1939 Babes in Arms movie plot sketch

Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland

VAUDEVILLE MONTAGE in its heyday 1921 to decline 1930

Mickey’s House

Parents will put up another reunion show

Producer’s Office

GOOD MORNING sold by Mickey and Patsy to producer

Mickey and Patsy plan a future in theater – they won’t be has-beens

Mickey’s House

VAUDEVILLE ACT w. parents

Kids can’t go with them, even though they have “greasepaint in our veins”

TWINS by two females

FIGARO by Patsy

Kids still can’t go

Street

Mickey will write a show they’ll put on, that’ll show ‘em

BABES IN ARMS

Mickey’s House

Mickey writing show

Judge’s Chamber

Social worker tries to convince pro-actor judge to put kids on work farm

Soda Fountain

Mickey and Patsy dreaming about how great the show will be: need money

Meet Baby Rose, former child star (Shirley Temple), has $

Fight over Baby Rose, bust up drugstore

Judge’s Office

Hearing to send kids to work farm

Judge chats privately with Mickey “She’d put butterflies to work making rubber tires”

Judge grants 30 days after Mickey’s impassioned plea – they are actors, not laborers

Mickey’s House

Rehearsing WHERE OR WHEN for show – any two actors

Patsy sings a verse to MICKEY – nice integration

Mickey heads out to meeting with Baby Rose

Baby Rose’s Mansion

Dinner, Baby Rose agrees to fund production, but needs to be in it

Mickey’s House

Rehearsing GOOD MORNING

Telling Patsy songs go to Baby Rose, she’s crushed but brave face

Baby Rose arrives with entourage, does warm-ups

Practice Antony and Cleopatra, Mickey directs, takes over, kisses Baby Rose

Bus Station

Patsy leaves because of Mickey’s kiss

I CRIED FOR YOU, NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO CRY OVER ME??

Backstage of Vaudeville tour

Patsy arrives

Barn

Mickey’s show opens, crowded audience, Patsy is back

Baby Rose’s agent yanks her

Patsy steps in, show starts

MINSTREL SHOW

Including “Wild about Harry/Andy”

Storm ends the show

Mickey’s House

Mickey’s dad looked for a job, dad will send kids to work farm

Kids get letter from producer Mattox to bring their show to Broadway

Mattox Theater

Babes in Arms sells out

Mattox convinced Dad to try again, to reunite with Mickey

Opening night

YOU’RE IN GOD’S COUNTRY

THE END

Official Scripts are below

To continue to use this site as a way to document the production process, I've uploaded specific script differences between the 1937 and 1959 versions. It's dense, and the formatting didn't go through, but you can see how varied they are. If you're interested in a more friendly format, email me.

1937 Babes in Arms plot sketch

1.1 Val’s house

Vaudeville opening bits (adults practicing)

Bus arrives, takes parents away

Billie arrives, homeless

Val and Billie in love WHERE OR WHEN

Sheriff will send kids to work farm w/o parents

Billie encourages Val to put a show on

BABES IN ARMS

1.2 Legion Meeting room

We’ll put on a show

Meet racist snob Lee

Gus and Dolores were in love

I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN

Marshall sees Gus moving in, fights

Sheriff breaks up fight, more “let’s put on a show”

Sheriff gives one week

BABES IN ARMS reprise

1.3 Clubhouse

Two black kids discuss Lee’s racism

LIGHT ON OUR FEET tap number

1.4 Lee’s house

Lee will fund, but no blacks in show

Val jealous of Billie and Lee possibility

Baby Rose shows up, introduces self

WAY OUT WEST ON WEST END AVENUE

1.5 Val’s House

Val and Billie working it out, Val will put on show

MY FUNNY VALENTINE

1.6 Old Red Barn

intro Lee Calhoun’s Follies

JOHNNY ONE NOTE by Baby Rose

Lee finds black kids in show

DANCE NUMBER interrupted by Sheriff and Lee

END ACT ONE

ACT ONE HAD 2 large numbers, 2 love duets, 2 awesome solos, and dance number

2.1 Work Farm

IMAGINE (dream of a better world)

Life is tough on work farm

ALL AT ONCE (Billie and Val)

