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Overview

Synopsis

Brooklyn the Musical is essentially a play within a play. It begins with a group of street singers, busking underneath Brooklyn Bridge The singers decide to put on is a play within a play, led and narrated by the lead ‘Street Singer’. And this is the story they tell….
Once upon a time, a young Parisian singer found fame in France and travelled to America to search for the father she never knew. Her mother committed suicide when she was a child and her daughter only knows that her father came from the part of New York she was named after--Brooklyn. She has been left with an unfinished lullaby that he began and she is desperate to finish...with him. Although she captivates and intrigues American audiences, Brooklyn wanders the streets in vain, desperately searching for a clue to the man who got away. In the meantime, her appearance has unsettled the reigning diva of New York, Paradice, who challenges Brooklyn to a “Battle of the Divas” at Madison Square Gardens. Brooklyn accepts the challenge, determined to put Paradice in her place and find her father (Taylor). Acting as an alternative Fairy Godmother, the Street Singer leads Brooklyn to him and she discovers that Taylor is a drink and drug addict, suffering from PTSD following his experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War. However, the Street Singer reminds Brooklyn to look beyond the fragility and distress of her father’s current situation and to remember what he has been through. When Taylor is tempted by Paradice’s offer of heroin and fails to show up on stage to sing with his daughter, Brooklyn loses the “Battle of the Divas”, but she finds solace in the encouraging face of the Street Singer. Finally tracking down her father, he tells her that he will always be more comfortable in the crowd than center stage, and he and Brooklyn reunite, believing in their happy ending.

Editor’s Note: Brooklyn the Musical was originally performed without an interval but it can also be produced with two shorter acts.

Show Information

Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
2004
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy
Settings
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A street corner under Brooklyn Bridge, Present Day
Cast Size
small
Orchestra Size
Rock Combo
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Street Singer

Lead

Male

Tenor

Brooklyn

Lead

Female

Soprano

Faith (Karen)

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Taylor Collins (Kevin)

Supporting

Male

Tenor, Baritone

Paradice

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Songs

Opening (A Good Crowd Goin') - Ensemble

Heart Behind These Hands - Ensemble

Christmas Makes Me Cry - Faith, Taylor

Prologue - Faith, Brooklyn

Not a Sound - Ensemble (excluding Brooklyn)

Brooklyn Grew Up - Streetsinger, Ramona, Kevin, Brooklyn, Ensemble

Once Upon a Time - Brooklyn, Ensemble

Superlover - Paradice, Kevin, Karen, Ensemble

Brooklyn in the Blood - Brooklyn, Paradice, Ensemble

Brooklyn Grew Up (Reprise) - Brooklyn

Magic Man - Street Singer, Ensemble

Once Upon A Time (Reprise) - Taylor, Brooklyn, Streetsinger, Ramona, Karen

Love Was A Song - Taylor

I Never Knew His Name - Brooklyn

The Truth - Taylor, Brooklyn, Ensemble

Does Anyone Wanna Buy a Memory - Ramona, Karen, Streetsinger

A Vietnam Sequence - Faith, Taylor

Heart Behind These Hands (Reprise) - Ramona, Streetsinger, Taylor, Karen

Raven - Paradice

Sometimes - Taylor, Ensemble

Love Me Where I Live - Paradice, Ensemble

Love Fell Like Rain - Brooklyn

Magic Man (Reprise) - Streetsinger

Streetsinger - Brooklyn, Streetsinger, Ensemble

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.

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher