But Never Jam Today


But Never Jam Today was a 1979 musical with music by Bert Keyes and Bob Larimer, lyrics by Larimer, and a book by both Larimer and Vinnette Carroll. The musical is based on the works of Lewis Carroll, and takes its title from the "jam tomorrow" discussion in Carroll's 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.

Background

A musical by Micki Grant entitled Alice was the previous musical work of Alice's adventures, which premiered on May 31, 1978 in Philadelphia in a pre-Broadway tryout.

Production

It opened on July 31, 1979, at the Longacre Theatre, produced by Arch Nadler, Anita MacShane, and The Urban Arts Theatre at the Longacre Theatre. The show closed on August 5m 1979, after only 8 performances.
The show was directed and devised by Vinnette Carroll, choreography by Talley Beatty, musical direction and incidental music by Donald O. Johnston, set and costume design by William Schroder, lighting design by Ken Billington, choral arrangement and vocal preparation by Cleavant Derricks, sound design by T. Richard Fitzgerald, orchestrations by Bert Keyes, special orchestration by H. B. Barnum and Larry Black, dance music by Barnum, production manager Robert L. Borod, stage manager Robert Charles, and press by Alpert/Levine and Mark Goldstaub.
The show starred Marilynn Winbush, Cleavant Derricks,, Lynne Thigpen, Lynne Clifton-Allen, Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter, Reginald VelJohnson, Jai Oscar St. John, Sheila Ellis, Celestine DeSaussure, and Charlene Harris. The Mushrooms were Brenda Braxton, Clayton Strange, Sharon K. Brooks, Garry Q. Lewis, Celestine DeSaussure, and Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter. The Guards were Clayton Strange and Garry Q. Lewis.

Scenes

; Act I
; Act II
;Act 1
;Act 2
;Bibliography