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50-613: The Punch Bowl was founded in 1899 by members of Mask and Wig and the Philomathean Society , making it one of the oldest college humor magazines in the United States. The founders were Daniel Martin Karcher and Edward Burwell Rich. The magazine was intermittently published during the twentieth century, appearing in only 70 of the 100 years from 1899 to 1999. The magazine is currently printed three to four times

100-589: A private club in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , founded in 1889, is a historic collegiate musical comedy troupe. Created as an alternative to the existing theatrical and dramatic outlets at the University of Pennsylvania , Mask and Wig has presented comedy, music, and dancing to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia , and audiences across the country. Its credo is "Justice to the stage; credit to

150-646: A 1941 show, was recorded by Sammy Kaye , Glen Miller and the Andrews Sisters . Troup went on to write the jazz standard " Route 66 ," which was recorded by Nat King Cole , Bing Crosby (with the Andrews Sisters), and later the Rolling Stones . The first electrically recorded album ever released was Mask and Wig's "Joan of Arkansas," in April 1925. In a September 30, 2021, press release,

200-637: A Mask and Wig production. Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra recorded "Daddy", which was number one for eight weeks on the Billboard chart and the number five record of 1941; other musicians who recorded it include Glenn Miller , Bing Crosby , Kay Kyser , and The Andrews Sisters . "Daddy" can be heard in the 1941 film Two Latins from Manhattan . The song is also performed by the title character in Tex Avery 's cartoon short Red Hot Riding Hood (1943). After graduating from college in 1941, he enlisted in

250-469: A century with few changes aside from the ongoing addition of paneling for caricatures in the Grille Room and Theater. Immediately following the close of the 2007 Spring show, the clubhouse underwent an extensive renovation. In addition to bringing the building up to modern code, the club also installed an elevator and central air conditioning unit. On the morning of March 15, 2008, a fire broke out in

300-450: A heady time for the Club. Mask and Wig songs were the rage of the big band orchestras, radio shows, and solo acts of the day. The likes of Frank Sinatra , Glenn Miller , Tommy Dorsey , Benny Goodman , Count Basie , Rosemary Clooney , and Les Brown all covered Mask and Wig tunes. Between 1952 and 1958, the club appeared four times on The Ed Sullivan Show . The 1961 production, Wry on

350-488: A hit with Troup's most popular song, " (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 ". The song was also recorded by Chuck Berry (1961), The Rolling Stones (1964), Depeche Mode (1987) and hundreds of other artists. Troup's hipster interpretation of the fairy tale " The Three Bears " was first recorded by the Page Cavanaugh Trio in 1946 and later by Leon McAuliffe , and Ray Ellington . Troup's recordings in

400-419: A medley of songs from a famous musician or group, but with parodied lyrics that often follow a Penn-centered plot. Past parodied musicians include Stevie Wonder , Michael Jackson , Billy Joel , The Beatles , Aerosmith , Disney , and Queen . In 1999, Mask and Wig established an annual Intercollegiate Comedy Festival to showcase the talent of the nation's best collegiate sketch comedy troupes. The mission of

450-512: A minor debate on campus because of pieces inside that certain student groups saw as unfairly targeting or aiming a disproportionate number of jokes at certain groups., The University's campus newspaper later criticized these student groups for their overreaction to the issue. To assuage the offended parties and poke fun at the ordeal, the Punch Bowl called their Spring 2008 issue "43% less racist." Mask and Wig The Mask and Wig Club ,

500-481: A number of caricatures on the wall of the Grille Room, and most notably the Old King Cole mural. This was the start of his professional career; shortly after seeing the mural, the editor of “Harper's” Magazine invited Parrish to do some of their covers for which he became famous. He would continue working for the Club to finish a total of 35 caricatures and illustrate the earliest program covers. Wilson Eyre

550-509: A piano player in a cameo on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in 1978. His later films included First to Fight (1967) and Number One (1969) with Charlton Heston . He appeared as disgruntled staff sergeant Gorman in Robert Altman 's 1970 film M*A*S*H . He is the last actor named by the camp PA announcer in the end credits, and he has the last line of the film: "God-damned Army!" Troup had appeared in several episodes of

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600-499: A satire magazine pushing the envelope of what is deemed fit for publishing, the Punch Bowl has found itself at the center of some controversies. As Charles A. Wright, a member of the editorial staff in the early 1920s, noted: “Part of our planning for an issue was to pick a title that, combined with the cover drawing, would create a ‘racy’ effect. ... Our jokes dealt mostly with campus subjects, such as freshmen, football, absent-minded professors , and coeds; and current events, including

