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A Wonderful Life is a 1986 musical with a book and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Joe Raposo. Based on the 1946 Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart, the story closely follows the original plot, set in 1945, telling the story of a suicidal man whose guardian angel reveals to him how different the world and everyone whose life he has touched would be if he'd never been born.
The story, in the Broadway production, was as follows: Young Marcella is suffering from psychological trauma. Her mother ran away with another man, which drove her father to drink. Her dog tried to eat her pet bird, which killed them both ("Gingham and Yarn"). In Marcella's bedroom, a trio of doctors give differing but equally dire warnings regarding the youngster's ailments until Poppa throws them out. Lightening the mood, Poppa presents her with a doll that he created, which he names Raggedy Ann. Marcella complains that she has no heart, so Poppa pulls a candy heart from a box and stitches it onto the doll. He sings his daughter a lullaby, claiming that her toys spring to life when she's asleep ("Carry On"). Marcella's bed whirls around, and out from the covers pops Raggedy Ann. The girl says she's dying, and the trio of doctors emerge from beneath the mattress to corroborate her story ("Diagnosis"). Raggedy Ann shouts them off and urges Marcella to get out of bed, revealing that this is a dream, so she can do anything she wants. The rag dolly calls for help from her friends: Raggedy Andy, Baby, and Panda, who emerge from the toy box one by one ("The Light"). Andy is curious as to what's behind the closet door, so he opens it despite Marcella's pleas. General D. emerges with his cronies, the sexy Bat and the roguish Wolf. He says that he's enlisting recruits for his Army of the Dead and thinks Raggedy Ann is the one he's looking for, but she argues that she's only "Make Believe". The General learns that Marcella is dying, so he declares that he'll be back to collect her at 6 a.m. Suddenly, Marcella and the toys find themselves at the Miami shipyard, where old toys go to die. The doctors appear and drop the Camel behind a chain-link fence ("Diagnosis (Reprise)"). The animal tells the toys that he's all alone and "Blue". Raggedy Ann suggests that they should head to Los Angeles to visit the Doll Doctor. Andy leads them in transforming the bed into a boat, and they set sail ("Make Believe Reprise"). A giant hand sporting a thumb ring attempts to drag the boat down to Davy Jones' Locker, so the toys begin flapping the bed's blankets like wings and rise into the heavens ("Something in the Air"/"So Beautiful"). Along the way, Marcella reunites with her pet bird ("A Heavenly Chorus") and her parents ("The Shooting Star"). The Rat in the Rolls-Royce, representing the man her mother ran away with, jumps out to steal Mommy away, so Poppa punches him out, and the couple agree to remarry ("The Wedding"). Marcella says that she's tired of pointless stories and walks off, which fills Raggedy Ann with self-doubt, though the rag doll refuses to give up ("Rag Dolly"). Bat gnaws through the rope tethering them to the clouds, and the boat plunges from the sky. Marcella and the dolls land on the roof of a meatpacking plant in Omaha and have only four hours left to get to the Doll Doctor. Bat talks Raggedy Andy into handing over the map ("You'll Love It"). General D. arrives and commands Marcella to look at his opal thumb ring. He states his intention to make Marcella his queen. The toys lull the General and his cronies to sleep ("Would You Like a Little Music?") and steal the ring. The melody fills the Camel with such spirit that he's able to soar on the wings of the song, so everyone grabs on, and they float away. The General awakens and orders Bat to follow them, but Bat refuses, so the General throws her down a chimney and sends Wolf to find the dolls instead. The toys find themselves separated in the Grisley Woods National Park and frantically search for one another through a maze of trees littered with skeletons with glowing red eyes ("Gone"). They meet the Witch, dressed like a 1920s flapper ("Why Not?"). The Witch pulls a bundle of clothesline from her bag and tries to fashion a noose. Raggedy Ann tells the Witch that it's a terrible idea to kill herself, and the Witch reflects on the life that she gave up ("What Did I Lose"/"Somewhere"). The Witch reveals that she