Creative Team

Director and Choreography — Chuck Hoenes
Costumes — Brian O'Keefe
Music Director — Terry Tichenor
Lights — Annmarie Duggan
Sets — Bob Fetterman

Study Guide written by Gary Cadwallader

The Story of The Taffetas

"The Taffestas" is a musical revue of songs popular in the 1950's and very early 1960's, when 'doo-wop,' a singing style known for it's tight harmonies and nonsensical syllables (see Music Style - Doo-Wop below), was popular.

"The Taffestas" are a singing group, made up of four sisters: Kaye, Peggy, Donna, and Cheryl. The girls, from Muncie, Indiana, are making their television debut on the DuMont Network music variety program, "Spotlight on Music." The girls sing their favorite songs and chat with their live studio audience in hopes that Ed Sullivan, the man with the most popular variety show on television, might be watching.

The Songs

"Sh-Boom" - Words and music by Claude and Carl Feaster, James Keyes, Floyd McRae, and James Edwards. A #1 song in 1954 for the Crew Cuts. (Also a top 5 hit the same year for The Chords.)

"Love Is A Two Way Street" - This song was actually a B-side (flip side on a single) recording of the #17 hit "Zorro" in 1958 by the Chordettes.

"Mr. Sandman" - Words and music by Pat Ballard. A #1 hit in 1954 for the Chordettes.

"The Three Bells" - Originally a French song ("Les Trois Cloches" written in 1945 by Bert Reisfeld and Jean Villard and a hit in France in 1946 for Edith Piaf) sung by Les Conpagnons de la Chanson that reached #14 in 1952. The English language version (translated by Dick Manning), however, was a #1 hit in 1959 for The Browns.

"Tonight You Belong To Me" - Words and Music by Billy Rose and Lee David. Though written in 1926 (a #1 hit for Gene Austin in 1927), it was a #4 hit in 1956 for Patience and Prudence, who were 11 and 14, respectively, when they sang the song.

"I'm Sorry" - Words and music by Ronnie Self and Dudley Albritton. It was a #1 hit for Brenda Lee in 1960.

"Ricochet" - Words and music by Larry Coleman, Norman Gimbel, and Joe Darion. The song was a #2 hit for Teresa Brewer in 1952.

"I Cried" - Words and music by Michael Elias and Billy Duke. A #11 hit for Patti Page in 1954.

"Cry" - Words and music by Churchill Kohlman. A #1 hit for Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads in 1952.

"Smile" - Words and music by John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons and Charlie Chaplin. A #10 hit for Nat "King" Cole in 1954. The tune was written by Chaplin for his 1936 film, Modern Times.

"A Choo Cha Cha (Gesundheit)" - Words and music by Patrick Welch and Michel Merlo.

"Mockin' Bird Hill" - Words and music by Vaughn Horton. A #1 hit in 1951 for Les Paul and Mary Ford.

"Happy Wanderer (Val-de Ri, Val-De Ra)" - Music and lyrics by Antonia Ridge and Friedrich Moller. A #3 song for Frank Weir & Orchestra in 1954. Originally a German song first introduced by the Oberkirchen Children's Choir.

"Istanbul (not Constantinople)" - Words and music by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. A #8 hit for The Four Lads in 1953.

"My Little Grass Shack (in Kealakekua, Hawaii)" - Words and music by Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison and Johnny Noble. A #1 hit for Ted Fio Rito and his Orchestra in 1934. Also a hit for the Mills Brothers that same year.

"C'est si Bon (It's So Good)" - Words and music by Henri Betti and André Hornez (English translation by Jerry Seleen). The song was written in 1947, but a #20 hit for actor Danny Kaye in 1950, and a #8 hit for Eartha Kitt in 1953.

"Sweet Song of India" - words and music by Kaye and Clayton. A #34 hit for the McGuire Sisters in 1955.

"Arrivederci Roma" - Words and music by Renato Ranucci, Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovanni (English translation by Carl Sigman). The song was from the 1958 movie, Seven Hills of Rome, and a #32 hit for Roger Williams that same year.

"See the U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet" - Words and music by Leon Carr and Leo Corday. This advertising slogan was first sung by Dinah Shore from 1956 to 1963 at the end of her one- hour musical variety television show, the Dinah Shore Chevy Show.

