Lucky Stiff

Infobox Musical
name= Lucky Stiff
subtitle=


caption= Logo
music= Stephen Flaherty
lyrics= Lynn Ahrens
book= Lynn Ahrens
basis= Michael Butterworth's novel "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo"
productions= 1988 Off-Broadway
1990 Maryland
1994 Lincoln
1997 West End
awards= Richard Rodgers Award

"Lucky Stiff" is a farcical musical comedy. It was the first collaboration for the musical theater team of Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The show is based on the 1983 novel "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" by Michael Butterworth. It was created and performed at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway in 1988, and won the Richard Rodgers Award for that year. The original cast included Stuart Zagnit, Mary Testa, and Julie White.

In 1990, the show was presented regionally at the Olney Theater in Maryland, winning the Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical. The production starred Evan Pappas. A 1994 studio cast recording included Judy Blazer as Annabel, Jason Graae as Vinnie, Debbie Shapiro Gravitte as Dominique, Paul Kandel as Anthony, Pappas as Harry, Testa as Rita, Barbara Rosenblatt as the Landlady, Bruce Winant as the Boarder, and Patrick Quinn as the Monte Carlo Emcee.

In 1994, the musical had its British debut at the Theater Royal in Lincoln in the English midlands, and in 1997 it had a West End production, starring Frances Ruffelle, Paul Baker, and Tracie Bennett. It was revived for five performances as part of the York Theatre's "Musicals in Mufti" series in 2003, with Zagnit, Testa, and several of the other original Playwrights Horizons cast members, as well as Malcolm Gets as Harry and Janet Metz as Annabelle.

The show is occasionally performed at regional theaters, and the song "Times Like This " has become a standard for cabaret singers.

ynopsis

;Prologue:

Ten characters as a sort of Greek Chorus warn the audience of the numerous plot twists to come. One of them, a man wearing dark glasses and silk pajamas, is murdered. ("Something Funny's Going On")

;Act I

British shoe salesman, Harry Witherspoon, who normally spends his Friday night taking inventory in the shoe shop and dreaming of a better life ("Mr. Witherspoon's Friday Night"), gets a telegram summoning him to a lawyer ("Mr. Harry Witherspoon's Friday Night"). He suddenly finds himself the recipient of a six million dollar inheritance. Harry learns that an uncle he never met, Anthony Hendon, has left him this fortune on the condition that he take Uncle Anthony’s corpse on one last vacation to Monte Carlo. If Harry is unwilling to do it, the money will go to his Uncle's favorite charity, the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. Harry reluctantly accepts the challenge and travels to Monte Carlo with a cassette tape, a heart-shaped box containing six million in diamonds, and Uncle Anthony’s corpse in a wheelchair, dressed up by a taxidermist friend to appear alive.

Meanwhile, in Atlantic City, an optometrist, Vinnie Di Ruzzio, is visited by his legally blind sister, Rita La Porta. Rita reveals to her brother that she has accidentally murdered her lover while not wearing her glasses; that the six million dollars in diamonds she and her lover had embezzled from her gangster husband is gone; that her lover was Harry's Uncle Anthony; and that the heart-shaped box full of jewels is now en route to Monte Carlo! Rita also reveals to her shocked brother that she has blamed the embezzlement on Vinnie and there is now a hit out for him. Together, they embark for Monte Carlo to find Harry and retrieve the money before Rita's Mafioso husband does something nasty. ("Rita's Confesion")

During his travels, Harry encounters Luigi Gaudi, a flashy Italian who offers to be his tour guide, and realizes that a mysterious young woman, is watching him and taking notes. He describes the sights to the dead uncle. ("Good to Be Alive")Harry arrives in Monte Carlo and begins to take his uncle around, getting more and more frustrated at the very specific things he must do. He decides, however, that he is "Lucky" to be there. Later, he realizes that he is being followed by a the young woman from the train. He confronts her and discovers that she is Annabel Glick, a representative of the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. It appears that there is a loophole in Anthony’s will and she is there to make sure he doesn't make the smallest mistake, because if he does, she'll take the uncle, finish the trip for him, and get the money. Harry vows not to relinquish it, and Annabel declares war. ("Dogs Versus You")

Vinnie and Rita arrive in Nice. As Rita calls every hotel in the Monte Carlo area to find the one Harry is staying in, Vinnie calls his wife, Mary Alice, and tells her that he will not be home for dinner because his sister has taken him to Europe. After asserting himself and getting angry, she hangs up on him. ("The Phone Call") Rita finds the right hotel, books two rooms right down the hall from Harry, and they leave.

