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Andrews Brothers

JUKEBOX MUSICAL

The Andrews Brothers
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A USO performance from the Andrews Sisters is in jeopardy of cancellation when they fail to appear shortly before curtain. Thankfully, three earnest stagehands are determined to go on with the show! The Andrews Brothers is filled to the brim with 30 songs made famous by The Andrews Sisters and other top artists of the era, including the showstoppers “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” "Three Little Sisters," and “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive." Mistaken identities and madcap adventures—imagine Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in a road movie of Some Like It Hot—along with the music of an entire generation highlight this wonderful valentine to the heroes of World War II.


SYNOPSIS


Act I

It’s 1945 on a small island in the Pacific. USO Stage Manager Max Andrews tries to get his lounging brothers Lawrence and Patrick (and fellow USO stagehands) to prepare for the arrival of pin-up girl Peggy Jones for the big USO show that evening ("G.I. Jive"). Peggy is scheduled in her first show with The Andrews Sisters, and Max and his brothers need to have everything just right for her big debut to help send off the enlisted men who ship off for a big offensive in the morning. After years of watching from backstage, Max has his heart set on appearing onstage, and has decided that today is the day they will masquerade as Peggy’s promised back-up singers. The boys are immediately smitten when Ms. Jones appears ("Peggy, The Pin-Up Girl"), and Max puts his plan into action ("Rosie the Riveter") as Peggy rehearses for her first big number ("Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet!"). Since the boys are all 4-F, their various ailments bubble up throughout the song-and-dance number: Max has flat feet, Lawrence has poor eyesight, and Patrick has asthma and a nervous stutter whenever Peggy is near. Peggy helps them prepare for the evening’s show ("Hit The Road To Dreamland"), and then tries to help with Patrick’s stutter (Breathe-A-Little: "Mairzy Doats" / "Breathless"). Pulling out the stops, Peggy and the boys run through Peggy’s novelty number ("Cúanto Le Gusta"). Now falling head-over-heels for Patrick ("I Wanna Be Loved"), Peggy sends Max and Lawrence off to check on the arrival of The Andrews Sisters, but really wants Patrick all to herself ("What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For"). Max re-appears with the news of a quarantine for The Andrews Sisters (LaVerne got the chicken-pox!), and the head of the USO has wired to cancel the show. Devastated that she’s lost her big chance to prove she’s more than just a pretty face, Peggy runs off in tears. Patrick has also fallen for Peggy, and Max and Lawrence try to cheer him up as they clear out the props and costumes for The Andrews Sisters (Hula-Wana-Hini-Ha: "Hawaiian War Chant" / "Hula Ba Luau" / "The Cock-Eyed Mayor of Kaunakakai"). Peggy enters to find the boys singing and dancing with abandon in The Andrews Sisters’ outfits, and a light bulb goes off: the show might just go on if The Andrews Brothers can masquerade as The Andrews Sisters! They know all of the music, they’ve been touring with them for years, and so all they have to do now is perform live in front of thousands of their fellow servicemen! Patrick panics, and it’s up to Peggy, Max and Lawrence to convince Patrick that they can all pull it off in the rousing Act I finale ("Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive")!

Act II

Now onstage at the USO show, Peggy finishes her solo set "I’m Doin’ It For Defense," before introducing tonight’s star attraction. With much fanfare (and a last-minute run to retrieve forgotten high heels), the boys appear as The Andrews Sisters ("Hold Tight, Hold Tight"). Now on a run-away train, the boys run through some of the greatest hits of this amazing singing trio ("Here Comes The Navy"), ("Shoo-Shoo Baby"), (Down In The Tropics: "Sing A Tropical Song" / "Rum And Coca Cola"), ("Three Little Sisters"), all with various degrees of confidence, frantic hi-jinx and hilarity. Peggy joins the boys, helping to bring up two unsuspecting audience members to join in the action ("Six Jerks In A Jeep"), ("I Want To Linger"). After a frantic costume change and a rousing patriotic number complete with high-heeled tap dance (At The Canteen: "Any Bonds Today?" / "Plain Jane Doe"), the boys finish off their set with an exciting rendition of what is undoubtedly The Andrews Sisters’ biggest war-time hit ("Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"). Peggy returns for a final solo number ("Doin' It The Hard Way"), and then brings out the real stars of tonight’s show, now changed into crisp uniforms: The Andrews Brothers! They pulled off the biggest nights of their lives, and all four celebrate with this high-energy and well-deserved grand finale (Andrews Brothers Finale: "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" / "Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree").

