in association with Music Theatre International

presents

PEACOCK PLAYERS

Book by Douglas Carter Beane

Music & Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar

Based on the Universal Pictures film with a screenplay by

Richard Danus & Marc Rubel

This Production Is Made Possible By:

Thank you to the Bruised Boutique for their generous sponsorship of this production!

The Peacock Players, Inc. is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts.

Musical Numbers

ACT ONE

  • “I’m Alive” – Clio/Kira & Muses
  • “Magic” – Kira
  • “Evil Woman” – Melpomene, Calliope, & Sirens
  • ”Suddenly” – Kira & Sonny
  • “Whenever You’re Away From Me” – Danny & Kira
  • “Dancin’” – Danny, Sonny, The Andrews Sisters, The Tubes, and Fans
  • “Strange Magic” – Melpomene, Calliope, Sonny, & Kira
  • “All Over the World” – Sonny, Danny, Kira, & Muses
  • “Don’t Walk Away” – Sonny, Danny, & Muses

ACT TWO

  • “Opening – Act II” – Kira, Melpomene, Calliope, & Muses
  • “Fool” – Kira, Melpomene, & Calliope
  • “The Fall” – Sonny & Muses
  • “Suspended in Time” – Kira & Sonny
  • “Have You Never Been Mellow” – Kira, Hera, Thetis, Aphrodite, Zeus, Gods
  • “Xanadu” – Full Ensemble

Plot Summary

It is 1980, and chalk artist Sonny Malone is dissatisfied with his sidewalk mural of the Greek Muses (daughters of Zeus) and determines to kill himself. On Mount Olympus, Clio (pronounced “Kleye-o”), the youngest, perkiest Muse, convinces her six sisters (two of whom are men in drag), to travel to Venice Beach (rising out of the sidewalk mural) to inspire Sonny (“I’m Alive”). Zeus’s rules require that Muses must always be disguised from mortals. Clio has the idea to wear roller skates, leg warmers, and sport an Australian accent, and the other muses agree. Clio changes her name to something contemporary: “Kira”. Quickly inspired (“Magic”), Sonny decides that he can combine all the arts and “something athletic” all into one spectacular entertainment: a roller disco.

Two of Clio’s sisters, Melpomene (the oldest sister) and Calliope, are jealous that Clio (although the youngest) is the leader of the Muses and that Zeus had promised “Xanadu” to Clio, although no one knows exactly what that entails (“Evil Woman”). So they plot to discredit Clio and cause her banishment by tricking her into breaking one of Zeus’s rules: a Muse must not fall in love with a mortal, so they will curse “Kira” and Sonny to fall in love.

Meanwhile, Sonny finds a good location for the roller disco, a long-abandoned theater in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles called “Xanadu.” “Kira” inspires him to locate the owner in the phone book (“Suddenly”), and they set up a meeting with real estate mogul Danny Maguire, who used to be a big band clarinetist before he started in the real estate game.

Sonny visits hard-hearted Danny in his posh office in downtown Los Angeles and tries to convince him to donate the theater for the roller disco, because it would bring the arts to the Fairfax district and drive up real estate values. But Danny scoffs, even though he had plans to open the theater himself, once upon a time. As Sonny leaves, “Kira” arrives, jogging Danny’s memories of an old love and dance partner of his, who looked suspiciously like “Kira,” named Kitty (“Whenever You’re Away from Me”). Kira tells Danny that although he had let his greed stop him from pursuing his dream to open the theater 35 years ago, he has a chance to redeem himself now by opening the roller disco with Sonny. Danny finds Sonny and tells him that if he can get the disco up and running in one day, he’ll give him 25% of the take from the Disco (“Dancin'”). Excited, Sonny readily agrees.

Sonny finds “Kira” and tells her the good news. She is not impressed with the deal that he has cut. It is then that the evil sisters work their curse, and the winged Eros shoots “Kira” and Sonny with the arrows of love (“Strange Magic”). “Kira” is soon overwhelmed with guilt over her loving feelings and of having created her own art (a hand-drawn picture) alongside Sonny – both violations of Zeus’s restrictions on the Muses.

With the help of some of the muses, “Kira” and Sonny fix up the old theater (“All Over the World”), and Danny agrees to go ahead with the opening. Clio realizes that she is falling in love with Sonny and tells him that she must leave (“Don’t Walk Away”). But the evil sisters are not finished. Now they offer Danny piles of money if he will tear down the theater and build condos. Danny can’t resist and tells Sonny that the deal is off.