Meanwhile, Harry spends the day taking the dead uncle all sorts of places around town (with Annabel right behind them), buying it new clothes, taking it gambling, to a museum, skydiving, fishing, scuba diving... ("A Day Around Town (Dance)")

That night, Harry, Annabel, and Luigi Gaudi find themselves at a glamorous French nightclub ("Monte Carlo!"), where Uncle Anthony had arranged for a special surprise for Harry in the form of sexy performer Dominique du Monaco. She sings a huge cabaret number that has everybody bumping ("Speaking French"), then tells Harry that Anthony has arranged for them to spend many prepaid hours together and sits in the empty seat next to Harry (as was specified in the will). As Dominique teaches Harry a continental toast and everyone breaks into couples, Annabel, alone, sings about wishing she had a dog with her ("Times Like These"). Dominique exits with Harry, and Annabel follows. ("Monte Carlo! (Reprise)")

While Harry is having fun in the casino, Rita La Porta has disguised herself as a maid, and searches Harry's room for the diamonds while Vinnie stands nervously nearby. Vinnie leaves. When Harry returns with Uncle Anthony, Rita quickly hides in the closet. Harry leaves the corpse in the hotel room, and goes gambling, followed by Miss Glick. As he leaves, he says goodbye to "Uncle Anthony." Squinting from the closet, Rita can barely make out the shape of a man in a wheelchair. Rita tucks away her unbecoming glasses, and steps out to face who she believes to be a living Anthony Hendon. After begging forgiveness and speaking of love, she kisses Hendon's hand and discovers he is really dead ("Fancy Meeting You Here").

Harry Witherspoon is on a winning streak at the casino (thanks to Hendon's friend's infallible system for roulette), when a livid Rita La Porta arrives. She has the corpse with her, as well as a gun. She wants the diamonds, and she intends to kill for them. ("Act I Finale: Good to Be Alive")

;Prologue:The cast as a Greek Chorus briefly reminds the audience of where they left off. ("Something Funny's Going On (Reprise)")

;Act II

Harry manages to break away from Rita. He and Annabel grab Uncle Anthony and run. Rita's gun goes off accidentally as her brother tries to restrain her, but Rita turns the crowd on Vinnie, and escapes after Harry.

Chaos ensues as Harry and Annabel try to hide from Rita and protect Uncle Anthony. In the fray, a drunken maid mistakes Uncle Anthony for the laundry and wheels him away. When Harry and Annabel discover him missing, they're frantic. If they can't find Uncle Anthony they'll lose everything! All around Monte Carlo, Annabel, Harry, Rita and Vinnie search for each other, the heart-shaped box and the missing corpse. During this sequence, Vinnie meets the shapely Dominique du Monaco, who is most interested in his search for the money. ("Him, Them, It, Her")

Unable to locate Uncle Anthony, Annabel and Harry return to Harry's room. Several people attempted to get a cash reward for bringing them people in wheelchairs, none of which are Uncle Anthony. Their hopes have vanished. Harry and Annabel open a bottle of his Uncle's champagne, and let down their guard. Annabel makes a toast to the both of them, saying that it was "Nice" suffering through the week with him.

