“Dump”, a rhythm and blues musical opened on March 29th, 1986 at the St. James Theatre. A romcom musical about Jennie Mudd, a recent divorcee who is purging her old life and disposing of her ex-husbands junk. Jenny makes weekly booty calls to the city dump where she has rebound sex with Jud, a lovable sanitation worker and inspiring boy band singer. Jud and a few guys from the landfill are in a boy band called “Trashman and the Gulls” and they gig around town.

The New York Times said “Dump, it stinks!” and it did. DeCarlo insisted on trucking in ten tons of real garbage each night to be used on stage to give the audience a true sensory experience of being in a dump with the actors. It was no surprise when the cast and crew contracted dysentery and hoof and mouth disease from performing in unsanitary waste. The New York board of health closed down the show after eight performances.

Frank Rich, the “butcher of Broadway” quoted “Dump is pure garbage and the perfect first date musical. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date.”