Take a dollop of Grease, mix in some Pump Boys and Dinettes, and add a generous dose of Forever Plaid and you've got the high-octane fun of Route 66! Beginning with the sounds of 1950s Chicago and traveling along the ‘Main Street of America’ to the California coast with the surf music of the 1960s, this exciting musical revue features 34 of the greatest ‘Rock ‘n’ Road’ hits of the 20th century. Songs include “Dead Man's Curve,” “King of the Road,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Beep Beep,” “Six Days on the Road,” “Little GTO,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and many more. Get your kicks with this smash coast-to-coast hit musical revue!
SYNOPSIS
Synopsis
Act I
Route 66 begins in Chicago and travels along the famed "Main Street of America" to the coast of California. A large car radio delivers us to each new destination along our journey with DJs and vintage radio ads building excitement along the way.
In the beginning, we hear a radio DJ welcome us to Chicago while four service station attendants burst into the "Texaco Star Theme." Each actor introduces himself to the audience in a string of hits (“Let's Go for a Ride,” “Bring My Cadillac Back,” “Hot Rod Queen,” “Every Woman I Know”). The station bells ring and it's time to head out onto the open road with "Route 66."
In St. Louis, two men sing about "The Mother Road" while two others remember good times in their hometown (“Used to Be”) and a trucker has more than the road on his mind in the hilarious audience-pleaser "Girl on the Billboard." Joplin brings us another trucker (“Six Days on the Road”) and a pair of sportsters unable to keep up with an old geezer (“Beep Beep”). With "T-U-L-S-A Straight Ahead," on our way to Oklahoma City, we meet a bus driver picking up travelers, a trucker with a unique outlook on life (“Rolaids, Doan's Pills and Preparation H”), and a lonesome cowboy singing about those "Oklahoma Hills."
Amarillo brings us a lawman who's a little too big for his own britches (“Long Tall Texan”), a humorous look at a lovely "Truck Stop Cutie," and the exciting Act I Finale— clogging and spooning to the audience favorite "Truck Drivin’ Man.
Act II
We continue the journey with Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," followed by a quick "Gallop to Gallup" with a load of unruly cows. Winona finds us in the middle of nowhere with the haunting "The Long Red Line." In Flagstaff, we see our roadsters once again as they try to outdrive a "Diesel on my Tail." In Kingman, two stoned hippies explain their philosophy on drug running (“Don’t Haul Bricks on 66”), only to be caught shortly thereafter in Barstow by the "Highway Patrol." San Bernardino brings us a wonderful a cappella rendition of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" in which the audience is encouraged to sing along.
The California sound of the '60s bursts upon us as we reach the outskirts of Los Angeles in "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Dead Man's Curve." In our final race toward the coast, we meet our crew at the Santa Monica Speedway in a medley of racing hits (“SS 396,” “Move Out Little Mustang,” “Hey Little Cobra,” “Little GTO”). The finale brings it all full circle with a wonderful new rendition of "Route 66." But the evening's not complete without the exciting and energetic encore that brings audiences to their feet (“Fun, Fun, Fun/I Get Around”).
QUOTE
A toe-tapping, hand-clapping, laugh-out-loud treat!
–The Wichita Eagle
More Info
Characters:
Scot / Tenor I – Approx. Vocal Range: D – Bb (F#); very strong falsetto. Sings the very high Beach Boy-style ‘wah-oohs’ throughout the show. Plays live acoustic guitar on “Used to Be.” Sings lead/secondary on: “Hot Rod Queen,” “Mother Road,” “Used to Be,” “Beep Beep,” “Truck Stop Cutie,” “The Long Red Line,” “Diesel on my Tail,” “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Hey Little Cobra.”
Andy / Tenor II – Approx. Vocal Range: C – G (Db); also strong falsetto. Sings the falsetto parts when Scot is singing lead. Sings lead/secondary on: “Every Woman I Know,” “Mother Road,” “Tulsa Straight Ahead,” “Long Tall Texan,” “Don’t Haul Bricks on 66,” “Dead Man’s Curve,” “GTO.” Plays the waitress in “Truck Stop Cutie.”
Brandon / Bari-tenor/Bass – Approx. Vocal Range: (A) B – E (with strong G). Sings low trucker songs, many solos in tenor range. Sings lead/secondary on: “Let’s Go for a Ride,” “Girl on the Billboard,” “Beep Beep,” “Rolaids, Doan’s Pills and Preparation H,” “Gallop to Gallup,” “Diesel on my Tail,” “Highway Patrol,” “SS 396.”
Michael / Baritone/Bass – Approx. Vocal Range: G – F. Vocally sings bass line, most solos are in bari-tenor range. Sings lead/secondary on: “Bring my Cadillac Back,” “Used to Be,” “Six Days on the Road,” “Oklahoma Hills,” “Truck Drivin’ Man,” “Don’t Haul Bricks on 66,” “King of the Road,” “Move Out Little Mustang.” Plays the little old lady from Pasadena.
Casting Note: You can mix and match the solos and parts in many different ways– there’s no limit to your imagination. The show has been performed successfully with four guys, six guys, ten guys, even a couple of gals thrown in. The vocal charts are written as indicated above, but your musical director can switch assignments as wanted or needed.