650-539: A year, coming out each semester and when the new students arrive in the fall. In its earliest days, the Punch Bowl rivaled the Daily Pennsylvanian , an all-around daily student newspaper, and Red and Blue , which contained a mix of news and literary essays. During this time, the Punch Bowl was distributed in local high schools and leading hotels in Philadelphia and in about a dozen other cities on

700-520: Is a popular wedding and event venue in Philadelphia and was named "Best Party Venue" by Philadelphia Magazine in 2010. The Mask and Wig Club is made up of four distinct sections: the cast, the band, the crew, and the business staff. The cast writes and performs material for productions. The band functions as a pit orchestra, playing original, self-arranged pieces for the Undergraduate Fall Show, and professionally arranged pieces for

750-426: Is written by the Club's cast. During spring break the troupe takes their show around the country as they road trip across the United States, usually performing in areas with a high Penn alumni concentration. The trip usually includes about four to six stops. In recent years the tour has taken Wig to cities like London , Los Angeles , New York City , San Francisco , Las Vegas , Chicago , and Toronto . The tour

800-606: Is yet another one of the group's many traditions. In Mask and Wig's “heyday,” the group had its own train car that it would use to do a similar tour around the nation. The Mask and Wig Band traditionally headlines the last day of Spring Fling performances, which was historically a Saturday, at the stage in the Lower Quad. In 2018, the festival was moved to Penn Park along with the Mask and Wig performance. They generally perform an hour-long set of covers of popular music. Members of

850-766: The Jack Webb television series Dragnet . In 1972, Webb cast Troup as Dr. Joe Early in the television series Emergency! with Webb's former wife Julie London as nurse Dixie McCall. Both Troup and London guest starred as "Emergency" personnel on an episode of Adam-12 also produced by Webb. In 1979, Troup played the part of Sam Gill in the TV miniseries The Rebels . Troup married Cynthia Hare in May 1942. They had two daughters, Cynnie Troup (born 1943) and Ronne Troup (born 1945); both had careers in entertainment. The marriage ended in divorce in 1955. He met singer Julie London at

900-473: The Punch Bowl features new contributors each Wednesday. Recurring pieces in the magazine and website include "Letter from Amy Gutmann " and "March Madness Voting." In answer to a question about his advice for the young, University of Pennsylvania alumnus Ezra Pound refers to the Punch Bowl in a 1962 issue of The Paris Review : "In fact the University of Pennsylvania student Punch Bowl used to have as its motto, 'Any damn fool can be spontaneous.'" As

950-540: The United States Marine Corps but did not receive orders until January 1942. After completing officer training, he was assigned as one of two dozen white officers to direct recruit training at Montford Point , the recruit depot for the first black Marines . In 1943 he became recreation officer and helped build a recreation hall, basketball court, and outdoor boxing ring. A friend installed a miniature golf course. At Montford Point, he also organized

1000-515: The 1950s and 1960s were not commercially successful. He recorded for Liberty and Capitol . He wrote the title song (sung by Little Richard ) for the 1950s rock and roll film The Girl Can't Help It . An instrumental version of his song " The Meaning of the Blues " appeared on the Miles Davis album Miles Ahead . Around 1969, Troup collaborated with entertainer Tommy Leonetti , writing

1050-401: The 20th century, to decorate the interior. The Grille Room was decorated with caricatures of members, a tradition that continues today, with the second century of members' caricatures continued upstairs at the entrance to the auditorium. Eyre expanded the clubhouse to its present size, 1901-1903. The Club prospered throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The middle of this century was

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1100-525: The Annual Production. The band also holds the headliner spot at the University of Pennsylvania 's annual Spring Fling festival in the Quad. The crew builds elaborate, ornate, and completely original sets for Productions. The business staff is responsible for advertising and selling tickets for the Club's shows. Free Show is the first Mask and Wig show of the academic year. The show is held during

1150-470: The Celebrity Room where he was singing. He encouraged her to pursue her singing career, and in 1955 he produced her million-selling hit record " Cry Me a River ". London, previously married to actor Jack Webb (1947 to 1953), married Troup in 1959. They had one daughter, Kelly Troup (died 2002), and twin sons, Jody (died 2010) and Reese Troup. On February 7, 1999, Troup died of a heart attack in

1200-555: The East Coast. Since its establishment, the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl has termed its members "spoons." In 1930, members were split into "art spoons," "business spoons," and "editorial spoons"; now members are either "little" or "big" spoons depending on their seniority. In fall 2006, the Punch Bowl created a new website, which adds new humor pieces every day. In addition to its regular set of student columnists,