had a daughter named Marcella and comes to realize that the young lady standing before her is her child. They have a tearful reunion, which is interrupted by the arrival of Wolf. Bitter toward his master for killing Bat, he allows Marcella to escape but pursues the Witch into the woods. The toys arrive at the Doll Hospital ("Welcome to L.A."), but the doctors are revealed to be the same "quacks" as before ("Diagnosis (Reprise)") and tell them the Doll Doctor is dead. Panda suggests looking into the ring, where they see the head doctor alive and chained up. General D. emerges from the cellar and declares that this is his field hospital for the terminally wounded ("I Come Riding"). He becomes curious about the heart on Raggedy Ann's apron, but upon touching it, he collapses, crying that he's been poisoned by love. They tie up the General, swipe his keys, and head downstairs. He vows that he'll get loose. In the dungeon, the Doll Doctor examines Marcella, declaring that the "chick" has a broken heart. Upon hearing her father's pet name for her, Marcella realizes that the Doll Doctor is actually Poppa. Poppa says that a heart transplant is the only thing that can save her, but those haven't been invented yet, so he suggests a candy heart. Just as the General bursts in to collect Marcella, Raggedy Ann sacrifices her own candy heart, which she coerces the girl to eat ("The Light (Reprise)"). Raggedy Ann then leaves with the General, who is satisfied he was right all along. Back in her bedroom, a now-healthy Marcella tells Poppa of her adventure, and he offers to sew a new heart on Raggedy Ann's chest ("Gingham and Yarn Reprise").
The Madwoman of Central Park West is a semi-autobiographical one-woman musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and Phyllis Newman and songs by various composers and lyricists. It focuses on the difficulties faced by an older actress who tries to balance her career with her life as a wife and mother. Among those whose songs are included in the production are Peter Allen, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Bock, Martin Charnin, Betty Comden, Fred Ebb, Adolph Green, Sheldon Harnick, John Kander, Ed Kleban, Barry Manilow, Joe Raposo, Mary Rodgers, Carole Bayer Sager, and Stephen Sondheim.
A Wonderful Life is a 1986 musical with a book and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Joe Raposo. Based on the 1946 Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart, the story closely follows the original plot, set in 1945, telling the story of a suicidal man whose guardian angel reveals to him how different the world and everyone whose life he has touched would be if he'd never been born.
The story, in the Broadway production, was as follows: Young Marcella is suffering from psychological trauma. Her mother ran away with another man, which drove her father to drink. Her dog tried to eat her pet bird, which killed them both ("Gingham and Yarn"). In Marcella's bedroom, a trio of doctors give differing but equally dire warnings regarding the youngster's ailments until Poppa throws them out. Lightening the mood, Poppa presents her with a doll that he created, which he names Raggedy Ann. Marcella complains that she has no heart, so Poppa pulls a candy heart from a box and stitches it onto the doll. He sings his daughter a lullaby, claiming that her toys spring to life when she's asleep ("Carry On"). Marcella's bed whirls around, and out from the covers pops Raggedy Ann. The girl says she's dying, and the trio of doctors emerge from beneath the mattress to corroborate her story ("Diagnosis"). Raggedy Ann shouts them off and urges Marcella to get out of bed, revealing that this is a dream, so she can do anything she wants. The rag dolly calls for help from her friends: Raggedy Andy, Baby, and Panda, who emerge from the toy box one by one ("The Light"). Andy is curious as to what's behind the closet door, so he opens it despite Marcella's pleas. General D. emerges with his cronies, the sexy Bat and the roguish Wolf. He says that he's enlisting recruits for his Army of the Dead and thinks Raggedy Ann is the one he's looking for, but she argues that she's only "Make Believe". The General learns that Marcella is dying, so he declares that he'll be back to collect her at 6 a.m. Suddenly, Marcella and the toys find themselves at the Miami shipyard, where old toys go to die. The doctors appear and drop the Camel behind a chain-link fence ("Diagnosis (Reprise)"). The animal tells the toys that he's all alone and "Blue". Raggedy Ann suggests that they should head to Los Angeles to visit the Doll Doctor. Andy leads them in transforming the bed into a boat, and they set sail ("Make Believe Reprise"). A giant hand sporting a thumb ring attempts to drag the boat down to Davy Jones' Locker, so the toys begin flapping the bed's blankets like wings and rise into the heavens ("Something in the Air"/"So Beautiful"). Along the way, Marcella reunites with her pet bird ("A Heavenly Chorus") and her parents ("The Shooting Star"). The Rat in the Rolls-Royce, representing the man her mother ran away with, jumps out to steal Mommy away, so Poppa punches him out, and the couple agree to remarry ("The Wedding"). Marcella says that she's tired of pointless stories and walks off, which fills Raggedy Ann with self-doubt, though the rag doll refuses to give up ("Rag Dolly"). Bat gnaws through the rope tethering them to the clouds, and the boat plunges from the sky. Marcella and the dolls land on the roof of a meatpacking plant in Omaha and have only four hours left to get to the Doll Doctor. Bat talks Raggedy Andy into handing over the map ("You'll Love It"). General D. arrives and commands Marcella to look at his opal thumb ring. He states his intention to make Marcella his queen. The toys lull the General and his cronies to sleep ("Would You Like a Little Music?") and steal the ring. The melody fills the Camel with such spirit that he's able to soar on the wings of the song, so everyone grabs on, and they float away. The General awakens and orders Bat to follow them, but Bat refuses, so the General throws her down a chimney and sends Wolf to find the dolls instead. The toys find themselves separated in the Grisley Woods National Park and frantically search for one another through a maze of trees littered with skeletons with glowing red eyes ("Gone"). They meet the Witch, dressed like a 1920s flapper ("Why Not?"). The Witch pulls a bundle of clothesline from her bag and tries to fashion a noose. Raggedy Ann tells the Witch that it's a terrible idea to kill herself, and the Witch reflects on the life that she gave up ("What Did I Lose"/"Somewhere"). The Witch reveals that she had a daughter named Marcella and comes to realize that the young lady standing before her is her child. They have a tearful reunion, which is interrupted by the arrival of Wolf. Bitter toward his master for killing Bat, he allows Marcella to escape but pursues the Witch into the woods. The toys arrive at the Doll Hospital ("Welcome to L.A."), but the doctors are revealed to be the same "quacks" as before ("Diagnosis (Reprise)") and tell them the Doll Doctor is dead. Panda suggests looking into the ring, where they see the head doctor alive and chained up. General D. emerges from the cellar and declares that this is his field hospital for the terminally wounded ("I Come Riding"). He becomes curious about the heart on Raggedy Ann's apron, but upon touching it, he collapses, crying that he's been poisoned by love. They tie up the General, swipe his keys, and head downstairs. He vows that he'll get loose. In the dungeon, the Doll Doctor examines Marcella, declaring that the "chick" has a broken heart. Upon hearing her father's pet name for her, Marcella realizes that the Doll Doctor is actually Poppa. Poppa says that a heart transplant is the only thing that can save her, but those haven't been invented yet, so he suggests a candy heart. Just as the General bursts in to collect Marcella, Raggedy Ann sacrifices her own candy heart, which she coerces the girl to eat ("The Light (Reprise)"). Raggedy Ann then leaves with the General, who is satisfied he was right all along. Back in her bedroom, a now-healthy Marcella tells Poppa of her adventure, and he offers to sew a new heart on Raggedy Ann's chest ("Gingham and Yarn Reprise").
The Madwoman of Central Park West is a semi-autobiographical one-woman musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and Phyllis Newman and songs by various composers and lyricists. It focuses on the difficulties faced by an older actress who tries to balance her career with her life as a wife and mother. Among those whose songs are included in the production are Peter Allen, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Bock, Martin Charnin, Betty Comden, Fred Ebb, Adolph Green, Sheldon Harnick, John Kander, Ed Kleban, Barry Manilow, Joe Raposo, Mary Rodgers, Carole Bayer Sager, and Stephen Sondheim.