| Tomfoolery | |
|---|---|
 Original London Cast Recording | |
| Music | Tom Lehrer |
| Lyrics | Tom Lehrer |
| Book | Cameron Mackintosh |
| Productions | 1980 West End 1981 Off Broadway |
Tomfoolery (or Tom Foolery) is a musical revue based on the songs of American satirist Tom Lehrer.
Devised and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, it premiered in London at the Criterion Theatre, directed by Gillian Lynne, on 5 June 1980, where it had a successful run. It subsequently opened on December 14, 1981 Off-Broadway at the Top of the Gate in Greenwich Village, New York, where it ran for 120 performances.[1][2] The cast included Jonathan Hadary.[3] Lehrer himself was brought in as a consultant.
The revue features 28 of Lehrer's satirical songs that were written in the 1950s and 1960s, known for their "witty naughtiness".[3] Stage directions suggest each actor use their own name and wait onstage in a bar area while the others perform.[2]
Two cast recordings have been released, one by the original London cast (Robin Ray, Jonathan Adams, Martin Connor and Tricia George),[4] the other much rarer one by the Canadian cast.
- ^ Tomfoolery production and plot information www.nodanw.com, accessed December 7, 2008
- ^ a b Tomfoolery production and show information mtishows.com, accessed December 7, 2008
- ^ a b Rich, Frank."Tomfoolery, A Revue of Lehrer Lyrics", The New York Times, December 15, 1981
- ^ Tomfoolery 1980 Original cast recording listing on amazon.com www.amazon.com, accessed December 7, 2008