1250-443: The Grille Room, and turning the second floor into a theater. Eyre designed most of the furniture in the Grille Room; three of the original tables still exist. Eyre also oversaw the second major change. The building was enlarged in 1903 by adding 10 feet to the front creating the façade that still exists there today. Eyre's original drawing of the front design, created in 1902, is shown to the right. Eyre's design has endured for over

1300-576: The Jaded Joker" in 1959 and "The Case of the Missing Melody" in 1961, he showed his musical talents. In 1960 he appeared with his wife Julie London in an episode of Rawhide , "Incident at Royo Canyon". In 1969 and 1970, he appeared as "Bobby" in two episodes of Mannix , where he was a lounge piano player who helped Mannix unravel cases. Troup tried his luck at bowling on two episodes of Celebrity Bowling (1973-1975). He again appeared as

1350-479: The Rocks , introduced a satirical revue format in a cabaret atmosphere. In 1992, with Myth America , Mask and Wig returned the student–written book musical to its stage, a practice which continues to this day. Important in the show's success are the traditional high standards in the caliber of performers and excellence of the material performed. The Club's primary purpose has always been and continues to be, "Justice to

1400-623: The University in the Egyptian Antiquities room while being scrutinized by several mummies. Classes were also held in the Wharton School of Business. Jerry Epple, a member of the Army Specialized Training Program , says he remembers to this day the stone carving of a mask and wig near the dormitory entrance. Mask and Wig's yearly tour over spring break brings the show to alumni clubs across

1450-534: The University." The club's performers, or "The Cast," put on two all-original shows each year in collaboration with the Club's own Stage Crew, Band, and Business Staff. A number of Mask and Wig original songs were made famous on the radio by mid 20th century recording artists. " The Gypsy in My Soul ," written by Clay Boland and Moe Jaffe for a 1937 show, was recorded by Benny Goodman , Tommy Dorsey , and Ella Fitzgerald . "Daddy" , written by Bobby Troup for

1500-574: The annual production "Oh, the Humanities!" was also performed at the Prince Music Theater for three weekends, selling a record number of tickets due to the large theater capacity. The clubhouse renovation was completed in the fall of 2009, allowing the club to once again return to its own stage for the 2010 Annual Production, "A Cheshire Catastrophe". Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999)

1550-502: The attic of the clubhouse, setting back the completion date indefinitely. The club had a contingency plan in case of such an emergency and was able to put on their show. "West Wing Story" played for two weekends in April 2008 at the Prince Music Theater in downtown Philadelphia, marking the first annual production to be performed at a venue other than the clubhouse since 1960. With renovations still behind schedule in 2009,

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1600-489: The beginning of Prohibition, the wearing of knickers, and the popularity of a dance called ‘The Toddle.’” In 1939, ten Punch Bowl editors were suspended for the printing of ribald humor, causing small riots near 37th and Spruce Streets. Some suspect the Penn vs. Cornell football game may also have magnified the mass student disturbances. The Winter 2008 Issue - "The Racism Diversity Issue" - attracted attention and created

1650-509: The cast generally sing with the band, along with female vocalists from other Penn performing arts groups. Working in his studio just a few blocks away at Thirteenth and Walnut Streets, Maxfield Parrish received one of his first commissions in 1894 from Mask and Wig. This first job came as he was finishing his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy ; it was for decoration of the stage proscenium and ticket window, illustration of

1700-470: The club announced an initiative to remove gender as a qualification for membership, and to expand participation and membership to all genders for the first time in its 134-year history starting with the Fall 2022 recruitment cycle. The Mask and Wig Club of the University of Pennsylvania was first conceived of in 1888 by a small group of undergraduates, led by Clayton Fotterall McMichael, who were interested in

1750-529: The family business J. H. Troup Music House and founded its Lancaster, Pennsylvania branch store. He graduated from The Hill School , a preparatory school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania , in 1937. He went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics. His earliest musical success came in 1941 with the song " Daddy " written for

1800-427: The festival is not just to put on a hilarious show that cultivates new talent, but also to honor and showcase a well-known comedian. Each host does a stand-up routine for the audience and participates in sketches with Mask and Wig. Past college sketch troupes include: The Annual Production, colloquially known as the "Spring Show", is the theatrical centerpiece of Mask and Wig. Performed at The Mask and Wig Clubhouse ,

1850-466: The first African-American Lutheran congregation in America as St. Paul's Lutheran Church in 1834, but had been sold in 1839 and converted into a coachhouse and stable, and later into a dissecting room for medical students. Prominent Philadelphia architect Wilson Eyre was commissioned to remodel the building and hired the young Maxfield Parrish , who would later become one of the greatest illustrators of

