LOVE! AT THE CAFÉ! A MUSICAL IN TWO ACTS By Karen Sokolof Javitch and James Spicer Conant Copyright © MMV by Karen Sokolof Javitch All Rights Reserved Heuer Publishing LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa ISBN: 978-1-61588-100-0 Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this work is subject to a royalty. Royalty must be paid every time a play is performed whether or not it is presented for profit and whether or not admission is charged. A play is performed any time it is acted before an audience. All rights to this work of any kind including but not limited to professional and amateur stage performing rights are controlled exclusively by Heuer Publishing LLC. Inquiries concerning rights should be addressed to Heuer Publishing LLC. This work is fully protected by copyright. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the publisher. 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Book and Lyrics by Karen Sokolof Javitch and James Spicer Conant Music by Karen Sokolof Javitch SYNOPSIS: Love triangles and conflicts emerge at Bonnie’s Café in this romantic comedy with big 1950’s song and dance numbers. The all- American teenage boy, Jimmy, has had a crush on the pretty waitress, Sharon, for a very long time. He is about to disclose his “love” to her by asking her to the fourth of July party, only to be thwarted by the evil, self- centered and very rich Fred, who has already invited her to the party. The other young couple is the head cook, Melvin, who is engaged to the flamboyant, actress wanna-be, Candy, who is now in hot pursuit by the phony Hollywood “producer,” Jet while Bonnie, the café owner, somehow finds herself in the middle of all the shenanigans. CAST OF CHARACTERSCOPY (6 MEN, 6 WOMEN, EXTRAS) PRINCIPALS: JIMMY (m).....................................All-American young man. Late teens. Works at café. (125 lines) SHARON (f)...................................All-American girl. Late teens. Works at café. (111 lines) CANDY (f) .....................................Flamboyant.NOT Late teens. Not too bright. A lot of fun. Engaged to Melvin and desperately wants to be an actress. (107 lines) MELVIN (m) ..................................The head cook at Bonnie’s Café. Twenties. Devoted to Candy, who he is DO engaged to. Not that bright. (59 lines) 2 BY KAREN SOKOLOF JAVITCH AND JAMES SPICER CONANT BONNIE (f) ....................................Owns the café. Around 50 or so. Cares about the young people who work for her. Strong and a lot of fun. (47 lines) FRED (m) .......................................Evil, rich, self-centered. Thirties. He wants Sharon for himself. Owns three low-class newspapers. (37 lines) ALICE (f)........................................Very sexy waitress who wants Jimmy and will do almost anything to get him. Not the girl next door. Teenager. (31 lines) SUPPORTING CAST (SPEAKING AND SINGING): EBERT (m) .....................................Works for Fred, and kisses up to him. (11 lines) RACHEL (f) ...................................A young girl COPY(10-13) who wants to play on Jimmy’s baseball team and has a crush on him. (10 lines) CHARLIE (m) ................................The assistant cook to Melvin. (24 lines) SUPPORTING CAST (SPEAKING): MARILYN (f).................................She looks and acts like Marilyn Monroe. (2 lines) NOT AUCTIONEER (m) ........................Auctions off a date with “Marilyn Monroe” at the 4th of July Dance. (6 lines) SUPPORTING CAST (CHORUS―SING AND DANCE): WAITRESSES................................As many as desired. EXTRA COOKS.............................AsDO many as desired. 3 LOVE! AT THE CAFÉ! ACTRESSES ..................................As many as desired (They sing one song with Jet). CAFÉ CUSTOMERS .....................As many as desired. SETTING There is only one set―Bonnie’s Café. This is a 1950’s-style café with countertop and bench seats and 1950’s-type table and chairs. The cover of the CD is an example of a table and chairs from that decade. There can be movie posters of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean or any other famous actor of that era on the walls. COSTUMES The costumes are typical 1950’s styles. The opening number can be the most fun – with poodle skirts and saddle shoes forCOPY the girls and jeans, black jackets, sunglasses, and greasy hair for the guys. The girls can wear their hair in ponytails. In the café, the waitresses need “waitress” outfits – the chefs can wear big chef hats. Bonnie, being the only ‘older’ woman can wear either a waitress outfit or a flowered dress of that time with an apron. Jimmy wears a white t-shirt and jeans. Candy enters in a flamboyant ‘Hollywood’ garish-type skirt and top. She can also wear a multi-colored jacket and scarf. Jet wears a very loud and non-matching outfit. You can have a lot of fun dressing Candy and Jet. NOT DO 4 BY KAREN SOKOLOF JAVITCH AND JAMES SPICER CONANT MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT ONE SONG #1 OVERTURE SONG #2 LIFE WAS SIMPLE THEN SONG #3 HONEY BUN SONG #4 WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH ME? SONG #5 GOSH, YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY SONG #6 WHEN I SAY JUMP! SONG #7 EVERYMAN SONG #8 KISSING IN MULTIPLES SONG #9 FOR SURE SONG #10 PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA ACT TWO SONG #10A ENTR’ACTE SONG #11 GET OUT OF TOWN COPY SONG #12 IF I DIDN’T HAVE MY DREAMS SONG #13 DREAMS/CRAZY DUET SONG #14 THE FOURTH OF JULY SONG #15 SUSPICION SONG #16 I’M ON THE ROAD AGAIN SONG #17 MY DESTINY SONG #18 CURTAIN CALL – LIFE WAS SIMPLE THEN (REPRISE) NOT DO 5 LOVE! AT THE CAFÉ! ACT ONE, SCENE 1 SONG #1: OVERTURE AT RISE: The entire cast is onstage, dressed in 1950’s clothes. The girls are in poodle skirts and black and white saddle shoes. The boys are in black leather jackets or in ‘Elvis’ attire with sunglasses. You can divide up the singing any way you wish. This song gives the entire cast an opportunity to shine! SONG #2: LIFE WAS SIMPLE THEN (ENTIRE CAST) GIRL TRIO: SHA LA LA LA LA, SHA LA LA LA LA LA. GUYS: COPY LIFE WAS SIMPLE THEN, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, IT WAS SO SIMPLE THEN AND LOTS OF FUN. IT WAS SO SIMPLE THEN, WE SEEMED TO HAVE IT ALL. GIRLS: WE HAD MARILYN THEN, GUYS: WITH ELVIS – KING. GIRLS: LUCY AND DESI REIGNED NOT GUYS: AND FRANK AND BING, GIRLS: OLD IKE WAS PRESIDENT GUYS: WITH NIXON ONDO HIS TEAM. GIRL TRIO: SHA LA LA LA, SHA LA LA LA LA 6 BY KAREN SOKOLOF JAVITCH AND JAMES SPICER CONANT SOLOIST #1: GIRL TRIO: WHEN DID I LOOK THE OTHER WAY? OO SOLOIST #2: WHY CAN’T I BRING BACK OO YESTERDAY? YESTERDAY SOLOIST #3: WHEN DID I LEAVE? OO I DON”T KNOW WHEN. OO SOLOIST #4: WHY CAN’T I TRAVEL BACK AGAIN? OO WAH BACK AGAIN LIFE WAS SIMPLE GUYS: (RAP.) CRUISIN’ IN MY ’57 CHEVY! MAKIN’ OUT AND GOING STEADY! OH SO SIMPLE COPY ONE GUY: NATALIE WOOD, ONE GIRL: JAMES DEAN – GUY AND GIRL: HEARTTHROB OF EVERY TEEN! SOLOIST #5: SPUTNIK, NOT SOLOIST #6: SPACE, SOLOIST #7: SPILLANE, SOLOIST #8: AND SPIES! DO GIRLS: LIZ TAYLOR HAD THE PRETTIEST EYES! 7 LOVE! AT THE CAFÉ! GUYS: MICKEY MANTLE, WILLY MAYS! ALL: SAY HEY, THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS! GIRL TRIO: LIFE WAS SIMPLE THEN ALL: WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, IT WAS SO SIMPLE THEN AND LOTS OF FUN! IT WAS SO SIMPLE THEN, WE SEEMED TO HAVE IT ALL. GIRL TRIO: SHA LA LA LA, SHA LA LA LA LA ALL: GIRL TRIO: JFK WAS ALIVE AND WELL. OO WE WATCHED HOWDY DOODY AND OO CLARA-BELLE. CLARA-BELLE. OO COPY SOLOIST #9: I LIKED TO CHANGE THE OO THREE CHANNELS TO SEE OO THE COOLEST SHOWS ON OUR OO WAH BLACK AND WHITE TV! BLACK AND WHITE TV LIFE WAS SIMPLE GIRLS: (RAP.) WE LOVED LUCY AND LAUGHED ALOUD BEING AMERICAN MADE US PROUD! NOT OH SO SIMPLE GUYS: BUDDY WAS A HOLLY, PAT WAS A BOONE.