QUOTE


Pleasingly silly! No-holds-barred goofiness!

–Los Angeles Times


Characters:

Max Andrews – Baritone/Bass. His Andrews counterpart is Maxene. His 4F ailment is flat feet. He is the stage manager and strives to remain in charge in the face of total disaster. Max is the oldest of the three brothers, and takes on the role of older brother.

Lawrence Andrews – Tenor. His Andrews counterpart is LaVerne. His 4F ailment is incredibly poor eyesight. Wears thick glasses. Lawrence is the middle brother, and takes on that role. He is perhaps a little resentful of his older brother, and always ready to crack jokes at his expense.

Patrick Andrews – Tenor/Baritone. His Andrews counterpart is Patty. His 4F ailment is asthma. When nervous, Patrick wheezes heavily. When really nervous, he stutters. When incredibly nervous, he faints. Patrick is the baby brother of the other two, and Max and Lawrence are careful to take care of him. He sings lead in Act II— front and center as Patty.

Peggy Jones – Mezzo-Soprano. A cross between Betty Hutton and Betty Grable, Peggy is a WWII pin-up girl, and she longs to show everyone she's more than just another pretty face. Warm, loving, and sincere.

Director’s Note: Intricate harmonies throughout for everyone. Take great care to explore the brothers and their relationships. Older, middle, and youngest siblings have distinct roles they take in a family hierarchy, and this can really help inform the performances.

Setting: Backstage and onstage at a USO show on a small island in the South Pacific, 1945

  1. G.I. Jive
  2. Peggy The Pin-Up Girl
  3. Rosie The Riveter
  4. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet!
  5. Hit The Road To Dreamland
  6. Breathe-A-Little: Mairzy Doats/Breathless
  7. Cuánto Le Gusta
  8. I Wanna Be Loved
  9. What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?
  10. Hula Wana-Hini-Ha: Hawaiian War Chant/Hula Ba Luau/ The Cock-Eyed Mayor
  11. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
  12. Doin’ It For Defense
  13. Hold Tight, Hold Tight
  14. Here Comes The Navy
  15. Shoo-Shoo Baby
  16. Down In The Tropics: Sing a Tropical Song/Rum And Coca Cola
  17. Three Little Sisters
  18. Six Jerks In A Jeep
  19. I Want To Linger
  20. At The Canteen: Any Bonds Today?/Plain Jane Doe
  21. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
  22. Doin' It The Hard Way
  23. Andrews Brothers Finale: Bei Mir Bist Du Schon/Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree

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.

“A charming and well done production.” –EasyReaderNews

“A real cascade of physical comedy and slapstick.” –EasyReaderNews

“Run, don’t walk to the box office to see this highly polished, highly entertaining musical comedy.” –BroadwayWorld

“This is a helluva great production. The Andrews Brothers is top notch and entertaining beyond words.” –BroadwayWorld

“Nonstop hilarity.” –The Acorn

"The Andrews Brothers is not just for old-timers. It is silly, old-fashioned fun, with a bushel of terrific songs.” –The Acorn

“Critics Pick. A Sensational show.” –Grigware Talks Theatre

“You are likely to have plenty of fun.” –Los Angeles Times

“Pleasingly silly.” –Los Angeles Times

“Four Stars. A tune-filled trip down memory lane.” –Examiner

“A lot of fun.” –Iowa Theatre Blog

"It's a hit! You don't want to miss Canyon Theatre Guild's production of The Andrews Brothers!" — Santa Clarita Magazine

"Non-stop nostalgia at its best." — Broadwayworld, Central Virginia


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 The Andrews Brothers:

  • Cast Scripts
  • Vocal Books
  • Director's Script
  • Stage Manager's Script
  • Orchestrations
  • Logo Pack
  • Piano/Conductor Score

Orchestrations:

  • Piano
  • Guitar
  • Bass
  • Percussion
  • Reed 1 (Alto Sax, Clarinet)
  • Reed 2 (Alto Sax)
  • Reed 3 (Tenor Sax)
  • Trombone
  • Trumpet

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 show's title. The surrounding artwork is also available for an additional fee.

Production Resources:

  • Performance Tracks
  • Reference Recording – Audio recording for reference purposes only.
  • Rehearsal Tracks – Tracks for each role with the individual character played at full volume, other parts at half volume.

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/