The Athenian Touch (Butterfly McQueen)

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 11:55pm

Does anyone have any information of this 1964 off-Broadway musical? I was picking around Amazon and discovered it. Loved the samples and picked up a used copy for cheap. I can't seem to find any info online about it.


The Athenian Touch

[DonelBee]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 12:52am

My partner at the time, Robert T. Williams, was the designer of the set for this little musical. The grand diva from the Arthur Godfrey show and The Sound of Music, Marion Marlowe, had a shrine to Mary Martin in her dressing room. The off-the-wall and ditsy Butterfly McQueen came to rehearsals accompanied by her mongrel black dog whose leash was a clothesline rope, and after rehearsals she could easily be persuaded to try to sing cabaret-type songs embarassingly. All in all, the show was a bit of a disaster.
The Athenian Touch info

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 1:37am

Thank you so very much for the info DonelBee. It seems, from the clips I heard, a mix of absurdly awful songs and some promising ones. Can't wait to hear it in full.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 1:45am

I wish someone just punched Butterfly McQueen in the face every time she spoke.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 9:48am

Every now and then I find myself humming No Garlic Tonight.

[After Eight]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 10:06am

Re: "No Garlic Tonight"

I like that one too. Actually, I think it's a camp song for the ages.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 9:45am

Gawd, it sounds like a Ben Bagley recording come to life. All that's missing is Blossom Dearie.....