Joey Landwehr
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.....,. aN31~=I J.S38 ~OJ.~V J.V3~E) lnOS J.V3~E) J.~V3H J.V3~E) )tNI=I 3~N3~MVl ·~a OJ. a3J.voioso SIMPLY DANNY Created by Joey Landwehr Table of Contents Con~~t ~taterrlent ()~ TRUE COLOR~ ()6 ~IMPLY DANNY 28 Process ~5 Post Evaluation 55 Research 58 Bibliogra~hy 9() Advertising 95 Production Proqram 99 Production Photographs 1()2 Reviews 1()~ .l.... October 07, 1996 Concept Statement TRUE COLORS (working title) is a biographical story of part of the life of a young man who is stricken with the disease AIDS. This young man, Danny Keel, has one last dream, to die in the theatre. The theatre is where he has always found his hopes and dreams, his friends and family, and most importantly the love of his life. This is partially a memory play and partially a present-time lounge act. For his final bow he must tell his story, instead of using other people's words. The audience is made up partially of friends and family and partially strangers. Danny simply wants to bring some happiness into people's lives while giving them some thing to think about at the same time. This also allows him to bring some closure to his life by getting some things off his chest that have been haunting him for years. In many ways, just as Torn Wingfield, not to mention Tennessee Williams, does in THE GLASS MENAGERIE. He speaks about the loss of his mother when he was young, the meeting and then loss of his lover as he got older. How his life seemed complete when he met his childhood matinee idol, how he was disowned by his other parent not because of his disease, but because of his sexual orientation, and finally how he contracted AIDS. But most importantly he wants the audience to realize that this isn't just his story. Stories just like this happen to so many others and can happen to each and every member of the audience. 5 .... I 9 I 1 I ) I I L ~q S~OlO~ 3n~..L JAL Page 01 mUECOLOBS (As the lights come up on a dark stage; we see the silhouette of a young man on stage. An accompanist plays the song (1) "True Colors" or "Friends" on the piano. He is a handsome young man, in his mid twenties with red hair and a slim build. He is singing very soulfully. When he hits the last lyrics "beautiful, like a rainbow." The lights come up with a cornucopia of colors to please the eye. The man should be dressed in a tux preferably but it must have rows and rows ofsequins. As ifBob Mackie and Liza Minnelli exploded on him.) I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS SHINING THROUGH. I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS AND THArS WHY I LOVE YOU. (Voice over: "Ladies and Gentlemen Mr. Danny Keel." Possible canned applause.) SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO LET THEM SHOW. YOUR TRUE COLORS, TRUE COLORS, ARE BEAUTIFUL, LIKE A RAINBOW. (Alternate beginning if choosing to use "Friends".) AND I, AM ALL ALONE. THERE IS NO ONE HERE, BESIDE ME. AND MY PROBLEMS HAVE ALL GONE. THERE IS NO ONE TO DERIVE ME. (Voice over: "Ladies and gentlemen Mr. Danny Keel." Possible canned applause.) BUT YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS. THE FEELINGS OH SO STRONG. YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS. TO MAKE THAT DAY LAST LONG. I GOT SOME FRIENDS BUT THEY'RE GONE. SOMETHIN' CAME AND TOOK THEM AWAY. AND FROM THE DUSK 'TILL THE DAWN, HERE IS WHERE I'LL STAY. i I ~ 8 un JAL Page 02 STANDING AT THE END OF THE ROAD BOYS WAITING ON MY NEW FRIENDS TO COME. I DON'T CARE IF I'M HUNGRY OR POOR. I'M GONNA GET ME SOME OF THEM. CAUSE YOU GOT YO HAVE FRIENDS. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA FRIENDS. LA LA LA LA LA (Repeat chorus a few times.) Danny: The first major movie I ever saw, (Other than the Disney, .Bam.b.i., Dum.bo., Ci.ndereJ.la type of things.) was Kiss Me Kate. And not on video; because, at this time VCR's were not a permanent fixture in homes. They were the dinosaur, top-loaders that only one person in the entire trailer court owned. Kiss Me Kate was the first 3-D musical in glorious technicolor, and I saw it with my little card-board-esque glasses with the one red eye and the other blue, a tub of real, hot-buttered popcorn, and milkduds, on the big screen at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, it featured Katherine Grayson, Ann Miller, and even a special appearance by Bob Fosse. But the real star of the show was Howard Keel. (Song cue (2). "1 Come To Wiveth Wealthily In Padua.") (Very Howard Keel-esque.) I'VE COME TO WIVETH WEALTHILY IN PADUA. IF WEALTHILY THEN HAPPILY IN PADUA. IF MY WIFE HAS A BAG OF GOLD, DO I CARE IF THE BAG IS OLD? I'VE COME TO WIVETH WEALTHILY IN PADUA. Oh! What an amazing man. What an amazing voice. I wanted to sing as well as him. I wanted to act as well as him. I wanted to be able to wear tights as well as him. I wanted to be, Howard Keel. That man changed my life. He made me want to do something with myself. (pause) That is when I knew I wanted to bring happiness to others. That is when I knew it was my destiny to become, (pause) a lounge singer. 