Miss Gulch Returns is a
one man (woman?)
show about
Elmira Gulch, (no, not
Auntie Mame's secretary, that's
Agnes Gooch) but the
dog-snatching,
bicycle-riding spinster who has it in for
Dorothy and her dog,
Toto.
The musical was written (and originally performed) by Fred Barton.
The music is inventive and full of that old-time showtune marvel that has been missing for so long in musical theatre.
But the highlight of the piece are the lyrics, full of double and triple entendres, eliciting howls of laughter no matter how many times you hear them.
The story revolves around Miss Gulch's journey following The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Barton takes us to the human side of Elmira Gulch. From her crowning disappointment of having her big number in Oz cut (entitled "I'm a Bitch) to becoming a piano bar staple, to her ill-fated romance and finally to her repose as a spinster. While the piece is first and foremost funny, there is a beautifully dark component that most people miss.
The musical numbers (as originally performed) are as follows:
Original Cast Records released a CD recording of this show and a re-release in 2000. It was originally recorded live before an audience at Uptown Chelsea Sound in September 1986.