"say what you want to say call me what you call me do to me what you do you still won't get me to hate myself you won't get me to be like you you see, i love myself and i love you too" - from "Say What You Want to Say," lyrics © Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot

what's it all about?

The forces of Good (33, Bread, Susie Moon, Mother Earth, and the Shubert Angels) and Evil (Zero, Nero, Esso, Extra, and Sissy) try to gain control of Dude's soul. The theme of DUDE has been listed as:

"DUDE: faith and a return to the fundamental way of life with emphasis on simplicity in living as opposed to the complicated materialistic society of today" (Source unknown.)

what did it look like?

A description of the set:

"The Broadway Theatre has been converted into a theatre in the round, the seats sloping down from the mezzanine level (the tree tops and trees) to a matted round playing area (the Earth) which is flanked by other seats (the foothills and valleys) and beyond which still more seats (the mountains ans mountain tops) rise on the former stage. The band is spread out, brass and woodwinds on two levels at one side wall in a box seat area and strings (the Hillybilly Band) far across against the other wall. #33 enters and departs from high up in the theatre ceiling (Heaven). A racetrack encircles the Earth and rises halfway up to another track (the deep blue highway in the sky.)" (Source unknown.)

when was it?

Opened: October 9, 1972.
Closed: October 21, 1972.
That's 16 previews and 16 performances.

who was involved?

Book and Lyrics: Gerome Ragni
Music: Galt MacDermot
Musical Arrangements and Orchestration: Horace Ott
Producers: Adela and Peter Holzer
Director: Tom O'Horgan
Musical Director: Thomas Pierson
Designers: Eugene and Franne Lee
Costumes: Randy Barcelo
Production Assistant: Margaret E. Kennedy
Press Representative: Michael Alpert
Photographers: Dagmar and Cosmos
Assistant to Tom O'Horgan: Mark Cohen

who was the cast?

The Theatre Stars:
#33 (God)...Allan Nicholls
Rags (the 1000 year old man)...Michael Dunn
Dude (Billy Hill, child)...Ralph Carter
Mother Earth (Nature)...Salome Bey
Bread...Delores Hall

The Shubert Angels:
Karen-Maria Faatz, Katie Fields, Helen Jennings, David
Kruger, Cary Mark, Mark Perman, Aida Random, Lynn Reynolds

The Theatre Wings:
Hero...Alan Braunstein
Halo...Sandra Loys Toder
Echo...Dawn Johnson
Solo...Michael Jason
Reba (Dude's Mom)...Rae Allen
Harold (Dude's Dad)...William Redfield
Susie Moon...Nell Carter
Zero (the Devil)...James Patrick Farrell III
Nero...Leata Galloway
Sissy...David Lasley
Electric Bill...Jim Turner
Shadow...Dales Soules
Shade...Barbara Monte-Britton
Esso...Bobby Alessi
Extra...Billy Alessi
Meadow...Michael Meadows
World War Won...Juan Antonio
World War Too...Georgianna Holmes
Noname...Carol Estey
Texico...Dennis Simpson
Dude (Billy Hill, adult)...Nat Morris
Eieio-#12...Robin McNamara

what were the songs?

Listing from: Theatre Week, Playbill, and John Michael Cox, Jr.
(Some songs are missing, some titles have been altered. Links are to the corresponding .wav file, if available. Songs marked with a "*" were dropped before the show's opening.)

 
OVERTURE (Going/33's Race)
* Brooks Atkison/New York Lies...Rags and The Shubert Angels
Theatre/Theatre... #33, The Theatre Wings and The Shubert Angels
A-Stage...#33
The Mountains/I Know Your Name...Mother Earth and The Theatre Wings
Pears & Peaches...Mother Earth and The Shubert Angels
Eat It...The Pioneers
Wah Wah Wah...Suzie Moon
Suzie Moon...Suzie Moon
* You Should Be...#33
Y.O.U...DUDE (child)
Hum Drum Life...The Theatre Wings
* If It Doesn't Belong To You...#33
Who's It...Reba, Harold, Hero, Halo, The Theatre Wings and the Shubert Angels
All The World...Reba and Harold
* The Lone Ranger...#33 and Zero
Jazz Bridge/Talk To Me About Love...DUDE (child) and Zero
Goodbyes...Reba
I'm Small...Hero
You Can't Do Nothing About it...Nero
The Handsomest Man...Sissy
Electric Prophet...Electric Bill
No One...Mother Earth
Who Will Be the Children
The Days of This Life...DUDE (adult, Esso & Extra
Jesus Hi...The Shubert Angels
Peace/Peace...The Shubert Angels and The Theatre Wings
* Heaven's Angels...The Theatre Wings
* Boo On You...The Shubert Angels
My Darling I Love You March...The Shubert Angels and The Theatre Wings
Dude All Dude...The Shubert Angels and The Theatre Wings
* Eieio-Eieio...Eieio-#12
A Dawn...Hero, Halo & The Theatre Wings
Air Male,...DUDE (adult)
I Never Knew...Mother Earth
Only A Few More Years...Mother Earth andThe Shubert Angels
* Sad...Zero
Weeping...Zero
* Children/Children...Rags & The Shubert Angels
* Birds of The Air...Rags and The Shubert Angels
A Thousand Repetitions...Reba and Harold
I Don't Care/Say What You Want to Say
Go Holy Ghost..Harold, Reba & The Shubert Angels
Boo Boo...Mother Earth, #33 and The Shubert Angels
So Long Dude...Suzie Moon
Bread
A Musical Version of World War Too/Undo...Bread
Baby Breath
Song to Sing
Dude
Sweet Dreams

Notes from John Michael Cox, Jr:

"Some songs are missing, some titles have been altered & songs shifted around. Because the play was in such a state of constant change the Stage Manager couldn't keep up with the changes. Gerry said that the only accurate script was the one John Michael Cox, Jr. had commited to paper from memory the night DUDE closed. That was lost in a fire in 1986. If any of the cast read this & can remember or have scripts with notes please contact John Cox."

coming soon.

More pictures.
Album information.

credits.

Millions of thanks to John Michael Cox, Jr. He provided almost all the material on this page!
Thanks also to GEOCITIES for hosting this page.