Go Back to FUMC Home Page
The Summer Youth Musical at FUMC is a tradition that goes back to 1948. Each year, a cast of youth, crew members, adult production team members, and other adult helpers get together for six weeks to put together a world-class production. Donations, program advertising, and ticket sales enable most productions to operate at a profit. The proceeds are then used for contributions to the Youth Service Fund, the Capital Funds Campaign of the church, Retreat and Camp Scholarships, and the Youth Scholarship.
These events have been performed under different names: Folk Festivals from 1948 to 1955, Youth Festivals from 1956 to 1961, either Folk Festivals or Youth Festivals from 1962 to 1981, and finally Summer Youth Musicals since 1982. In 1951, the entire program for the night was titled "South Specific," which consisted of the dinner followed by the musical "Show Boat." There were no musicals in 1983 and 1984.
| 1948 [Title Unknown] | 1949 [Title Unknown] |
| 1950 [Title Unknown] | 1951 South Specific (Show Boat) |
| 1952 5th Annual Family Folk Festival | 1953 A Saga of American Life; At the Queen's Court |
| 1954 [Title Unknown] | 1955 English Country Fair |
| 1956 Recollections of Pioneer Days | 1957 Papa Was a Preacher; Scrapbook of Festivals |
| 1958 Festival of Holidays | 1959 It's a Big Wide World |
| 1960 Land of Cotton | 1961 Grande Hotel |
| 1962 The Wizard of Oz | 1963 A Salute to Rodgers & Hammerstein |
| 1964 Calamity Jane | 1965 Li'l Abner |
| 1966 Wildcat | 1967 Peter Pan |
| 1968 Mirt's a'Comin' | 1969 Do It Right |
| 1970 It's Happening Now | 1971 South Pacific |
| 1972 You've Got a Friend | 1973 The Music Man |
| 1974 Anything Goes | 1975 Guys & Dolls |
| 1976 Dracula; No, No, a Million Times No | 1977 Summer Serendipity |
| 1978 The Wizard of Oz | 1979 Cheaper by the Dozen |
| 1980 Bye-Bye Birdie | 1981 Li'l Abner |
| 1982 Paint Your Wagon | 1983 [no musical] |
| 1984 [no musical] | 1985 Godspell |
| 1986 Snoopy the Musical | 1987 South Pacific |
| 1988 How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying | 1989 The Sound of Music |
| 1990 Oklahoma! | 1991 Cotton Patch Gospel |
| 1992 By-Bye Birdie | 1993 West Side Story |
| 1994 Fiddler on the Roof | 1995 Carousel |
| 1996 Guy & Dolls | 1997 Li'l Abner |
| 1998 Brigadoon | 1999 Cinderella |
| 2000 The Sound of Music | 2001 You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown |
| 2002 Hello, Dolly! | 2003 Li'l Abner |
| 2004 Godspell | 2005 West Side Story |
(two musicals were performed in 1953, 1957, and 1976)