Life Could Be a Dream (musical)

Last updated
Life Could Be a Dream
MusicVarious
LyricsVarious
Book Roger Bean
BasisSongs of the 1960s
PremiereApril 7, 2009: The Hudson Theatre
Productions2009 Hollywood

Life Could Be a Dream is a jukebox musical written by Roger Bean, the creator of The Marvelous Wonderettes.

Contents

The original production at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood, California was directed by Bean and was produced by David Elzer. It premiered on August 7, 2009 and starred Daniel Tatar, Jim Holdridge, Ryan Castellino, Doug Carpenter and Jessica Keenan Wynn.

Synopsis

Act 1

Denny Varney and Eugene Johnson are rehearsing for the “Dream of a Lifetime” Talent Search (“Life Could Be a Dream (Sh-Boom)”), hosted by Big Whopper Radio. Denny, a former member of the Crooning Crab Cakes glee club at Springfield High School, grabs the spotlight as Eugene struggles to keep up with him. They rehearse in Denny's basement, and it becomes clear when their friend Wally arrives that Denny's mother is ready for him to grow up and move out (“Get a Job”). Wally Patton joins the singing group and suggests they ask if Big Stuff Auto will sponsor them in the contest. Denny's mother, Mrs. Varney, tells the boys to keep the noise down, but no one can stifle these boys and their musical ambitions (“Mama Don't Allow It”). The next night the boys are anxiously awaiting their audition for “Big” Earl, the owner of Big Stuff Auto, when mechanic Duke Henderson shows up instead. Trouble comes in the form of Lois Franklin, “Big” Earl's daughter, who shows up to help Duke evaluate the group, but who also broke Eugene's heart many years before. Eugene works through his pain as the boys audition (“Tears on my Pillow”). Lois likes the boys, but thinks they need to add a fourth member to become a proper doo-wop quartet. After hearing Duke sing (“Fools Fall in Love”), the boys welcome him into the group and Lois realizes her budding romantic feelings for him. As the newly formed quartet rehearses, Denny struggles with Duke singing lead (“Runaround Sue”). Lois tries to add polish to the rough edges of their act (“Lonely Teardrops”), triggering Wally, Eugene, and Denny to fantasize about their love for her (“Lovin' Lois Medley”). Little do the boys realize that Lois has fallen hard for Duke (“I Only Have Eyes for You”), and she surprises him with a kiss. Duke is startled and runs off, leaving the boys oblivious to the unfolding drama, begging Lois to stay and rehearse with them (“Stay”). The next night, Denny, Wally, and Eugene rehearse while imagining themselves with Lois (“(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet”), when Duke arrives to offer the guys some advice about girls and love in general (“A Sunday Kind of Love”). When Lois arrives, Duke quits the group and runs out. Lois tells the boys that she told her parents she was in love with Duke, and then her father fired Duke from the Auto Shop. Lois laments her unrequited love (“Unchained Melody”).

Act 2

The next day, the boys show Lois they can still perform without Duke (“Dreamin’”), but Lois is unsure. They implore Lois to go after Duke and bring him back (“Easier Said Than Done”). They thank her for helping them improve as a group (“The Magic Touch”), which helps Lois decide to go find Duke and bring him back for the sake of the group and her own happiness (“Lonely Teardrops Reprise”). The next morning (“Buzz Buzz Buzz”) Duke returns just in time to sing for the contest. The boys have since learned a little about love themselves, and help Duke realize some important lessons (“The Glory of Love”). Lois arrives, and Duke is prompted by the boys to finally reveal his love for her (“Duke of Earl”). The finale sequence features Denny & The Dreamers returning from their triumphant world tour (“Pretty Little Angel Eyes”), and the quartet becomes a quintet as Lois joins them onstage in a doo-wop finale extravaganza (“Do You Love Me/The Twist”/“Rama Lama Ding Dong”/Unchained Melody (Reprise)”).

Musical numbers

Source: [1]

Original cast

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doo-wop</span> Style of rhythm and blues music

Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.

<i>The Music Man</i> 1957 stage musical by Meredith Willson

The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naïve Midwestern townsfolk, promising to train the members of the new band. Harold is no musician, however, and plans to skip town without giving any music lessons. Prim librarian and piano teacher Marian sees through him, but when Harold helps her younger brother overcome his lisp and social awkwardness, Marian begins to fall in love with him. He risks being caught to win her heart.

<i>Babes in Arms</i> 1937 musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Babes in Arms is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm by the town sheriff when their actor parents go on the road for five months in an effort to earn some money by reviving vaudeville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mamas & the Papas</span> Canadian-American folk rock vocal group

The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in Los Angeles, the group consisted of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips, and Canadian Denny Doherty. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group, who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass Elliot</span> American singer and actress (1941–1974)

Ellen Naomi Cohen, known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, Elliot released five solo albums. In 1998, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her work with the Mamas & the Papas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Doherty</span> Canadian musician (1940–2007)

Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian musician. He was a founding member of the 1960s musical group the Mamas & the Papas for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Phillips (musician)</span> American musician (1935–2001)

John Edmund Andrew Phillips was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas and remains frequently referred to as Papa John Phillips. In addition to writing the majority of the group's compositions, he also wrote "San Francisco " in 1967 for former Journeymen bandmate Scott McKenzie, as well as the oft-covered "Me and My Uncle", which was a favorite in the repertoire of the Grateful Dead. Phillips was one of the chief organizers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vito & the Salutations</span>

