DETAILED_SYNOPSIS

Brodwyn Branson is a once promising actor who returned home to operate a local children's theater after years of chasing his dreams of Broadway stardom. Although he has turned it into a modest success, he still is obligated to stage the annual holiday production of Dickens's A Christmas Carol in order to balance the books. But his heart is not in it. He has vowed this will definitely be his "last Christmas Carol."

Even with the assistance of Max, his young and eager "girl Friday," Brodwyn can hardly force himself to pay attention during auditions. His mind keeps slipping into odd reveries that make it seem as if his life is sort of a Fellini-esque musical. He even finds himself singing his thoughts and feelings although no one can hear him [Song: "The Last Christmas Carol"].

On top of that, the talent pool this year seems to be particularly shallow. The only bright spot is the improbably named Barbra Whitney Mariah Madonna Gloria Cher Spanew, a scrawny kid with an unquashable spirit. She is the only one who seems to be immune to his jaded attitude [Song: "Christmas Time"].

As rehearsals get under way, Max struggles to keep the experience as upbeat as possible, softening Brodwyn's criticisms of the kids and shouldering additional responsibilities without complaint. For his part, Brodwyn is content to allow her to take a more active role in shaping the production simply because he is not motivated to do so himself. He is convinced that it is going to be a disaster [Song: "Columns And Rows"].

Brodwyn relies so heavily upon Max that he becomes alarmed and, then, perturbed when he learns she is volunteering at the Open Door Mission, a homeless shelter. He fears she will not have enough time to devote to both the shelter and the show. And, from his viewpoint, the latter is clearly more important.

Even as his incessant negativity is starting to rub off on the kids, Brodwyn receives a visit from his former (and now deceased) agent "Big Lou" Bitterman [Song: "Makin' The Best Of A Bad Situation"]. Big Lou, who now represents performers who have "passed over," tries to warn his old client about what lies in store for him if he doesn't mend his ways, but Brodwyn recognizes that Big Lou is simply reciting Marley's speech from A Christmas Carol and refuses to take him seriously. After informing Brodwyn that he would now receive "the whole enchilada" (visits from the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present, and Future), Big Lou disappears.

Max and the kids have witnessed Brodwyn's peculiar "spell" and aren't sure what to make of it. Still feeling somewhat unsettled, he excuses himself from the rehearsal and slips outside for some fresh air. Instead, he finds himself center stage, performing before an audience of one J. Pilkington Burpee, a once famous theater critic (now the Ghost of Christmas Past) who was the first to mention him in a review [Song: "J. Pilkington Burpee"]. When she is not skewering him with verbal darts, Burpee takes time to remind him of the love he once felt not only for "the Theater," but also for an actress he had known when he was starting out. However, he had forsaken her for his "career" such as it was, such as it is) [Song: "The Theater"].

Entering into the last few weeks of rehearsals, Brodwyn is more concerned than ever that the production will not be worthy of his name. He considers injecting an element of fear into the lives of the kids in order to get them to shape up. But, instead, he must deal with Laverne Spreen, an elfish sidewalk vendor, who challenges him to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas [Song: "I Love All Things Christmas"].

When Brodwyn starts to quibble about her casting as the Ghost of Christmas Present, she fires back, stamping her feet for emphasis, "Dickens, Schmikens! Don't you get it yet? This isn't his story. It's yours!" [Song: "I Give You Mister Scrooge"] The feisty gamine proceeds to take him on a guided tour of the shabbier areas of town, winding up at the Open Door Mission where Max is leading a makeshift choir in singing Christmas songs [Song: "Christmas Time"]. Among their number are Barbra and her family. Until now, Brodwyn was unaware that the little girl his Tiny Tim was homeless.

When Max arrives the next morning, she finds him still asleep on the broken down sofa. She tries not to disturb him as she ponders what it is about him that she finds so maddening and so attractive [Song: "Ordinary Man"]. When he awakens, though, things are as they were before. Brodwyn is as oblivious to her feelings about him as he is to his feelings about her.

A newspaper vendor or "Newsie" strolls in on him, peddling The Christmas Herald: News of Yet-To-Come. Brodwyn is slow to realize that this kid is selling him glimpses of the future his future. While accompanying the Newsie on a trip through time, he witnesses an apparent "mutiny" among his young cast members as they decide to quit the show. He reads about the cancellation of the Christmas production, a disastrous staging of a musical about The Donner Party [Song: "Waste Not, Want Not"], the eventual condemnation of the theater building itself, and the auction of its contents [Song: "Brodwyn Branson"].

Rather than continuing to argue the point with a mere "kid," Brodwyn decides to change a little. The visit by the three spirits has been more disturbing than he would care to admit and if it's change they want, it's change he'll give them. It's that point in the story line, anyway.

The "new" Brodwyn astounds the kids by sending Max out to purchase donuts. He also says they need to have more "fun" and try to put "the Christmas back into A Christmas Carol." Strange talk to be coming from "Mr. Branson," they think. He even goes so far as to offer to provide transportation for a youth who arrives late for rehearsal rather than chewing him out. But in his heart-of-hearts, he hasn't changed a scintilla. So the stage is set for the arrival of Blue Christmas.

Blue Christmas is an E.T.A. (Elvis Tribute Artist) who specializes in "smelling like The King." It is safe to say Blue is at the complete opposite end of the artistic spectrum from where Brodwyn imagines himself to be. His talents are dubious at best and his demeanor is crude. But what's worse is that there is no counterpart in the Dickens tale so Brodwyn does not know what to make of him. He is used to being in control, of being the omniscient director. But there is no way he can predict how the story will develop, now [Song: "C'mon And Rock"].

After much hemming and hawing, Blue finally reveals that he is the Spirit of Christmas Never: "As if Christmas had never happened." He leads Brodwyn to a vacant lot where his theater should have been, but all they find is a homeless man in a cardboard box who proceeds to act out Titus Andronicus with a couple of sock puppets. When Brodwyn ventures to look inside the box (contrary to Blue's stern warning), he comes face to face with something so indescribably horrible that it is best left to the imagination his true self if there had never been a Christmas.

The next thing he knows, Brodwyn is standing backstage, surrounded by Max and the kids. It is twenty minutes until the curtain rises and they are all expecting the worst. But, then, Brodwyn suddenly feels compelled to speak to them directly from the heart, assuring them that there still is time to salvage the show if only each of them does what he knows they are capable of.

"You know something?" he replies, comfortingly, "I am, too. But so is anyone who's about to do something great. You just need to believe in yourselves. You're actors, after all good actors and acting is making believe" [Song "Make Believe"].

For the first time since rehearsals began, the kids actually believe him, maybe because he is telling the straight truth, without calculation. As they all scramble to get into position for the first act, Brodwyn pulls Max aside. He tells her he wants to go with her to the Open Door Mission on Christmas morning and, afterwards, would like to take her, Barbra, and even Barbra's family out to lunch and a movie. Max doesn't know quite how to respond.

Of course, the show [Song: "Christmas Time"] is an enormous hit the best ever, some say even if it isn't perfect. But more importantly, Brodwyn has truly changed (even if he isn't perfect). He becomes an enthusiastic volunteer at the mission, invites more people into his life than ever before, and immediately begins planning how to make next year's production of A Christmas Carol even better. He knows how, as Dickens put it many years ago, to keep Christmas. And, of course, this is not his "last Christmas Carol," after all [Song: "C'mon and Rock"].



