Weston Playhouse's PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, Featuring Joe Iconis, Opens Next Week

With what's bound to be the feel good theatrical event of the summer, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company presents Pump Boys and Dinettes, an all-American musical celebrating friendship and life's simple pleasures. The show is a revival of a Broadway favorite - a "triumph of ensemble playing" whose cast includes composer/performer Joe Iconis (NBC's "Smash") and his "family" of actor/singer/musicians.

The production is set on Highway 57, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna. On this dusty stretch of road, four likable, musical filling station attendants parlay with two sweet and soulful diner gals. The Pump Boys are Mr. Iconis (a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award Nominee) and his cohorts, Seth Eliser, Jason SweetTooth Williams, and Lorenzo Wolff. They riff on keys, sax, acoustic and bass guitars, accordion, and anything else they can get their hands on. They're joined by "the Double Cupp dinettes" (played by Molly Hager and Grace McLean) who sing, swing, and sling piping hot coffee and freshly-made pie while playing the occasional kitchen utensil to deliver a toe-tapping score of country, pop, and Americana.

Weston Founding Director Tim Fort calls the entire cast a "dream team that sparks on stage with unstoppable energy." They nail their characters and catchy tunes with a refreshing authenticity that's right at home in the transformed playhouse. Fort calls his design team "an extraordinary group," creating the kind of environmental theatre the production is famous for. Weston's stage and auditorium become a retro roadside retreat while the Pump Boys and Dinettes musical swagger makes immediate friends of the audience.

As a rule, Iconis and Family perform original work. Pump Boys... marks their first departure from this tradition which, in fact, makes them a perfect fit for the show. The original production was written in 1981, penned and performed by an equally impressive group of young actor/musicians, Weston favorite and B'way veteran Cass Morgan among them. The show opened off Broadway but was quickly picked up, and regaled by critics through a spate of nearly 600 B'way performances. It was nominated for a Tony and several Drama Desk awards, including Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Music, and Outstanding Musical.

The production has been revived on both national and international stages; notably at the Piccadilly and Albery Theatres in London in 1984-1985, and most recently, for a five show run at New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center. The recent run had critics singing Pump Boys... praises once again, loving its "loose, down-home vibe" and its stories of heartbreak and hilarity.

Sponsored in part by JJ Hapgood General Store & Eatery, Pump Boys and Dinettes runs now through July 11 at the Weston Playhouse on the Village Green (12 Park Street in Weston.) Show Times are Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30 pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm. It runs 90 minutes with an intermission. Pre-show dinner is available at the newly opened West Town Eatery, located downstairs from the playhouse, with views of the falls. The post-show cabaret is well worth the admission, Yankee Magazine's 2014 Editor's Choice for "Best Place for a Nightcap."

Tickets start at just $35 and can be purchased by calling 802-824-5288 or by visiting westonplayhouse.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.