Customer Reviews

Howard Crabtree's Whoop-Dee-Doo!: A Nearly Original Cast Recording (1995 Studio Cast)

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WHOOP-DEE-DOO! is a musical revue like no other. Ostensibly, it's a format to showcase the hilariously outlandish costumes designed by Howard Crabtree. Just to mention a few of the outfits: Carmen Miranda, an invisible dance troupe, a facial tissue, and an assortment of fruits. Speaking of fruits, this show also celebrates the lighter side of gay culture.

Now I know what many of you are thinking: this is probably one of those revues that beats a concept to death. On the contrary, the jokes are numerous, the tunes are melodic, the lyrics are clever, and, despite the fact that much of the humor comes from men dressed in drag, there's an abundance of high-class humor. (Lyrics include such words as "hypothalamus" and "medulla oblongata.")

...And what songs about such zany subjects! Even without the costumes, many of the songs are still funny. "Stuck On You" is sung by a trio of six-foot insects about their (romantic or otherwise) attachment to flypaper. "I Was Born This Way" is one man's bluesy rejoicing in the discoveries of genetic research. "NANCY: The Unauthorized Musical" is a play-within-a-play about the power-hungry wife of the 40th U. S. president.

Catering to the gay culture is prevalent, but handled in a tacky-yet-tasteful manner, with a paean to Elizabeth Taylor and a skit about Judy Garland's greatest comeback yet ... from the grave. There are also some other pieces with unusual references to homosexuality, including a scene at a bar for winged creatures after a hard day of granting wishes, and a tale of a banana who becomes a private (get it?) in the army.

While no voice in the cast is stellar, all are fun to listen to, even Jay, the querulous director of the revue, who criticizes Howard's repeated attempts to make a full-scale production number out of a song entitled "Less Is More."

RECOMMENDATION: Due to its subject content, this show probably isn't for everyone. However, for those not easily offended, it's definitely worth a few listens and a lot of laughs. Enjoy!

This Off Broadway show was one of my favorites when I lived in New York. I saw this production in 1996 with a friend and we sat in the front row. I unfortunately have a loud laugh and could not contain myself during a scene between scenes, in front of the curtain, a dialog where Jay was addressing Howard dressed as the Statue of Libery, glittering with sparklers. I laughed so loud, that they stopped the play and pointed to me in the first row saying: "We have June Allison here in the front row, we can always DEPEND on her." The play was hysterical and the music so original. Whoop-Dee-Doo and When Pigs Fly are on the top on my list.

Reviews are not my favorite type of musical. But Howard Crabtree's "Whopp-Dee-Doo!" is a pleasant exception to this.based on the premise of having to find numbers to fit Crabtree's costumes, the musical nunbers can be riotous or sad. This piece celebrates being gay. Numbers poke fun of many thiungs held dear by gay people. The laughter comes from recognition. "Last One Picked" is a song about a guy remembering his days in high school when he was the last one picked for teams. The song is a bit sad, but does not well there. "The Soldier's Musical" is another satirical romp that is full of doule entendres. So it turns out that this CD is a great addition to the musical theater.

Howard Crabtree was a genius, and his talents truly shine in Whoop-Dee-Doo and When Pigs Fly. Both of these CD's should be in your collection. Although When Pigs Fly is truly the better of the two recordings, Whoop-Dee-Doo does not lack in comedy genius. The Elizabeth Taylor number is a real hoot!