Bandstand

About the show

Newly back from the front lines, the young vet, pianist, and singer/songwriter Donny Novitski returns home from the war to Cleveland, Ohio in 1945, to find an America eager to get back to life ("Just Like It Was Before"). Unable to find a place in post-war Cleveland for himself, Donny hears of a National Radio Swing Band Competition in Tribute to the Troops, and hatches a plan to create a band composed entirely of fellow vets for a shot at instant fame and Hollywood fortune ("Donny Novitski"). With a statewide competition to win first, Donny puts his band together: Jimmy Campbell on saxophone and clarinet, Davy Zlatic on bass, Nick Radel on trumpet, Wayne Wright on trombone, and Johnny Simpson on drums ("I Know a Guy"). Each of the members of the band have struggled with the adjustment from military life to life at home, but they find friendship and commonality over this shared goal. Following their first performance ("Ain't We Proud"), Donny makes good on a promise to check in on Julia Trojan, the young widow of the man who had been his best friend in the war, Michael. Meanwhile, the vets in Donny's new band try desperately to readjust to civilian life ("Proud Riff"). As Julia prepares to host Donny for dinner in the hope of learning more about her husband's death, she confides in her mother, June Adams, that she just wants to be who she was before her husband's death ("Who I Was"). During dinner, Donny avoids discussing the death of Julia's husband. Later, haunted by the memories of war, the band members play their instruments, and Donny arrives at the church where Julia sings ("Counterpoint/Pie Jesu"). Impressed by her voice, Donny invites Julia to hear the band he's put together. Excitedly, Julia's mother hopes that all will soon be "Just Like It Was Before (Reprise)". At the club, Donny invites Julia to sing a standard with the band ("First Steps First"). After the performance, Donny convinces a hesitant Julia to join the band, and they begin rehearsing in earnest ("Breathe") for their first gig together, trying out a new tune, "You Deserve It". When Donny's confidence in winning the competition falters, Julia offers him a journal of poems she has written. Inspired by Julia's take on post-war life, Donny composes a melody for one of her poems that he is convinced will win them the preliminary in Ohio which guarantees them a slot on the final broadcast in New York City. The Ohio broadcast is in full swing ("Dwight Anson & Jean Ann"), as the Donny Nova Band featuring Julia Trojan takes the stage with "Love Will Come and Find Me Again". The band wins the state preliminary, but are told they have to pay their own way to New York and are required to compete in a second round of elimination to secure their spot in the final broadcast. From disbelief and despair, Donny rallies his band of brothers with a vision of a world where they are recognized for their sacrifices and talents ("Right This Way"). With renewed determination that ("Nobody") tells them 'no', the Band begins playing every available club in Cleveland. Their growing number of fans celebrate that ("The Boys Are Back"). Julia and Donny continue their songwriting collaboration with ("I Got a Theory") about Cleveland itself, raising more money and hometown support. With the New York trip imminent, and the bond between them growing stronger, Julia presses Donny for the truth of her husband's death in battle. Horrified by the revelation that Donny accidentally caused Michael's death in a friendly fire incident, Julia abandons the band. After expressing her feelings to her mother, June tells Julia that sometimes ("Everything Happens") without reason or fault. After deep reflection, Julia returns to Donny with a new poem as an apology, which paints a raw and truthful portrait of Donny and the Band members: Johnny was severely injured and suffers from chronic pain, amnesia, and cognitive issues; Nick was a prisoner of war, giving him anger and trust issues; Davy liberated Dachau and has turned to alcohol and humor to cope with the memories; Wayne suffers from mental illness (likely OCD), meaning his children no longer recognize him and his marriage breaks down; Jimmy is gay and his partner died in combat, and he now focuses on his law studies to avoid letting anybody in on his terrible loss; Donny is an insomniac who is experiencing survivor's guilt after the death of Michael, Julia's husband. Inspired, Donny sets Julia's new poem to music, but both of them realize that the lyrics must be rewritten if the song is ever to be performed in public; they turn it into a love song about a girl and her returning soldier ("Welcome Home"). After having received a generous donation from their hometown fans, the Band sets off to live their dream of being ("A Band in New York City"). After a magical first night in New York, Donny and Julia find themselves outside her hotel room door, finally admitting their true feelings for one another ("This is Life"). Backstage at the final broadcast, moments before their appearance, the band realizes that the fine print of the contract they've signed is a trap, and the promised prize a sham. Refusing to allow their military service to be sentimentalized and exploited by the contest promoters, and unwilling to give away the rights to his song, Donny convinces the band to make the riskiest choice of all, and fight for themselves, and he and Julia kiss ("This is Life (Reprise)"). Live on air for the entire country to hear, the band stages a virtual coup d'état of the broadcast as Julia sings every brutally honest word of her original poem ("Welcome Home (Finale)"). In an "Epilogue", a year later, the Donny Nova Band featuring Julia Trojan find themselves to be celebrated stars, with sold-out New York concerts and a nationwide tour.