"Allegheny Moon" - Words and music by Dick Manning and Al Hoffman. A #2 hit for Patti Page in 1956.

"Tennessee Waltz" - words and music by Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart. A #1 hit in 1950 sung by Patti Page.

"Old Cape Cod" - Words and music by Claire Rothrock, Milt Yakus, and Allan Jeffrey. The song was a #3 hit for Patti Page in 1957.

"Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)" - Words and music by Bart Howard. The song was published and first recorded by Kaye Ballard in 1954, but didn't become popular until both Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett recorded it in 1964.

"Nel Blue Di Pinto di Blue (Volare)" - Music and lyrics by Domenico Modugno and Francesco Migliacci (English lyrics by Mitchell Parrish). Translated, the title means, "In the blue sky painted blue (Fly)." First recorded by the songwriter, Modugno, in Italian in 1957, which went to #1, and in English that same year by Dean Martin, which reached #12.

"Around The World" - Words and music by Harold Adamson and Victor Young. A #6 hit for Mantovani and his Orchestra in 1957.

"(Put Another Nickel In...) Music! Music! Music!" - Words and music by Bernie Baum and Stephan Weiss. A #1 hit for Teresa Brewer and the Dixieland All-Stars in 1950.

"You're Just In Love" - Words and music by Irving Berlin. Originally from the Broadway musical, Call Me Madam (opened October 12, 1950 and played for 644 performances). It was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. First sung on stage by Ethel Merman and Russell Nype. Also a #3 hit in 1951 for Perry Como.

"Love Letters in the Sand" - Words by Nick and Charles Kenny and music by J. Fred Coots. The song was a #1 record in 1957 for Pat Boone.

"L-O-V-E" - Words and music by Milt Gabler and Bert Kaempfert. The song was a #81 hit in 1964 for Nat "King" Cole.

"I-M-4-U" - Words and music by Jose Melis, Jack Paar and Severino F. Marino. This song was the theme song for the 1955 television program, The Jack Paar Show.

"Rag Mop" - words and music by Johnny Lee Willis and Deacon Anderson. A #2 hit for the Ames Brothers in 1950.

"You, You, You" - Words and music by Robert Mellin and Lotar Olias. A #1 hit for the Ames Brothers in 1953.

"Puppy Love" - Words and music by Paul Anka. The song was a #2 hit for Anka in 1960.

"(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window?" - Words and music by Bob Merrill (composer of the Broadway musicals New Girl in Town, Carnival!, and Funny Girl). A #1 hit for Patti Page in 1953.

"The Hot Canary" - Music composed by Paul Nero with lyrics later added by Ray Gilbert. A #12 hit for Paul Weston and his Orchestra in 1949 with composer Nero on violin.

"Tweedlee Dee" - Words and Music by Winfield Scott, and a #2 record in 1955 by Georgia Gibbs.

"Lollipop" - Words and music by Beverly Ross and Julius Dixon. A #2 hit in 1958 for The Chordettes.

"Sincerely" - Words and Music by Harvey Fuqua and Alan Freed (originator of the phrase "rock & roll"). A #20 song for the Moonglows in 1954. A #1 song in 1955 for the McGuire Sisters.

"Johnny Angel" - Words and music by Lee Pockriss and Lyn Duddy. A #1 hit in 1962 for Shelley Fabares.

"Mr. Lee" - Words and music by Reather Dixon and Laura Webb. The song was a #6 song for The Bobbettes in 1957.

"Dedicated to the One I Love" - Words and music by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass. Originally a #67 hit for the Shirelles in 1959, the same record hit #3 in 1961.

"Where The Boys Are" - Words and music by Howie Greenfield and Neil Sedaka. It was a #4 hit in 1961 for Connie Francis.

"I'll Think of You" - Words and music by Noel Sherman and Clint Ballard, Jr.

"Little Darlin'" - Words and music by Maurice Williams. A #2 hit for the Diamonds in 1957.

Musical Style: Doo-Wop

Secular music sung by gospel-oriented African-American vocal groups was popular as early as the 1920's (Norfolk Jazz Quartet). The term 'doo-wop' came to be used to identify the vocal-group sound, as the groups usually had a lead singer who was accompanied (or responded to) by other singers singing nonsense syllables or repeating a few words from the lead singer's line. The general label 'doo-wop' referred to the nonsense syllable - such as 'ahs' or 'de-dums' - that the backup singers used.

