Synopses of Musicals
and Plays - S to Z

"Der Zigeunerprimas" (The Gypsy Band Leader). Known as "Sari" and "The Gypsy Virtuoso" in English speaking countries.

Pali Rácz, a thrice-widowed gypsy violinist, is adored by women and hailed widely as a virtuoso. His daughter Sari cares for their large family. His young son Laczi is also a violinist, but has chosen to forsake his father's playing style and study classical violin at the Academy of Music. Pali wants to marry his niece, Juliska, as a companion in his old age, but she prefers his son, Laczi, and Laczi, in turn, loves her. Pali criticizes Laczi's musical talent so much, and Laczi yearns so for Juliska, that he leaves home. Reunited in Paris, father and son reconcile after Countess Irini, an old admirer, convinces Pali not to interfere with the course of Laczi and Juliska's relationship. Irini's grandson marries Sari.

Source:wikipedia.org/

This show was the first Broadway score ever to have a coherent plot and integrated songs. Based on Edna Ferber's novel of the same name, "Show Boat" is a story that takes place over a period of 50 years looking into the lives of the Hawks family, their show boat troupe of actors, and the Cotton Blossom floating theater.

Magnolia Hawks is the lovely but protected, and thus very naive, daughter of Cap'n Andy Hawks, the genial proprietor of a show boat that cruises the Mississippi, and his nagging wife, Parthy. She is best friends with the show boat's star, Julie LaVerne, but Julie and her husband Steve are forced to leave when it is revealed that Julie has "Negro" blood in her, thereby breaking the state law by being married to the white Steve. Magnolia replaces Julie as the show boat's female star, and the show's new male star is the suave gambler Gaylord Ravenal. "Nola" and Gaylord fall in love and marry against Parthy's wishes. They and their young daughter, Kim, lead the high life when Gaylord is lucky in gambling, but live like dirt when he's unlucky. During one such unlucky streak, a broken Gaylord leaves Nola, and she is forced to start over by returning to the stage. Like Old Man River, as the famous song from this show goes, she just keeps rollin' along and eventually becomes a star.

A musical extravaganza, "Song of Norway" is based on incidents in the life of the composer Edvard Grieg. The story opens with a prologue set in Troldhaugen, just outside Bergen. Bergen itself is high in the foothills of the mountains of Norway, and slopes deeply down to blue-watered fjords, flanked by tall trees and snow-capped mountains. It is Midsummer's Eve in 1860, and the poet Rikard Nordraak recounts the legend of Norway. Grieg is a humble, unknown and struggling composer whose genius is recognized only by his close friends, Nina, his sweetheart, and Nordraak, his great friend.

Edvard and Nina have misunderstandings, however, brought about largely by the appearance of the glamorous and unconventional Countess, Louisa Giovanni. Finally, the sweethearts are married. The Countess exerts a strong fascination for Grieg, and he follows her to Rome, ostensibly to study music. There he is caught up in the frivolity of society, achieves world fame and wealth, but becomes increasingly unhappy. With the news of the death of his friend Nordraak, he immediately returns to Norway, and rejoins Nina. Together they devote their lives to fulfilling the dreams they had as children. Among the dreams is a 'Vision of Norway,' presented in a spectacular ballet that ends the production, set to the music of the Piano Concerto in A Minor, which Grieg dedicated to Nordraak.

Set in an island paradise during World War II, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war. Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with a mature French planter, Emile. Nellie learns that the mother of his children was an island native and, unable to turn her back on the prejudices with which she was raised, refuses Emile's proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, the strapping Lt. Joe Cable denies himself the fulfillment of a future with an innocent Tonkinese girl with whom he's fallen in love out of the same fears that haunt Nellie. When Emile is recruited to accompany Joe on a dangerous mission that claims Joe's life, Nellie realizes that life is too short not to seize her own chance for happiness, thus confronting and conquering her prejudices.

