Musicals

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Musical · 2013

From the Beautiful: The Carole King Musical cast recording booklet At Carnegie Hall in 1971, Carole King sings "So Far Away". Then, in Brooklyn 1958, 16-year-old Carole tells her mother, Genie, she is going into Manhattan to try to sell a song to music publisher Donnie Kirshner. In the long tradition of mothers, Genie is opposed to her daughter's wish and in the equally long tradition of teenagers not caring about their mother's opinion, Carole goes anyway. At 1650 Broadway, she hears the "1650 Broadway Medley". She then sings her new song "It Might As Well Rain Until September". Donnie says he will take it and hopes she has others. At Queens College, Carole meets a handsome young lyricist named Gerry Goffin. They agree to collaborate, musically and romantically, which in both cases turns out to be a fertile arrangement. When they go to Donnie's to play their new song, Carole confesses to Gerry that she is pregnant. Gerry asks her to marry him. It gives her an extra depth of feeling when she sings their new song for Donnie, "Some Kind of Wonderful", which The Drifters then record. They get an office at 1650. While there, Carole meets a new lyricist Cynthia Weil ("Happy Days Are Here Again"), who is looking for a composer to work with. Gerry and Carole sing their new song "Take Good Care of My Baby", during which Barry Mann, the composer with the office next door, enters. Barry meets Cynthia and they decide to collaborate. As they begin to work, sparks fly. Donnie tells them he needs a song for the Shirelles. The couples compete for the job. In Donnie's office the next morning, Carole and Gerry present "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Cynthia and Barry perform "He's Sure the Boy I Love". Donnie picks Carole and Gerry's song for The Shirelles and it goes to no. 1. And so, on either side of the same wall, a competition is born. The two teams turn out an amazing parade of songs: "Up on the Roof", "On Broadway", "The Loco-Motion" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Gerry and Carole are at the taping of a TV special where their new song, "One Fine Day", is being performed by the dazzling Janelle Woods. During a break, Gerry confesses to Carole that he is restless in their marriage. He wants to sleep with Janelle, and he doesn't want to lie about it. Carole is stunned. As the song begins again, she takes it over and sings it herself. Carole is in a recording studio doing a demo of "Chains". Gerry is off with Janelle but tells her he will meet her later. Nick, a guitarist, asks Carole to come sing at the Bitter End sometime but she declines — she's a songwriter, not a singer. The thing with Gerry is getting her down so she goes and talks to Cynthia who is also having trouble with Barry — they split up. Carole decides to tell Gerry he has to end the affair with Janelle. As she leaves, Barry comes in. He and Cynthia make up and play their new song, "Walking in the Rain". Gerry shows up, but he is not making sense. He eventually has a breakdown. At the hospital, he tells Carole he will end the affair with Janelle and that he wants to come home. She suggests they make a new start and move to the suburbs ("Pleasant Valley Sunday"). Barry, Cynthia and Donnie come to see the new house. Barry plays their new song, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". Depressed that he and Carole can't do as well, Gerry leaves in a funk for the city. While he is gone, it comes out that Barry and Cynthia have seen him with another woman, a singer named Marilyn Wald. Carole goes to Marilyn's apartment and Gerry is there. It's the final straw, and she ends their marriage. At the Bitter End, where Barry and Cynthia hear their song "Uptown", Carole explains she went to Los Angeles for a vacation and has started writing on her own. Nick, the guitarist from the studio who asked her to sing with his group, is playing there and urges her to sing. She sings her new song, "It's Too Late". She decides to move to Los Angeles. At 1650, she says goodbye to Donnie, Barry and Cynthia and plays them a parting present "You've Got a Friend". In Los Angeles, she records her album, Tapestry. The session goes well until the last song, which she is afraid to sing. It's a song she wrote with Gerry and she is afraid of the feelings it may stir up. Her producer, Lou Adler, persuades her. She sings "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". The album is a smash. Carole is at Carnegie Hall for her concert, and is met by Gerry, who apologizes for the way he mistreated her in the past and gives her a final prediction - "you're going all the way". Carole takes to the piano, and performs for her audience.

Beauty and the Beast

Musical · 1994

On a cold winter's night, an old beggar woman comes to a young spoiled prince's castle, offering him a single rose in return for shelter, but the prince turns her away solely for her appearance. The woman warns him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within, only to be rejected again. She then transforms into a beautiful enchantress and turns the prince into a hideous Beast and his servants into various household objects, while giving him the rose to use as an hourglass. The only way he can break the spell is to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal falls ("Prologue"). Ten years later, a beautiful young girl named Belle makes her way into town one morning to get a book from the local bookseller. On the way, she expresses her wish to live in a world like her books, full of adventure, while the townspeople note her unparalleled beauty but find her love of books odd ("Belle"). Belle has also attracted the attention of Gaston, the local hunter and town hero, who admires her only for her beauty. Belle, however, is not oblivious to her peers' views of her, and voices her concerns about it to her eccentric father and inventor, Maurice, who assures her that she is anything but strange ("No Matter What"). The two then put the finishing touches on his invention, and Maurice heads off to an invention fair donning a scarf knitted for him by Belle ("No Matter What (Reprise)"), but becomes lost in the woods and is attacked by a pack of wolves. After surviving the wolf attack, he enters the Beast's castle, where he meets the servants, including Lumière, a maître d' turned into a candelabra, Cogsworth, the head of household turned into a clock, Babette, a maid turned into a feather duster, Mrs. Potts, the head of the kitchen turned into a teapot, and Chip, her son turned into a teacup. They welcome him, but the horrid Beast arrives and locks Maurice away in the dungeon for trespassing. Back in town, Gaston proposes to Belle, which she politely rejects ("Me"). Appalled by Gaston's forwardness, Belle once again voices her need for a life outside this provincial life ("Belle (Reprise)"). Gaston's sidekick, LeFou, returns from the woods wearing the scarf Belle knitted for Maurice. Belle realizes her father is in danger and heads into the woods to look for him. She ends up at the castle, where she finds her father locked away in a dungeon. She makes a deal with the Beast, Maurice goes free, but she remains instead. They agree, and Maurice is sent back to town without being allowed to say goodbye. Belle is given a guest room and ordered by the Beast to join him for dinner. She mourns her situation ("Home"), but Mrs. Potts and Madame de la Grande Bouche, an operatic wardrobe, attempt to cheer her up ("Home (Reprise)"). Back in town, at the local tavern, Gaston sulks at his loss of a bride, though LeFou and the patrons successfully attempt to cheer him up ("Gaston"). When Maurice rushes in, claiming a Beast has Belle locked away, they laugh at him, but Gaston is inspired by Maurice's claims to formulate a sinister plan ("Gaston (Reprise)"). Back at the castle, the Beast grows impatient as Belle has yet to join him for dinner, and when Cogsworth informs him she refuses to come, a shouting match between Belle and the Beast ensues (which ends in a victory for Belle), and the Beast then tells her if she cannot eat with him, then she will not eat at all. He storms back to his quarters and begins to sulk, noting his fate should the spell not break ("How Long Must This Go On?"). Eventually, Belle does become hungry and ventures into the kitchen where the servants offer her dinner despite their master's orders, and they treat her to an amazing cabaret show ("Be Our Guest"). After dinner, Belle gets a tour of the castle courtesy of Cogsworth and Lumière. Her curiosity leads her to enter the West Wing, a place the Beast told her was forbidden. Mesmerized by a mysterious rose floating in a bell jar, she reaches out to touch it, but before she can, the Beast stops her and orders her to get out, accidentally shoving her in the process. Fearing for her life, Belle flees from the castle. Realizing his mistake, the Beast knows he will be a monster forever if he cannot learn to love her ("If I Can't Love Her"). In the woods, Belle is attacked by wolves and is only rescued when the Beast comes to her aid, but he is injured during the fight and collapses ("Entr'acte/Wolf Chase"). Instead of taking the chance to run home, Belle helps him back to the castle. She cleans his injuries, and after a brief argument about whose fault this is, the Beast thanks her for her kindness, and thus, their friendship is born. Wanting to give her a thank-you gift, the Beast gives Belle his huge library, which excites her. She notes a change in the Beast's personality as the servants note a change in Belle and the Beast's relationship ("Something There"). They express their hope of being human once more ("Human Again"), while Belle asks the Beast to accompany her to dinner that night. Back in the village tavern, Gaston and Lefou meet with the owner of the local insane asylum, Monsieur D’Arque. They conspire to blackmail Belle into marrying Gaston by having Maurice incarcerated, unless she agrees. (“Maison Des Lunes”). The Beast and Belle attend a lovely dinner and personal ball, where they dance together ("Beauty and the Beast"). The Beast, who plans to tell Belle he loves her, asks Belle if she is happy here, to which she responds positively but notes that she misses her father. He offers her his Magic Mirror to view him, and she sees that Maurice is sick and lost in the woods and fears for his life. Even though the Beast knows there are only a few hours left till the last petal falls from the rose, he allows Belle to leave to save her father; she departs after a bittersweet goodbye ("If I Can't Love Her (Reprise)"). Belle finds her father and brings him back to their house in the village. After she nurses him back to health, she explains the transformation she seems to have gone through while she was with the Beast ("A Change in Me"). A mob arrives, led by Gaston, to take Maurice away, but Belle proves her father's sanity by showing the townspeople the Beast is real using the Magic Mirror, but does not realize the error in her gesture. The townspeople immediately fear the Beast, but Belle insists that he is gentle and kind. Gaston catches her tone and recognizes the Beast as his rival for Belle's affections and organizes the mob to "kill the Beast" ("Mob Song"). To warn the Beast, Belle and Maurice attempt to beat the mob to the castle, but they arrive too late as Gaston and the mob reach the castle. The servants keep the lynch mob at bay ("The Battle"), but Gaston breaks through and finds the Beast in his tower. He engages in a fight with him, mercilessly beating and taunting him, but the Beast has lost the will to live at Belle's departure. As Gaston moves in for the killing blow, Belle arrives. The Beast immediately turns on Gaston and is prepared to kill him, but spares his life after seeing the fear in his eyes. The Beast and Belle are reunited, but this reunion is cut short as Gaston fatally stabs the Beast in the back. This act of violence causes Gaston to lose his footing, and he falls to his death. Belle assures the Beast he'll live, but they both know she is helpless to save him. She begs him not to leave her because she has found a home in his company ("Home (Reprise)"), but despite this, he dies; Belle sobs and whispers "I love you" just before the last rose petal falls. A transformation occurs, and the Beast is alive and human once more. Though Belle does not recognize him at first, she looks into his eyes and sees the Beast within, and they share a kiss. The two of them sing of how their lives have changed because of love and they dance once more as the servants, now changed back to their human form, gathers in the ballroom ("Transformation/Finale").

Bedbugs!!!

Musical · 2008

Bedbugs!!! is an American musical comedy about a mad-scientist exterminator named Carly who accidentally mutates New York City's bed bug population with her super-insecticide, which she created out of revenge for her mother's bedbug-related death. The rock musical, written by Paul Leschen (Music) and Fred Sauter (Book and Lyrics), pays homage to 80s rock music, 80s films such as Gremlins and Ghostbusters, and features a side-plot about a Canadian pop singer called Dionne Salon (based on Celine Dion). It opened off-Broadway at the Arclight Theatre on September 14, 2014 and closed on November 2, 2014. It has been compared to The Rocky Horror Show and Little Shop of Horrors.

Beetlejuice

Musical · 2018

A group of people at a graveyard mourn the passing of Emily Deetz. Emily's daughter, Lydia, reflects on the death of her mother and her own inability to be noticed by her father, Charles ("Prologue: Invisible"). A millennia-old demon named Beetlejuice appears and mocks the idea of living life to the fullest, as it will all be worthless once death comes ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing"). Beetlejuice then addresses the audience directly, explaining that, as a demon, he is invisible to all living beings unless he gets a living person to say his name three times, and reveals that he has come up with a plan to accomplish this. Beetlejuice then introduces Adam and Barbara Maitland, a normal married couple who desperately want to start a family, who are not emotionally ready and project their insecurities onto their hobbies. As the Maitlands reason to themselves why they are not ready for a child, they fall to their deaths through unstable floorboards in their home ("Ready, Set, Not Yet"). The Handbook for the Recently Deceased falls from the sky, but Beetlejuice burns it, wanting the newly deceased Maitlands to haunt their house and get a living person to say his name three times. When the Maitlands awaken from their fall and realize that they are dead, Beetlejuice reveals himself to the couple and offers to help them adjust to the Afterlife ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 2"). He reveals to the Maitlands that a new family, the Deetzes, have bought their house and that in order to remain alone, they will have to scare them away, so the Maitlands accept his help ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 3"). While moving in, Charles reveals to Lydia that he wants to start a gated community, using the house as a flagship model home, and is holding a dinner party with some business friends. Lydia expresses her desire for her mother to return, mentioning the fact that nobody seems to care that she is gone. Praying for her to send a sign that she is still there, Lydia vows to make her father acknowledge the fact that tragedy struck their family ("Dead Mom"). In the attic, Beetlejuice is trying to teach the Maitlands how to be scary. Despite his best attempts, they prove to be not scary at all ("Fright of Their Lives"). Beetlejuice becomes frustrated with the couple and abandons them, so they vow to scare the Deetz family away themselves ("Ready, Set, Not Yet" (reprise)). Meanwhile, Delia, a woman whom Charles hired to be Lydia's life coach and his secret lover, tells Lydia how everything happens for a reason but fails to get her in a positive state of mind ("No Reason"). After their session, Lydia meets the Maitlands as they are roaming the house trying to scare the Deetzes. Lydia wants to leave the house just as much as the Maitlands want her family out, so she tries to convince her dad that the house is haunted, only to find out that he and Delia are engaged. Feeling as if Charles is just trying to replace her mother, Lydia flees to the roof, considering suicide, where a depressed Beetlejuice laments that he will never be seen ("Invisible" (reprise)). He becomes ecstatic however when he realizes Lydia can see him; he advises her not to kill herself, with the intention of getting her to free him from his curse. Lydia teases Beetlejuice but does not say his name the necessary three times. The Maitlands come to check on Lydia, only to be possessed by Beetlejuice into saying positive things about him to further convince Lydia. Upon learning about possession and that any ghost can do it, regardless of skill, Lydia decides not to work with Beetlejuice and instead work with the Maitlands to ruin Charles' party ("Say My Name"). At the dinner party, Barbara and Adam possess Charles, Delia, and their guests ("Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)"). However, instead of being scared, the investors see the ghosts as a selling point; making them more interested in Charles' project. Feeling desperate, Lydia resorts to summoning Beetlejuice. Now visible to the living and able to affect the world around him, he forces the Maitlands to the attic before throwing Charles, Delia, and the investors out of the house, much to Lydia's joy. A Girl Scout named Sky explains to the audience how she has a heart condition where anything shocking could stop her heart but that she is nevertheless excited to be a Girl Scout. She rings the doorbell of the Deetzes' house and is greeted by Lydia, who invites her inside ("Girl Scout"). However, Beetlejuice appears and frightens the poor girl into leaving. He summons more versions of himself to help Lydia scare every visitor that comes to the house ("That Beautiful Sound"). He also tells Lydia that since she lives and works among the dead now, she should also follow their rules, and gives her a copy of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased. Even though Lydia cannot open it due to not being dead, she realizes it could help her reunite with her mother and runs to the attic for Barbara and Adam's help. Feeling alone and betrayed again, Beetlejuice talks with his clones about how he wants to leave the house to finally connect with people now that he can be seen. To achieve this, he decides to trick Lydia into marrying him, which will allow him to roam free in the living world ("That Beautiful Sound" (reprise)). In the attic, Barbara and Adam help Lydia open the Handbook, when they realize they should have gone straight to the Netherworld instead of remaining in their house. Adam opens the door to the Netherworld, but Barbara shuts it and the Handbook, afraid of leaving the house. Lydia berates them because she hoped to use the book to summon her dead mother and leaves disappointed and angry. Barbara realizes that all of their fear has held her and Adam back, so they decide to become bolder and better people ("Barbara 2.0"). Delia, Charles, and Delia's guru, Otho, re-enter the house to rescue Lydia, bringing a box that can supposedly trap souls. Beetlejuice tricks Lydia by telling her that reading a passage from the book will resurrect her mother, but instead, she begins to exorcise Barbara and is forced to agree to marry Beetlejuice to stop it ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 4"). He stops the exorcism and opens a door to the Netherworld to send the Maitlands away for good, but Lydia jumps through the door, with Charles following. Enraged that his plan has failed again, Beetlejuice decides to kill everyone instead ("Good Old Fashioned Wedding"). Lydia and Charles enter the Netherworld and are greeted by Miss Argentina who, along with other Netherworld residents, urges them to return to the living world ("What I Know Now"). They then meet Juno, director of Netherworld Customs and Processing, who soon finds out they are still alive. Lydia runs from Juno and frantically searches for her mother in the Netherworld, but is unable to find her. Charles finds Lydia in distress and reconciles with her ("Home"). The Deetzes return to the house, where Beetlejuice is preparing to kill everyone. Lydia plans to trick him by agreeing to marry him as Charles, Delia, and the Maitlands get the demon ready ("Creepy Old Guy"). The wedding brings Beetlejuice to life, allowing Lydia to stab him and kill him again, making him "Recently Deceased". Lydia and the Maitlands try to send him back to the Netherworld, but Juno appears, reveals herself as Beetlejuice's mother, and tries to take Lydia back with her. Beetlejuice stands up to Juno, having learned to appreciate life in his brief experience. Juno pretends to be moved by Beetlejuice's speech and throws him out of the house. The Maitlands, Charles, and Delia refuse to let Juno take Lydia. Beetlejuice then crashes through the wall riding a sandworm, which eats Juno. Beetlejuice says his last goodbyes to everyone before leaving. The Deetzes and Maitlands rejoice in their victory and agree to share the house as they clean up and repair the damage. Lydia accepts that although her mother is gone, there is still so much left to enjoy in life ("Jump in the Line"). Notes

Beg, Borrow or Steal

Musical · 1960

Beg, Borrow or Steal is a musical with a book and lyrics by Bud Freeman, music by Leon Pober, and is based on Steal–A Disc Jockey′s Handbook, a story by Marvin Seiger and Bud Freeman. The musical is set in a run-down section of an American city in the 1950s. It ran for five performances on Broadway in 1960.

Beggar's Holiday

Musical · 1946

Beggar's Holiday is a musical with a book and lyrics by John La Touche and music by Duke Ellington.

Behind the Iron Mask

Musical · 2005

Behind the Iron Mask is a musical with a book by Colin Scott and Melinda Walker and music and lyrics by John Robinson. It played a short run at the Duchess Theatre in London Especially unique, this show has a cast of only three actors but runs for two hours. The show draws inspiration from Alexandre Dumas' Man in the Iron Mask.

Bella: An American Tall Tale

Musical · 2016

Bella takes place in the 1870s in the Old West. Bella, a "Big Booty Tupelo Girl," sets off to Kansas to meet her fiancé, Aloysius T. Honeycutt, who is a Buffalo Soldier. Bella must make this journey under a false name in order to escape the law. Back home in Tupelo, Mississippi, Bella is in trouble for beating up Bonny Jonny. Her Mama, Grandma, and Aunt Dinah encourage her to leave the state so that she is not arrested. When Bella boards the train headed for Kansas, she attracts the attention of the passengers because of her large bottom. While on the train journey, Bella has fantasies about a gaucho and a Chinese cowboy. A porter on the train, Nathaniel Beckworth, falls in love with Bella.

Bells Are Ringing

Musical · 1956

Setting: New York City, late 1950s ACT ONE Ella Peterson works for "Susanswerphone", a telephone answering service owned by a woman named Sue. She listens in on others' lives and adds some interest to her own humdrum existence by adopting different identities – and voices – for her clients. They include Blake Barton, an out-of-work Method actor, Dr. Kitchell, a dentist with musical yearnings but lacking talent, and playwright Jeff Moss, who is suffering from writer's block and with whom Ella has fallen in love, although she has never met him. Ella considers the relationships with these clients "perfect" because she can't see them and they can't see her ("It's a Perfect Relationship"). Jeff is writing a play called "The Midas Touch," the first play he's written since his writing partner left him ("Independent (On My Own)"). One day the producer of the play insists that he finish the play by the next morning and meet him at 9:00 am. While asking her to wake him up on time, he turns to Ella (who he only knows as the Susanswerphone lady) for help in writing the play. Meanwhile, Sandor, Sue's rich boyfriend, reveals plans to a group of gangsters to use Susanswerphone as a front for a gambling operation, by pretending to be a record seller and taking orders for "symphonies" as code. ("It's a Simple Little System"). Ella wants to visit Jeff's apartment to help him write the play, but she is intercepted by a policeman who is convinced that Susanswerphone is a front for an "escort service". Ella asks him "Is it a Crime?" to help someone in need? He agrees that it isn't, and lets her go. She arrives at Jeff's apartment and offers him help with his play, and a romance ensues ("I Met a Girl," "Long Before I Knew You"). ACT TWO Ella is preparing to go to a party at Jeff's apartment, feeling nervous about meeting his friends. Carl, a friend of hers, helps her regain her confidence with a cha-cha dance ("Mu-Cha-Cha"). The guests at the party are all very pretentious and rich and snobby ("Drop That Name") and they make Ella feel very out of place. She leaves Jeff ("The Party's Over"). Carl, a music nerd, thwarts Sandor's operation when he receives an order for "Beethoven's 10th symphony," because he knows that Beethoven only wrote 9 symphonies. The policeman arrests Sandor. Meanwhile, Jeff comes to Susanswerphone to confess his love for Ella. She quits Susanswerphone in order to make a life with herself and Jeff ("I'm Going Back").

Ben Franklin in Paris

Musical · 1964

Ben Franklin in Paris is a work of musical theatre, with a book and lyrics by Sidney Michaels, and music by Mark Sandrich, Jr. with two songs contributed by Jerry Herman.

Bend It Like Beckham

Musical · 2015

Bend It Like Beckham the Musical is a musical with music by Howard Goodall, lyrics by Charles Hart, and a book by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges. Based on the 2002 film of the same name, the musical made its West End and world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in May 2015.

Bernarda Alba

Musical · 2006

Bernarda Alba is a one-act musical with music, lyrics and book by Michael John LaChiusa, based on Federico García Lorca's 1936 play The House of Bernarda Alba. Bernarda Alba tells the story of a controlling, newly widowed mother who is challenged by her five rebellious daughters. The musical opened Off Broadway at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2006, to mixed reviews.

Best Foot Forward

Musical · 1941

Best Foot Forward is a 1941 musical with songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, and a book by John Cecil Holm. Produced by George Abbott, the production opened on Broadway on October 1, 1941, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre after an out-of-town tryout, where it ran for 326 performances.

Betty

Musical · 1914

Gerard, the Earl of Beverley, a philanderer, has pushed his father, The Duke of Crowborough, to the limit. The Duke storms into his son's home demanding that the younger man settle down with a wife and take on some responsibility. The young Earl, drunk and embarrassed in front of his friends, proposes to Betty, a kitchen maid, to spite his father. Gerard has no intention of following his father's wishes and makes plans to send Betty away and to continue with his profligate lifestyle. But the Duke is a step ahead of his son: He gives Gerard's allowance to his wife, Betty, so that Gerard must depend upon her. The charming Betty manages to become accepted by the society into which she has married and eventually charms her way into the heart of her wayward husband. He returns to her of his own accord and they find happiness.

Between the Devil

Musical · 1937

Between the Devil is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz.