Setting: Towns, farms, and truck stops along Route 66.
- Texaco Star Theme
- Let's Go For A Ride
- Bring My Cadillac Back
- Hot Rod Queen
- Every Woman I Know
- Route 66
- The Mother Road
- Used To Be
- The Girl On The Billboard
- Six Days On The Road
- Beep Beep
- Tulsa Straight Ahead
- Rolaids, Doan's Pills & Preparation "H"
- Oklahoma Hills
- Long Tall Texan
- Truck Stop Cutie
- Truck Drivin' Man
- On The Road Again
- Gallop To Gallup
- The Long Red Line
- Diesel On My Tail
- Don't Haul Bricks On 66
- Highway Patrol
- King Of The Road
- The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
- Dead Man's Curve
- SS 396
- Move Out Little Mustang
- Hey Little Cobra
- GTO
- Finale
- Encore
Performance Royalties are based on theater particulars.
Billing responsibilities, pertinent copyright information, and playwrights' biographies are available in the show rider that comes with your license agreement.
“Fast-paced, energetic and fun!” –Aisle Say, San Francisco
“An enjoyable cross-country romp.” –The Arizona Republic
“This fun show is a happy highway to Route 66!” –The Middletown Press, CT
“The audience was singing along and cooing audibly when old memories were awakened by a song. A fun, lighthearted trip!” –Arizona Daily Star
“A sweet, funny, nimble, bracing and refreshing nostalgic journey.” –The Independent, New York
“Route 66 is like Forever Plaid on high-octane fuel!” –Milwaukee Metro
“Route 66 is well worth the trip! They sing, they dance, they wear zany costumes, they act up, then they pause for some serious, reflective moments. It’s quite a performance– one that had the audience on its feet cheering at the close. What a ride!” –Oregon Mail Tribune
“Route 66 is a merry road map to fun!” –Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
“Route 66 is a winner! The high-energy guy-group singing and dancing, the mix of familiar songs with lesser-known gems, the variety in musical styles from The Beach Boys to country and the clever theme of a journey down Route 66 all combine to give the show enormous appeal to a broad audience. Full houses every night for 13 weeks!” –Oregon Cabaret Theatre
“A lively trip down memory lane filled with dual-lane affection.” –The Tucson Citizen
“A big, rollicking, happy musical– exceptionally entertaining!” –Ashland Daily Tidings
“An enjoyable cross-country romp.” –The Arizona Republic
“Route 66 is revved up good entertainment that redefines the term ‘road show.’” –Tucson Weekly
“An entertaining audience pleaser… filled with good music and lots of laughter.” –Republican-American, CT
“The audiences absolutely loved this show. They sang, they laughed, they remembered wonderful memories, but most of all they had a terrific time. The show is affordable, while being a box office bonanza. Route 66 was an unexpected surprise hit." –Michael Barnard, Artistic Director, Phoenix Theatre
“Perfect summer fare! Very producible and a big audience pleaser.” –Bert Bernardi, Artistic Director, The Theater Barn, NY
“A toe-tapping, hand-clapping, laugh-out-loud treat!” –The Wichita Eagle
“Route 66 goes down easy– it’s theatrical comfort food.” –Cincinnati City Beat
“Route 66 is an easygoing, pleasant, if not perfect, trip down memory lane.” –Deseret News, UT
“Bright, sassy and bursting with nonstop energy!” –San Antonio Express News
“Route 66 is a fun and energetic road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.” –The Route 66 Pulse
“Clever and comic.” –Third Coast Digest
Materials: Digital Materials are provided via email as downloadable PDF files for you to print in-house. All materials are yours to keep! No deposits, no returns.
Required Production Materials for Route 66 include:
- 4 Cast Script and Vocal Book
- 2 Director's Scripts
- 2 Piano/Conductor Score
- Orchestrations
- Stage Manager Script
- Logo Pack
Orchestrations:
- Piano
- Bass
- Percussion
Official Logo Pack Now Included!
To help you promote your show, Stage Rights now includes a logo pack with your license. The logo pack includes high resolution versions (both color and black and white) of our show logo. The logo is the portion of the artwork with the title of the show. The surrounding artwork is also available for an additional fee.
Production Resources:
- Official Logo Pack
- Customizable Poster & Layered Artwork
- Social Media Marketing Kit
- Performance Tracks
- Rehearsal Tracks
- Sound Effects Package
- Sound Effects Package
Official Show Poster and Layered Artwork are available for this title. We’ve collaborated with our partners at Subplot Studio to bring you powerful and easy-to-use online poster design and downloadable artwork for this Stage Rights title. Customize by adding your theater name and logo, show dates, credits, and box office info, and use elements in the layered artwork to create your own print and online marketing pieces. You can even order printed posters! Learn more at www.subplotstudio.com/store/posters/collection/stage-rights/
GALLERY
Gallery
Available Products
Route 66
Created by Roger Bean
PDF Perusal Script of ROUTE 66. Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes.
Manuscript PDF of ROUTE 66, score sampler with selections from the score, and a reference recording (if available). Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
|
PDF Perusal Script of ROUTE 66. Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes. |
$7.00 | |
|
Manuscript PDF of ROUTE 66, score sampler with selections from the score, and a reference recording (if available). Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes. |
$20.00 |
