DIBS!!

Posted by beth on February 11, 2008

I just want to state for the record that the following ideas are mine and my sister’s and Lauren’s, and if anyone comes out with either of these musicals, you will all be called upon to help me beat them down. Just remember…you heard it first at Onward Hoe!

Ok, so when my sister and I were driving to Charleston for Christmas, we came up with what we think is the most brilliant idea for a musical since…well, given my love for musicals, it’s hard to pick anything to end that sentence, so moving on. It’s an awesome idea. It goes like this:

The story follows a group of immigrants from their arrival to the US through many years of life here. I think there’ll be a love story or two that develop between  several of the characters, and at some point, there will be a gospel choir. Speaking of which, I think every musical I write will have a gospel choir in it at some point.

Anyhoe, the music for this play will be that of the great Neil Diamond. We were inspired to write the story while listening to Neil’s classic hit, “America.” It’s perfect because it’s already musical-ready. It doesn’t require any re-working or new arrangements. Just replace the synthesized instrumentation with a full orchestra, and it’s good to go. The highlight of this production, however, will be the scene with the gospel choir, in which we hope (fingers crossed) to secure Neil Diamond himself for the role of Brother Love (of “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”). Oh, friends, it’s going to be GLORIOUS!!

The other musical, which I think Lauren may have suggested the other night, is one based on the music of the “hair bands” of the late 80′s/early 90′s. I think we might call it “Save Rock-n-Roll.” Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not married to the title, and I’m open to suggestions. But THE song, the one that gets the big reprise at the end for the finale, is going to be Kiss’s “God Gave Rock-n-Roll to You” with the curtain falling following one final, inspirational:

Now I know life can sometimes get tough. And I know life can sometimes be a drag. But people, we have been given a gift.  We have been given a role. And that role’s name is…

ROCK AND ROOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!

Are you with me? Can you feel it?? OH YEAH BABY. We’re rockin’ it OUT! On a rather disappointing note, I’ve just looked up the lyrics, and the lyrics sites seem to think that it says, “We have been given a gift. We have been given a road,” but that doesn’t make a lick of sense, now does it? Frankly I don’t care what the lyrics sites say as they are all too often wrong. I’m going to go ahead and stick with role on this one. It makes for better lyrics.

Anyway, I don’t know what the story line of that one’s going to be. Something in the same vein as Footloose perhaps? The muckety-mucks are oppressing the rockers, and the rockers bring about a musical revival, arguing that it was, in fact, God who gave rock and roll to us, effectively putting it in the soul of everyone. What do y’all think? Now’s the time to get in on the ground floor. These buddies are going to be HUGE!!