Sister” – Dinettes
“Vacation” – All
“No Holds Barred” – All
“Farmer Tan” – L.M. and Dinettes
“Highway 57 (Reprise)” – All
“Closing Time” – All
“Greatest Hits (Medley)” – All

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

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
12 Full Scores (cued for 2 Acoustic Guitars, Electric Bass, Piano, Sticks and Tambourine and vocal)
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Authors

Jim Wann

Jim Wann
Jim Wann, lead songwriter for Pump Boys and Dinettes, 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 Foley

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

Debra Monk
Debra Monk, a Broadway and film actress, won a Tony Award for Redwood Curtain, an Emmy Award for NYPD Blue, and co-wrote Pump Boys and Dinettes and 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 in 2015.
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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 Dougl ...
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