	THE LAST CHRISTMAS CAROL A Musical in Two Acts Book and lyrics by David Meyers Music by Scott Michal © MMI Dramatic Publishing www.dramaticpublishing.com Act I Brodwyn Branson is a once promising actor who returned home to operate a local children's theater after years of chasing his dreams of Broadway stardom. Although he has turned it into a modest success, he still is obligated to stage the annual holiday production of Dickens's A Christmas Carol in order to balance the books. But his heart is not in it. He has vowed this will definitely be his "last Christmas Carol." Even with the assistance of Max, his young and eager "girl Friday," Brodwyn can hardly force himself to pay attention during auditions. His mind keeps slipping into odd reveries that make it seem as if his life is sort of a Fellini-esque musical. He even finds himself singing his thoughts and feelings although no one can hear him [Song: "The Last Christmas Carol"]. On top of that, the talent pool this year seems to be particularly shallow. The only bright spot is the improbably named Barbra Whitney Mariah Madonna Gloria Cher Spanew, a scrawny kid with an unquashable spirit. She is the only one who seems to be immune to his jaded attitude [Song: "Christmas Time"]. As rehearsals get under way, Max struggles to keep the experience as upbeat as possible, softening Brodwyn's criticisms of the kids and shouldering additional responsibilities without complaint. For his part, Brodwyn is content to allow her to take a more active role in shaping the production simply because he is not motivated to do so himself. He is convinced that it is going to be a disaster [Song: "Columns And Rows"]. Brodwyn relies so heavily upon Max that he becomes alarmed and, then, perturbed when he learns she is volunteering at the Open Door Mission, a homeless shelter. He fears she will not have enough time to devote to both the shelter and the show. And, from his viewpoint, the latter is clearly more important. Even as his incessant negativity is starting to rub off on the kids, Brodwyn receives a visit from his former (and now deceased) agent "Big Lou" Bitterman [Song: "Makin' The Best Of A Bad Situation"]. Big Lou, who now represents performers who have "passed over," tries to warn his old client about what lies in store for him if he doesn't mend his ways, but Brodwyn recognizes that Big Lou is simply reciting Marley's speech from A Christmas Carol and refuses to take him seriously. After informing Brodwyn that he would now receive "the whole enchilada" (visits from the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present, and Future), Big Lou disappears. Max and the kids have witnessed Brodwyn's peculiar "spell" and aren't sure what to make of it. Still feeling somewhat unsettled, he excuses himself from the rehearsal and slips outside for some fresh air. Instead, he finds himself center stage, performing before an audience of one J. Pilkington Burpee, a once famous theater critic (now the Ghost of Christmas Past) who was the first to mention him in a review [Song: "J. Pilkington Burpee"]. When she is not skewering him with verbal darts, Burpee takes time to remind him of the love he once felt not only for "the Theater," but also for an actress he had known when he was starting out. However, he had forsaken her for his "career" such as it was, such as it is) [Song: "The Theater"]. Entering into the last few weeks of rehearsals, Brodwyn is more concerned than ever that the production will not be worthy of his name. He considers injecting an element of fear into the lives of the kids in order to get them to shape up. But, instead, he must deal with Laverne Spreen, an elfish sidewalk vendor, who challenges him to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas [Song: "I Love All Things Christmas"]. When Brodwyn starts to quibble about her casting as the Ghost of Christmas Present, she fires back, stamping her feet for emphasis, "Dickens, Schmikens! Don't you get it yet? This isn't his story. It's yours!" [Song: "I Give You Mister Scrooge"] The feisty gamine proceeds to take him on a guided tour of the shabbier areas of town, winding up at the Open Door Mission where Max is leading a makeshift choir in singing Christmas songs [Song: "Christmas Time"]. Among their number are Barbra and her family. Until now, Brodwyn was unaware that the little girl his Tiny Tim was homeless. Still, Brodwyn is unfazed, and Laverne departs because "his" (not her) time is up. Exhausted, he takes a nap in the greenroom. Act II When Max arrives the next morning, she finds him still asleep on the broken down sofa. She tries not to disturb him as she ponders what it is about him that she finds so maddening and so attractive [Song: "Ordinary Man"]. When he awakens, though, things are as they were before. Brodwyn is as oblivious to her feelings about him as he is to his feelings about her. A newspaper vendor or "Newsie" strolls in on him, peddling The Christmas Herald: News of Yet-To-Come. Brodwyn is slow to realize that this kid is selling him glimpses of the future his future. While accompanying the Newsie on a trip through time, he witnesses an apparent "mutiny" among his young cast members as they decide to quit the show. He reads about the cancellation of the Christmas production, a disastrous staging of a musical about The Donner Party [Song: "Waste Not, Want Not"], the eventual condemnation of the theater building itself, and the auction of its contents [Song: "Brodwyn Branson"]. Rather than continuing to argue the point with a mere "kid," Brodwyn decides to change a little. The visit by the three spirits has been more disturbing than he would care to admit and if it's change they want, it's change he'll give them. It's that point in the story line, anyway. The "new" Brodwyn astounds the kids by sending Max out to purchase donuts. He also says they need to have more "fun" and try to put "the Christmas back into A Christmas Carol." Strange talk to be coming from "Mr. Branson," they think. He even goes so far as to offer to provide transportation for a youth who arrives late for rehearsal rather than chewing him out. But in his heart-of-hearts, he hasn't changed a scintilla. So the stage is set for the arrival of Blue Christmas. Blue Christmas is an E.T.A. (Elvis Tribute Artist) who specializes in "smelling like The King." It is safe to say Blue is at the complete opposite end of the artistic spectrum from where Brodwyn imagines himself to be. His talents are dubious at best and his demeanor is crude. But what's worse is that there is no counterpart in the Dickens tale so Brodwyn does not know what to make of him. He is used to being in control, of being the omniscient director. But there is no way he can predict how the story will develop, now [Song: "C'mon And Rock"]. After much hemming and hawing, Blue finally reveals that he is the Spirit of Christmas Never: "As if Christmas had never happened." He leads Brodwyn to a vacant lot where his theater should have been, but all they find is a homeless man in a cardboard box who proceeds to act out Titus Andronicus with a couple of sock puppets. When Brodwyn ventures to look inside the box (contrary to Blue's stern warning), he comes face to face with something so indescribably horrible that it is best left to the imagination his true self if there had never been a Christmas. The next thing he knows, Brodwyn is standing backstage, surrounded by Max and the kids. It is twenty minutes until the curtain rises and they are all expecting the worst. But, then, Brodwyn suddenly feels compelled to speak to them directly from the heart, assuring them that there still is time to salvage the show if only each of them does what he knows they are capable of. It is Barbara who says what they all are thinking. "But I'm scared," she admits. "You know something?" he replies, comfortingly, "I am, too. But so is anyone who's about to do something great. You just need to believe in yourselves. You're actors, after all good actors and acting is making believe" [Song "Make Believe"]. For the first time since rehearsals began, the kids actually believe him, maybe because he is telling the straight truth, without calculation. As they all scramble to get into position for the first act, Brodwyn pulls Max aside. He tells her he wants to go with her to the Open Door Mission on Christmas morning and, afterwards, would like to take her, Barbra, and even Barbra's family out to lunch and a movie. Max doesn't know quite how to respond. Of course, the show [Song: "Christmas Time"] is an enormous hit the best ever, some say even if it isn't perfect. But more importantly, Brodwyn has truly changed (even if he isn't perfect). He becomes an enthusiastic volunteer at the mission, invites more people into his life than ever before, and immediately begins planning how to make next year's production of A Christmas Carol even better. He knows how, as Dickens put it many years ago, to keep Christmas. And, of course, this is not his "last Christmas Carol," after all [Song: "C'mon and Rock"].