June 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 1963
Rick Besoyan's musical comedy, Little Mary Sunshine, is a hilarious spoof of the sentimental operettas popular on-stage in the early 1900's and in the movies of the 1930's. Its tuneful solos and choruses link amusing subplots and the romance between the leading characters, Little Mary (Louray Almond) and Captain Big Jim Warrington (Michael Goodwin), and the young ladies from Eastchester finishing school and the Forest Rangers. (Both Louray and Mike went on to become professional actors.)
"Drizzly and threatening weather reduced attendance at the first two weekends in June, but ideal conditions on the 15th and 16th brought forth records. No previous Saturday had ever approached the 928 attendance of the 15th; and on Sunday some 1619 persons crowded the amphitheater and the trail leading to it, while perhaps 150 were turned away. Total attendance was 4210." [The Mountaineer, 1964]