Two early African-American pop vocal groups whose influences could be heard in the later doo-wop style were the Mills Brothers, who sang four-part harmony in a smooth, sophisticated style, and The Ink Spots, whose high-tenor lead singer often dropped out after a chorus to allow the bass singer to speak the lyrics, accompanied by the rest of the group humming chords. They were popular in the late 1930's and early 1940's.

In the early 1950's, pioneer rock n' roll disc jockey Alan Freed began to feature black vocal groups on his hit radio shows. Alan Freed's program was broadcast up and down the Eastern seaboard and into Canada. As the sales of vocal group records began to rise, every record company decided they too wanted to produce black vocal groups. Some of the more popular groups to gain national attention were: The Orioles, The Ravens, The Cadillacs, and The Drifters. These popular rhythm and blues vocal groups became the musical inspiration for rock n' roll, which used their unique vocal style, but went further musically and added a stronger uptempo beat that could be danced to.

The songs of black vocal groups began to be copied by white cover groups in order to, according to the record companies, appeal to a more 'mainstream' audience. For example, The Crew-Cuts rerecorded The Chords hit, "Sh-Boom" and had a huge hit of their own in 1954.

But black, white, or racially integrated (such as The Dell-Vikings), 'doo-wop' was an immensely popular musical style, which reached its peak in popularity in 1957. Groups such as The Platters, The Coasters, and Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers, were enormous successes. Female singing groups who sang tight harmonies or in the doo-wop style were rarer than their male counterparts. Mostly sister acts, the female groups that achieved some lasting popularity were The McGuire Sisters, The Chiffons, and The Shirelles. 'Doo-wop' lasted into the 1960's, but began to wane at about the same time as the British musical invasion in 1964 of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who.

America and the 1950's

Most Americans, living in a land of opportunity, have always had great hopes for the future. But high expectations, rooted in vibrant economic growth, ascended as never before in the 1950's.

The paradigm of the 1950's was to think of the 'future,' and 'tomorrow,' and 'progress." It was a time of population expansion now known as the 'baby boom,' stemming from post-World War II confidence in the ideal American life: The American Dream. It was personified by the art of Norman Rockwell, and the booming invasion of television into the homes of Americans, where it was reflected back to them nightly. There were 'ideal' American families on T.V. in shows such as "Father Knows Best," "Leave it to Beaver," "The Donna Reed Show," "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," and underneath the slapstick, "I Love Lucy."

America in the 1950's was also a time of great expansion. The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 created the multilane highway system. This paved the way for a boom in automobile sales and caused the decline of train transportation. It also created new necessities for overnight lodging (Holiday Inn, 1952), and fast-food restaurants (McDonald's, 1955).

Now that America began driving there was a rush to get away from dirty, cramped urban living and a new desire for space on the outskirts of town, or suburbia. In the suburbs, shopping malls and supermarkets were brand new and were created with large parking lots for all those hundreds of cars.

Now the world began to get smaller, no only through the connection of television and automobile travel, but also by air travel. In 1957, the first passenger jet, the Boeing 707, began flying longer routes with less stops and with more comfortable amenities. And it was expensive! But then there were credit cards to charge the price of that flight (first credit card: Diner's Club, 1957). Borrowing money became the rage, and Americans began to borrow by the millions.

Computers were also beginning to be widely used in business. They were created in the late 1930's, but the 1950's saw them become smaller and more accessible, though they were still the size of an entire room.

The following is an excerpt from The Fifties by David Halberstam:

"...the fifties appear to be an orderly era, one with a minimum of social dissent. Photographs from the period tend to show people who dressed carefully: men in suits, ties, and - when outdoors - hats; women with their hair in modified page-boys, pert and upbeat. Young people seemed, more than anything else 'square' [by today's standards] and largely accepting of the given social covenants. At the beginning of the decade their music was still slow and saccharine, mirroring the generally bland popular taste. In the years following the traumatic experiences of the depression and World War II, the 'American Dream' was to exercise personal freedom not in social and political terms, but rather in economic ones. Eager to be part of the burgeoning middle class, young men and women opted for material well-being, particularly if it came with some form of guaranteed employment. For the young, security meant finding a good white-collar job with a large, benevolent company, getting married, having children, and buying a house in the suburbs.

