Elizabeth Swados's 1971 musical Runaway has been pretty much forgotten over the years-- but the Encores! Off Center revival is buoyed by a terrific young ensemble and despite its now rather dated era and references, many of the lyrics are still pungent and include some excellent similes. For example, the poignant "Song of a Child Prostitute" likens a pimp-prostitute arrangement to a "mutual enterprise" and says that "sex is a business like kitchenware."
"O the Dead of Family Wars" has oys and girls seeing their mothers and fathers as "scraping the strength off selves like bark off trees" or their lives " spread out like caged bird wings" and "close up chance close like fat cardboard books."
Here's the link to my eview of the all too brief run at City Center www.curtainup.com/runawaysencores.html