Source: musicalheaven.com/

In this romantic comedy, a rakish fellow involves himself with a married woman. Later his secretary endeavors to win him away with the promise of a more stable relationship. The rake is tempted, but then decides he prefers the married woman, which is fine with her husband who has an eye for the secretary.

Source: Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The operetta opens in the palace of the mythical kingdom of Karlsberg. It is 1860. Prince Karl Franz, heir to the throne, is bored with royal life in his native land. With his tutor, Doctor Engel, he plans a visit to the old German University town of Heidelberg. Engel recalls nostalgically his own youth in Heidelberg, as the Prince looks forward with considerable anticipation to his future freedom in that delightful city ("Golden Days").

When they arrive in Heidelberg it is spring, and the world is in bloom. The Prince, now incognito, joins his new comrades in a student's song ("Student's Marching Song"), after which they parade to the "Golden Apple Inn". There the students raise their Steins of beer in a robust toast to drink and romance ("Drinking Song"). They call for Kathie, the lovely young daughter of the innkeeper. She addresses the students with considerable warmth of feeling, after which she comes to the Prince's table and dedicates to him a sentimental song about Heidelberg ("In Heidelberg Fair"). The students respond with a vigorous rendition of the age-old student hymn, "Gaudeamus Igitur".

Before long, Kathie and the Prince are strongly attracted to each other. In the ensuing weeks their friendship ripens into love ("Deep in My Heart"); one beautiful evening the Prince is inspired to sing a serenade under her window ("Serenade"). But their love idyll is doomed. The news arrives from Karlsberg that the king is dead, and Prince Karl Franz must return to ascend the throne. More than that, he must, for reasons of State, marry Princess Margaret. Realizing that their life together is over, they bid each other a sentimental farewell.

But back in Karlsberg, the new king cannot forget Heidelberg or Kathie. As he sits in his royal suite, visions arise of the place where he had been so happy, and the girl with whom he had been so in love. Unable to contain himself any longer, he leaves Karlsberg to revisit Heidelberg. When the lovers meet again they are deeply moved, but they also know that a permanent union is an impossibility. They say farewell for a last time, with a pledge to keep at least their memories of each other alive as long as they live.

The story of four landmark years in the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the devotion of his wife, Eleanor. The play begins during the tragic summer on Campobello Island, Roosevelt's summer home in New Brunswick, Canada, when polio destroyed his limbs and left him bedridden, and ends triumphantly at the Democratic convention of 1924, when Roosevelt succeeded in winning the presidential nomination—in spite of his infirmity.

Mikel Mikeloviz, disguised as a monk, transports Princess Jeanne, the infant daughter of King René of the little kingdom of Zilinia, to Bruges to wait in safety during the war. Dame Paula runs the Laundry of the White Geese and is known as Mother Goose. Mikel gives the princess to Paula in secret to raise as her own daughter under the name of Sylvia. Paula later has six daughters of her own who help her run the laundry. Their father has been at war for ten years.

22 years later, the people are demanding the restoration of a monarchy. Mikel is conspiring to restore Princess Jeanne to the throne, which is about to be offered to Prince Franz, the heir presumptive. Franz, while traveling in disguise, has fallen in love with Sylvia. But Sylvia, who does not know that she is really a princess, is betrothed to Lieutenant Karl, a military Lothario. A sleazy politician, disguised as Paula's battle-scarred husband, tries to ensnare one of the two apparently adopted daughters as the bride for Prince Franz, but he does not know whether the real adopted daughter is the scheming Liane or the sweet Sylvia. Mikel's plans are hindered by the schemes of three villains. Mikel also mistakes Liane, a milliner who has sought temporary employment in the Laundry of the White Geese, for the lost princess. After all the complications are combed out, Franz and Sylvia marry, vowing to rule together.

Source: wikipedia.org/

"The Teahouse of the August Moon" takes place at an American military base on the Japanese island of Okinawa during the American Occupation of Japan in the aftermath of World War II. Captain Fisby, a young officer, arrives at the base and is assigned to the tiny village of Tobiki to carry out "Plan B," which includes the institution of a local democratic government, the establishment of a capitalist economy, and the building of a schoolhouse, but the villagers would rather have a teahouse, complete with geishas. The situation looks like a standoff, until the wily, philosophical interpreter Sakima offers his services as a go-between.