Vito & the Salutations is an Italian/Irish/Jewish-American New York City doo-wop group from the 1960s. They began performing their four-part harmonies while still in high school, getting practice by singing in subways and at railroad stations. But they never expected anything to come of it, until one of the band members was introduced to someone at a local record company, and the band was asked to make some recordings. Their first popular record, "Gloria," was a regional hit. But Vito & the Salutations became best known for a surprise million-selling hit a year later, in the summer of 1963: they took "Unchained Melody," a 1955 hit ballad by Al Hibbler that they heard on the car radio, as they drove to perform at a concert, and transformed it into an up-tempo, doo-wop song. "Unchained Melody" reached number 66 on the Cash Box hit parade, and it made the top ten in many cities: for example, in New York City, the song reached #3 on top-40 powerhouse WABC. The record was originally released on Herald (H-583). The original group consisted of: Barry Solomon, Bob DiPaolo, Bobby Mitchel and Vito Balsamo That group broke up after their success with their song Gloria. Another group was formed by their manager Dave Rick. That second group consisted of: Frankie Fox, Sheldon Buchansky, Raymond JP Russell and Vito Balsamo. Balsamo came from an immigrant family: his parents were from Palermo, Italy and he grew up in Brooklyn, listening to opera. But he fell in love with rock and roll, much to the dismay of his parents. Vito joined a group and recorded his first song when he was only fifteen. The B side of "Unchained Melody" was "Hey, Hey, Baby," a tune composed by Murray Kanner, Frankie Fox and Dave Rick. Vito & the Salutations also performed their version of "Unchained Melody" on American Bandstand.

"Road to Europe" is the 20th episode of the third season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 7, 2002. The episode follows baby Stewie, who becomes obsessed with the fictional British children's television series "Jolly Farm Revue". He decides to run away from home to become part of the cast and his anthropomorphic dog Brian decides to chase him down in an attempt to bring him back home. Meanwhile, Peter and Lois go to a Kiss concert, where Lois reveals she knows nothing about the band, much to Peter's embarrassment.

Eclection were a British-based folk rock band, originally formed in 1967 in London by Norwegian-born Georg Kajanus, Canadian Michael Rosen, Australians Trevor Lucas and Kerrilee Male, and Briton Gerry Conway. They released one album on Elektra Records before singer Kerrilee Male left to be replaced by Dorris Henderson, but the group broke up in December 1969.

<i>The Latest Buzz</i> Canadian TV series or program

The Latest Buzz is a teen sitcom from Decode Entertainment that aired on Family Channel in Canada from September 1, 2007 to April 19, 2010. It was the network's first original multi-camera sitcom.

<i>Never Forget</i> (musical) Jukebox musical

Never Forget is a jukebox musical with a book written by Guy Jones and Ed Curtis, with screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst acting as story advisor, based on the 1990s songs of boy band Take That, written by Gary Barlow. In addition to Barlow's songs, Never Forget features additional music and lyrics by Barry Manilow, Dan Hartman and Adrienne Anderson, all of which were covered by Take That in the 1990s. The musical's story focuses on the themes of friendship, ambition, love and betrayal among the members of a Take That tribute band, but it is not related to the history of Take That. The musical is named after Take That's chart-topping single "Never Forget".

The Teardrops were an American girl group popular during the 1960s.

<i>Oil City Symphony</i>

Oil City Symphony is a musical with a book by Mike Craver, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, and Mary Murfitt and songs by various composers. It is a recreation of a recital by four middle-aged amateur musicians who have reunited in the auditorium of the Ohio high school they attended in the 1960s to pay tribute to music teacher Miss Hazel Reaves, who is retiring. The musical ran for 626 performances off-Broadway.

Wall Street Crash were an English vocal group, formed in March 1980 by Keith Strachan. Performing music from the 1920s to the 1980s, they appeared regularly on British television and in three Royal Variety Performances.

"Girls On Film" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the eighty-first episode overall. Written by Michael Hitchcock and directed by co-creator Ian Brennan, it aired on Fox in the United States on March 7, 2013, and features the 500th musical number filmed by Glee since its inception.

<i>Superman Unchained</i>

Superman Unchained is a 2013–14 comic book miniseries published by DC Comics, and featuring the superhero Superman, as he encounters a powerful new opponent named W.R.A.I.T.H. who may be his match. Originally billed as ongoing, the series launched in June 2013 to mark Superman's 75th anniversary, two days before the release of the feature film Man of Steel, and ran for a year and a half. A continuation of DC's 2011 relaunch of its entire monthly line of books known as The New 52, the series was written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Jim Lee and Scott Williams. The entire story received largely positive reviews.

"This Could Be the Night" is a song recorded by the American band Modern Folk Quartet (MFQ) in late 1965 or early 1966. The lyrics describe a couple on the verge of conquering their inhibitions. Written in tribute to the Beach Boys' leader Brian Wilson, the song is one of three that are credited jointly to Harry Nilsson and Phil Spector, although Nilsson submitted that he was the sole writer on a 1966 copyright form.

<i>Something Rotten!</i> Musical that premiered on Broadway in 2015

Something Rotten! is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare.

<i>Creating Rem Lezar</i> 1989 American film

Creating Rem Lezar is a 1989 American children's musical film directed, written, and produced by Scott Zakarin and released direct-to-video.

References

  1. "Sh-Boom! Life Could Be A Dream". www.stagerights.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.