Doonesbury (musical)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For an article about the comic strip, see Doonesbury.
| Doonesbury | ||
| Original Broadway Production | ||
|---|---|---|
 Original Broadway Playbill |
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| Music | Elizabeth Swados | |
| Lyrics | Gary Trudeau | |
| Book | Gary Trudeau | |
| Theatre | Biltmore Theatre | |
| Opened | November 21, 1983 | |
| Closed | February 19, 1984 | |
| Director | Jacques Levy | |
| Choreographer | Margo Sappington | |
| Scenic designer | Peter Larkin | |
| Costume designer | Patricia McGourty | |
| Lighting designer | Beverly Emmons | |
| Originally starring | Mark Linn-Baker Mark Slackmeyer Keith Szarabajka Gary Beach Lauren Tom Kate Burton |
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Doonesbury is a musical with a book and lyrics by Garry Trudeau and music by Elizabeth Swados.
Based on Trudeau's comic strip of the same name, it focuses on that point in its history when the primary characters graduate from college and enter the workforce after more than a decade of being perpetual students and commune-dwellers.
Trudeau took a nearly two-year sabbatical from writing the strip to develop the project.
After twenty previews, the Broadway production, directed by Jacques Levy and choreographed by Margo Sappington, opened on November 21, 1983 at the Biltmore Theatre, where it ran for 104 performances. The cast included Mark Linn-Baker as Mark Slackmeyer, Keith Szarabajka as B.D., Gary Beach as Uncle Duke, Lauren Tom as Honey Huan, Kate Burton as J.J. Caucus, and Laura Dean as Boopsie.
An original cast recording was released by MCA Records, and a companion book including song lyrics and production photos was published in conjunction with the opening.
Contents |
[edit] Song list
Act I
- Graduation
- Just One Night
- I Came To Tan
- Guilty
- I Can Have It All
- Get Together
- Baby Boom Boogie Boy
- Another Memorable Meal
Act II
- Just A House
- Complicated Man
- Real Estate
- Mother
- It's The Right Time To Be Rich
- Muffy & The Topsiders
- Just One Night (Reprise)
- Graduation (Reprise)
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Theatre World Award (Dean, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Dean, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)
[edit] Synopsis
Act I
The musical's storyline opened the day before graduation at Walden College, with many of the characters (Mike Doonesbury, B.D., Mark Slackmeyer, Zonker Harris, Boopsie) preparing for the day. B.D. has been drafted into professional football (later revealed to be the Dallas Cowboys), Mike is preparing to propose to J.J., and Zonker has a flashback to his days as a pro suntanner. Meanwhile, Duke and Honey are at Duke's trial for cocaine possession in Los Angeles County, California. The action returns to Walden, where Mike is on the phone with J.J., upset that Mike has invited her mother, Joanie, who arrives with her infant son from her second marriage, Jeffrey. Boopsie and the cast discuss her plans to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, intending on following B.D. to Dallas. Mark reveals Mike's plan to propose to J.J. to Zonker and Joanie.
Back at the courthouse, Duke is found guilty and sentenced to probation, required by the court to open and manage a drug rehabilitation center for the next five years. Then back at Walden, J.J. arrives, only to discover that Mike has planned out their weekend down to the very minute. Joanie returns from grocery shopping, and Mike attempts to mediate the tension between mother and daughter. This fails, and J.J. storms out. Meanwhile, at the campus radio station, Mark is interviewing Roland Hedley, and the two campaign on the air to get Mark a job after graduation.
Back at Walden Commune, Mike is preparing dinner while Boopsie is exercising, Joanie is nursing Jeffrey, Zonker is building a beer-can pyramid, and B.D. is ranting about all of them. Mark returns from the radio station, and J.J. offers to help Mike with dinner. When the meal is served, the cast mocks Mike's cooking. As dinner concludes, Zonker attempts to renew the lease on the commune, but is turned down. As Act One ends, it's discovered that Duke and Honey are having them evicted after graduation for his court-ordered drug rehabilitation center.
Act II
The following morning, the residents of Walden awake to find a bulldozer outside the house bulldozing the front yard and adjacent meadow. The cast, including Duke, threatening to force the residents to leave the house or get bulldozed, sing on the theme of whether or not Walden is "just a house." Joanie intervenes, telling Duke that her clients (the residents of Walden) will be seeking an injunction against his redevelopment of the house without rezoning permits, and threatens Duke with harassment charges. Duke exits, but soon resumes bulldozing. Mike leaves with Joanie to attempt legal action against Duke.
Boopsie and B.D. have a discussion about B.D.'s feelings, which is broken off when B.D. receives a message from Sid Kibbitz, his agent. B.D. is being traded to Tampa Bay from Dallas. B.D. leaves, Honey enters, and Honey and Boopsie sing about the complicated men in their lives (Duke and B.D., respectively). Outside, Zonker attempts to confront Duke, but is soon lured into Duke's plan to redevelop Walden into condos.
Mike and Joanie return to Walden, where J.J. has been taking care of Jeffrey. Mike runs off to get dressed for graduation, and Joanie and J.J. attempt reconciliation. Roland arrives with a crew to interview the new graduates, and informs Mark of a potential job offer at a radio station on Long Island, New York. Roland also discusses B.D.'s trade to Tampa Bay, both sing in praise of President Reagan's domestic policies, and introduce "Muffy and the Topsiders", a band made up of preppies (Boopsie, Mike, Mark and Zonker in different costumes).
Zonker reveals Duke's plan for condos to Mike and Mark, as Duke crashes the bulldozer into their living room. Mike blurts out his proposal to J.J., who accepts. Duke falls to side effects of the drugs he's taken, collapsing on the couch.
At graduation, Mike and J.J. reveal their plans to Zonker to go off and be married, and Mark reveals his plans to go to New York, leaving Zonker as the only remaining resident of Walden. Roland covers the ceremony, in which full names of several of the characters are revealed.
[edit] Reference
- Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy by Garry Trudeau, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1984) ISBN 0-517-05491-4