“Kira” comes back to tell Sonny that she loves him, but the evil sisters tell her that she has broken Zeus’s rules, and that she must tell Sonny the truth. So “Kira” reveals all to Sonny, including that her name is Clio, but he does not believe her and is upset. He suggests that she is a crackpot. He also doubts that she really loves him, and she is angry and hurt (“Fool”). The evil sisters have triumphed (“The Fall”), and Kira sets off for Mount Olympus to receive her punishment from Zeus (“Suspended in Time”).

Meanwhile, Sonny and Danny discuss “Kira” and after seeing her in the sky, it all makes sense. Danny tells Sonny not to let go of his muse because of foolish pride as he once did back in the 1940s. Sonny, realizing that he really loves “Kira,” decides to find her – even if it means climbing Mount Olympus.

Back on Mount Olympus, Zeus’s wives ask him to take pity on Clio (“Have You Never Been Mellow”). Thetis retells the story of Achilles and his vulnerable heel. All the demi-gods and demi-goddesses are so afflicted. This gives Clio an epiphany: She, too, is invulnerable, except for her heels, but when the evil sisters had her shot with the arrows of love, she had been wearing the “mighty legwarmers,” and so she must have been completely invulnerable. This means that she really did love Sonny! Sonny arrives, having climbed Mount Olympus to find Kira. The two evil sisters are displeased, the lovers are reunited, and Zeus reveals what Xanadu is: “True love and the ability to create and share art.” Clio and Sonny go back to L.A. and Xanadu (“Xanadu”).

Cast List

* denotes a Peacock Players Mainstage debut.

Clio, Kira, Kitty, Andrews Sister
Sophia Scribner

Sonny Malone
Cameron Fraser

Terpsichore, Siren, Tubes Band Member
Nathan Delehanty

Calliope, Andrews Sister Fan, Aphrodite
Raylynn Despres*

Siren, Tubes Fan, Demeter
Maizie Hennessy

Siren, Tubes Band Member, Zeus
Jakob Kolb

Erato, Siren, Andrews Sister, Thetis
Corleigh O’Connell

Danny Macguire, Poseidon
Raymond Roberts III*

Thalia, Eros, Cyclops
Colin Scribner*

Euterpe, Siren, Andrews Sister, Hera
Callie Seager*

Urania, Young Danny, Tubes Fan, Hermes
Kendall Toupin

Melpomene, Andrews Sister Fan, Medusa
Gabby Wallace*

Production Staff

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Elle Millar

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Karina Allayne

CHOREOGRAPHER
Grace Giannetti

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Kelli Loughlin

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
August Emmert

DIRECTION & CHOREOGRAPHY ASSISTANT
Lily Azevedo

BACKSTAGE EDUCATOR
Kelli Loughlin

STAGE CREW
August Emmert, Olive Gunnis, Maizie Hennessy, Jakob Kolb

SCENIC DESIGN LEAD
Elle Millar

SCENIC CREATION VOLUNTEERS
Fred Daniels, August Emmert, Kelli Loughlin, Elle Millar, The Emmert Family

COSTUME DESIGN
Allison Szklarz

LIGHTING DESIGN
Thunder & Lightning Productions

LIGHTING BOARD OPERATORS
Carly Pascal & Ava LeDuc

SOUND DESIGN
Thunder & Lightning Productions

HOUSE MANAGER
Danielle Toupin

DIGITAL PLAYBILL & GRAPHICS DESIGN
Elle Millar

WEBSITE DESIGN
CleverLight Media

OFFICE COORDINATOR
Amelia English

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Elle Millar

Special Thanks to

Diane Veino & City Hall Administrative Services
Ross Dugas & The Risk Management Department
Jay Hunnewell, Mike Migneault, & the Department of Public Works
Jeff Millar
Concord Community Players
Nashua Theatre Guild
The Emmert, Scribner, and Toupin Families

And the countless Peacock Players students, parents, alumni and volunteers that helped to guide and support this specific Mainstage production.

Peacock Players Board of Directors

BOARD CO-PRESIDENTS
Shannon Galinson & Jenn Morton

VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Giannetti

TREASURER
Fred Daniels

SECRETARY
Sarah DeLisle

ACTIVE MEMBERS
Robin Anderson
Shoshanna Kelly
Sasha Kuftinec
June Lemen

ADVISORY MEMBERS
Brad Galinson
Chris Lewis

FORMER PRESIDENT
Kristen Sinnott

EX OFFICIO
Brad Jamieson