Between the Lines

Musical · 2017

Delilah McPhee has just moved to a new high school and is dealing with her parents' divorce and her father leaving for his second family. On top of this, she becomes a social pariah after injuring the most popular girl in her grade, Allie McAndrews. To deal with the stress and ridicule, Delilah turns to reading on her roof as a means of escape. She becomes entranced with a children's fairytale called Between the Lines, which documents the story of Prince Oliver defeating his foes to save his betrothed. Delilah thinks that he's good-looking and relatable and begins talking to him about her problems. During one of her rereads, the word HELP shows up on the page, then disappears before she can get a second look. The characters are not as they seem; the villain, Rapskullio, is kind and gentle and prefers painting butterflies to evil schemes, the seemingly guy-crazed mermaids are all feminists, and Oliver is less than pleased with his ditzy love interest, Princess Seraphima. Oliver wants to escape and live an autonomous life, but Delilah tells him that her world isn't perfect, either. Delilah wakes up in Oliver's world, where he introduces her to the other characters and takes her to a private place where they kiss. The two have a perfect day, but Delilah meets a group of mermaids who help her realize she can't just abandon her mother for a fairytale and a man. Delilah knows she needs to get home, so she and Oliver visit Rapskullio again to see if there is any way to get her home and are reminded that the book restarts every time someone opens it. The two share one last dance before she disappears back into the real world. After waking up hospitalized with a concussion, Delilah and her mom make the first steps in repairing their relationship. She sees that Oliver hasn't written to her and worries that she's lost her ability to communicate with him. Heartbroken, Oliver tells her he's devastated that she's gone and that he'll forget about her eventually. During this whole debacle, Frump, Oliver's sidekick who gets turned into a dog, is asked by Princess Seraphima what she should do since Oliver doesn't love her. Frump confesses his love and the two begin a relationship. It feels like the world is falling apart, not just for Delilah, but for her classmates as well, although they relegate this feeling to their inner thoughts. Realizing she needs someone on her side in the real world, Delilah joins the creative writing club and tells Jules about Oliver. Jules is friendless and identifies as non-binary, so they and Delilah form a sort of camaraderie. Allie and the bullies start up again, but Jules tells her to ignore them and lead her own life. Jules suggests finding Jessamyn Jacobs, the author of Between the Lines, and asking her to rewrite the ending so that Oliver can come out. Delilah finds her, but Jessamyn tells Delilah that she can't rewrite the book, she wrote it ages ago to help her son process his father's death. Dejected, Oliver and Delilah meet one final time to say their goodbyes, and Delilah worries that there is no path to her own happy ending. Funnily enough, Delilah discovers that Jessamyn's son looks exactly like Prince Oliver, and the two start to talk and realize how alike they are. The two fall in love as they begin a new chapter together.

Bezauberndes Fräulein

Musical · 1933

At Paul’s weekend house, painter Felix sabotages visitor Annette’s car tyre and arranges for her to stay overnight, hoping to disrupt Paul’s engagement to Louise. The next morning Paul’s boss and Louise find Annette in a negligee and leave; Annette then breaks her engagement to Hektor. Felix arranges another meeting at Paul’s office, where Annette kisses Paul in front of his boss. Paul initially wants to remove her from his life, but later encounters her dressed as a Salvation Army worker by a river. Annette offers to give up her wealth for him, and they embrace; Felix and Annette’s father observe their successful scheme.

Big

Musical · 1996

Act I Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old New Jersey boy, finds that whenever he sees 13-year-old Cynthia Benson, he is unaccountably speechless. He doesn't understand his new feelings, but every family on the street knows what has occurred. For him, childhood has ended; adolescence has occurred, and the long complex process of growing up has begun. ("Overture/Can't Wait"). Then he receives amazing news from his best friend, Billy Kopecki: she thinks he is "cute." All he has to do is make a move tonight at the carnival ("Talk To Her/The Carnival."). But doing so does not turn out as planned. Meeting her in line for a ride called Wild Thunder, he musters enough courage to "talk to her", only to find that she has a date who is 16. Worse, he is too short to ride the ride. Humiliated, he skateboards away and finds himself in a secluded byway of the carnival with fun house mirrors and a mysterious fortune teller machine, Zoltar Speaks. The mysterious figure in it instructs him to "Make a Wish!" Impulsively, he makes the only one on his mind: "I wish I was big!" The machine produces a card: "Your wish is granted." A clap of thunder and sudden rain send him home. The next morning, Josh wakes up and sees the face of a 30-year-old man in his mirror ("This Isn't Me"). Still a 12-year-old boy, he now inhabits the body of an adult. His mother thinks he is an intruder and drives him from the house. (In the touring and rentable versions, his song is replaced by her singing about motherhood while making breakfast ("Say Good Morning To Mom").) Only Billy understands. He decides they must go to New York City, find the machine, and let Josh wish himself back to his child life. Arcades there, however, don't have it, and locating carnivals will take six to eight weeks (three to four weeks in rented versions). He despairs at the prospect of remaining an adult for that long, and worries that he will have to find a job. In the touring and rented versions, Billy tries to calm him, telling him that he'll be fine, because "You're A Big Boy Now". Billy returns to New Jersey, leaving him to spend his first night as an adult alone in the Port Authority Bus Terminal. (In the original version, he then wishes he could go home ("I Want To Go Home").) The next day, while waiting for Billy under the clocktower at FAO Schwarz ("The Time Of Your Life") Josh meets MacMillan, the head of a toy company whose sales have suddenly plummeted. He, 12-year-old that he is, tells MacMillan what his toys lack. What the latter sees, however, is a 30-year-old man with an amazing insight into toys, children, and (when they discover a piano keyboard they can dance on) having fun ("Fun"). He offers Josh a great job. He enters the adult world of business. His innocence causes chaos. MacMillan cancels the company's Christmas toy, which his employees say "can't miss." The executives panic. Paul Seymour, V.P. in charge of product development, wants revenge for the cancellation ("Josh's Welcome"). Susan Lawrence, V.P in charge of marketing, whose affair with Paul is just ending, finds herself attracted to Josh ("Here We Go Again"). (In the touring and rental versions of the show, this scene opens with the executives singing about the toy business ("Welcome To MacMillan Toys"). Paul and Susan's songs have also been rewritten ("MacMillan Toys 2"), and she has an additional song regarding a wedding-obsessed secretary ("My Secretary's In Love").) As a perk of his job, Josh is given a loft apartment. He furnishes it with toys. Susan arrives to make a pass at him (in the tour version, "Let's Not Move Too Fast"). Misreading her intentions, he innocently tries to find something they can do together ("Do You Want To Play Games"), and finally turns on a toy planetarium that fills the room with stars ("Stars, Stars, Stars"). Beguiled, she finds herself spending the night there—angelically in separate bunks. (In the tour version, she reminisces about her first love after he has fallen asleep ("Little Susan Lawrence").) At a company party, Paul learns of Susan's night with Josh and picks a fight with him. She comforts him and once again, his innocence wins her heart. MacMillan challenges his executives to come up with a new Christmas toy, and demands for them to find a way to relate to their children. Josh suggests dancing ("Cross The Line"). He gets everyone to do a line dance, during which Susan gives him a kiss unlike any he had ever received as a boy from his mother. When Billy arrives with the list of carnivals which has finally arrived, he chooses to go off with her. The adult world is beginning to attract him. Act II In a suburban mall, Billy, angry at being jilted by Josh, seeks the company of other kids ("It's Time"). He meets Josh's mother: today is his birthday and the party would have been at the mall. Billy reassures her that he is coming home, which only makes her more aware of how fast Billy and all the children have grown up ("Stop Time"). The mall turns surreal and becomes the scene of the birthday Josh is missing ("The Night-Mare"). He wakes up in Susan's office. They have been up all night trying, unsuccessfully, to invent a toy. They try thinking as children instead of adults—she can't remember how she felt as a 13-year-old, but under his prodding the memory returns ("Dancing All The Time"). The moment fills with emotion and she moves to him. The scene freezes. Young Josh appears to sing a duet with Big Josh about his inner feelings. ("I Want To Know"). The next morning, Josh barrels into the office as a new man ("Coffee Black"). His secretary, Miss Watson, is bowled over. Not only does he feel like an actual adult, but during the night, he thought up a Christmas toy. The executives help him develop it for MacMillan. Billy returns with the list of carnivals, having located the machine. Josh is, however, full of himself and does not want to return to his former self. Billy accuses him of betraying himself, but at that moment Susan appears and kisses him. Billy finally understands why he has been dismissed, and leaves. Susan invites Josh to a dinner party with her friends, and he excitedly exclaims that he is going to a real "grown-up dinner party with Susan's grown-up friends". The party is a disaster ("The Real Thing"). Josh humiliates himself and realizes how far he is from being an adult. Susan takes this moment to tell him her true feelings for him ("One Special Man"), feelings that he is too young to return. (In the tour and rental versions, this is replaced by a reprise of "The Real Thing.") He tells her the truth: that he is really a 13-year-old boy. She, seeing only a grown man, assumes this is some kind of elaborate brush-off. It breaks her heart to have been wrong about another man. For the first time, he understands that being an adult is more than just being big. It is being responsible – in this case, for someone who you care for and who does so in return. He realizes that everything you say and do carries a certain weight that a kid can't imagine when you're an adult ("When You're Big"). He returns to his neighborhood, and watches boys go through the first nervous motions of pairing-off events appropriate to being 13 ("Skateboard Ballet"). He finds Billy and tells him he wants to go home. Billy has found the machine in a warehouse filled with discarded remnants of amusement parks. Josh asks Susan to meet him there. Before he can make his wish and leave the adult world for the time being, he must say goodbye to make sure she understands. Arriving, she finally accepts the magic of what has happened to him. She tells him how he changed her life ("I Want To Go Home/Stars, Stars, Stars (reprise)") and, understanding that it's the only way, tells him to make his wish. As he does, his mother enters with Billy. Josh returns to his former self, and as he and his mother embrace, the curtain closes with Billy examining the machine. (In the touring and rental versions, the finale number is "We're Gonna Be Fine")

Big Boy

Musical · 1924

Big Boy is a musical written by Harold R. Atteridge, music by James F. Hanley and Joseph Meyer, and lyrics by Buddy DeSylva. The show featured Al Jolson as Gus, a downtrodden African-American stable boy who ends up as a jockey winning the Kentucky Derby. The all-but-one-man show, which introduced the standard "It All Depends on You", was turned into a film in 1930. Dances and Ensembles Arranged by Seymour Felix and Larry Ceballos; Staged by J. C. Huffman; Dialogue Directed by Alexander Leftwich

Big Deal

Musical · 1986

Big Deal is a musical with a book by Bob Fosse using songs from various composers such as Ray Henderson, Eubie Blake, and Jerome Kern. It was based on the 1958 film Big Deal on Madonna Street by Mario Monicelli. The musical received five Tony Award nominations, with Fosse winning for Choreography. The production was Fosse's final work, as he died the next year.

Big Fish

Musical · 2013

Act 1 In Alabama, Edward Bloom and his son, Will, discuss Will's impending wedding. Entering a flashback to when Will was a child, Edward tells him a story. Edward is walking down the river when he meets a man trying to catch fish to no avail. So Edward teaches him the proper way to catch fish ("Be the Hero"). When he finishes his story, Edward's wife, Sandra, tells them it's time for Will to go to bed. Edward refuses behind her back and tells Will another story of a witch that Edward met as a teenager ("The Witch"). The story returns to the present day, where Edward suspects that Will's fiancée, Josephine, is pregnant. He reveals this at the wedding, angering Will and as Josephine takes the shocked crowd to catch the bouquet, Will and Edward argue. After the reception, Edward's doctor notices that Edward seems to be in pain and suggests that he come in for an examination. Edward and Sandra discover that the cancer Edward has been fighting has spread beyond where they had thought. Will and Josephine discover that their child is a boy ("Take Another Look"). Later that day, Will promises to strengthen his relationship with his father, who he sees as a "Stranger". Sandra tells Will that although he and Edward can be a handful, she loves them both ("Two Men in My Life"). Edward tells her another story about how he was the hero of his small town, Ashton, and was the boyfriend of the head cheerleader, Jenny Hill ("Ashton's Favorite Son"). The town of Ashton, Alabama, is scared by a giant living in a nearby cave, so Edward volunteers to go talk to him. He introduces himself to the giant, named Karl, and convinces him to join him on a journey away from Ashton ("Out There on the Road"). Back in the present, Josephine finds a deed to a house in Ashton signed by Jenny Hill and Edward. She thinks this proves that Edward must be telling the truth, but Will denies it. However, Josephine's interest sparks a conversation of Edward and Sandra's meeting. While Will believes they met in college, Josephine explains that is not what Edward told her. Will asks which version of the story she was told, and there is another flashback. Edward has taken Karl to try out for a circus. When they get there, three girls are auditioning with their song and dance routine ("Little Lamb from Alabama"). Edward notices one of the girls, Sandra, and it is love at first sight ("Time Stops"). He convinces the ringmaster to hire Karl, and then agrees to work for the circus for free in exchange for one clue about Sandra each month ("Closer to Her"). After three years of working at the circus, Edward finds Amos in his true form: a werewolf. Upon learning Amos' big secret, Edward finally convinces him to tell him what he wants to know: Her name is Sandra Templeton, she goes to Auburn University, and she loves daffodils. Edward finds Sandra only to discover that she is engaged to Don Price, Edward's high school rival. When Don sees Edward talking to Sandra, he beats him to the ground. Undaunted, Edward proposes to Sandra, and promises her a life full of "Daffodils". Act 2 The show continues as Edward leads young Will and some other boys in a boy scouts troop to make a bonfire. He tells them the story of when he was in the war ("Red, White, and True"). Edward tells Sandra and Will he has to travel for a while for his work as a traveling salesman. Will is upset, but Edward tells him he must be brave and "Fight the Dragons". In the present, Will prepares to confront Edward about the deed he and Josephine found ("Stranger" (Reprise)). Edward is lying in bed when Will comes in and asks about the Ashton deed, but Edward grows angry and yells at him to get out. He falls into an uneasy sleep and has a dream that he and Will have a Western-style duel and trial over the issue ("The Showdown"). He wakes up screaming, and as Sandra comforts him, it begins to rain. Edward says the roof should hold up for another ten years after he's gone, and Sandra tells him "I Don't Need a Roof". Will goes to visit Jenny Hill in Ashton to find the truth. Jenny tells him the story of what happened when Edward returned to Ashton when Will was just a small boy. In this flashback, Edward returns to Ashton to learn that the town is going to be flooded, and he finds that the citizens and the mayor refuse to leave. Edward provides the citizens with a new town ("Start Over"). He leaves Jenny with another broken heart, never to return again ("Start Over" (Reprise)). At the end of Jenny's story, Will receives a phone call and must go visit his father in the hospital. When Will arrives to the hospital, he discovers Edward is dying. Edward asks Will to tell him the story of how he dies. Will makes up his own story of Edward escaping the "prison cell" ("What's Next"). At the river, Sandra appears and they embrace one last time. They lead him back to his hospital bed as they disappear one by one, leaving Edward alone with Will. Edward's life has come to an end ("How It Ends"). A few years later, Will and his son return to the river as he begins to tell him stories, just as Edward did to him ("Be the Hero" (Reprise)).

Big River

Musical · 1984

Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with music and lyrics by Roger Miller, and a book by William Hauptman. Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel. The 1985 Broadway production ran for more than 1,000 performances and remained one of the few very successful American musicals in the mid-1980s among the emerging successes coming from Great Britain. Big River won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Billee Taylor

Musical · 1880

In 1805, gardener Billee is about to marry Phoebe when Captain Flapper orders him impressed into the Navy. Phoebe and the charity-school girls disguise themselves as sailors and follow him. Two years later, Billee appears ready to marry Arabella for her dowry; Phoebe’s attempt to shoot him misfires, and the ensuing confusion ends with Flapper rescuing Phoebe and Billee arrested.

Billie

Musical · 1928

Billie is a musical in two acts with music and lyrics by George M. Cohan. Cohan also wrote the book to the musical which he adapted from his earlier 1912 play Broadway Jones. It was the last musical comedy Cohan created. The musical starred Polly Walker in the title role and Joseph Wagstaff as her character's love interest.

Billion Dollar Baby

Musical · 1945

Billion Dollar Baby is a musical with the book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and the score by Morton Gould. Comden and Green were fresh from their success with On the Town, and the production team was something of an On the Town reunion: once again, George Abbott directed and Jerome Robbins choreographed. The musical is set on Staten Island and in Atlantic City during the late 1920s. It follows the adventures of an ambitious young woman, Maribelle Jones, in her quest for wealth during the Prohibition era.

Billy

Musical · 1974

Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The book was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the music is by John Barry, and the lyrics are by Don Black.

Billy Bishop Goes to War

Musical · 1978

Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop recounts his journey from an unruly young man to a celebrated First World War pilot. Songs and shifting characters explore the distance between wartime experience and the public image of a hero.

Billy Elliot

Musical · 2005

In County Durham, the 1984–85 coal miners' strike is just beginning ("The Stars Look Down"). Motherless eleven-year-old Billy Elliot stays behind after his boxing class to give keys to Sandra Wilkinson, who runs a ballet class. The class is all girls, but Billy is attracted to the grace of the dance ("Shine"). At first, Billy's interest in dance is easily concealed from his family, as the only person home at the time is his grandmother. She reveals to Billy the abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband, but that she found great joy in dance ("Grandma's Song"). While his father Jackie Elliot, brother Tony Elliot and neighbours are on strike and clash with riot police, Billy secretly takes dance lessons ("Solidarity"). During the number, the violent reality of the strike is contrasted with the peaceful practice of ballet. Eventually, Jackie discovers Billy in the ballet class and forbids him from attending the lessons. Mrs. Wilkinson, who recognizes Billy's potential, privately suggests that he should audition for the Royal Ballet School in London, offering free private lessons to prepare him for the audition. Billy is not sure what he wants to do, so he visits his best friend Michael Caffrey for advice. He finds Michael wearing a dress. Michael persuades Billy to have fun with him by dressing up in woman's clothing, rejecting the restrictive inhibitions of their working class community ("Expressing Yourself"). For his first private ballet lesson, Billy brings things to inspire a special dance for the audition, including a letter from his mother ("Dear Billy (Mum's Letter)"). Through his lessons, he develops an impressive routine for his audition ("Born to Boogie"), as he forms a close bond with Mrs. Wilkinson. Her daughter, Debbie Wilkinson, tries to discourage Billy from auditioning because she has a crush on him. Meanwhile, Jackie and Tony are engaged in daily battles with riot police that often turn bloody. They struggle to support the family with very little in strike and union pay, a difficult task as the strike goes on for nearly a year. When the day of the Royal Ballet School audition comes, the police come through the village, injuring Tony. Billy's family and some members of the community are gathered at the Elliot home, where Mrs. Wilkinson arrives when Billy fails to meet her to leave for the audition. She reveals that she has been teaching Billy in preparation for this audition, which upsets and angers Jackie and Tony. Tony tries to force Billy to dance on the table in front of everyone. Suddenly, the police approach and, as everyone escapes, Billy calls out to his father saying that his mother would have let him dance, to which Jackie says, "Your Mam's dead!". Billy goes into a rage ("Angry Dance"), and from that moment on, he stays away from anything related to ballet. Six months later at the miner's annual Christmas show, the children put on a show disparaging Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who is seen as the antagonist by the coal miners ("Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher"). Billy's father gets drunk and sings an old folk song that elicits memories of his deceased wife and the usually stoic man leaves in tears ("Deep Into the Ground"). Left alone with Billy in the Community Centre, Michael reveals he has feelings for him, but Billy says that the fact that he likes ballet does not mean that he is gay. Michael gives him a kiss on the cheek. Michael tries to get Billy to show him some dancing, but Billy is sad and tells him to leave. Michael departs, but leaves a music player running. Billy feels like dancing for the first time since the day of the aborted audition and dances while dreaming of being a grown-up dancer ("Swan Lake"). Unknown to Billy, his father arrives and watches him dance. Overcome with emotion, Jackie goes to Mrs. Wilkinson's house to discuss Billy's prospects as a dancer. She confirms Billy's talent, but is not sure whether or not he would get into the Royal Ballet School after missing the audition. Mrs. Wilkinson offers to help pay for the trip to London for the next audition, but Jackie refuses and leaves, questioning his working-class pride and the future mining has for his boys. Jackie decides the only way to help Billy is to return to work. When Tony sees his father cross the picket line, he becomes infuriated and the two argue over what is more important: unity of the miners or helping Billy achieve his dream ("He Could Be A Star"). The argument comes to blows and Billy is hit accidentally. A miner chastises them for fighting and says that the important thing is looking after the child. One by one, the miners give money to help pay for the trip to the audition, but Billy still does not have enough for the bus fare to London. A strike-breaker arrives and offers him hundreds of pounds. An enraged Tony attempts to shun his donation, but no one else speaks up in his support. Now drained of hope, Tony dismally ponders whether there's a point for anything anymore, and runs off. Billy and his father arrive at the Royal Ballet School for the audition. While Jackie waits outside, an upper-crust Londoner highlights the contrast between the Elliots and the families of the other applicants. Jackie meets a dancer with a thick Northern accent, who confesses that his father does not support his ballet career, but sharply advises Jackie to "get behind" his boy. Billy nervously finishes the audition with a feeling that he did not do well. As he packs his gear, he becomes overwhelmed and punches another dancer. The audition committee reminds Billy of the strict standards of the school and their zero-tolerance on violence. They have received an enthusiastic letter from Mrs. Wilkinson explaining Billy's background, situation and talent/potential; then ask him to describe what it feels like when he dances. Billy responds with a heartfelt declaration of his passion ("Electricity"). Back in Durham, the Elliots resume life, but times are tough and the miners are running a soup kitchen to ensure everyone is fed. Eventually, Billy receives a letter from the school and, overwhelmed and fearful, knowing that it heralds the end of the life he has known, informs his family that he was not accepted. Tony retrieves the letter from the waste bin and discovers that Billy had lied and actually was accepted – the family rejoice. At the same time, the miners' union has caved in; they lost the strike. Tony laments that miners are "dinosaurs", that by the time Billy returns home, all surrounding village's men will be jobless. Billy visits Mrs. Wilkinson at the dance class to thank her for everything she did to help him. Debbie is sad that Billy will be leaving. Billy packs his things for the trip to the school and says goodbye to the soon-to-be-unemployed miners who are returning unhappily to work ("Once We Were Kings"). Billy says goodbye to his dead mother, who often visits him in his imagination ("Dear Billy (Billy's Reply)"). Billy breaks the fourth wall and begins to walk down the center aisle before Michael stops him to say goodbye. Billy drops his suitcase and runs onto the stage to give Michael a kiss on the cheek. Billy then walks back off stage, retrieves his suitcase and walks out toward his future alone. The entire cast comes out on stage and calls Billy back to celebrate the bright future ahead of him ("Finale").

Billy Noname

Musical · 1970

Billy Noname is an Off-Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Johnny Brandon and a book by William Wellington Mackey. It ran for 48 performances at the Truck and Warehouse Theater, from March 2, 1970, to April 12, 1970. Lucia Victor directed, and the title role of Billy Noname was played by Donny Burks. The musical tells the story of a black man growing up. A recording of the original cast was released in 1996. Roulette Records Label (New York) issued the musical soundtrack on record #SROC-11.