Reverend Brock, a single-minded 1890s social reformer works to sanitize the Tenderloin, a red-light neighborhood in western Manhattan. He is foiled by everyone associated with the district, including the corrupt politicians and police who are taking their cut from the earnings of the prostitutes who work the streets there. Tommy Howatt, a writer for the local scandal sheet Tatler, infiltrates the minister's church and proceeds to play one side against the other, eventually framing Brock by revealing to the authorities his plan to raid the brothels, but ultimately saving him by siding with him at his trial. As a result, the Tenderloin is shut down and Brock, asked to resign from his church, heads for Detroit with the hope of succeeding there as well.

Described as a "gay nineties 'Guys and Dolls,'" "Tenderloin" reunited the authors, director and producers of the Pulitzer Prize-winning smash-hit "Fiorello!" The sparkling, youthful score by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock (whose latter successes included "Fiddler On The Roof," and "She Loves Me" stayed on the Billboard charts for 34 weeks when the original cast album was released. A big, rousing, somewhat risqué show with lots of dancing and the hit songs "Artificial Flowers," "Little Old New York," and "Good Clean Fun," "Tenderloin" is a vintage show that still packs quite a punch.

Source: mtishows.com/
Source: wikipedia.org/

Athos, Porthos and Aramis, that redoubtable trio of King Louis XIII's bodyguard, are enjoying their regular carrousel at the Jolly Miller Inn. They are joined by the penniless but virile Gascon D'Artagnan. His natural resourcefulness is soon called upon, although not before he has fallen in love with Constance Bonacieux.

The trouble-making Cardinal Richelieu has heard that the Queen has given England's Duke of Buckingham a token of love, a diamond heart, which was a present from the King to her. Richelieu persuades the King to insist on the Queen's wearing the jewel at a forthcoming gala.

Comte de Rochefort and Lady de Winter are sent to London to recover the jewel and return it to Richelieu, who plans to produce it at the gala, thus revealing to King Louis his wife's treachery. Meanwhile, the Queen has sent Constance, her lady-in-waiting, to entreat the Musketeers to recover the jewel in time for her to wear it and confound her enemies. Upon arriving in London, the Musketeers find that Lady de Winter has already gained possession of the jewel. While pretending to be her lover, D'Artagnan snatches the jewel from her bosom.

There is a hectic sword fight over and around Milady's bed. When Comte de Rochefort enters he is slain and the Musketeers hurry back to France. They are just in time to produce the jewel at King Louis' demand so that he may fasten it at the Queen's shoulder as he had done originally.

Source: guidetomusicaltheatre.com/

(This was an original Music Circus production, using many of the 1953 resident company. No evidence has been found that it was ever performed again.)

The show opens in a stiff-backed summer camp at Brunswick, Me. (in the original, the scene was Thebes), where a young matron named Eurydice Orpheus is shamelessly cuckolding her husband, a struggling violinist. Her lover: one John Stick, a dull poet. Enter Pluto, in the guise of a soft-drink peddler, who offers the lovers a permanent visit to Hades. Sample of his spiel:

If you would like a long vacation Your reservation I'll quickly fix
You'll simply love my old plantation Way down upon the River Styx!

The scene switches to Mount Olympus, where Jupiter is having trouble with his wife Juno. She berates him for his old trick of assuming the shape of a shepherd, a bull or a swan for purposes of dalliance ("Though the girls are squeezable," leers Cupid, "with a swan it isn't feasible"). Jupiter (well sung and acted by Baritone Ralph Herbert) takes Juno and the other gods on a junket to Hades, where they bump into Eurydice; after a few random shots from Cupid's bow, everything ends in a happy shambles. The "go-to-hell" joke is worked pretty hard in the dialogue, but that is offset by Offenbach's tunes. At least two of them. An Old Love Dies and Brunswick Maine, could be hits in any century.