In that era of general good will and expanding affluence, few Americans doubted the essential goodness of their society. After all, it was reflected back at them not only by contemporary books and magazines, but even more powerfully and with even greater influence in the new family sitcoms on television. These, in conjunction with their sponsors' commercial goals, sought to shape their audience's aspirations. However, most Americans needed little coaching in how to live. They were optimistic about the future. It was a good time to be young and get on with family and career: prices and inflation remained relatively low; and nearly everyone with a decent job could afford to own a home. Even if the specter of Communism lurked on the horizon - particularly as both super powers developed nuclear weapons - Americans trusted their leaders to tell them the truth, to make sound decisions, and to keep them out of war."

Television in the '50's

The premise of "The Taffestas" has the girls (Kaye, Peggy, Donna, and Cheryl) performing on the DuMont network television program, "Spotlight on Music." The show is fictional, though there was a music variety show on DuMont on Sunday nights. Television was an increasingly popular entertainment in the 1950's, and the following is a brief history of television production, and the medium's rapid rise to everyday popularity in the United States.

Television came into being in the late 1920's based on the inventions and discoveries of many men and scientists.  The 'first' generation of television sets were not entirely electronic; the display (TV screen) had a small motor with a spinning disc and a neon lamp, which worked together to give a blurry reddish-orange picture about half the size of a business card!  The period before 1935 is called the "Mechanical Television Era".

In the late 1930's, television became electronic and the number of "electronic television" sets around the country was estimated at around 20,000. The first commercially produced television program appeared on the National Broadcasting Network (NBC) on July 1, 1941, after commercial television was authorized in May. The other networks (ABC, CBS, and DuMont) had commercial programming soon after. The first evening of commercial television included a Brooklyn Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies baseball game sponsored by General Mills, followed by the "Sunoco Newscast" with Lowell Thomas. At 9:15 p.m. "Uncle Jim's Question Bee," hosted by Bill Slater and sponsored by Spry, made its one-and-only appearance and, at 9:30, Ralph Edwards hosted "Truth Or Consequences," simulcast on radio and TV and sponsored by Ivory Soap. This was the first game show broadcast on TV. The world's first (legal) TV commercial was for Bulova watches and it appeared superimposed over a test pattern.

During World War II, television production was virtually shut down, but returned to commercial production in 1946. Television sets were priced at a hefty $385 to $435 in 1946, but despite the high cost, approximately 43,000 units were sold by the end of the year. During the next couple of years, television production (mostly based in New York City) expanded greatly, producing the first hourly entertainment programming, "Kraft Television Theater," and World Series games. In 1947, longtime shows such as "Meet The Press" and "The Howdy Doody Show" premiered to great acclaim. "Meet The Press" is still on television today.

Between 1948 and 1953, the American public began acquiring television sets in such record numbers that by 1953, 50% of Americans had sets. 1954 was the year color television was introduced, but due to high costs, most were content at first to watch the NBC peacock in black and white, therefore limiting the number of color sets sold at less than 1,000. By the following year, however, over 20,000 color television sets sold.

Television programming expanded in the early 1950's as four major networks, NBC, ABC, CBS, and DuMont competed for viewership (DuMont folded in 1954). Sports, situation comedies, dramas, news programs, and variety shows thrived seven days a week, enticing viewers to watch continuously, even if it meant eating dinner on new folding TV trays in the living room.

The following is the weekly primetime lineup for the 1954 television season, the last year the DuMont network was on the air.

1954 Primetime Lineup

Slang words and phrases popular in the 1950's

bash ears - to talk
tube steak - a hot dog
classy chassis - a nice body
what's buzzin', cuzzin'? - what's new?
cop a breeze - to leave
what's your tale, nightingale? - what's bothering you?
earth pads - shoes
flutter-bum - a good looking guy
frosted - angry
jacketed - going steady
nest - a hairdo
party pooper - a killjoy
put an egg in your shoe and beat it - Leave!

Glossary

Annette, Connie, Debbie - "I tried to think of what Annette, Connie, or Debbie would say..." Hollywood actor/singers from the 1950's: Annette Funicello was born in 1942 and was featured on The Mickey Mouse Club. Connie Francis was born in 1938 and starred in Where The Boys Are. Debbie Reynolds was born in 1932 and starred in Singin' In The Rain.

Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson, Troy Donahue - movie star teen idols from the 1950's. Tab Hunter was born in 1931 and starred in Damn Yankees, Rock Hudson (1925-1985) starred in Giant, and Troy Donahue (1937 - 2001) starred in The Tarnished Angels.

Canasta - "...my favorite pastime is improving my Canasta game..." A card game where the object is to meld groups of seven of the same rank.

County Down - "It might have been in County Down..." County Down is in Northern Ireland, and is known for its beaches and mountains. St. Patrick passed away there in 432 A.D.

Eddie Fisher - ".. I saw you in Teen Romance kissing Eddie Fisher..." Fisher (b. 1931) was a very popular crooner from the 1950's who had many hit records. He was married to both Elizabeth Taylor (with he whom he starred in Butterfield 8) and Debbie Reynolds (with whom he starred in Bundle of Joy). His daughter is Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher.

IGA - "...the grand opening of the new IGA in Muncie..." IGA was an alliance of grocery stores (Independent Grocers Alliance) formed in 1926 by a conglomeration of corner grocery stores around the country. It was usually found in small towns and was formed as a way to compete with larger chain stores.

Mario Lanza - "...as president of the Mario Lanza fan club..." Lanza (1921 - 1959) was an opera singer who sang hit records and became a movie star (The Great Caruso).

Edna St. Vincent Millay - "I like to relax reading Edna St. Vincent Millay..." Millay (1892 - 1950) was a poet known for inspiring rebellious youth in the 1920's. She wrote frankly about sex, the liberated woman, and social justice. One of her popular works was "The Harp Weaver and Other Poems," which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1923.

Mocking Bird - "...in the tree tops on Mockin' Bird Hill." A mocking bird is a North American species known to perfectly mimic the sounds of other birds.

Nickelodeon - "Put another nickel in, in the nickelodeon..." An early form of the jukebox. It was a cabinet that contained a record player. The cost was a nickel.

Sandman - "Mister Sandman, bring me a dream..." The sandman is a mythical character of fairy tale and folklore who make children go to sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes (causing children to rub them).

Sputnik - The first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. It created a "space race" with the United States to see who would land on the moon first.

Taffeta - a crisp, smooth, lustrous fabric originally made of silk, but now usually made from rayon or nylon. Very popular dress making fabric in the 1950's.

Toast of the Town: "...their next appearance will be on 'The Toast of the Town.'" This is the original title of the Ed Sullivan Show. From 1948 to 1955, Ed Sullivan was the host of this television talent/variety show on Sunday nights on CBS. The show title was changed in 1955, and the show stayed on the air until 1971.

Explorations and Investigations

"The Taffestas" are a singing girl group from the 1950's. What are some popular girl groups making hit records today? Which are your favorites and why?

"The Taffestas" sing in the doo-wop musical style. At the library, find recordings of doo-wop groups from the 1950's. What do you notice about the singing style of the song? Does it sound easy or difficult? Would you like to try singing with a musical group?

At the library, look for original recordings of the songs used in "The Taffestas". Compare the original version with the one you hear live during the performance.

Go online or to the library to research the history of television and its influence on American culture. What would America be like without television? Is television important in today's world?

Some of the television shows popular in the 1950's are still being shown on television today (Nick at Night, for example). Look through the News-Journal TV Journal or TV listings and find one of the shows to watch. What are some of the similarities and differences in the subject matter? The clothing? The music? The acting? Which do you think is better: the shows of the 1950's or the shows of today?

Especially for Students...

In live theatre, unlike movies and television, the actors can hear (and often see) you as easily as you can hear and see them. If you comment out loud at a live show, or read or eat, you disturb not only other members of the audience but also the people on stage, thus diminishing the performance and, ultimately, your enjoyment of it.

This doesn't mean you have to remain silent. Actors want you to respond with laughter and applause; but such responses should always be genuine and appropriate to the moment. Such inconsiderate behavior as shouting, catcalling or sustained whispering, even during blackouts, can ruin the concentration of actors and audience members alike. And throwing paper or objects of any kind towards the stage is not only rude, it's also extremely dangerous to the performers.

In the event of any student misbehavior, the relevant school will be contacted and its principal informed.

We want you to enjoy your visit to Seaside Music Theater, and we rely on you to exercise your common sense and mature judgment. Thank you for being a valuable part of our audience this season.