Sheriff will let kids visit Val’s House

Subplot: communist wins lotto, now capitalist

IMAGINE reprise

2.2. Val’s House

THE LADY IS A TRAMP (referring to Billie’s lifestyle of travel)

YOU ARE SO FAIR (Gus to Dolores)

French flier’s plane crashes at Val’s

Val poses as flier, pushes the kid show

THE LADY IS A TRAMP reprise

2.3 Val’s House

flier comes to, realizes Val impersonated him

2.4 Legion Meeting room

Billie cuts of flier as he complains with

LIGHT ON FEET spotlight

She interrupts again to introduce

IMAGINE spotlight

And Billie also introduces

THE LADY IS A TRAMP spotlight

Flier says it’s all okay, let’s see the show!

FINALE (Babes in Arms)

BOWS (Johnny One Note)

EXIT (Where or When)

END ACT TWO

ACT TWO HAD IMAGINE, 2 love duets, and lots of spotlights

1959 Babes in Arms plot sketch

1.1 Surf and Sand Playhouse

Press Agent: intro playhouse, apprentices

Gus and Terry love/hate introduced

Plot point: their show vs. Fleming’s into

BABES IN ARMS

Fleming ends it, learn of Bunny’s $ troubles

Introduce “Deep North”

Plot point: Susie likes Val, he thinks of her as sister

ALL AT ONCE

1.2 Surf and Sand Playhouse

Meet Lee

Terry wants Gus back

I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN

(ends with Terry chasing after Lee, but Gus physically takes her other direction)

1.3 Surf and Sand Playhouse

Meet Jennifer. Falls in “love” with Val

WHERE OR WHEN

Susie notices, is upset

Further “Deep North” as poor play, Lee as obnoxious

Talk theater background with Bunny, into

WAY OUT WEST END AVENUE

1.4 Old Barn (where the kids meet to put on their play)

Open on rehearsal

Kids are tired, Jen convinces Val to end early

Jen and Val love interest grows WHERE OR WHEN reprise

Susie catches ‘em, “gets over it”, Val hits on Susie??

Susie fondly sings MY FUNNY VALENTINE

1.5 Surf and Sand Playhouse

dress rehearsal for “Deep North”

Plot point: “Deep North” needs a second week – canceling kid show!!

BABES IN ARMS reprise to rally the troops, while Susie sings MFV reprise

DUD END TO ACT ONE

ACT ONE HAD 2 large numbers, 2 duet love songs, 1 ballad, and BABES reprise

2.1 Surf and Sand Playhouse

Press Agent: plot review and forlorn apprentices

IMAGINE (theater is good) Note change – not Susie’s song

Jen will help end “Deep North”

Jen and Val YOU’RE NEARER

Phyllis comes looking for Jen

Bunny is glad she’s not Phyllis, sings THE LADY IS A TRAMP

Falsely locked up Lee, onto Jen’s Plan

New Plan: kid show after “Deep North” for Steve Edwards!

Susie will work it out with Steve, she’s still in love with Val

MY FUNNY VALENTINE reprise

2.2 Steve’s hotel bedroom

Confusion!! Terry thinks Susie is seducing Steve (her bro)

Val goes out drinking, since Susie is a libertine

Susie reprises THE LADY IS A TRAMP, “don’t fight politely”

2.3 Surf and Sand Playhouse

during “Deep North”, must get ready for kid show (Val’s drunk)

2.4 Surf and Sand Playhouse (front of curtain)

Fleming introduces show

2.5 Surf and Sand Playhouse (stage)

“Deep North” bombs

2.6 Country Road

going to the kid show

Terry and Gus I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN reprise

2.7 Old Barn (where the kids meet to put on their play)

JOHNNY ONE NOTE

Press Agent: Pretty Woman ending

FINALE (???) (they have Johnny One Note chorus here)

BOWS (they have Where or When chorus here)

DUD END TO ACT TWO

ACT TWO had 2 solos, 1 duet love song, Imagine, and finale

Audience involvement

Not sure how to directly include the audience in the show, although I'd like to. With this show, which is already shattering the 4th wall illusion, The audience should be more than just voyeurs, but actually able to add their own art to the larger creation. A bit of Living Theatre (http://www.livingtheatre.org/) and improv and pushing the limits a bit more of what can be done with a stage and seats.