Source: Time Magazine, August 31, 1953

The musical opens on a Saturday morning when the community is getting the week's pay. Johnny Nolan, who works as singing waiter happily sings about his watch, which he has retrieved from a pawnshop. He accidentally kisses Katie, an impressionable young girl, whom he has mistaken for someone else. A flame of love sparks when Johnny calls at Katie's home, where hence he meets her sister Cissy who collects "husbands" all naming them Harry after her first, who was unfortunately married to another woman. Katie expresses her love to Johnny, and they become engaged. Johnny swears to his friends he will take good care of the innocent Katie. Johnny however spends his money entertaining his friends at bars so Katie must buy their first piece of furniture: a bed. She still believes in Johnny's love and is extremely excited for her upcoming wedding. Cissy leading her current Harry in a "hilariously complicated deception about the birth of a baby" explains to her friends what makes the world keep turning, and provides Harry with a son. Johnny begins to deeply indulge in alcohol, and Katie, to support their future child, takes a job as a janitress in their tenement. One night while she is working the rest of the building have a rooftop party. Johnny, who Katie hasn't seen in two days, reassures her things will be better.

As the curtain rises on Act Two an old clothes man passes through an alley Cissy appears and awaits her former sweetheart, Harry the first. Francie Nolan, Johnny and Katie's child, asks Johnny why she doesn't believe in childhood games anymore. When Harry does appear Cissy is shocked by his appearance. Things get worse when her current Harry leaves her who she has come to love. Johnny who is still drinking, is fired from the waiter's union and goes to work as a piano-playing professor. Johnny decides to leave his family and go find work in Manhattan. Cissy meanwhile is fortunately reunited with her previous Harry. Johnny is killed at work and the money he leaves behind is enough money to buy roses for Francie's graduation. Katie happily sees her daughter receive the first diploma in the family and also dance.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Jerry Ryan, a recently divorced middle-aged attorney, moves from Omaha, Nebraska to New York in order to separate himself from his ex-wife, Tess. Gittel Mosca, eccentric Bronx native, is a freewheeling dancer who struggles with ailments to her stomach. The play opens in September, with Ryan calling Mosca after a chance meeting. The two arrange a date, and become romantically involved.

Time has passed, it is now October and the differences between Ryan and Mosca are becoming more pronounced as the two spend more time together. Mosca, who is characterized as someone who eternally gives and never receives, serves as a direct contrast to Ryan, who eternally leans on others. As Ryan tries to find work as an attorney, Mosca falls victim to a bleeding ulcer, with Ryan ushering Mosca off to a hospital.

In March, Mosca is healing from her bleeding ulcer with Ryan taking care of her. Ryan's out-of-town calls with his ex-wife Tess become more frequent, leading him to reveal to Mosca that he is still in love with her. Ryan moves back to Nebraska to heal his relationship with Tess, while Mosca remains in New York. In a final phone call between Ryan and Mosca, they thank each other for a brief but meaningful tryst.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Shoeless, dirty and spunky, young Molly Tobin is the only daughter of a penniless Irish immigrant in Hannibal, Missouri, but she dreams of gold and fame. Stuck on those dreams, at first she refuses to marry lucky prospector Johnny "Leadville" Brown. But once she does, they strike it rich, and her dreams seem closer than ever. But uneducated and untrained, the indefatigable Molly Brown can't find acceptance in the society circles of wealthy Denver. Her hunt for acceptance leads her to the terraces of Monte Carlo, where she wins popularity but loses Johnny. He takes off for home, leaving Molly to the attentions of a slick nobleman. Realizing that it's Johnny she wants after all, she sails after him—on the doomed Titanic. But it takes more than an iceberg to get in Molly's way once she's made her mind up.

