 PIPE DREAM
a musical play with book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on
the novel 'Sweet Thursday' by John Steinbeck; music by Richard Rodgers.
Opened at the Shubert Theatre, 30 November 1955 with William Johnson
(Doe), Helen Traubel (Fauna), G. D. Wallace (Mac), Mike Kellin (Hazel)
and Judy Tyler (Suzy).
Synopsis
Act 1
In a Biological Laboratory Doc is forever testing marine
biological specimens, which he rates about the same as the rest of creation
(All Kinds of People). He sings about the creatures (The Tide
Pool) to Mac and Hazel, mates of his who live with a lot of other
Cannery Row dropouts in the "Palace Flophouse", a former fishmeal warehouse.
Doe's girlfriend Millicent isn't too keen on his friends, and certainly
not on Suzy, a stranger who has cut her hand breaking a store window to
grab two doughnut, and ]Doe bandages it (though he's not really
a Doctor). She's also a down-and-out traveller (Everybody's Got a Home
But Me) and is lucky that Fauna, the owner of the Bear Flag Café,
agrees to take her in as one of her 'girls' when Jim the policeman
comes to try to move her on.
Suzy had asked Doe what he was going to do with all his
research and, stung, he had said he was going to write and deliver a paper.
Now, two weeks later, it's worrying him because he needs a big microscope
to complete his research and he hasn't got the $300 it costs - so his
Flophouse friends decide to help him. At the Flophouse, as a jug of drink
goes round, the lads contemplate their shiftless lifestyle On a Lopsided
Bus.
Mac has idea to solve Doe's financial problems. Joe,
a Mexican shopkeeper who is new to the area, doesn't yet know that he
owns the Flophouse along with his shop. Mac decides to raffle the Flophouse
off and fix it so that Doe wins. The Flophouse lads will then use the
raffle proceeds to buy Doe's microscope! Joe, in blissful ignorance, is
impressed with the idea and promises to sell a lot of tickets.
Suzy brings Doe a cake, ostensibly from Fauna, but obviously
from herself. She has been sneaking in, cleaning up his place, leaving
food on the cooker - and is very defensive when he gets suspicious. She
tells him all Cannery Row is laughing at his big ideas, and he becomes
quite morose (The Man I Used to Be). At Fauna's suggestion he asks
Suzy to dinner, and Fauna is very pleased with herself (Sweet Thursday),
but has to talk hard to give Suzy confidence (Suzy is a Good Thing).
With all of Cannery Row watching, Doe calls for Suzy and takes her to
a shore-side seafood restaurant where their awkwardness melts in the romantic
atmosphere (All At Once You Love Her).
Act II
The next morning, Fauna and her girls are admiring the
Bear Flag's newly-designed Christmas card (The Happiest House on the
Block). She continues her campaign to get the shamefaced Suzy to marry
Doe, and she and the girls are also planning a big fancy dress party for
the raffle result the following evening. It takes place at the Flophouse
and Fauna has arranged a wacky pageant of Snow White (Suzy, in bridal
dress), the Seven Dwarfs and assorted fairy tale characters, most of whom
are less than sober. Suzy, egged on by Fauna, sings Will You Marry
Me? to Doe, but both Doe's and her nerve fail them and they rush away.
The next morning, we find Suzy, determined to make it
on her own, deciding to go and live in a disused boiler on the shore,
which she calls a pipe. Hazel is having great trouble Thinkin'
-how to help Doe out of his predicament, But it is Joe who does it - by
going to serenade her in the boiler, he makes Doe furiously jealous, and
although Doe's mettle needs a lot of stiffening with advice from his friends
(How Long?), he goes to Suzy, laden with flowers, they have a heart-to-heart
talk (The Next Time it Happens) - and say goodbye again, though
he doesn't see how Suzy cries as he leaves. Muscle-bound Hazel blunders
along; in his foggy way, he just wants to know what would make Suzy do
something for Doc - and her answer gives him a brilliant idea. Whilst
Doe is asleep, Hazel breaks Doe's arm with a baseball bat. As a result
Doe needs someone to look after him, and that someone is, of course, Suzy.
All is happily resolved as the entire population of Cannery Row pours
into Doc's laboratory to interrupt the tender scene and present him with
the prize piece of equipment - does it matter that it's a telescope, not
a microscope? Not a bit, not on Sweet Thursday! |
CHARACTERS
| DOC |
Rather a 'loner', devoted to his work, but secretly hungry
for a permanent attachment. |
| HAZEL |
Big on physical strength and loyalty to Doc, rather small
on intellect. |
| MAC |
The shrewdest and most organised member of the Flop-house
Palace family. |
| SUZY |
Starting as a downtrodden defiant waif, she grows and blossoms,
first from Fauna's motherly care, then from the man's love she
needs. |
| FAUNA |
The mother-earth type with a big shoulder to cry on and
a big heart to go with it. |
| JIM |
The soft-hearted cop of Cannery Row. |
| JOE |
A Mexican shopkeeper without too much between the ears.
|
| GEORGE, BILL, ALEC, EDDIE, WHITEY, RED |
The Flophouse Palace crew. |
| RAY |
George's brother-in-law, who has come to take him home.
|
| JOHNNY CARRIAGA |
A little boy on Cannery Row. |
| AGNES, MABEL, BEULAH, EMMA, BECKY, MARILYN, CHO
CHO SEN, MARJORIE |
Girls at the Bear Flag Café |
| - and various other incidental characters
one might see any day or night on Cannery Row. |
|
