HIPSY-BOO

University of Texas, 1950

The HIPSY-BOO revue was conceived by Charles Baker (later known as Word Baker), based on American popular songs, 1900-1950.  Although both Tom (Tommy) and Harvey worked on the show, they did not collaborate until the next year when Tom asked Harvey to write music to his lyrics for TIME STAGGERS ON.  Charles Lane (who later became Charles Blackburn) designed costumes for the revue.  Later he was designer for the original One Act THE FANTASTICKS, CELEBRATION and PHILEMON. 

From Tom: “Our director Word (at that time, Charlie) Baker built a circular runway around the orchestra pit (like Gower did for DOLLY almost three decades later).  Free tickets were given to bald headed men for the first row so the glow off their domes was almost like footlights.  And tickets were so scarce that many students shaved their heads to get them.”   

Program

 Word Baker

Harvey Schmidt: Although I had always played the piano by ear and made up little pieces of my own since I was three years old, I never thought composing would be something I could do professionally since I could neither read or write music. So, when I entered the University of Texas in Austin in 1948, I majored in Art because I felt this was something I could actually do. However, the first week that I was there I learned about an organization called THE CURTAIN CLUB, which for people who were not majoring in Drama but nevertheless had an interest, provided them with the opportunity to participate in little weekly shows, and for Drama majors it was a chance to have fun doing revue and musical material which at the time was frowned upon by the Department of Drama. I applied for membership, and since they needed a pianist, I was accepted. Word Baker was also accepted that year even though he was six years older and married with a family since he had just finished his World War II military duty, and was returning with the great influx of veterans to work on his masters in Drama. Read more…