Search - Oh! Calcutta! :: Oh! Calcutta! (1969 Original Broadway Cast)

Legendary British theater critic Kenneth Tynan, one of the masterminds behind Oh! Calcutta!, described the show as "an evening of civilized erotic stimulation." Indeed, the revue--and its abundant full-frontal nudity--was an instant scandal when it opened in 1969. Along with Tynan, the creative team included Sam Shepard, John Lennon (who allegedly wrote "Four in Hand"), and co-composer Peter Schickele, well before he gained fame as P.D.Q. Bach. The title song neatly fits among '60s suggestive lounge, as well as later offerings such as the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack. Some of the tracks ("Clarence & Mildred") are hopelessly dated in their raunchy daddy-o hipness, but a few stand-alone, delicious pop songs ("Sincere Replies," "Much Too Soon") will delight fans of such explorers as Brian Wilson, Beck, and Bertrand Burgalat. As a piece of musical theater, the show is so creaky that it may be impossible to stage ever again. Fans of eccentric pop music, on the other hand, will find plenty to enjoy here. --Elisabeth Vincentelli