But Never Jam Today

I saw it. UGH! Probably one of the 5 biggest bombs I've ever witnessed -- and NOTHING camp or "fun" about it. Visually anemic and cheap. The single set looked like an oversized picnic table. The direction by Vinnette Carroll was dull and dumb and the score was lousy. Lynne Thigpen tried her best with her role, but the show also possessed some shockingly bad acting.

The one redeeming aspect of the show was its poster. Have you seen it?

I have a poster and love it! I never got to see it, but the score has some fun/campy moments and I listen to the demos from time to time.

I would love for But Never Jam Today and Alice (the Debbie Allen version) to be performed in rep somewhere.

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I own an ALICE playbill, but I am still looking for the window card, and I am certain there was never an official recording made of the production.

I also have a BUT NEVER JAM TODAY playbill and window card and I also own the demo. It has some really great songs actually. I would love to see this revived at Mufti.

I didn't even know this was a thing.

I saw it as well. It was the Plan 9 From Outer Space of musicals.

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Here's some information on Vinnette Carroll's first try at a musical based on Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. ALICE featured songs by Micki Grant (DON'T BOTHER ME, I CAN'T COPE, YOUR ARMS TOO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD) and was co-produced by none other than Mike Nichols.

DEBBIE ALLEN was featured as Alice with a cast that included Alice Ghostley, Cleavant Derricks and his brother Clinton Derricks-Carroll and Paula Kelly.

It was supposed to open at the Minskoff but closed in Philadelphia
LOOKING BACK: ALICE

"Alice" closed during its pre-Broadway tryout at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. The show was reworked by director Vinnette Carroll, and opened on Broadway as "But Never Jam Today" in 1979.

Updated On: 12/29/14 at 04:12 PM

Vinnette Carroll was the first woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for directing a musical and maybe a play or a musical. However it was not for Alice or Jam but for Micki Grant's musical revue "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope".

By all accounts both Alice and But Never Jam were troubled productions. "But Never Jam Today" probably had no advance and could have gone through its reserve during pre-production and previews so that it had to close after a week. I think it also opened mid-summer--not a good time to bring a musical with no names into town.

But one very funny put down line came out of Alice as was related to me by a cast member. When Vinnette who was legendarily funny, needed to make a point strongly, she would say "F*** you darling...and anyone who looks like you too."

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No, it is Mike Nichols from Peoria.

Of course it is THE Mike Nichols. Everyone has a few bombs and failures on their resume. If all people had were successes, how would they learn anything?

"No one learns anything from a hit." -Moss Hart

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Do you know where any recordings or videos are available? I can't seem to find anything!

This show was in previews 40 years ago! Opened on July 31, 1979. Still hoping and praying that we will see BUT NEVER JAM TODAY revived...and Brenda Braxton should play Persona Non Grata! A guy can dream...