Roadside is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.
Based on Lynn Riggs' 1929 play of the same name, it focuses on "early-20th century folks who didn't care to be absorbed into statehood".
Background
Jones directed the play Roadside for his master's thesis in directing at the University of Texas. After Jones arrived in New York, Schmidt and he wrote a few songs for the musical and made a demo (but gave up since they could not acquire the rights).
Productions
The show premiered on February 16, 2001, at the Irving Arts Center in Irving, Texas, with a cast consisting of Randy Tallman (Pap Raider), Stan Graner (Amos K. "Buzzey" Hale), Julie Johnson (Hannie Raider), Ryan Appleby (Red Ike), Steve Barcus (Black Ike), Jonathan Beck Reed (Texas), Richard Estes (The Verdigree Marshall), Rick Prada (Neb, the Jailer), Jerry Haynes (Judge Snodgrass), and Lois Sonnier (Miz Foster). The orchestra had Nyela Basney (piano), Mike Cruciger (banjo/guitar), and Dave Yonley (fiddle).
The show then moved to the Granbury Opera House in Granbury, Texas, and stayed there from March 9 through April 1, 2001.
The show opened Off-Broadway at the York Theatre on November 29, 2001, and starred Jennifer Allen (Mitz Foster), Ryan Appleby (Red Ike), G.W. Bailey (Pap Raider), Steve Barcus (Black Ike), Tom Flagg (Ned the Nailer), James Hindman (Amos K. "Buzzey" Hale), Julie Johnson (Hannie), Jonathan Beck Reed (Texas), and William Ryall (The Vedigree Marshall).
Synopsis
The following is taken from the Roadside CD pamphlet:
Act One
On a small, traveling tent show stage like the ones that used to tour rural Texas during the early part of the twentieth century, Uncle Billy Barlow (G.W. Bailey) welcomes the audience and invites them to enjoy the show for the evening – “ROADSIDE.” As he hawks Uncle Billy Popcorn and introduces the other members of the company, he and the actors sing UNCLE BILLY’S TRAVELIN’ FAMILY SHOW.
Opening over, Uncle Billy steps into his role as Pap Raider while several of the others join him in a small “covered wagon” made of old-fashioned cut-out scenery. As the two look-alike cousins, Red Ike and Black Ike (Ryan Appleby & Steve Barcus) kneel in the shadows at the side and make the sound of horses’ hoofs, Pap sings ROADSIDE, joined first by Buzzey (James Hindman), a dried-up little farmer who is following on foot, and then by Pap’s daughter Hannie (Julie Johnson), a lusty western woman with a romantic heart and a wicked sense of humor. When the wagon stops by the roadside, Buzzey tries to persuade Hannie to marry him and come live on his farm. Hannie is intrigued. “Just think,’ she says, “wake up in the morning and know whur you’re at.” But she has other dreams, dreams of finding a big, brawny, free-spirited man who can be Adam to her Eve. In the meantime, she’s just waiting (HERE AM I).
The Ikes come rushing in with news of a crazy ring-tail-tooter of a cowboy named Texas who got drunk and tore up the town of Verdigree. He kicked the judge off the bench and “made just plumb hash” out of the courtroom. Hannie is impressed, and when she hears a loud, shouting voice down the road, she hurries into the wagon to get ready. Texas (Jonathan Beck Reed) comes in, banged-up from the brawl, and he and Pap hit it off immediately (I DON’T WANT TO BOTHER NOBODY).
When Hannie steps out of the wagon, all dolled up in her best dress, Texas is impressed. She tells him that when she heard him coming she ran in the wagon and purtied herself up before he got there. “Put most a pint of flour on my face to make me look nice. And smellamagoody perfume, half a bottle. Smell me.” Then, as she teasingly vamps him and he responds in a perfumed trance, Buzzey tries to distract them both from the business at hand (SMELLAMAGOODY PERFUME).
Texas decides to spend the night, and as they all bed down by the campfire, light comes up on Red Ike and Black Ike over by the orchestra as they do an “in one” olio number typical of the traveling tent shows of long ago (LOOKIN’ AT THE MOON).
Dawn, the next morning. The Verdigree Marshal (William Ryall), led to the scene by Buzzey, comes in and “gets the draw on” Texas. Pap and Hannie are very excited, expecting to see a miraculous fight, but Texas is staring straight into the Marshal’s rifle, and he is thoroughly hungover. Even when the Marshal puts the rifle away and gives Texas his pistol back so they can have a good, old-fashioned shoot-out, all Texas can manage to do is drop to his knees and throw up in the stew pot, and Hannie is outraged. She turns on Texas and he tries to defend himself against her tirade as the Marshal leads him off to jail (I’M THROUGH WITH YOU!).