Vinnette Carroll

The Urban Arts Corps was founded by Ms. Carroll in 1967 in lower Manhattan near The Village at 26 W. 20th Street. Out of this marvelous Theatrical organization great plays such as Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Your Arm’s Too Short To Box With GOD, But Never Jam Today and other plays and musicals were born.

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.

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.

Debbie Allen and Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter

Dwayne Phelps, Paula Kelly, and Brenda Braxton

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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 5th, 1979. [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 (Alice), Cleavant Derricks, (Caterpillar, Cook, Tweedledee, Seven of Spades), Lynne Thigpen (Persona Non-Grata), Lynne Clifton-Allen (Black Queen), Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter (White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle), Reginald VelJohnson (Duchess, Humpty-Dumpty, King of Hearts), Jai Oscar St. John (Mad Hatter, Tweedledum, Two of Spades), Sheila Ellis (March Hare, Five of Spades, Cook), Celestine DeSaussure (Dormouse, Cook), and Charlene Harris (White Queen, Queen of Hearts). 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.

OPENING NIGHT CAST
Marilynn Winbush [Alice]
Cleavant Derricks [Caterpillar/Cook/Tweedledee/Seven of Spades]
Lynne Thigpen [Persona Non-Grata]
Lynne Clifton-Allen [Black Queen]
Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter [White Rabbit/Cheshire Cat/Mock Turtle]
Reginald Vel Johnson [Duchess/Humpty-Dumpty/King of Hearts]
Jai Oscar St. John [Mad Hatter/Tweedledum/Two of Spades]
Sheila Ellis [March Hare/Five of Spades/Cook]
Celestine Desaussure [Dormouse/Cook]
Charlene Harris [White Queen/Queen of Hearts]
Brenda Braxton [Mushrooms]
Clayton Strange [Mushrooms]
Sharon K. Brooks [Mushrooms]
Garry Q. Lewis [Mushrooms]
Celestine Desaussure [Mushrooms]
Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter [Mushrooms]
Clayton Strange [Guard]
Garry Q. Lewis [Guard]

STAFF/CREATIVES
Arch Nadler [Producer]
Anita MacShane [Producer]
Urban Arts Theatre [Producer]
Vinnette Carroll [Director]
Talley Beatty [Choreography]
Donald Johnston [Musical Director]
William Schroder [Settings/Costumes]
Ken Billington [Lighting]
T. Richard Fitzgerald [Sound]
H.B. Barnum [Orchestrations (special)]
Larry Blank [Orchestrations (special)]
Gary Anderson [Orchestrations (additional)]
Walt Levinsky [Orchestrations (additional)]
Dick Loeb [Orchestrations (additional)]
Cleavant Derricks [Vocal Arrangements]
H.B. Barnum [Dance Music]
Donald Johnston [Incidental Music]

AUTHORS
Bob Larimer [Book]
Vinnette Carroll [Book]
Bob Larimer [Lyrics]
Bert Keyes [Music]
Bob Larimer [Music]

 

Marilynn Winbush (Alice) and Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter (White Rabbit).

"But Never Jam Today" Cleavant Derricks, Sheila Ellis and Jai Oscar St. John. But Never Jam Today was a 1979 musical with music by Bert Keyes & Bob Larimer, lyrics by Larimer, and a book by both Larimer and Vinnette Carroll. The musical is based on the works of Lewis Carroll.


Cleavant Derricks, Sheila Ellis, and Jai Oscar St. John.

But Never Jam Today – Cleavant Derricks – The Mushrooms: Brenda Braxton, Clayton Strange, Sharon K. Brooks, Garry Q. Lewis, Celestine DeSaussure, and Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter.