Rick Elice · aftercurtain

Shows & credits

Peter and the Starcatcher

Writer · Play · 2009

At a bustling port in England, two ships set sail for the kingdom of Rundoon. The Wasp carries Lord Leonard Aster, escorted by a squadron of British navy seamen, led by Lieutenant Greggors. The Neverland, captained by the sinister Bill Slank, carries Lord Aster's daughter Molly, her nanny, Mrs. Bumbrake and three orphan boys: Prentiss, Ted, and a nameless orphan known only as Boy. Each ship has a trunk aboard, one containing precious cargo belonging to the Queen and the other a decoy. After realizing that no one cares enough to say goodbye to the orphans, the Boy proclaims that he hates grownups. Aster places an amulet around his own neck and a matching one around Molly's. He warns her never to take it off or let anyone else touch it, and to use it if she is ever in trouble. Molly says that she is only an apprentice Starcatcher. Once at sea, Lieutenant Greggors reveals that his real name is Smee and the seamen are pirates. Captain Scott and the real seamen have been taken prisoner. Smee introduces Captain Black Stache, who threatens to kill Molly unless Aster gives him the key to the trunk. When Aster refuses, he steals the trunk key. The amulet around Lord Aster’s neck begins to glow. Molly’s matching amulet starts to glow and the boys notice. Molly divulges that her father is on a secret mission for the Queen. It is revealed that Slank swapped the trunks and the Queen's treasure is on board The Neverland. Stache commands that the ship be turned around. The Wasp pursues The Neverland. Lord Aster contacts Molly through the amulet and instructs her to bring the Queen’s trunk to him once the two ships meet. Aster tells Molly that she is now a part of the mission. The Boy overhears and insists that Molly tell him what is going on. Molly tells the Boy about Starcatchers, a handful of people whose sole mission is to protect "starstuff." Molly explains that a Starcatcher’s primary duty to collect starstuff as it falls to earth and dispose of it. Slank catches the Boy and throws him overboard. The Boy starts to drown and Molly saves him. When the two ships meet, Molly asks the Boy to stall the pirates while she gets the Queen’s trunk to The Wasp, and the Boy sits on the decoy trunk to “protect the treasure”. Stache tries to lure the Boy off the trunk by offering him a place on his crew. Stache suggests some piratical names for him. One of them, ‘Pirate Pete’, strikes a chord with the Boy and he chooses a name for himself: ‘Peter’. Losing patience, Stache knocks Peter off the trunk, opens it, and realizes he has been tricked. As Peter celebrates his own cleverness, Stache knocks him overboard. Molly dives into the ocean and swims after Peter. Atop a mountain on the island, Peter absorbs the freedom of open skies and clean air for the first time in his life. A yellow bird flies around his head. Ted and Prentiss arrive, and Peter enlists them in the mission to get the trunk to The Wasp. The island’s natives, the Mollusks, capture the boys. The chief, Fighting Prawn, sentences them to death. They are to be sacrificed and fed to Mr. Grin, the island’s hungriest crocodile. Trapped inside Mr. Grin’s cage, Molly and the boys bicker about what to do. Peter gets Mr. Grin to open his mouth and Molly tosses her amulet in. Mr. Grin grows to an enormous size, bursting out of the cage and floating away as Molly and the boys flee. The Mollusks are furious and pursue them. Peter falls into a lake, where he is greeted by the mermaid who calls herself ‘Teacher’. Teacher and the island give Peter a second name: ‘Pan’. Peter climbs out of the grotto and bolts back up to the mountaintop. The next morning, Smee and Stache try to lure the children into the open. Smee reveals he has taken Mrs. Bumbrake and Alf prisoner. The Mollusks enter with prisoners of their own — Lord Aster and Captain Scott. Mrs. Bumbrake recognizes Fighting Prawn as her long-lost kitchen boy from Brighton. Stache captures Molly with his razor at her throat. Peter realizes the only way to save Molly is by giving Stache the trunk, although this means he will never leave the island. Stache lifts the lid to find an empty trunk. The water that seeped into the trunk has dissolved the starstuff and it is now diffused into the ocean. Frustrated, Stache slams the lid down on his right hand, cutting it off. He vows to be Peter's foe for all eternity. Hearing Mr. Grin approaching, the Pirates feed Stache’s severed hand to the crocodile. Fighting Prawn honors Peter as a true hero and allows the English to leave. Lord Aster makes Molly a full-fledged Starcatcher. Peter mentions his encounter with Teacher. They realize that Peter, by being dunked in the starstuff-infused waters of the grotto, has been transformed and cannot leave the island. Lord Aster captures the yellow bird and turns it into a pixie to protect and guide Peter. As The Wasp sails away, Peter settles into the eternal present of childhood.

The Cher Show

Book · Musical · 2018

The Cher Show is a jukebox musical with a book by Rick Elice that tells the story of the life and career of Cher, using songs that she performed throughout her career. The part of Cher is played by three actresses: one portraying her in the 1950s and 60s (nicknamed "Babe"), one for the 1970s (nicknamed "Lady"), and one for the 1980s and 90s (nicknamed "Star"). The three interact with each other at various points. The musical had a workshop in the fall of 2017 in New York City, followed by its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, on June 12, 2018. The production opened on Broadway in December 2018. The original cast album was released on digital platforms on April 12, 2019, and on compact disc on May 10, 2019. The Cher Show played its final Broadway performance on August 18, 2019. A revised production launched at the Leicester Curve in April 2022, before embarking on a UK tour.

