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Overview

Synopsis

Boston, 1959. At the Colonial Theatre, the cast of Robbin’ Hood takes their bows on opening night. Just as the curtain falls, so does Jessica Cranshaw, the profoundly untalented leading lady of the production. Enter Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a fast-talking cop with a love for musical theatre. He quarantines the cast and crew inside the theatre while he searches for clues. But Cioffi doesn’t just investigate the murder--he also offers advice and insight into improving Robbin’ Hood. The musical will open again in 24 hours with a new leading lady, so the clock is ticking to find the killer and put on a killer show. Who could it be? Carmen Bernstein, the sassy and brassy producer? Christopher Belling, the campy and egotistical director? Georgia Hendricks, the lyricist who replaces Jessica onstage? Niki Harris, the ingenue with a secret? Everyone is a suspect, and only Cioffi can make sense of the evidence. Curtains is a musical-theatre parody of whodunnit classics, with numbers ranging from the classic musical theatre song-and-dance “A Tough Act to Follow” to the heartfelt “I Miss the Music.” A comedic send-up suitable for all ages, Curtains will have the audience laughing until the last curtain falls.

Show Information

Music
John Kander
Lyrics
Fred Ebb
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2006
Genres
Comedy
Settings
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
February 1959, Boston, Colonial Theatre
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
Heavy
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Aaron Fox

Lead

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Lieutenant Frank Cioffi

Lead

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Niki Harris

Lead

Female

Soprano

Georgia Hendricks

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Carmen Bernstein

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Bobby Pepper

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Christopher Belling

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Oscar Shapiro

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Daryl Grady

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Johnny Harmon

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Sasha Iljinksy

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Bambi Bernét

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Jessica Cranshaw

Featured

Female

Soprano

Harv Fremont

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Randy Dexter

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Roberta Wooster

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Detective O’Farrell

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mona Page

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Marjorie Cook

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Arlene Barruca

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Roy Stetson

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Brick Hawvermale

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Jane Setler

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Connie Subbotin

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Peg Prentice

Featured

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Ronnie Driscoll

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Russ Cochran

Featured

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Sidney Bernstein

Ensemble

Male

Non-singer

Company

Ensemble

Either Gender

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

Songs

Act I

  • Overture - The Orchestra
  • Wide Open Spaces - Randy Dexter, Niki Harris, Jessica Cranshaw, Bobby Pepper and Ensemble
  • What Kind of Man? - Carmen Bernstein, Oscar Shapiro, Aaron Fox and Georgia Hendricks
  • Thinking of Him - Georgia, Aaron and Bobby
  • The Woman's Dead - Entire Company
  • Show People - Carmen, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi and Company
  • Coffee Shop Nights - Cioffi
  • In the Same Boat 1 - Georgia, Niki and Bambi Bernét
  • I Miss the Music - Aaron
  • Thataway! - Georgia and Ensemble

Act II

  • The Man is Dead (reprise) - Sasha (the conductor)
  • He Did It - Company
  • In the Same Boat 2 - Bobby, Randy and Harv Fremont
  • It's a Business - Carmen and Stagehands
  • Kansasland - Randy, Harv, Bambi and Ensemble
  • She Did It (reprise) - Company
  • Thinking of Him/I Miss The Music (Reprise) - Aaron and Georgia
  • A Tough Act to Follow - Cioffi, Niki and Ensemble
  • In the Same Boat 3, 4, and 5 - Company
  • In the Same Boat Completed - Cioffi and Ensemble
  • Show People (Reprise) - Cioffi and Carmen
  • Wide Open Spaces (Finale) - Ensemble
  • A Tough Act to Follow (Reprise) - Company

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

    The person who is responsible for all aspects of a production, including the overall concept, coordinating the designers, working with actors, and creating the artistic impact.

    The character type of an innocent or naïve young woman, often a love interest.

    The person who writes the words of the songs, sometimes the same person as the composer or librettist.

    A type of theatre which draws attention to the nature of theatre and performance, often through a "play within a play"

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

    An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.

    A story or play about a murder in which the identity of the murderer is not revealed until the end.

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Guide Written By:

Cindi Calhoun

Cindi Calhoun

Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress