Oil City Symphony

Debra Monk and Mark Hardwick were fellow students at Southern Methodist University and later helped write and performed in the 1981 musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. Hardwick and Mike Craver met during Pump Boys and began playing piano duets. The two were joined by Debra Monk on drums. The trio expanded to a quartet with Sharon Scruggs on violin and group made its premiere performance at the Doo Wop Club in New York City on May 12, 1986. When Scruggs decided to leave the group, she was replaced by Mary Murfitt via an audition. Miss Reaves, the evening's guest of honor who is seated in the audience but never seen, is based on Hardwick's music teacher Denny Eaves. ==Productions==

Following limited runs in Dallas and Baltimore, ==Critical reception==

In his review in The New York Times, Mel Gussow called it "a musical with charm and a sure sense of its own identity," and the theatre critic for Variety said it was "an endearing slice of nostalgic Americana that few will resist." In Time, Michael Walsh called the musical "very funny indeed" and said it "lets the good times roll, and in the process skewers every high school music program in the country." (but lovingly). ==Musical numbers==

• Count Your Blessings • Czardas • The Anvil Chorus • In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida • Ohio Afternoon • Baby, It's Cold Outside • The Hokey Pokey • Beaver Ball at the Bug Club • The Beehive Polka • A Patriotic Fantasy • Dizzy Fingers • Getting Acquainted • Iris • The End of the World • Dear Miss Reeves • Coaxing the Piano • Bus Ride • In the Sweet Bye and Bye • My Ol' Kentucky Rock and Roll Home • Exodus • Sleigh Ride • Christmas Medley • Summer Medley ==References==