590 MIGHTY MEMORY #448

The cast of "Babes in WARMland". From left, front row: Logan James, Noah Wijaya, Paul Trombetta, Kiera James and Matt Weaver. Second row: Cecelia Deininger, Kayla James, India Arter, Emalina Deininger, Joseph James and Brianna Rivero. Third row: Mariah Leidel, Jessica James, Scott Padden, Dominque Trombetta, Brandi Doyle, Colin Doyle, Trynity Ventura, Angel Marrero, Julie James and Alicia Leidel. Fourth row: Allesandro Oliveri, Kathy Carmadella and Camillo Oliveri.  

"BABES IN WARMLAND,” THE MUSICAL 

WARM the musical? A little far fetched? Not realy, look at the success of “The Jersey Boys” which was an adaptation of the career of the 4 Seasons. “Babes in WARMland” is not a musical about WARM Radio. You won’t see stage reincarnations of Harry West or Len Woloson, but “Babes in WARMland was a play that centered on the changes rock and roll radio brought to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area. WARM radio became synonymous with a culture, a feeling. Northeastern Pennsylvania’s land mass became “WARMland”. Now, more than fifty years later., a play with the grandchildren of those first WARM listeners still have that moniker proudly attached. The Puritan Players presented “Babes in WARMLAND,” an original musical comedy by Paul L. Williams, recently at the Puritan Congregational Church in Scranton. The play, with a cast of over 40 children and 12 adults, concerns the early days of television in the Electric City when Scranton’s leading stations were WEJL-AM Radio, WARM Radio and the precursor to WNEP TV, WARM-TV. It was a time when rock and roll was sending shock waves throughout the area’s staid establishments. With elaborate dance numbers by future rock stars, “Babes in WARMLAND” will feature such golden oldies as “At the Hop,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Rock around the Clock,” and “Mr. Sandman.” All proceeds went to the Puritan’s Children Fund.