Birds Of Paradise

Musical · 1987

The Harbour Island Players is an amateur theatre group whose lives are turned upside down when a professional actor, down on his luck, decides to direct and star in one of their productions. The group is awaiting the arrival of Lawrence Wood, the actor. Wood, who grew up on Harbour Island (and left as soon as he could) is visiting his hometown for the first time in twenty years. He has agreed to observe their rehearsal. Thrilled at the prospect of a real professional in their midst, each member feels, for the first time since they've been working together, that it is finally "worth it" ("So Many Nights"). Wood arrives and we learn that he is in trouble, both personally and professionally. The amateurs are dazzled by his presence and blind to his problems. Wood is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Julia, who bursts in dressed as a kind of moon-sprite and begs to be allowed to perform a song written by Homer, a young writer/composer who is also a member of the group. It is from his bizarre musical adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, aptly named Seagull. Over the group's protests, Wood asks to hear the song, an eerie ballad about a young girl who flies to the moon only to find she cannot get back down ("Every Day Is Night"). Intrigued by the song, by Homer's loony talent, and most of all, by Julia. Wood asks to see the script and reflects on how good it feels to be a big fish in a little pond ("Somebody"). In an attempt to recover what has been missing in his life, Wood offers to direct and star in Homer's show. The others are beside themselves with excitement, especially Marjorie, Homer's mother, who still carries a torch for Wood from high school days. The next morning, Julia and Homer arrive early for rehearsal. Since childhood, Homer has been unrequitedly in love with Julia. Before rehearsal, they both fantasize about how the events of the past evening might change their lives ("Coming True"). The rest of the group arrives and, in a sequence that tracks the first weeks of rehearsal, Homer discovers what it is like to work with a real professional ("It's Only A Play"). As the final week of rehearsals approaches, Andy (Wood's brother) gives him a message about a call from his agent in New York. Wood claims he is not interested and Andy seizes the opportunity to confide in his brother about his rich fantasy life ("She's Out There"). Later, in the middle of a disastrous rehearsal, Wood takes Marjorie, Hope, and Stella aside and encourages them to "open up" emotionally. This results in a hilarious misunderstanding as the ladies attempt to make sense of what he said ("Birds of Paradise"). Wood calls his agent in New York and is furious to learn that she wants him to audition for a part that he feels is beneath him. When the rehearsal reconvenes, he vents his rage on Homer, insisting that he slow down one of the numbers. Homer, equally enraged, deliberately plays it as slowly as possible, transforming it into an expression of each group member's unrequited love. As the song reaches its climax, Wood and Julia steal a clandestine kiss, unwittingly, witnessed by a heartbroken Homer ("Imagining You"). It is the night before dress rehearsal. With great conviction (and in penguin suits) Andy, Hope, and Dave perform a number from Seagull and demonstrate how far they've come ("Penguins Must Sing"). The rehearsal continues and Wood attacks Marjorie for her lack of commitment to her character and goads her into a deeply felt rendition of ("You're Mine"). Meanwhile, Homer is intent on re-writing the end of his play, determined to make it a bleak and bitter reflection of his present circumstances. After a devastating encounter with Julia, he tears up what he has written and seeks solace at the piano remembering a song he wrote as a child ("Things I Can't Forget"). Marjorie surprises them both by picking up the pieces and mother and son end up - for the first time - comforting each other ("After Opening Night"). During dress rehearsal, as the actors are deep in character and loving every miserable minute, they give thanks to the man who made their lives worth living ("Chekhov"). Wood enters with a crushing announcement: he has been offered the part in New York and he must leave that night. Julia runs off, believing she is included in his plans. The group is devastated. Homer tries to convince him to stay, but Wood goes, leaving Julia behind, her illusions destroyed. Homer threatens to leave as well when all at once the group discovers the pages of his re-written final scene. They fall in love with the surprising new twists he has created for each of their characters. As they begin to piece the new ending together, they find a new appreciation for what they mean to each other ("Something New").

Black Swan

Musical · 2026

A stage musical adaptation of Black Swan, with choreography by Sonya Tayeh, music and lyrics by Dave Malloy, and a book by Jen Silverman.

Blair on Broadway

Musical · 2007

Blair on Broadway is a satirical musical based on the political career (from 1997 to 2007) of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The words and lyrics were written by journalist and novelist Iain Hollingshead, with music by journalist Timothy Muller.

Bless the Bride

Musical · 1947

Act I In Victorian England, it is 1870, the eve of the Franco-Prussian War, and a young woman, Lucy Veracity Willow, is having second thoughts about her imminent marriage to the Hon. Thomas Trout. He will not join her in her favourite game of croquet, preferring the "shocking" new game of lawn tennis ("Croquet, Croquet" / "What Will Mother Say"). Worse, he makes good-natured but pointed fun of her principles, especially her attachment to the truth ("Too Good to Be True"). She is resigned to her duty to marry the man approved by her parents, but bemoans the lack of love in their relationship ("Any Man but Thomas T."). Thomas introduces Lucy to a couple of new French friends of his, the debonair and romantic Pierre Fontaine, an actor, and his companion Suzanne, who is also on the stage. Lucy and Pierre quickly fall in love ("I Was Never Kissed Before"), much to Suzanne's chagrin, and they elope to France together in the middle of the elaborate preparations for Lucy and Thomas' wedding ("Bless the Bride"). Act II In France, Pierre and Lucy are with Suzanne, who seems to be overcoming her initial jealousy of Lucy and is acting as chaperone until the couple can be married ("Mon Pauvre Petit Pierre"). The three take a table in a beachside restaurant ("A Table for Two" / "This Is My Lovely Day"). Into the restaurant crash Lucy's father, mother, cousin George, and the jilted Thomas, who is determined to fight a duel with Pierre if they can find him ("The Englishman"). They have come to "rescue" Lucy, and to this end have adopted disguises (including heavy beards). Their efforts to pass themselves off as French arouse suspicions, and Lucy and Suzanne have to step in to vouch for the party, saving them from arrest as Prussian spies. Lucy declares her love for Pierre to her family, and Thomas confronts Pierre. Dramatic news arrives of the declaration of the Franco-Prussian War. Pierre is a reserve officer and must leave at once to join his regiment. Suzanne and the exultant French crowd leave with him ("To France") – while poor Lucy must return to England with her family. A year passes, and it is Lucy's twenty-first birthday ("Here's a Kiss"). A message has arrived from Suzanne telling her that Pierre was killed in the disastrous war. A chastened Thomas renews his suit for Lucy's hand. She tells him that she cannot forget Pierre but will marry him if he does not rush the date of the wedding. Suzanne shows up, interrupting the birthday party. She admits that, resentful of the English, she had cruelly lied about Pierre, who is alive and here! Lucy is ecstatic, but Pierre is concerned when he sees Thomas's ring. However, Thomas nobly removes it and hands it to Pierre ("My Big Moment"), and the lovers can at last marry with everyone's approval ("This Is My Lovely Day" (reprise)).

Blindekuh

Musical · 1878

At Scholle’s country estate, his daughter Waldine loves Hellmuth Forst but is promised to her American cousin Adolf. Hellmuth arrives disguised as a jeweler’s agent and is mistaken for Adolf; when the real cousin appears, Waldine and the men exchange identities to sustain the confusion. Adolf arrives with his wife Betsy, while court secretary Kragel mistakes Hellmuth for a murderer using the name Meyer. The deception is exposed at a ballroom gathering, and Scholle consents to Waldine’s marriage to Hellmuth.

Blitz!

Musical · 1962

Blitz! is a musical by Lionel Bart. The musical, described by Steven Suskin as "massive", was set in the East End of London during the Blitz (the aerial bombings during World War II). The story drew on Bart's childhood memories of London's Jewish East End during the Blitz and, like most musicals, centred on a romance between a young couple, in this case a Jewish woman and a Cockney man, although the largest role and main point-of-view character is that of Mrs Blitztein, the young woman's mother. Steven Suskin describes it as "Abie's Irish Rose set against the burning of Atlanta." Bart himself described the play as "…three human stories inside an epic canvas; the major human conflict the major plot personifies the spirit of London and how that spirit developed during the period of the piece."

Blood Brothers

Musical · 1983

The play opens in the early 1980s, at the ending of the story. Mrs. Johnstone, surrounded by others, including Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, and the Narrator, is standing over the bodies of Mickey and Edward and sings "Tell Me It's Not True" ("Overture"). The Narrator introduces the "story of the Johnstone twins" to the audience and the play then flashes back to the late 1950s. 30-year old Mrs. Johnstone lives in the Victorian inner-city slums of Liverpool. She describes her whirlwind romance with her husband, who, once attracted to her because of how she looked "like Marilyn Monroe", lost interest in her after multiple pregnancies and weight gain, and eventually left her for a younger, more attractive woman. Now a single mother, she discovers she's pregnant yet again ("Marilyn Monroe"). Heavily in debt and unable to support her seven children alone, Mrs. Johnstone takes a job as a cleaner for a local upper-middle-class couple, Richard and Jennifer Lyons. While talking with Mrs. Lyons, she mentions she's found out she's carrying twins, but can only afford to raise one more child. Mrs. Lyons, desperate for a baby but unable to conceive, suggests she give one of the babies to her ("My Child"). Mrs. Johnstone reluctantly agrees and is made to swear on the Bible to keep to the deal. Mrs. Johnstone has the twins, and names the two children Michael (known as Mickey throughout the play) and Edward, but then regrets having agreed to give one away ("Easy Terms"). After keeping her deal with Mrs. Lyons, she returns home with baby Michael and lies to her older children, saying that the other baby died. Mrs. Johnstone continues to work for the Lyons family, but Mrs. Lyons begins to feel she's too attached to Edward. She fires her, causing Mrs. Johnstone to demand her son back. Mrs. Lyons manipulates her into backing down by playing on her superstitious nature, telling her that "if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair, they will both immediately die" ("Shoes Upon the Table"). Years later, a seven-year-old Mickey meets Edward by chance. After learning that they share the same birthday, the two boys make a pact to become blood brothers, with Mickey nicknaming Edward "Eddie". Mrs. Johnstone finds them and sends Edward away, fearing they will find out they're twins. Later in the day, Mickey goes to Edward's house, but Mrs. Lyons throws him out when she realises that he's Edward's twin. Mickey plays with some neighbourhood children, including his friend Linda ("Kids' Game"). Afterwards, Mickey takes her to see Edward, and the three of them sneak off to play. Mrs. Lyons worries about Edward's whereabouts ("Gypsies in the Wood"). The three are caught attempting to throw stones through a window by a police officer, and escorted home. Mrs. Lyons, worried about Edward's friendship with Mickey, persuades her husband they should move. Edward goes to Mrs. Johnstone's house to say goodbye to Mickey and she gives him a locket, which she claims contains a picture of herself and Mickey. Edward asks Mrs. Johnstone why she does not simply move away, causing her to dream about the seemingly impossible possibility of her moving away and beginning a new life ("Bright New Day (Preview)"). Mickey goes to visit Edward but finds him gone ("Long Sunday Afternoon"/"My Friend"). During the early 1970s, the Johnstone family are moved from the condemned inner-city slums of Liverpool to a new council house in the nearby overspill town of Skelmersdale ("Bright New Day"). Act Two rejoins the twins when they are 14 years old, some time in the early-to-mid 1970s. The Johnstone family are enjoying a better life now they have moved to a new home and a new area, and they have not seen Edward in all this time ("Marilyn Monroe 2"). Mickey has now developed a crush on Linda, who is obviously interested in him too, but Mickey does not know how to approach her and is embarrassed by her honesty to being attracted to him. During their journey to school Sammy, Mickey's older brother, pretends to be 14 to get a cheaper bus ticket. When he is confronted his violent nature becomes obvious; he swears violently at the driver, threatens him with a knife, steals some money and escapes. Edward is suspended from his boarding school for refusing to give up his locket to a teacher. Meanwhile, Mickey refuses to pay attention or co-operate during a class in his school, insulting the teacher, and is suspended. Linda is also suspended for defending him. When he returns home, Edward refuses to tell Mrs. Lyons about the locket's contents, and when she takes it and sees the picture inside she panics, and immediately assumes it is a picture of Edward. She grows paranoid, having once thought she had buried the past by moving away, and questions Mrs. Johnstone's presence in their lives ("Secrets"). Edward and Mickey, now teenage and insecure, both reminisce over their blood brother status, and after seeing each other but not realising they are seeing their blood brother, think about how they wish they had the qualities the other guy has ("That Guy"). After Mickey and Linda walk through a field in the countryside surrounding Skelmersdale, where Linda expresses her frustration at how Mickey has not yet asked her out, Mickey and Edward meet by chance once again, discovering that they live near each other after both having moved from Liverpool. Edward gives Mickey humorously inexperienced advice on how to talk to Linda, and invites him to watch a pornographic film with him to "see how it's done". An increasingly mentally deranged and paranoid Mrs. Lyons further questions whether she is truly free from Mrs. Johnstone ("Shoes Upon The Table (Reprise)") as Mickey asks his mother for money to see a film while reintroducing Edward. After she realises it is a pornographic film, the three have a humorous moment, before Mrs. Johnstone gives them the money and they leave. Mrs Lyons, by this point clearly mentally ill, discovers Mrs. Johnstone's house and confronts her, believing that she followed her after they moved. After she admits that she "never made him [Edward] mine", she offers to pay off Mrs. Johnstone again. After Mrs. Johnstone stands her ground and declares she will not be paid off again, stating that she has made a good life for herself, an enraged Mrs. Lyons attempts to attack Mrs. Johnstone with a knife, but a now strong-willed Mrs. Johnstone fights back and kicks her out, with Mrs. Lyons fleeing in terror. Mrs. Lyons continues to deteriorate into insanity and it is implied that she has developed a reputation for madness. ("Mad Woman On A Hill"). Mickey, Edward, and Linda spend each summer as teens together, taking the play to the end of the 1970s, when an 18-year-old Edward reveals to Linda that he is leaving for university in Liverpool the following day, but has not told her or Mickey. Linda reveals that Mickey still has not asked her out, prompting Edward to tell her what he would say to her if he were Mickey. Secretly, he is revealing his true feelings but has not acted on them out of respect for Mickey ("I'm Not Saying A Word"). Edward leaves for university in Liverpool, but not before encouraging Mickey to ask Linda out. During Edward's absence, Linda gets pregnant, and she and Mickey quickly marry and move in with Mrs Johnstone. Mickey is then made redundant from his factory job due to the recession of the early 1980s, which hits Merseyside particularly hard, and Mickey joins thousands of other Merseysiders on the dole shortly before Christmas ("Miss Jones"). Edward returns at Christmas ready to party and have fun, but Mickey realises that they are now very different; after a small argument, they part. Mickey is persuaded to assist his brother Sammy, who now engages in criminal acts, in a robbery, to earn money to support Linda and their baby daughter Sarah. The robbery goes bad, and Mickey becomes an accessory to a murder committed by Sammy. He is sentenced to seven years in prison, and the incident destroys Mickey mentally. In prison, Mickey is diagnosed as chronically depressed. When released early for good behaviour, he is still dependent on anti-depressants. He becomes withdrawn and turns away from Linda ("Marilyn Monroe 3"). Linda, unable to get Mickey off the anti-depressants, contacts Edward, who is now a local councillor, who gets them their own house in Liverpool and Mickey a job ("Light Romance"), taking the focus of the play back to Liverpool. Linda worries about Mickey and continues to meet up with Edward. A mentally ill Mrs. Lyons, now seemingly wanting to get back at Mrs. Johnstone in any way possible, even if it involves possibly being harmful to Edward, sees Edward and Linda together and tells Mickey about it, suggesting that the two are having an affair. Distraught over Edward and Linda's 'affair,' Mickey grabs the gun that Sammy hid before he got arrested and storms down to the council offices to confront Edward ("Madman"), who is giving a speech as Mickey storms in with the gun. Mickey asks why Edward would take away the one good thing that Mickey had – Linda. Edward denies this intention, and the police enter, demanding that Mickey put the gun down. After being informed by Linda of the incident, Mrs. Johnstone runs in and, in an attempt to stop Mickey from shooting Edward, tells the two brothers the truth. Mickey furiously despairs that he was not the one given away, because then he could have had the life given to Edward. Enraged, Mickey gestures with the gun toward Edward and accidentally pulls the trigger. The gun fires, killing Edward, with the police then shooting and killing Mickey. As Mrs. Lyons had suggested all those years earlier, the superstition that the two brothers would die if they discovered the truth has finally materialised, and the narrator questions whether the differing backgrounds of the two boys was more to blame than superstition. ("Tell Me It's Not True"). In another version, Mickey has a fake gun. Mrs.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Musical · 2008

The show opens when the cast, dressed as 19th-century American cowboys and prostitutes, take the stage. They are led by Andrew Jackson. They sing about their eagerness to strip the English, Spanish, French, and, most importantly, the Native Americans, of their land in North America, and their desire to bring political power back to the public and away from the elite ("Populism, Yea Yea"). This section also introduces the Storyteller, a historian who tells the audience what his legacy was after certain notable events. Jackson's childhood is shown in the Tennessee hills during the late 18th century. His family and the local shoe cobbler die of cholera and an Indian attack. This leads him to join the military, where he is imprisoned by the British. Jackson begins to express his disdain for the U.S. government's lack of involvement with the people of the frontier and how he wishes someone would stand up to them ("I'm Not That Guy"). Jackson is then shown as a young adult, regaling local tavern goers with his short meeting with George Washington. He is interrupted and attacked by several Spaniards. Jackson defeats them, but is injured in the process. A woman named Rachel helps him to recover from his injuries. They bond over a shared habit of self-harm, playing on emo music's frequent glorification of pain, and reference Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag as a way to ground their fantasies. Jackson and Rachel eventually marry, though Rachel is not yet divorced from her current husband ("Illness as a Metaphor"). At the end of the song, news comes that British, Indian, and Spanish forces are making advances into American territory. Meanwhile, the U.S. government continues to do nothing to stop the attacks. Jackson realizes that if he wants this cycle to end, he must change things himself and takes a stand, shooting the Storyteller in the neck and saying that he'll take it from there ("I'm So That Guy"). Jackson organizes a militia to drive Indian nations out of the Southeast ("Ten Little Indians"). In the aftermath of a battle, he adopts a young Native American child called Lyncoya. John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Martin Van Buren are introduced as they express their concern over Jackson's unauthorized territorial expansion. Jackson rebuffs their pleas, explaining how he has driven out the French and the Spanish, while acquiring more land than Thomas Jefferson. The Battle of New Orleans transforms Jackson into a national hero. He becomes Governor of Florida and decides to run for United States President in 1824. Although he receives the most popular and Electoral votes, he does not have a majority, leading to a loss in the subsequent contingent election in the House of Representatives. ("The Corrupt Bargain"). Jackson spends the four years after the election at his home, The Hermitage. He returns from political exile and forms the Democratic Party. During the presidential election of 1828, Andrew Jackson becomes a surprise candidate and mocks the others for not being able to handle the pressure of politics ("Rock Star"). However, his campaign is grueling both publicly and personally to Jackson and his family. Rachel dislikes not having a private life, feels as though she has been making more compromises in their relationship than he has, and questions Andrew's devotion to her versus the American People ("The Great Compromise"). Days before the election, a Senate panel led by Clay investigates Jackson's past wrongdoings and slings accusations, including accusing Rachel of bigamy. Jackson wins the election despite this and becomes the 7th President of the United States. However, the accusation of his rivals, along with the stress of the election, leads to Rachel dying of grief. He vows to use both his presidency and his wife's death as a mandate to "take this country back" ("Public Life"). Once in office, Jackson is faced with a plethora of problems, ranging from the National Bank to questions about Indian relocation. Being the "People’s President," Jackson begins polling the American populace on all executive decisions. This draws the ire of Congress and the Supreme Court. In response, Jackson consolidates Executive Power, thus making the Presidency more powerful than Congress and the Courts. At first, his exhilarating cowboy-like governing tactics are met with great enthusiasm by the average citizen. But, as the problems grow tougher, the public begins to resent being asked to make difficult decisions ("Crisis Averted"). As the American people gradually turn on him, Jackson takes stock of all that he has lost: his family, his wife, and now the love of the American public. He decides he must take ultimate responsibility for the nation's choices and declares that he alone will be the one to make the unenviable policy decisions regarding the Indians' fate ("The Saddest Song"). He summons Black Fox — an Indian Chief who organized the remaining Indian tribes into a confederation against Tennessee settlers — in order to make one last deal with the Native Americans still living in American Territories. Jackson implores Black Fox to peacefully move his people west of the Mississippi River. Black Fox asks for time to consult his tribe, but Jackson violently snaps and decrees that federal troops will forcibly move the Indians west, leading to thousands of deaths along the Trail of Tears. Near the end, the musical reviews Jackson's legacy and the views attributed to him. Some believe he was one of America's greatest presidents, while others believe him to be an "American Hitler" who deliberately engaged in a genocide against the Indigenous American people. The final scene shows Jackson receiving an honorary doctorate at Harvard. He reflects upon his achievements and his questionable decisions. The show then offers a more modern view of Jackson's damning legacy and American society's collective culpability in shaping a new country at the expense of the native population ("Second Nature"). Finally, the company gathers to sing "The Hunters of Kentucky", before taking their bows.

Bloomer Girl

Musical · 1944

Bloomer Girl is a 1944 Broadway musical with music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and a book by Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy, based on an unpublished play by writer Daniel Lewis James and his wife Lilith.

Blue Beard, Jr.

Musical · 1889

Bluebeard, Jr., or, Fatima and the Fairy is a musical in four acts with a libretto by Clay M. Greene and music by Fred J. Eustis, Richard Maddern, and John Joseph Braham Sr. The plot is loosely based on the folk tale of Bluebeard as told by Charles Perrault. and for the performance of its star, the comedian Eddie Foy. The original cast also included Josie Hall in the trouser role of Abdallah. After its Chicago premiere, the production toured nationally; including stops at Boston's Tremont Theatre (1889) and Broadway's Niblo's Garden (1890).

Blue Eyes

Musical · 1928

Blue Eyes is a musical composed by Jerome Kern, with a book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and Graham John. Orchestrations were by Robert Russell Bennett, and the original producer was Lee Ephraim.

Bluebell in Fairyland

Musical · 1901

Act I On Christmas Eve, Bluebell, a poor London flower girl, is dismayed that she has not sold enough flowers to purchase Christmas gifts for her little sisters, Mab and Winnie. Mr. Joplin, a wealthy merchant, who is struck by her beauty, has long wished to adopt Bluebell. She loiters in front of his house, but a policeman sends Bluebell away from Mr. Joplin's house and then lies about it. Dicky, a crossing sweeper, bootblack and Bluebell's sweetheart, together with his bootblack friends, tries to earn some money to help Bluebell. Mr. Joplin and his eccentric servants, Will and Won't, find Bluebell in the Strand, among her friends, a group of flower girls and boot blacks. He gives some money to Bluebell and sends her home. In a garret in Drury Lane, Bluebell's sisters and her faithful black cat, Peter, are preparing for Christmas. Bluebell arrives and reads to her sisters the story of the rich but miserly Sleepy King, who has been condemned to sleep until he should be awakened by a good girl with the peal of bells. The three girls soon fall asleep. Bluebell dreams that the fairy queen and the fairies step out of the fireplace and ask Bluebell to come to the Palace where the reigning King of Fairyland has usurped the throne in the Sleepy King's absence. Bluebell and Peter soon meet two schoolboys, Blib and Blob, who are to escort them from the Palace to the dungeon where the Sleepy King is being held prisoner. Once at the Palace, however, she sees the reigning King and Queen. They are giving a children's party. Bluebell asks to be admitted, but instead she is arrested. The fairy queen rescues her, however, and leads her to the Sleepy King. Act II Bluebell meets Will o'the Wisp, who will help her. They then meet the Fairy Waterlilly, who leads them through creepy bogs and thickets to the Enchanted Glade, where they find the Magic Oak, which grows above the Sleepy King's dungeon. They witness the tragedy of the murder of Cock Robin. Peter kills the yellow dwarf who is guarding the Oak, and the group descends into the frightening cavern. After 300 years of sleep, the Sleepy King has grown old. Bluebell awakens him by ringing the bells, and he vows to distribute his wealth to the poor. They all head for the Palace, where the big party is still in progress. Everyone enters, and Bluebell introduces the Sleepy King, who is revealed as the rightful King. The reigning King and Queen are dethroned, and the King is transformed into a handsome young man, who asks Bluebell to be his queen. Bluebell sadly refuses, as the Christmas bells chime, because she must return to her two sisters, so she flees back to the garret. It is morning, and as Bluebell and her sisters awaken, Mr. Joplin, his footmen and Dicky arrive. Mr. Joplin wants to adopt all three girls, to Dicky's great alarm. But Bluebell and Dicky become engaged, and all ends happily.