Water for Elephants

Book · Musical · 2023

Mr. Jacob Jankowski, an elderly Polish-American man living in an assisted living home, visits O’Brien’s One-Ring Circus before it heads out of town. He reveals to the employees that he worked with circus animals in his youth. He reminisces on his first circus job. During the Great Depression, Jacob hops a train "going anywhere." Camel, an older circus worker, and Wade, the foreman, try to intimidate him off the train, but he stands his ground. Camel reveals to Jacob that the train belongs to the "Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth" ("Anywhere/Another Train"). Jacob is hired for one day’s work and will leave after their next stop ("The Road Don’t Make You Young"). Jacob walks in on Marlena, the star performer, comforting her horse, Silver Star ("Easy"). Jacob, who studied veterinary medicine at Cornell University, shows August, the ringmaster and Marlena’s husband, that the horse is foundering and may need to be euthanized. After hearing that Jacob was studying to be a vet before being forced to drop out of school, August offers Jacob a job as the circus vet if he is able to keep Silver Star working. August takes Jacob to the menagerie and tricks Jacob into getting attacked by a toothless lion - he boasts that nothing at his circus is real as people only want to see spectacular illusions instead of the grim reality ("The Lion Has Got No Teeth"). Later that night it's revealed that Wade "red-lighted" another circus worker on August’s command, throwing him off the train. Camel warns Jacob of the dangers of the circus, but Jacob decides to stay because he has nowhere else to go ("I Choose the Ride"). Jacob ultimately has to put Silver Star down as the injury has progressed beyond saving. When the circus arrives at the no-longer-in-business Fox Brothers Train, August plans on buying a horse to replace Silver Star. However, all that remains is an old elephant, Rosie ("Ode to an Elephant"). Jacob and Marlena struggle to train Rosie ("Just Our Luck"), and August, unsatisfied with their progress, begins to abuse Rosie with a bullhook. Marlena tells Jacob that August is prone to fits of rage ("I Shouldn’t Be Surprised"). Jacob, Marlena, and August spend the evening at a speakeasy. Jacob tells them that he had been studying to be a vet to follow in his father's footsteps and his father had even ordered a sign reading "Jankowski and Son" to put over their practice, but he and Jacob's mother were killed in a car accident before he could pass his final exams. Jacob had hopped the train because the bank had confiscated his childhood home as well as his father's practice, so he was leaving the city to start a new life. Marlena empathizes with Jacob's story as she had run away from her family to marry August. Jealous of the tender moment, August becomes violent again, this time towards Marlena. When the speakeasy is raided, Jacob and Marlena escape from the police together. Outside of the speakeasy, they share a moment, and Jacob kisses Marlena. Marlena runs away, and Jacob revels in his thrilling situation ("Silver Stars"). In Chicago, Marlena and Rosie are set to make their debut as the star act, but Rosie refuses to move, forcing August to improvise. Furious, August prepares to beat her with his bullhook when Rosie swipes August down with her trunk. She is about to kill him when Jacob instinctively yells zostań, the Polish word for "stop". Rosie, whose previous trainer was Polish, understands the language and can now follow Jacob’s commands. The circus celebrates finally being "back in business" ("The Grand Spec"). Mr. Jankowski reminisces on his younger days spent with Rosie ("Funny Angel"). With Rosie as their new star, The Benzini Brothers Circus becomes a success. As Jacob teaches the circus workers Polish, he grows increasingly close with Marlena ("Zostań"). This draws the eye of circus workers Barbara, Walter, and Camel, who convince Jacob that a relationship with Marlena will bring nothing but trouble ("Squeaky Wheel"). Jacob plans to leave the circus to Marlena’s dismay - August grows suspicious of their relationship. He accuses Marlena of cheating on him and Marlena and August exchange blows ("You’ve Got Nothing (Part 1)"). August orders Wade to red-light Jacob, Walter and Camel. Jacob and Marlena disappear, and a reluctant Wade pushes Walter and Camel off the train as it’s going over a bridge, killing them ("You’ve Got Nothing (Part 2)"). In a hotel room, Marlena regrets how poorly she let people treat her, but resolves to trust herself from now on ("What Do You Do"). Jacob finds Marlena, and they are free to be together for the first time ("Wild"). They form a plan: They will go back to the show, perform the first half, then run off with Rosie, Camel, and Walter while August finishes the show. When they arrive at the circus, Jacob goes to Walter and Camel's compartment, but only finds Walter's pet dog Queenie. Wade walks in on him and Jacob realizes what happened. The two end up fighting until Wade smacks Jacob's head against a post and runs off. When he comes to his senses, Jacob takes a knife and resolves to kill August as he takes a nap before the show ("Go Home"), but can’t go through with it. During the show, a guilt-ridden Wade opens the menagerie cages, and the animals stampede the circus. Many people die, including August, who is killed by Rosie wielding his bullhook. Being the only person to see this, Jacob contemplates whether his indecision to try and stop Rosie was him being frozen with fear or a deliberate desire to let August die. Jacob and Marlena make it out alive and soon after got married, keeping Rosie and Queenie in their care. Jacob went on to pass his exams and they had five children, allowing Jacob to finally hang the sign his father had ordered before he eventually retired and left the practice in the hands of his children. After revealing that Marlena died not too long ago, Mr. Jankowski decides that he misses the circus life, and accepts a job at O’Brien’s One-Ring Circus, jokingly telling Marlena's spirit that he's running away with the circus before declaring that he's finally home ("Finale (I choose the ride)").

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