9 ~ JAL Page 03 Before I saw this turning point of a movie, I was going to be a preacher. Could you imagine? It was all planned out. Ozark Christian College is what awaited me; in Joplin, Missouri. I ask again, could you imagine? All of the sequins and the glitter and the huge production numbers with Donita, my overly hippy wife (And I don't mean long hair, earth tones and Berkinstocks.) and our three children, two boys and a girl: Courtney, Brandon, and Methuselah, standing beside me waving hands and shouting amen, and me singing negro-spirituals as white as white can be. (While my congregation eats the first course.) Dinner theatre spirituality: feeding the soul as well as the stomach. (Song cue (3). "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. " This song is done while interjecting such things as "Hey, how's that steak. " and "Hey, how you doin' tonight, yeah. ") Of course I would bring down the house, during the apple cobbler, with my mother's favorite song. (Piano begins to play "Amazing Grace.'7 Accapella! (The piano stops as we here a large bang from the keyboard lid.) (Song cue (4). ''Amazing Grace. ") (With scoops and slides and vocal fries galore. Very negro-spiritual.) AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME. I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. WHEN WE'VE BEEN THERE, TEN THOUSAND YEARS. BRIGHT SHINING AS THE SUN. WE'VE NO LESS DAYS, TO SING GOD'S PRAISE, THAN WHEN WE FIRST BEGUN. Thank you. As I grew older I knew the ministry was not my forte; because of Mr. Keel and (pause) other things (pause) When I turned 19 I received my acting union card and was on my way to becoming Mr. Keel. The first show I did as a union actor was Ib.e. Wizard Of Oz.. I was (muffled under breath.) a flying monkey. (A long pause and then abruptly, out-loud.) all right! All right! a flying monkey. Okay? Happy? But really, what would the wicked witch be without us? Washed up, so 10 ~L P~e~ to speak. We add to her credibility. Please Margaret Hamilton not saying "Fly, my lovelies fly." it just wouldn't work. This is the major point in my career that I knew I would never be an evangelical preacher; because while I was getting into make-up for my big monkey scene with Phyllis Diller as The Wicked Witch, (it was summer stock.) I looked across the huge outdoor stage, looked through Sally Struthers singing "Over The Rainbow" (Which I assure you was not a simple task by this point in her career.) And I saw it. The most beautiful sight ever seen. A vision in emerald green, looking at me. Chad Hudson another chorus boy. It took everything inside us to keep from rushing the stageI throwing Sally into the pit and embracing in a crescendoing, overblown, homosexual fantasy of really falling in love "Over The Rainbow." (Song cue {5}. HOver The Rainbow. '7 WHEN ALL THE WORLD IS A HOPELESS JUMBLE, AND THE RAINDROPS TUMBLE ALL AROUND, HEAVEN OPENS A MAGIC LANE. WHEN ALL THE CLOUDS DARKEN UP THE SKY-WAY, THERE'S A RAINBOW HIGH-WAY TO BE FOUND, LEADING FROM YOU WINDOW PANE. TO A PLACE BEHIND THE SUN, JUST A STEP BEYOND THE RAIN. SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW WAY UP HIGH, THERE'S A LAND THAT I HEARD OF ONCE IN A LULLABY. SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW SKIES ARE BLUE, AND THE DREAMS THAT YOU DARE TO DREAM REALLY DO COME TRUE. SOMEDAY I'LL WISH UPON A STAR, AND WAKE UP WHERE THE CLOUDS ARE FAR BEHIND ME. WHERE TROUBLES MELT LIKE LEMON-DROPS, AWAY, ABOVE, THE CHIMNEY TOPS, THArS WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME. 11 JAL Page 05 SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BLUE BIRDS FLY. BIRDS FLY OVER THE RAINBOW, WHY THEN, OH WHY CAN'T I? (Repeat chorus using 2nd ending.) IF HAPPY LITTLE BLUEBIRDS FLY BEYOND THE RAINBOW, WHY, OH WHY, CAN'T I? You know I heard somewhere that that is how Danny Kaye and Laurence Olivier met.