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Overview

Synopsis

"It's Singin' in the Rain meets Hollywood Babylon." On a farm in Walnut Iowa, the abused but ambitious Ellie Ash aspires to screen immortality. Elmo Green, a scenarist from NYC, bicycles by. He's immediately smitten by Ellie, who jumps on his bike—Hollywood bound. Soon they work with characters reminiscent of Ethel Merman (brassy Bertha Powell), Gene Kelly (fleet Danny Burke), Mario Lanza (lumpy Tony Toscanni), Erich Von Stroheim (producer/director Norman G. Neinstein), & Joan Crawford (vamp Lulu Beauveen). Soon, Ellie triumphs at N.G.N. Productions—the "Girl of a Thousand Sounds"—till columnist Adele DeRale exposes unseemly events. Separately, Ellie & Elmo climb up to the Hollywoodland Sign, possibly to jump, then make an unexpected decision.

Show Information

Book
Michael Colby
Music
Paul Katz
Lyrics
Michael Colby
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1985
Genres
Satire, Comedy
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
Hollywood, 1930s
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
Musical Staging
Licensor
Steele Spring Stage Right
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Ellie Ash

Lead

Female

Soprano

Elmo Green

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Norman G. Neinstein

Supporting

Male

Bass-Baritone

Tony Toscanini

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Danny Burke

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Adele DeRale

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Lulu Beauveen

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Bertha Powell

Supporting

Female

Alto

Songs

Act One

  • “The Public Wants to Know” Adele & Ensemble
  • “I Belong In Hollywood” Ellie, Lem, Clem, & Clyde
  • “Let's Go” Elmo & Ellie
  • “N.G.N. Productions” Ensemble
  • “The Musical Showdown” Lulu, Elmo, Norman, & Ensemble
  • “Someone To Love Me” Tony
  • “I Can Sing” Bertha
  • “All Over the Place” Danny with Ellie
  • “All I Dreamed” Ellie
  • “The Jungle Song” Lulu, Danny, & Ellie, with Bertha, Adele, & Tony
  • “So This Is The Movies” Elmo
  • “Sounds in the Night” Ellie
  • “Keep In Step” Ellie, Danny, Lulu, & Bertha
  • “Hunchy” Tony & Ellie
  • “It's Mine” Ellie, With Lulu, Bertha, Danny, & Tony

Act Two

  • “Born to Be Bad” Ellie
  • “My Best False Face” Adele
  • “I'll Stand By You” Elmo
  • “For My Career” Bertha, Danny, Tony, Norman, & Ellie
  • “Stars In My Eyes” Ellie, with Bertha, Tony, Lulu, & Danny
  • “Finale” Ensemble

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

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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

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Videos

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Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher