Retro RFH Spring Musical’s ‘Mary Sunshine’ Girls

Well, it’s “another opening, another show” for those RFH Tower Players.

The high school’s theatrical troupe has opened its spring musical production of Spamalot this past weekend to rave reviews. And another weekend of shows is in store for adoring RFH Tower Players fans.

So, with this drizzly doomsday sort of spring afternoon, we’re thinking thoughts of sunshine and reaching back into the recesses of spring musical minds of RFHers. What we came up with is none other than a look back to a bit of sunshine on the stage at RFH with the high school’s 1975 production of the campy Little Mary Sunshine. The show, with book, lyrics and music by Rick Besoyan, parodies old fashioned musicals and operettas. Now, the show itself, is old. There’s that.

Back in the day … of the RFH dinosaur … spring musical productions were quite big. Auditions were closed to Tower Players only for the fall drama. They opened up, quite wide, to include anyone in the high school for the spring musical. There was the usual cast of characters, leads and supporting roles, and a large chorus (now called ensemble) and dance chorus. Yes, the two choruses were separate. It was all quite grande. Hundreds would audition with about 100 cast.

Mary Sunshine had one of the smaller casts for those days. In this Retro Pic of the Day, some of the girls in the chorus for the show are seen in rehearsal for the song Playing Croquet.

The song begins with “Playing croquet is a wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon …” While there’s no sunshine today and surely no croquet, this Mary Sunshine shot back in time is sure to bring a smile, especially remembering the cast and good ol’ RFH musical times on the cusp of another weekend, another Spamalot run.

The RFH girls in this pic were and still are quite popular. One that we know if is now gone. RIP. The others, one in particular, you may have even seen around the towns recently. She’s still performing.

As for RFH show time, it’s always a classic! Know any of these RFH croquet chorus girls?

Congrats to the RFH cast of Spamalot for a great opening weekend! Cheers to closing weekend!