Church Basement Ladies is a musical comedy with a book by Jim Stowell and Jessica Zuehlke and music and lyrics by Drew Jansen. The story is about ladies that work in the church basement cooking meals for the church functions. The musical is based on the humorous novel Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson.

Original

• Mrs. Lars Snustad (Vivian) - Janet Paone
• Mrs. Gilmer Gilmerson (Mavis) - Greta Grosch
• Mrs. Elroy Engleson (Karin) - Dorian Chalmers
• Signe Engleson (Her Daughter) - Ruthie Baker
• Pastor E. L. Gunderson - Tim Drake
• Church Organist - Kyle Nelson

The 2009 National Tour features William Christopher

William Christopher

William Christopher is an American actor who is best known for playing Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...

as the Pastor.

West Coast Premiere

• Mrs. Lars Snustad (Vivian) - Cheryl Morrin
• Mrs. Gilmer Gilmerson (Mavis) - Sherri L. Jones
• Mrs. Elroy Engleson (Karin) - Sheri Shepard
• Signe Engleson (Her Daughter) - Christen Dugger
• Pastor E. L. Gunderson - Howard Wilson

Plot

A celebration of the church basement kitchen and the women who work there, Church Basement Ladies, is a new musical comedy featuring four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and solve the problems of a rural Minnesota church about to undergo changes in 1965. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young bride-to-be learning the proper order of things, we see them handle a record breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a dear friend, a Hawaiian Easter Fund Raiser, and, of course, a steaming hot July wedding. They stave off potential disasters, share and debate recipes, instruct the young, and keep the Pastor on due course while thoroughly enjoying, (and tolerating) each other as the true "steel magnolias" of the church. Funny and down to earth, audiences will recognize these ladies as they witness the church year unfold from below the house of God.

Songs

Act One

• Closer to Heaven (in the Church Basement) - Pastor and Company
• The Pale Food Polka - Karin and Ladies
• Get Down to Business - Karin and Ladies
• Song For Willy - Pastor and Ladies as Backup
• My Own Personal Island - Mavis
• Dead Spread - Ladies

Act Two

• The Cities - Vivian and Ladies
• This is Most Certainly True - Karin and Signe
• Sing a New Song - Signe and Ladies
• Mother of the Bride - Mavis and Ladies
• For Good - Vivian
• Sing a New Song (reprise) - Company

Sequels

There are three sequels to this show:

• Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping (Music and lyrics by Dennis Curley and Drew Jansen; book by Greta Grosch.) CBL 2 opened at the New Theater in Overland Park, KS, in late summer 2009 with Barry Williams ("Greg Brady" from "The Brady Bunch" as the Pastor.)
• Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas. (Music and lyrics by Drew Jansen; book by Greta Grosch.)
• The Church Basement Ladies in "A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement" is scheduled to open at the Plymouth Playhouse on 8/12/11. (Music and lyrics by Drew Jansen; book by Greta Grosch.)

External links

• Church Basment Ladies at the official site.
• Plymouth Playhouse