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Overview

Synopsis

When Hollywood offers New York novelist Stine the opportunity to adapt his books into a film for the silver screen, he packs up and moves to the home of perennial sunshine, palm trees, and stars. Tony award-winning City of Angels moves between the beautiful Technicolor world of Hollywood and Stine’s glamorous film noir-in-progress of the same title. While Stine’s movie plays out in black and white, Stine finds the dangerous temptations of the world of Los Angeles – the distraction of women, the lure of fame, and the artistic compromises being made right and left – all too colorful. Witty and glamorous, City of Angels features a sensational jazz score, including popular songs, “You Can Always Count on Me,” “Tennis Song,” and “I’m Nothing Without You.”

Show Information

Music
Cy Coleman
Lyrics
David Zippel
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1989
Genres
Comedy, Parody
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
hollywood, california, late 1940s - and a film noir fantasy world version of hollywood, california in the late 1940s
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Some Dance
Ideal For
Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, College/University, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Stone

Lead

Male

Baritone

Stine

Lead

Male

Baritone

Buddy Fidler

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Luther Kingsley / Werner Kriegler

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Lieutenant Munoz / Pancho Vargas

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Oolie / Donna

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Alaura Kingsley / Carla Haywood

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Bobbi

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Gabby

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Jimmy Powers

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Irwin S. Irving

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Mallory Kingsley

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Dr. Mandril

Featured

Male

Spoken

Del Dacosta

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Peter Kingsley / Gerald Pierce

Featured

Male

Angel City Four

Ensemble

Either Gender

Alto, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Songs

Act One

  • Prologue: Theme from City of Angels
  • Double Talk – Stone and Alaura Kingsley
  • Double Talk – Buddy Fidler and Stine
  • What You Don't Know About Women – Gabby and Oolie
  • Ya Gotta Look Out for Yourself – Jimmy Powers and Angel City 4
  • The Buddy System – Buddy Fidler
  • With Every Breath I Take – Bobbi
  • The Tennis Song – Stone and Alaura Kingsley
  • Ev'rybody's Gotta Be Somewhere – Stone and Angel City 4
  • Lost and Found – Mallory Kingsley
  • All Ya Have to Do is Wait – Munoz, Yamato, Mahoney and Officer Pasco
  • You're Nothing Without Me – Stine and Stone

Act Two

  • Stay with Me – Jimmy Powers and Angel City 4
  • You Can Always Count On Me – Oolie / Donna
  • Double Talk – Buddy Fidler and Party Guests
  • Stay with Me (Reprise) – Jimmy Powers and Angel City 4
  • It Needs Work – Gabby
  • With Every Breath I Take – Stone and Bobbi
  • Funny – Stine
  • I'm Nothing Without You – Stone, Stine and Gabby
  • Epilogue: Theme from City of Angels
  • Double Talk Walk (Curtain Call)

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    A song that uses short stanzas to tell a story about love.

    A style of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace.

    A genre of music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by syncopated rhythms, complex chords, elements of improvisation, and distortions of pitch and timbre.

    The creative team member who makes the lighting plot and paperwork, calls the focus, and sets cues with the programmer. They answer to the show Director.

    An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, situation, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

    A humorous imitation of something, typically a particular genre of film or literature, in which its characteristic features are exaggerated for comic effect.

    Wit

    A natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor.

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher