The Sheboygan Theatre Company will conclude the Seventy-Fourth Season, which is co-sponsored by the Stefanie H. Weill Charitable Fund and Acuity for the Arts, with the opening of "Li’l Abner" on Friday, May 23.

Based on Al Capp’s long-running cartoon strip, "Li’l Abner” features a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Gene de Paul. In this silliest of all musicals all the crazy characters created by Al Capp to populate his hillbilly Dogpatch, U.S.A. come hysterically to life. In addition to Abner and Daisy Mae, there’s Earthquake McGoon, Available Jones, Evil Eye Fleagle, Mayor Dawgmeat, Marrying’ Sam and the Honorable Senator Jack S. Phogbound, to name a few.

Central to the story is Daisy’s attempt to win Abner in the annual Sadie Hawkins Day Race, a matrimonial custom of the hills in which a gal gets to marry any guy she catches. But this year the race is in danger because all of the citizens of Dogpatch have been ordered by the U.S. government to evacuate their homes. It seems that Dogpatch has been declared the Most Unnecessary Place in the country and is slated to be blown off the face of the Earth during atom bomb testing. Determined to save the town the entire population sets out to find something necessary about it. When it’s discovered that Mammy Yokum’s Yokumberry Tonic has made Abner as big and strong as he is, the evacuation is postponed so the tonic can be tested. But the plot thickens as the evil General Bullmoose sets his sights on acquiring the rights to the miracle formula. Suffice it to say that the shenanigans get loonier and loonier and the situations sillier and sillier.

But through all the zany goings-on the characters sing some of the funniest, most energetic, most toe-tapping songs ever written for Broadway. “A Typical Day,” “Jubilation T. Cornpone,” “Rag Offen the Bush” and “The Country’s In the Very Best of Hands” are only outdone by “Oh Happy Day,” Put ‘em Back” and “Matrimonial Stomp.” In between are slower tunes such as “If I Had My Druthers,” “Namely You,” “Unnecessary Town,” “I’m Past My Prime” and “Love In a Home.”

Sponsored by Werner Homes, "Li’l Abner" will open Friday, May 23, and be performed each evening through Saturday, May 31, with the exceptions of Sunday and Monday. There is also a matinee on Sunday, May 25. The production will be presented at the completely handicap accessible Leslie W. Johnson Theatre, 2820 Union Avenue, Sheboygan, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m.

Admission is $20.00 for adults, $16.00 for seniors sixty and over and $10.00 for youngsters through high school and college students. Tickets are available at the Theatre Company office in the Community Recreation Department, 607 S. Water Street, or at the theatre box office 45 minutes before curtain of each performance. To learn more visit www.sheboygantheatercompany.com and then call 920/459-3779 to reserve tickets or for further information.