“Li’l Abner,” based upon the characters created by Al Capp, was first presented on the Broadway stage in 1956, but its mixture of hillbilly nonsense, sharp, critical humor, and brash, catchy tunes remain fresh, and its political satire is just as relevant to today’s political climate as it was in 1956. From Abner’s lazy ballad, “If I Had My Druthers,” to “pushing eighteen” Daisy Mae’s lament to Marryin’ Sam, “I’m Past My Prime,” audiences are sure to walk away humming the great tunes which also include showstoppers “Jubilation T. Cornpone” and “The Country’s in the Very Best of Hands.” “Li’l Abner” will appeal to the sophisticated theatregoer as well as the child within us all.

A lazy day at the fishin’ hole for Abner and his cronies turns into an uproar as the citizens of Dogpatch struggle to find something necessary about their town in order to avoid evacuation and nuclear testing by the Federal Government. Mix in a plot by evil businessman, General Bullmoose, to steal Abner’s famous “Yokumberry Tonic,” and the annual running of the Sadie Hawkin’s Day Race, and you’re in for a hysterical adventure. Turns out those hillbillies aren’t so dumb after all.