Bob's Your Uncle

Musical · 1948

Bob's Your Uncle is a 1948 British musical comedy with music by Noel Gay, lyrics by Frank Eyton, and a book by Austin Melford. After premiering at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, its West End run at the Saville Theatre lasted for 363 performances, between 5 May 1948 and 19 March 1949. The work was designed as a vehicle for the comedian Leslie Henson, who also co-produced it. The cast included Vera Pearce.

Bombay Dreams

Musical · 2002

The story centers around Akaash, a young man from the slums of Bombay who dreams of becoming the next big star in Bollywood. Fate steps in when a rich lawyer and his fiancée, an aspiring documentary filmmaker, arrive to prevent the demolition of Akaash's slum. Akaash quickly falls in love with the lawyer's fiancée, Priya, who happens to be the daughter of a famous Bollywood director. Complications arise as Akaash faces the reality of show business, fame, his love for Priya, and his obligations to his family, friends, and his Paradise slum. The story also deals with the change of name from Bombay to Mumbai and the identity issues that this raises.

Bombo

Musical · 1921

Bombo is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg. Produced by Lee Shubert and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway production, staged by J. C. Huffman, opened on October 6, 1921, at the Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, where it ran for 219 performances. The cast included Al Jolson and Janet Adair. The musical has a thin story designed to showcase Jolson, who was at the height of his popularity. Songs were added by several composers during the run of the show so that, by the end of the run, there were more songs by composers other than Romberg than by him. The success of the musical on Broadway led to a national tour.

Bombshell

Musical · 2015

A musical about Marilyn Monroe created for the television series Smash and performed in a 2015 concert.

Bonnie & Clyde

Musical · 2009

Act I Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow sit in a car, dead ("Prologue"). In Depression-era West Texas, Bonnie is a 20-year-old diner waitress who dreams of a life in the movies. Young Bonnie is also onstage singing about the dream. Young Clyde sings about his dream to become a criminal, similar to Billy the Kid and Al Capone ("Picture Show"). Clyde Barrow, who has just broken out of prison with his brother Buck, discovers Bonnie on the side of the road and a connection is made between the two dreamers as he repairs her car in exchange for a lift into Dallas ("This World Will Remember Me"). Meanwhile, Blanche Barrow urges her husband, Buck, to turn himself in and set things right with the Lord and with the law ("You're Goin' Back to Jail"). Bonnie ends up spending the whole day, and several thereafter, with Clyde. She tells him of her grand plans: to be an actress, a poet and a singer. Clyde convinces her to sing him a song ("How 'Bout a Dance?") and assures her that together they'll make both their dreams - his of a life without having to worry about money, hers of fame - come true. The two go to visit Buck. Clyde is overjoyed to see his brother again and they talk of driving away from Dallas in the latest Ford, which is said to be able to go 60 miles per hour ("When I Drive"). However, when Clyde hears of Buck's plan to turn himself in and complete his sentence, he is strongly opposed to the idea and leaves angrily. However, Clyde is eventually caught by Ted and the other authorities, while Buck turns himself in ("God's Arms Are Always Open"). In the jailhouse, Ted and Clyde reflect on their love for Bonnie ("You Can Do Better Than Him"). Bonnie professes her love for Clyde as Blanche does the same for Buck ("You Love Who You Love"). Buck is released quickly, while Clyde receives a much harsher jail sentence, and then faces a difficult time of continuous physical and sexual assault while in prison. At the peak of his abuse, Clyde turns to a makeshift weapon and performs his first murder ("Raise a Little Hell"). He convinces Bonnie to smuggle a gun into his cell, and Clyde again breaks out of prison, this time killing a deputy ("This World Will Remember Us"). Act II Bonnie and Clyde begin a life of crime, robbing stores and traveling all around to avoid being caught ("Made in America"). During a grocery store robbery gone wrong, Clyde shoots a deputy who was, in his words: 'trying to be a hero'. When she hears that Clyde has gone from robbery to murder, a frenzied Bonnie wants out ("Too Late to Turn Back Now") but realizes that she is too far from what she has known to go back. In part due to the grocery store shooting, the two achieve folk hero status throughout the country, with officers in every Southern state on the hunt for them. Clyde sends occasional letters to Buck and Blanche, telling them of the adventures and opportunities they have made on the road. Buck begins to see that there is more for them out there than can be found in their current situation, and he unsuccessfully tries to convince Blanche that they should join Clyde and Bonnie ("That's What You Call a Dream"). The infamous duo, meanwhile, continues on their robbery spree, growing increasingly bold in their endeavors ("What Was Good Enough for You") and graduating from stores to banks. In the midst of an unsuccessful bank robbery, Clyde is shot in the shoulder. Upon hearing of his brother's injury, Buck leaves home along with his wife, who is torn between her love for her husband and what she knows is right - to help Clyde. In the hideout, Clyde and Bonnie share a tender moment ("Bonnie") before being interrupted by Buck at the door. He is with a reluctant Blanche; her love for her husband won out in the end. Days later, Bonnie and Blanche nervously await the return of Clyde and Buck from a robbery ("Raise a Little Hell (reprise)"), as Blanche questions how Bonnie can happily live the way they do. Bonnie replies that she and Clyde are the only ones truly living life to the fullest ("Dyin' Ain't So Bad"). Buck and Clyde return, with their respective partners, elated to see them, but the celebration is short-lived as they learn that they have been followed by the authorities to the hideout. A shootout ensues, in which Buck is mortally wounded. Clyde quickly whisks Bonnie away, but a heartbroken Blanche stays with Buck until his dying breath and is arrested for aiding and abetting ("God's Arms Are Always Open (reprise)"). Ted reports back to the Sheriff, having been told by Bonnie's mother of Bonnie and Clyde's whereabouts, and they prepare to ambush the couple. A guilty Ted convinces himself he is doing the right thing ("You Can Do Better Than Him (reprise)"). In the woods on the way back to Dallas, Clyde wonders how his family will even be able to look at him after what he has done to Buck ("Picture Show (reprise)"). Bonnie assures him that it was not his fault, but both realize that they are nearing the end of their fateful journey ("Dyin' Ain't So Bad (reprise)" / "How 'Bout a Dance? (reprise)"). On May 23, 1934, on a rural Louisianan road, Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed and killed by police on the way to meet their parents.

Boy Falls from the Sky

Musical · 2019

Jake Epstein retraces his pursuit of a Broadway career through personal stories and familiar songs. Touring, auditions, injuries, and unexpected setbacks reveal the private uncertainty behind apparent professional success.

Boy Meets Boy

Musical · 1975

Boy Meets Boy is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Bill Solly, as well as a book by Bill Solly and Donald Ward. Edith O'Hara and Jim Payne originally produced the show in February 1975, at the13th Street Theatre, New York City. After a seven-month run, O'Hara and Payne moved the show off-Broadway to the Actor's Playhouse, opening on Sept. 17, 1975 in association with Christopher Larkin and Lee Barton. The show is a fast-paced, light-hearted musical comedy, featuring a 1930s-style Astaire/Rogers romance between two men, and a same-sex marriage. The world of the play posits that in 1936, same-sex relationships are considered as normal as heterosexual ones. The play begins against the background of the abdication of Edward VIII and ends with the Duke of Windsor's (and the protagonists') June 1937 weddings. This is appropriate, as one of the major themes is "Giving It Up for Love." The action occurs in the Savoy Hotel, a few elegant nightspots in London, a bar in Spain, and a black-sheep aunt's disreputable establishment in Paris. The original New York cast included David Gallegly as Guy Rose, Joe Barrett as Casey O’Brien and Raymond Wood as Clarence Cutler. Edith O'Hare and Jim Payne took the show and most of the cast to the Las Palmas Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as to the Chi Chi Club in San Francisco, in 1976. The show had its London premiere in December 2012. There, the cast included Olivier Award winner Stephen Ashfield as Casey O'Brien with Johnjo Flynn as Guy Rose and Ben Kavanagh as Clarence Cutler.

Bravo Giovanni

Musical · 1962

Bravo Giovanni is a musical with a book by A. J. Russell, lyrics by Ronny Graham, and music by Milton Schafer. It is based upon Howard Shaw's 1959 novel, The Crime of Giovanni Venturi. The musical was conceived as a vehicle for opera star Cesare Siepi, and the story concerned a family-owned Italian restaurant's efforts to compete with a restaurant chain.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Musical · 1966

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a musical with music and lyrics by Bob Merrill and a book originally by Abe Burrows but rewritten during pre-Broadway tryouts by Edward Albee. It is based on the 1958 Truman Capote novella and 1961 film of the same name about a free spirit named Holly Golightly.

Brigadoon

Musical · 1947

New Yorkers Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas have travelled to the Scottish Highlands on a game-hunting vacation, but they get lost on their first night out. They begin to hear music ("Brigadoon") coming from a nearby village that does not appear on their map of the area. They head over there to get directions back to their inn and find a fair in progress ("McConnachy Square"), with villagers dressed in traditional Scottish tartan. Andrew MacLaren and his daughters arrive at the fair to purchase supplies for younger daughter Jean's wedding to Charlie Dalrymple. Archie Beaton's son Harry madly loves Jean and is depressed at the thought of her marrying another, unable to find comfort in Maggie Anderson's devotion to him. One of the girls asks Jean's older sister Fiona when she'll marry, and Fiona answers she's waiting for the right person ("Waitin' for My Dearie"). Tommy and Jeff wander into the village and ask where they are; Archie informs them that they are in "Brigadoon". Fiona invites the wanderers to have a meal and rest at the MacLaren home. Flirtatious dairymaid Meg Brockie immediately falls for Jeff and leads him off. Charlie Dalrymple appears, rejoicing in his impending nuptials. He shares a drink with Tommy, toasting to a Mr. Forsythe whom he thanks for "postponing the miracle". When Tommy asks what that means, Fiona shushes him and leads him away as Charlie celebrates the end of his bachelorhood ("Go Home with Bonnie Jean"). Tommy tells Fiona that he has a fiancée, Jane, in New York, but he's in no hurry to marry her, and Fiona reveals that she likes Tommy very much. Tommy insists on accompanying Fiona to gather heather for the wedding ("The Heather on the Hill"). Meanwhile, Meg takes Jeff to a place in the forest with a shack and a cot. She tells him she's "highly attracted" to him, but he spurns her advances, wanting only to sleep. She reflects on her "eventful" love life ("The Love of My Life"). At the MacLarens', Jean's friends help her pack her things to move into Charlie's home ("Jeannie's Packin' Up"). Charlie arrives to sign the MacLarens' family Bible. He wants to see Jean; told that it's bad luck to see her on the wedding day, he begs for her to come out anyway ("Come to Me, Bend to Me"). Tommy and Fiona return with a basket full of heather, and Fiona goes upstairs to help Jean dress for the wedding. Jeff arrives wearing a pair of Highland trews (trousers); apparently his own pants have been damaged on a "thistle". Jeff finds that Tommy is so happy that he can barely contain it ("Almost Like Being in Love"). Tommy notices that all the events listed in the family Bible, including Jean's wedding, are listed as if they had happened 200 years earlier. When he asks Fiona about this, she sends him to the schoolmaster, Mr. Lundie. Fiona, Tommy, and Jeff arrive at Mr. Lundie's home, where he relates a story that the two New Yorkers can hardly believe: to protect Brigadoon from being changed by the outside world, 200 years ago the local minister prayed to God to have Brigadoon disappear, only to reappear for one day every 100 years. All citizens of Brigadoon are forbidden to leave the town, or it will disappear forever. Tommy asks hypothetically if an outsider could be permitted to stay. Mr. Lundie replies, "A stranger can stay if he loves someone here – not jus' Brigadoon, mind ye, but someone in Brigadoon – enough to want to give up everythin' an' stay with that one person. Which is how it should be. 'Cause after all, lad, if ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible." The group leaves to go to the wedding, which opens with the clans coming in from the hills. Mr. Lundie marries Charlie and Jean, and they perform a traditional celebratory wedding dance. Sword dancers appear, led by Harry, and they perform an elaborate dance over their weapons. All the town joins in the dance, but it abruptly halts when Jean screams as Harry tries to kiss her. In anguish over Jean's wedding, he announces that he's leaving the town (which would end the miracle, causing Brigadoon to disappear forever into the Highland mists) and sprints away. The men of the town, including Tommy and a reluctant Jeff, frantically try to find Harry before he can depart the town ("The Chase"). Suddenly an agonized scream is heard. Harry, who appears to have fallen on a rock and crushed his skull, is found dead by the other men. Deciding not to tell the rest of the town until the next morning, the men carry Harry's body away. Fiona and her father arrive to see if everything is all right. As Mr. MacLaren leaves, Tommy sees Fiona, and they embrace. She reveals her love for him, and he tells her he believes he feels the same way ("There But For You Go I"). Fiona reminds him that the end of the day is near, and Tommy tells her he wants to stay in Brigadoon with her. They go to find Mr. Lundie. Meanwhile, in the village, Meg tells about the day her parents were drunkenly married ("My Mother's Wedding Day"), and the townsfolk dance until the sound of Highland pipes pierces the air. The gaiety is interrupted as Archie Beaton enters carrying Harry's body, led by the pipers playing a lament. Maggie, who loved Harry, performs a funeral dance for her unrequited love. The men of Brigadoon help Archie carry his son to the burial place. Tommy finds Jeff and announces his intention to stay. Jeff thinks the idea is absurd and argues with Tommy until he has convinced him that Brigadoon is only a dream. Jeff also reveals that he tripped Harry and accidentally killed him. Fiona and Mr. Lundie arrive, and Tommy, shaken by Jeff's confession, tells Fiona that he loves her, but he can't stay; he still has doubts ("From This Day On"). Fiona tells Tommy, as she fades away into darkness, that she will love him forever. Four months later, Jeff is drinking heavily at a hotel bar in New York. Tommy, who has been living on a farm in New Hampshire, enters and greets Jeff, but is still in love with Fiona and cannot stop thinking about her. His fiancée Jane Ashton, a beautiful socialite, talks to him about their impending wedding, but everything she says causes him to hear Fiona's voice and dream of Brigadoon ("Come to Me, Bend to Me" (reprise) and "Heather on the Hill" (reprise)). Tommy tells Jane that he cannot marry her, and she argues with him, but he continues to daydream about his true love ("Go Home With Bonnie Jean" (reprise) and "From This Day On" (reprise)). Jane leaves, and Tommy tells Jeff that he wants to return to Scotland, although he knows the village will not be there. The pair return to the spot where they found Brigadoon and, as they expected, see nothing there. Just as they turn to leave, they hear the music again ("Brigadoon"), and Mr. Lundie appears and says, "My my! You must really love her. You woke me up!" Tommy waves goodbye to Jeff and disappears with Mr. Lundie into the Highland mist to be reunited with Fiona.

Bright Lights, Big City

Musical · 1999

Jamie, a twenty-four-year-old who came to New York City to fulfill his dream of being a writer, now finds himself in a frightfully boring job in the "factual verification department" of Gotham Magazine under tight-lipped boss Clara. Jamie soon discovers the party-scene of New York where he meets characters like Tad, who brings Jamie into a world of cocaine, sex and all-night partying at the Odeon club. Jamie indulges but eventually finds himself spinning out of control. His wife Amanda, a model, leaves him to follow her dream in Paris. He loses touch with his brother, Michael, who is left confused and alone since the death of their mother, and Jamie loses his job. Drugs and partying get the better of Jamie, as he starts to be haunted by hallucinations, while Chuck Bean, the number one reporter in town, worms his way into Jamie's brain. Jamie spirals out of control as the hallucinations and reality start to crumble. Tad introduces Jamie to his cousin, Vicky. It is meant to be nothing but a one-night engagement, but Jamie finds himself drawn to the rationality, innocence and philosophical tendencies of Vicky. He soon decides to turn his life around, forgetting about Amanda, deserting Tad, reconnecting with Michael, being with Vicky and finally restarting the novel he once gave up on.

Bright Star

Musical · 2014

In 1946, editor Alice Murphy greets the audience and tells them that, instead of overseeing other people's stories, she is going to tell her own ("If You Knew My Story"). One year earlier, in the town of Hayes Creek, serviceman and aspiring writer Billy Cane returns home after serving in World War II. He reunites with his father and his childhood friend Margo before learning that his mother has died ("She's Gone"). Several weeks later, Billy visits Margo and tells her he is going to submit his stories to The Asheville Southern Journal ("Bright Star"). Upon arriving at the offices of the Journal, he finds himself rebuffed by employees Daryl and Lucy. However, Alice finds herself charmed by a brazen lie that Billy tells and considers accepting his stories. She later declines Lucy's invitation to a dance, but privately reflects on a time when she would have gone to a dance ("Way Back in the Day"). Flashing back to 1923, a sixteen-year-old Alice flirts with Jimmy Ray Dobbs in her hometown of Zebulon, North Carolina ("Whoa, Mama"). When Alice returns home later that night, her parents reprimand her while pondering her unfortunate future. ("Firmer Hand/Do Right") Meanwhile, Jimmy Ray returns home only to be lectured by his father, Mayor Josiah Dobbs, on what the future holds for him ("A Man's Gotta Do"). In 1945, upon receiving encouragement from Alice in the form of a ten dollar check, Billy decides to settle down in Asheville and dedicate his time to writing. Margo reflects that she had other hopes for her future with Billy, but she decides to put her hopes aside and be supportive of his dreams ("Asheville"). In 1923, Alice and Jimmy Ray make their way to the riverbank ("What Could Be Better"). Sometime later, Alice goes to see the town physician, Doctor Norquist after feeling ill only to learn she is pregnant. Jimmy Ray proposes after learning of her pregnancy, but she is persuaded by Doctor Norquist and Mayor Dobbs to wait to get married in favor of staying in a remote cabin until giving birth. She divides her time in isolation between knitting a sweater for the baby and talking about their child with Jimmy Ray when he visits ("I Can't Wait"). Shortly after giving birth to a baby son, Alice and her mother learn that Mayor Dobbs and Alice's father have supposedly put the child up for adoption. Alice tries to make her father change his mind, but is bullied and demeaned by the room of men who have barged in and overpowered her, and who take her son from her ("Please, Don't Take Him"). Mayor Dobbs departs with the baby in a valise and boards the train to Hayes Creek before throwing the valise into the river when no one is looking ("A Man's Gotta Do [Reprise]"). In 1924, Alice prepares to attend college in Chapel Hill and privately yearns to find her son. Meanwhile, in 1945, Margo talks with her friends about how she misses Billy ("Sun Is Gonna Shine"). Back in 1924, Jimmy Ray tells his now ailing father that he is going to meet Alice in Chapel Hill. When Mayor Dobbs confesses what happened to the baby, Jimmy Ray decides to stay with his father after realizing he can't possibly tell Alice the truth ("Heartbreaker"). In 1946, Daryl and Lucy encounter a creatively frustrated Billy while sharing an after-work drink and try to cheer him up, culminating in Lucy and Billy sharing a drunken kiss ("Another Round"). The next day, Alice tells Billy that one of his stories is set to be published in the Journal. He confesses that he has been writing about Hayes Creek before inviting her to see where his stories take place. She agrees to do so after a planned visit to Raleigh to complete some unfinished business. In Raleigh, Alice requests permission to look through adoption papers drafted during the period when her son would have been registered. After failing to find what she is looking for, Alice encounters Jimmy Ray and learns about Josiah's actions. Believing their son to be dead, the two reaffirm their love for each other ("I Had a Vision"). Back in Hayes Creek, Billy tells Margo that he's moving back home before realizing that she's the girl for him ("Always Will"). In Zebulon, Alice reconciles with her father after he apologizes for allowing Josiah to take the baby away from her. Not wanting to continue his distress any longer, she tells him the child was adopted by a good family and is living a successful life. She makes her way to Hayes Creek and sees Billy's childhood home where she discovers the baby sweater she sent with her son, discovering that she is Billy's birth mother as his father explains how he found Billy as a baby in the river, but Billy is too shocked to process it and runs off ("So Familiar/At Long Last"). A few weeks later, after Alice has told Jimmy Ray that their child is still alive, Billy and Margo approach them in Asheville and Billy apologizes to Alice, accepting her as his mother and meeting Jimmy Ray for the first time. In order to fend off a flirtatious Lucy, Margo introduces herself as Billy's fiancée, much to Billy's pleasant shock, followed by Jimmy Ray proposing to Alice ("Finale").

Bring Back Birdie

Musical · 1981

Bring Back Birdie is a 1981 musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, and a book by Michael Stewart. It is a sequel to the 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie, which was written by the same team. Taking place twenty years after Bye Bye Birdie, it focuses on a scheme for rock 'n' roller Conrad Birdie, who had disappeared after being discharged from the U. S. Army, to make a comeback on a Grammy Awards broadcast.

