Big news! Route 66 has just been released by Pioneer Drama Service. This tuneful adaptation of my megahit diner comedy, It Happened on Route 66, is my 30th play but only my 2nd musical.
The musical includes all of the dialogue of the straight play while adding nine songs as well as a chorus of customers and diner staff to the cast. These songs were penned by the super-talented Scott DeTurk, who I blogged about before.
Here's the blurb:
It's 1955 and Sally, a waitress at Cookie's Diner, loves her town of Winona, Arizona, especially now that it's a stop on the famous "Route 66." She also loves the glamorous lives of the movie stars in her favorite tabloid, "Screen Scene Magazine."
Sally is especially excited today. Not only is she sure her longtime beau, Roscoe, is finally going to propose, but it's also the day that movie start Lovey Lamour is marrying crooner Johnny Jerome. What a surprise when the next customer at the diner turns out to be Lovey herself, who has fled her wedding and needs a place to hide! Sally is sure she can help Lovey keep her identity by helping her pose as a waitress. She teaches the Hollywood star the "Diner Lingo" she needs to know, but their entire scheme threatens to unravel when a nosy tabloid photographer discovers Lovey's identity ("I Found Her!") and tips off Johnny as to her location.
This 1950s musical is packed with fun, entertaining tunes that feature your actors' voices as well as a chorus of customers and all the hilarious characters -- a short-tempered cook, Sally's geeky boyfriend (who doesn't propose -- he's "Moving to Chicago!"), an ever-hungry customer who has everyone limbo dancing, the world's worst auto mechanic, and even "Travelin' Man" Elvis Presley before he was famous!
I've listened to the songs, and I've got to say, they're a lot of fun. The tunes are catchy, the lyrics are clever, and they add another whole dimension to the characters I created.
I think you'll like them too. You can listen to the song clips by visiting the musical's web page and clicking on the Song Samples button about two-thirds of the way down.
And while you're on that page, why don't you book a production (or at least order a perusal copy of the script)? After all, somebody's got to be first. Why not you?