That night, Harry has a terrible nightmare. Everyone is a dog/human. His landlady welcomes him back, saying that she knew he wouldn't live a good life for long. Rita threatens him with a machine gun. Luigi taunts him. Annabel says goodbye. The dead uncle gets out of his wheelchair and does a tap dance while everyone else forms a kickline. ("Welcome Back, Mr. Witherspoon")

Harry wakes up, horrified, and Annabel pops up next to him and comforts him. Both are apparently nude. They are shocked to find themselves in bed together. The drunk maid enters with Uncle Anthony, and they exchange a quick moment of joy before becoming embarrassed again. Annabel goes to the bathroom to get dressed as Harry mulls the situation over ("A Woman in My Bathroom") As Annabel is about to leave, Rita LaPorta enters the room gun in hand. She is now wearing her glasses and realizes that the corpse is in fact not her lover, but a dead stranger. There is a knock at the door. The mysterious Luigi Gaudi enters and proclaims that he is the real Uncle Anthony. He explains how the man in the chair (the real Luigi Gaudi) was murdered and why Harry was dispatched to Monte Carlo. ("Confessions #2 (Reprise)") Uncle Anthony also reveals that the six million dollars in diamonds is actually sewn inside the corpse, and the heart-shaped box contains the heart of the dead man, whose last wish was that his heart be buried at sea. Now, Vinnie bursts into the room with Dominique du Monaco and a gun, both dressed as maids. Vinnie demands the diamonds, telling the group that he plans to start a new life in Europe with Dominique. Rita hands him the heart-shaped box (containing the dead man's heart), and Vinnie and Dominique exit. Harry, Annabel, and Rita demand compensation for their troubles, and Tony gives $10,000, Luigi Gaudi's life savings, to Annabel. He gives Harry $500 and tells him that he still has the rest of the week prepaid and Luigi's infallible roulette system. Before he can give Rita anything, she threatens Harry and Annabel into a closet and apologizes to Tony for everything. Rita and Tony forgive each other; they take the diamond-laden corpse, and depart. ("Fancy Meeting You Here (Reprise)")

Harry and Annabel are left alone, with only Uncle's infallible system for roulette, an all-expense paid week in Monte Carlo, and each other. Harry locks the door. And in a rare moment for both of them, he and Annabel decide to stay on together for Uncle's all-expense paid week, and see what happens. ("Finale Act II: Good to Be Alive")

Major characters

*Harry Witherspoon (a shy, British shoe salesman)
*Annabel Glick (a representative of the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn)
*Rita LaPorta (a hard-edged, legally blind woman)
*Luigi Gaudi (A mysterious, boisterous Italian)
*Vinnie Di Ruzzio (Rita La Porta's oppressed brother; an optometrist)
*Dominique du Monaco (a French nightclub singer)
*Landlady (of Harry's apartment house)
*Boarder (A tenant in Harry's apartment house)
*Monte Carlo Emcee
*The dead body of Anthony Hendon (Harry's freshly-murdered uncle, fixed up so he looks alive)

Musical numbers

;Act
* Something Funny's Going On
* Mr. Witherspoon's Friday Night
* Rita's Confession
* Good To Be Alive
* Lucky
* Dogs Versus You
* A Day Around Town (Dance)
* Phone Call
* Monte Carlo
* Speaking French
* Times Like This
* Fancy Meeting You Here
* Finale Act One;Act II
* Something Funny's Going On (Reprise)
* Him, Them, It, Her
* Nice
* Welcome Back, Mr. Witherspoon (Harry's Nightmare)
* A Woman In My Bathroom
* Nice (Reprise)
* Confession #2
* Finale

References

* [http://www.nodanw.com/shows_l/lucky_stiff.htm Lucky Stiff synopsis]
* [http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com/lucky.html Profile of the show]
* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?ID=000049 Extensive information about the show]
*"New Yorker". May 9, 1988, volume 64, no. 12, p.100
*"Variety". May 25, 1988, volume 331, no.5, p.104
*"Washington Times". May 8, 1989 p. E1 ("Musical is Lucky for theatergoers")
*"Baltimore Sun". May 9, 1989. p. 3C. ("Olney's delightfully zany 'Lucky Stiff'")
*"Washington Post". May 12, 1989. p. D4. ("Live Wire 'Lucky Stiff'")

External links

* [http://www.libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=607&language=1 Lucky Stiff libretto]
* [http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com/luckyyork.htm Program notes]
* [http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com/luckystifflondon.htm Review of the London production]