Champagne and Licorice is a funny and touching play that finds a young woman returning home to share sobering news on New Year's Eve. Looming heartbreak gets put on hold when she is introduced to her mother's new boyfriend, learns the facts about her brother's polyamorous relationships, and invites a drunken red-nosed clown to the party. Together they wheel through communication breakdowns, foiled expectations, and end-of-life choices, while staying up together long enough to watch the ball drop.