May 28, June 3, 4, 10, 11, 1961
Li'l Abner, based on Al Capp's comic strip, marked the Players' first venture into musical theater, with live accompaniment. A piano had to be carried from the Cabin down the steep winding theatre trail and back up each weekend. The audience enjoyed the exaggerated cartoon characters: the contrast between Mayor Dawgmeat (Dan Barash) and his slow drawl and the fast-talking and fine-singing of Marryin' Sam (Howard Hall), and that intricate, unusual little hippity-hop of Evil-Eye Fleagle (Robert Gornstein).
The set required a statue of Jubilation T. Cornpone on horse-back. Morris Moen recalled: "Suitable secondhand bronze horsemen are hard to find, and heavy to carry "down the trail." Anne Hill designed and built their horseman with papier-maché.
The cast included a piglet which, like most Players, turned out to be an incurable ham. At the Players Banquet, Howard Hall called her a remarkable little animal; not only did she mind her P's and Q's but also the reverse (cues and pees) — the piglet answered nature's call during every performance.
This year the show's run was increased from three performances to five. Li'l Abner was the best-attended production to that date; about 4,000 for the five performances.
This show was also the first one which featured a piano which had to be trundled down (and up) the steep trail.