Bring It On

Musical · 2011

On her last day of junior year, Campbell Davis prays to be named the captain of the Truman High School cheerleading squad ("What I Was Born to Do"). She gets the job, and her first duty is to replace the graduating members. Campbell's boyfriend, Steven calms her down with a song the two of them made to ease her from her new stress as captain ("Happy Kitties"). Her friend Skylar looks forward to tryouts ("Tryouts"). Other members of the squad include Kylar, Skylar's all-time follower, and Steven - Campbell's cute and worshipping boyfriend. Nerdy, chubby outcast Bridget doesn't make the cut, but Campbell takes a risk on adorable sophomore Eva. As the rest of the squad heads off to celebrate, Campbell reflects on the difficulties to come and dreams of "One Perfect Moment". At summer Cheer Camp, Eva's nervousness threatens the squad's chance to win the coveted Spirit Stick, an honor that indicates an upcoming Nationals win. To boost Eva's confidence, Campbell takes her aside and names her the Sophomore Spirit Leader – which means if Campbell were to lose her position, Eva would be third in the "line of succession" after Skylar and Kylar. After Campbell lifts Eva's spirits, Truman triumphs and celebrates their Spirit Stick win. ("What I Was Born To Do (Reprise)") Two weeks before the end of summer Campbell receives a letter with terrible news: she's been redistricted to inner-city Jackson High School. A horrified Kylar informs her that "they don't even have a squad!" Despite her attempts to stay at Truman, Campbell's fate is sealed. Her dream is gone. Even Steven cannot console his girlfriend. So, Campbell heads to her new school with nervousness and sadness. ("One Perfect Moment (Reprise)") Campbell arrives ("Welcome to Jackson") and discovers that Bridget has been redistricted as well. Intimidated and amazed, the pair is wowed by an impromptu performance by Jackson's resident dance crew ("Do Your Own Thing"). The day continues, as Campbell feels out of place and intimidated by everyone at Jackson. Campbell and Bridget meet the Queen Bees of Jackson High: Nautica, La Cienega and the head of the crew, Danielle. Bridget is an unexpected hit at Jackson – especially with the hormonal Twig who loves her curves. Campbell offers her talents to the crew, but a verbal slip-up turns the Jackson women against her. Danielle firmly explains that they are dancers and not cheerleaders ("We Ain't No Cheerleaders") – and the group lets Bridget in the crew. Skylar, Kylar, Eva, and Steven all call Campbell from Truman. Eva talks about how Campbell's old uniform fits perfectly and how she thinks Truman can win Nationals under Skylar's leadership. Steven tries to sing the Happy Kitties song over the phone, but is sent to voicemail. Later, Bridget consoles a discouraged Campbell and takes her to the Burger Pagoda where Danielle works. Campbell tries to make amends, but Danielle is unmoved and is still furious with Campbell, despite her attempts to explain. As she's leaving the Pagoda, Campbell confronts a pair of entitled rich girls harassing Danielle. Impressed and amused by Campbell's fire, Danielle reconsiders and offers Campbell a one-time chance to dance with the crew, dressed in an old leprechaun mascot suit ("Friday Night, Jackson"). After a shaky start, Campbell kills it as the leprechaun – and catches the eye of Randall, the smooth school D.J. An impressed Danielle gives Campbell an official spot on the Jackson crew. Later that night, Skylar and Kylar share shocking news, a slip-up in Skylar's grades means she can't be captain, and Kylar has contracted mono. By the rules of succession, Eva is now captain. Campbell grows suspicious ("Something Isn't Right Here") – and a visit to Eva's house seems to confirm her suspicions. Eva has taken on Campbell's appearance, and Campbell discovers Steven 'studying' there as well. Unconvinced by their explanations, Campbell breaks up with Steven and feverishly goes to Skylar and Kylar, who accuse her of paranoia and jealousy. Assessing the situation with Bridget, Campbell learns that Eva's mother is on the school board that decided on the redistricting. Outraged and certain of a conspiracy, Campbell decides to get back at Eva by assembling a squad at Jackson and crushing her at Nationals ("Bring It On"). Campbell approaches a reluctant Danielle about creating a cheerleading squad at Jackson. When Campbell lies and says that a Nationals win includes college scholarships for each winning member and a chance to be on live television, Danielle agrees to join her and assemble a squad. Using some convincing, they assemble of squad of girls and boys all to be on the squad, including Twig and Cameron. ("It's All Happening"). The Jackson Cheerleading Team has their first practice. Before, Campbell has a vision where she is back at Truman suddenly and Eva turns into a demon. Randall snaps her out of it, and they begin. Danielle informs Campbell they have a routine planned, which involves many moves the judges would deduct points for. Weeks later at the Regional Competition, Truman watches Jackson perform. While Eva, Steven, and Kylar are wowed, Skylar is smugly convinced that Truman will win ("Better"). Though Jackson wins enough points for a Nationals slot, they take second to Truman. Campbell meets up with Eva and Truman after the competition, and she has another vision in which all of the team turn into demons. Back at school, Twig asks Bridget on a date and Bridget shyly declines. This calls for an intervention from Nautica and La Cienega, who argue that it's no big deal when it comes to her insecurities ("It Ain't No Thing"). Her self-esteem boosted, Bridget chases after Twig. Randall asks Campbell on a picnic date on the cliffs above their town. She happily accepts, but moments later runs into a furious Jackson crew. Danielle has discovered that Campbell lied about the college scholarships as a Nationals prize and breaks up the squad. It's over, and so is their friendship. ("What Was I Thinking?") Upset and disgusted with herself, Campbell shows up for the date with Randall. After some pointed and playful ribbing, he encourages her to enjoy her high school years and stop worrying so much about her past mistakes ("Enjoy the Trip"). Meanwhile, Skylar, Kylar, and Eva discuss the dissolution of the Jackson cheerleading team, and Eva privately celebrates being made captain and the diabolical means she used to make it happen, revealing to the audience that she had orchestrated the entire change of leadership — blackmailing her mother into transferring Campbell, hacking into the school system to give Skylar a failing grade, and intentionally infecting Kylar with mono — confirming that Campbell was right about her suspicions ("Killer Instinct"). At Jackson, Bridget sports a hickey courtesy of her new boyfriend Twig. Campbell pulls Danielle aside and offers a profuse, pained apology. Danielle is still hurt by the lie, but acknowledges the joy their work brought her. Campbell explains that the experience changed her to the point where she no longer felt any ambition to go to Nationals – their friendship should have always been the most important thing. Despite her conflicting feelings, Danielle confesses that she misses Campbell and her friendship as well and decides to continue working together, meaning Nationals is back on ("We're Not Done"). At Nationals, Truman performs their routine exceptionally ("Legendary"). As the squad recovers, Eva runs into Campbell – Jackson is on deck to perform. Shocked at Campbell's presence, Eva tries — and fails — to undermine her confidence. Eva's efforts escalate as the rest of Jackson looks on, and she eventually reveals her villainous behavior, justifying her actions by claiming that they got Truman first place, which, in her mind, is more important than sportsmanship ("Eva's Rant"). Now on the mat, Jackson offers an exuberant, mind-blowing routine that breaks many of the fundamental rules of cheerleading, but inspires wild applause from the arena ("Cross the Line"). Jackson is sure they won, before being told by Bridget that they had broken many rules and gone outside of bounds multiple times. As the results are read, Campbell holds hands with everyone in Jackson, wondering if this is her moment. The hopes of winning are quickly shattered as the results say that Truman High School has won Nationals once again. After Eva comes in with the trophy, celebrating in her own insane way, Randall surprises Campbell, offering her his Pinewood Derby trophy from Cub Scouts, which he has repurposed with a Sharpie to credit her with "first place for everything that matters." With Eva gone, the Truman and Jackson squads celebrate their true victory: friendship ("I Got You").

Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk

Musical · 1995

Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk is a musical that debuted Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater in 1995 and moved to Broadway in 1996. The show was conceived and directed by George C. Wolfe, and featured music by Daryl Waters, Zane Mark and Ann Duquesnay; lyrics by Reg E. Gaines, George C. Wolfe and Ann Duquesnay; and a book by Reg E. Gaines. The choreography was by Savion Glover.

Broadway to Tokio

Musical · 1900

Broadway to Tokio has a loose plot in which a mummified Cleopatra awakes inside a New York City museum and discovers her heart is missing. She first searches New York City for her heart, and then continues her quest west; first taking a train to California and then a ship to Japan. The action of the musical takes place inside the Eden Musée in New York City; Longacre Square in Tenderloin, Manhattan; aboard a train on the inside of a Pullman car; Golden Gate, San Francisco; aboard a Pacific Mail Steamship; and in the city of Tokyo (spelled Tokio in this work).

Brooklyn the Musical

Musical · 2003

Using the play within a play structure, Brooklyn focuses on a group of five ragtag homeless musicians known as the City Weeds. The group periodically transforms a street corner under the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge into a stage where they present their play about a Parisian singer, Brooklyn, named after the New York City borough from which her wayward father Taylor hailed. Orphaned when her depressed mother Faith hangs herself, the girl is sent in quick succession to live in a convent, where she discovers her vocal talents, becomes a star, performs at Carnegie Hall, sets out in search of her father (who she discovers is a drug-addicted Vietnam War vet), and engages in a competition with local diva Paradice at Madison Square Garden. From the original Broadway souvenir program: Once upon a time, a famous young Parisian came to America to search for the Father she never knew. Her only clue, her name... Brooklyn. The "Reigning Diva of the Decade", Ms. Paradice is threatened by Brooklyn's new-found fame. She challenges Brooklyn to a "Battle Of The Divas" at Madison Square Garden. Brooklyn accepts to deliver the Father she has yet to find. Feeling the soul of the city that bears her name, Brooklyn is moved by a street performer who plays a rusty old crowbar as if it were a Golden Saxophone. The Streetsinger leads Brooklyn to her father. She learns the truth of who he is and where he's been. Although our "Wicked Witch Of The Hood" Ms. Paradice is about to wreak havoc with our heroine and her father, she doesn't mind if you love to hate her, because after all that's still love. Moments before showtime, the wicked Ms. Paradice confronts Brooklyn's Father she comes bearing gifts. The "Battle Of The Divas" begins. Ms. Paradice takes the stage. She warns America not to turn its back on her now or they call "Kiss My Black Ass!" Brooklyn finds herself center stage, abandoned by her Father. The crowd roared, the votes poured in. Paradice Won! Brooklyn was just another face in the crowd. However, in that crowd was another face. "So you gotta ask yourself, do you believe in happy endings?"

Brownstone

Musical · 1984

Brownstone is a musical written by Josh Rubins (book and lyrics), Andrew Cadiff (book) and Peter Larson (music). It centers on a group of five people living in a brownstone apartment in New York City. Brownstone's characters include Claudia, a young lady getting over a breakup; Howard, a writer struggling with his current novel; his wife Mary, who desperately wants children; Joan, a big-time lawyer whose boyfriend lives in Maine; and Stuart, a bright-eyed youngster just excited to finally be in New York. The musical is sung-through with little dialogue.

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Musical · 2000

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Musical · 2000

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Musical · 1989

In 1956, with the support of Lubbock, Texas, radio DJ, Hipockets Duncan, Buddy and his two friends form a Country & Western band – Buddy Holly & the Crickets – and begin a career in music. After a difficult start at Decca Records in Nashville, they sign a contract with up-and-coming, innovative record producer Norman Petty, who is based in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy Holly & the Crickets start to record hits from the studio built in Norman's backyard, among them "That'll Be the Day", which climbed the charts to number one. Buddy Holly & the Crickets became the hottest act in the country and began a national tour. Buddy and his band go to New York where they perform at the Apollo Theater in New York City, making history as the first white band to perform there. While recording in New York, Buddy proposes to Maria Elena Santiago, the Puerto Rican receptionist of his music publisher after a courtship of all of five hours. Newly married and ambitious, he shifts focus to New York and a rift develops between him and the Crickets. After a declaration of home truths during a recording session, the band split and Buddy unexpectedly finds himself having to pursue a solo career. Buddy joins The Winter Dance Party of 1959, a bus tour through the Midwest quenching the teenage thirst for the "new music called Rock 'n' Roll" The tour is hard work, the weather conditions appalling and the performers are alternating between sleeping in the luggage racks and dropping into hospital to be treated for frostbite. The story ends on February 3, 1959, after a rocking concert with the "Big Bopper" J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Buddy makes the fateful decision to break his promise to his pregnant wife not to fly, as he and the other two headliners board a small plane and take off into the night destined for their next show. During a snow storm, in the dead of night, the plane crashes and spares no survivors.

Buena Vista Social Club

Musical · 2023

Buena Vista Social Club is a 2023 stage musical, with a book by Marco Ramirez and featuring the music recorded by the ensemble musician group Buena Vista Social Club. The musical is set in Havana, Cuba and spans time from the 1950s to the 1990s, following the lives of four prominent musicians, the effect communism and the rise of Fidel Castro had on musicians at the time, and their eventual collaboration in 1997 on the landmark album Buena Vista Social Club. The music in the show is presented entirely in the Spanish language, with the musical styles of son, danzón, and bolero represented in the musical score.

Bullets Over Broadway the Musical

Musical · 2014

In 1929, playwright David Shayne is finally getting his first play God of Our Fathers produced on Broadway. The producer, Julian Marx, has enlisted the wealthy gangster Nick Valenti to pay for the show. Valenti wants to have his dim-witted and untalented girlfriend, Olive Neal, star as one of the leads. Valenti has assigned his strong-arm gangster Cheech to watch over Olive. Surprisingly, Cheech comes up with great ideas for improving the play. However, aging diva Helen Sinclair, the real star of the show, romances the younger David, who already has a girlfriend, Ellen. Meanwhile, the leading man, Warner Purcell, has his eye on Olive.

Burlesque

Musical · 2024

Sean, the emcee of the show, introduces us to the Burlesque Lounge, a burlesque venue in New York, owned by Tess ("Welcome to Burlesque"). We are also introduced to the stars of the lounge: Daphne, Queenie, twins Spring and Summer, Sophia and Nikki, who is late again, so Tess finishes the number instead. In her small town in Iowa, Ali is rehearsing with her choir ("Something's Got A Hold On Me") and she keeps stepping out of line, loudly riffing to the song. Ali confides in Miss Loretta, her choir teacher, and shows her a letter from her recently deceased mother with information about her biological mother, Theresa. Miss Loretta encourages Ali to travel to New York to meet her. After sending her a letter, Ali gets on a bus to the Big Apple, hoping to find her place ("Got It All From You"). Back at the Burlesque Lounge the show continues with a couple of short numbers from Dafne ("What Are Clothes") and Queenie ("Pretty Girls Only"). Ali arrives and briefly speaks to Jackson, the bar manager, then sneaks backstage looking for Theresa, now known as Tess, but is rudely dismissed by her, when trying to tell her she's her daughter. Nikki arrives late again and performs her solo after an argument with Tess about always being late and drinking too much ("Sugar Daddy Diet"). In the audience is Vince, Tess's ex-husband and part owner of the Burlesque lounge, who wants for Tess to buy his share of the lounge, but is also dismissed, as Tess has no time nor money for him. Ali is waiting for Tess after the show, but Jackson reveals she already left and offers Ali to crash on his couch for the night. As they get to know each other more, the two share a classic rom-com moment in Jackson's apartment ("Too Soon"), which ends when Jackson receives a call from his girlfriend Natalie. The next day, after the twins burlesque number ("Dirty Martini"), Jackson hires Ali as a waitress at the Burlesque, with a warning that Tess hates waitresses whose goal is to star in the Burlesque. While cleaning tables Ali cannot resist but bursting into song ("Don't Make Me Sing"), catching everyone's attention. Sean introduces Ali to the history of burlesque as a genre, after her comment about the Burlesque being a strip club ("Big"). The show-stopping number is interrupted by Tess scolding Sean for overspending and Tray, one of the dancers, for always wearing the girls outfits. Tess shares with Sean that the Burlesque is in deep financial trouble but she is determined to continue fighting ("You Haven't Seen the Last of Me"). After closure, Vince sneaks in Tess's office and finds the final notice from the bank and Ali's letter. He decides to use the information against his ex-wife ("Ammo"). At Jackson's apartment, Ali and Jack are growing closer. Jack walks in on Ali performing one of his songs, she is embarrassed at first, but then asks him to play the song on the keyboard ("Show Me How You Burlesque - pre reprise"). Impressed by her vocal talent, Jack convinces Ali she should be performing at the Burlesque lounge. The next day when Nikki is late again, she refuses to perform the first number ("Wagon Wheel Watusi") and says she will wait for her solo. This escalates into an argument with Tess, who fires her. During the dance number Vince tells Ali he knows the truth about her. Ali is about to tell Tess the whole truth, when Jack interrupts her and says she should be performing. Tess dares her to sing for the Burlesque audience and Ali surprises everyone with incredible talent ("Tough Lover"). Back at the Burlesque Lounge, Tess has agreed to make some changes to the show, adding new ideas suggested by Ali ("Express"). Ali has grown closer to the girls, is planning a gender reveal party for Sophia's baby and welcomes Tray, who now goes as Chardonnay, into the girls dressing room. A new number is shown, including ("Bump & Grind"), which features a heavily pregnant Sophia. Vince secretly hears a conversation between Sean and Tess, where she mentions a deposit she has saved for her daughter. He convinces Nikki to impersonate Ali, by stealing her driver's licence and key to the deposit box and collect the money from the bank, while Ali is performing at the Burlesque ("Bad Girl/Good Girl"). After the show, Ali and Tess share a moment backstage, with Tess sharing how she loves the performers as her own daughters and showing Ali how to put on make-up ("Make-Up"). Jack sings a song about Natalie ("Natalie") and the two break-up over the phone. Ali and Jack get together, with Ali also slowly becoming the star of the Burlesque ("Bound to You"). After spending the night together, Jack walks in naked, offering Ali a snack ("Cookie"). Nikki meets with Vince with a briefcase in hand, but, before giving him the money, demands to know what he's hiding. He is reticent at first, but reveals Ali's secret once he sees the briefcase is empty. With the impending end of the Burlesque, Ali suggests a big night, with new dresses made by Queenie, and new numbers, including one choreographed and inspired by Sean ("Bigger"). Vince lies to Ali saying Tess knew about her all along, but was using her for her talent. He then tells Tess Ali is her daughter and was using her to get onstage. Ali runs away, so the show cannot continue leading to the end of the lounge. Backstage, Tess is heartbroken ("Make-Up (reprise)"). Nikki finds Ali and gives her the money, convincing her to return to the lounge and join her revenge plot against Vince. Nikki has called him to the lounge under false pretence. Tess and Ali join in, making him confess, while Jackson films everything ("Call Mamma Daddy"). Tess and Ali clear the air and everyone welcomes Ali back ("Welcome to Burlesque (reprise)"). Ali insists to use the money for the lounge, as she has finally found a place to call home ("Got it All From You (reprise)"). Three months later the Burlesque lounge is thriving again ("Epilogue") and everyone unites for the final number ("Show Me How You Burlesque").

But Never Jam Today

Musical · 1969

But Never Jam Today is a musical with music by Bert Keyes and Bob Larimer, lyrics by Larimer, and a book by both Larimer and Vinnette Carroll. The musical is based on the works of Lewis Carroll, and takes its title from the "jam tomorrow" discussion in Carroll's 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.

By Jeeves

Musical · 2001

By Jeeves, originally Jeeves, is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and book by Alan Ayckbourn. It is based on the series of novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse that centre around the character of Bertie Wooster and his loyal valet, Jeeves. Premiering on April 22, 1975, at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, the show flopped initially, running for only a month. After an extensive rewrite, the show was produced in 1996 in both London and America, and premiered on Broadway in 2001.

By Jupiter

Musical · 1942

In the land of the Amazons the women rule and do battle while the men stay at home, mind the children, and buy new hats. An army of Greek soldiers, led by Theseus and Hercules, arrives in search of the Sacred Girdle of Diana, currently in the hands of reigning Queen Hippolyta. Accompanying them is war correspondent Homer, author of a recent bestseller called The Iliad. The Greek warriors are captured by the Amazons, and romance blossoms between Theseus and Antiope, the warrior-leader of the Amazons. A subplot involves Hippolyta's foppish husband Sapiens, forced on her by his wealthy mother, in exchange for financing the war against the Greeks, who employs his "non-traditionally-male wiles" to get his way with the opposite sex.

By the Beautiful Sea

Musical · 1954

By the Beautiful Sea is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Arthur Schwartz. Like Schwartz's previous musical, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, also starring Shirley Booth, the musical is set in Brooklyn just after the start of the 20th century (1907). By the Beautiful Sea played on Broadway in 1954.

Bye Bye Birdie

Musical · 1960

New York–based songwriter Albert Peterson finds himself in trouble when his client, hip-thrusting rock and roll superstar and teen idol Conrad Birdie, is drafted into the Army, leaving his heavily indebted firm Al-Mae-Lou Music (a spoof of the real-life Aldon Music) in jeopardy. Albert's secretary, Rose "Rosie" Alvarez, comes up with a last-ditch publicity stunt to have Birdie record and perform a song before he is sent overseas. Having been stuck in a sort of romantic limbo for eight years, she longs for the Albert she once knew, an aspiring English teacher, before he wrote Birdie's first hit and abandoned those plans to pursue the seedier music industry ("An English Teacher"). Rose's plan is to have Birdie sing "One Last Kiss" (a song she assigns Albert to write on the spot) and give one lucky girl, chosen randomly from his fan club, a real "last kiss" on The Ed Sullivan Show before going into the Army. In Sweet Apple, Ohio, all the teenagers are catching up on the latest gossip about 15-year-old Kim MacAfee and Hugo Peabody going steady ("The Telephone Hour"). Kim reflects on how happy she is with her maturity, believing at 15 she has fully reached adulthood ("How Lovely to Be a Woman"). She quits the Conrad Birdie fan club over the phone because of the new milestone happening in her life. Her best friend Ursula is shocked. Kim reconsiders when, after a lengthy phone conversation with Ursula, she receives the phone call telling her that she has been chosen to be Birdie's last kiss before going into the armed forces. Meanwhile, Conrad, Albert and Rosie prepare to go to Sweet Apple. A crowd of teenage girls sees them off at the New York City train station, although one girl is sad because she thinks that by the time Conrad gets out of the army, she will be too old for him. Albert advises her to be optimistic ("Put On a Happy Face"). Soon, tabloid reporters arrive with questions about the seedy details of Conrad's personal life, but Rosie, Albert and the girls answer for him, hoping to protect his reputation and bankability ("Normal American Boy"). Conrad receives a hero's welcome in Sweet Apple, and Hugo worries that Kim likes Conrad more than she likes him, but Kim assures Hugo that he is the only one she loves ("One Boy"). Conrad shocks the town's parents and drives the teenage girls crazy with his performance of "Honestly Sincere", which causes all of the girls (including Edna, the mayor's wife) to faint. Conrad becomes a guest in the MacAfee house and irritates Kim's father, Harry, by being rude and selfish. Harry does not want Kim to kiss Conrad, until Albert tells him their whole family will be on The Ed Sullivan Show. Kim, Harry, Kim's mother Doris, and younger brother Randolph sing Sullivan's praises ("Hymn for a Sunday Evening"). Albert's overbearing mother, Mae, comes to Sweet Apple to break up her son's relationship with Rosie (she objects to Rosie's Hispanic heritage). She introduces Albert to Gloria Rasputin, a curvy blonde she met on the bus who could replace Rosie as his secretary. Gloria, a tap dancer, secretly hopes that a connection with Albert could be her way into show business. Mae sings "Swanee River" as Gloria tap-dances (usually depicted as her making a fool of herself). Albert gives Gloria a typing job. Rosie is furious, and fantasizes about violent ways to murder Albert ("One Hundred Ways Ballet"), but instead comes up with a better idea: she convinces Hugo to sabotage the last kiss. Since both Rosie and Hugo are jealous and angry, they plot to ruin Conrad's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. On the broadcast, Conrad sings "One Last Kiss", and as he leans in to kiss Kim, Hugo runs onstage and punches him in the face, knocking Conrad unconscious. Rosie dumps Albert who, trying to cover for the mishaps of the evening, then leads a chorus of "Normal American Boy". Despite plans to re-film the broadcast, Rosie and Kim resolve to leave Albert and Hugo, lamenting their stupidity for having fallen in love ("What Did I Ever See in Him?"). Conrad, with no visible effects from being knocked out, decides he wants to go out and have a good time on his last night as a civilian, and encourages the Sweet Apple teens to party ("A Lot of Livin' to Do"). Kim sneaks out of her house and joins her friends. Conrad, Kim, and all the teenagers, except Hugo, head for the Ice House, "where people go when they want to be alone." Hugo goes to Maude's Roadside Retreat, the town bar, hoping to get drunk, but grumpy proprietor Charles F. Maude sees that he's underage and refuses to serve him. When Harry discovers Kim has run away, he and Doris lament how disobedient kids are these days ("Kids"). Rosie ends up at Maude's Roadside Retreat and starts flirting with other men, but Albert phones her and begs her to return to him ("Baby, Talk to Me"). Rosie interrupts a Shriners meeting in Maude's private dining room. She flirts with all the Shriners, and they begin a wild dance. Hugo and Albert rescue Rosie from the crazed Shriners, and Albert finally stands up to his mother, telling her to go home. Mae leaves, but not before lamenting the sacrifices she made for him ("A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore"). Hugo tells the MacAfees and the other parents that the teenagers have gone to the Ice House, and they all declare that they do not know what's wrong with their kids ("Kids Reprise"). Randolph joins in, stating that his older sister and the other teens are "so ridiculous and so immature". The adults and the police arrive at the Ice House and arrest Conrad for attempted statutory rape. Kim, who unconvincingly claimed to be in her late 20s to Conrad, claims she was intimidated and gladly returns to Hugo. After a reconciliation with Albert, Rosie tells Mae that she will marry Albert despite Mae's racist objections, and despite being a natural-born American citizen from Allentown, Pennsylvania, she will deliberately play up her Hispanic heritage if it annoys Mae that much ("Spanish Rose"). Albert bails Conrad out of jail and arranges for him to sneak out of town dressed as a middle-aged woman, presumably so he can report for Army induction as scheduled; in turn, Conrad offers Albert a lifetime contract for bailing him out. Albert gets Mae to leave Sweet Apple on the same train, getting his mother and Conrad out of his life for good. Albert tells Rosie they're not going back to New York; they're going to Pumpkin Falls, Iowa, a small town in need of a (married) English teacher. Albert professes that everything is rosy with Rosie ("Rosie"), and they go off together happily engaged.

