Embedded Files
ACT ONE
Scene 1: It's an early evening in 1919 at the Tin Pan Alley Tavern in New York and the employees arrive to prepare for their customers. The bartender/owner, Danny, converses with his bar maids, Sally and Sophie, and can't help but notice that Sally is in a dark mood. He learns that Sally's beau, Joey, is still on the battlefield in Europe, even though the war has officially ended. Danny does what he can to cheer her up with the song, "Smile and Show Your Dimple."
Scene 2: No sooner does the song end then the patron of the Tin Pan Alley Tavern come pouring in. All the regulars are there. There's Tony Deloroso, a dock worker and union organizer. Mickey and Mamie Brannigan get a night off from babysitting the grandkids and decide to visit their favorite establishment. Bill Goldschmidt and his gang are in high spirits as they take place at their usual tables. Bill toasts the patrons and breaks into a lively rendition of the old classic, "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here."
Scene 3: After the number ends, Tony continues his perennial pursuit of the bar maid, Sophie. Sophie tells him that she's fond of him but that she's fond of a lot of guys. Tony wonders if he isn't special to her. She answers his questions with the song, "I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While."
Scene 4: After the song, Bill presses Danny and the members of the tavern about the impending Prohibition. The patrons wonder what they will do after the new law is put into place and enforced. Danny responds with the song, "How Are You Going to Wet Your Whistle (When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry?")
Scene 5: When the number ends, the patrons seem content to let their worries sink into the good feelings of the evening. The piano player launches into one of those new Ragtime numbers. The patrons begin to liven up but Mickey puts a stop to the shenanigans and insists that ragtime music doesn't stack up to the old, simpler tunes. Mamie begs to differ, sending a debate throughout the tavern. Mickey tries to prove his point with the song, "Won't You Play a Simple Melody?"
Scene 6: The evening continues as Sally and Sophie talk about their contrasting problems with men. Sophie sympathizes with Sally's fears of Joey's absence but tries to assure her that it will work out for the best. Sally reveals her deep concerns with the song, "How Can I Forget (When There's So Much to Remember?)"
Scene 7: Sally is lost in revere when the door of the tavern flies open and reveals the entrance of Marie Latour, Paris showgirl extraordinaire. Her flamboyant entrance is fueled by an overindulgence in the spirits. Danny tells Sally to get the new patron to a back table so that her raucous behavior doesn't disturb the other customers. Just as Sally obliges, the patrons become troubled by the entrance of the local detective Big Bob Budinski. Bob warns all present that the Prohibition will soon be in effect and that they had better make other plans for their evenings. The patrons tell Bob to leave Danny alone because he'll be out of a job when Prohibition becomes law. Bob suggests that maybe Danny should become a preacher. This leads the tavern into the song, "Every Day'll Be Sunday When the Town Goes Dry."
Scene 8: The tavern patrons enjoy it when Marie shoots few zingers in Bib Bob's direction. Bob turns his attentions to Tony. Bob learns that Tony is the son of Franco Deloroso, a lawyer who defended cops during an upheaval at the police department. However when he learns that Tony is a shipyard worker, he can't help but become suspicious about what union activities Tony is involved. The crowd's tension is relieved when Bib Bob finally makes his exit.
Scene 9: Bob's exits leads to Marie announcing her needs to use the privy, which makes Danny concerned about the effect that the provocative subject may have on his customers. After Marie steps into the back room, the patrons speculate about what the French showgirl is doing in their neighborhood tavern. When it's revealed that she left Paris to get a job with the Ziegfeld Follies, they wonder why she would leave Paris for such a gig. Bill, always up for embellishing a story, hints that she was involved in a scandal with an American soldier. When the patrons press Bill for details, he launches into the song, "Oui, Oui, Marie" which ends in a chorus kick-line with the men in the tavern.
Scene 10: The patrons are jubilant to see the men dance. Sophie compliments Tony on his high kicking, to which, he invites her out to dance. When she suggests that Tony take Sally out dancing, he protests that Sally's too much of a home-body. Sally retorts that she and Joey went out dancing plenty before the war. Tony is skeptical. To which, Sally launches into the song and dance, "I Gotta Dance" which catches the spirit of the entire tavern and the patrons end the first act with a big dance number.