The musical is set in the Boss Tweed era of New York City in the 1870s. Wilbur Evans (who originated the role) plays John Matthews, a New York Times reporter investigating the Tweed's crooked political machine, especially the fraud connected with constructing Central Park. He falls in love with the daughter of one of the Boss' ward heelers, who marries a politician, who is killed. She later rekindles her love for Matthews. The settings, costumes and dances evoked the lithographs of Currier and Ives.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Paris is under siege by the forces of the Duke of Burgundy; popular support for King Louis XI is at a low point. Villon—poet, braggart, thief and darling of the Paris rabble—has sent anonymous love poems to the beautiful Katherine de Vaucelles. These have caused her to reject proposals from King Louis. She goes to seek the mysterious poet at an inn, but King Louis shadows her in disguise. Louis is incensed to hear Villon mocking the failures of his reign and saying what he would do instead "if I were king." The infuriated monarch reveals himself. The king gives Villon a hard choice: as punishment for speaking treasonously, he must either stop courting Katherine or accept the position of Grand Marshal, with all the powers of King, for 24 hours, during which time he must make good on his boasts and free Paris. At the end of the 24 hours, Villon will hang. Villon's dilemma is that he has promised himself to Huguette, his mistress, but now is deeply in love with Katherine.

Villon and Katherine declare their love for each other ("Only a Rose"). Hugette describes her means of livelihood ("Love for Sale"). Villon accepts Louis' challenge. Rather than sending the King's Scottish mercenaries against the Burgundians, Villon rouses the Paris mob to defend the city. Huguette discovers that Thibault, one of Louis's advisors, is a traitor. When Thibault ambushes Villon and tries to stab him to death, Huguette steps in front of the blade and takes the blow, thus sacrificing her life, and freeing Villon to be with Katherine. He kills Thibault in retaliation and then leads the Paris rabble to fight the Burgundians. The Parisians emerge victorious. After the battle is over, Katharine offers to sacrifice herself to the hangman in order to save Villon. Louis, realizing he cannot shed noble blood without a just cause, rewards Villon with exile instead of death, and the two lovers leave together.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Tony and Maria are associated with rival gangs. Tony is a Jet, a gang of American-born youths led by his best friend, Riff. Maria's brother Bernardo is the leader of the Sharks, a gang of first-generation Puerto Rican immigrants. The Jets challenge the Sharks to a rumble (a massive fight) to resolve a territory dispute once and for all. Tony and Maria meet, and fall instantly in love. Tony tries to stop the rumble for Maria's sake, but Bernardo stabs Riff. Tony reacts, avenging Riff's death by killing Bernardo. Still in love, Maria agrees to meet Tony that night and run away with him. But Tony receives word from Bernardo's mourning girlfriend, Anita, that Maria is dead. Grief-stricken, Tony goes out seeking the Sharks who are hunting him. He discovers that Maria is alive, but a Shark shoots him. Tony dies in Maria's arms.

Source: supersummary.com/

It's a rags to riches story chronicling the rise and fall of Sammy Glick, a Jewish boy born in New York's Lower East Side who, very early in his life, makes up his mind to escape the ghetto and climb the ladder of success by deception and betrayal.

Source: wikipedia.org/

Oxford University students Charley and Jack invite the young and winsome Kitty and Amy to lunch under the chaperoning eye of Donna Lucia, Charley's wealthy aunt (it is, after all, 1892). But when Donna Lucia doesn't show, a desperate Charley disguises himself as his aunt so that the young ladies can visit. Charley is unaware that they've brought a chaperone of their own: Amy's stuffy uncle, who promptly falls for Charley's aunt-like charms! When the real aunt shows up, it's all downhill from there: quick changes, fast-talking, marriage proposals, compromising situations and rowdy hilarity.

Source: mtishows.com/

Camp Karefree is a mountain resort for adults. Teddy Stern, depressed and stressed about her upcoming marriage to Herman Fabricant, a man she doesn't love, arrives on doctor's orders to get rest. She is met by her flirtatious blonde bombshell friend Fay Fromkin. Fay introduces the social director, Itchy, an all-around entertainer, who is her "special friend" ("Social Director"). Fay soon becomes entranced with the new athletic director, Harry Green ("Shopping Around"). Before long, Teddy too finds herself becoming entangled romantically with one of the waiters who is also a dancer, charming law student Chick Miller. Since one of his jobs is to dance with the unattached women, Chick spends the evening with Fay ("Tripping the Light Fantastic").