Cabin in the Sky

Musical · 1940

Act I Little Joe is dying. Lucifer Jr prepares to bring his soul to hell (Little Papa Satan). Little Joe protests, and his wife Petunia’s praying causes the Lawd's General to appear (The General's Entrance). The General proclaims that Heaven will grant Little Joe six more months of life, and if he can redeem himself during that time, he will be let into heaven (The Man Upstairs). Little Joe becomes conscious again and Petunia rejoices (Taking a Chance on Love). During Joe's recovery, Lucifer Jr attempts to ruin Petunia and Little Joe by claiming that Little Joe owes him a large amount of money in gambling debts. Petunia says she will gamble with him to pay back the debt. She accuses him of cheating and chases him away. Little Joe comes out of the house, and for the first time is kind to Petunia. Petunia is ecstatic (Cabin in the Sky). The Pastor welcomes Little Joe back to the Church (Holy Unto the Lord/Dem Bones). In Hell, Lucifer Jr comes up with a plan to tempt Little Joe and delivers a broadcast to the other members of Hell (Do What You Wanna Do). He gives Little Joe a sweepstakes ticket, which Petunia lets Joe keep (Finale Act I). Act II The Act begins with a prologue with the Lawd’s General describing the nature of temptation (Fugue). Little Joe and Petunia are very happy and dream of moving far away where they can be alone (My Old Virginia Home on the Nile). Lucifer Jr sends Little Joe a dream featuring the alluring Queen of Sheba (Vision Ballet). The Lawd’s General tells Little Joe to throw away the ticket (It's Not So Bad to Be Good). Joe's former lover, Georgia Brown, shows up and vamps him (Love Me Tomorrow). Petunia walks in on this and throws Little Joe out (Love Turned the Light Out). Little Joe flees to a Cafe (Cafe Dance: Lazy Steps and Boogy Woogy). Georgia Brown follows him (Honey in the Honeycomb). Petunia also shows up and, in an attempt to win Joe back, demands $1000 and says she is leaving for "Savannah". In the resulting tumult, Petunia and Little Joe are killed. Both are let into Heaven as their deaths caused Georgia Brown to reform and join the church (Finale Act II).

Cagliostro in Wien

Musical · 1875

A three-act German operetta about the historical figure Cagliostro, with roles including Empress Maria Theresa, Count Cagliostro, the Italian street singer Lorenza, and Cagliostro’s aide Blasoni.

Calendar Girls

Musical · 2015

Annie's husband John dies from leukaemia at an early age. Her close friend, Chris, wants to purchase a comfortable sofa for the visitors' lounge in the hospital where John was treated. She hits upon the idea of printing a calendar featuring some of the members of the Knapely branch of the Women's Institute, discreetly posing nude while engaged in traditional WI activities, such as baking and knitting, in order to raise funds. Her proposal is initially met with great scepticism, but she eventually convinces ten women to participate in the project with her. They enlist one of the hospital workers, an amateur photographer named Lawrence, to help them with the calendar.

Caligula

Musical · 2004

Caligula, subtitled "An Ancient Glam Epic", is a stage musical about the notorious Roman Emperor Caligula in the style of 1970s glam rock. The musical's book, music, and lyrics are by Eric Svejcar. The musical was selected as a finalist for the 2003 Richard Rodgers Award. It was first presented publicly in May 2004 in a concert production at the Zipper Theatre in New York City. The first full production was presented at the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) as one of the first shows of the inaugural festival. The production received the Golden NYMF audience award and played an extended run beyond the festival at the Theatre At St. Clements in New York City. The production was directed by Michael Unger and starred Euan Morton. Subsequent workshop productions were presented in 2006 at the Actors Studio in New York City as well as further development in conjunction with Lafayette College in Easton, PA. The latter workshop productions starred Braden Tilghman as General Cassius Chaerea and Euan Morton as Emperor Caligula. In July 2009, a staged reading was presented (starring Morton, Anastasia Barzee, David Edwards, Autumn Hurlbert, and Matt Bogart) at New World Stages in NYC.

Call Me Madam

Musical · 1950

Sally Adams, a wealthy widow from Oklahoma, lives in Washington, D.C., where she is known as "the hostess with the mostest," famed for throwing the best parties in town. Despite her complete lack of experience, she is tapped as ambassador to the tiniest country in Europe, the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg. The young press attaché Kenneth Gibson accompanies her as her aide. Sally is disappointed to find that Lichtenburg's foreign minister, Cosmo Constantine, is a formal and standoffish person who refuses to accept America's offer of foreign aid. She hatches a plot to get Cosmo promoted to the office of prime minister, thinking that he can be replaced by a foreign minister more open to her American manners and way of thinking. Meanwhile, Kenneth meets Princess Maria, daughter of the duke and duchess. Her parents are planning to marry her to a wealthy suitor whose fortune will help the duchy financially. Despite the fact that she is forbidden to speak to commoners, the princess and Kenneth fall in love. Cosmo learns of Sally's plans for him and resigns his position, opening the way for the country's first general election in twenty years. Sally openly campaigns for Cosmo to become prime minister, and is recalled to Washington for interfering in another country's internal affairs. However, the spirit of democracy has awakened in Lichtenburg: Cosmo is elected prime minister and the duke and duchess grant permission for Maria and Kenneth to marry.

Call Me Mister

Musical · 1946

Call Me Mister is a revue with sketches by Arnold Auerbach and words and music by Harold Rome. The title refers to troops who are happily returning to civilian life and no longer want to be addressed by their military ranks. The Broadway production, directed by Robert H.

Calling All Stars

Musical · 1934

Calling All Stars is a 1934 musical revue with music by Harry Akst, lyrics by Lew Brown, and orchestrations by Hans Spialek and Conrad Salinger. The production opened on Broadway at the Hollywood Theatre on December 13, 1934 with a cast led by Lou Holtz, Phil Baker, Mitzi Mayfair, Everett Marshall, Sara Mildred Strauss, Patricia Bowman, Judy Canova, Peggy Taylor, Martha Raye, Jack Whiting, Estelle Jayne, Harry McNaughton., and Ella Logan in her American debut. The production closed after 36 performances on January 12, 1935.

Camelot

Musical · 1960

In the 1981 revision of the stage musical, the action starts at the end of the plot as Arthur is about to fight Mordred. Arthur asks that Merlin take his memory back to the beginning and the rest of the musical is told in flashback from this frame story. This was a device adopted from the 1967 film adaptation. The 1981 revision also changes the sequence of some scenes especially in Act II. What follows is a synopsis of the original 1960 version. King Arthur is nervous about his upcoming arranged marriage and is hiding in a tree. Merlin the Magician, his wise tutor, calls Arthur down to warn the young king that he must learn to think for himself. Merlin, who lives backward in time and remembers the future as well as the past, knows he will soon be separated from Arthur. Merlin persuades Arthur to climb down and chides him for his unkingly behavior. Arthur then left alone, ponders both his subjects and his own feelings about the intended nuptials (“I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?”). Arthur hears someone coming and scampers up the tree again. Guenevere, Arthur's intended bride, comes to the woods. She does not like the idea of being Queen, preferring to live the life of an ordinary nobleman's daughter (“Simple Joys of Maidenhood”). She stumbles into Arthur, who initially calls himself “Wart” (his childhood nickname), and then, hearing of her reluctance to marry, tells her of the joys of life in Camelot (“Camelot”). It is love at first sight, and they almost kiss but are interrupted when Arthur's attendants come upon the two of them. He is revealed as the King. He tells Guenevere the story of how he pulled the sword from the stone and became king, and she finally agrees to marry him. The wizard Merlin is amused by this development, but his joy turns to sorrow as his memories of the future begin to fade. Merlin realizes that Nimue, a beautiful water nymph, has come to draw him into her cave for eternal sleep (“Follow Me”). He begs Nimue for answers, as he has forgotten if he has warned Arthur about two important individuals, Lancelot and Mordred. His memories fade permanently, though, and he is led away. Five years later, Arthur sits with Guenevere in his study, discussing his views on knights and chivalry. He explains that he wishes to create a new kind of knight — one that does not pillage and fight but tries to uphold honor and justice. He is eventually inspired, with Guenevere's help, to establish the Round Table with the motto “might for right.” Within a few years, Arthur's idea leads to the Knights of the Round Table being renowned all over England, and their fame even spreads to France. A young, pretentious and over-religious French prince from Joyous Garde named Lancelot du Lac has heard of the Round Table and is determined to come to Camelot and join Arthur's knights, confident that he is perfect for the post (“C’est Moi”). King Pellinore, an elderly man who was a friend of Arthur's family, also comes to Camelot to witness Arthur's greatness for himself. He inadvertently wanders into the May Day festivities organized by Guenevere (“The Lusty Month of May”). On learning who he is, Guenevere orders a guestroom to be prepared, and has one of the knights escort him to the castle. Pellinore becomes part of the family — he is still present at the musical's conclusion, many years later. As Pellinore departs, King Arthur arrives with Lancelot, and introduces him to the company. Guenevere is put off by Lancelot's boastful manner and her attempts to draw him into conversation seem only intended to prove him wrong about his apparently unrealistic claims about his own prowess. The knights and ladies of the court watch in amusement. Guenevere incites three of the knights — Sir Dinadan, Sir Sagramore, and the burly Sir Lionel — to challenge Lancelot to a joust (“Then You May Take Me to the Fair”). Arthur (who, unlike everybody else, is friendly with Lancelot) is dismayed by this, and is at a loss to understand a woman's ways — though he cannot be angry with Guenevere (“How to Handle a Woman”). In the jousting match, Lancelot easily defeats all three knights. He wounds Sir Lionel, who fights him last, so badly that the crowd thinks he is dead. But the dismay of the crowd turns to awe as Lancelot's distraught cries for Sir Lionel to live seem to resurrect a dead man. Whether it is an actual miracle or not, the entire court believes it to be one, and all the knights and ladies bow or curtsy to Lancelot, paying homage to him as he passes by. Guenevere curtsies to him, too, and as he kneels before her, their eyes lock, and both seem to realize something that neither understood before. Arthur notices their silent exchange. In the scenes that follow, Guenevere is torn between her new love for Lancelot and her love and loyalty for Arthur. She wishes Lancelot would leave Camelot (“Before I Gaze at You Again”). In spite of Lancelot's boasts that he is immune to pleasures of the flesh, he is also madly in love with Guenevere and also torn by the conflict between that love and his devotion to Arthur, who makes Lancelot a Knight of the Round Table. Arthur, realizing that Lancelot and Guenevere have feelings for each other, hopes it will blow over and soliloquizes to his sword Excalibur that they will rise to the challenges they will all face together. Many years later, Guenevere and Lancelot are still tormented by their unfulfilled love. She implores him to discontinue the romance, but Lancelot will not leave her (“If Ever I Would Leave You”). They both believe that Arthur is not aware of it. Nevertheless, she remains faithful to Arthur and helps him in carrying out the affairs of State. Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son, comes to Camelot to dishonor the King and tries to gain the throne for himself. Arthur puts him in charge of the knights’ training program, not knowing that Mordred is there to destroy the Round Table in revenge against Arthur for abandoning him, and that he detests the idea of being a Knight (“The Seven Deadly Virtues”). Arthur begins to feel the strain of ruling England, and both he and Guenevere wonder what commoners do without any such responsibilities (“What Do The Simple Folk Do?”). Mordred, meanwhile, has devised a plan to ruin Arthur and his kingdom permanently. He enters an enchanted glade where his aunt, the sorceress Morgan le Fay, dwells in an invisible castle. Morgan has a sweet tooth, and though she likes Arthur, Mordred manages to bribe her with a large supply of sweetmeats to build one of her invisible walls around Arthur for one night, so that when he goes on his hunting trip the next day, he will not be able to get back to the castle (“The Persuasion”). Meanwhile, Mordred incites the Knights to remember their former days of fighting and pillaging and turns them against Arthur (“Fie On Goodness!”). With Arthur gone, Lancelot, unable to stop himself, visits Guenevere in her chambers, as Mordred fully suspected he would. They kiss passionately (“I Loved You Once in Silence”). However, Lancelot and Guenevere's affair and Mordred's machinations come to a head when Mordred and some of the Knights of the Round Table interrupt, accuse Lancelot of treason, and try to take him prisoner. Lancelot fights them off and escapes, but Guenevere is arrested, tried, found guilty of treason by reason of her infidelity, and sentenced to be burned at the stake (“Guenevere”). At the execution, Arthur watches from a distance as Mordred taunts him for his failures; he is torn between upholding his law and doing his duty as a king, or sparing Guenevere, whom he still loves in spite of everything. At the last moment, Lancelot arrives with an army, rescues Guenevere and takes her off with him to France. But in the process, Lancelot has been forced to kill some of the other knights, leaving the survivors vowing revenge. For the sake of his own honor and that of Camelot, Arthur must now wage war against Lancelot. Mordred has taken up his own army against Arthur, back in England. The war takes a terrible toll on Camelot, as more than half of the Knights of the Round Table are killed. Before the final battle, Arthur meets Lancelot and Guenevere. Lancelot and Guenevere's relationship has foundered, doubtless because of their guilty consciences. Guenevere has become a nun, and the Round Table is now broken. They offer to face up to justice in England, but Arthur will not see Guenevere burned or Lancelot beheaded. He forgives them both, and they depart separately. That night in camp, Arthur meets a young stowaway named Tom of Warwick (likely Sir Thomas Malory), who has come to join the Round Table. His speech reminds Arthur of the idealism and hope that he had as a young king, and inspires him. Arthur knights Tom and sends him back to England to grow up there, that he might pass on to future generations the ideals of chivalry and Camelot ("Camelot" (reprise)). The Aaron Sorkin-penned revision of the book excises all magic, makes Merlin a sage, and Morgan le Fay a scientist heralding the Age of Enlightenment as well as Mordred's mother and Arthur's ex-partner, and removes the character of Nimue. The new book also underscores democracy and a more egalitarian society. Act I begins with Arthur’s retinue alert, waiting for the arrival of Guenevere's carriage from France as part of a peace treaty, and critiquing her flouting of tradition by disembarking at the bottom of the hill instead of atop. Guenevere is more contemporary and is cold to Arthur in their meeting, replacing their love-at-first-sight encounter. She seems bound by duty in/to her marriage, rather than love, and serves as an advisor to Arthur rather than a mere consort. Despite this, near the conclusion of Act II, a tearful Guenevere admits to Arthur that she has loved him since their first meeting and wishes he could see himself the way she has. The knights are mistrustful of Guenevere because she is a French foreigner.

Can-Can

Musical · 1953

In Paris in 1893, the dance-hall in Montmartre owned by La Môme Pistache, Bal du Paradis, is being threatened with closing by a self-righteous judge, Aristide Forestier. He is offended by the scandalous but popular dance that the attractive dancers perform at the dance-hall, the "Can-Can." The judge sends the police to harass the owner and dancers, but the police like the dancers so much that they are reluctant to testify against them in court. The judge decides to gather evidence himself, and takes a trip to the club. Once there, he and the owner, La Môme, fall in love. He tries to keep his identity a secret but the girls recognize him. He sees the Can-Can and gets photographic evidence of its scandalousness. La Môme and the dancers are sent to jail. One of the dancers, Claudine, a laundry girl by day, has been pursued by Hilaire, an art critic, who plans to host an elaborate ball at the club. Claudine, who loves a sculptor, Boris, arranges to have dinner with Hilaire so that her sculptor will receive a favourable review. Now, with the proprietress and dancers locked up, the ball cannot go forward. The judge is struggling with the conflict between his moral scruples and his love for La Môme. Eventually, he concedes that "obscenity is in the eye of the beholder". He urges her to escape, but a journalist gets a photograph of him kissing her – a scandal for him! Hilaire criticises Boris's sculptures, and the cowardly artist manages to challenge the critic to a duel before fainting. Eventually, Hilaire writes a gushing review of Boris's work. Judge Aristide loses his judgeship and is disbarred, but La Môme and the girls all go to court with him and all win their cases.

Candide

Musical · 1956

Candide travels from Westphalia through war, Lisbon, Paris, Buenos Aires, Eldorado, Suriname and Venice, repeatedly confronting disasters that undermine Dr. Pangloss’s optimism. After losing and finding Cunegonde amid the upheavals, Candide rejects the promise that all is for the best and resolves to build a meaningful life with the others through practical work.

Canterbury Tales

Musical · 1979

Before the first act there is a prologue in which Chaucer explains to the audience that the telling of the tales is the suggestion of Harry Bailey, innkeeper at The Tabard in Southwark, where the pilgrims gather before riding to the tomb of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer and Bailey, who is referred to as "the Host", ride with them and the latter strives to keep matters running smoothly as each pilgrim tells his or her tale and hands on the story-telling to the next. The show draws on five of the tales, opening with glimpses of Chaucer, the Host and the tellers of the tales as seen in Chaucer's General Prologue. The first tale in the show is from the bawdy fabliau The Miller's Tale, in which two young men vie to seduce the young wife of an older carpenter. One of them succeeds, but has a hot iron pressed into his buttocks by the other, and in the ensuing hullaballoo the carpenter, tricked into sleeping in a bathtub suspended from the rafters, tumbles down onto the attic floor. After an episode from The Nun's Priest's Tale – featuring the cock Chanticleer, his wife, the hen Pertelote, and the fox who hopes to eat Chanticleer – there is another tale about two young men seeking to seduce a married woman, taken from The Reeve's Tale (called The Steward's Tale in this version). The theme persists in the section drawn from The Merchant's Tale, in which the elderly Januarie is deceived by his young wife, May, and her lover, Damyan, after Januarie goes blind. His sight is suddenly restored and he sees the two in flagrante, leaving May with some explaining to do, which she just about manages. The Squire tries to raise the tone with a song in praise of chivalry, but the Wife of Bath is unimpressed. In her prologue, and throughout the show, she dismisses celibacy as something God does not call for, and her tale tells of a knight accused of rape, who is condemned to discover what women most desire. He turns to an ugly old witch who tells him that the answer is sovereignty over men. As promised, he marries her and has the sense to give her the answer she hopes for when asked if he would wish her ugly yet faithful or beautiful and fickle. He insists that the choice has to be hers; her youth and beauty are restored and they live "in perfect bliss" ever after. By contrast with Chaucer's original, which ends, unfinished, while the pilgrims are still en route to Canterbury, the show has them arriving there. In The Stage, the reviewer R. B. Marriott wrote of "a finely conceived scene at Becket's tomb: simple yet gripping, a holy moment in perfect harmony with the rest of the story, and investing the characters with an extraordinary human vividness".

Captain Billy

Musical · 1891

Christopher Jolly cannot marry Polly until he finds his birth certificate and learns his age. Captain Billy returns to his village after years as a pirate and reunites with his wife, who thought him dead. Jolly learns Billy is his uncle and Billy confirms his age, allowing him to marry Polly. Billy settles down as a soap salesman.

Captain Louie

Musical · 2005

Louie is lonely because his family has moved to a new neighborhood ("New Kid in the Neighborhood"). Playing with his toy airplane, Red, Louie decides to travel to his old neighborhood. He makes a diorama out of a shoebox. Looking into it through the purple cellophane, he imagines that he and Red are on their way ("Big Red Plane"). A sinister gang, consisting of a broom, flower, monster and mouse, plan to trick Louie ("We've Got a Welcome for Louie"). He arrives in his old neighborhood, but it is deserted and dark; his friends do not answer him when he calls. A whistle shrieks, and dark shapes chase Louie ("Shadows"). The gang of creatures drag Louie to their hideaway. Louie is frightened, but he eventually realizes that the creatures are Louie's old friends in Halloween costumes. Everyone celebrates Captain Louie's return ("Trick or Treat"). Julio, a new kid, meets everyone. As they are all about to go trick-or-treating, one of the gang, Ziggy, observes that someone has moved into Louie's old house. The indignant kids decide to "trick" the new occupant of Louie's house ("Looza on the Block"). But it turns out that the new occupant is Julio. Then, the group insists on going to Ziggy's house. It is in a disinvested neighborhood, and Ziggy is embarrassed because his family is too poor to buy Halloween decorations and candy. Louie suggests that the kids help Ziggy to decorate his house ("Spiffin' Up Ziggy's"). Louie eventually suggests that the group go trick-or-treating by plane ("Captain Louie"). Soon, it is time for Louie to leave, and he says goodbye to his friends ("Home Again"). He arrives back in his new neighborhood, gathers his courage and dresses as "Captain Louie" in his Red airplane. Louie's Halloween costume is popular in his new neighborhood, and he makes new friends ("Finale: New Kid In The Neighborhood, Reprise").

Careless Rapture

Musical · 1936

Careless Rapture is a 'musical play' by the Welsh composer Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall. It premiered on 11 September 1936 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It ran for 295 performances, a relatively modest success given Novello's other major successes. Written as another large-scale extravaganza (including a fair on Hampstead Heath and an on-stage earthquake), it followed Novello's hugely successful Glamorous Night of 1935. Careless Rapture is the tale of an actress, Penelope Lee, engaged to the wealthy Sir Robert Alderney, but who is the object of Rodney's half-brother Michael's affections. Set in London, and ending up in China, Michael finally wins Penelope's affections by rescuing her from an earthquake. Novello himself took the speaking part of Michael in the original production, which also starred Dorothy Dickson as Penelope Lee, Zena Dare as Phyllida Frame and Olive Gilbert as Mme Simonetti. Ivy Tresmand later took over the part of Penelope Lee. The production was directed by Leontine Sagan.

Carib Song

Musical · 1945

Carib Song is a 1945 Broadway musical with book and lyrics by William Archibald and music by Baldwin Bergersen. It opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 27, 1945, and closed on October 27 after 36 performances. It was billed as "A Musical Play of the West Indies in Two Acts and Thirteen Scenes". The show focuses heavily on "Trinidadian folklore, ritual, and ethnographic dance".

Carmelina

Musical · 1979

Carmelina is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Alan Jay Lerner, lyrics by Lerner, and music by Burton Lane.

Carmen Jones

Musical · 1943

Parachute maker Carmen Jones makes a play for a "fly boy" Air Force man, Joe, who is in love with sweet Cindy Lou and about to marry her on a day pass when Carmen gets into a fight with another woman. Joe's pass is cancelled in order for him to drive her to the next town to be handed over to the non-military police. Instead, Carmen charms him and escapes, and he is put in the stockade for not delivering her to the authorities. While Carmen waits for Joe to be released from military prison, she hangs around Billy Pastor's jive cafe where she encounters boxer Husky Miller, who is instantly besotted with Carmen, calling her "heatwave". Carmen initially is uninterested, but her friends Frankie and Mert know that their invitation from Husky's manager to see him fight in Chicago depends on Carmen's being there, too. Joe, having been released from the stockade, turns up at the cafe the same evening. At first, his prospects seem to be looking up, as his connections have put Joe back on track for aviator school. Carmen lays down a guilt trip, protesting that a long-distance relationship with Joe away at school just isn't what she had in mind. He immediately gets into a fight with his sergeant, who is making a move on Carmen, as well as putting pressure on Joe. Starting the fight would have been enough to put Joe back in military prison for years, but the fight goes badly, and the sergeant ends up apparently dead. Carmen makes Joe hide the body because desertion seems better than a lengthy sentence. The train ticket to Chicago originally given to Carmen offers them a way of avoiding the MPs. After a few days hiding in a seedy hotel with no money and no future with Joe, Carmen pays a visit to her two friends, now covered in diamonds and furs, at Husky's training camp. She only is looking for a loan, but they try to draw her to give up Joe and "go with the money" by staying with Husky. Later, at Husky's apartment, Frankie reads Carmen's "cards", and reveals the nine of spades - the card of death. In the belief that her days are numbered, Carmen gives in to Husky's advances, abandoning Joe for the luxurious life Husky can offer her. Cindy Lou comes to look for Joe, but he is still in love with Carmen and spurns Cindy Lou. The night of Husky's title fight, Joe tries to convince Carmen to return to him, but when she rejects him, he kills her, thus making the card's prophecy a reality.

Carmen up to Data

Musical · 1890

Carmen up to Data is a musical burlesque with a score written by Meyer Lutz. Set in Seville, the piece was a spoof of Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. The libretto was written by G. R. Sims and Henry Pettitt. After a tryout in Liverpool in September 1890, the piece premiered at the Gaiety Theatre, London, on 4 October 1890, produced by George Edwardes. It starred Florence St. John in the title role, Letty Lind as Mercedes, Jenny Dawson as Escamillo, Maria Jones as Michaela, Blanche Massey as Morales, Horace Mills as Remendado, E. J. Lonnen as José and Arthur Williams as Captain Zuniga. The piece was a success and toured throughout the English-speaking world, reaching Australia by 1892.

Carnival

Musical · 1961

Carnival is a musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili, which again was based on the short story and treatment titled "The Seven Souls of Clement O'Reilly" by Paul Gallico. The show's title originally used an exclamation point (as Carnival!); it was eventually dropped during the show's run, as director Gower Champion felt it gave the wrong impression, saying, "It's not a blockbuster. It's a gentle show."

Carnival in Flanders

Musical · 1953

Carnival in Flanders is a musical with a book by Preston Sturges, lyrics by Johnny Burke, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. Based on the 1934 French comedy film La Kermesse Héroïque, it is set in 1616 in the small Flemish village of Flackenburg, where a Spanish duke and his entourage descend upon the community. The mayor plays dead, hoping that his ruse will force the visitors to depart, but the duke sets his sights on the man's "widow" and begins to woo her. The musical had a brief run on Broadway in 1953. The musical is the source of the song "Here's That Rainy Day", which has become a standard.

Caroline, or Change

Musical · 2003

Caroline, or Change is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Tony Kushner. The score combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music.

Carousel

Musical · 1950

Two young female millworkers in 1873 Maine visit the town's carousel after work. One of them, Julie Jordan, attracts the attention of the barker, Billy Bigelow ("The Carousel Waltz"). When Julie lets Billy put his arm around her during the ride, Mrs. Mullin, the widowed owner of the carousel, tells Julie never to return. Julie and her friend, Carrie Pipperidge, argue with Mrs. Mullin. Billy arrives and, seeing that Mrs. Mullin is jealous, mocks her; he is fired from his job. Billy, unconcerned, invites Julie to join him for a drink. As he goes to get his belongings, Carrie presses Julie about her feelings toward him, but Julie is evasive ("You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan"). Carrie has a beau too, fisherman Enoch Snow ("(When I Marry) Mister Snow"), to whom she is newly engaged. Billy returns for Julie as the departing Carrie warns that staying out late means the loss of Julie's job. Mr. Bascombe, owner of the mill, happens by along with a policeman, and offers to escort Julie to her home, but she refuses and is fired. Left alone, she and Billy talk about what life might be like if they were in love, but neither quite confesses to the growing attraction they feel for each other ("If I Loved You"). Over a month passes, and preparations for the summer clambake are under way ("June Is Bustin' Out All Over"). Julie and Billy, now married, live at Julie's cousin Nettie's spa. Julie confides in Carrie that Billy, frustrated over being unemployed, hit her. Carrie has happier news—she is engaged to Enoch, who enters as she discusses him ("(When I Marry) Mister Snow (reprise))". Billy arrives with his ne'er-do-well whaler friend, Jigger. Billy is openly rude to Enoch and Julie, then leaves with Jigger, followed by a distraught Julie. Enoch tells Carrie that he expects to become rich selling herring and to have a large family, larger perhaps than Carrie is comfortable having ("When the Children Are Asleep"). Jigger and his shipmates, joined by Billy, then sing about life on the sea ("Blow High, Blow Low"). The whaler tries to recruit Billy to help with a robbery, but Billy declines, as the victim—Julie's former boss, Mr. Bascombe—might have to be killed. Mrs. Mullin enters and tries to tempt Billy back to the carousel (and to her). He would have to abandon Julie; a married barker cannot evoke the same sexual tension as one who is single. Billy reluctantly mulls it over as Julie arrives and the others leave. She tells him that she is pregnant, and Billy is overwhelmed with happiness, ending all thoughts of returning to the carousel. Once alone, Billy imagines the fun he will have with Bill Jr., until he realizes that his child might be a girl and reflects soberly that "you've got to be a father to a girl" ("Soliloquy"). Determined to provide financially for his future child, whatever the means, Billy decides to be Jigger's accomplice. The whole town leaves for the clambake. Billy, who had earlier refused to go, agrees to join in, to Julie's delight, as he realizes that being seen at the clambake is integral to his and Jigger's alibi ("Act I Finale"). Everyone reminisces about the huge meal and much fun ("This Was a Real Nice Clambake"). Jigger tries to seduce Carrie; Enoch walks in at the wrong moment, and declares that he is finished with her ("Geraniums In the Winder"), as Jigger jeers ("There's Nothin' So Bad for a Woman"). The girls try to comfort Carrie, but for Julie all that matters is that "he's your feller and you love him" ("What's the Use of Wond'rin'?"). Julie sees Billy trying to sneak away with Jigger and, trying to stop him, feels the knife hidden in his shirt. She begs him to give it to her, but he refuses and leaves to commit the robbery. As they wait, Jigger and Billy gamble with cards. They stake their shares of the anticipated robbery spoils. Billy loses: his participation is now pointless. Unknown to Billy and Jigger, Mr. Bascombe, the intended victim, has already deposited the mill's money. The robbery fails: Bascombe pulls a gun on Billy while Jigger escapes. Billy stabs himself with his knife; Julie arrives just in time for him to say his last words to her and die. Julie strokes his hair, finally able to tell him that she loved him. Carrie and Enoch, reunited by the crisis, attempt to console Julie; Nettie arrives and gives Julie the resolve to keep going despite her despair ("You'll Never Walk Alone"). Billy's defiant spirit ("The Highest Judge of All") is taken Up There to see the Starkeeper, a heavenly official. The Starkeeper tells Billy that the good he did in life was not enough to get into heaven, but so long as there is a person alive who remembers him, he can return for a day to try to do good to redeem himself. He informs Billy that fifteen years have passed on Earth since his suicide, and suggests that Billy can get himself into heaven if he helps his daughter, Louise. He helps Billy look down from heaven to see her (instrumental ballet: "Billy Makes a Journey"). Louise has grown up to be lonely and bitter. The local children ostracize her because her father was a thief and a wife-beater. In the dance, a young ruffian, much like her father at that age, flirts with her and abandons her as too young. The dance concludes, and Billy is anxious to return to Earth and help his daughter. He steals a star to take with him, as the Starkeeper pretends not to notice. Outside Julie's cottage, Carrie describes her visit to New York with the now-wealthy Enoch. Carrie's husband and their many children enter to fetch her—the family must get ready for the high school graduation later that day. Enoch Jr., the oldest son, remains behind to talk with Louise, as Billy and the Heavenly Friend escorting him enter, invisible to the other characters. Louise confides in Enoch Jr. that she plans to run away from home with an acting troupe. He says that he will stop her by marrying her, but that his father will think her an unsuitable match. Louise is outraged: each insults the other's father, and Louise orders Enoch Jr. to go away. Billy, able to make himself visible at will, reveals himself to the sobbing Louise, pretending to be a friend of her father. He offers her a gift—the star he stole from heaven. She refuses it and, frustrated, he slaps her hand. He makes himself invisible, and Louise tells Julie what happened, stating that the slap miraculously felt like a kiss, not a blow—and Julie understands her perfectly. Louise retreats to the house, as Julie notices the star that Billy dropped; she picks it up and seems to feel Billy's presence ("If I Loved You (Reprise)"). Billy invisibly attends Louise's graduation, hoping for one last chance to help his daughter and redeem himself. The beloved town physician, Dr. Seldon (who resembles the Starkeeper) advises the graduating class not to rely on their parents' success or be held back by their failure (words directed at Louise). Seldon prompts everyone to sing an old song, "You'll Never Walk Alone". Billy, still invisible, whispers to Louise, telling her to believe Seldon's words, and when she tentatively reaches out to another girl, she learns she does not have to be an outcast. Billy goes to Julie, telling her at last that he loved her. As his widow and daughter join in the singing, Billy is taken to his heavenly reward.

Carrie

Musical · 1988

Act I Opening in a high school gym, the gym teacher, Miss Lynn Gardner, is leading her girls' gym class in a strenuous workout ("In"). After class, the girls head to the locker room and have fun teasing a less attractive, plump girl named Carrie White. The girls start to shower while talking about boys and their plans for the upcoming prom ("Dream On"). Carrie has her first period in the shower and, not understanding what is happening, thinks she is bleeding to death. The other girls taunt her mercilessly until Miss Gardner hears the commotion, and slaps Carrie to end the frenzy, causing her to break a lightbulb overhead with telekinesis. Miss Gardner sends the girls away, and explains menstruation to Carrie before sending her home. On the way out of the gym, Sue Snell and Chris Hargensen talk about what just happened in the locker room. Sue expresses guilt for tormenting Carrie, but Chris mocks her and continues to insult Carrie. Carrie is hurt by their name-calling and teasing, but dreams of being vindicated and gaining respect from her peers ("Carrie"). Carrie's mother Margaret is fervently praying ("Open Your Heart") when Carrie arrives home. As she recounts the incident, Margaret, believing it to be a sign of sin, condemns Carrie and forces her into the cellar to pray for forgiveness ("And Eve Was Weak"). That night, many of the high school students are at the drive-in theater, including Sue and her boyfriend Tommy Ross and Chris and her boyfriend Billy Nolan. Sue tells Tommy that she is still upset about what she and the other girls did to Carrie in the locker room, while Chris complains about Carrie to Billy ("Don't Waste the Moon"). At home, Carrie and Margaret pray separately, with Carrie seeking comfort and Margaret strength to protect her daughter. Margaret apologizes for hurting Carrie and assures that she loves her unconditionally ("Evening Prayers"). The next day, Miss Gardner orders the girls to apologize to Carrie. Sue complies, but Chris refuses, resulting in her prom ban. Enraged, Chris vows revenge. Miss Gardner encourages Carrie to believe she deserves happiness ("Unsuspecting Hearts"). Feeling remorse, Sue asks Tommy to take Carrie to prom instead of her, and he reluctantly agrees ("Do Me a Favor"). At the same time, Chris asks Billy to help her get revenge on Carrie. Tommy later surprises Carrie at her home, asking her to the prom. After initial hesitation, she accepts. When she tells Margaret ("Invited"), Margaret forbids her to go, insisting men only seek to take advantage of girls, including her own father ("I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"). Carrie reveals her supernatural powers, declaring to her mother that she is determined to attend the prom. Act II While at a pig farm during a storm, Chris, Billy, and several of his friends slaughter a pig to collect its blood for their prank, while Billy warns Chris to think about her actions ("Out for Blood"). Back at the high school, preparations are underway for prom night. Sue is faced with resentment from her peers over Carrie attending the prom, but resolves to do what she feels is right ("It Hurts to be Strong"). Carrie joyfully prepares for prom, using her powers to animate her belongings ("I'm Not Alone"). Margaret tries one more time to convince Carrie not to go to the prom ("Carrie II"), but Carrie doesn't listen and leaves for the prom with Tommy. Alone, Margaret laments her past and plans to save Carrie from damnation by sacrificing her ("When There's No One"). At the gym, prom night begins ("Wotta Night"). The students are impressed by Carrie’s transformation. Miss Gardner, serving as chaperone, encourages her to enjoy the evening ("Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)"). Carrie hesitates to dance, but Tommy persuades her ("Heaven"). As the votes for Prom King and Queen are cast, the main cast reflects on the night's emotions. Tommy and Carrie are crowned and celebrated as the students salute them ("Alma Mater"). Billy and Chris reveal their prank, dumping a bucket of pig's blood on Carrie. Shocked and humiliated, Carrie rages and unleashes her telekinetic power, closing off the gym exit and killing everyone present, while sparing a horrified Sue ("The Destruction"). Outside, Carrie is greeted by her mother, as Margeret lures Carrie in and sings her to sleep before stabbing her fatally, believing her daughter will be saved from God's wrath. Carrie retaliates with her powers, killing Margaret, then mourns her actions. Sue, the sole survivor and witness, goes to Carrie and comforts her as she dies. As the show ends, Carrie reaches her hand out to the audience, as the lights fade to black ("Carrie III (Finale)"). Act I Sue Snell, haunted by the events of her high school years, recalls the night of May 28 as she and her classmates appear in her memory — her boyfriend Tommy Ross, spoiled bully Chris Hargensen, Chris' delinquent boyfriend Billy Nolan, and social outcast Carrie White — each struggling with insecurity and a longing to belong. After gym class, Carrie experiences her first period in the shower. Frightened and unaware of what’s happening, she cries for help, while the other girls, led by Chris, cruelly taunt her until Miss Lynn Gardner intervenes. At the height of Carrie’s hysteria, an overhead light bulb bursts. Dismissed early, she leaves school humiliated, her classmates mocking her as she goes ("Carrie"). At home, Margaret White listens to an evangelical broadcast while sewing ("Open Your Heart"). When Carrie tells her about the incident, Margaret insists it is a sign of sin and locks her in a closet to pray for forgiveness ("And Eve Was Weak"). Meanwhile at a party, Chris brags about the locker room incident and mocks Carrie, but Sue begins to feel remorse. Chris insists that cruelty is part of life, while Billy supports her behavior ("The World According to Chris"). Disgusted, Sue leaves. At home, Carrie begins to sense strange powers within her and accidentally moves objects with her mind, hinting at her telekinetic power. Margaret releases her from the closet, and the two share a rare moment of tenderness ("Evening Prayers"). In English class, Mr. Stephens praises a poem Tommy has written, and has him recite his work ("Dreamer in Disguise"). When the teacher asks the unruly students for reactions, Carrie volunteers, but is met with ridicule. When Sue later tries to apologize, Carrie mistakes it for mockery and storms off ("Once You See"). Miss Gardner punishes the girls for their cruelty, demanding apologies to Carrie. Chris refuses, hurling insults until she’s suspended and banned from prom, while Sue ends their friendship as she defends Carrie. Despite Carrie's plea to let Chris go to prom, Miss Gardner insists Chris face the consequences, encouraging Carrie to believe that her life can change ("Unsuspecting Hearts"). Guilty and wanting to make amends, Sue convinces Tommy to invite Carrie to prom as an act of kindness. At the same time, Chris plots revenge and enlists Billy’s help ("Do Me a Favor"). Alone in the library, Carrie tests her abilities and learns she can move objects with her mind. Later, Tommy visits Carrie’s home to invite her to prom. When she tells Margaret, her mother forbids it, recalling her own experiences with men ("I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"). Their argument escalates, and Carrie’s powers close the windows away from the storm outside, terrifying Margaret as Carrie insists she will go to prom and will not be stopped. Act II As prom preparations begin, excitement fills the school. Chris and Billy sneak into the gym to set up their cruel prank with a bucket of pig’s blood ("A Night We’ll Never Forget"). Miss Gardner warns Sue and Tommy not to harm Carrie, but Tommy reassures Sue that he understands her intentions, and the two share a moment alone in the gym ("You Shine"). Carrie readies herself for the prom, filled with hope that her life will finally change ("Why Not Me?"). Margaret tries to dissuade her, believing she must protect her daughter from sin ("Stay Here Instead"). When Tommy arrives, Carrie departs, radiant in her prom gown. Left alone, Margaret turns to scripture, convinced that her daughter must be sacrificed ("When There’s No One"). At the gym, students arrive in their finest clothes, buzzing with excitement ("Prom Arrival"). Miss Gardner praises Carrie’s transformation, reminiscing about her own prom ("Unsuspecting Hearts – Reprise"). Tommy convinces Carrie to dance, and the crowd warms up to her as the night unfolds ("Dreamer in Disguise – Reprise"). Hidden above, Chris and Billy prepare their trap while Sue sneaks in and notices Chris' partner-in-crime Norma swapping prom ballots ("Prom Climax"). Tommy and Carrie are crowned Prom King and Queen as the school salutes them ("Alma Mater"). Sue realizes what’s about to happen and tries to warn Miss Gardner, but is pushed out, having been wary of her forgoing her attendance to prom in favor of Carrie. Chris gives the signal, and Billy releases the bucket, drenching Carrie in blood. Laughter erupts, and Carrie’s humiliation ignites her rage. Using her powers, she seals the exits and destroys everything in the gym, killing everyone inside ("The Destruction"). Sue watches helplessly as her classmates die while the school burns down. Carrie returns home, still covered in blood, and collapses into her mother’s arms ("Carrie – Reprise"). Margaret soothes her, then stabs her, believing she is saving Carrie’s soul. In pain, Carrie stops her mother’s heart with her powers. Sue arrives too late to save her and cradles Carrie as she dies. The fallen students reappear in memory, and they, alongside Sue, offer a final reflection on guilt and forgiveness as the show completes its circle in an "ever repeating nightmare loop" ("Epilogue").

Casanova

Musical · 1928

Revue operetta based on the life of eighteenth-century Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova.

Castles in the Air

Musical · 1926

Castles in the Air is a musical comedy, with a book and lyrics by Raymond Wilson Peck and music by Percy Wenrich (additional lyrics by R. Locke). The story concerns two young men, Monty Blair and John Brown, who mistake an exclusive Westchester resort for an inn. They decide to pretend to be nobility, and Monty introduces John as a Latvian prince. Evelyn's uncle Philip decides to teach her a lesson about social climbing by taking her to Latvia, intending to expose John as an impostor. The plan backfires, though, because John really is a prince. The musical opened on Broadway in the Selwyn Theatre on September 6, 1926. It moved to the Century Theatre on December 6, 1926. The production was directed by Frank S. Merlin and choreographed by John Boyle and Julian Mitchell. It starred J. Harold Murray as John and Vivienne Segal as Evelyn. On June 29, 1927, a production opened in London, at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical

Musical · 2023

The musical follows the events of books from both the Cat Kid Comic Club and Dog Man series, including Dog Man: Fetch 22 and the first book of Cat Kid Comic Club. Rather than tell one linear story, most of the songs describe events that happen within comics written by the characters. The opening of the musical shows Molly Pollywog and 21 mind-controlled psychokinetic tadpoles turned evil using their powers to 'destroy the city and stuff', as Sarah Hatoff reports that this very well could be "The End" of the world. Li'l Petey, as his superhero identity Cat Kid, treats Molly and the tadpoles with compassion, and invites to join "The Cat Kid Comic Club", where he can teach them to express themselves by creating their own comics. Flippy, a bionic fish who was once turned evil through mind control, sees himself in the tadpoles, and decides to adopt all of them. The tadpoles grow into frogs, but two of them – Melvin and Naomi – argue throughout. The first comic, written by Melvin, is about a toothbrush who wishes to be a lawyer for dinosaurs, and goes to 'lawyer school' and builds a time machine to go back 67 million years and defend an iguanodon teenager falsely accused of eating a baby ("Dennis the Toothbrush Lawyer for Dinosaurs"). Naomi says she thinks Melvin's idea was dumb, and Flippy sends her to time-out rock. The second comic follows an aptly named "Supa Fail" who tries to be helpful by bringing back a restaurant-owner his stolen toothpick, and accidentally destroys the entire world instead. Frog Poppy writes of "The Cute, Little, Fluffy Cloud of Death" who is bullied by the sun for being creepy, but befriends a ghost girl and her skelopup, who all ignore the sun until he goes away. The next comic tells the tale of "Chubbs McSpiderbutt", who gets bitten by Jake the Spider, causing spider legs to grow from his butt, which he decides to use for good. Chubbs and Jake, as his sidekick, encounter the evil members of the not very nice club – Dr. Pasty McSprinkles and Scott the Worm – but we are left on a cliffhanger as to how the story ends. Flippy, having read all of these comics, believes that the comics are too full of potty humour, creepy characters, or cartoon violence, deeming them awful, which makes the frogs upset. He laments about being the "Worst Dad Ever". Meanwhile, Naomi and Melvin get into a musical argument, which devolves from petty insults into Naomi criticising Melvin for not standing up for her when she was treated differently for being a girl. Melvin runs away, exclaiming about a new comic idea, and Naomi is annoyed by his sudden departure ("All About You"). Another frog, Starla, is interested in poetry, so writes a haiku about nature which she turns into a comic ("Birds, Flowers, Trees"). Melvin reveals his new comic is called "My Sister, Naomi", and retells the incident where she was mistreated and lets her stand up and speak for herself. Everyone celebrates their getting along and sings and dances at "The Mega-Gigantic, Humonga-Normous Comic Club Party!"

