Plain and Fancy
A New Yorker and his sophisticated girlfriend drive down around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to sell a piece of property. 
Here they meet the Amish folk, whose old English speech and clothes habits haven't changed for centuries; and Plain and Fancy begins.
Managing to"find humor in their odd folkways and curious dialect without ever poking fun at them" (Daily News),
the authors take them through the Amish ritual of community life, their
customs of betrothal and marriage, a barn raising, and the custom of "shunning" one
who breaks the rules of the community. Of course, the dress and habits
of the city folk are equally hilarious to the Amish, and much ado is made
of them. There is one touching love affair within the Amish community,
and some stunning scenes of their religious and household life.
Barbara Cook made her Broadway debut as Hilda Miller, going on to become Marian, the Librarian, in The Music Man. Bea Arthur was the understudy for Ruth. The car used in Act I, Scene I was a Ford Thunderbird. 
The brassiere worn in the hilarious scene by Hilda Miller was by Exquisite Form. Ruth Miller's dress was by Oleg Cassini. Luggage was by Mark Cross. Fanny was playing at the Majestic with Ezio Pinza, The Pajama Game at the St. James with John Raitt, Silk Stockings at the Imperial with Don Ameche. Victor Borge was at the Golden in Comedy in Music and The Desperate Hours was at the Barrymore with Karl Malden and Paul Newman. The Playbill included the following warning, "In the event of an air raid alarm remain in your seats and obey the instructions of the management. Herbert R. O'Brien, Director of Civil Defense." The ad for Cadillac said, "At a conservative estimate, fifty per cent of all the motorists in America would rather own a Cadillac than any other automobile." Steak dinner complete with four courses at the Holland House Tavern, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, was advertised for $2.95. The original cast album was available from Capitol Records in both Long Play and Extended Play.
The Original Broadway Cast
Once upon a time, a simple, unpretentious and tuneful musical comedy could arrive on Broadway, delight audiences for a year, make money, then depart for the road, summer stock, and the community theatre circuits, making way for the next new musical. Plain and Fancy is a choice example of the kind of expert, enjoyable, professional show that was standard fare on Broadway in the 1950s and, today, is very nearly nonexistent. More...
Shirl Conway
Actress Shirl Conway, known for her role on 1960s series "The Nurses," died May 7 in Shelton, Wash. She was 90. More...
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