Some initial ideas are below, but still weak: Brainstorm away!

1. Simon Says. not sure how it would work (or why), and there would be no way to eliminate enough audience members, accurately. . . but it would be fun!

2. call and response song/chant

3. "tickets" like Vertigo did on their subway show 3 years ago. Specific people get "tickets" with their program, and at a selected point in the show come up on stage and are in a scene/skit/dance. Play the triangle every time the conductor points to them?

4. Hokey-pokey?

5. beat box add-in? each section does a different beat/rhythm/chant so it could be a round or a instrumental with several hundred spontaeous players.

6. everytime a specific word is said, the audience yells a response. (Golly is it ____ today!) Audience: How ______ is it?



http://gdradio.com/

comments welcome

If an idea strikes you as interesting or you can add onto it, feel free to contribute with comments! This is intended as a process document to track a production from concept to strike, so any and all comments welcome!


ps
21 of 39 did not stop by and accept or decline. We need to do better for this show to work. . .

ideas

Ideas are coming fast now. Brainstorming sessions Monday and Wednesday after-school.

intro -- stage being "built" ladders, brooms, buckets, long chunks of wood. Valentine walks on/across dodging lumber, stepping over items/people, intensely choreographed so he appears to be at ease in the midst of dropping paint cans, ropes being pulled, people asking questions. . . .

Fleming walks across very self-important, gets swept up in chaos, group of people come along and switch his direction, takes him 4 steps to realize it.

familiar bit -- people sweeping stage, constructing set, brooms swooshing, hammers banging, power tools buzzing, people speaking repetitive lines (ow! ow! hey, watch it). . . into a Stomp-ish instrumental interlude -

Character add-in

melodrama schtick - boy walks across stage, girls giggle, point, obviously are attracted to him, talk about him, try to encourage each other to approach. one finally gets his attention, goes up to him, but he is so painfully shy he can't even respond, tries speaking, no luck, and runs out -- ideally knocking over a set piece/bucket on the way. Continuing gag throughout the show. One specific girl gets more creative about ways to accidentally bump into him? Finally, at the end, he. . . .

CAST

BABES IN ARMS

Congratulations! We are excited about the show and what we can do with it.

1. Accept the role from Mr. Decker – after serious consideration of whether you’re up to the
challenging schedule, work, and fun. Otherwise, please respectfully withdraw.
2. Pick up 2 calendars – one for you, one for the fridge
3. Pick up actor guidelines.
4. Be at the read-through next Thursday, 3:15, room 3-140 – absolutely.

CAST
Valentine White CJ Krueger
Gus Field Nick K.
Seymour Fleming Joey Haddock
Lee Calhoun Ethan Savage
Steve Edwards Christian Cragun

Male Apprentices – will be titled
Andrew Benning Brian Eagen
Krishna Aaron Savage
Bobby C. David S.
Seth Nathan

Terry Thompson Siri Brobst
Susie Ward Arij
Jennifer Owens Johanna Fuenning
Bunny Byron Heather Haddock
Phyllis Owens Kat Riley
Stage Manager (titled character) Amanda Levens

Female Apprentices – will be titled
Caty Schmitter Janet
Cassedy Kirsten
Illeana Kelsey
Sam G. Cindy Jones
Cindy Crookshanks Linh
Rochelle Graham Janelle
Holly Arpita
Lorelei Mahrer Tamara
Shelby Christy Ellis
Nicole Rachel S.
Hailey
A note about the apprentices:
Bear with us and be patient. We are still creating. We have planned several items that are not scripted. There will be hilarious “auditions” in several music styles, there will be comedy bits (including physical comedy), additional love interests, band add-ins, competitive vocal trios, hip-hop dancing . . . We have ideas for dozens more we’re sorting through. By the time we’re done, it will be an ensemble production and you will love it and your crucial role in it. An example of the band add-ins, scripted to 75%, is available below. If you would like to try creating a bit to be included, see Mr. Decker.