Catch Me If You Can

Musical · 2011

In the 1960s, Frank Abagnale Jr., a young con man, is cornered at the Miami International Airport by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty and his team. Hanratty asserts that there's no use in running, as his men are trained to shoot. Before his arrest, Frank pleads with Hanratty to allow him to inform the people in the airport why they're beating at him, though Hanratty only wants to know how he passed the bar exam in New Orleans to pose as a lawyer. Frank promises to tell him all his secrets if they allow him to tell his story ("Live in Living Color"). A reluctant Hanratty agrees. In a home in New Rochelle, New York, Frank lives with his parents Frank Abagnale Sr. and Paula Abagnale. His parents met in Montrichard, France, during World War II. Paula was performing at a diner and noticed Frank Sr. among the soldiers in the audience ("The Pinstripes Are All That They See"), marrying him soon after. Due to money shortages, Frank is unable to attend private school, nonetheless wearing his school jacket to public school. He is taunted there as looking like a substitute teacher, which gives Frank an idea; a few days later, the principal informs his parents that Frank has been teaching French class at the school while their teacher is absent. One day, Frank walks home from school to find his mother dancing with one of Frank Sr.'s friends. She pleads with him not to tell Frank Sr., but a distraught Frank is soon in court, with Paula and Frank Sr. fighting over custody of him. Frank decides to run away ("Someone Else's Skin"). He soon learns to create fake checks, cashing them at banks across the country and successfully conning millions of dollars. While entering a New York City hotel, Frank notices several attractive women, all of them stewardesses; he decides to become a pilot. After creating a fake ID card, he finds a co-pilot job at Pan American World Airways. The workers express the joys of a life in the skies ("Jet Set"). Hanratty finds several fake checks on his desk in Washington, D. C. He and Agents Branton, Dollar, and Cod are assigned to track down the writer of these fake checks ("Live in Living Color [Reprise]"). Hanratty gives a word of wisdom to whoever wrote the checks: "Don't Break the Rules." Frank enjoys his pilot job, remembering how his dad always said that "women love a man in uniform," as "The Pinstripes Are All That They See." Feeling homesick, he visits Frank Sr., upset to find out that he had to close his store to save money. Frank offers him several checks to improve his financial situation, but Frank Sr. declines, believing that Frank should be happy with his success and not worry about him ("Butter Outta Cream"). Meanwhile, Hanratty sorts through leftover items from the hotel Frank had just stayed at, looking for ("The Man Inside the Clues.") Hanratty tracks Frank to a hotel room in Los Angeles, but Frank escapes after tricking Hanratty into believing that Frank is a Secret Service agent named Barry Allen. Frank attends a holiday party for the airport staff ("Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year") but ultimately feels lonely, calling Hanratty on a pay phone for comfort. Hanratty, realizing the culprit is just a kid, reveals that he, too, has no one to spend Christmas with ("My Favorite Time of Year"). Frank comes across another staff party, this time for a hospital. When asked what his job is by one of the doctors, Frank lies that he is a pediatrician at the Death Valley Children's Hospital, working with "snot-nosed kids" and calling himself "Dr. Connors." Feeling sorry for him, the doctor finds him a job at the Atlanta General Hospital, surrounded by nurses who are ready to take the ("Doctor's Orders"). Hanratty is still searching for Frank, going through missing person reports ("Live in Living Color (reprise)"). He eventually finds the house of Paula and her new husband, questioning her on the whereabouts of Frank. She tells him not to worry, as does Frank Sr. Both plead with Frank: ("Don't Be a Stranger"). While talking to Frank Sr. at a bar, Hanratty realizes that both men had overbearing fathers ("Little Boy Be a Man"). Meanwhile, Frank has fallen in love with one of the nurses, Brenda Strong, though she finds him intimidating. He tells her he has seen the "Seven Wonders," but none of them compare to her beauty. Brenda brings Frank to meet her family in New Orleans, where he lies that he's a lawyer, a doctor, and a Lutheran to impress her father. Her father does not believe him but permits him to be with Brenda after Frank admits how much he loves her. Brenda's parents, Carol and Roger Strong, tell Frank that they have a "family sing-along" each night after dinner; they turn on the television to the song "((Our) Family Tree"), after which Frank proposes to Brenda, and she accepts. Shortly before the engagement ceremony, Frank discovers Hanratty has figured out where he is. He admits the truth to Brenda, telling her his real name: Frank William Abagnale Jr. He promises to return after escaping from Hanratty. Just as he leaves, Hanratty enters, asking Brenda where Frank went. She laments that she loves Frank and would never tell on him ("Fly, Fly Away") but is tricked into doing so shortly thereafter. The story returns to the opening scene, where Frank is cornered in the airport. The agents escort passengers out of the area as Frank threatens to run. Hanratty states that he doesn't want to use force but would have to if Frank ran. Hanratty informs Frank that his father is dead; a drunken Frank Sr. had fallen downstairs at the bar, breaking his neck. Realizing he has nobody, Frank gives in to Hanratty ("Goodbye"). Although sentenced to fifteen years in prison, Frank is released after seven. Shortly after his release, he is hired by Hanratty and the FBI to track down others who committed crimes like his. Hanratty and Frank embrace, noting that their partnership is "Strange But True." Hanratty then makes Frank keep his promise, telling him how he passed the New Orleans bar exam. Frank tells a surprised Hanratty that he didn't cheat: "I studied."

Catch My Soul

Musical · 1968

Catch My Soul is a rock musical produced by Jack Good and adapted from Shakespeare’s Othello. It premiered in Los Angeles in 1968 and later played in the United Kingdom.

Cats

Musical · 1981

After the overture, a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles gather on stage and describe themselves and their purpose ("Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats"). The cats (who break the fourth wall throughout the show) then notice that they are being watched by a human audience, and proceed to explain how the different cats of the tribe are named ("The Naming of Cats"). This is followed by a ballet solo performed by Victoria to signal the beginning of the Jellicle Ball ("The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball"). At this moment, Munkustrap, the show's main narrator, explains that tonight the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy will make an appearance and choose one of the cats to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer. Munkustrap introduces the first contender Jennyanydots ("The Old Gumbie Cat"), a large tabby cat who lazes around all day, but come nighttime, she becomes active, teaching mice and cockroaches various activities to curb their naturally destructive habits. Just as Jennyanydots finishes her song, the music changes suddenly and Rum Tum Tugger makes his extravagant entrance in front of the tribe ("The Rum Tum Tugger"). He is very fickle and unappeasable, "for he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it". Then, as Rum Tum Tugger's song fades, a shabby old grey cat stumbles out wanting to be reconciled; it is Grizabella. All the cats back away from her in fear and disgust and explain her unfortunate state ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). Grizabella leaves and the music changes to a cheerful upbeat number as Bustopher Jones, a fat cat in "a coat of fastidious black", is brought to the stage ("Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town"). Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats, and visits prestigious gentlemen's clubs. Suddenly, a loud crash startles the tribe and the cats run offstage in fright. Hushed giggling sounds signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, a pair of near-identical cats. They are mischievous petty burglars who enjoy causing trouble around their human neighbourhood ("Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"). After they finish, they are caught off-guard and confronted by the rest of the cats. Finally, the Jellicle patriarch, Old Deuteronomy, arrives before the tribe ("Old Deuteronomy"). He is a wise old cat who "has lived many lives" and is tasked with choosing which Jellicle will go to the Heaviside Layer every year. The cats put on a play for Old Deuteronomy ("The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles"), telling a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat. A moral from Old Deuteronomy is interrupted by a second loud crash, presumably from Macavity, which sends the alarmed cats scurrying. After a quick patrol for Macavity, Old Deuteronomy deems it a false alarm and summons the cats back as the main celebration begins ("The Jellicle Ball"), in which the cats sing and display their "Terpsichorean powers". During the Ball, Grizabella reappears and tries to dance along, but her age and decrepit condition prevent her from doing so ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)"). As a result, she is once again shunned by the other cats, but that does not stop her from vowing to return for another chance to be in the spotlight while a guilty Old Deuteronomy looks on ("Memory (Prelude)"). After the Jellicle Ball, Old Deuteronomy gathers his tribe to contemplate the nature of happiness. Jemima (also known as Sillabub), the youngest of all Jellicles, understands the patriarch is referring to Grizabella, and passes the message on to the rest of the tribe ("The Moments of Happiness"). Gus – short for Asparagus – shuffles forward as the next cat to be introduced ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). He was once a famous actor but is now old and "suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake". He is accompanied by Jellylorum, his caretaker, who tells of his exploits. Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous pirate captain, Growltiger ("Growltiger's Last Stand"). He tells of Growltiger's romance with Lady Griddlebone, leading to the pirate's capture by a horde of Siamese cats and his execution by walking the plank. Back in the present, after Gus exits, Skimbleshanks is seen sleeping in the corner ("Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat"). He is the cat who is unofficially in charge of the nightly train from London to Gallowgate, and it will not depart unless he is aboard. Within his song, a whole steam train engine is assembled out of objects in the junkyard. With a third crash and an evil laugh, the "most wanted" cat Macavity appears. He is the so-called "Napoleon of Crime" who always manages to evade the authorities. Macavity's henchmen capture Old Deuteronomy and take off with the patriarch in tow. As Munkustrap and his troop give chase, Demeter and Bombalurina explain what they know about Macavity ("Macavity: The Mystery Cat"). When they are finished, Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but his cover is blown by Demeter and he ends up getting beaten by Munkustrap and Alonzo. Macavity holds his own for a time, but as the rest of the tribe begin to gang up and surround him, he shorts out the stage lights and escapes in the resulting confusion. After the fight, Rum Tum Tugger calls upon the magician Mr. Mistoffelees for help ("Magical Mr. Mistoffelees"). Known as the "original conjuring cat", Mr. Mistoffelees can perform feats of magic that no other cat can do. He displays his magical powers in a dance solo and uses them to restore the lights and bring back Old Deuteronomy. Now, the "Jellicle choice" can be made. Before Old Deuteronomy can make his decision, Grizabella returns to the junkyard and he allows her to address the gathering. Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song ("Memory"). With acceptance and encouragement from Jemima and Victoria, her appeal succeeds and she is chosen to be the one to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life ("The Journey to the Heaviside Layer"). A tyre rises from the piles of junk, carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway towards the sky; Grizabella then completes the journey on her own. Finally, Old Deuteronomy closes the show by giving his final speech to the audience ("The Ad-dressing of Cats"). Notes:

Celebration

Musical · 1969

Celebration is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt. The musical fable, employing a nearly bare stage, explores the contrasts between youth and old age, innocence and jaded corruption, love and ambition, and poverty and wealth. It was presented on Broadway in 1969 and was not a financial success. Although the critics found the show interesting, it did not develop a broad following among audiences. The show has been revived occasionally.

Cendrillon

Musical · 1904

Marie, called Cendrillon, lives as a servant in her father’s household. A prince visits disguised as a beggar, then as his valet, and invites the family to a ball. Her fairy godmother transforms a pumpkin, animals, and her clothes so she can attend, but warns her to return by midnight. At the ball the Prince recognizes her, and they fall in love before she flees, leaving a slipper behind. The Prince searches the household; when the slipper fits Marie, he asks her to marry him, and her family apologizes.

Chaplin: The Musical

Musical · 2012

Chaplin: The Musical, formerly titled Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, is a musical with music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis and book by Curtis and Thomas Meehan. The show is based on the life of Charlie Chaplin. The musical, which started at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2006, debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2010, and then premiered on Broadway in 2012.

Charlie and Algernon

Musical · 1978

Charlie and Algernon is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Rogers and music by Charles Strouse. It is based on the 1966 novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It received its premiere on December 21, 1978, at The Citadel Theater, in Edmonton, Canada.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Musical · 2013

Charlie Bucket wins a rare invitation to tour Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Alongside four other children, he encounters extraordinary inventions and tests of character that gradually reveal the purpose of the visit.

Charlotte Sweet

Musical · 1982

Set in Victorian England, Charlotte Sweet spotlights Charlotte, a girl with one of the highest and most beautiful soprano voices in the world. Because of her father's debts, she is forced to leave Ludlow Ladd, her Liverpool sweetheart, and join Barnaby Bugaboo's “Circus of Voices”: a troupe of freak voices including low-voiced Katinka Bugaboo, fast-voiced Harry Host, bubble-voiced Cecily Macintosh, and Skitzy Scofield (with dual personalities and voices). Becoming the troupe's biggest sensation, Charlotte is mercilessly exploited by Barnaby until she has a vocal breakdown. Thereupon, Barnaby and his wife Katinka addict Charlotte to helium balloons in order to maintain her high notes. Only Ludlow Ladd can rescue her.

Chee-Chee

Musical · 1928

In 1928 Herbert Fields wrote a libretto based on Pettit's book in which the Grand Eunuch's son, Li-Pi, and his wife, Chee-Chee, are forced into exile when the Grand Eunuch announces his plan for Li-Pi to become a eunuch and take his father's place as the Grand Eunuch. Chee-Chee is captured and rescued, and Li-Pi is captured and rescued, and finally the musical ends happily.

Chess

Musical · 1988

Chess is a 1986 musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group ABBA, lyrics by Ulvaeus and Tim Rice, and book by Rice. The story involves a politically charged, Cold War–era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and the other Soviet, and their fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any real individuals, the character of the American grandmaster was loosely based on Bobby Fischer, while elements of the story may have been inspired by the chess careers of Russian grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. Chess allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions present in the 1980s. The musical has been referred to as a metaphor for the Cold War, with the insinuation that the Cold War is itself a manipulative game. Released and staged at the height of the strong anti-communist agenda that came to be known as the "Reagan Doctrine", Chess addressed and satirized the hostility of the international political atmosphere of the 1980s. As with other productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita—both of which Rice developed with Andrew Lloyd Webber—a highly successful concept album was released prior to the first theatrical production in order to raise money. In the case of Chess, the concept album was released in late 1984 while the show opened in 1986 in London's West End, where it played for three years. A much-altered US version premiered on Broadway in 1988 with a book by Richard Nelson, but survived only for two months. Chess is frequently revised for new productions, many of which try to merge elements from both the British and American versions, but was not revived in the West End until 2019. Chess was revived on Broadway in 2025 with a new book by Danny Strong, and it closed on June 21, 2026. Chess placed seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals".

Children of Eden

Musical · 1991

Children of Eden is a 1991 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis, with Act I telling the story of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, while Act II deals with Noah and the flood. Though commercially the musical has had very little success, it is popular in community and regional theatres worldwide, due to its ability to accommodate a large or small cast, religious subject, and its universal themes of family and love. The show's publisher, Music Theatre International, reports that Children of Eden is one of its top 20 most frequently licensed properties.

Children's Letters to God

Musical · 2004

Children's Letters to God was a Drama Desk Award nominated Off-Broadway musical that was based on the best selling book by Stoo Hample, music by David Evans, and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen.

Chilpéric

Musical · 1868

In Gaul in 567, King Chilpéric visits the woods to consult the Druids about his next battle. He meets shepherd Landry and Landry’s fiancée Frédégonde, takes a fancy to her and brings both to court. As Chilpéric prepares to marry the Spanish princess Galswinthe for political reasons, Brunehaut plots to kill the couple and take the throne, while Frédégonde and Landry become entangled with other lovers. On the wedding night, several plots to murder the women go awry amid confusion in the bridal chamber. Chilpéric returns victorious from battle, rescues Galswinthe, pardons Frédégonde and lets the other plotters off with comic punishments.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Musical · 2002

The junkyard manager Coggins recounts the last race of the British champion race car, the Paragon Panther, which was contested against the Vulgarian Vulture in the 1910 British Grand Prix: the Panther crashed after Vulgarian spies sabotaged it ("Opening"). Years later, the Panther sits in a junkyard, forgotten by all save the young siblings Jeremy and Jemima Potts, who are enamored with Coggins' tales and the car's history. They are shocked when Coggins tells them he plans to scrap it, but he promises to save the Panther for them if they can purchase and move it within a few weeks. Truly Scrumptious, daughter of the wealthy Lord Scrumptious, arrives at the junkyard seeking a spare part, but upon finding the truant children, takes them home to their father, the widowed inventor Caractacus. Meanwhile, two Vulgarian spies, Boris and Goran, acting under the direction of their leader, autocratic Baron Bomburst, have discovered the location of the Panther and make plans to purchase the car before the children. Truly arrives at the Potts household, an old windmill, with the children and lectures Caractacus on their improper upbringing before leaving; as he prepares a meal for the children ("You Two"), they tell him about the plans to scrap the Panther and he promises to purchase the car for them. Caractacus's father, Grandpa Potts, recounts the family's troubles ("Them Three") and after trying some of his son's inventions, realizes he has devised a candy that can be played like a flute. The next day, Caractacus goes to Lord Scrumptious's candy factory to sell the design and raise the money needed for the Panther. Truly helps the Potts family make their sales pitch ("Toot Sweets"), but the demonstration ends in disaster as the musical boiled sweets unintentionally summon many stray dogs who invade the factory. Boris and Goran decide to pass themselves off as locals ("Think Vulgar" / "Act English") as they realize the patriotic Coggins will never sell the Panther to Vulgarians. Dispirited from the Scrumptious Sweet Factory debacle, Caractacus sings a lullaby to the children ("Hushabye Mountain") and decides to try selling another invention tomorrow. In the morning, Caractacus brings another invention, his automatic hair-cutting machine, to a local fair ("Come to the Funfair"), but the first demonstration again goes awry, as the hapless inventor's machine shaves the prospective client nearly bald. Caractacus escapes the wrathful client by joining a spirited morris dance group ("Me Ol' Bamboo") and the hair-cutting machine is sold instead to a turkey farmer, who plans to use it to pluck and cook his birds, giving Caractacus the money he needs to purchase the Panther. After purchasing the derelict racer and towing it home, Caractacus performs an intensive restoration while Grandpa and the children maintain the household ("Posh!"); after several days, Caractacus emerges from the workshop with the beautifully refurbished car, which they decide to take for a drive with Truly. Collectively, they rename the car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the unusual noises made by the engine ("Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), and the four go for a seaside picnic. During the picnic, the children confess their love to Truly ("Truly Scrumptious"), who reciprocates and realizes she has feelings for Caractacus as well; distracted by their emotions, the adults fail to notice they have become stranded by the rising tide, but Chitty demonstrates its amphibious capabilities by transforming into a boat ("Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (nautical reprise)) as the Vulgarians attempt to capture the car and the Potts make a clean escape with Truly. Learning the car is also a boat both infuriates Baron Bomburst and renews his desire to own it. The Vulgarians arrive at the Potts family windmill first, though, and believing mistakenly that Grandpa is responsible for the wonders of Chitty, they hook his hut from an airship, kidnapping him inside. The rest of the family arrive with Truly in time to see them taking off with Grandpa. Speeding in pursuit, Chitty goes over a cliff but in another remarkable display, transforms into an aircraft ("Chitty Takes Flight") and follows the airship, hut, and Grandpa back to Vulgaria. Upon his arrival in Vulgaria ("Vulgarian National Anthem"), Grandpa is forced by Baron Bomburst to give the Baron's car floating and flying capabilities like Chitty, working with other inventors previously kidnapped by the Baron. After learning they have failed for years to accomplish this, Grandpa despairs but is cheered by his fellow prisoners, who see their failures merely as learning experiences ("The Roses of Success"). Chitty arrives shortly afterwards bearing Truly and the three remaining Potts; the Toymaker hustles them into his workshop just as the Childcatcher rushes to their landing site, suspecting the presence of children, who are banned in Vulgaria ("Kiddy-Widdy-Winkies"). As Caractacus learns that to comply, the citizens of Vulgaria have sent their children underground to live in the sewers, the Childcatcher tricks Truly and imprisons Jeremy and Jemima. Caractacus, Truly, and the Toymaker devise a plan to rescue the children and Grandpa; having learned of Vulgaria's misery, Caractacus and Truly vow to end the Baron's rule ("Teamwork"), while the Baron and Baroness prepare for his birthday party ("Chu-Chi Face"). The Baroness's party plans come to fruition ("The Bombie Samba") as the Toymaker brings in Truly and Caractacus, disguised as dolls that sing and dance ("Doll on a Music Box" / "Truly Scrumptious" (reprise)), distracting the Baron as the children of Vulgaria rush from the sewers and overpower the Baron's henchmen. The Potts children and Grandpa are rescued ("Us Two" / "Chitty Prayer"). The Toymaker banishes the Baron and Baroness from Vulgaria and the children from underground are reunited with their families ("Teamwork" (reprise)). Caractacus and Truly declare their love for each other as they fly home to England ("Chitty Flies Home").

Chris and the Wonderful Lamp

Musical · 1899

Chris and the Wonderful Lamp is a stage work in three acts with music by John Philip Sousa and both book and lyrics by Glen MacDonough that is based on the 1895 children's novel of the same name by Albert Stearns. Both the stage work and the novel are a reimagining of the Aladdin folktale within an American context; with the premise of the story being the purchase of Aladdin's lamp by an American boy, Chris Wagstaff, in an antique shop in Connecticut. Chris's wishes with the lamp lead to adventures in New York City, San Francisco, on a ship at sea, and ultimately the fictional kingdom of Etheria where Chris awakens and meets Aladdin who has been in an enchanted sleep for centuries.

Christine

Musical · 1960

The musical is based on the book My Indian Family, which tells the story of an Austrian woman who travels to India to spend time with her daughter and her Indian son-in-law. While in India, the daughter dies and the mother-in-law steps in to help the widowed husband find a new bride. The musical follows some of the broad strokes of the book, but with significant changes including a love story between the mother-in-law (Christine) and the widowed son-in-law. Christine arrives in India to visit her daughter Mary-Anne, and her daughter's husband, Dr Rashil Singh ("Welcome Song/My Indian Family"). She discovers though that her daughter has died in childbirth, along with the child, her widowed doctor husband racked with sorrow and guilt over not being able to save her life ("A Doctor's Soliloquy"). Aided by Dr Singh's Auntie and Uncle, Christine takes on the mother's duty to find a new wife for her son-in-law ("How to Pick a Man a Wife" and "The Lovely Girls of Akbarabad"), but instead finds herself falling in love with him ("Room in My Heart"). As Act I ends, Christine and the Doctor sing of their love for each other ("I Never Meant to Fall in Love"). Act II opens on explorations of the perceived cultural peculiarities of India ("Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing" and "Ireland Was Never Like This"), before exploring the unrequited love a local girl, Sita Roy, has for Dr. Singh ("He Loves Her"). Sita works in the doctor's clinic and notes that the locals have stopped coming to the doctor's dispensary, due to Christine's presence, so Sita implores Christine to leave. Christine tells the doctor of her discomfort with the situation, but he asks her to marry him and she agrees ("Christine"). As the ceremony is prepared in which Christine is to reveal the wife she has chosen for Dr. Singh, she decides that she cannot stay after all ("I Love Him"). At the ceremony, she shocks everyone by choosing Sita Roy to be his bride. She tells Dr. Singh she must return to Ireland ("The Woman I Was Before"), which she does, slipping away while Sita and Dr. Singh's wedding is taking place.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Musical · 1995

In a small town in South America, Bayardo San Roman, a newly married man rejects Angela Vicario, his young bride when he discovers that she is not a virgin. She returns to her family home, where they make her reveal her lover. She names Santiago, the best friend of her brothers, who is innocent. They are determined to avenge the family honor by killing their best friend: a "death foretold."

Chu Chem

Musical · 1966

Chu Chem is a musical with a book by Ted Allen, lyrics by Jim Haines and Jack Wohl, and music by Mitch Leigh.

Chu Chin Chow

Musical · 1916

Setting: Baghdad, Palace of Kasim Baba The wealthy merchant Kasim Baba (brother of Ali Baba) is preparing to give a lavish banquet at his home for a wealthy Chinese merchant, Chu Chin Chow, who is on his way from China. The robber chieftain, Abu Hasan, wishes to add to his riches the property of Kasim. Abu Hasan forces his captive, the beautiful Zahrat al-Kulub, to spy for him in Kasim's house, disguised as a slave girl, by holding her lover hostage. She is nearly found out several times. Zahrat sends a message to Abu Hasan, letting him know about the banquet. Hasan arrives at Kasim's palace in disguise as Chu Chin Chow, whom his gang has robbed and murdered. He tries to glean information that will enable him to rob his host. Meanwhile, the slaves tell Ali Baba, Kasim's poor, lazy brother, about Hasan's secret cave and the password "open sesame". Ali Baba enters the lair and helps himself to some of the thieves' treasure. The greedy Kasim persuades his brother to tell him where his sudden wealth came from and slips out to see what he can find at Hasan's cave. Kasim finds the treasure but is captured by Abu Hasan and put to death. Hasan and his forty thieves plan an attack on Baba household on the occasion of the wedding of Ali Baba's son Nur al-Huda Ali and the slave girl Marjanah. Finally, on the eve of the attack, Zahrat gets her revenge by disposing of Hasan's men using boiling oil, stabbing Abu Hasan to death, and generally saving the day. Zahrat and her lover are reunited, Ali Baba gets Kasim's widow, Alcolom, and all ends happily.

Church Basement Ladies

Musical · 2025

Church Basement Ladies (CBL) is a musical comedy series following the members of a Midwestern church and their relationships as they organize food and solve the problems of their rural Minnesotan town. The setting involves many characters of American-Nordic diaspora, with each of the titular ladies married to a man of Norwegian heritage. Among those prolific in the church are Vivian Snustad, the eldest Basement Lady and widow, Karin Engleson, mother and renowned cook, Mavis Gilmerson, a farmer's wife, Beverly Signe Engleson, Karin's daughter, and Pastor E.L. Gunderson, the leader of the church and friend to the Ladies. The series and its entries were non-chronically-produced, though rightsholder and production company In The Basement Productions includes an in-universe chronological timeline on their website.