However, when Chick proposes to Teddy, she turns him down, believing she owes her loyalty to Herman, angering Chick. Teddy enters the bathing beauty contest run by Pinky, but he kisses her, uninvited, and Chick throws him into the pool. Chick leaves with a flirtatious young lady. Pinky comforts Teddy, finally seducing her into spending the night with him--but she passes out. Herman, having forgiven Teddy, and Teddy drive away. But Herman returns with two suitcases, and Teddy falls into Chick's arms. Chick now has the engagement ring, which he gives to Teddy.

Greenwich Village was an exciting place in 1930s New York. It is as it was then home to the city's artistic community. Ruth, a writer, and her sister Eileen who wants a stage career, take lodgings in the Village. Where they live is not ideal and there is building work going on all around them and there is also a constant stream of, to say the least, bizarre visitors mainly because Eileen is the sort of girl everyone wants to help - and does - with food and gifts. Ruth, on the other hand, is pursuing her journalistic career although Bob Baker, the associate editor of the Manhatter is not overly impressed with Ruth's overwritten efforts. He suggests to her that she should use her own experiences and write from those.

Ruth is deputed to interview some young Brazilians who have arrived in port. Unfortunately, the visitors know only three words of English, American, dance and conga. Ruth is lead a merry dance around and through the streets of Greenwich Village and the company is promptly arrested.

Bob actually likes what Ruth has written and submitted about the Brazilians but when his editor turns it down, Bob resigns. This causes a dilemma for the two sisters. Is it to be back to Columbus, Ohio for the two girls? Eileen likes Bob but she already has plenty of suitors; on the other hand Ruth is really attracted to him. Then fate intervenes. The newspapers are full of the blonde-bombshell who hijacked the Brazilian Navy. Who is this femme fatale - it is none other than our Eileen. However, she is offered a cabaret spot in a nightclub. Her act is a resounding success. Resulting from this, Ruth gets her Bob - and a press accreditation - and Eileen - well, just about everything else.......!

Source: guidetomusicaltheatre.com/

Robert Lomax is a young Briton who, after completing his National Service, goes to work on a plantation in British Malaya. During his time in Malaya, Lomax decides to pursue a new career as an artist for a year. He visits Hong Kong in search of inspiration for his paintings. He checks into the Nam Kok Hotel, not realizing at first that it is a brothel catering mainly to British and American sailors. However, this only makes the hotel more charming in Lomax's eyes, and a better source of subject matter for his paintings.

Lomax quickly befriends most of the hotel's bargirls, but is fascinated by the archetypal "hooker with a heart of gold," Suzie Wong. Wong previously introduced herself to him as Wong Mee-ling, a rich virgin whose father owns four houses and more cars than she can count, and who later pretends not to recognize him at the hotel. Lomax had originally decided that he would not have sex with any of the bargirls at the hotel because he lacks the funds to pay for their services. However, it soon emerges that Suzie Wong is interested in him not as a customer but as a serious love interest. Although Wong becomes the kept woman of two other men, and Robert Lomax briefly becomes attracted to a young British nurse, Lomax and Wong are eventually united and they marry.

Source: wikipedia.org/

It's unclear what version of "The Ziegfeld Follies" this production offered. There were many staged produced Ziegfeld Follies, all in the form of a Revue. Until I can get more information on this specific production, I offer the following:

Running between 1907 and 1931, the "Ziegfeld Follies" were elaborate stage revues mounted by the great Broadway showman Florenz Ziegfeld, inspired by the Folies Bergères of Paris. In 1945, film producer Arthur Freed recreated the lavishness of Ziegfeld's shows with this all-star revue, consisting of comedy sketches and song-and-dance numbers featuring MGM Studios' musical comedy stars including Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Lena Horne and Red Skelton.