Sugar Babies

Concept by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby. Sketches based on traditional material written by Ralph G. Allen. Music by Jimmy McHugh. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin. Additional material by Arthur Malvin, Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (THE SUGAR BABY BOUNCE, WARM AND WILLING), George Oppenheimer (I FEEL A SONG COMIN’ ON), Herbert Stothart (CUBAN LOVE SONG), Eugene West and Irwin Dash (IMMIGRATION ROSE), Irwin Dash (YOU CAN’T BLAME YOUR UNCLE SAMMY), Ted Koehler (I’M SHOOTING HIGH) and Jack Frost (WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG, MAGGIE BLUES).The original Broadway production opened on 8 October 1979 and was directed a and choreographed by Ernest Flatt. The production closed on 28 August 1982, running for a total of 1 208 performances.

Synopsis and Musical Numbers

Sugar Babies is a tribute to burlesque from the early 1900s until 1930, opening with a company number that tells the audience exactly what to expect: a GOOD OLD BURLESQUE SHOW. The show features several historical re-enactments of the famously risqué burlesque sketches – including THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE, MEET ME ‘ROUND THE CORNER and THE MINSTREL. Some of America’s greatest comics received their training before moving to Vaudeville, Broadway and the Silver Screen and this show is a homage to artists like Sally Rand and Ed Wynn.

Other musical numbers and sketches include: LET ME BE YOUR SUGAR BABY; TRAVELIN’: IN LOUISIANA / I FEEL A SONG COMIN’ ON / GOIN’ BACK TO NEW ORLEANS; THE BROKEN ARMS MOTEL; SALLY; DON’T BLAME ME; IMMIGRATION ROSE; SUGAR BABY BOUNCE; MR. BANJO MAN; THE CANDY BUTCHER; I’M KEEPING MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR YOU / EXACTLY LIKE YOU; I’M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE; I’M JUST A SONG AND DANCE MAN; WARM AND WILLING; FATHER DEAR, FATHER DEAR / THE BOSS UPSTAIRS; CUBAN LOVE SONG; THE MCHUGH MEDLEY: I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE / I’M SHOOTING HIGH / WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG / MAGGIE BLUES / ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET and YOU CAN’T BLAME YOUR UNCLE SAMMY.

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