1900-603: The first African-American band of U.S. Marines. During this time he composed "Take Me Away from Jacksonville", which was to become an anthem of sorts for the Marines at Montford Point and other areas of Camp Lejeune. In February 1942, Troup's song "Snootie Little Cutie" was recorded by Frank Sinatra and Connie Haines with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pied Pipers. In 1946, Nat King Cole had

1950-456: The first week of the academic year and is free of charge to all new freshmen. The cast performs classic bits that are tried and true. Free Show serves a few purposes: it introduces the new freshmen of the University of Pennsylvania to one of Penn's oldest institutions and hopes to recruit new members by displaying what membership in the group entails. In 2018, for the first time, the Free Show

2000-653: The local bookstores for a story to produce and found it in Henry Byron's The Nymphs of the Lurleyburg. A substantially altered version, "Lurline", the Club's first production, hit the boards at the Chestnut Street Opera House on June 4, 1889, for one night only. Backed financially by the ladies of Philadelphia high society, the Club enjoyed great success in its early years. With increasingly reliable audience turnout and revenue from ticket sales,

2050-554: The lyrics for Leonetti's song "My City of Sydney". While he relied on songwriting royalties, Troup worked as an actor, appearing in Bop Girl Goes Calypso (1957), The High Cost of Loving (1958), The Five Pennies (1959), and playing musician Tommy Dorsey in the film The Gene Krupa Story (1959). He appeared as himself in the short-lived NBC television series Acapulco . He made three guest appearances on Perry Mason , and on two appearances, "The Case of

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2100-428: The nation. The Mask and Wig Club is unique in that it consists of both alumni and undergraduate members who have participated in the Annual Production. The Troupe consists of undergraduates who audition each fall and are selected into the various company sections (see below). The Club produces the Annual Production and maintains and operates its own landmark theater at 310 South Quince Street (see below). The Clubhouse

2150-525: The production is an original show that runs from late January to early April. While the format of the Spring Show has evolved over the years, the show currently runs as a full "book" musical comedy, complete with singing and tap dancing. Unlike the Fall Show, the Annual Production is professionally composed, directed, and choreographed by some of the best talents in the industry. The script, however,

2200-418: The runs were extended and the Club established a fine tradition among Philadelphia's theater-going society. Moreover, the club made a very strong impression on campus and it achieved great notoriety within its first year of existence. In 1894 the Club purchased a property at 310 South Quince Street to serve as a gathering place and rehearsal hall, the Mask and Wig Clubhouse . The building had been erected by

2250-465: The stage and desired something the University did not offer: a troupe that would produce original humorous theatrical pieces. In 1889, therefore, McMichael and the other original founders sent out a call for undergraduate men to audition for the group and participate in the creation and production of its first performance. McMichael and his peers envisioned a group that involved dressing up in frocks and performing spoofs and parodies. Because colleges at

2300-650: The stage; credit to the University." Immediately after the end of World War II the Mask and Wig dormitory on the residence quadrangle was used to house a U.S. Army unit assigned to quickly learn the Japanese language. Upon the completion of the study, the soldiers were to be commissioned in the U.S. Army and serve in the Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) of the Army in Japan. This army unit had classes in

2350-441: The time were open only to young gentlemen, any production was limited to an all–male cast. These organizations naturally saw burlesque, which was quite popular in that era, as the perfect genre. The overblown characterizations, loose plotting, musical interludes, and parody of high art made the style perfect for a group of young, well-educated, amateur men, especially since the drag tradition came "built-in". Founder McMichael combed

2400-469: Was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the composer of the rhythm and blues standard " (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 " and for the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television program Emergency! in the 1970s. Robert William Troup Jr. was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . His father Robert William Troup worked as a pianist for

2450-462: Was older and more established than Parrish when he began working on the Clubhouse, and was good friends with Parrish's father, Stephen . Eyre was the architect in charge of renovating the Club's new home and transforming it from a stable into a “ Bavarian ” themed Clubhouse. His first remodel in 1894 transformed the space from the stable by adding an entry hall with stairs, designing and decorating

2500-474: Was performed in collaboration with Penn's all-female musical sketch comedy troupe, Bloomers. Each fall, the undergraduates produce their own sketch comedy show that runs for one week in a theater on Penn's campus. The upperclassmen handle all aspects of production from acting direction to choreography to musical production. A notable highlight of the show is the Second Act Opener, which consists of

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