Professional
Sharp Women, LLC & The Theatre in the Park
2022
The Sparkletones ( by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols) by
Book by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols
Music & Lyrics by Krista Eyler
Additional lyrics by Barbara Nichols
Act I
THE SPARKLETONES opens with four women reading aloud letters from their past. As the music swells (SPARKLE and SHINE), the women—Doris, Dani, Connie, Judy— take the stage in a full-out, boppy, 1960s dance number which serves as the group’s signature song....
Music & Lyrics by Krista Eyler
Additional lyrics by Barbara Nichols
Act I
THE SPARKLETONES opens with four women reading aloud letters from their past. As the music swells (SPARKLE and SHINE), the women—Doris, Dani, Connie, Judy— take the stage in a full-out, boppy, 1960s dance number which serves as the group’s signature song....
Book by Krista Eyler & Barbara Nichols
Music & Lyrics by Krista Eyler
Additional lyrics by Barbara Nichols
Act I
THE SPARKLETONES opens with four women reading aloud letters from their past. As the music swells (SPARKLE and SHINE), the women—Doris, Dani, Connie, Judy— take the stage in a full-out, boppy, 1960s dance number which serves as the group’s signature song. As the song ends, lights go down, and a voiceover is heard announcing the worst storm a rural Kansas county as ever experienced. Lights come up on the Nickerson Farms Diner and Augie, the restaurant owner, is arguing over the phone with a dairy supplier over his current stock. As the comical argument escalates, the women spill into the diner freezing from the cold wearing identical dresses and carrying an enormous bag of props. The storm has forced the women off the road as they headed to a singing competition. They are now stranded at this plain, yet charming, diner. Over the course of one evening, the women entertain Augie and themselves to stave off boredom (NOT FAMOUS YET; IN OLDER DAYS; RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE). As the night wears on, conversations become more intimate between all group members, but most especially between sisters Dani and Doris as their relationship is revealed to be quite strained. Adding to the aggravation of the night, a sudden debate begins about the ongoing Vietnam War and cultural schisms in the country. Doris is a war widow and takes a private moment to remember her late husband (JUST IN THE OTHER ROOM). The tone in the diner becomes quite somber so jokesters Connie and Judy get all to perform the group’s quirky competition number to lighten the mood (TIKI TIME). Dani reluctantly shares a song she wrote (RICHER) which hints at a complicated relationship between Dani and Doris’s late husband. Doris believes the worst about her sister, and their fight becomes cruel, shocking, and involves all members of the group. Dani vows to never be around her sister or the group again and rushes out of the diner into the frigid night.
ACT 2
As the lights come up in the diner, only Augie and Connie are awake in the wee hours of the morning. Connie shares she went after Dani and convinced her to stay in the diner for the night. Connie and Augie begin to bond over a shared love of pie, cooking, and family memories (A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE). As more of the women awake, Augie reluctantly tells he saw Dani sneak away from the diner and hop a bus to St. Louis. Doris refuses to go after her sister though Connie and Judy beg her to try. It is clear the group has broken up. Connie and Augie part ways, but leave hints that their relationship is just beginning. Time moves forward more quickly in a series of vignettes which show Dani’s country music career skyrocketing (TANKED AT BREAKFAST; RICHER REPRISE) with a chart-topping hit, Doris’s life becomes more difficult without her sister, Augie and Connie get married, and Judy keeps the group connected through frequent letters (DROP YOU A LINE). Almost 30 years have passed since the group’s breakup when Connie experiences a tragedy and asks all the women to reunite at the diner. At this reunion, Connie, Doris, and Judy emotionally join together in embraces, but when Dani arrives, Doris remains silent. Dani is desperate to apologize to Doris, and the sisters have a moment of shared regret and heartbreak. They decide to heal their wounds together through forgiveness (NOTHING LEFT UNSAID). The women are caught up in being together and Connie asks for one last song, one last time as The Sparkletones (RIGHT ON TIME).
Music & Lyrics by Krista Eyler
Additional lyrics by Barbara Nichols
Act I
THE SPARKLETONES opens with four women reading aloud letters from their past. As the music swells (SPARKLE and SHINE), the women—Doris, Dani, Connie, Judy— take the stage in a full-out, boppy, 1960s dance number which serves as the group’s signature song. As the song ends, lights go down, and a voiceover is heard announcing the worst storm a rural Kansas county as ever experienced. Lights come up on the Nickerson Farms Diner and Augie, the restaurant owner, is arguing over the phone with a dairy supplier over his current stock. As the comical argument escalates, the women spill into the diner freezing from the cold wearing identical dresses and carrying an enormous bag of props. The storm has forced the women off the road as they headed to a singing competition. They are now stranded at this plain, yet charming, diner. Over the course of one evening, the women entertain Augie and themselves to stave off boredom (NOT FAMOUS YET; IN OLDER DAYS; RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE). As the night wears on, conversations become more intimate between all group members, but most especially between sisters Dani and Doris as their relationship is revealed to be quite strained. Adding to the aggravation of the night, a sudden debate begins about the ongoing Vietnam War and cultural schisms in the country. Doris is a war widow and takes a private moment to remember her late husband (JUST IN THE OTHER ROOM). The tone in the diner becomes quite somber so jokesters Connie and Judy get all to perform the group’s quirky competition number to lighten the mood (TIKI TIME). Dani reluctantly shares a song she wrote (RICHER) which hints at a complicated relationship between Dani and Doris’s late husband. Doris believes the worst about her sister, and their fight becomes cruel, shocking, and involves all members of the group. Dani vows to never be around her sister or the group again and rushes out of the diner into the frigid night.
ACT 2
As the lights come up in the diner, only Augie and Connie are awake in the wee hours of the morning. Connie shares she went after Dani and convinced her to stay in the diner for the night. Connie and Augie begin to bond over a shared love of pie, cooking, and family memories (A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE). As more of the women awake, Augie reluctantly tells he saw Dani sneak away from the diner and hop a bus to St. Louis. Doris refuses to go after her sister though Connie and Judy beg her to try. It is clear the group has broken up. Connie and Augie part ways, but leave hints that their relationship is just beginning. Time moves forward more quickly in a series of vignettes which show Dani’s country music career skyrocketing (TANKED AT BREAKFAST; RICHER REPRISE) with a chart-topping hit, Doris’s life becomes more difficult without her sister, Augie and Connie get married, and Judy keeps the group connected through frequent letters (DROP YOU A LINE). Almost 30 years have passed since the group’s breakup when Connie experiences a tragedy and asks all the women to reunite at the diner. At this reunion, Connie, Doris, and Judy emotionally join together in embraces, but when Dani arrives, Doris remains silent. Dani is desperate to apologize to Doris, and the sisters have a moment of shared regret and heartbreak. They decide to heal their wounds together through forgiveness (NOTHING LEFT UNSAID). The women are caught up in being together and Connie asks for one last song, one last time as The Sparkletones (RIGHT ON TIME).