Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

In Theatreworks/USA’s new musical, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, the Primm family — Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their son, Josh — find Lyle, a young crocodile, singing in the tub and eating his favorite food, Turkish Caviar. He has been left there by Lyle’s partner, Hector P. Valenti, “Star of Stage and Screen A-Plenty.” Lyle was tired of traveling all the time, and needed to stay put in a good home.

Even though the Primms treat him like a member of the family, there is something Lyle longs to know: Who is his mother? And so he decides to find her. Meanwhile, Hector, whose act is failing because Lyle is no longer in the show, hatches a plot to get Lyle to return. He promises to help Lyle find his mother — but only after they have worked very hard and saved the money they will need to search for her. Lyle agrees to rejoin the show, and they are a great hit all over Europe — in France! Spain! Italy! Holland! and Germany! Much time passes, and Lyle finally figures out that Hector really has no plans to help him find his mother, and he puts his foot down. He will do no more shows!