SAVE THE PALACE

An all original musical comedy. The Palaceades have been playing music together since they were teenagers. Thirty years ago, in their 20s, they opened for the Beatles and were on the cusp of fame and fortune but gave it up to raise their kids. They are senior citizens now, empty-nesters, approaching their 60s and facing a brand new set of "coming of age" challenges.

The Palace Theater...
An all original musical comedy. The Palaceades have been playing music together since they were teenagers. Thirty years ago, in their 20s, they opened for the Beatles and were on the cusp of fame and fortune but gave it up to raise their kids. They are senior citizens now, empty-nesters, approaching their 60s and facing a brand new set of "coming of age" challenges.

The Palace Theater, where they got their start, is threatened with demolition and the band has come out of retirement to play a "Save the Palace" concert.

When this "let's put on a show" effort fails, our hero Eddie wants to run for mayor to save the Palace Theater. Thrilled by the applause at the concert, his wife Gracie would prefer to reboot their musical career and go back on tour. Conflicting ambitions result in a break up as Eddie runs for mayor and Gracie moves to New York to chase the musical dreams of her youth.
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SAVE THE PALACE

Character Information

  • Eddie Doyle
    50s,
    Male
    EDDIE DOYLE (Bari-tenor) is in his 50s now. Eddie graduated from Crosby High. Played quarterback on the football team. Enjoyed history and math and liked to play guitar with his best buddy Vinny. He met his sweetheart Gracie when he went to work as an usher at the Palace Theater. He organized the band and came up with the name Palaceades. When Gracie got pregnant he insisted they give up the touring and head back to Brass City so he could get a proper job to raise the family. He joined the Fire Department where he is now a Captain. He starts with a rosey-eyed view of his hometown and gets into a fight with his daughter Mary over her magazine's Places Rated issue. He wants to save the Palace from demolition and show Biggie who's the boss. He comes to see the faults in the old hometown and pledges to make it better and recognizes that his competitiveness with Biggie has cost him the family ties he truly values.
  • Gracie Doyle
    50s,
    Female
    GRACIE DOYLE (Mezzo) is in her 50s. Gracie went to Sacred Heart High School and took piano lessons from "Professor" Burney. He impressed on her the virtues of the classics but she preferred Jerry Lee Lewis. She got her first job at the Palace where she sold popcorn and candy and where she met Eddie. She was the ringleader for the good times the band had together out on the road and was disappointed to move back home. But she delighted in raising her daughter Mary and is both proud and a bit jealous of her daughter's success in New York. The opening concert at the Palace stirs up her old dreams of a music career and when Eddie treats their daughter meanly she erupts and departs for New York to take a last grab at her dream.
  • Mayor Biggie Williams
    30s-60s,
    Any
    MAYOR BIGGIE WILLIAMS (Bari-tenor)is in his 40s. He is a three time mayor in Brass City and has his eye on running for Governor. He has a superficial charm that endears him to people who feel that he cares for them as he schmoozes his way through a crowd. He likes to hook his supporters, get them in his debt and then use them to accomplish his own agenda. The city has a "strong mayor" form of government and Biggie likes to play the strongman, doing favors and making deals. Having been elected over and over he has a sense of entitlement and feels that making money off his deals is only right since the mayor's job pays so little compared to the big CEOs in the private sector. Originally written with a white male in my head, this part has been played successfully by a black male and a white female.
  • Vinny Moriarty
    50s,
    Male
    VINNY MORIARTY (Bari-tenor) is in his 50s. Vinny attended Crosby High. He was manager of the football team and President of the HI-Y Social Club that organized school dances and special events. He teamed up with Eddie as an usher at the Palace and there he met his future bride, Isabel. Isabel was working the ticket booth. She was a home economics student at Wilby High and loved to play drums in the jazz band. The couple got pregnant about the same time as Eddie and Gracie and they called the kids their "band twins". When the band came off the road Isabel's dad helped them start a music store which Vinny still operates. Isabel was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last year. Vinnie is still coping with the loss of his wife and relies on his son Ryan and bandmates Eddie and Gracie for emotional support. He is Eddie's loyal wingman with a more practical view of the city.
  • Mary Doyle
    20s,
    Female
    MARY DOYLE (Mezzo) is in her 20s. Mary loved English and Writing in high school and was Editor of the school newspaper. She had fun in Brass City at school dances and picnics at the lake, but saw the city heading downhill with few exciting opportunities for the writing career she sought. When she chose a college she wanted to get out of town as far as she could go and landed at University of California, Berkley. Now she is a feature writer at Money Magazine in New York City. She and her parents look at Brass City through a different lens. Still they are close and she depends on their encouragement and support. Although they shared an interest in writing; time, distance, and different priorities took their toll on her high school romance with her band twin Ryan, who is now the Editor at The Brass City Bugle. She may start out a bit self-centered and ambitious, but her eyes open to other peoples hidden agendas and other peoples feelings.
  • Ryan
    20s,
    Male
    Ryan is Vinny and Isabel's son and "band twins" with Mary. He has stayed home and is building his own career as writer and editor on the local newspaper. He hasn't gotten over his crush on Mary.
  • Aldermen
    THE ALDERMEN. The three aldermen are cronies of Biggie Williams who bend to his political will. Ethnicity, age and gender are flexible for casting purposes. They are individually distinct, but also operate as a group character with dance routines and harmonic interaction.
  • The Local Color
    There are numerous small roles and background characters including Theater Owner, Cops, Famous acts that played the Palace, Protesters, News stand vendor, Towns people, Campaign workers, Voters, TV Host, Radio Announcer, Red Bus Tour Driver, Flower vendor, TV audience.

    The Aldermen and Local Color can be played by an ensemble with doubling

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Musical Writers.com, at The Vyne, Grapevine, TX
    ,
    2023
  • Reading
    ,
    at Open Jar Studios, NYC
    ,
    2022
  • Workshop
    ,
    "How to Write a Musical That Works", Theare Resources Unlimited, NYC
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    Theatre Row, NYC
    ,
    2021
  • Workshop
    ,
    How to Write a Musical that Works, Theatre Resources Unlimited, New York City
    ,
    2017
  • Reading
    ,
    Woods Hole Theatre Company, Cape Cod, MA
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Table Read with family and friends, Woodbury, CT
    ,
    2013
  • Workshop
    ,
    First Act Feedback Festival, Theater Resources Unlimited, New York City
    ,
    2013

Production History

  • Community Theater
    ,
    Square Foot Theatre Company, Wallingford, CT
    ,
    2017
  • Professional
    ,
    Midtown International Theater Festival, June Havoc Theater, New York City
    ,
    2014
  • Professional
    ,
    Manhattan Theater Mission, New Musicals Festival, Roy Arias Theater, New York City
    ,
    2013

Awards

Directors' Choice Award
,
MainStreet Musicals
,
2016
Outstanding Direction (Jamibeth Margolis)
,
Midtown International Theatre Festival
,
2014
Audience Favorite
,
Manhattan Theatre Mission New Musicals Showcase
,
2013
Catchiest Song (Bangarang)
,
Manhattan Theatre Mission New Musicals Showcase
,
2013
Best Comedic Couple
,
Manhatttan Theatre Mission New Musicals Showcase
,
2013