THE SONGS AND STORY OF “ROUTE 66”

ROUTE 66 begins in Chicago and travels along the famed ‘Main Street of America’ to the coast of California. A large car radio delivers us to each new destination along our journey, with DJs and actual vintage radio ads building excitement along the way.

In the beginning we hear a radio DJ welcome us to Chicago, and four service station attendents burst into THE TEXACO STAR THEME. Each actor introduces himself to the audience in this string of hits: LET’S GO FOR A RIDE; BRING MY CADILLAC BACK; HOT ROD QUEEN; EVERY WOMAN I KNOW. The station bells ring, and it’s time to head out onto the open road with ROUTE 66.

In St. Louis two men sing about THE MOTHER ROAD; two others remember good times in their hometown in USED TO BE; and a trucker has more than the road on his mind in the hilarious audience-pleaser GIRL ON THE BILLBOARD. Joplin brings us another trucker with SIX DAYS ON THE ROAD and a pair of sportsters unable to keep up with an old geezer in BEEP BEEP. On our way to Oklahoma City we meet a bus driver picking up travelers on his way to T-U-L-S-A STRAIGHT AHEAD; a trucker with a unique outlook on life (ROLAIDS, DOAN’S PILLS & PREPARATION ‘H’); and a lonesome cowboy singing about those OKLAHOMA HILLS.

Amarillo brings us a law-man a little too big for his own britches in LONG TALL TEXAN; an humorous look at a lovely TRUCK STOP CUTIE; and the exciting Act One Finale – clogging and spooning to the audience favorite TRUCK DRIVIN’ MAN.

Act Two starts us off with Willie Nelson’s ON THE ROAD AGAIN, followed by a quick GALLOP TO GALLUP with a load of unruly cows. Winona finds us in the middle of nowhere with the haunting THE LONG RED LINE. In Flagstaff we see our roadsters once again as they try to outdrive a DIESEL ON MY TAIL. In Kingman two stoned hippies explain their philosophy on drug-running (DON’T HAUL BRICKS ON 66), only to be caught shortly thereafter in Barstow by the HIGHWAY PATROL. San Bernadino brings us a wonderful a capella rendition of Roger Miller’s KING OF THE ROAD in which the audience is encouraged to sing along.

The California sound of the 60s bursts upon us as we reach the outskirts of Los Angeles in THE LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA and DEAD MAN’S CURVE. In our final race toward the coast, we meet our crew at the Santa Monica Speedway in a medley of racing hits: SS 396; MOVE OUT LITTLE MUSTANG; HEY LITTLE COBRA; GTO. The Finale brings it all full circle with a wonderful new rendition of ROUTE 66.

But the evening’s not complete without the exciting and energetic Encore that brings audiences to their feet: FUN, FUN, FUN/I GET AROUND.