An idea for a backstage musical comedy
Synopsis: The Longacre Theatre Musicale is presenting what could be the last show of it's life: an old (therefore royalty free) song and dance show called Live, Love, Dance! But we don't see that show. We see what happens backstage during a performance from the dressers' point of view. There is JULIAN, longtime head of wardrobe and a calm presence in the face of calamity; MICHAELA, an all-around techi commandeered for wardrobe because of the difficulty of the production; TAMARA, an intern who gets all the shit jobs; BRANDON, an actor, condemned to a backstage role because he slept with the girlfriend of the theatre's artistic director; and MARCI, a housewife and theatre volunteer.
Longacre Theatre Musicale has seen its audiences dwindle in these hard economic times. It's only hope of continuing for one season more is a grant from the Gates Foundation. An auditor is at the theatre this particular night, and everything rides on a successful production. But the star (a legendary grande dame) has terrible stage fright and is impossibly superstitious, the leading lady still has the hots for BRANDON in spite of the artistic director, BRANDON is still suffering the wrath of TAMARA with whom he had an ill-advised affair, MARCI is completely unaware of theatre traditions and protocol, and one of the actors has a breakdown and abandons his role, leaving one of the backstage crew to fill in as replacement.
Did I mention that all of the actors in the show-within-the-show are played by department store mannequins on wheels?
(5 characters and 14 mannequins)
I have a rough draft of the first act, and am currently seeking a composer/collaborator.
I have a rough draft of the first act, and am currently seeking a composer/collaborator.