ACT TWO
Scene 11: Later that night, Sophie tells Tony that the roughneck, Rocky Moretti, was in the tavern looking for him. She wonders why Tony would have anything to do with such a bully. Tony explains that they are in the workers union together. Sophie questions the wisdom of Tony's involvement with Rocky.
Scene 12: Bill, concerned about Sally, asks Danny how she's doing. When Danny explains that she's worried about Joey still being in Europe, Bill warns about how many solders, charmed by the sites of Paris, don't come back. As others comment on Bill's story, he raises a simple farm family, the Reubens, to mythological proportions. The patrons goad Bill into an elaboration which results in the number, "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm?"
Scene 13: Marie returns when the song concludes. She takes her place at her table with a bottle of champaign and a blue mood. Sally and Marie share their sad stories. Marie tells Sally that she wants to leave this world. When Sally tells her that it's not possible, Marie engages in a dark flight of fancy with the song, "Come to the Moon."
Scene 14: Marie makes her exit after the song, leaving the patrons of the tavern in to contemplate how things have gone downhill. They talk about how new technology, such as the automobile, the telephone and electric light along with changing attitudes have eroded life's simple pleasures. This leads them to sing the song, "Bring Back Those Wonderful Days."
Scene 15: A new face enters the tavern. It is Rocky Moretti in search for Tony. Rocky warns Tony that the union organizers are expecting trouble. He tells Tony that they expect that his friend, Johnny Gray, is a snitch. They want Tony to find a way to keep Johnny away from the tavern. Tony questions the notion that Johnny could be wrapped up in anything nefarious. Rocky questions Tony's commitment to the union but Tony assures him that he'll do what is necessary.
Scene 16: After Rocky departs, Mickey and Mamie share old memories and talk about the beautiful evening. This leads to a recollection that the band still plays at the bandstand in central park. Their reverie leads to the song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band."
Scene 17: The song ends and leads to the entrance of Johnny Gray and his girlfriend Lucy. Lucy is complaining that Johnny is too stingy to take her out on the town. Tony uses this tiff as an opportunity to get Johnny out of the tavern and into a dark place of hiding without his knowing. He tells Johnny that he should take Lucy to the movies. When Johnny resists, Tony makes an unassailable argument with the song, "Take your Girlie to the Movies."
Scene 18: Tony gets Johnny out of the tavern just in a nick of time, as Big Bob Budinski reappears. Bob warns Tony that the police are onto the unlawful activities that the union have planned for that evening. Tony confront Bob with a comparison of the conditions that the police faced and the conditions that workers face. Bob gives thought to what Tony says, and gives Tony a veiled tip about how to keep from getting arrested. When Bob leaves, Tony tells Sophie that he will have to leave the state until the trouble dies down. When Sophie asks him when he will come back, he tells her that he can't be sure that he will ever be back. Tony tells Sophie that she has plenty of guys to keep her company. He exits. Sophie reveals to Sally her regret for letting Tony out of her life. Her dismay leads her to sing the song, "After You've Gone."
Scene 19: Sophie's song ends with Danny shouting out for the "last call." Sophie and Sally commiserate as the wash up for the evening. Sally tells Sophie that Joey assured her that everything would be okay when he left for the war. She decides that she must keep an optimistic outlook. Her new perspective leads he to sing the song, "Always Look for the Silver Lining." During the song, she is surprised to be joined by a doughboy in full uniform. It is Joey. The two are jubilantly joined once again.
Scene 20: Danny presents a toast to the happy couple. As his presentation concludes, the door flies open and Tony enters. He tells Sophie that he can't leave without asking her to come with him. She tells Tony that she doesn't want to leave Danny in the lurch. They come to the obvious conclusion.
Scene 21: As the bar maids are now joined with their prospective mates, they express concern about leaving Danny and the tavern. Danny assures them that he will be okay. He has lived many lives and has survived happily, as is only possible in the "neighborhood that never ends." This revelation leads to the final song of the musical, "The Sidewalks of New York."
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